Possessively Insane?
I liked to go out by myself from time to time mostly at night when I was more awake and had pent up energy to spend. I hide inside all day from the humans lurking out there. One morning, when I came home (home. That's a strange thought!) after a night of doing cat stuff, I was giggling softly to myself. Harley startled me by coming out of nowhere and asking me what was so funny.
"If I told you, you would be ashamed to know me." I said lightly and strode past her but the Joker stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
"What did you do?"
I hesitated, but my tail twitched with excitement as I tried to hide my smile.
"Come on; spill it!"
I lowered my ears. "I went into a convenient store and...I messed up all the towels." Flashback to me walking in a store as a cat, jumping on the shelves and snagging the towels by my claws, throwing them everywhere (also shredding them) and getting chased out by an employee.
Harley applauded me and Joker patted me on the head to show his approval. "Thats a start; keep up the good work!"
When he was gone Harley sidled up next to me and said, "See? I told you he's not that bad! And you are learning!"
I pushed her away playfully. "Stop it!"
Around five in the afternoon I came back down stairs well rested and in clean clothes, prepared to head out again.
"I'm going out for a run." I stated, as I walked towards the back door. It wasn't the run people go on when they want to get in shape. My type of runs consist of climbing up to the rooftops, running and jumping from one to the next and not being seen by the people of Gotham.
"Oh, but wait. Have you heard about the thieves?" Joker asked in his spooky voice that always spikes up my fur.
"The what?"
"The thieves." he repeated, stepping closer. "Oh, you haven't heard. Well there is a group of, not very nice men who would love to steal a pretty little kitty like yourselllfff." He chuckled in his signature way, grinning ear to ear. "Ah yes, they might sell you back to the government for a large sum of money. Or, they might even "play with you" themselves!" he purred the last part in a menacing way.
My fear surged to the surface at his words and I struggled to get it back under control, hoping the Joker hadn't noticed. "Are.." Silently I cleared my throat before continuing. "...you telling me this because you're hoping I will do what you say or because it's true?" I was passive aggressively challenging him and was avoiding eye contact.
He smirked darkly. "Both." His signature laugh echoed throughout the room as he put his hand to his face, a grin tattooed on the back of his hand. "Now do we discover a fear, little kitty?"
My ears flicked down and I gritted my teeth just barely holding back a threatening hiss. I took a deep breath and turned around, heading for the stairs. "I'm going to my room."
His laugh echoed through the hallway as Harley skipped past me, twirling her bat. "Someone's gonna get it!" Her giggles matched in time with his laughter.
Outside was pleasant enough. The city smells swirling and mixing. I could separate and identify them all. This was my second time outside by myself. My confidence was building up and I went for a prowl. I wanted to memorize these streets. Things had changed since before my prison sentence. I felt the rough ground under my bare feet, sidewalk and stone. Sometimes I saw glass sparkle in my path so I ran and jumped clear over it. The pads of my feet are tough cause my sensei once had me stand on hot pavement for hours but I'm not going to push it if I don't have to.
After a while (don't know how long, I had lost track of time) I heard people walking towards me. They didn't know I was there so I stepped into a dark alley way. They went right past without a glance. I grinned triumphantly from the shadows. It wasn't pitch black so they could of seen me if they had been paying attention but even if they had, all they would of seen was my outline for a second before I disappeared, untraceable. The outline of a girl with cat ears? That would be enough; the cops will be watching for me again so it's better they didn't see me.
The Joker wasn't home. He had left on business so I had gone out in the middle of the night against his wishes...and now I'm lost! I gave what he said some thought and realized that I don't go down easy so here I was! I tried calling Harley for some help but all I got was the dial tone. She's probably deeply asleep. I tried getting myself unlost...no luck there. My only option was to contact the Joker! Boy was I in for it now! He's not supposed to know I'm out here but I didn't have a choice; it was sweltering hot out tonight and I was super thirsty!
I plugged my headphones in, put one bud in my ear and hit the dial button. When he picked up I simply said, "I'm lost..."
His laughter rang out like a sore thumb. "You expect me to rescue you?" I cringed and didn't say anything. He's totally going to leave me out here all night! He was silent for a moment and then, "Don't move. I'm on my way." Before the hang up tone deafened me.
I put my phone away, dreading the moment when he would arrive but also wondering how he would find me. I had no clue where I was at the moment! I sighed frustratedly. "Better start saying my last will and testament...to absolutely NO ONE!"
In about an hour and 14 minutes I saw a unfamiliar uniquely colored car pull up. I ducked down just to be safe. Just then my phone buzzed. I looked at the screen and a bubble said, "Get in!" ...oh.
I climbed unenthusiastically down from the roof and got in the passenger side, sitting close to the door as possible and not looking at him.
The ride back was silent. I was holding back tears of panic. When we got back I went inside, relieved that he didn't stop me. But that was short lived. I went to the fridge and got a soda. When I turned for the stairs he was blocking my way, causing me to jump out of my skin and submissively avert my eyes to the floor.
His serious look turned into a dark smirk. "I found one of your fears. Normally," he twirled a knife against his forefinger, "this would have angered me." He laughed "but I saw fear in your eyes and heard it in your voice." He threw the knife and it whizzed right past my head, lodging into the wall by the fridge. I yelped and pressed myself back into the fridge. I couldn't stop the tears anymore and my eyes reflected his image.
"Don't do it again." He then turned and walked away cackling.
My heart was beating in my throat. I was finding it hard to breath. I dropped the soda, took on my second form and was out of the kitchen as the drink exploded against the floor. I raced up to my room and kicked the door shut then darted under my bed and fitted myself up into the mattress where I felt safe from the ones outside. I lay there breathing heavily, trying to calm myself down. I didn't even come out when I faintly heard Harley come in and softly call my name. She walked around the room and checked under the bed then gave up and left.
The next day the Joker sent me to collect a payment for him from some guy named Gerald who owed him big time. I didn't want to go (I don't like talking to people) but I figured after the stunt I pulled, I didn't have a choice. So I took my phone and knives with me and the Joker was texting me the location, how much the guy owed him, and other little pointers. The meeting place was at a bus stop in a neighborhood parents would tell their kids to avoid. I looked at the time. 11:12 pm; he's gonna be late. Just then I got another text.
The Joker
For every ten minutes he's late the payment goes up by $500.00
I read the text again and again just to be sure he meant that then I text him back saying, "$500.00. Got it."
"Hey miss! You here for the Joker?"
I looked up and recognized Gerald from the picture the Joker had shown me. "Yes."
"Alright, let's make this quick." He eyed me skeptically, my ears and tail were out in plain view. "Here's the money; go ahead and count it."
I made sure no one suspicious was watching (no one was around) as I opened the envelope and counted it all.
"So we good?" He asked when I was done.
"Hate to break it to you but no."
"What?!"
"You're 500 short."
"That was NOT our agreed amount! You trying to swindle me!" He reached behind him and I tensed; he's got a gun!
"No I'm not." I said in a low tone. "Now pay up."
"What for?!"
"Listen man! I'll give you what for if you don't do what I say!" I threatened, keeping my sentences short.
"You think that-"
"It's for being late!" My tail lashed; I was loosing my patience.
"I was only-"
"His orders! Not mine! I'm just the collector."
*later at an unknown location*
"Ok, I told you what to say to him! Now do exactly what I said or I'll break your tail!"
With a look that could kill, I snatched the ringing phone from his hand and held it up to my ear.
"You were told not to call unless there was a problem." Came the Joker's chilling voice. "What's the problem?"
I looked at my kidnapper as I switched the phone to my mouth and said, "Kidnapped."
Gerald snatched the phone from me with an angry growl and held it to his ear. "Listen!" But all he was met with was the dial tone. He looked at me, horrified, and I smirked.
"You're sooo dead!" I laughed.
"Oh yeah? Well if I'm gonna die...I'm taking you down with me!" He was trying to get me worked up; it wasn't working. I stared at him with a neutral expression but it spoke on different levels. My tail was still and straight. My slitted eyes locked onto him. Ears were erect and my claws curved into my thighs. I was about to attack!
"Put a sack over her head, man! I don't like her staring at me!" The confession pleased me and I grinned; he was uncomfortable in the whole he had dug for himself.
A guy stepped towards me. He towered over me so my head was almost level with his waist. When he got close my fist shot out, into the bag he had extended in front of him, down and nailed him right between the legs. He groaned and leaned forward in pain. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his shoulders, hit him once where the spine connects to the skull and he fell on top of me, the chair I had been sitting in screeched across the floor as we bumped into it. I disentangled myself from the body and faced the rest of them in a crouch.
"Get back in the chair!" Another stepped closer with a hunting rifle. I glared at him over my shoulder. So you like to hunt? Before he had even finished his sentence I kicked the weapon to the side. I heard his fingers snap satisfyingly, pounced on him and bit his neck. It was not a hickey! He went down and tried desperately to push me off but I bit harder, staying over him. Gerald and the rest of them started yelling at me in a panic. Guns cocked, threats were shouted. I knew I should take caution but I was in a haze of adrenaline and threw caution to the wind. Until a new gun joined the fight and the guy closest to me took a bullet to the eye. It must have reached his brain cause he fell, without a sound, like a sack of flour. Guts splattered. Instinctively I held still as more rounds were fired. When silence finally fell, I looked up.
All the guards were dead except two. They stood next to their boss in a face off with a pissed off Joker holding a gun and meat cleaver. I just sat there in my second form watching them, imagining western music playing. I had switched over as soon as the Joker started shooting so I'd have less a chance of getting caught in the crossfire.
"Look J! I don't want any trouble ok? You can have her back, alright! Just forget about the 500, ok?" Gerald was breaking in sweat and had lost his cool long before the Joker showed up.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for making a deal?" The Joker hissed, looking at his gun admiringly.
Harley's giggles echoed off the walls as she skipped in, swinging her bat. She gasped when she saw me, blood fresh around my mouth and dripping down my neck. "Kitten are you alright?!"
"He threatened to brake my tail!" I snapped, making my frustration evident. I spat blood, not mine but theirs.
"I didn't! I didn't hurt her!" Gerald rambled on.
I hissed and an angry look crossed Harley's face. "Shut ya trap! You still gotta pay up slug." She went at him, preparing to knock his lights out with her baseball bat when he lunged forward and jammed a taser into her side. Her scream echoed off the wall before she fell into a twitching heap on the ground, her bat falling from her hands.
Suddenly my eyes flashed angrily and I stalked towards him. "Kill him?!" I asked Joker, in a voice I had never used before.
Gerald realized he had just gotten himself in deeper and held up his hands.
Before he could speak, Joker pulled his gun up with a look of insanity unlike any other. "Nobody lays a hand on my woman!" And the gun went off several times until there were no more bullets left. While he had been releasing his bullets into Gerald, I returned to my first form and used my infamous namesake move and took out the last two guards. I then moved up next to Harley and carefully touched her shoulder as my vision cleared. "Harley? Harley?!" I sniffed her and listened to her heart beat. I flinched when the Joker brushed my side with something; the meat cleaver. My eyes widened and I held my breath, worried that he was going to put some of the blame on me but he just shoved the handle of the giant knife into my hand along with the empty gun. Then he knelt down and picked up Harley.
"Bring the money." The Joker called over his shoulder as he carried Harley out. "And his wallet."
I suddenly became conscious of the fact that I wasn't wearing any clothes cause of my form change and hurriedly got dressed. I then tucked the gun into my pants and searched Gerald's pockets till I found his wallet. Then I retrieved the meat cleaver and envelope. Once I was outside I saw Joker standing in front of his car. Harley was in the backseat. I noticed a strong smell of gasoline in the air. The Joker had a lighter in hand, the flame reflecting in his psychotic eyes. I ran to the safety of the car and watched as he set the wear house on fire.
"Nobody lays a hand on my woman and lives to regret it! This is not a kings funeral. No, this is just the beginning of you burning in hell!" He emphasized his statement with his signature laugh.
As he drove away I watched the place burn through the side mirror. I sighed.
"Did you take his wallet?" Joker broke the silence.
I looked at him and grinned as I emptied the contents of my pockets onto my lap. "I got EVERYONE'S wallets!"
Joker made that strange noise which at first had startled me but I had come to think it sounded like a cat purring and found it exciting and strangely comforting. I purred back as he pet me for a second then continued driving. He was pleased. So was I. Harley was safe.
I thought of a few song lyrics that relate to Crystal.
From Heathens by Twenty One Pilots: we don't deal with outsiders very well. They say newcomers have a certain smell. Trust issues not too mention, they say they can smell your intentions!