Scars

The Joker walked into a mob meeting a month later, wondering why the mob hadn't attempted to kill him yet. He had still yet to make any threats towards them, or even attempted to kidnap one of their children. Lately he had other things occupying his mind, things he wished that didn't. He qued his laughter and everyone looked his way knowing exactly who it was. He scanned over their faces and known that Maroni wasn't sitting in the same spot that he usually sit with the smirk plastered on his face.

Joker: A whole month and I'm still alive. What'd your balls drop off?
Carmine: Maroni was a lone stallion, Joker. None of us want you dead.

He raised an eyebrow at the man and nodded his head, a little miscommunication between himself and the mob maybe? Or maybe a big miscommunication between the mob. Just as he opened his mouth to say another word a ringing noise started from his pocket. Smiling at the men he held up a finger to his lips for them to be quiet as he flipped the phone open and brought it to his lips.

Scarlett: Jack?
Jack: Princess, I'm busy right now.. Could I call you back in maybe 20 minutes?
Scarlett: Okay. I'll talk to you then.

He flipped the phone shut and placed it back in it's secure location which was his coat pocket. He licked his lips and then turned his attention back to the mob and scanned over their very confused faces. He had never answered a phone before, they wasn't even aware he had such technology.

Joker: Women.

He mutter loud enough for them to hear and adjusted his suit and looked over the members once again.

Joker: So Maroni is the only person who wants me dead?
Carmine: He ask us to go along with him, but no one agreed. So he got a little pissy and left a few weeks ago. We haven't saw him since.

The Joker was impressed that most of the mob members had learned that he isn't one to fuck with. But there was still that one itty bitty member Sal Maroni who thought that he could easily take the Clown Price of Crime down. Digging through his pocket's he pulled out a standard Joker playing card and laid it down on the table.

Joker: If you happen to see Maroni again... Give him my card, tell him I'll be looking for him.

And with that final phrase he vanished off. Carmine along with the rest of the mob was shocked that no one died or was injured but was glad. It seemed as if someone always got hurt when The Joker attended the meetings, but then again Sal Maroni always ran his mouth. Maybe it was a good thing that they had decided against Maroni, maybe now their money and lives would both be safe. But they all knew that neither was safe for long, The Joker was as bipolar as they came. One minute he'd spare their lives because they may be useful in the future to him, the next minute they have their brains splattered across a wall.

He jumped up into the driver's side of the van and they rushed to their newest hideout which happened to be a lot closer to Scarlett's home. It was a run down house just a block away. It set on the bad side of town, but yet it was still close to the Falcone Mansion since it was the last house on 'the good side'. He had saw Scarlett many times from his window, sometimes she was with a guy he recognized to be Chad Falcone from the mob, and other times she was with two unidentified girls.

Walking up to his bedroom he shut and locked the door behind him and then pulled the curtain back and looked over at the huge mansion that set a block away. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed her number and waited for her to pick up the phone, when she did he smiled, a genuine real smile something he had been doing often when he spoke to her.

Scarlett: Hi Jack! I thought you'd never call me back.
Jack: I just so happen to prove you wrong, didn't I, Princess?
Scarlett: You did.. But hey, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go rent some movies with me and come over?
Jack: I..uh, I've got to work this afternoon.
Scarlett: You always have something going on when I want to meet. It's been over a month of us talking Jack, and we have yet to meet. What is the problem?
Jack: Nothing, I'm just busy tonight that's all.
Scarlett: And last week? You was busy then, saying you had to take out the trash. Then only three days ago--
Jack: I get the point, Scarlett.
Scarlett: What is it then? Why don't you want to meet me?

He didn't speak, he just looked off into the distance of that mansion and could picture her sitting on her bed right now having this conversation with him. His plan of gaining her trust had worked, he even managed to get the girl to confess she liked him, but his plan wasn't to develop feelings for the girl. She was suppose to be a victim and now.. now he gets angry at himself for every having the thought of hurting her.

Jack: I don't think we should talk anymore.

Scarlett's heart dropped to the pits of her stomach when he spoke those words. She couldn't believe that he was saying that, not to her. She knew he could be mean, she heard him say some mean things to his friends (henchmen :P) but she never thought he would be telling her this. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.

Scarlett: Are you serious?
Jack: I just think we should cut off all ties, trust me, it's for your own good.
Scarlett: I can't believe you. I wasted over a fucking month talking to you, and now you do this shit. You're pathetic, Jack!

She instantly hung up the phone and tossed it to the side of the room, never wanting to look at it again. She curled up into a ball on her bed and sobbed. She truly thought she and Jack was falling for each other. She could picture them meeting and then falling in love. She wondered what went wrong and why he didn't want to talk to her anymore, maybe it was the fact that she was always pressuring them into meeting. She didn't want to blame herself, but she couldn't help it.

He looked out the window and starred for a few minutes. Scarlett had taught him something, that even he could still have feelings. His heart was cold to the world before she came along, and even though it's still cold to the world somehow she occupied a part of it. Of course, he would never admit this to anyone else, but Scarlett stirred up something in him he didn't think he was capable of. He placed the cell phone back into his pocket out of habit and walked out of the room and two rooms over into the living area of the house. He sit down on the couch beside his men and twirled his knife back and forth just thinking about her.

After what seemed like hours of sobbing and feeling sorry for herself Scarlett got up and adjusted her clothing and cleaned her eyes of any stained make-up. She thought back and realized it may have been a dumb idea to invite Jack over to begin with. Her uncle and aunt left town after his meeting, and Chad was staying at his girlfriends. So she and Jack would've been alone in the house together, but that's what she wanted. She wanted to spend some time with him alone.

She was going to need her therapy. Which was watching comedy movies and eating ice cream until she couldn't laugh any longer. She pulled on her blazer and grabbed her I.D. and some cash off the table, and picking up her cell phone she stuck it all in her pockets. She didn't want to pack a purse since she could walk to the local video store just a two blocks down the road. Even though it was edging dark, and the video store was on the bad side of town. Shaking her head from her thoughts she decided she needed a walk anyway.

Giggles watched out the window and noticed a girl with dark hair walking down the sidewalk. He scrunched up his eyes and caught a better glimpse of her. It was the same girl that The Joker had planned to kidnap so many weeks ago, only changing his mind, but some reason he continued talking to her. Giggles thought he would like to know she was walking down the bad part of town.

Giggles: Boss.
Joker: WHAT?
Giggles: Uh.. uh, The girl. I see her.

The Joker raised up from his seat and walked over to the large window and looked down and saw her walking. Her blazer was pulled tight around her and her hair fell in loose curls down past the middle of her back. He watched her walk for a few minutes before realizing someone had came out of the alley behind her. He watched the figure and saw a flicker of light. He knew the flickers all too much. He knew it was a blade of some sort. Anger filled through his veins and he got up and walked out of the room. His men looked at each other before they decided to follow him.

He picked up his pace as he walked down the old wooden stairs and busted through the front door. He was in full Joker gear, and it was just edging dark. Civilians were still out but not in this part of town, and he wondered why Scarlett was. He walked on the opposite side of the sidewalk trying to catch up. He could see her still walking and the figure keeping his distance at the moment.

She noticed someone behind her and quickened her pace a bit. She knew that this was the bad part of town, and that all the criminals, druggies, perverts, and freaks came out at night. She just wanted to make it to the video store in one piece. She heard a flickering sound of some sort and closed her eyes as she speeded up. She hung around her cousin long enough to know what that sound was. She could see the video store in the distance and smiled.

Only then did the person grabbed her by the hair of the head and jerk her backwards. She nearly fell to the ground but the much larger man caught her and shoved her up against the old beat down building that had been abandoned for many years. She looked him in the face. He was a African American Male standing about 6'0'' and had a look of pure lust in his eyes. He raised a blade to her throat and let it linger over her skin for a moment before speaking.

" You and I are gonna go in the Alley. I don't want you to scream, maybe if you do everything I say then you'll live. "

He jerked her around and grabbed her arm harshly pulling her towards the alley. She knew that probably minutes from now she would be raped. She had heard the story far too many times, and knew that it always happened in this part of town. She let a tear slip down her cheek and then went falling to the ground with a thump. The man dropped her. She looked up and his face had changed to pure horror. She looked down the Alley and saw a figure. A tall figure in a purple suit, painted face, and blade in one hand. She watched as the figure moved forward and her jaw dropped seeing that it was the most feared man in Gotham.

She scooted as close as she could to the corner and closed her eyes hoping it would all just go away. She wished she never would've came to this side of town. If it wasn't for Jack, she thought. But she knew she couldn't blame him. It was her decision to come here, to walk her nonetheless. She peeked open her eye and saw The Joker having the man shoved up against the wall and talking to him in a growling voice. She watched him more and then saw him cut the boys cheeks, seeing the blood and knowing that she would probably be next she fainted.

The Joker finished his masterpiece of the man and then gave him a stab to the stomach before shoving him down to the ground. He turned around and looked at Scarlett laying on the ground. He didn't know what had happened to her. He looked up and saw Giggles standing a few feet over.

Giggles: She fainted, boss.
Joker: Way to state the obvious.

He said closing his blade and sticking it in his pocket. He walked over and looked down at her. Her hair lay in strands over her face but he could still make out her facial features perfectly, it was the face that had haunted his dreams for so long. He hunched down and ran a gloved hand over her cheek, hoping to wake her. It didn't work.

" This is just fucking great "

He mumbled under his breathe as he picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder making his way back to the hideout. He knew he couldn't leave her passed out in an Alley like that or someone would come by and find her. She would have either got blamed for the death of her wannabe rapist, raped by another idiot, or found by a sweet caring old lady who took her to the police department. The last option didn't seem too likely to him, especially in this part of town.

Giggles opened up the door and The Joker carried her up to his room and laid her on the bed. He didn't know how long she would be passed out but he knew it wouldn't be nearly long enough for him to figure out what to do with her. He thought he had got rid of her earlier. He thought his mind would finally be able to go back to it's destructive mode, but now.. he didn't know what to do. He knew he couldn't tell her who he was or his whole cover would be blown.. but he also knew when he didn't hurt her that she would possibly think something is up anyways. He sit in a chair in the corner and just tossed his head back not knowing what to do or think.