Got Your Back, Always

0.III

Cassie gulped when the Joker walked in again, this time with another glass of water.

"Hello my plaything, really for some fun?" he laughed and poured the water.

She was grateful for water, she was really hoping he'd give her some. She knew better than to ask of course. What she wasn't grateful for was the stupid liquid that followed the water. They were on number seven now. Cassie wasn't sure how many were planned but she hoped he was running low.

"Let's see how you like this one, hmm?"

She coughed, it felt like someone was choking her, slowly squeezing the life out of her, and when she passed out from the lack of air she woke up to see her mother, holding a baby.

Cassie felt a tear roll down her face, she knew what was about to happen. She watched her parents look down at her with so much love. She also watched her mother's heart monitor slowly beep until it stopped beeping, forever.

Cassie blinked and was standing on the ground, looking up at a trapeze set up. She held her throwing knives, gently tossing them semi practicing for the "Incredible Astor's" part of the show, which was always knife throwing, but they liked to dress it up in fun ways, usually very dangerous. Cassie always liked watching the "Flying Graysons", and not just because of her best friend. Her father liked to combine their acts and tonight was one of those nights. John caught Mary, who was holding James, her father, and James threw his knife as they were flying through the air, all three adults just fell. James' knife hit his target, but no one could save their parents. Dick was on the other side, waiting for them to swing back so he could join and grab Cassie, who was waiting, standing in front of the target where her father had just landed his knife. She was supposed to be standing there, and she didn't flinch when the knife hit just below her hand. She did flinch when her dad and Dick's parents landed on the ground. She stood frozen for a moment and didn't move until someone grabbed her hand, it was Dick. They shared a look and she blinked.

She opened her eyes to see her mother, holding a baby. Cassie felt a tear roll down her face, she knew what was about to happen. She watched her parents look down at her with so much love. She also watched her mother's heart monitor slowly beep until it stopped beeping, forever.

Cassie furrowed her brows, she had just seen this. She blinked again.

Cassie blinked and was standing on the ground, looking up at a trapeze set up. She held her throwing knives, gently tossing them semi practicing for her part of the show. John caught Mary, who was holding James who threw his knife as they were flying through the air, all three adults just fell. James' knife hit his target, but no one could save their parents. She didn't flinch when the knife hit just below her hand. She did flinch when her dad and Dick's parents landed on the ground. She stood frozen for a moment and didn't move until someone grabbed her hand, it was Dick. They shared a look. She had just seen this. She blinked.

Cassie doesn't remember how many times she watched both of her parents die. She just knows that it was enough time for the images to never leave. Cassie couldn't even scream. This wasn't a fake reality. These were real. These were memories. This actually happened. It somehow made Cassie feel even worse, and that weight on her chest seemed to grow.

Cassie barely even realized when the loop ended. She only realized something had changed when the Joker was waving his hand across her face. 

"Well, that one wasn't as much fun for me, but it did speed things up a bit," he laughed.

Cassie wasn't given the time to process what she had just gone through, no the Joker decided to give her more water, and go straight into his next mix.