I'm baaaaaack……
Chapter 8
Annie sprinted up from her chair and began to pace across the room back and forth in terror. "He knows! Jesus, what the fuck are we supposed to do now? I've got a fucking lunatic creeping through my building finding out secrets about me and there's nothing you can do about it, is there? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO DO, COMMISIONNER? He's going to keep coming and I don't know how he found out about me and my interests, but for some reason I don't think it's a good thing, do you?"
Gordon sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Annie." He whispered. "I just…I don't know. I wish that things had happened differently, I really do. I wish I could contact the Batman but I know that he won't answer. We've had…an understanding."
"There's nothing you're going to do then?" Annie demanded. "I mean, you're not even going to try to contact him?"
There was no was no response at first. Gordon fidgeted in his chair with discomfort and averted his eyes from hers. "There's no way Annie. If there's one thing in this I know for sure, it's that we've lost the Batman."
She laughed mirthlessly, her hands knotting deeply into her hair as she walked over towards the door. From all the reports she had seen, she knew for a fact that there was nothing that the police could do to save her from the Joker and whatever he had planned for her. Protective custody could only do so much. She was just as safe out on the streets of Gotham as she was in the police station, only she might be at a greater advantage if The Joker didn't know where she was. "This is crazy." She hissed under her breath. She could barely believe her own thought process, but she could tell that there was nothing left for her to do. It was her only option. She paused at the door for a split second before unlocking it and storming out into the hallway.
Everything was blocked out to her. It appeared as though the bustling police officers had too much to do to even notice her retreating farther and farther from them, so she quickened her pace and moved towards the exit. In the background, Gordon was calling out for her but she chose to ignore him until he caught up to her and grabbed her arm.
"Annie, what do you think you're doing?" he said in a panic as if she were his own child. He tried to turn her to face him, but she pulled away and continued her quest.
"I'm getting the fuck out of here." She hissed. "Away from this station, away from this city, away from this whole fucking mess. You think The Joker wants something from me? Well, there's nothing he can do if I'm not around to participate. I'm not sticking around to watch you guys fuck up again with no Batman to clean up after you. NOT me."
She could hear Gordon running to catch her again, so she sped up until she was running for the exit. Some of the other police officers started to take notice, but no one was bold enough to take the chase without Gordon's orders.
"You're in danger, Annie!" she heard Gordon call out as she pulled the door open. "You're not going to get out of Gotham! He won't let…"
She was already outside. Without knowing why she was still running, she sprinted away from the station towards her apartment building. All she needed was a little bit of money; just a credit card or two and then she could get a cab out to the airport. He mother would probably be disappointed to see her come home, but it was really none of her business why she had left. All she would have to do is turn on the TV and the answer to her daughter's desperation to get out of Gotham would be flashing across the news reports. She didn't care about the rest of the city. There was no time to worry about what her mother would think. All that mattered was that she was going back home.
Police sirens were blaring in the distance signifying that Gordon has dispatched a squad to retrieve her and take her back to 'safety'. She could feel that she was getting close to the apartment building even though she was far from the main roads and the familiar street signs that had always led her home. She knew that the faster she got there the faster she could get on that plane, get on that plane, and…
There was a shadow in the distance. At first, her heart leapt in her chest. The news reports always said that the Batman appeared at first as a shadow, but then as she got closer, she saw that there was something more human about the shadow and far more menacing. As if it were against her will, she slowed her pace and stared ahead at the shadow that was merging with the light. It was a tall man, his head cocked slightly to the side as if his whole body was jagged. As he emerged from the darkness she saw that he wore a long purple coat and leather gloves that were concealing a small kitchen knife…
She stopped. The Joker was standing across from her, grinning profusely, a low, growling laugh rolling in his throat. Her feet felt like lead as she began to turn around to see a group of The Joker's thugs gathering around and blocking her escape path. She turned back and The Joker was right in front of her, inching closer to her while he smoothed his hair back in false pride and licked at his scarred lips.
"Hi there. Annie is it?" he said with an almost suave edge. "I'm guessing you got my message. You don't look happy about it did I come on a little too strongly?"
A few of the men crowded behind her to block her path, pushing her even closer to the leering Joker and his watchful glare. She flinched, expecting the knife to be pointed again at her cheek but noticed quickly that it was still at his side. Confused in her horror, Annie looked squarely into The Joker's hellish black eyes.
"Why me?" she whispered fearfully. "What do you want from me?"
The Joker shrugged nonchalantly and licked his lips again. "To talk." He said. "Only talk. I have…an idea you should hear."