(Hello dear readers; I'm so sorry that it's been such a long time since I've updated. Due to the high demands that college life has, I can only tell you that the time between my updates will be longer. The Joker does not appreciate this one bit. He's constantly whining about me updating so that you people can read about him. *mutters under breath* "Selfish jerk." But I've been able to find a bit of time to work on this chapter and hope that you enjoy it.)

Chapter Five

House of Horrors

"Baby, baby, baby! You are my Voodoo Child - my Voodoo Child; Don't say maybe, maybe; It's Supernatural - I'm coming undone!" Amber sang as she fixed her hair in front of her mirror. Earlier she had used her hair curler to make her hair wavy. She pulled it up into a pony tail as she did little dance moves.

It was Halloween night and Joan, Gatsby, and Amber were lucky enough to have the night off. Tonight would be amazing! She, Joan, and Gatsby were going to the circus that had arrived in the city a week before Halloween. People were going in costumes and Amber had convinced Joan and Gatsby to dress up as well with her.

Amber practically sang the Hallelujah chorus as she dashed down the halls of Arkham Asylum and out to the parking lot.

Amber leaned closer to her reflection and carefully applied more black eyeliner to give her green eyes an intense dramatic effect. She straightened up and was satisfied that it looked alright. She stepped back to run a critical eye over her costume.

She was dressed as a circus ring master. A long, vibrant red coat would keep her warm from the October weather. Amber adjusted the coat's collar and ran her fingers over the golden embroidery and buttons. She did a little twirl and nearly squealed at how amazing the coat made her look when the ends of it swirled around her body almost like a cape. Underneath the coat she wore a white button up shirt with the collar open a little. Over the shirt she had a black under bust corset.

Amber put her circus ticket inside her dark grey horse riding pants and grabbed her black top hat, ceremoniously placing it on her head. Black riding boots, black fingerless gloves, blood red, tear drop-shaped earrings, a black choker necklace, bright red lipstick, and black finger nail polish completed her outfit.

"Ladies and gentlemen; let the show begin!" Amber said in her best ring master voice.

The doorbell rang and Amber checked her gold pocket watch. "8:30; that would be them." She ran to answer it.

"Amber, dear!" a voice called from outside the door.

Amber flung open the door and laughed when she saw the costume Gatsby was wearing. He was dressed like some kind of a French man, complete with a black beret and a fake cigarette. He wore a red and white striped shirt, a red ascot, and black pants.

Gatsby stroked his black goatee and took in Amber's costume. "Oo la la, mademoiselle! Vous look stunning; absolutely stunning," he said in a thick French accent.

"Ha ha; thanks Gatsby. Where's Joan?"

A chocolate colored hand snaked its way past the door frame and Gatsby moved over to make room for the stunning Gypsy woman that came into sight. Joan wore a creamy white, see through veil over her mouth and a flowy skirt the same color. "What do you think?" Joan asked. Amber could see her smiling through the veil's material.

"Wow, Joan; I didn't know you work out," Amber commented teasingly as she stared at Joan's bare abdomen. Joan blushed and moved to cover her belly with the flowing material that was attached to the back of her shirt and wrists.

Gatsby put an arm around her shoulder. "I've told her she looks beautiful, beautiful."

"Thank you, Gatsby," Joan replied modestly.

Amber moved past them to stand outside the door and struck a pose. "Shall we go?" she asked. Just as they were walking out, Amber's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Nurse Amber; this is Doctor Arkham."

"Hang up now, woman!" Amber's mind screamed, but she ignored it. "Hello, Dr. Arkham. Is there something wrong?"

"Well, I, um, I need you to come in."

"WHAT?" Amber thought incredulously.

"Just for a brief moment. We're having a bit of a situation up here with one of your charges. It's the Joker; he refuses to take any of his medication unless it's you who gives it to him."

"Curse that clown straight to Hell!" "I'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Nurse Amber."

"You're welcome." Shmuck

She hung up and stared at Gatsby and Joan with her bottom lip slightly sticking out.

"My, my, my; what is the matter, dearest?" Gatsby asked.

"I have to go in to the asylum for a few minutes to give the Joker his medicine. He's being difficult."

"Ugh; that Joker," Joan grunted with annoyance.

"You two can go on to the circus and I'll meet up with you," Amber suggested.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah; go on."

Gatsby offered Joan his elbow and the two hurried out of Amber's apartment and down the stairs to Gatsby's car. As soon as they were gone, Amber turned to go and change but paused. Why should she have to change out of her costume when she'd only be there for a few minutes? Amber thought about the reactions she'd get from fellow coworkers when they saw her in her costume and laughed.

"Why not?" she thought.

Amber locked her door and headed for her car.

…...

Of course, second thoughts had entered her mind by the time she arrived at Arkham Asylum and parked her vehicle. She shoved her self-consciousness aside and strolled up to the entrance with her ID and badge in hand.

When a guard spotted her, he thought she was some escaped patient. "Oh no; not another one!" he groaned loudly and took out his gun. "Hands up!" he ordered.

"Wha?" Amber squeaked, throwing her hands in the air. "Officer Bradley, it's me!"

Officer Bradley paused and lowered his weapon. "Oh, Nurse Amber, it's you."

"No, duh!" she thought moodily.

"What on earth are you doing in that get up?"

"It's Halloween, I had the night off, have plans, got a call to come in for a few minutes; you do the math."

Officer Bradley let her through, looking very amused at her costume. As Amber made her way through the halls of the asylum, she got many looks of surprise and curiosity from the other workers. She spotted Dr. Arkham in his office and she went over to his door. Amber rapped her knuckles against the door and waited for him to answer it.

When Arkham opened the door, the look on his face was just as priceless as the Hope Diamond. "Nurse Amber?"

"Doctor Arkham," Amber replied with a smile. "There was a little problem with one of my charges?"

"Uh, yes." Arkham scanned his eyes over her attire once more and stepped outside of his office. "This way."

Amber began to walk away before he could close the door. "I know where the Joker's cell is, Dr. Arkham. Should I even clock in?"

"Uh, well, sure. You are 'working' even if it is to give a stubborn patient his medicine."

"Alright. I'll be sure to stop by your office to let you know when I'm done and gone."

"Thank you."

Amber strolled her way to the patients' cells, thoroughly enjoying the attention her costume was getting. It nearly made her laugh out loud on several occasions but she bit her lip. When she arrived at the High Level Criminally Insane Ward, Amber wasn't so sure that coming in a costume had been such a great idea. The Joker would not let this pass without some kind of a comment. Amber braced herself for what was to come.

The cells in that ward were empty; all the patients were in the rec room at this time. The only living thing in sight was a security guard named Titus. He was standing in front of the Joker's cell, glowering at the Clown Prince of Crime. "For the last time, Joker; stop singing that song!" The Joker pretended not to hear him.

"Start wearin' purple, wearin' purple! La, la, la, la, la!

Start wearin' purple for me now!

All your sanity and wits they will all vanish, I promise; it's just a matter of time!"

The guard groaned and banged his head against the glass wall, making the Joker laugh wildly with delight.

"Come on, sing it with me! 'Start wearin' purple, wearin' purple-!"Amber stepped into view and the Joker immediately stopped singing. He ran his eyes over the costume and quirked an eyebrow. "Or red will do just fine," he said, amused.

Titus turned to the young nurse and didn't even register what she was wearing. He grabbed her by the shoulders, smiling like he won the lottery. "Thank God! Please do something!"

Amber gently pried his hands off of her. "Easy, Titus. Breathe. You remember how to do that, right?" She demonstrated a few deep breaths and Titus only rolled his eyes. He stepped away and let Amber enter the cell as he watched.

The plastic medicine cup was on the sink bar, untouched. Amber looked at the Joker who was grinning smugly at her. "You know, red's more of your color. I guess you don't have to wear purple. You'll be the only exception. You and Nigma that is. I don't think I'd be able to stand it if I saw my precious purple be defiled by him merely wearing it."

"Take your meds, Joker."

The Joker sat Indian style on his bed and folded his arms over his chest. "No."

"Joker."

"Nu-uh."

"Joker!"

"Nope; not gonna do it."

"Joker; take your meds or so help me you will rue the day you ever set eyes on me!"

The Joker's eyes widened a bit at her threat, but he didn't seem bothered. "So, where are you off to, Miss Lady in Red? Party? Club? The circus?"

"None of your business!" Amber swiped the cup off the sink and held it out to him. "Take it."

"But I don't wanna," he whined in a perfect imitation of a toddler.

"You're gonna make me late!"

The Joker's ears seemed to perk up at that. "Late for what, sweetheart?"

"Please, just take your medication?"

The Joker lifted a hand to his chin and stroked an imaginary beard. "Hmmm. Tell ya what; how about you tell me where you're going, and I'll take the pills?"

Amber silently stared him down, considering his offer. What harm could it do? "I'm going to the circus with Dr. Leeland and Gatsby."

"Ree-he-he-heally?" he hooted in a high pitched voice.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Well, you don't exactly seem like the type to go to the circus, sweetheart."

"Why not? I have to come here nearly every day."

The Joker laughed at that. "Cute, kid. Real cute."

Amber held out the plastic cup and rattled the pills around inside it. "Meds. Now."

"Yes, sunshine." He reached for the cup and took it from her hand. "I hate to think that you treat your boyfriend like this."

"If I had one he wouldn't be as stubborn as you."

The Joker paused with his hand half way to his mouth, about to swallow the pills. He stared at Amber and a sly grin spread along his face. "What was that, sweetheart?" he asked innocently.

Amber knew she'd said too much and immediately regretted it. She kept silent and the Joker popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed without water. He opened his mouth wide to show her he'd actually swallowed them, making an 'aah' sound as he did.

"I hate you," Amber said, emotionless.

The Joker chuckled. "Aww, ya say that, but you don't mean it."

Amber turned on the heel of her boot and walked out of the cell.

"The lady in red is dancing with me," the Joker sang, a little out of tune. He giggled when he saw Amber turned crimson and lower the brim of her hat over her eyes.

As soon as Titus and Amber were out of sight, the Joker opened his mouth and lifted his tongue. Two pills were nested under his tongue. He spat them out and dumped the pills down the sink. "Nasty little devils." He rubbed his hands with excitement. As soon as it was lights out here, he'd show Gotham some real fun on Halloween.

….

Later that Night - 9:00 pm.

The security guard was making his rounds and didn't think anything of it when he came upon an empty cell in between the Riddler and Ivy's cells. He finished looking and began to leave the hall. A few seconds later he ran back in and skidded to a stop in front of the empty cell.

"Oh no, not again!" he moaned and rushed towards the emergency alarm. He pushed the button hard and an awful whirring and flashing of lights began to go off.

"Joker's escaped; I repeat Joker's escaped!" he shouted into his walkie-talkie.

(I hope you liked this chapter, even though it's short and didn't really involve the other characters. Don't worry, they'll be in the next chapter! I just needed to get this part on here so I could have something in time for Halloween. Please leave a review! What do you think is gonna happen? What do you think should happen? Any suggestons?)