[(Y/N)'s POV]
"Zane is such a trustworthy manager, don't you think?"
Without moving my body from my chair in our meeting table, I turned my head to Val, expressionless. He avoided my eyes, awkwardly tapping the table's surface with his finger as I gave him no response.
Valerian Kane. He always seems nervous when he talks to me, as if he was in danger or something. He probably acts that way because of the bullying he went through as a kid. He said that the little bastards would laugh because his name sounded like a girl's name. Tsk, children. Though after spending years with him, I got used to his personality at this point. He's even become one of my closest friends.
"Yeah, he is" I switched my glance to where Zane was helping out a younger guy clean up the blood on the floor. "Why did you recruit the new guy? Isn't he almost my age?"
Val nodded, "He is. He's 19 and I decided to recruit him since the projects he presented for weapons and defense were actually pretty good"
"But yours are always superior" I laid my head down on the table, both my hands underneath my chin. He brushed his fingers through his brown fringe hair with the recent caramel brown highlights he got. He softly chuckled, "Hah, I don't know about that"
"Anyways, why'd you kill Manuel. He was a pretty decent guy"
I rolled my eyes, "Exactly, he was. Until he lied to me just now. See, when I asked him to ask the Joker for a million, he decided to ask for 2 million, keeping a million for himself. He's crazy!"
"Wow, that's new" Val wore a grimace look on his face. He was right, which is why I was so pissed off. I trusted Manuel with the task, but he ruined it.
I sighed, "At this point, I'll go back to doing things myself"
"Careful" Another familiar voice said, making me raise my head to meet their forest green eyes and their smile. "You almost sound like that psychotic clown"
Lina Aldaine. She's the best at completing missions, and because of those missions, she became such a great flexible fighter. We're both specialized in combat compared to Val who's more of a tech and brains guy. But both of them are a year younger than me, yet Lina is a few months younger than Val, and probably the person I trust the most before Valerian.
Though sometimes...
She made herself comfortable on her chair, putting her feet on top of the table and crossing her arms behind her ruby red hair, "Oh, and what were you both chit-chatting about? And alone?" She emphasized with small gasp.
-she can be a pain in the ass.
"Are you both dat-" she stopped on her tracks once she saw the glare she received from me. Seriously, how can she get to that conclusion in just a matter of seconds?
"D-Dat-Data analyzing without me?" She made up her excuse and snapped her fingers, "Yeah, that's what I was going to say, what happened (Y/A/N)? Why are you glaring at me?" Her voice filled with innocence.
"You couldn't have taken any longer on your mission?" I stated in sarcasm, straightening my back and lifting my head back up. She wore a teasing smirk, "Sorry, but killing the thug Batman captured from us wasn't such a difficult task. Fortunately, I'm just that skilled" she flipped her French braid with pride which she'd usually have resting on one shoulder.
She stared back at me with a smug for a few seconds, and since I didn't react in any way, she soon shifted her chair near Val. Even though she looked like she was whispering to his ear, she was actually talking out loud, "So, when are you asking her o-"
"WAUH!" Val jumped up from his chair, sending it back with a loud bang once it hit the floor. "I-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT" his red face said the complete opposite. Then when he realized he was shouting in a place filled with more than 20 people, he rapidly grabbed his chair to sit back down. He quietly spoke, "It-It's not like that, Lina. You know we're friends, you idiot" he softly punched her shoulder.
I kept my sigh to myself. Yeah, I sort of already knew he liked me. Honestly, he makes it really obvious. However... I can never bring myself to reject him. For one, he's like a brother to me, and I don't ever want break that bond. And for two...
"Alright, can we change the topic? You both already know this one in particular makes me sick" I intercepted.
-I hate love.
"Understood" Lina delivered a nod and returned her chair back to it's original spot. "So, um... were you able to get the filth's money?" She clasped her hands together on top of the table.
"No, Manuel screwed it up"
She facepalmed, "Seriously? Just one job... a simple little task..." she mumbled under her breath in disbelief.
"So then tomorrow we're going to his hideout, right?" Val stated.
I nod, "As always. If we fail the first time, we have to go in person the second time" I slouched my back against the chair. One of the stupidest rules the clown came up with. If he rejects our request the first time, then we have to go to him and ask again in person the second time.
"What if we say it was a prank?" Lina questioned. "You think he'll believe it?"
In a synchronized motion, both Val and I shook our heads, also because I knew another reason as to why that wouldn't work. I began to nervously tap the table, "I might've messed that up"
After getting their attention, I explained, "He called by phone to ask why I needed 2 million, and I told him that Manuel had lied. Hence, he won't believe it if we tell him it was a prank"
"Harley was there too, so we can't tell her either" I added.
Val slowly placed his head down on the table, "Looks like we have to meet him, again" he exasperated. Meanwhile Lina pursed her lips, "Yeah..."
I felt the same way, frustrated, angry with the outcome. I mean, who wouldn't? Having to hear his ugly cackling that just goes through your ears and makes you want to cut them off. Furthermore, his lair– in that forsaken amusement park... was where the 3 of us met.
°• Flashback •°
"(Y/N), my dear, is Val not good enough?" The Clown Prince of Crime questioned as he sat next to me on the couch. If you were a fool, you'd think he was caring about you.
He threatened me just weeks ago, and now a day ago, he's brought a boy who was a year younger than me to 'play with' as if we were 6 year-olds.
"I don't need a friend. I'm not a kid anymore" the boy— who's name I forgot— said from the other couch he was sitting on. Even without moving my eyes from the TV in front of me, I knew that the Joker wore a frown. "Val, kid, I told you to be nice"
Oh, that's right, it was Valerian. He told me while executing his fail attempt at conversating. More like he was trying to insult me. He probably thinks I'm on Joker's side.
"Oh Puddin!!~" his crazy girlfriend wrapped her arms around his head from behind, planting kisses all over his pale face. Feeling uncomfortable, I moved away a little, which I should've done a long time ago.
"Harls... what do you want now? Can't you see... I'm a little busy?" he responded, almost struggling to get a word out. All of a sudden, I felt a cold hand grab my cheek, moving my gaze to them, "I think our girl here needs a sistah" Harley bared her teeth in a her smile. Then she walked away only to return with a girl, probably around the same age as Val and I– 14 or 15.
She was definitely a lot prettier than I was. Even with her messy tangled crimson hair, her forest green eyes stood out. It was something you don't see on someone everyday. "I picked her up from outside. She doesn't remember her name, so I got 4 names in mind: Lucy, Candy, Lina, or Quinn. And I think (Y/N) should be the one to name her" Harley turned to me, "Well, go ahead!" She couldn't even hold back her excitement. "I think Lucy would be good" she whispered in my ear.
If that's what she wants, then I won't give it to her, even though I already knew what the unnamed girl wanted. She had her head lowered, staring at nothing on the floor, but when Harley said 'Lina' she perked her head up a bit.
"Lina" I replied. Harley stuck out her bottom lip, "Lina? Really?" She faced the girl, and then smiled "Eh, okay. Only because I think she looks cute with any name" She grabbed her hand and pulled her away to the bathroom, probably for a shower.
The Joker released a sarcastic laugh, "The family just keeps getting bigger" he continued to laugh to himself as he ran his dry fingers through his green hair.
The only reason he took me in was to annoy the hell out of Bruce. He brought Val so I could have a friend. And now Lina. I guess he wants to have his own 'Robins' you could say.
°• End of Flashback •°
That was the first time we 3 found ourselves in the same room. Afterwards, Lina started speaking and instead of her last name being Quinn like Harley wanted, Lina herself chose Aldaine which was a last name she saw one of the cast members have in a movie.
It was the first time she ever contradicted Harley. And as time passed by, we promised we'd stick together to defeat the crazy couple someday. At least 4 years passed, and we've gotten closer to that objective, but that also means the clown himself got better as well.
No matter what, I'm going to crush him.
Particularly because of what he did to Jason Todd.
[End of Chapter 2]
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Word Count: 1,810
If I were to give this chapter a name, I'd probably name it "Val and Lina" (Just a random comment, lol).
Anyways, I remember the first time I heard that Joker managed to kill a Robin, my jaw dropped to the floor. My jaw probably went through the floor once I heard that it was the people who decided Jason's fate.
Hate to say it but thanks to that, we got Red Hood now.
—Yam
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