Give Me a Smile

I woke up to him running his knife along my jaw, humming a cheery tune. “Good morning, Quinnie! Did ya, did ya sleep well?” I nodded carefully.
Joker’s eyes were too bright and his mouth twitched. He was in one of his insane moods. “Get up! Come on, the night is young! There’s stuff to do, things to destroy!” He pulled me up roughly by my shoulder, giggling. I was still wearing the hooker dress from the night before, but he didn’t seem to notice. He loped out of the apartment with me running after him.

We eventually met up with a group of his thugs. Joker made me hide while he talked to them. I was careful not to sneeze. I couldn’t hear a word they were saying, but Joker made exploding motions with his hands and produced a map that seemed to impress them. Finally the thugs nodded and ran off into the darkness.
He turned to me and grinned. “QUINNIE! Guess what!” “What?” “I brought you here to see your first jailbreak.” He took my wrist and pulled me after him, not stopping even when I stumbled over rocks I couldn’t see. It was dark down there, and damp. I assumed we were in some kind of sewer. A very creepy sewer.

“Hurry up, Quinn! You’ll miss the big event!” He yelled, running faster. We finally reached his destination, a wall his men were gathered around. “Stay in the shadows,” he ordered before he walked over. I watched intently as they set up dynamite and stepped back, lighting the fire.
After a few seconds there was a giant boom and I shrieked, covering my ears. I half expected the whole cave to fall apart, but even the wall wasn’t dented. Joker frowned and stepped closer, trailing his fingers along the stone. He grimaced. “Damnit. Batman’s been here. This wall’s been reinforced with diamond. We could go at it for a million years without a change. Looks like Clayface has to find another way out of Arkham.”

His back was hunched and he shook, twisting his hands together. His men looked at each other with fear and backed away from his anger. “Uh, boss? We’re gonna go,” they said as they ran off, leaving me alone with his madness.
He threw his head back and laughed, laughed until he fell to his knees. There was an ominous silence, so quiet I could hear water dripping from above. I carefully made my way over to him. “Uh....” He stood, towering over me. I swallowed nervously.
“It....didn’t....work,” he growled, grabbing my hair and pushing his face close. “I need Clayface for my, ha!, my plans, but that goddamned rodent always stops me!” He pushed me away and spread his arms wide. “I WILL, ha!, TAKE OVER THIS CITY! I WILL I WILL I WILL!” he chanted, prancing around me.

I watched him, feeling fear pound through my body. I knew Joker could kill me in an instant, if he wanted to. And in a mood like this, he might do it. Joker grabbed me by the throat and licked my cheek, cackling. “Quinnie, I will destroy everything. Gotham will be in ruins beneath my feet, and everyone will be DEAD!”
He paused and grinned loosely at me. “Even YOU!” I backed away from him, holding my hands up. “You....you’re insane!” I shouted angrily. His face changed into rage again and he grabbed me, stalking away from the cave.

“INSANE? I’m not INSANE! I just like to have a little fun. Don’t....DON’T CALL ME INSANE! I’m, ha!, I’m just as normal as the rest of you people! I’m not insane, Quinn!” “I’m, I’m sorry,” I stuttered. “It’s too late. You need to be taught a lesson,” he hissed. I closed my eyes and prepared for his knife on my skin, but there was nothing.