Good evening, loves! Firstly, I want to apologize for this chapter coming out a bit later than I had planned! I have just moved across country to begin a new job, so it has been a very busy week for me! Hopefully, I'm settled down enough where I can return to weekly updates! Please, bear with me as I go through this crazy process! With that being said, hope you enjoy the newest addition of Holding Out For a Hero! As always, be sure to favorite and add the story to your alerts to be the first to read new chapters! Hope to hear from you in a review :) Happy ready - trs0010

Chapter XIII: The Call

The darkness smothered Cassidy like a thick blanket. The quiet, mocking echo of a familiar laugh that haunted her day and night surrounded her. He did not make his presence known to her outside the laughter, making Cassidy questioned if he was even in the sewers with her.

"Jack?" Cassidy called. Her voice a little stronger than before, but she was only met with the low, murmuring laughter, though there was no more mocking tone. Anger replaced it.

"I don't know if you're here or if I'm imaging this, it wouldn't be the first time," Cassidy called into the abyss. "I took a pretty hard hit to the skull, so I should talk to something to stay alert, so you or the ghost of you will have to do."

Cassidy felt her way to the edge of the sewer wall before slowly hobbling along on her injured ankle in the only direction she could go – forward. If she wanted to survive, she had to keep moving. With no supplies, she could only last a limited amount of time before she had to escape.

"Maybe I'm concussed or dehydrated," Cassidy spoke to the darkness. "Maybe I've fumbled around and only talking to myself. Most people think I'm that level of crazy already. Suppose you're an expert on that."

The laughter returned, but farther down the sewer tunnel Cassidy was traveling. He couldn't have been underground before Bane's explosions. The Joker had to have entered the sewer after the hostile takeover of the city, so he must know the way out.

Cassidy's only hope was to follow the sound of her laughter. It was the best plan she had at the moment. It might also be the most dangerous and insane idea she had. Falling back into the Joker's clutches now with Bruce missing and no way of signaling Blake was a fatal mistake.

Blake could only assume that she was crushed under falling cement. Before anyone would realize she was back in the clown's captivity, it might be too late. She almost broke last time, and even now after eight years, Cassidy was sometimes only hanging by a thread.

What else could she do? She would either die alone in the sewers while waiting for help or she might die at the hands of the Joker by following him towards her only shot of living.

"Not speaking to me?" Cassidy laughed to herself, trying to relieve the tension building. "Suppose that's fair. This is the first time I've spoken to you since they committed you. Though in my defense, that wasn't entirely my fault."

Cassidy felt his jet black eyes on her even though she could not see her hand in front of her face. She thought she could see the glint in his eye as he paced back and forth like a panther stalking its prey.

"I came by every week for an entire year to see you; but every single time, you turned me away. You refused to see me." Despite herself, Cassidy couldn't hold back the quiver of sadness that filled her voice.

Cassidy's past was littered with people leaving her whether that was by their choice or by a horrible twist of fate dealt by reality. As unhealthy as it was, the Joker became a large, constant factor in her life. When he refused her visits, Cassidy hated to admit just how devastated she was. He'd let her down, but what else should she expect when you fall for a psychopathic clown.

"Maybe you wanted to see me, Jack, but he wouldn't let you," Cassidy spat. The laughter carried down the sewage's passageway. She tried to keep up as best she could with her ankle. "I see you haven't gotten rid of him."

Cassidy rolled her eyes as the laughter sounded louder and more hysterical than ever. Ever since she learned his true name, Cassidy never referred to Jack as the Joker when speaking to him. She refused to help influence that side of him.

Insane as it was, she held on to the last shred of humanity he had left. After eight years locked away in Arkham, Cassidy wasn't sure if anything was even left of Jack even to fight to save.

"When I stopped visiting the Asylum, I wrote you," Cassidy explained to the shadows. "They were all sent back unopened. When I cut off all communication, your doctors said you broke, Jack."

A tense silence flooded the sewer. Cassidy held her breath, believing she may have overstepped, but there was a game she had to play. She needed to keep him on the hook enough to lead her out of the shadows.

"You must hate it when I call you that," she remarked. "He tried so hard to destroy Jack, but I wouldn't let him. You're better than him, don't you remember? Though HE is the one that still wants me around and not you, Jack."

"He's had a very long time to think about what he could do to his doll."

She used the pet name the Joker gave her all those years ago. Hearing it again after all this time, stirred a mixture of emotions ranging from mortified to enamor. The sound of the name rolling off her tongue cued the laughter. "He's missed me, hasn't he? He wants to finish the job. I'm the one person he didn't completely break and turned into one of his minions. I still fight for the light."

Cassidy noticed the darkness fading away far into the distance. She guessed it was a few hundred yards away, likely a manhole. Her scheme was working …for now. Her gut didn't feel so confident and relieved at the sight of light.

He wanted to lead her here. He was banking on her following the sound of his voice. Cassidy could only imagine what he had planned once she hobbled into the light. The thought caused the insides to churn with fear.

"He's smart," Cassidy commented. "I got his little gifts he sent. He has lots of friends on the outside. Little birds are always watching me, right? Suppose I shouldn't be shocked that you knew where to find me. The Jack in you needed to ensure I was still breathing. He still cares. I'd be dead already if he didn't. He still needs me. You need me."

Cassidy stumbled, falling to the wet ground, as her ankle couldn't support the weight. She cursed as she pushed herself to her knees. She didn't return to her feet, but soak in the snickering around her, but he still refused to show himself.

"But you're afraid," Cassidy dared to challenge. "For once in your life, you're scared, terrified that I don't need you anymore. I told you I couldn't promise I'd wait around forever. Trust me; I waited much longer than I ever should, but I stopped living."

For almost eight years, she kept her nose down during work, afraid of rocking the boat. Too many people wanted her removed from the force. She spent a very long time in a probationary period. It took a long time to regain the trust and respect of her fellow officers for the small amount of responsibilities she had now.

The Joker put an enormous strain on her relationship with Bruce. For months after the Clown Prince of Crime was lock away, they didn't speak to each other, even when they were in the same room. Cassidy was almost convinced that Bruce had a hidden agenda for covering her facial reconstruction surgery. She didn't think he could stand the sight of her with her scars. It reminded him too much of the Joker.

It was only in the last couple of years that the cousins' relationship had returned to somewhat normality. It was as close to normal as it could be considering Bruce retreated within the solitude of Wayne Manor.

Cassidy received no contact with the Joker until recently. Only with Blake ushering in a new wave of attention did the Joker feel the need to retaliate. Cassidy snubbed out any attention she received except for Blake. He slowly brought her back to life in a way the Joker couldn't stand. He was slowly losing control of her, which is why he felt the need to send her reminders as of late with the help of his ever watching minions.

"You got to promise me something," Cassidy whispered, just loud enough that it carried through the sewer. "Don't hurt him. Whatever you do, leave him out of it. This is between you and me, Jack. Blake doesn't have to be involved. Any chance you have will be shattered if you hurt him. Please, don't. For me."

Cassidy knew that it must have sounded crazy for her pleaded with a man that lived for chaos to spare a life for her, especially when that life belonged to another man that fought for her affection.

She knew deep down that she could never be with Jack, not fully. That path was littered with heartache, destruction, and death. He had fallen too far into the clutches of the Joker when she crossed his path. Cassidy tried to pull him out of the darkness, but you can't save a man who doesn't want to be saved.

No matter how much she gave and how many years he spent locked away receiving help; Jack would never be fully rid of the Joker. It was ticking bomb just itching to explode. The Joker would take everything that Cassidy had left until he consumed her completely.

But there was still something so undeniable between them.

Cassidy was just a few yards from the light of the open manhole. She had managed to crawl her most of the way after stumbling to the ground. She stopped as she saw a dark figure scurry up the stairs.

She couldn't make out any of his features to confirm his identity. Seeing the light for the first time blinded her. Her eyes watered from the brightness.

"Jack," Cassidy called, stopping him from disappearing into the light. "I still love you."

He didn't say a word. He didn't laugh. His brooding eyes stared at Cassidy with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine, and then he climbed out of site.

Cassidy used what strength she had to return to her feet, putting as little weight on her ankle as possible. She hobbled to the steel ladder that would lead to her freedom.

She placed a hand around the cool metal, preparing for the challenging and painful climb with her injuries. As soon as took the first step up, a loud vibration shook the sewer.

A roaring noise began to grow louder and louder. "Oh shit,' Cassidy muttered as she realized what the noise was. She didn't know if she should put the blame on Bane or the Joker, but Cassidy knew deep down that her lovely clown delivered this gift as a reminder that he still held the power.

The explosion was several of the waterlines, forcing the sewers to flood with rushing water. With Bane's handiwork, the water began to pool, quickly.

Cassidy clung to the ladder, as the water fought to pull her away in the current. One wrong move or slip, she would be swept away in the chilling tide and would never get back up again.

She hopped one step at the time, with the water rushing around her, catching up to her quicker than she would like. Once she reached the top, an even bigger fear took hold of her. The metal bars closing the manhole would not budge.

She had lost too much blood with no food in her system. She only had one leg to support herself really. Hell, she thought, even if Cassidy was 100 percent, she didn't think she could lift the heavy steel by herself.

The water continued to climb higher and higher as the panic began to take over her. "HELP!" she shouted as she banged against the bars. "JACK! ANYONE!"

He watched in the shadows. Listened as his name was called in fear and desperation. When someone was facing death in the face, it brought a beautiful sound into the world. He saw her hands stick through the bars clinging for someone to hold on to her, pull her into the warmth of Gotham's sun.

He couldn't lie. There was a part of him that wanted to grab Cassidy's hand, to feel her touch once more. He could have easily been the hero that saved her once more. As much as he loved to destroy the mockery that was Gotham, he couldn't deny the feeling he got the times he rescued Cassidy, though most of those times, he was the cause of her life and death situation.

He watched as she struggled to stay upon the stairs as the water rushed around her. His heart or whatever he had within him ached just a bit when she called his name at the top of his laugh while gasping for breath against the current and reaching out for a hand that wasn't there.

He could easily save her then and there. Hold her wet, trembling body to his chest as she clung to him, thankful for her wicked savior. He almost wanted to do that.

Almost.

He had a bigger plan in mind. He spent eight long years scheming their reunion. He couldn't contain the giddiness when he thought of the gift that Cassidy gave him in that naïve detective.

He needed another savior to swoop in to save the day. He needed a dashing, charming cop to pull her away from the sewers, the dark, and the cruel monsters that surrounded her.

He needed him to save her from him.

Cassidy had to fall in love with John Blake. It was only then could his master plan begin to unfold. Then he can slowly destroy both of them, proving to her that only he could protect her and that John Blake was nothing. He'd crush the boy and make her watch, slowly breaking her, twisting her and poisoning her.

Only then could she love him. Only after he broke her beyond repair could he keep his queen, and John Blake was going to help him.

He laughed to himself as he studied the phone he had stolen from her pocket while in the sewers. He was so close to her then. He could have taken her and hid her away as he had done once before.

She couldn't see him, not yet. Not until he returned to his former glory.

He powered up the phone and searched for the contact he needed. He answered on the first ring. His voice coming in rushed relief, almost skeptical that a call came from her number.

"First and Lincoln," The Joker slowly laughed into his phone. "Bring a snorkel."

He dropped the phone near the manhole, knowing Cassidy's pleas for help and the sound of roaring water would force the man into action. The noise was a beautiful symphony to the clown's ears.

He disappeared into the shadows, calculating his next move. Playing a game that he only knew the rules for and was poised to win.

"We'll be in touch, doll."