Smile for Me

A week after that, I met Ra’s Al Ghul for the first time. I was out with Joker, watching him dismember what had once been a henchman. It didn’t bother me anymore. Blood and guts had become commonplace. I watched blankly as he ran a hand across what remained of the man’s torso.

“Shoulda, ha!, listened to me, Chuckles,” he muttered to himself, running a blood slicked hand through his hair.

There was the whisper of movement behind me and I turned to face a stranger. The man was tall and elegantly thin, with smooth olive skin and greased back black hair. His eyes were dark and intense over a hooked nose, reminding me of a hawk. I felt like prey. When he noticed me watching the man turned aristocratic, giving me a snake’s smile and bowing low.

“Greetings.”

I nodded nervously as Joker paused at his work.

“Ra’s. I wasn’t aware, ha!, that you were in Gotham.”

I’d never heard of the man before, but I could tell instantly that he was important. There was an air of menace around him, of something cold and dangerous masked by politeness.

“Indeed. I returned some days ago on business.”

Joker’s eyes flicked to several places around the abandoned factory we were in before he said, “I see you’ve, ha, brought guests.”

Ra’s nodded regally, a hint of annoyance in his face.

“You’re observant as always, Joker. Few could spot my guards when they’re attempting to hide.”

Joker just grinned and stood, rocking back on his heels.

“Yeah. So, uh, what do ya want? I mean, ha, is this a friendly visit?”

Ra’s raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want anything from you, Joker. This meeting was not intentional.” Joker nodded cheerily and knelt over the henchman again, beginning to saw through the man’s femur. Ra’s lip curled just a hair before the mask returned. He moved closer to take my hand and kiss it. I flushed and snatched my hand back, but he just smiled. “I’m afraid we haven’t been introduced. My name is Ra’s Al Ghul.”

“Quinn,” I said softly, trying to keep the roughness from my voice.

“A relation of Harley Quinn?”

I clenched a fist and shook my head.

“No. She’s dead.”

“Pity,” he said carelessly.

I was trying to decide what his accent was. Definitely not American, it smoothed over the vowels and lingered on syllables. I wondered how old he was. Ra’s looked to be in his thirties, but something about him seemed much older. He tugged idly at his pristine, fitted jacket and gave a nod to someone in the shadows. I tensed, looking over my shoulder, but nothing happened. Joker finished and came to stand next to me, slipping an arm around my waist. I noticed his bloody hands leaving stains on my shirt but ignored it.

“I’m afraid I must go,” Ra’s murmured, pulling on a pair of gloves. “It was a pleasure to see you again, Joker, and to make your acquaintance, Quinn.”

He nodded at both of us and turned quickly enough to send the tails of his jacket swirling. With a whisper of expensive shoes, Ra’s was gone. Joker let go to nudge my side.

“You, ah, like your new friend? He’s foreign.”

I giggled and leaned into him.

“He seems very proper.”

Joker laughed and kissed my scars.

“You, ha, got that right, Quinnie.” He glanced from side to side, sniffing like a dog, then grinned down at me. I moved with him as he crowded me up against a wall, hands going to my hips. He rubbed his scars against my neck and chuckled. “Gonna mark you UP, Quinnie, ha!, leave s’more pretty scars.” I splayed my hands across his back, able to feel the warmth of his skin. Joker always seemed to be several degrees above normal. “Mine mine mine, you’re mine, I, ha, I took everything,” he hissed against my neck, biting hard enough to break the skin.

I yelped and wrapped a hand in his hair. He laughed again while he slipped his hands under my shirt, nails scratching. He fucked me against the wall as the dismembered man’s blood cooled.