Whatever Doesn't Kill You Simply Makes You Stranger (A Joker Story)

17: Insane (Revised & Extended)

I woke up after an excellent night of sleep, despite all the drama that's been happening lately. I yawned, stretching, getting up from my bed, and instead of changing, I stayed in my green tank top and black shorts.

I ran downstairs and grabbed a banana for a quick breakfast before I started working on my next heist. I sat down on a stool, eating quickly as I scrolled through my phone. I heard the front door open and close, and when I walked out to inspect, I saw some henchmen dispersing from Joker, who had just arrived home. 

"How did it go?" I asked, finishing my breakfast, throwing the peel away. He had just come back from making threatening and capturing Warrzen. 

"She's not going to be a problem anymore," He replied. I wasn't sure if that meant he killed her, or scared the hell out of her. I had a feeling it was the first option. I stepped closer to him now, wiping a bead of blood off of his neck. He let me do it, his eyes never leaving me, but when I met his gaze, he looked unamused. I felt confused by this look. 

"When you're done, come to my office." he muttered, walking away. I raised my eyebrow, watching as he left. I finished my banana and ran up to his office, he was looking outside the window. He turned after I closed the door, eyes meeting mine. I took a step back.

He wasn't wearing any makeup, and almost all of the green was out of his hair. His hair was slightly blonde underneath all the green.

"I-...Uh..." I was confused on whether or not I was even allowed in here at the moment. He sighed, eyes a little irritated.

"I am going to tell you something, and I'm only going to tell you once." his eyes were irritated.

I nodded, gulping a little.

He looked straight at me, turning so he was in front of me. "I am insane. I cannot love, I cannot do any of that. So if you think I even like you-" his hand tightened. "You are sorely mistaken. Now get out of my office."

I was shocked, I bit my lip and walked out of his office. I felt odd, as if someone had punched me in the stomach. My head felt as if it was being squeezed, I took a shaky breath.

Why did this bother me so much?

I let out a breath and walked to my room, once I got there I looked around angrily. I started punching the walls, leaving dents in them, to my surprise. My fists were red when I was done, I was breathing sharply.

A man in a clown mask walked in to probably check on what the hell that sound was, I glared at him.

"Get out or I'll kill you." I seethed, he stiffened in surprise, then ran off. I examined my hands. They looked horrible, and hurt pretty bad. I groaned, turning and meeting a pair of golden eyes. Rue's golden eyes. She was smirking softly, her head tilted to the side, red hair covering her left eye as she did so.

"You like him." she spoke with a gentle voice, but it still got me angry.

"No, I don't- wait why do you think that?" my eyes were wide, staring at her funny.

She was smirking. "I heard what he said to you, and I heard you destroying things. You like him." she giggled softly.

I got angry. "And if I do, why does it matter? He is a-....Sociopath! Or Psychopath! Fuck, I don't know!" I growled lowly so no one would hear me. She set her hands on her hips.

"And you really believe that? Why would he call you in to do that? You guys like each other, I can see it. But you don't have to believe me, boss." 

I sighed, sitting down on the bed with her. "I don't know what I want, Rue. I don't know what he wants, but I'm pretty sure he used me. I think he tried to make me vulnerable, tried to get me to like him, so I wouldn't be so repulsed on having a fake relationship on screen."

Rue turned to look at the closed door, then back to me. "Honestly, I think he's as confused and freaked out as you are. From what I've heard, he's been very closed off for the entirety his henchmen have known him. Most of them haven't been with him through it all, but some have, and they know just as much about him as the newbies. Harley doesn't even know much about him, and she doesn't mind gushing about him to me."

My stomach churned. "Oh, I forgot, he's with Harley."

"No," she spoke. "I don't think so. She's obviously clearly in love with him, but I haven't seen them really interact like that. I've seen you and him flirt more than I've eve seen them flirt. Actually, a bunch of guys here keep talking about asking her out, and there's always the constant conversation of, 'Are they together?' And I've been around enough to know the facts. They're not."

I shrugged, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, so I couldn't reply. Instead, Rue patted my knee.

"He'll come around." She stood up and left now, leaving me to think on my own. I had a bunch of questions running through my mind.

What the hell was that stunt he pulled? What the hell was any stunt he pulled? Did he want me to know that both the villain and civilian side of him hated me? There was no normality left in him though, so I was confused on all of that.

Why would he call me in just to tell me that? Why was he so angry? Why was he hesitating when he told me? Why was I so hurt? Did I really like him?

I sat down, putting my head in my hands, then punched the wall once more. I got up on my feet and walked downstairs, walking past all my henchmen, pausing a little when I saw something interesting. Rue was talking to a guy holding a clown mask in his hands, he had blonde hair that messily covered his forehead and a shy, young face. Rue and him both looked like teenagers, when they were actually quite a bit older. The boy had pretty green eyes, but they almost looked blue.

Rue's cheeks were almost as red as her hair, he said something and they laughed lightly, I smiled softly to myself. At least someone's successful in their love life, if not me. 

Joker walked out of his office, a couple of doors down of where I was. Joker seemed more infuriated than he should have been when his eyes landed on them. 

"Drake!" he growled angrily, the blonde boy turned from Rue and looked at Joker.

"Yes?" the boy asked, he had a sweet voice. He had shot up, standing straight, eyes wide as he looked at his angry boss. I wasn't sure how this kid cut it for The Joker, The Joker was a lot more intense and harsh with his henchmen than I was. 

"Go clean the blood off of the floors in my room. Now." He demanded.

I watched as Drake walked away from Rue, she looked down, but then followed Drake. I reached my arm out and grabbed her wrist lightly, but before I did so, Joker had already responded to her action. 

"Did I say he could have help?" he growled at Rue, who stepped back in flustered surprise, looking up at him with wide eyes, turning to look at me uncomfortably. I pulled her behind me and stood up to Joker, noting how smudged his face paint was. 

"Don't talk to my henchmen like that," I crossed my arms. 

He took a step closer to me, his face inches from mine. "If you just allow them to do whatever they want, they don't listen to you anymore."

"You don't know my people like I do," I replied. "Let me handle my people." I was furious, but I kept my voice as calm as possible. 

Joker looked at me as if we never had our late night talk, if he hadn't kissed me, but maybe all of that was just an elaborate head game. Maybe he really didn't care about me. "Don't talk to me like that," he growled. And there he was, pretending he was heartless, acting like The Joker would in a situation like this.