Chapter 17: Bluffing
She looked over as the Joker moved and she smiled, he was still in his nurse's outfit.
"Will you take that ridiculous outfit off now?" She asked as he grinned a yellow-toothed grin at her.
"Don't you think it's sexy, nurses are sexy right?" he joked giggling.
"Not male nurses and I don't really think the look suits you," she sighed laughing as she sat up fully.
"What about now, Jester?" he cooed as he pulled the skirt up his leg slowly with one hand, as though teasing her.
She burst out laughing and he frowned. Before he pushed her back into the bed covering her body with his own before he began to kiss and nibble at the sweet spot on her neck and she moaned at the sudden pleasure. He bit hard on her neck and she arched back pushing herself against him again.
"Am I sexy now?" he asked and she nodded breathlessly as he kissed her again, his hands moving down her body and she moaned again. She couldn't believe he could actually get her wet even when he was in a nurses uniform. She moaned again as his hand caressed her inner thigh and began working it's way up.
"J" she moaned as he undid her waistcoat and pulled it from her roughly.
"That's Nurse J to you" he muttered as he began to nibble on her ear.
Around an hour later, Joker led Jester down the stairs to help him make another video for the news. She was pleased that after ridding him of all his clothes upstairs he had redressed in his normal attire. When she entered the room, Mike Engel was laying face down on the ground, his feet bound at the ankles with a rope that was connected to a pulley that led to a hook in the ceiling. She grinned at Joker as he came into the room behind her, he pulled off his coat and jacket and dumped them in the corner of the room.
Mike Engel groaned as Joker began to pull the free end of the rope, hoisting the news anchor into the air by his ankles. The Joker cackled as he looked at the hanging man strangely bending his neck so as to look at Mike in the eyes.
"Jester here is going to do your makeup now, Mr Engel" said Joker as though he were the producer of the news channel. He handed Jester a pot of red grease paint and she took it and approached the news anchor.
She began to smear the red pain on the anchor's lips and he groaned angrily.
"Oh don't moan, I'm sure you're very used to wearing make-up for the camera" she laughed as she began to paint a smiled that from her angle looked more like a frown. She applied more and took a step back to admire her work before she turned to Joker.
"Mr Engel is ready for his close up now, Mr Joker," she said smiling widely and he grinned at her before giggly wildly.
Joker pulled a sheet off of the table in the corner and handed Jester a spray can.
"This will be his backdrop" the Joker explained as he pulled the cap off the can. Jester nodded as she began to spray the words 'Breaking News' on to the sheet sloppy. There was already a few black spots on the sheet and so some of the letters were blurred, but the Joker looked pleased with her work. He took the can from her and sprayed a few 'Ha Ha's' on the sheet before he dragged it over to the wall behind Engel. She followed pushing Engel slightly so he spun around. Joker laughed as he held the sheet up to the wall the paint running slightly. Before he frowned and looked at Jester and then Engel before he turned the sheet upside down and proceeded to hammer it into the wall.
"Give these to him to read," said Joker and handed her a pile of cue cards. She flipped through them quickly while the Joker set up the camera, in front of Engel, flipping it upside down. He pulled the table in front of Engel before he bent so his elbows could rest on the table as he filmed.
"Read your lines," said the Joker as Jester handed Engel the cue cards. She laughed loudly as he took them from her. On the card right at the back was the word Hi Mom written and Joker shot her a grin from his awkward spot. She made herself comfortable on a chair behind Joker and watched.
"Ready Mike," shouted Joker nodding to Engel slowly, but the news anchor said nothing.
"Okay ACTION" said the Joker as he pressed the record button and the red light on the camera switched on. Mike looked down at his cue cards and then up again, as though he didn't believe he was really there. Engel looked at Jester and she grinned madly, his gaze turned back to his cue cards again.
"I'm Mike Engel for Gotham Tonight" he said his voice more confident than Jester had expected.
He looked back down at his cue card again. Jester began playing with her knife, twirling it in her hands and Engel swallowed hard.
"What does it take to make you people wanna join in?" he continued dropping the first cue card to the ground causing it to fly over his head.
He looked at next card his face sweating. "You failed to kill the lawyer. I've gotta get you off the bench... and into the game" Engel said.
"Bench. Game," said Joker quietly along with Engel. A little giggle fell from his lips as Engel dropped the next cue card and began to read from the third.
"Come nightfall, the city is mine" Engel continued.
"Mine," muttered Joker a little after Engel his voice louder than before.
"And anyone left here plays by my rules," continued Engel.
"Rules." growled Joker.
"If you don't wanna be in the game get out now." said Engel, dropping the penultimate cue card to the ground.
"Get out NOW!" the Joker laughed again.
"But the bridge and tunnel crowd are sure in for a surprise." Engel said after a short pause.
"Ha-ha, ha-ha," said Engel dryly and The Joker giggled wildly again. Before he turned the camera around and switched it off.
"That was very good Mr Engel. You were fabulous!" laughed Jester patronisingly as she spun him around again. Joker undid the tie holding Engel up and they both watched as he plummeted to the ground head first. He was knocked out cold by the time his feet hit the ground and Jester laughed loudly.
"Now, we need to send this off, but I'll wait for the boys to get back first" Joker said and Jester frowned.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"Running an errand, I had some ammonium nitrate left so I thought I'd put it to good use," said the Joker laughing madly, before he closed the gap between them and began to chew on her ear lobe sharply. She purred as her knees went weak and he chuckled before he pulled away. He led her back into the main room of the warehouse.
The Rottweilers had been locked inside an enormous metal crate and Jester went over and opened the door. The three large dogs padded out and she lay on the floor, allowing them to lick her face, the smallest laying in-between her legs and she laughed as she stoked them.
The Joker looked on frowning slightly, these were supposed to be attack dogs.
"You've made them soft" he shouted at her angrily and she looked up from the floor at him.
"These are supposed to be vicious, they are supposed to attack people not lick them" he shouted approaching her, her eyes went wide and innocent and she sat up to look at him. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, sighing he smiled.
"You sweetheart, I can't stay mad at you," he said his grinning widening as she smiled at him. Jester went back to playing with the dogs.
After 3oclock the 'boys' got back, they pulled Engel back to the locked room. They confirmed that both ferries had been filled with explosives and that both had there 'presents' hidden. Their distress signals and phones disconnected.
They had also found an unfinished sky scraper that over looked the bay and had secured it for Joker. Joker only nodded as they told him of their work before he went about with explaining his plan, handing them all a doctors lab coat.
The boys told Joker that everything had gone well and that the commissioner was actually planning on filling one of the boats with prisoners, some of which were Harvey Dent's most wanted. This piece of news entertained the Joker greatly, and he thumped Grumpy on the back as he laughed.
The weapons table had been raided somewhat and Jester pulled a few item from the relatively small pile and looked them over. She pocked a tiny gun and another hand gun, swapping it for the one she had. Then she spotted the weapon she had most wanted since she was a child. The katana sword was half unsheathed and she stared at the metal for a second. She snatched up the sword and held it in both hands.
"This is mine!" she said loudly but no one replied and she continued to stare at the sword in her hands. The sheath of the sword had the strap on it to go over the shoulder of its owner.
She had never used one and she suspected she would be slightly useless with one, but she loved it. Thought of becoming a samurai from her childhood filled her head and she laughed out loud. She pulled the sword over her shoulder and grinned.
There was nothing to do but wait till sundown and Jester sat on the stairs watching the boys playing Poker at the table, the Joker was in his office planning still. Jester sighed heavily and one of the goons looked up at her.
"Everything okay?" he asked kindly and the other goons shot him a strange look.
"I'm bored," Jester sighed her chin resting on her propped up arm.
"You can play with us if you want," he said and again his friends shot him a look, but it was too late as the psychotic clown girl was now bouncing down the stairs towards them.
She pulled a chair over to the table the metal legs squealing angrily along the concrete floor, before she sat her self upon it at the table. The goon who had spoken to her dealt her some cards and she handed over $100 in cash in return for some chips.
A groan broke out amongst the men as Jester pulled her winnings towards her, her pile of chips was really starting to grow and she grinned happily. The cards were dealt again and again she won. This happened three more times before something hit her hard in the chest and she flew backwards off her chair, her chips flying up into the air. Before she could stand there was a goon known as Happy standing over her. Happy was the biggest of all the goons his shoulders were about double anyone else and he had a strong broad chest. He pushed his heavy booted foot down onto the middle of her chest and she struggled as the wind was pushed from her.
"You think you can cheat us of our money, you're not the boss you can't just do whatever you want." Happy shouted and Jester shook her head as tear began to surface as she struggled for breath.
"I wasn't cheating, it's called bluffing" she chocked out.
Happy let out a roar of anger and with his other foot kicked her hard in a chest. For a split second his full weight was bearing down on her chest and as his foot collided, she heard something crack.
She looked up towards the stairs praying to see Jack come down as she struggled to get out from under this colossal man's weight.
"First you carve Shaun's arm and now this. What do you expect us to do? With you prancing around with your boobs out, we are men we are bound to notice. But you think you can do it cause your the boss, well you're not! You are just some pathetic girl who tries to dress like him and god knows why you would even wanna do that. I don't even get how someone like you can even want to be around someone like him! Something must be wrong in your head, you must be crazy or something." Happy shouted at her. As the rage of insulting both her and Jack in one foul swoop filled her, Jester found her strength. She wiggled out enough to bend so she could bite down hard on Happy's bare ankle.
He let out a yell and grabbed her quickly as she rushed him. He turned her and held her against his enormous chest his arms holding her own at her side's stiffly. She wiggled and he cursed.
"You think, he's gonna save you. You really think he cares about you? He doesn't care about anyone! I don't even think he cares about his own safety. But that's why you do it. Because you think he's gonna come and save you if you get into bother. Because he once told you, you could play boss. Well you're not my boss lady. He let you think that he cares, so he can fuck you when he wants. And who could blame him, you are mighty fine. Well now you know, you can't just do what you want cause no one is coming, let alone him." Happy said so close to her ear, she could feel his hot breath moving her hair. Jester continued to struggle, her back brushing against his solid chest.
"You know with you so close, and wiggling like that. I'm having a change of heart, maybe if you give me a good time. I'll forget all about our differences" he cooed into her ear huskily and she felt his new found arousal pushing into her bum cheek. He was clearly suffering from some sort of bi-polar, with his mood shifting so dramatically. She gagged at the thought of him touching her and launched her foot backwards in-between his legs. It made a satisfying thud as her foot connected with his crotch. He let out a yell and his arms realised her, as he bent over in pain.
She backed away keeping her eyes on the enormous man as he reared his ugly head again. She fumbled for her knife as a laugh bubbled up from her manically. She took a step back, readying herself for a fight and collided with something solid. A soft arm wrapped itself loosely around her and began to play with the material of her waistcoat subconsciously. Happy looked up at the man behind Jester and he smiled warily.
"Boss, I was just teaching her not to cheat," said Happy confidently, a smile on his face. Joker let out a cackled which stopped abruptly. Joker moved away from Jester and towards Happy, his hand brushing her side as he passed her.
"Do you remember Melvin, Happy?" giggled Joker cheerfully. Happy shook his head.
"Ah, of course, you're too new to remember that. Well, let me tell you a story. You see Melvin liked Jester, a little too much. I don't really like to share. I guess that is a flaw of mine. Well when Melvin tried to play with Jester, I killed him. Do you understand?" laughed Joker standing very close to Happy, his knife in his hand, hanging loosely at his side.
Happy's face lost it's colour and his smile faded as he nodded to his boss. Though Happy was at least twice the size of Joker, Joker was an intimidating man no matter how big his opponent, maybe it was his unpredictably or maybe that he had not care for his own well being, you could hit him as much as you wanted and he would just laugh.
"Good lad," said Joker laughing. "This shouldn't be a surprise then."
Joker launched himself at Happy, though Joker was not as large as Happy, Joker's strength was enough to hold him down as he knelt on the larger man chest and began to carve a smile into Happy's face.
"Why so serious?" Joker asked over Happy's screams to the other goons, who quickly dispersed.
When the large man had finally stopped breathing, Joker stood and wiped his bloody hands on Happy's shirt before moved over to Jester quickly. He took her hand and quickly dragged her up the stairs, shouting to one of the men to clear up the body.
He led her into the bedroom and stopped in the middle of the room and looked her over.
"Okay?" he asked seriously and she nodded.
"Thank you, Jack. It won't happen again" she assured him and he grinned.
"Any time gorgeous. I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever" he said taking her hands up in his and turning them over in grasp, not looking at her as he spoke.
She pulled her hand from his grasp and instead wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her body close to his. She closed her eyes and breathed in his intoxicating scent. It took a while but soon Jack wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her closer.
Once the sun began to set, they all headed off for the skyscraper the boys had found, along with the hostages. Jester helped as they tapped unloaded gun into the hands of the hostages and forced them to stand as they placed clown masks to all of them. The boys were dressed in doctors and nurses uniforms and they sat on the floor in front of the biggest window in the skyscraper, making sure that the cops would have a perfect shot from the building opposite. Joker went up to the highest floor and Jester followed. He stopped himself by a window overlooking the water and stopped and turned back to her.
"Look down there, the last of the people are loading onto the ferries," he said pointing down to the two large boats docked up. She simply nodded and he began to laugh.
"Now all we gonna do is wait," giggled Joker and she nodded again. Her nerves were making her felt slightly sick and a feeling of dread had washed over her. Without a word she went back down a few floors to check the boys had secured the last of the hostages.
She approached slowly as they bound a blonde woman's hands and her blue eyes shot up to Jester.
"I know you!" she said looking Jester in the eye.
She was right she was a trainee at the hospital, Scarlett had worked with her a number of times.
"You are a nurse! How could you do this?" the blonde she knew as Kate asked, her eyes wet with tears.
Jester couldn't help the laugh the erupted from somewhere deep within her and once it had started she couldn't make it stop. Soon she was bent over in hysteria, shaking her head slightly at Kate.
"When the police come, I'll tell them your name!" said Kate boldly, and Jester pulled her gun out her back pocket and raise it to point at Kate.
"You really think the police are coming? And if they do, you think they will realise you are the hostage before they put a bullet through your face." Jester asked waving her gun at the woman.
"Because if you think so, then I'll just get a head start on them now." laughed Jester.
"Please Scarlett, we were friends" said Kate her voice shaking, as her tears began to spill.
"No, we weren't friends. I didn't really have any friends, we were colleagues nothing more. And really you shouldn't beg I have no compassion to appeal to" said Jester as she laughed again and pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped a path through Kate's skull and Scarlett frowned as she looked down at the dead body on the floor.
"Well that was not satisfying at all," moaned Jester as she pushed the gun back into her back pocket and turned on her heel to leave. Though the feeling of dread she had been experiencing seem to float away as the bullet had left the gun, and she now felt rather good as she skipped back up the stairs to find Joker.
The Rottweilers had been brought up to him and were now roaming the top floor. Joker continued to stare out the window at the ferries which were still docked, Jester sighed and took a seat on the floor, the smallest Rottweiler curling up at her feet.
"Who got shot?" asked Joker without turning around.
"One of the hostages, she recognised me from the hospital," said Jester not looking up as she scratched the chin of the dog in her lap. The Joker didn't say anything simply shrugged.
After an hour the ferries finally moved off and the Joker moved back to the window again. He watched as they moved further away until slowly one stopped and then the other. They were completely stationary in the middle of the lake and Joker began to giggle to himself quietly.