Would You Destroy Something Perfect, in Order to Make It Beautiful?

The next day, around noon, Joker left me at the warehouse with Ditzy and Claus. Claus wasn’t really good at anything. The only thing he’s good at is being intimidating and strong. He’s about 6’5”, strong, and built like a linebacker. The only reason I thin Joker keeps him around is for things like this.

I sat on the kitchen counter, watching Ditzy make a bomb.

“Doll, go get me copper wire,” he instructed. I got off the counter and started for the garage. I turned the light on and in the corner I noticed a black figure. Black armor, black cap, black facemask, black-

“Batman?” I asked. He moved quickly and I was left unconscious. All I saw was black.

When I woke up, I didn’t hear anything, just silence. I opened my eyes slowly, seeing low lights and a ceiling. I turned my head, seeing a closet. A familiar closet. Why was is so familiar? I wondered. Then it hit me, it was Bruce Wayne’s closet. I gasped and sat up. I looked around, realizing where I was. I ran out of the room, down the hall and downstairs. I saw Bruce in the living room, watching TV.

“Lillee!” he exclaimed. He ran over to me and engulfed me in a tight hug. “Oh Lillee. I missed you so much. I should have known it was the Joker that kidnapped you.”

I pushed away, “Kidnap?”

“Well, yes. You cant tell me you were there on your own free will,” he said, smiling at the though.

“Bruce,” I sighed. “There is so much I need to tell you.”

“Lillee, honey, sit down. Are you hungry? Do you want coffee?” he fussed.

“I’m not marrying you,” I said bluntly. He froze and looked at me. Tears began to swell in his eyes, it crushed my hear to know I was causing him pain.

“Lillee…” he whispered.

“Shall I start from the beginning?” I asked. He nodded. “Back when my parents and brother died, my friends were being insensitive so I was sitting alone at lunch and this guy came up to me. Jack Napier. I had gone to school with him since 1st grade but he always kept to himself. He came up to me at lunch and asked to sit down. I let him because I really just wanted someone to talk to. We became really good friends and-”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Bruce interrupted.

“Let me finish! So one day, he invited me over for dinner. He warned me his father was a drinker, and started drinking during dinner, but he wanted me to meet his parents. After dinner, we went to his room where he confessed that he liked me a lot. Besides Alfred, he was like my only family. I did like him like he liked me, so we kissed. After that, we laid on his bed and held each other, he promised that he would take me away from Gotham. Away from his father, away from my memories.

“I was almost asleep when his door burst open and his father was in the doorway, bottle at hand. He tore Jack away from me and he tried to rape me. Jack got him away from me but his dad pushed him against the wall. He dropped the bottle and took his pocket knife out. He stuck it in Jack’s mouth, and told him that he was too serious. He was too young to be serious. Said he needed to smile more. I screamed at him to let Jack go but he ignored me and started to carve a smile in Jack’s face. ‘Why so serious?’ he asked. Jack didn’t cry, he just let his father cut him.

“When he was done, he turned to me. I was still on the bed, but I backed up as far as I could. Jack tripped him and he fell, cutting my stomach,” I said, lifting my shirt halfway up my stomach, showing Bruce my 9 inch scar. It ran from my left side to my right. “He left after that. I took my shirt off, tying it around me, trying to stop the bleeding. I went over to Jack who was bleeding all over the ground. He told me to get a needle and thread from his mother’s sewing box. I did and sterilized the needle. He wanted me to stick his wounds. I cried, saying I couldn’t because I didn’t want to cause him pain, but he said it wouldn’t because he was already in pain.

“So I did it, getting his blood all over my hands. He just laid there and passing out twice, scaring me. When I finished, he insisted that he stick my wound, so he did,” Bruce’s face never changed even though he’d figured out who I was talking about. “A few weeks later, he told me he was going to run away and he was going to come back for me. He came back two years later as The Joker. He said he was going to get justice. He went crazy, I knew that then, I know that now. But he was still my best friend,” I finished and after a pause, Bruce asked,

“So you’re dumping me for The Joker?” I nodded without making eye contact with him.

“Do you love him?” he asked, edging closer to me.

“I think so,” I answered.

“Does he love you?”

“I think so. He just has a hard time showing it,” I replied.

“Do you love me?” he urged, and reached into kiss me. I didn’t stop him. “You cant like him. Its wrong Lils, he’s killing people. Marry me. I will do anything for you,” he persisted, kissing me again, bringing his lips back to mine. His lips enveloped mine with much force than before, but still, his kisses weren’t as rough of passionate as Jack’s. The kiss was too sweet, polite and desperate. I didn’t feel the fireworks, so I pushed him away.

“No Bruce. You’ve been my friend for a long time, I love you for that. But I love Jack,” I told him. Bruce’s face darkened as he rose from his seat and grabbed my arm forcefully.

He pulled me up to him and led me out the door. He dragged me into the elevator and down to the lobby. From there, he pushed me into one of his cars and took off. I didn’t know where we were going until I saw the movie theater. He was taking me to the Bat Cave.

Once inside, he released me and started to change into his Batman costume. Usually I had to help him, but it looked like he didn’t need my help anymore. He took me to the Bat Mobile.

“Bruce, you don’t have to do this,” I whispered. He ignored me as he sped down the road to the police station. When we arrived there, Bruce dragged me inside.

“Where’s Gordon?” Batman asked in his gruff voice. Lieutenant Gordon came around the corner and focused his eyes in on me.

“Miss Sumbers, thank God we found you, Bruce-”

“She’s guilty of helping The Joker with past heists,” Batman growled.

“Are you sure?” Gordon asked, his face skeptical.

“I caught her in action,” he said. His hostile didn’t surprise or insult me. It almost didn’t bother me because I knew I broke his heart, I’d hurt him worse than he could ever hurt me.

“I’m sorry Miss Sumbers,” Gordon told me, as he cuffed me and took me to the holding cell. There were 4 other men in there. I didn’t know why they put me in there with them, but I guess they didn’t have different sex holding cells.

“Doll?” I looked over and saw a thug. He was a little under 6 feet, had dark black skin, wearing baggy pants, and a red shirt.

“Yeah, who are you?” I asked.

“Maroni’s man, names Chess.”

“Chess?” I asked, laughing.

“Short for Chester. Who fucking names their black baby Chester?” I laughed harder at his response.

“Why you here?” I asked, taking a seat next to him.

“Drug bust. Boss is making me stay for a few more days,” he shrugged. “What about you?”

“Batman kidnapped me. Do we get phone calls?”

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded. I got up and walked to the bars.

“I want my phone call!” I yelled. The guard glared back at me.

“Why should I?”

“Isn’t it my right?” I questioned. He cuffed me again and led me to a pay phone a few feet from the cell. I dialed the warehouse number. No one picked up so I waited for the beep of the message machine.

“Hey baby,” I began, hearing Chess laugh, “I kinda got into some trouble. I’m at the station, I’m sure you’ll just have to pay a small bail amount. Hurry, I’m in here with criminals. 10 of them to be exact. Love you,” I said and hung up. He lead me back to the cell and sat by Chess.

“There’s only 5 of us,” he mumbled.

“It was a code,” I whispered. Hs mouth shaped the ‘O’.

There was a clock on the opposite wall that read 5:30. The only thing that there was to do was to talk to Chess. At 9:45, I started to get antsy. Why couldn’t Joker just get this over with?

10om cam and nothing happened. Maybe my hint wasn’t good enough. But that was when I heard gun shots and explosions, that knocked us all to the heard concrete floor. The cell front door had been blown off its hinges, and I saw Joker emerge from the smoke with a smile on his face.

Ditzy, Sunny, and Topsy followed anxiously behind. Sunny and Topsy shot the confused guards in the room. Joker grabbed the keys and unlocked the cell door.

“Quite a predicament we have here, Dollface,” Joker said. You run away and then call for help? Hm?”

“Batman kidnapped me,” I shot back. Joker rolled his eyes.

“I’ll get him back Doll. Now. I hate that Riddler guy, but answer my riddle and I shall open the door.”

“Joker-”

“Ah-ta-ta! If you speak my name, I vanish. What am I?” he asked.

“You told me that in 12th grade. You’re silence,” I answered, in impatience.

“Something this town is lacking,” he mumbled as he stuck the key in the lock. The door swung open and all I could do was collapse into his arms. I felt him freeze in my arms, but after an awkward pause, he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

We let go and ran outside to the van (Leaving Chess to go back to Maroni) before someone found us. Sunny drove us back to the warehouse and when we got there, Joker dragged me upstairs to our room.

“So what happened?” he asked as he stripped to his undershirt and boxers.

“Batman was in the garage, he knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in his penthouse. The thought you kidnapped me, but I told him how you and I met-”

“Wait, you told him about me? As Jack?” he growled.

“Yes. But-”

“What else happened? Hm? Does he know how I acquired these scars? Hm?” he demanded, angrily.

“Yes-”

“Did he kiss you?” he whispered. “I could feel tears form beneath my eye lids. All I could do was nod weakly, knowing how he’d response. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room, down the hall and to the closet. He forced me in and slammed the door in my face.

“What the hell Joker?” I yelled from behind the door.

“Time out time. How dare you think its okay to tell my arch enemy about my past? You stupid?” he yelled at the door. I couldn’t speak, all I could do was cry more and chock on my sobs. Why did I betray him? I’m so stupid for doing that.

“Jack,” I whispered. “When I told him about us, It make me realize that I love you,” I tired to explain. I heard a heavy force hit the door and slid down in surprise.

“Lillee, I’m still pissed at you. You’re going to spend a day or so in there to think about what you’ve done. But,” he sighed. “I love you too,” I heard him move and realized that he was no longer in front of the door.. I let out a short scream in frustration.