AN: Ok, here's the next installment. Thanks for the reviews, but please keep them coming :)

"Go to hell," I spat. A part of me wanted to that that knife to him for making me do what I did. Except that he didn't really make you do it, he gave you a choice. Pretty one sided one, sure, but still a choice.

"If that's where I'm going, just where do you think you'll be after tonight, hmm?" he asked, eyeing me with his head cocked to one side in wonder.

"Go to hell!" I screamed at him, covering my ears with my hands. I didn't want to hear any more of his torments; couldn't he see that I felt bad enough?

The Joker started laughing again. "Mels, cheer up. It's ok that you liked it. I know you did like it, otherwise you wouldn't have killed them the way you did."

"I killed them the way I did because I had no other option."

"That's a lie and you know it. Maybe the first one, sure, all you had was a knife. But the rest? I don't think so, missy."

"Just because I didn't shoot the rest doesn't mean I wanted to have to use the knife."

"That makes no sense. I think you used the knife because you liked that personal touch," he said, bending down to be eye level with me, as if being eye to eye would allow him to see something that he couldn't from standing above me.

"I do not. I do not like killing people. I did it only to survive. I did it because you made me. I—" I couldn't finish what I wanted to say. I just wanted to cry and severely hurt myself for what I had done. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever kill anybody, let alone four men with a knife.

"What? Trying to say the gun would have been too messy?" He laughed, pointing at the blood on my dress and hands.

"Shut up!!"

He continued to laugh, "Oh, no, you enjoyed yourself. You liked being in control like that. And that's ok, it's what makes us human, sweets."

I just shook my head. I was pissed at what he kept saying, like he was taunting me, like if he said it enough I'd tell him he was right.

"Really, you're just like me…when Gotham finds out about you and your evil side, they'll label you a freak, like me," he said with that crazy clown grin. That comment made my blood boil, I wanted to knock that stupid grin right off his face, but I managed to keep myself from doing it knowing that it would be much worse for me if I did. Instead I just shot him the death glare.

"Ok, princess, that's not going to scare me nor will it make me forget what you've done. Which bring me to my next question. Since you passed the test, with flying colors might I add, would you like to join me as an agent of chaos operating in the fine city of Gotham?"

"What?!" I exclaimed. That was so not what I was expecting him to ask me.

"Well, you don't really have much of a choice here, I'm just trying to be polite," he grinned. "You either come with me willingly or I'll just force you into it, whichever way you would prefer, doesn't much matter to me."

"You sick SOB, you think you can just play me like that. Play with my emotions and shit and expect me to fall gratefully into your arms and say 'Hell yeah, I wanna go kill innocent people with you, ought to be fun'?"

"Well, no, but if that's what you'd like to do, go for it."

"I only could kill them because one, my life was on the line or that's what you led me to believe at least and two, they were bad guys not innocent people that never hurt anyone or threatened me."

"Rationalize away, but you still killed them and deep down you know you actually got some satisfaction out of it. You and I really are not that different."

I glared at him again, but this time he just stared at me in amusement. "Tell ya what, since I like you so much, being so darn cute and all, I'll give you a day to think it over. One day, but I'll need your answer tomorrow on if you'll come willingly or if I'll have to work my charm," he said, winking at me.

He turned to leave. He was abandoning me; it was up to me to get home and try to explain this one to my father. "Fine!! We'll just keep playing it your way!!" I shouted after him. He turned and smiled, then left laughing his wild laugh into the night.

--

Batman had watched the entire event unfold. He was slightly unnerved by just how easily and calmly Melanie had killed those henchmen. He had a sneaking suspicion that The Joker was exercising his theories on madness simply needing a push, and he was going to push Melanie as long and as hard as needed. She may fall in the end, but he wasn't going to leave her sit there now, and he wasn't going to allow her to fall without fighting for her. Batman couldn't lose to The Joker again, not that easily. But he also knew that he would need to warn her father about this situation.

Batman left his perch and came up behind her, "Hey, come with me."

She jumped and grabbed for the knife lying at her side, "What do you want?"

"Calm down, I won't hurt you. I want to help you. Come on, you'll be safe, we'll get you cleaned up and get you home, alright?"

Much to his relief, she put the knife back on the ground. She nodded and stood up, trying not to apply pressure to her injured ankle, but struggling to remain balanced. He reached out to grab her, allowing him to support her as they left the park.