Hello my wonderful readers! I'm sorry it's been a while since my last update, but this chapter has been a bitch to write. I am seriously not satisfied with it. No lie, I've rewritten it about three times. I might come back and change it later, but I knew I needed to put something up. *sigh*. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!

I stretched my legs out across the love seat, yawning as I tried to work the crook out of my neck. The awkward sleeping position had made me sore. I stretched a bit more when I stood and made my way to the bathroom to take care of my business. Once I came out, I wandered to the kitchen, looking for something to eat. I fished out some noodles from the pantry and put the water on to boil. Suddenly, I heard my phone ring. I partially wanted to not answer it, but since it was my business ringtone, I figured I'd better answer it. I groaned lazily and trudged into my room to get it before the person hung up.

"Hello?" I asked when I answered it.

"Hello Jade." I knew before I even asked who was on the other end of the phone.

I sighed, already dreading this conversation. "What do you want, Joker?" I asked tiredly.

"Now, now, is that any way to speak to your boss?" he chided.

I rolled my eyes. "You're not my boss, Joker. What do you want?"

"Watch your mouth, Jade. I don't have much… ah… patience today." He said, his voice dropping dangerously low.

"Fine. Did you need something, sir?"

He ignored my sarcastic tone, choosing instead to continue. "A little birdie told me you've been seeing Bruce Wayne. I—"

"You've been following me?" I demanded, interrupting him.

He sighed as if annoyed by the interruption. "Yes, but that's not important. I have a new assignment for you. Keep tabs on Wayne for me."

"But I barely know the guy; I've only met him once!" I protested.

"Well then you get to know him." He snapped. "Come to the docks by the warehouse tonight at 8. Don't be late."

"Which ones?" I asked, but to no avail.

The bastard had hung up. I threw the phone down angrily on the couch, but then cursed loudly and ran back into the kitchen when I smelled the now-burning pot void of water.

I called Bruce after I changed out of my pajamas and into my workout clothes. Surprisingly, he asked to meet me the next day at different restaurant downtown, which I agreed to.

By the time I'd gotten off the phone with Bruce, another hour had gone by, and I had seven more hours to go before I had to go meet Joker. I sighed, wondering how I could waste that time. There were a few more jobs I had to get done, so I supposed I'd better do them now while I had the time. I sighed again and moved to my living room, settling on the couch and cracking open my laptop.

By the time 7:30 arrived, I'd done three simple jobs and made a couple thousand dollars. I changed into jogging pants and a hoodie, knowing the night air near the docks would be trying to slowly freeze me to death. At the last moment, I decided to grab a weapon, sliding my only pocket knife into the waistband of my pants.

I made the walk in twenty six minutes, and no one else was there. The sun was just starting to set, and I was getting a bit antsy. Where was he? I paused, wondering if I should call the number Joker had given me to check if I was in the right place. But by the time I made to pull my phone out of my pocket, I heard a door slam somewhere behind me. I turned to find the source in the darkening night. My hand twitched towards the blade at my hip.

"Hello Jade."

Ironically, I relaxed a bit at hearing his voice. "Oh. It's just you." I said.

He stepped out of the shadows, the hellish features of his painted face emphasized by the shadows cast by the lamp post off to the side of us. A wide grin stretched across his scarred lips as he let out a loud cackle. "Just me?" he asked in between laughs. "You make it sound like I'm not, ah, dangerous."

I frowned at his mocking tone. "I know that, but you're a known threat. Unknown threats always cause more fear." I reasoned.

"More chaos." He said slowly in agreement.

His stare intensified just as it did the first time, as if I was still an unsolved puzzle he wanted to figure out. I stared back, intrigued by the way his scars stood out through the makeup. I understood that it was supposed to do that, instill more fear into people, but somehow I wasn't as scared as the first day all those months ago when I met him. Yes, that was stupid and dangerous, but I wondered if maybe—

No. I adverted my gaze instantly, forcing myself to stop thinking those thoughts. 'He's still dangerous,' I told myself. 'He can still hurt you; he doesn't care about you.'

Suddenly he was closer to me, closer than I felt comfortable with. I shifted my weight backwards, but nearly yelped in surprise when he grabbed my face and pulled me closer again. I refrained from squirming, but he apparently sensed my unease anyway. After another agonizingly awkward moment, he let me go and took a step back. "Do you have any weapons on you?" he asked, his tone strangely serious.

I hesitated before retrieving the knife from my waistband. I figured if he thought I was lying, he'd just search me. And judging how quick his temper was, I knew I probably wouldn't escape from that without a bruise, at the least. He took it from me, flipping it open and examining the blade before he tossed it far behind him. A second later, I heard it splash in the murky water. My jaw dropped open. "What did you do that for? That was my only one!" I said, nearly yelling.

He waved his hand. "That was, ah, trash. It wouldn't have done you any good in a real fight." He dug around in one of his pockets and handed me an object. Another knife. "Now, that's one of my good ones, so I want it back when we're done." He said.

I blinked in confusion. "Done with what?"

He sighed in annoyed exasperation. "I'm getting there, hon. Let me finish."

I shrank a bit at the change in his tone, deciding not to ask any more questions, and nodded quickly.

"I'm going to show ya how to fight. No questions!" he interrupted me, pressing his finger to my lips before I could open my mouth.

I sagged a bit. Great. This was going to be fun.

It was fun. But not for me; the Joker probably had a ball. Me, on the other hand? I was dying. There were small cuts all over my body, and I was sure there were bruises in places I'd never had them before. In short, that little "lesson" was hell.

Joker squatted down besides my abused body and poked me harshly in the side. I could do nothing but hiss in pain, cringing away from the offending gloved finger. "Are we done yet? Please tell me we're done." I mumbled, exhaustion tugging at my conscience.

I felt myself being picked up, and I whimpered again in pain, already halfway unconscious. Before we reached the doors, I was out cold.

I woke up the next morning with a groan, my torso wrapped unprofessionally in white bandages. The cuts were definitely still there… I looked around me and almost jolted forward at the lack of familiarity around my person. Each wound was acting like an antenna that sent out signals of pain to every nerve as I sat up more slowly to better inspect the room. Now I was sure…
This wasn't my room.

The fuck?
There were a desk and clothes tossed around— mostly darkly colored dress shirts— The coffee colored carpet was stained with darker substances. The mattress below me was pretty stained as well, but gave off an interesting aroma… A familiar one at that. Actually, I guess I over exaggerated. This place was familiar, it just wasn't my room. It reminded of the place Joker took me to before…
Could this be his room?
I looked was looking the area over again when I saw a stain that was rather large…
What was that?
I frown in my confusion. Judging by the tinge it had, it looked like,…
My eyes widened. "Blood." that voice within me said what I wouldn't. Reminding me of the full picture of Joker.

A gasp left my lips as I heard food steps rapidly approaching the closed door. In a gust of wind, pulled the covers further upon me and sealed my eyelids together as the door flew open. Those steps moved behind me before dispersing. I felt myself being forced onto my back. A profound pain antenna on my back came alive when my wait was shoved on to it. My teeth and muscles clenched in an attempt to distract me from the pain. But it didn't help. I needed to move out this position! It hurt! It hurt!
I went to shift but was held in place. The sound of Joker's leather gloved hands constricting to hold me still rose above the sound of my grunts of effort or pain. I wasn't sure which one. It was then he spoke up "I, ah, could tell you weren't sleeping, doll face," He gave the grin of a cocky hunter that's seen through his prey's attempt of escape. Clenching my muscles had taken too much energy: I was left panting. I kept them quiet though; weakness before this guy was never good…
Instead, I retorted verbally, "It was worth the effort," I abandoned my attention to my body in favor for a dry tone and an attempt to shrug. No luck on that shrug bit...
"Uh-uh-uh," he hushed me, moving his hand up so the purple leather of his thumb could scrape annoyingly against a cut on my cheek. I huffed at his antics, "Is there something you want? Cause I have things to do," I crossed my arms over my chest. There was a flash that crossed those deep pits he had for pupils. And I knew then:
What I said, above anything, was a mistake...
As if to confirm my suspicions, Joker's abdomen arched forward, looming over me like a building threatening to crush my when its last support snapped. His thumb stopped just below the cut and began pressing, re-parting the skin that had begun to scab over. It stung, but I didn't notice it much. No, I was distracted by other things. "Jade." Like that demonic shift in his tone.

I could feel my breath hitch at his utterance of my name… My muscles re-tensed as if bracing for impact. "I, ah, thought I told you how to," a pause, "speak to me" he had a feign uncertainty to his tone. "Didn't I?" he asked, daring me to lie in his face.
He was waiting… waiting for me to snap that last support and send his rage crashing down upon myself. My hand clutched the sheets beneath me… It was all I could do to give a shaky nod, widening the cut on my cheek.
"So, then, why is it you won't. Listen. To. Me!" His tone was high and volume and dark in pitch, banishing any light within me, cursing me to shiver under his cold angry clouds. My heart got stuck in my dry throat on its way to escaping out my agape mouth. I swallowed hard to send it back down, but it was determined to stay.
I parted my lips but nothing came out. I swallowed again, sending my heart down and forcing words out. "I-I'm Sorry," Shit. That stutter may be my death… Weakness, I was showing weakness!
I glanced up into those unreadable dark eyes and was frozen there by their coldness. This was Joker…
"Or is it just the surface?" the voice from earlier piped up. I fought to keep from frowning outwardly. Who was that? Before I could hide out, Joker pulled from me, regaining all his support to straighten himself. He stood to his feet and walked toward the door, "You're…something." he laughed insanely as he reached the door and flung it open again. He leaned on the door frame and observed me from a far. "I think I might, aha, keep you around. Go." he cackled again like it was some sort of inside joke.
I sat up slowly and kept from frowning again. Really? Just…. Really?! Nevertheless, I stood to my feet like a child that just got put back in her place and was scared to get in trouble again. In a way I was. "Go on. I won't, ah, bite. His tongue darted out to lick at his red lips before he laughed again. Carefully, I made my way towards the door and withheld the urge to cringe away from him as I passed.
I need to get sleep before I meet up with Bruce… I sighed. "Oh, and, ah, Jade," the minor shift made me freeze. "You're not finished with your training. We continue tomorrow, hm?" and with that, he closed the door.
I left the building muttering "Alright," under my breath.

I gave a sigh to the air. Up till now, I've had a gate. It's tall and fortified and no one can get in without opening the door. Or so I thought. You see, I'd let James in after a while. But then there was joker…. Joker had broken the rules and climbed over the gate. But I'd broken the rules too, cause I had let him stay. I had gotten comfortable…
But not again.
Now, I was going to build a freakin' dome over it and kick him out.
"Just the surface~" my mental roomie reminded me.

Grrr! I'm still a bit frustrated that i can't get this chapter right... Oh, well. please review; tell me how you think I did with this piece of shit.

EDIT: Huge huge HUGE thanks to my friend Horror's Bride for redoing the last part for me... I'm literally almost in tears I'm so happy with this now! :D