Raven

It took him less than a week to find me. I was impressed, I say it was a personal best for him. I had left a bitter taste in the Joker’s mouth and he wanted to finish me off. I could feel it within me when I thought of him. He wished me dead but I, as Raven, intrigued him too much to kill. He wanted to know the inner workings of my mind, why I was who I was, why I did what I did. We’re all curious, that’s why we’re villains. We become curious, find out the answers and want more than what the world has given us.

Work was becoming a bore, and already less than a week after my escapade, I craved more. But great plans are developed slowly, and if I wanted the city of Gotham to fall and bow down to my feet, I had to do it right. I couldn’t put too much attention on myself. I wasn’t…The Joker who didn’t seem to care the amount of press that followed his activities. Cameras caught him in action all the time, and I watched them on television with a strange glee. Excitement coursed through me everytime his malformed smile looked up to the camera, those intense brown eyes searching mine through a screen. He was the most intriguing man I’d ever met.

But I had other men in mind, or billionaires. Bruce Wayne appeared often on the corridors by my office, talking animatedly to Mr. Fox. I knew what he really wanted though, why he really walked these halls. I wasn’t blind to the way his handsome chiselled face would move in the direction of my office, as if he wanted to walk in. I had caught his fancy.

I made it hard for Mr. Wayne. Literally. I wore my skirts shorter, my blouse tighter and I could see him gulp with desire when I walked past in my heels. Secret smiles were directed his way, and I masked my eyes with a mocking lust. I wanted him. But not like I wanted The Joker.

At the end of a Thursday evening, I was gathering up my things to go home, when I heard a small knock on my door. I looked up, slightly surprised to see Mr. Wayne standing in the doorway. I smiled, “Hello Mr. Wayne. What can I do for you?”

Mr. Wayne smiled and walked in, looking around my office, admiring it. He looked out the wide windows that made up the wall, out onto his city with a strange pride. Little did he know, I was going to demolish it.

He looked back at me, his mouth curved deliciously, “nothing at all Miss King. I wanted to inquire as to how you’ve settled in. I hope everything is satisfactory.”

I smirked, pursing my lips and walking around my desk to stand by him, “Of course Sir. It’s one of the best firms I’ve worked for so far in my career.”

Mr Wayne nodded, “Where did you say you came from?”

I stiffened, my body reacting to the memory of my close life imprisonment in Arkham Asylum. I shook my hair back, gathering it in my hand to tie back in a pony and shrugged lazily, “Oh here and there. I never stay in one place too long.”

Mr Wayne looked at me a moment, and frowned, “Oh, that’s too bad. I really hope you stay here Miss King. I was rather looking forward to getting to know you.”

I cast my eyes down demurely to look at my shoes, and then as I saw him step closer, looked up to peek through my long eyelashes like a small child, “Mr Wayne?”

He reached his hand towards me, brushing a loose strand of hair I’d missed behind my ear, and kept his palm on my cheek. For a moment, my breath ran short and I felt myself compelled to step closer to him, to mould my lips onto his forever.

He began to bend down, his lips inching near mine, “Call me Bruce, Miss King.”

I closed my eyes, my neck craning, my lips itching to touch his. What had Mr Bruce Wayne done to me?

Just as I felt his hot breath on my face, there was a swift knock on the door Bruce had closed behind him. Mr. Dempsey came striding in, his eyes focused on the stack of papers in his hand, not noticing the scene in front of him. Bruce stepped away from me, his eyes dancing with amusement. I scowled at Mr. Dempsey for ruining the moment and he looked up at me, “Ah, Miss King. We got that paperwork on the Fagin-Jones case early. I was wondering if you’d take a look over it during the weekend.”

I smiled tightly, taking the paperwork from the man. It was then he noticed Bruce standing in the corner, “Mr Wayne !I didn’t see you there Sir! Everything alright I hope?”

Mr Dempsey cast a suspicious glance between us, and I looked away, fighting laughter. Bruce smiled, “Everything’s perfect Barry. I was just checking in on our new associate to make sure she was fitting in ok.”

Mr. Dempsey nodded, “Ah! Well, all is well I do hope. Excuse me a moment.” He dug his phone out of his pocket, and answered it, walking away to talk to whoever it was. I gathered up my bag, and the paperwork, ready for home.

I reached my door, looking back at Bruce. “Sparrow, Bruce,” I murmured, “Call me Sparrow.”

He smiled, and nodded and I bid him farewell.

~

Walking out of the building, I took no notice of the sleek limousine parked by the pavement. There was always limousines around here and I walked past it. I did however notice, when it began to follow me.

I stopped short, frowning and turned towards the back window, staring at it expectantly. Whatever disgusting male was in it, I’d like to tell them to piss off, face to face. My hands itched for my switchblade, which I’d left back in my apartment.

The window rolled down slowly, and brown eyes peered at me, “I thought I'd find you here,” came a voice.

I frowned, staring at the unfamiliar face. I didn’t know him. And then I focused on his intense eyes, and my own gaze followed the raised scar tissue across his mouth creating a sinning smile. I froze, this was The Joker, without the clown disguise. Or perhaps, this was a disguise, a disguise of what he was truly hiding, insecurity?

I rolled my eyes, “Hello again.”

I began to walk, but the vehicle followed slowly, and I heard the click of a safety switch on a gun being pulled back. I stopped short then, and walked towards the window, looking at him. I bent down so the mouth of the gun was pressed against the soft skin of my neck, and my mouth were inches from his, “what do you want clownboy?”

He scowled, “I want my money. Get in.”

I obliged, out of my own curiosity and The Joker slid over so I could slide in. He kept looking at me as I placed the paperwork and my bag between us and crossed my bare legs. “It’s not your money. I was the one that got it, I was the one that did all the planning. I only brought you along for some fun. To show you your competition.”

He laughed, “Competition? You think I believe you as competition. A mere female whose only weapon is your body?”

I growled, that was too far. But he wasn’t finished, “You did your work on me. I’ve researched you, Raven, last city San Diego. Charged for thirty cases of murder, twelve arrests in five years, two cases of arson, twenty-seven kidnaps of policemen. An attempted break in to the White House? I’m impressed.”

I smirked, “You should be.”

“And why are you here? This is my turf.”

I sneered and leaned closer to him, placing a hand on his leg. He gazed at me, unperturbed and blinked lazily, “I came for the same reason you did. I want the same things you do. Batman. Money. Power…Gotham City.”

He pushed me away from him, “I work alone. Fly back to your nest Little Sparrow.”

I flinched away from that name and instantly regretted my moment of weakness. The name from his mouth was as evil as it came from others, who had twisted my mind to begin with. People like The Joker should only know me as Raven. Not as the untainted girl I had once been. I scowled, “don’t call me that.”

The Joker grinned, and then leaned into me, “I know everything about you. Everything.”

And then he opened the door behind me, pushing me so I fell out of the limo and onto hard concrete. I cursed as my paperwork and bag followed and the vehicle sped off.

“You’ll need me someday Joker. Wait and see!” I screamed, knowing he could still hear me.

Soon, the limo disappeared all together and I was left alone on an abandoned street. I picked up my bag and papers, and began to walk home.

“Jackass.”