"Well, now that we have the business out of the way…" The Joker strutted back toward the camera, and tapped the broadcast button with a gloved finger. "Ms. Dawes, was it? Or can call you Rachel?" She mumbled an unintelligible response through her gagged and taped lips. "Lets get this annoying tape off, hmm? I can't understand a word you're saying!" He giggled, and ripped the tape off her face. The instant she felt the tape removed, Rachel spit out the filthy rag that gagged her. She moved her mouth around in an attempt to work some of the feeling back into her stiff jaw. Batman was coming at nine, which left her with a whole hour in the Joker's company. She had to be strong if she wanted to survive.
"What do you want with me, Joker?" She spat the words out, catching the Joker off guard with her venom.
"With you?" He answered. "Nothing. . .except for perhaps" He interrupted his words to trace the scars in his mouth. Rachel tried not to shudder when he unintentionally licked his lips during the process. "Polite conversation." His head shook slightly on the last word, and he fixed her with a stern glare and slight frown. "Now, ask me what I want with Batman…" He walked away from her as he spoke. "That's a question I could answer!" The Joker finished his statement by twirling back around and throwing his arms out.
Rachel narrowed her eyes. "What do you want with Batman?"
"Now we're talking." He busied himself with pulling up a chair opposite her. As he sat down, he gave her a polite smile and cleared his throat. "I need Batty to be here," He tapped two fingers on the table between them, smacking his lips when he spoke again. "Exactly at nine o'clock, so he's not…" He waved his hand while waiting for the words to form on his tongue. "Other places playing the hero… You see, he's got this bad habit of making things difficult." He continued in drawl. Rachel stiffed at his words.
"So I'm a distraction?" Horror etched itself across her face.
"Oh, you're a smart one. Can't keep anything hidden from you." He teased. "Of course you're a distraction Ms. Dawes, or did you really think you were that important?" He burst into a high pitched laughter. "You're just a girl who happens to be involved with the two most powerful men in Gotham." Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a hand. "And before you deny anything. . . " He stopped mid sentence and leaned forward onto the table. When their eyes met, he whispered. "I know all about you and the Bat. I know that… while you're out there, smooching the White Knight…." He licked his lips. "You're mind is picturing the Dark one."
"You don't know anything." She interrupted.
"Care to fill me in?" He countered with a snarl.
"Only if you untie me." She answered, unfazed by his sudden aggression, and wriggled in her chair for emphasize. The Joker smiled at her. The girl was quick on her feet, he had to give her that.
"You know what? I think I will untie you. Wanna know why?" He asked her with a grin while standing and walking to her side of the table. "One, cause you've got spunk. Oh sure, you cried a little a first" Rachel stiffened when he grabbed her hands, and pulled them apart to slice the rope binding them. "But you got over it. Not very many people do that. And two," He crouched next to her legs and reached for her feet, mimicking what he had done with her hands. He looked back up at her. "Because I love a good fight." As soon as he finished his words, Rachel's foot connected with his jaw, sending him spiraling backwards onto the table. It collapsed with a loud 'thud' under him, ending the laughter that had been escaping his mouth since the first impact.
Rachel didn't wait to see if he got up. Running as fast as she could, she made it to the door and violently threw it open. She discovered to her joy that the Joker hadn't thought to set guards up outside. Once she got outside the building, Rachel run as fast as her legs could carry her. She had to warn Bruce! Something big was going to happen tonight. It never crossed her mind that the Joker might not want to catch her.
It was thirty minutes before Bruce had to be at the warehouse. Currently, he was stuck pacing the length of hallway in front of the elevator of his penthouse. Only a few more minutes and he could get suited up. Alfred placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It's best not to stress yourself out, sir. I'm guessing you'll be need all your strength tonight."
"Your right, Alfred. But I can't help it." Bruce stopped his pacing to face the older man. "Rachel was never supposed to get involved." He sat down in the chair closest to him; despair settling in with a heavy cloud. "I've failed her."
"With all due respect, sir, you have to try before you can fail. It's not over yet."