It'd been a week since her encounter with the brooding man. Everything had been eerily normal; she was half expecting for there to be at least some change in her monotonous life. Each day was like a routine: wake up, go to class, eat, and sleep. Thankfully, at least she hadn't been harassed.

A loud slap on her desk brought her out of her musings, and back to the reality of her fifth period math class.

"Anything to share with the class, Miss Evans?"

She flushed pink as what seemed like the entire class turned their attention towards her, and shook her head hurriedly.

"N-no, nothing. Continue with the lesson." Juno sighed softly and cursed under her breath. What did it matter to the damn teacher if she was out of it for one day? But the truth was, that lately she hadn't been paying so much attention in class – instead her thoughts mostly settled on the piercing blue of a certain vigilante's eyes. Who was this "Batman?" Why didn't he just fight crime as a cop? She scoffed at the stupid question posed by herself. It was obvious, the justice system in this damn city was rotten to the core.

Soon enough, she grew increasingly annoyed at her instructor's seemingly endless monologue and opted to escape to the restroom. As she stood at the sink, washing her face, a thunderous explosion reverberated throughout the school. She yelped as various chunks of ceiling narrowly missed her supple body, and swiftly dashed out of the restroom in time to hear a shrill, mad laugh.

"Well what do we have here, playing hookie are we?"

Her heart stopped as her eyes snapped to the unmistakable voice of Gotham's very own madman – the self-proclaimed Clown Prince of Crime in the flesh. Her body froze, blood running cold as the lanky man began stepping forward leisurely, his posse of armed, burly thugs following intimidatingly. He hummed a deceivingly cheerful circus tune as he tossed what looked like a home-made detonator between his gloved hands.

"Bad, bad little girl you are! Though, I don't blame you, it's all so boring these days," he released another cackle, pressing the obnoxious red button on the detonator; she recognized the screams of her classmates from just a couple hundred feet away as the classroom she'd been in just minutes before caved in on them. Juno's expression contorted to one of sheer horror, and before she knew it, she was speeding off in the opposite direction. The only thing she could hear was the blood racing in her ears, and that haunting laugh that seemed to be trailing after her even now.

As a matter of fact, it was. After he'd barked out orders to his men, the Joker began indulging in an "exciting" game of cat-and-mouse with the little minx that'd simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He clicked at his detonator with a shrill laugh. Various more parts of the school fell apart on his whim, as the raven haired beauty eluded him. Alas, her luck had to crumble just like the decrepit building eventually, and she found herself between him, and a dead end after several minutes of chase.

He twirled a knife between his long fingers, smacking his lips together habitually as he nearly danced towards her. For some reason, the way her eyebrows furrowed in fear, and her lips drew into a tight, thin grimace fascinated him. The rapid, frightened rise and fall of her chest excited him; she really was just like a terrified rabbit! He howled with laugher at the thought, drawing himself up to her slender form, that was pressed against the wall in a futile attempt to distance herself from the madman.

"Now, now little rabbit, don't be /scared/! I'm a good man, can't ya see?" He snickered as her fists clenched at her sides. Was this one going to put up a fight after all?

And fight she did. Juno drew her fist back as much as she could in the space she had, bringing it right across the damn clown's face. Her strike caused even him to stumble back a step, before he promptly cackled loudly, snatching her wrist as she attempted to make a dash for it.

"Let me go, motherfucker! God fucking-!"

He tsked loudly, twisting her arm behind her back (drawing another yelp from her) and pulling her up against himself. With the tip of his sharpened pocketknife poking at her neck, the teen gulped, left with no choice but to hush up for now.

"WELL, then. Who knew such a pretty little thing could have such a potty mouth! Maybe we'll have to shut it right. Up."

Finishing with a sinister tone, he brought the glimmering steel up to her mouth, pressing it all the way up to her cheek just hard enough to cut a thin line. The Joker relished her whimper at such a small punishment, intrigued by how sensitive she seemed to be. Just as he was about to make a witty remark on it (perhaps mortify his victim a bit more) a gruff tone interrupted him.

"Let the girl go, Joker."

And that was when Juno Evans found herself wondering just how far both the vigilante, and the clown, would force their way into her life. That is, if she wasn't dead within the next few minutes.

(A/N: So sorry for the delay, I was ecstatic when I read the reviews! Thank you so much. I'm not satisfied with this chapter, but my mind is at a bit of a blank. Reviews and suggestions are welcome!)