The Aster {Book 1 & 2} (Batman/Joker/Robin/Batgirl story)

2.9. The Joker Will Have

"Please don't hurt me," I bite the inside of my lip hard, I'm begging to panic again. I can't have that, I can't lose control.

"Oh, now don't disappoint me," the Joker tuts. "You were doing so well."

"What do you want from me?" I swallow, trying my best to recover any possible composure I can. If that'll make him happy then I'll damn well do my best to manage it.

"Now that's more like it."

"Just tell me what you want!" I slam my fists down onto the table sending cutlery flying up into the air.

I realise what I've done and I brace myself for pain, a gunshot, anything.

But there is none.

"I want you... I want you to come and work for me," he says deliberately, slowly. His eyes are burning into me, waiting for a reaction.

"I... I'd say you were insane but you'd probably take it as a compliment," I almost spit out. I'm getting a terrible urge to laugh. This is one of his best fucking jokes yet.

"Well, maybe 'work' was the wrong term to use," he shrugs casually, but his tone is gaining more and more aggression.

"You think I'd work for you after what you did to me? With you knowing I'm Batman's daughter?" I shake my head in disbelief. "I'm not a stupid little girl anymore."

The Joker leans forward, with his elbows leaning on the table, his fingers pressed together into a perfect arch.

"Once you told me that your life belonged to me."

You know what the fucked up thing is? I probably did say it. And I probably meant it. But not anymore.

I'm sick of this shit, sick of his games.

"If you're gonna kill me please just wait until the baby's born, then you can do anything you want to me," I can't keep the fear out of my voice anymore.

"I'm not gonna kill you," he waves his hands dismissively. "I want you. You and the kid."

"Why do you want the kid? It's not even yours."

The lie is a shot in the dark and it backfires.

"Well, in that case, you can both die now," the Joker sighs and starts to wave over one of the guards but I reach over and grab his hand.

No.

He smirks, lowering his hand. He knows it's not going to be difficult to get any truth he wants out of me.

I quickly pull my hand away from his and shake my head in disbelief. Disbelief that this is even happening.

"So you want me? And what? You use the baby to force me to tell you everything I know about Batman and be killed? I'd rather you killed me now."

I take a really deep breath, I'm praying he won't take me up on that. Oh God that was such a stupid thing to say, you're such a fucking idiot.

"I want you live under my roof, raise the kid and fix me up a cup of coffee from time to time," the Joker drawls, rolling his eyes like I'm too stupid to understand what he's saying.

"Oh, right, I get it. You want to create some sort of Joker Junior don't you? Don't you?!" The fear is being replaced by something else, something far more dangerous. Rage.

"I could give you everything-"

"The answer is no!" Without thinking I jump up, but before anyone has a chance dizziness overcomes me and I'm forced to sit down again.

"Fine then," he sighs. "Bye bye."

Wait, what? I almost do a double take, my eyes open with disbelief. This must be a trap.

"I can go?" I ask doubtfully, bracing myself for whatever is coming next.

"If that's what you want, I can't force you to come with me." His tone is hard to read, he sounds disappointed but I don't think that's real. It's fake, sarcastic.  But beneath that he sounds almost... amused. Like I've unintentionally said something funny and I'm still missing the joke.

I've got to do this. It might be my only chance.

For the last time I'm going to trust the Joker.

I turn and run as fast as I can towards the doors of the club, I don't think anyone's following me but I'm not gonna waste time checking.

I burst onto the sidewalk in seconds, it's raining, you'd barely know it was still daytime it's so bleak and grey. The asphalt is wet and slippery and I stumble out into the road, there's a car coming until it's almost too late. I wave my arms to try and get it to stop but it just blares it's horn at me, gaining speed and I scream as it almost knocks me down.

Fucking asshole.

Bright lights across the street catch my eyes.

Drugstore. There's a drugstore across the street. They'll have a pay phone in there, I can get help. Call Bruce, Barbara, Johnny, anyone.

Nothing else bad can happen to me once I'm in there, right?