To the Point of Obsession

I was running for a long while, in heels, when I smacked into someone. "Shit," I said, bouncing back and running, before being grabbed by the arm of someone.

"Hello, Miss. Foster," a voice said, pulling me to a car.

I looked up and frowned, terrified. "Alfred!"

"Delilah, you are in very serious trouble," he said, pushing me in the car with surprising strength for an old man.

I accepted defeat, even though I could easily take him out, and nodded. "I know." I looked at him as he got in the driver's seat. "You can call me Dahlia," I said, looking out the window.

"I'm taking you back to the MCU as soon as you explain why you're here, Dahlia."

"Alfred, I don't know what you're asking. You know what I did."

"Why are you with the most villainous criminal in Gotham City when you had a chance to leave and start over with Bruce?"

"Alfred, I love him," I said, having no reason to lie to a helpless old man. "He's different, at least to me."

"Don't make a mistake, Dahlia. Bruce Wayne is a very comforting and loving man. He is always there for you, no matter whether you're The Black Dahlia or Delilah Foster."

We arrived at the MCU, and Alfred pulled over. "Thank you, Alfred. I'm afraid there may come a time when I have to accept that." I got out of the car, and looked back in. "Batman said I wasn't a villain yet," I said quietly.

"Exactly. If you were, you'd have killed me."

"You put a lot of trust in him," I whispered.

"It's nice being able to trust someone," he answered, almost as if he was reading my mind.

"You'll understand why I have to trust the Joker?" My blue eyes met Alfred's. "You just trust the Batman, not knowing if he's gonna be okay, just like I trust J."

"I know," he said. "I trust that I don't have to escort you in."

"I'll go in by myself; after all, I'm probably missing the fun."

He frowned, but nodded, watching me walk to the door. I turned and waved as he drove off. I knew I could have run again, but knowing my karma, the police would get me. I opened the door and walked inside. The cops had figured out I'd left, and were milling around the cell like chickens without their heads.

"Hi," I said happily, holding my arms out, ready for cuffs.

"You! Why did you come back?!" one of the cops yelled, rushing toward me, his face red.

"Would you rather I left?" I asked, walking with him as he led me to the interrogation room viewing room. Many cops were watching Gordon talk to the Joker. "Can you make sure the bat knows I'm here?" I asked, looking at him, and the cops.

"Why?" one asked, standing up from the seat. She walked over and glared.

"He needs to know."

She sighed and went to the communicator. "Gordon, his girlfriend's here."

The Joker looked over at the window, and rolled his eyes. He was upset I'd wasted my chance to be safe, I assumed, or he was mad I didn't kill the cops when I came back. What I had done was identical to the Joker's thinking; it was completely spontaneous, and had no end product. I could have been killed, and still, it would have made him happy that I had stooped, or risen, to his level.

"So, what'd I miss?" I asked, looking around.

I got no response, so I leaned against the table, letting my hands cross my chest as I watched the soundless conversation. I watched Gordon take the handcuffs off the Joker's wrists and walk out of the room. One of the cops messed with a sound board and turned it on. The room suddenly lit up, making the dark suit behind the Joker visible as he smashed his head into the table. I clenched my fists and looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with Gordon.

"Never start with the head," the Joker said, looking up at the Batman. "The victim get's all fuzzy." The bat swiftly slammed his elbow on the Joker's hand, watching his reaction. The Joker shrugged. "See?"

Pulling a chair, Batman sat across from the Joker, leaning on the table. "You wanted me, here I am."

"I wanted to see what you'd do." He looked up, ruffling the green hair away from his face. "And you didn't disappoint. You let five people die. Then… you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that's cold."

"Where's Dent?"

"Those mob fools want things to get back to the way things were." The Joker straightened up. "But I know the truth. There's no going back, you've changed things… forever."

"Then why do you want to kill me?"

A dry, airy laughter filled the room as the Joker nearly fell out of his metal chair. "I don't want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mobsters? No, no, no. No, you… you complete me."

"You're garbage that kills for money," the Batman said, unusually calm, a new edge in his voice.

The Joker backed up and frowned, "Don't talk like one of them," he yelled, pointing at the windows. "You're not… even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak… like me. They need you right now, but once they don't… they'll cast you out. Like a leper. You see, their morals are just one big joke."

I looked around, somewhat amazed. His sermon had every single officer, and the Batman completely hypnotized. Had I not been handcuffed, I could have easily escaped again.

"…Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you, when the chips are down, these civilized people… they'll eat each other. You see, I'm not a monster. Just ahead of the curve."

Batman seemed to reach his breaking point and pulled him up over the table. "Where's Dent?"

"All these rules! And you think they're going to save you."

Batman slammed the Joker into the wall. Nearly every head turned to Gordon. "He's in control," he muttered, his eyes not leaving the scene.

"I have one rule."

"Then that's the rule you'll have to break to know the truth."

"Which is?"

"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules. So tonight, you're going to break your one rule."

"I'm considering it."

"Well you're going to have to play my little game if you want to save one of them."

I realized that the Joker's men had also taken Rachel. I saw in his face that Batman did to.
"You know, for a moment I thought you really were Dent… the way you threw yourself after her. Does Harley know about your little fling?"

Batman growled and threw him on the table, grabbing the chair, and moving to the door. Gordon, along with several other officers rushed to the door to try to open it.

"Where are they?!" he yelled, slamming the Joker into the wall, crushing the glass window.

"Killing is making a choice."

"Where are they?!"

"You have to make a choice… your friend, the District Attorney? Or his blushing bride-to-be?" The Joker took another blow, falling to the floor, laughing. "You have nothing. Nothing to threaten me with," he said, giggling still.

"Yes I do," Batman said, rushing to the door and tearing it open. Gordon quickly undid my cuffs, handing me over to the bat when he came into the room.

My eyes opened wide as the Batman tossed me over his shoulder, walking back to the room. "How far would you let me go, clown?" Batman asked once we got in the room.

He dropped me on the floor, making me land shakily on my heels. He backhanded me once, putting me on the ground.

"I wasn't really thinking about this one, but corruption is corruption." I glanced at the Joker, not sure if he was bluffing. Buried beneath his paint, I saw the hint of worry.

Batman hit me again, though not as hard. I looked at him, glaring. "He doesn't care about me," I said, fighting to catch my breath as he picked me up, putting me to the wall. "Why would you think he does?"

"He keeps you around for a reason."

"The same reason you did, Bruce," I whispered. I smiled, biting my lip.

He shoved me against the wall and let me fall down again, turning to the Joker. Before he could hit him again, the Joker said, "Shh, I'm gonna tell you anyhow. He's at 250 52nd Street, and she's at Avenue X."

The batman silently ran out of the room as I smiled over at the Joker. He winked at me as the new guard came in to 'look after us.'