Forever the Damned

(Thanks to NinjaJediPirate for making me a picture banner thinger! <3)

Batman got into the Lamborghini and revved the engine as Jezebel sat on the other side, admiring the beautiful interior of the car.

"Nice ride," she mused. "Let me drive some time?"

"Not a chance," he growled curtly. She pouted in response.

"You're no fun. Not letting me play with any of your toys."

"You got it." he replied, searching the surroundings for The Joker. He was supposedly taking someone hostage today, and Batman did not know who.

All they had found at the scene of The Joker's most recent murder had been a small Barbie doll hoisted onto a small plastic semblance of a stripper pole with a joker card pinned to her back. She had The Joker's makeup on her face and "HA HA HA!" was written up and down her legs in black Sharpie.

Jezebel gave a small, slow nod as she searched with Batman.

"Look," Batman instructed in his deep, baritone voice, pointing at a window. "There he is. He's pacing. We have to get up there."

"I'll go up with you."

"No, it's too dangerous--"

"Bruce! For the love of God, I can handle myself! I've handled sickos like him plenty of times on my own, and after this I will continue to do so. On my own."

"Not today you won't," he growled. "Today you'll keep watch from the corner there." He pointed to a dark corner at the entrance of an alley. "Nothing but druggies doing deals there. They won't bother you other than cat-calls. I'll go up, catch him unawares, then we'll be gliding across this street into that building there." He pointed to a building across the street from The Joker's building. "I own the building anyway, so they should be okay."

Jezebel just glared. "I can handle this, you know? I could go get him myself."

"But you won't. Not today," Batman ordered.

Jezebel just made a sound of disgust and started to bolt for the building, but Batman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him.

"I'm not letting that sicko hurt you." He hissed murderously. "Don't you dare do anything but what I say."

"Story of my fucking life. Fine. You just go up and be everyone's hero, and I'll just sit here and play "watch-girl". But next time you pull this "We're A Team" crap, you better be prepared to let me do something important."

"Fair enough." He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply goodbye, as if it were the last time, and then bolted up for the stairs on the fire escape. Jezebel just sighed as she watched, licking her lips and running a hand through her short purple hair. She stalked to the entrance of the dark alley, positioning herself at its mouth. Leaning on the brick wall, she was muttering to herself about how 'incorrigible' and 'intolerable' that 'damned egomaniac in black leather' was. Just then, she felt a faint 'tap tap tap' on her shoulder. When she turned around her eyes widened and her heart jumped in her chest as she let out a large gasp. There, standing in front of her with a switchblade positioned at her neck, was The Joker himself.

"Evening, Beautiful," he grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out so late?"

"S-stay back," she stuttered, trying to remember how to breathe. His eyes were locked on hers, full of a smirk.

"Oh, don't be like that," he replied, frowning slightly. "Why is no one ever happy to see me?"

"B-because you scare the fuck out of them!"

"Aw, I don't mean to! Why do I scare them? Is it the scars?"

"They're not the half of it," she growled.

"You still have some pluck, even with a knife at your neck. I like that," he grinned again, pressing the switchblade into her neck a bit. Jezebel winced as she felt a small amount of blood trickle down her neck and shoulder, past her collarbone and down her leather top. The Joker watched the blood intensely. "You wanna come with me, Beautiful?" he asked, practically a whisper in her ear.

"N-no." she managed to choke out without sounding too afraid.

"Too bad," he giggled hysterically. "It was a rhetorical question!" With that he turned her around and handcuffed her hands together. "I know it's a bit more 'magician' and a bit less of my style, but I figured I'd break out the toys for you, Honey," he grinned, leading her down the alley cuffed, with the knife still at her neck.

Meanwhile, Batman had found out that what he'd thought was The Joker was actually a man who had disappeared a week ago. He was severely bruised, with scars all over his arms. Bite marks. Huge rottweilers. He let out an enraged yell. Under the familiar makeup, the hostage's face was scarred all over with the word "HA!". A Joker card was pinned to the purple blazer, and on it were the words "Where is your Jezebel?" At this, his eyes widened and he broke the window, gliding down to the street below and running to where he had told Jezebel to go. She was already gone, and a bunch of Joker cards were left on the ground where she had once stood. On them were small drops of blood.