Author's Note: Woo at passing 150 pages in my Word document with this story. The chapter is pretty fast paced, and ends pretty abruptly, but Joker is a quick, abrupt man in situations like this so the pace kind of matched to his mood. This isn't very long but it is difficult to write as Joker for extended periods of time. He's more out of his mind than usual in this one, but I will probably add another chapter of his POV in somewhere, if the reception to this chapter is good. I am going to have fun with twisting the events of suicide squad to add in my little changes and additions so don't worry, it should be interesting rather than just a carbon copy of the movie. Cheers to all the readers, reviewers, subscribers, and favouriters.
Chapter Twenty Eight.
Black smoke billowed from the shattered windows of the building, glowing fingers of orange and red flame licked the exterior of the blackening brick building, reaching towards the dark night sky. Joker watched for a moment longer, laughing slowly at the panicked calls from within. Attendees of the Policeman's ball still standing after the explosion stumbled from the inferno, choking in the cool air, their once elegant formal wear now stained with soot, torn and burnt.
Stepping into the car, Joker motioned for his most loyal henchman to depart. Frost complied, peeling off into the night, away from the urgent sirens arriving at the scene. "Think they learnt their lesson, Frost?" Joker questioned, his tone even, though his eyes glinted with a crazed malice. Frost glanced sideways at Joker, judging his bosses expression. "Maybe. They don't retain the lessons well" Frost replied, his usual cool tone in place.
Joker laughed madly, raising his hand so that his tattooed grin covered his true smile. Jokers head spun more than usual, he did not like people touching his things, and Harley was most definitely his. He did not rest while she was gone, he would not, until she was back. "Where are you on finding her? I don't like waiting" Joker said, his face blank, eyes heavily lidded, he tilted his head back and forth; thinking through what he would do to retrieve her, always ten steps ahead.
Frost did not need to look at Joker to gauge his mood this time, Joker had always been insane, but the demonic level his crazed insanity had risen to since Harley had been taken was almost tangible. "I'm following a lead, there's a man to see later who will give up some valuable information" Frost said, turning the car into the garage of Jokers house. Frost was the only man other than Harley aloud at the property now, anyone else was likely to be killed by Joker in a fit of boiling rage, seemingly at random.
"Good" Joker rasped "You're back here straight after. More business to attend to" Joker order, his slow laughter chilling the air as he exited the car, standing still as he watched Frost peel out of the garage. Joker swayed on the spot for a moment, thoughts in his head twisting angrily. A voice interrupted his thoughts "Hey, ah boss? I left my gun here. I just-" Joker pulled his gun out and shot the man without a second thought, he laughed slowly as the body of one foolish henchman fell to the ground, before letting out a growl and unloading his clip into the man.
Breathing heavily for a moment, Joker slicked his hair back, resuming his cool demeanor. As Joker made his way up to his apartment, thoughts of Harley filled his mind. He hadn't originally planned on keeping her around longer than it took to have her break him out of Arkham Asylum, but somewhere along the way she had crept into his soul and part of her enchanting madness had entwined to his black insanity. She was the Queen of his Kingdom. A part of him was spiteful towards her, he hadn't believed he had the want or capacity to maintain any form of relationship, it would be simpler for him to forget about her and leave her where she was. He would get her back, she was a his, and he would make all who had kept her from him pay dreadfully.
Joker stood in his living room, pieces of Harleys existence had crept into his life. Her trophies in the form of watches scattered through the area, a couple books she had been reading left in the places she had last put them down. Staring at the display case that held her Harlequin suit, his reflection stared back, no smile in place. Picking up a black eyeliner of Harleys from a bag of hers nearby, he stared at his reflection as her drew the outline of a smile onto his face, laughing crazily at the sight. Violent thoughts pulsed in Joker's mind, the chaos they would cause when she returned would be at a level Gotham had not yet known. The violent thoughts eased his storming mind, there were so many thoughts screaming in his own voice inside his mind he sometimes became lost in them, a spinning merry go round of madness.
Moving to his office, Joker picked up one of his guns imaging the ways in which he would use it to make Gotham pay for their sins against the King, he placed it on the ground and moved to his next weapon. One by one Joker picked up his vast weaponry, placing it on the ground in a circular pattern, covering the floor as he thought through how exactly those who had wronged him would pay with each weapon. Joker left a trail clear from the circular space in the middle of the room to the door. Picking his way over the collection he easily lifted a case of bottles up from his desk, lining the room of weaponry and ammunition with bottles of alcohol, most half empty.
Keeping a bottle of whiskey he sat himself in the middle of his creation, the safest place for him, the most deadly for anyone to catch him in the wrong mood, which was mostly always since Harley had pulled her stupid stunt to allow him his freedom from Batman. Joker swayed in place, his thoughts once again turning to Harley, his Harley Quinn. Taking a long swig of the bottle whiskey, not feeling the burn as he drank. His alcohol tolerance was impossibly high, another gift from the toxic sludge that had created him.
Joker pulled the gun from his holster, waving it back and forth slightly as he resumed his drinking. His eyes were heavily lidded as he placed the bottle on the ground, baring his teeth at no one as he smoothed his hair back. He could not sleep without Harley. He had become accustomed to having her by his side, willing and able to attack any stupid enough to enter Jokers building. He would not allow himself to acknowledge any reasoning past that. She was his, she had been his since the moment she had laid eyes on him, he did not know how or when; but he had become hers, in the way only the two psychopaths could truly understand.
Joker allowed his head to bow slightly, murder and mayhem back on his mind. The moment the door clicked, announcing someone was turning the handle, Joker raised his gun to aim at the person in front of him, faster than seemingly possible. Seeing it was Frost, Joker did not fire, he tracked the man with his weapon as he eased into the room and sat unflinchingly on the small step leading down to his office. "Where is she?" He rasped, lowering his gun as be resumed swaying in place, his eyes burning into Frost.
Frost shifted in place ever so slightly, relaxing his position in front of Joker. "It's complex. This is not just her, everybody's disappearing" Frost started, resting his forearms on his knees. Joker closed his eyes, tipping his head back as he listened to Frost speak. "There's this new law where if you're a bad enough bad guy they stamp 'terrorist' on your jacket. They send you to this swamp in Louisiana. A black site. That's where she is" Frost explained, watching his boss twist his head, swaying to a rhythm no one else felt. "So what do we do?" Frost asked.
"Bring the car around, we're going for a drive" Joker ordered lowly, allowing his body to tip back as he layed on the ground. Slow, mad, laughter left him as he became closer and closer to getting Harley back. Frost watched on for a moment before standing "I'll be in the garage when you're ready" He stated, exiting the room quietly. Joker laid still for a moment longer before standing smoothly, he needed to freshen up, he had business to attend to.
Stepping into the bathroom, Joker carefully slicked back his hair, wiping away the drawn on smile. Staring at his ghostly reflection he smiled widely, taking Harleys red lipstick instead of his own from the counter he applied it with a practiced hand. The lipstick covering his own red lips, drawing attention to his silver smile. Turning away from his reflected face, he walked to lounge in long confident strides. Pulling his golden jacket from a hook near the elevator he slipped into it as he rode down to the garage.
As he had said, Frost was waiting in a shining black sports car, engine purring in waiting. Joker slipped into the passenger seat, waving his hand at Frost to proceed. Joker was lost in thought as Frost drove through the dark city night. Pulling up behind a small, almost hidden, club, Frost exited. Moving quickly Frost opened Jokers door, closing it behind him.
"I called ahead, he should be here already" He stated as Joker exited the car. A dark van pulled up behind them, stopping with a screech. A well dressed goon with a large golden gun exited the van and made his way towards Frost, a briefcase in hand. He passed the case over to Frost without a word, moving silently behind him as Frost turned and made his way across the small, dank alley to the silver door in the back of the tall brick building. A wide, dark man opened the door without a word, nodding respectfully at Joker as he passed.
Frost walked quickly, the goon following him, entering the dim hallway and moving with purpose through an open door at the end of it. Joker stayed back in the shadowed hall for a moment, watching the room. A large brightly lit room, lined with extravagantly dressed men and women holding weapons of their own. An enormous African man wearing a bloody apron brought a cleaver down heavily onto a pile of meat, the chilled air of the room carried the scent of raw flesh lazily.
Frost entered quickly, bringing the case across the room to the leader of the relatively small time gang. Placing the case down, as the goon relaxed by the door, weapon slung casually across his front, Frost opened it quickly pulling a plastic wrapped stack of money from the case and passing it to the man for inspection. Joker watched the brunette man seated in the middle of the room who he was here to visit. Griggs.
Griggs turned to Frost, watching the exchange. "Yo', slick. What's up? Griggs" He introduced. "You are?" He questioned Frost, snapping his fingers. Frost watched the men count the bills he had produced "You might want to keep your mouth shut" Frost stated, his dark glasses covering any expression.
Joker walked slowly into the room as Griggs began to speak "Can I go man? What the hell's going on?" He asked, his voice a pitch higher than it had been. Joker came to a slow stop behind Griggs, watching the others in the room carefully avoid his eye. "This is crazy" Griggs began to say, before Joker slid a hand onto the cheap white shoulder of the mans suit jacket. "Blah, blah-blah, blah-blah, blah-blah" Joker said quietly, as Griggs stiffened, fear clouding his features.
Joker clenched the man's throat slightly before sliding his hand across his shoulders "All of that chit-chat is going to get you hurt" He said, slapping the man's shoulders causing Griggs to let out an 'oh!' of pain and surprise. "My God" Griggs let out, sounding as nauseous with fear as he looked. Joker growled as he moved to the front of Griggs, bending to stare the man in the eye, a manic smile in place. Standing straight he held a ringed hand in front of Griggs' face, face morphing into a cold expression as the man glanced around quickly before bending slightly to press an unsure kiss to Jokers long fingers.
Joker remained in place for a moment, before smiling his insane grin once again and moving quickly to almost be in Griggs' lap, pressing his knees into the chair either side of the frightened mans lap. Pressing both hands either side of Griggs' neck, Joker laughed wildly. "I could tell you meant that" He growled, holding the man's head in place with his firm grip on Griggs' neck. Joker trailed his hands down, passing them across Griggs' chin as he spoke "You're gonna be my friend" He said quietly, his voice carrying clearly through the silent room, his face deadly serious.
Griggs' nodded weakly, his face pale as he looked into the eyes of Joker, who stood straight once again. "You're going to give me the exact location of Harley, down to the blueprints. You're going to give her a little present from me. Frost here is going to check in on you every day for every fucking detail of what happens!" Joker said, his voice raising to a shout as he spoke, bringing a fist down onto a steel table to his side. Twisting his neck around, Joker exhaled sharply "You try to involve anyone else and your friends here will burn down your house with your family inside. Don't try and run from me" Joker rasped the orders quietly.
Griggs nodded once again, sweat sheening across his forehead despite the cool room. "Of course" He stuttered, eyes never leaving Jokers face. Joker reached into his pocket and pulled Harleys cell phone from it, the pink and gold case etched with diamond shapes had been made just for her. Pressing the phone into Griggs' shaking hands he moved abruptly, kicking the legs of the chair out from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground with a shrieking grunt of surprise. Joker stepped on Griggs' throat, as the man trembled, still clutching tightly onto the cell phone. "I'll be back" Joker growled, turning and leaving the room, Frost and the goon following in quick succession. Griggs' trembled slightly as he picked himself up from the icy ground, cursing at himself internally.