Okay, Nightstalker, so I lied. I said the final chapter would be posted by
the weekend and now it's Wednesday. So sue me. :p j/k Anyway, this is the
last chapter of Living with Fear, a few days later than expected. Hope you
like it. The last past of this story will be called Fighting Fear and the
first part of it should be posted in a few days(I promise :) It will be
the final part of my Fear trilogy and will be shorter than the
others(school starts Mon.; I want to wrap it up before then). Don't worry
just because it's short, doen't mean it will be lacking in any way(at least
I hope not). Anyway, I'm rambling so I'm just going to shut up now and let
you guys read.
Chapter 13
Barbara rested her head against the rough brick wall. Another round with the Joker's thugs had left her severely weakened. Her old cuts and bruises were now covered with fresh new injuries. She took a slow, ragged breath, which sent her into a fit of coughing. A bitter taste filled the back of her mouth.
: Oh great,: Barbara thought, wiping the blood away from her mouth with her good hand. : Internal bleeding. Not good, not good at all Gordon.:
Barbara shivered as her body suddenly grew cold. Infection had set in with her neglected injuries and Barbara's body was trying to fight it off. She knew she was running a very high fever and her skin was covered in a cold sweat. There were times that she struggled to stay conscious. She had to get out of here and soon; she knew she wouldn't survive another beating from the Joker's men. Her body just wouldn't take it. She knew what she had to do, even though she hated it.
: Sell my soul to the devil. No,: she reasoned. : I'm not giving in to him. Just doing what it takes to survive. If I can just buy myself a few more hours.:
Barbara's thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps down the hall. She sat up straighter, preparing herself for what she knew she must do. The door opened and the Joker walked in, his face still plastered in his classic grin.
"Hello Babs," he said his voice annoyingly cheerful. "You don't look so good. I hope my boys didn't give you too much trouble. It would really be a shame if you died so soon." He paused. "Now, where were we." He thought a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Oh that's right, we were discussing my proposition. What do you say Babs? Care to help an old friend out."
Barbara grimaced hating herself for what she was about to do. "I'll do it."
"What was that? I couldn't hear you?"
"I said, I will do it." Barbara spoke evenly through clenched teeth.
"That's what I thought you'd say." The Joker laughed, a huge grin spreading across his face. Barbara almost expected his face to crack. "That's wonderful. I'll have the boys set you up with some computers and maybe see if we can't get you something for the pain. I can't have you passing out on me now. We have so much work to do." He walked towards the door, still muttering excitedly about his plans. When he got to the door he turned to look at Barbara. "You know Babs, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship." He walked out and closed the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Barbara collapsed in a fit of sobs.
* * *
Helena stood out on the balcony overlooking the city as the last rays of sunshine fell behind the backdrop of the sea. She looked out over the vast city, wondering where her mentor might be.
: I know you're out there, Barbara, but where? If you would just give me some indication.:
She felt a presence behind her and turned as Dinah came to stand beside her. Helena turned back to face the city.
"I know she's out there somewhere," Helena spoke quietly. "If only she would call out or something, but right now.I just feel so helpless."
Dinah placed a hand on Helena's shoulder. "We'll find her Helena."
They stood there in silence, watching the sun disappear and night fall upon the city. An alarm sounded from inside the clocktower. It took them a moment to figure out what the noise was. It was the Delphi.
They looked at each other. "Barbara!" they exclaimed in unison as they ran inside the clocktower.
* * *
Johnny stood outside the redhead's cell waiting for the Joker. He didn't agree with what the boss was doing; he thought it was pretty reckless allowing the woman access to a computer. Wasn't she supposed to be a computer genius or something? And over what, some old flame now residing in prison? It was damn reckless and Johnny didn't like it at all, but he wasn't the boss. It wasn't his decision to make, but it was his life that was being put on the line. He didn't want to go back to prison because the maniac got careless.
The Joker strolled out of the room an even larger smile than normal plastered on his face, if that was even possible. He clapped Johnny on the back.
"Johnny my boy, it is coming along just wonderful," the Joker chuckled as he walked down the hall, Johnny in close tow behind. "Another couple of hours and I will be reunited with my dear old Harley. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on the old nut's face when I break her out. Ha, won't that be a site, the Joker breaking into Arkham instead of out." Johnny had slowed his pace. "Hurry up Johnny we have a lot of work to do."
Johnny slowed. "Arkham?! You want to break into Arkham? Don't you think this is a little reckless boss? I mean breaking into Arkham Asylum to break out some old girlfriend."
The Joker turned towards Johnny and it was the first time Johnny had ever seen him without a smile on his face. It scared him.
"You don't get the joke? Breaking into the prison that I broke out of so many times. You're thicker in the head than I thought."
"No boss, I get it. Real funny. Ha ha. I'm just wondering if it is such a bright idea. I mean isn't that woman a whiz with computers? Won't she just contact her kids to rescue her while you're off freeing your girlfriend?"
Johnny shut his eyes, expecting a blow. He hadn't expected to speak out against the boss. Everyone that had was now dead and he sure didn't want to be next. Johnny waited for the end, but nothing came. Instead, he heard laughing. He opened his eyes and saw the Joker doubled over laughing hysterically. Johnny started chuckling quietly too.
"Oh Johnny you crack me up," the Joker said as a gasped for breath. "You are so dense, it's almost too funny for words." The Joker straightened, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Of course she'll contact those brats of hers and then they'll come running to their dear Oracle's rescue." He paused and then a sinister smile came across his face. "And then I'll kill them all. Ironic, isn't it? She thinks she's bringing help, but she'll only bring death. So you see, Johnny, I'm killing two birds with one stone." He started laughing again. "Birds. Ha. I crack myself up sometimes. Come on Johnny, we have a lot of planning ahead." The Joker started walking down the hall.
Johnny sighed from relief. He chuckled and started following his boss down the hall.
"Oh wait," the Joker stopped in mid stride, "I almost forgot..."
Before Johnny realized what was happening, the Joker pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest. As Johnny slowly sank to the ground the Joker put the gun away and straightened his jacket.
"Never question me."
To be concluded.
Chapter 13
Barbara rested her head against the rough brick wall. Another round with the Joker's thugs had left her severely weakened. Her old cuts and bruises were now covered with fresh new injuries. She took a slow, ragged breath, which sent her into a fit of coughing. A bitter taste filled the back of her mouth.
: Oh great,: Barbara thought, wiping the blood away from her mouth with her good hand. : Internal bleeding. Not good, not good at all Gordon.:
Barbara shivered as her body suddenly grew cold. Infection had set in with her neglected injuries and Barbara's body was trying to fight it off. She knew she was running a very high fever and her skin was covered in a cold sweat. There were times that she struggled to stay conscious. She had to get out of here and soon; she knew she wouldn't survive another beating from the Joker's men. Her body just wouldn't take it. She knew what she had to do, even though she hated it.
: Sell my soul to the devil. No,: she reasoned. : I'm not giving in to him. Just doing what it takes to survive. If I can just buy myself a few more hours.:
Barbara's thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps down the hall. She sat up straighter, preparing herself for what she knew she must do. The door opened and the Joker walked in, his face still plastered in his classic grin.
"Hello Babs," he said his voice annoyingly cheerful. "You don't look so good. I hope my boys didn't give you too much trouble. It would really be a shame if you died so soon." He paused. "Now, where were we." He thought a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Oh that's right, we were discussing my proposition. What do you say Babs? Care to help an old friend out."
Barbara grimaced hating herself for what she was about to do. "I'll do it."
"What was that? I couldn't hear you?"
"I said, I will do it." Barbara spoke evenly through clenched teeth.
"That's what I thought you'd say." The Joker laughed, a huge grin spreading across his face. Barbara almost expected his face to crack. "That's wonderful. I'll have the boys set you up with some computers and maybe see if we can't get you something for the pain. I can't have you passing out on me now. We have so much work to do." He walked towards the door, still muttering excitedly about his plans. When he got to the door he turned to look at Barbara. "You know Babs, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship." He walked out and closed the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Barbara collapsed in a fit of sobs.
* * *
Helena stood out on the balcony overlooking the city as the last rays of sunshine fell behind the backdrop of the sea. She looked out over the vast city, wondering where her mentor might be.
: I know you're out there, Barbara, but where? If you would just give me some indication.:
She felt a presence behind her and turned as Dinah came to stand beside her. Helena turned back to face the city.
"I know she's out there somewhere," Helena spoke quietly. "If only she would call out or something, but right now.I just feel so helpless."
Dinah placed a hand on Helena's shoulder. "We'll find her Helena."
They stood there in silence, watching the sun disappear and night fall upon the city. An alarm sounded from inside the clocktower. It took them a moment to figure out what the noise was. It was the Delphi.
They looked at each other. "Barbara!" they exclaimed in unison as they ran inside the clocktower.
* * *
Johnny stood outside the redhead's cell waiting for the Joker. He didn't agree with what the boss was doing; he thought it was pretty reckless allowing the woman access to a computer. Wasn't she supposed to be a computer genius or something? And over what, some old flame now residing in prison? It was damn reckless and Johnny didn't like it at all, but he wasn't the boss. It wasn't his decision to make, but it was his life that was being put on the line. He didn't want to go back to prison because the maniac got careless.
The Joker strolled out of the room an even larger smile than normal plastered on his face, if that was even possible. He clapped Johnny on the back.
"Johnny my boy, it is coming along just wonderful," the Joker chuckled as he walked down the hall, Johnny in close tow behind. "Another couple of hours and I will be reunited with my dear old Harley. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on the old nut's face when I break her out. Ha, won't that be a site, the Joker breaking into Arkham instead of out." Johnny had slowed his pace. "Hurry up Johnny we have a lot of work to do."
Johnny slowed. "Arkham?! You want to break into Arkham? Don't you think this is a little reckless boss? I mean breaking into Arkham Asylum to break out some old girlfriend."
The Joker turned towards Johnny and it was the first time Johnny had ever seen him without a smile on his face. It scared him.
"You don't get the joke? Breaking into the prison that I broke out of so many times. You're thicker in the head than I thought."
"No boss, I get it. Real funny. Ha ha. I'm just wondering if it is such a bright idea. I mean isn't that woman a whiz with computers? Won't she just contact her kids to rescue her while you're off freeing your girlfriend?"
Johnny shut his eyes, expecting a blow. He hadn't expected to speak out against the boss. Everyone that had was now dead and he sure didn't want to be next. Johnny waited for the end, but nothing came. Instead, he heard laughing. He opened his eyes and saw the Joker doubled over laughing hysterically. Johnny started chuckling quietly too.
"Oh Johnny you crack me up," the Joker said as a gasped for breath. "You are so dense, it's almost too funny for words." The Joker straightened, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Of course she'll contact those brats of hers and then they'll come running to their dear Oracle's rescue." He paused and then a sinister smile came across his face. "And then I'll kill them all. Ironic, isn't it? She thinks she's bringing help, but she'll only bring death. So you see, Johnny, I'm killing two birds with one stone." He started laughing again. "Birds. Ha. I crack myself up sometimes. Come on Johnny, we have a lot of planning ahead." The Joker started walking down the hall.
Johnny sighed from relief. He chuckled and started following his boss down the hall.
"Oh wait," the Joker stopped in mid stride, "I almost forgot..."
Before Johnny realized what was happening, the Joker pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest. As Johnny slowly sank to the ground the Joker put the gun away and straightened his jacket.
"Never question me."
To be concluded.