Smile for Me

I refused sex to Joker for the first time that night. He reached over and cupped my tits, but I shrugged him away, so he sat back with an annoyed sigh. Joker was a lot of awful, demented, evil things, but he didn’t rape. “We’re visiting Ivy tomorrow,” he grunted instead, rolling over. I nodded into the grimy pillow and slept.
He woke me by cackling in my ear. I winced, rolled over onto my bad hand, and held back a scream. Batman’s salve had helped, but the burn was still fresh.
“Bit of pain there, Quinnie?” I shrugged and sat up, pulling a shirt over my shoulders. I knew I smelled terrible. It’d been a while since I showered, used deodorant, even brushed my hair. I didn’t care. “Hurry up. Hurry up, Quinn. Ivy is waiting,” he said, drawing the words out.
“I’m done,” I told him, moving towards the door. He stopped me by throwing a knife that hit, quivering, right in front of my nose.
“Wait. I want, ah, no shenanigans with Ivy, haha, okay, Quinn?” I nodded wordlessly, took the knife from the door, and slipped it into my pocket.
Ivy was living in a different place than I remembered. A small shed behind one of Gotham’s uglier apartment buildings. There were plants all over it. Joker grabbed me roughly by the arm as we got close.
“Stay quiet, ah, now. Shh.”
“Kay.” She opened the door for us, wearing a loose orange t-shirt that reached her thighs. It looked odd on her.
“Joker. Quinn!” Her voice switched tones so suddenly I flinched. She took my wrist, tugging me inside to leave the Joker alone. Her eyes flared green as she smiled, then glanced past me at the Joker. I understood then. She didn’t give a shit about me. She just wanted to annoy Joker. So I grinned at her, feeling the stretch in my stars. Joker elbowed me aside to violently shake her hand, smirking when she winced.
“Ivy, Ivy, haha, sooo happy to see you, aha, again. Really puts a smile on my face.” She just grunted and turned, walking off. We followed.
Joker and Ivy took the only two chairs in the room, which was covered in vines. I sat by his feet, legs curled under me. The soft rustle of plants was unsettling.
“Do you have what I want, Ivy?” She nodded and produced a small vial filled with yellow spores. “Here. Now you owe me a favor.”
“Yep.” Joker tugged me up by the hair and bowed to Ivy. “See you, ha, later.” I followed him as he skipped out the door.
When we got outside he shoved me to the ground. It skinned my knees and made me yelp. “Fuckin’ looking at Ivy, Quinn, my Quinn, you’re, ha, mine! Don’t look at Ivy!” Something familiar and dark rose up in my chest, choking.
“Stop.”
My knees stung and my hand was throbbing and my scabbing over back was stretched and I hated him. I tugged my arm out from his hand and ran off. He didn’t follow.
I calmed down eventually, felt the fear come. Joker would be so angry, he’d carve me open for good. I could hear the city moving around me, the honking of cars, raised voices. I felt very, very small. Joker could’ve killed me right then and nobody would notice. It kind of sucked, but I shrugged inwardly and sat with my back against the wall.
The ground under my feet was damp and slightly squishy, but I’d had worse. There was the sound of footsteps as someone sprinted past me. I caught a blur of curves and black leather before she leapt onto the steps above me with a hiss.
Shortly after, two men skidded to a stop in front of me. They were holding guns. That would’ve scared me, once. The thought was odd. The men looked at me, looked away, then turned to stare. “What the fuck’re you?” one of them asked. He was swarthy and thin, wearing a trench coat. I grinned at them, feeling my scars stretch grotesquely.
“Quinn. I’m Quinn. And I’m waiting for the Joker to come back.” Their faces contorted and they stepped away from me, then turned to run. I looked up at the fire escape, feeling badass for once. “Catwoman?” There was a soft thump as she dropped to the ground near me.
“Hey there. I remember you.” I smiled and nodded. She was as beautiful as I remembered, all curves and half-smiles. The heroine of the Narrows. “Thanks for the help back there.”
“You’ve helped me before.”
Her eyes got very sad. “Not enough.” I shrugged and used the hand she offered to stand up. “How was Arkham?”
I shrugged again, avoiding her slanted green eyes. “They usually just stick me in Blackgate, when they can catch me,” she mentioned, eyes lingering on my skinned knees, the burns on my fingers. “You leave yet?”
I didn’t have to ask who she meant. “No.”
“I figured.” She brushed dark hair away from her face and gave me a soft smile. “Maybe we’ll meet up again, sometime.”
“Maybe.” I knew that if Joker found out about this, he would kill me. Painfully. “I’ve gotta go. Be careful.” I nodded and watched her leave.