Status: On Hiatus
Gotham's Finest
Hear Me Out
I slammed the door open to the Joker’s office, his momentary look of shock giving me a sense of satisfaction. But, when he sent that gaze down my body again, the satisfaction went away and a slight anger filled me up. I shrugged out of the purple trench coat, laying it on the back of the chair across from the Joker’s desk. Without invitation, I sat in the chair, folding my hands together in my lap.
“We need to come to some sort of agreement.” I spoke first, glaring into the dark eyes across from me.
“Well, toots,” the Joker licked his lips quickly, “what kind of agreement are we talking about?”
“I need to go home-“
“No.” I ground my teeth together in a useless attempt to control my anger.
“Hear me out, Jokes.” His eyes narrowed on me. He must really hate that nickname. “I have an alliance with you now that I don’t want to ruin. It’s handy for various reasons. I’m not saying I won’t work with you; hell, I’m more than willing to work with you, but I need to work out of my house.” He sighed.
“Raven.” My eyes widened at the tone of his voice. “You’re not going home.” He grabbed the obituary section of today’s paper and handed it to me. The very first entry belonged to Allegra Lynn Kincade. Just a few away was the one for Raven Allegra Maroni.
“Does my father know that I’m alive?” The Joker grinned.
“Now, Sunshine, where would the fun be in that?” This time, I did jump across the desk. His chair jolted backwards, sending both of us tumbling to the floor.
“You SON OF A BITCH!” I cracked the Joker’s skull against the floor with my hands a few times before my fists met with his face. He flipped the both of us over, returning the favor, cackling the entire time. I shot my knee up, hitting him where it counts. I pushed the Joker onto his back and quickly got up, kicking him in his side. He grabbed my ankle and pulled for a second time today, my head meeting the corner of his desk and then the floor this time. He pinned me underneath him once again. A knife was in my face before I could blink.
“What have I told you about your mouth, Raven? Hm?”
“Fuck you, you fucking piece of shit!” I tried to buck him off me and got nowhere.
“Ah ah ah, Raven.” He tapped the blade of the knife against my mouth. “See, you didn’t listen to me. Now, you’re going to have to face the consequences.” His voice dropped several octaves. This time, I had the common sense to be scared. I was lifted by the hair on my head and dragged out of the room. “Oh, look! Stairs.” The torture proceeded as I was dragged down the stairs and into a windowless room on the first floor. It felt like my skin was being ripped from my skull by my hair. I was almost sure that I was bleeding in a few places. Relief flooded through me as my hair was let go. My mistake must have been trying to get up. Laughing echoed in the room before what felt like a baseball bat slammed down on my back.
“Boss?” Intrus’s voice sounded small compared to the volume of the Joker’s laughter and the ringing in my ears.
“Leave, Intrus.” The Joker’s voice was once again a low growl. I heard the door shut, my body being flipped over and straddled. He grabbed my jaw with one hand, waving a knife around with another. He looked into my eyes as he spoke. “You know, Raven, you have real potential. You have the ability to destroy without a single thought of the consequences. And, you don’t care about the consequences. Now, I didn’t want to break you down and build you back up. You already have a good foundation. But, this stubborn streak and your inability to shut the fuck up really gets. On. My. Nerves. So, I tell you what.” He paused, dragging the knife across my collarbone. I could feel the blood soaking my shirt, me and the floor. He continued dragging the knife down my left arm, stopping just above my hand. “That’s your final warning, Raven. You fuck up again and…” The Joker grinned and stabbed the knife into my right shoulder. The sounds of pain and distress I was trying to hold in managed to escape in a strangled little scream at that point. He pulled the knife from my shoulder, wiping the blade clean on my shirt. “Now, the guys will be here with the stuff from your house about,” A door slammed open somewhere in the house, “now. Your new room is gonna be the one more down the hallway, with the rose colored door.” And he left.
I couldn’t move. The pain down my arm and on my collarbone, not to mention my shoulder, was entirely too much. I knew I wouldn’t bleed out, though with how long I was laying there it felt as if I would. I did, however, know I was going to need a good amount of stitches. Eventually, I let the little black dots assaulting my vision take over.
Sometime later I woke up to the feeling of a needle going into my skin, a tug of string, and a needle going back out. Someone was humming the entire time.
When I woke up next, I could retain consciousness. I blinked, looking at the unbelievably white ceiling above me. The door to the room opened.
“Ah, so the sleeping beauty finally awakens.” I recognized the sound of Intrus’s voice as he padded over to the bed. I turned my head, suddenly aware of the throbbing feeling where my new stitches were. “How you feeling, Raven?” I narrowed my eyes, ready to tear him a new one for asking such a stupid question, but shut my mouth instead. He cocked his head, slightly confused. “The Joker isn’t here right now, if that’s what stopped you from speaking.” I rolled my eyes. “Alright, well Miss Stubborn, let’s get your bandages changed. I opened my mouth to speak, this time actually intending to, but I couldn’t. I snapped my fingers at Intrus, getting his attention.
I can’t talk, I signed to him, not knowing if he’d know what I was saying or not.
“I guess it’s a good thing The Joker went to see Jonathon Crane then.” Intrus started un-wrapping the bandages up my arm and around my chest.
Why?
“To see what toxins were in the gas that damaged your vocal chords.” His eyes briefly met mine. “The Joker is a master chemist. It’s amazing what he comes up with sometimes. I’m a doctor. So, between the two of us we’ll be able to fix this problem of yours.”
You’re a doctor? Intrus nodded and grinned.
“What? You thought we were squatting here with water and electricity hooked up?” I shrugged, wincing in pain. “You probably thought I was in my teenage years still too, didn’t you?” I could feel my cheek heating a light red. Intrus smeared a cream on the stitches and started bandaging me up again. “I’m twenty-five. My IQ proves I’m a certified genius. I own this house; I pay the bills, all that fun stuff. They expect a doctor to have money and a nice house; not a criminal.” He secured the bandages at the end of my left arm and helped me sit up.
So, how’d you get mixed up with The Joker? At the same time, the front door slammed open downstairs.
“INTRUS!” The Joker’s voice echoed up to my room.
“I suppose that’s a story for another time.” Intrus grinned at me and left me alone in my new bed.
“We need to come to some sort of agreement.” I spoke first, glaring into the dark eyes across from me.
“Well, toots,” the Joker licked his lips quickly, “what kind of agreement are we talking about?”
“I need to go home-“
“No.” I ground my teeth together in a useless attempt to control my anger.
“Hear me out, Jokes.” His eyes narrowed on me. He must really hate that nickname. “I have an alliance with you now that I don’t want to ruin. It’s handy for various reasons. I’m not saying I won’t work with you; hell, I’m more than willing to work with you, but I need to work out of my house.” He sighed.
“Raven.” My eyes widened at the tone of his voice. “You’re not going home.” He grabbed the obituary section of today’s paper and handed it to me. The very first entry belonged to Allegra Lynn Kincade. Just a few away was the one for Raven Allegra Maroni.
“Does my father know that I’m alive?” The Joker grinned.
“Now, Sunshine, where would the fun be in that?” This time, I did jump across the desk. His chair jolted backwards, sending both of us tumbling to the floor.
“You SON OF A BITCH!” I cracked the Joker’s skull against the floor with my hands a few times before my fists met with his face. He flipped the both of us over, returning the favor, cackling the entire time. I shot my knee up, hitting him where it counts. I pushed the Joker onto his back and quickly got up, kicking him in his side. He grabbed my ankle and pulled for a second time today, my head meeting the corner of his desk and then the floor this time. He pinned me underneath him once again. A knife was in my face before I could blink.
“What have I told you about your mouth, Raven? Hm?”
“Fuck you, you fucking piece of shit!” I tried to buck him off me and got nowhere.
“Ah ah ah, Raven.” He tapped the blade of the knife against my mouth. “See, you didn’t listen to me. Now, you’re going to have to face the consequences.” His voice dropped several octaves. This time, I had the common sense to be scared. I was lifted by the hair on my head and dragged out of the room. “Oh, look! Stairs.” The torture proceeded as I was dragged down the stairs and into a windowless room on the first floor. It felt like my skin was being ripped from my skull by my hair. I was almost sure that I was bleeding in a few places. Relief flooded through me as my hair was let go. My mistake must have been trying to get up. Laughing echoed in the room before what felt like a baseball bat slammed down on my back.
“Boss?” Intrus’s voice sounded small compared to the volume of the Joker’s laughter and the ringing in my ears.
“Leave, Intrus.” The Joker’s voice was once again a low growl. I heard the door shut, my body being flipped over and straddled. He grabbed my jaw with one hand, waving a knife around with another. He looked into my eyes as he spoke. “You know, Raven, you have real potential. You have the ability to destroy without a single thought of the consequences. And, you don’t care about the consequences. Now, I didn’t want to break you down and build you back up. You already have a good foundation. But, this stubborn streak and your inability to shut the fuck up really gets. On. My. Nerves. So, I tell you what.” He paused, dragging the knife across my collarbone. I could feel the blood soaking my shirt, me and the floor. He continued dragging the knife down my left arm, stopping just above my hand. “That’s your final warning, Raven. You fuck up again and…” The Joker grinned and stabbed the knife into my right shoulder. The sounds of pain and distress I was trying to hold in managed to escape in a strangled little scream at that point. He pulled the knife from my shoulder, wiping the blade clean on my shirt. “Now, the guys will be here with the stuff from your house about,” A door slammed open somewhere in the house, “now. Your new room is gonna be the one more down the hallway, with the rose colored door.” And he left.
I couldn’t move. The pain down my arm and on my collarbone, not to mention my shoulder, was entirely too much. I knew I wouldn’t bleed out, though with how long I was laying there it felt as if I would. I did, however, know I was going to need a good amount of stitches. Eventually, I let the little black dots assaulting my vision take over.
Sometime later I woke up to the feeling of a needle going into my skin, a tug of string, and a needle going back out. Someone was humming the entire time.
When I woke up next, I could retain consciousness. I blinked, looking at the unbelievably white ceiling above me. The door to the room opened.
“Ah, so the sleeping beauty finally awakens.” I recognized the sound of Intrus’s voice as he padded over to the bed. I turned my head, suddenly aware of the throbbing feeling where my new stitches were. “How you feeling, Raven?” I narrowed my eyes, ready to tear him a new one for asking such a stupid question, but shut my mouth instead. He cocked his head, slightly confused. “The Joker isn’t here right now, if that’s what stopped you from speaking.” I rolled my eyes. “Alright, well Miss Stubborn, let’s get your bandages changed. I opened my mouth to speak, this time actually intending to, but I couldn’t. I snapped my fingers at Intrus, getting his attention.
I can’t talk, I signed to him, not knowing if he’d know what I was saying or not.
“I guess it’s a good thing The Joker went to see Jonathon Crane then.” Intrus started un-wrapping the bandages up my arm and around my chest.
Why?
“To see what toxins were in the gas that damaged your vocal chords.” His eyes briefly met mine. “The Joker is a master chemist. It’s amazing what he comes up with sometimes. I’m a doctor. So, between the two of us we’ll be able to fix this problem of yours.”
You’re a doctor? Intrus nodded and grinned.
“What? You thought we were squatting here with water and electricity hooked up?” I shrugged, wincing in pain. “You probably thought I was in my teenage years still too, didn’t you?” I could feel my cheek heating a light red. Intrus smeared a cream on the stitches and started bandaging me up again. “I’m twenty-five. My IQ proves I’m a certified genius. I own this house; I pay the bills, all that fun stuff. They expect a doctor to have money and a nice house; not a criminal.” He secured the bandages at the end of my left arm and helped me sit up.
So, how’d you get mixed up with The Joker? At the same time, the front door slammed open downstairs.
“INTRUS!” The Joker’s voice echoed up to my room.
“I suppose that’s a story for another time.” Intrus grinned at me and left me alone in my new bed.
