© Ellie Goodson 2016

Chapter Twenty Three-Joining the Joker on a mission

~Arabella Jones~

It had been agreed that I'd join the Joker on one of his mystery 'missions'. We'd both decided in a manic manner that he'd do what he usually did and I would protect and fight. "It's one of my favourite things to do." I persuaded, watching as the Joker tilted closer and closer to the already weighted side of allowing me to go.

"But you could get injured, die even. What good are you to me then?" His words were said in a matter of defence, and so I did my best not to take offence.

"Yes, I know, but I've handled worse than a couple men who think they're all big and mighty. I'll crush them like a little bug." After ten more minutes of simply stating that I'd be helping him and I'd only be fighting, the Joker finally gave in an agreed to allow me to join him later today.

It was precisely an hour before we were supposed to leave and, due to the Joker having something important to correct before we left, I had been assigned the job of waiting patiently in the bedroom. I laid backwards on the bed, so that my head rested where my feet should've rested and vice versa. I was therefore unable to see the door and who entered or exited it until they either appeared before me or I got up from my position to see for myself. I was too lazy and tired for that, and so I remained without the ability to hear or see willingly. I had music playing through headphones while I laid on the bed, and that itself was proof enough of how bored I was.

Remaining in a complete daze, my legs and arms swaying around to the rhythm and beat of the music, I left my eyes closed and body relaxed, trying my best to reduce the flow of adrenaline that pulsed through me at the thought of all of the criminal things I'd be doing with the Joker. The man was a monster, and it seemed like I was his little demon pet. I just didn't care; there was no other way to word it. We were in love, insanely, and that was all that mattered to the both of us. We were well aware of that fact that each of us had darkness within ourselves, and that our past wasn't the sunniest of pasts, but none of that mattered to us, what mattered was the now. Who we were now and how we treated each other, love was enough.

I'd been so distracted by my love sick thoughts of the Joker that I hadn't noticed the presence of someone else in the room. I was made aware of such presence when a familiar face appeared above my face and before my eyes. A small yelp of shock escaped my lips before I processed who it was, but my heart remained to race even when I knew who the face belonged to. "You scared me." I pulled my headphones off and paused the music before dropping the whole lot onto the floor with a thud. My poor, precious belongings.

"Sorry, doll." I sat up and made room for the Joker to take a seat, patting the empty space impatiently. When the Joker was finally sat beside me, the scent of gunpowder and flames filling my senses, I rested my head on his gorgeously purple coat-on the shoulder to be specific.

We remained like that for a couple of minutes, just absorbing each other's presence. "Is it nearly time to go?" I inquired, taking a deep breath.

"Not long." There was a pause, and I could almost feel the Joker holding something back. "If you get hurt, or worse, I'll never forgive myself." He continued eventually, causing me to sit up with a straight back.

"Jack," my words were already a risk, but saying his actual name made the whole sentence riskier. He turned his head towards me, but I didn't see anger in his eyes. In fact, I saw desire. Taking another deep breath, I continued. "You can't protect me and save me all the time, I'm going to have to hurt, I'm going to have to risk things to learn. I just need you to be patient with me and stay with me. Don't worry; I'll get it all eventually. But you're way ahead of the game as it stands; you need to help teach me. If that makes any sense what so ever."

I waited patiently for a reply, my eyes fixated on my thumb which stroked softly over the Joker's scarred hands. "I understand." He replied at last, placing a kiss onto my forehead.

"Besides, I insisted on coming. And you can hardly deny this." On the word 'this', I gestured to my body and face, throwing the clown a playful wink. I was rewarded by a howl of laughter from the Joker, which warmed my body right to its core. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips afterwards, sending shockwaves up my spine. My body, especially my lips, tingled afterwards. "No, I can hardly deny you."

I relaxed out of the Joker's funky van; it was a thrill to take a drive with him while still conscious. The clown obviously didn't know how to follow the laws of speed limit. "Who needs to be limited anyway?" He had called out while driving furiously, intent of going fast but not killing us-or well...me. It was reasonably dark by now, but still light enough to see clearly and watch people wander the streets, heading for home after a busy day of work. I watched as a man, a woman and a little boy hurried through the streets, wealth clear on their perfectly polished shoes and clothes without a crease. It reminded me oddly of someone I knew, something I know, but-unable to figure out what-I rapidly forgot about the family and concentrated on the Joker. He was what mattered.

We were parked outside a large warehouse. It looked all in all abandoned, and in desperate need of some tender loving care. My fingers stroked against the rough brick, gravel and pieces of shattered rock engraved marks onto my fragile skin. It was rapidly darkening, and I was sure I could see a faint Bat signal in the sky. "You're staying out here, stopping intruders coming in. You'll need a weapon." I turned to face the cold voice that spoke to me, and it was obvious that the Joker was no longer the kind and sensitive Joker that he was with me; no this was the Joker who was made to kill, the Joker from his story.

I searched around me, and found a bloodied baseball bat littering the corner. After picking it up and making sure I could grip it steadily, I swung it around a couple times. "Got one!" I squealed, feeling the adrenaline kick in. The bat felt familiar in my hands, like a weapon I was born to hold. However, I did always goes for a weapon like a baseball bat when it came to attacking and defending.

"Don't let anyone in. I'll leave a couple of my goons to help you." I stared into the Joker's eyes, which were so dark they might as well have been black. He leaned in, so that his lips were right by my ear. "Stay safe, don't get hurt." He whispered; quiet enough so that only I could hear. I turned my head slightly and planted a soft kiss onto his blood red scars.

"I promise. Don't hurt yourself either; come out of this building alive." And with that, the Joker left and I remained where I was. Stood on the spot and ready to beat the life out of any fool that tried to get into the warehouse.

It was about ten minutes after the Joker left before someone appeared from the shadows; their main intention was obvious to enter the building behind me. The building that I was defending. "Who are you?" I shouted to the figure shadowed in black. "What do you want?"

"I want to get into the warehouse, and you're in my way." I walked closer to man; his gender was identifiable by his voice. My bat dragged along the ground as I moved, making him aware that I was armed and dangerous.

"Oh, am I now?" In a split second movement, I swung the bat up and spun around so that the solid wood smashed the figure on the side of the skull. He collapsed to the ground immediately, eyes rolling into the back of his head while his fingers twitched.

I turned around and pointed to two of the strongest looking goons that the Joker had given me. "You two, take him into the shadows." I nudged my head over to the side, my instructions clear. I caught a small droplet of blood drip onto the concrete ground. I'd made someone bleed, if we left the man in the shadows, he'd probably die. But the Joker told me not to let anyone in, and that was exactly what I'd done. The bat just got bloodier.

Many more came in after the first, every one trying to enter the building and every one failing horribly. Most men and women ended up in a pile of unconscious and bloodied bodies. Whacks around the head, broken shins and probable paralysis to the ones I'd hit on the back or top of the spine. It wasn't like I was aiming, I just hit them. The bat was severely bloodied and battered by the end; clumps of wood were on the ground and most likely protruding from bodies from where I'd beaten them. They shouldn't have tried to get pass me, imbeciles. I panted from the workout. It was pitch black now, and I was beginning to worry for the Joker. I wasn't going to disobey the clown's orders, no, I wasn't that stupid, but I was tempted.

As time passed I was left to wonder and worry about the Joker. He should've been back by now, hell he was usually back at the warehouse with me by now. I didn't like it, the idea of something happening to the Joker, to my Joker. I just needed to see his face, no matter how bruised or bloodied. If he was here, if he was alive, then I would be okay. The temptation to go inside and find him was gradually increasing. Maybe he wouldn't be mad if I explained that I was worried. But what if some intruder tried to get into the warehouse? I'd be in big trouble then.

I waited patiently; my breathing rate and heart rate increased as time passed and the Joker didn't show his face. God, I was terrified. And then something happened. A tall, dark figure emerged from the thick shadows. Pointed ears and a flowing cape. His presence was strong enough to silence every one of the goons and myself. No one knew who he really was, who was hiding behind that mask, no one that I knew of anyway. The sight of him was frightening, and the sight of his bloodied lip and ripped cape showed that something had happened. If he had done anything to the Joker ... "Doctor Jones, I-"

"If you've touched the Joker, I'll kill you. I swear to god, if you've hurt him, or-or killed him, I'll hunt you down." The bloody bat in my hand was flying about in the air in a threatening manner.

I watched as Batman took a hesitant step back, his posture stiffening. "The Joker is going back to Arkham." His voice was the usual hoarse and husky tone. I blinked at the Bat's words. I felt my grip on the baseball bat weaken as realisation settled into my stomach with a painful twist.

"Excuse me?" My brain naturally denied Batman's words; I couldn't seem to process or understand what he said.

"The Joker is on his way to Arkham." He repeated again, slower this time. Then dark figure suddenly lunged forward, clutching at my wrists so hard that the bat fell from my grip and a yell escaped my throat. I saw a flash of sympathy in his eyes, but it was soon gone. "You were once so pure. He's twisted you, like he did to Harley." There was deep regret in his voice and his head shook slightly. "Doctor Jones, you'll be joining your Joker. But you'll be joining him in Arkham."