"And he evenn.... what?" Val raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his cup of water while waiting for me to finish my sentence.
"Andd...." I rolled the word as I glanced around the room which I hoped could somehow give me an answer. I said the first thing that came to mind, "he had... muscles...?"
He started choking. Water spit out in front of him, to his suit and to the surface of the table in front of him.
Really? I didn't really expect my answer to be that bad.
"You okay?" I asked after he seemed to calm down.
"Yeah, we're‐ I'm good" he gave a thumbs up, finishing up clearing his throat. I nodded and waited. After an interval of silence as he cleaned his desk, I asked the question that brought me here to his room in the first place.
"Since you're really good at digging up information about people, can you figure out who that guy is?"
"Sure. Just describe them"
"Well, he's a male, taller than me, wears a red helmet with white lenses, has a brown leather jacket, combat armor, and is interested in Black Mask"
"And you said he was asking your parents about you?" He questioned which I nodded to in response as I walked towards the door.
"Are you sure it's not anyone you know? I mean no one else other than someone who knew you as (Y/N) would question your parents about you right?"
I came to a halt, "No Val. No one else other than you, Lina, Joker, and Harley know"
It was an obvious lie, but he didn't know that I left out Bruce, Dick, Barbara, Alfred, and Tim. Could it be one of them?
No. None of them would go after my parents in the first place.
"Anyways, thank you. Let me know when you find something!" I closed the door behind me. Now, I have to call Black Mask. Then, I have report to Joker, and I think I know exactly how he's going to react.
• ° • • ° •
I hanged up the call.
I knew it. The Joker laughed the whole time. He found it hilarious that I had to kill my parents. All his commentaries were unnecessary- they always are.
"Did you pluck their eyes out? Rip them to shreds? Oh! Your cool speech, did you mention it? Tell me! Tell me!"
Annoying, was the right word to describe that. Unlike Black Mask, who sent his assistant to confirm whether or not I did finish the job, the Joker was constantly making fun of the situation and asking me how I felt about it. I ended the call before I even responded. I didn't call him to have a conversation, I did it because that's what he wanted me to do.
My back hit the bed in my room, sighing as I stared at the ceiling. Maybe I do feel a little relieved. Kind of like I can do anything now. At least 2 of my problems are gone now. Just like Val said, they deserved it.
Days went by, and I could sense that something was wrong with this 'task' Joker gave me to infiltrate Black Mask's gang. At this point, it was bothering me, so I needed to go to see the clown in person. It was not okay that he seemed uninterested with my reports every time Black Mask told me to do something for him. The only time Joker was ever excited to listen was the day my parents died.
Instead of me being the one to hang up first, he was the one to end the call.
"Marco" I called the young guy in his table. He quickly stood up straight as if his military commander just yelled at him to stand,
"Y-Yes?"
"Where's Cash?"
Cash is Lina's agent name and it's what these people know her by since they don't know our real names. Even if they hear it on accident, they know not to tell anyone or else we're killing them all. Which is sort of what happened with our first set of goons.
"S-She went on a date. Said she'd be back in 2 hours" Even by just hearing his voice, you could tell he was flustered and nervous.
"Okay, thanks. Also, don't be so tense. I don't bite unless you tick me off. Trust me, you don't right now" I patted his shoulder.
"Y-Yeah" he still continued to tremble while I headed off. So Val's locked in his room inventing stuff, and Lina is on a date, again.
She's most likely with a girl since the last four dates she had with guys didn't work out. By the way she talked about them, they really sounded like a bunch of assholes.
About an hour later, I found myself opening the doors to Joker's lair- you could say. Harley was eating chips while being entertained by the television before noticing my presence. Meanwhile, Joker didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that his doors opened, and continued to think and write on his chalkboard. Another plan to kill Batman.
"Aw sweetheart!" I heard Harley say as she ran over to greet me in a haste. Her grin soon turned to a pout once she received no reaction from me, "Why don't you ever give mom a hug?"
Because you aren't my mom.
I've told her before several times but she always ignored the comment. I gave up and now I don't give her an answer.
"Mister J!~ She's never going to change!" Harley sort of whined as she crossed her arms, almost with a glare on her face.
The Joker chuckled, "She came to us first, Harls. Isn't that for a change?" His words enlightened her. Unlike her, I didn't care about his response. After all, giving them a reaction is what he wanted.
"You didn't really want anything from Black Mask, right?"
Even when he had his back turned to me, I noticed his cheeks rising a bit, meaning he was smiling, "Correct..." he said, still paying attention to his board.
"This is where my guess comes in," I began to pace around the room, to help with my thinking, "you knew Black Mask was after my parents beforehand, so you sent me specifically so I would be the one to hunt them down. Which was ultimately a gamble since Black Mask could've chosen someone else. That was your plan from the start wasn't it?" I turned and crossed my arms.
He yawned while Harley made herself comfortable back in the couch. "Well you certainly do know how to make my plans boring"
Finally, I got him to rotate his glance to me, "It was more like this: I heard Blackie was going after your parents and I told Harley about it" As if it was her cue to speak, she lifted and rested her legs on top of the couch,
"I suggested Mister J to send you with Blackie so you can be the one to kill them, and you can let them go. Then, you can be part of our family and accept us as your parents. And you start protecting your siblings and hugging us" the more she talked, the more she sounded like an airhead speaking. Delusional. Joker looked like he didn't even agree with that part.
I frowned, "In the end, it didn't work. Don't expect me to become so fond of you both. The only reason I'm here in the first place is because you threatened me, leaving me no choice. Besides, it wasn't going to work if Black Mask had switched me with someone else"
Joker's smirk didn't fade, "But he wouldn't have"
So it wasn't a gamble? What did he mean?
"Well you see..." his eyes wandered around the place for a bit before returning back to me,
"I told him about the agents"
"In other words, about you three"
• ° • • ° •
"After that, he said it was to make us popular and more known to the people in the city" I finished.
Lina slammed her hands on the table, "WHAT! But I thought the whole point of this was to be a secret group working for him!"
"And to tell Black Mask, out of all people..." Val facepalmed with the word 'disappointment' written in his face.
"Exactly, he's Gotham's mob boss- ugh, and I guess there is a reason why the psycho told him specifically. He wants it that way so we will be known by almost all the criminals of this city" Lina hit her head on the table repeatedly.
She lifted her head suddenly, displaying the red spot on her forehead, "Not only by the gangs, but by Batman too"
Of course! Why didn't I think about that? This 'secret'- which is not so secret, anymore- organization won't be a rumor anymore. It's a good thing I decided to talk about this in Lina's room and not in our meeting area with those guys around.
"We're doomed" Lina added. She shook her head while mumbling words under her breath as she stared long hard at the table.
"Lina, what are you doing?" I questioned, exchanging looks with Val.
"Figuring out how I'm going to write my will"
"Wow Lina, thank you for being so optimistic and helpful right now" Val remarked sarcastically.
"No problem!" She smiled with her eyes closed, going along with his sarcasm.
I told them everything that happened when I spoke to Joker.
Well... almost everything.
°• Flashback •°
"You know, I find it really foolish that you thought you could change me. I'm only here doing this to protect them"
The Joker- who was supposed to laugh, instead had a stern expression. "No, you're only here because you're scared Batsy won't take you back. And honestly, I don't think the Big man would want someone tainted with a bunch of blood near him. I mean, he sure doesn't want me around" he chuckled.
Even though I didn't show it, those words hit me like arrows. Striking me not once, but more because I knew that. It's true. I am scared. I would always hear Bruce telling Jason to not kill, and it's obvious I've broken that rule.
"No matter what, I won't become who you want me to be: your successor" I glared at him, which he only countered with a smirk.
"Huhh? You've got it all wrong, my Ace. I'm just using you to help my already chosen successor. Though I don't really care whether this plan will succeed or not. I'm not dying anytime soon"
"Who is it?"
"Who is who?" He raised an eyebrow.
"The successor"
"Ahh..."
".... that's a surprise"
°• End of Flashback •°
"Any idea why he decided to expose us now?" Lina's voice cracked my state of trance.
"Maybe to just fuck with us?" Val shrugged, not knowing the real reason why. Lina shrugged as well, leading both of them to switch their gazes to me.
"(Y/N)?" Lina signaled me to talk.
I mused, recalling back to that chalkboard the clown was writing on. "The only thing I can think of is that he finds no use in us anymore. However, he did tell Black Mask about the agents in order to convince him about letting me join him, hence killing my parents. Which isn't an advantage for him, and more for Harley who wanted me to change and accept them as my 'new parents.' Which they didn't do to you both because you two aren't as cold to them as I am"
"Hm, and the Joker only does things that help him. He could care less about her" Lina shared out. "Exposing us also puts him at a disadvantage since we aren't 'privately' working for him anymore, and now we'll be working with other gangs"
Val chimed in, "Then he's planning something. He wouldn't rush into things unless it's to kill Batman"
Then, I remembered I saw him writing down that plan to kill Batman. If only I saw what it said. Damn it.
"You're absolutely right. Today, I did see him planning out something in his chalkboard"
Lina and Val leaned forward attentively, "What did it say?"
I avoided their eyes, reluctantly telling them the truth, "I sort of... didn't see"
Their heads landed on the table, groaning in utter disappointment. "Dang..." I heard Val mumble.
Lina shot her head back up immediately, "Wait! Actually it's not that bad. I mean we always end up knowing his plan. Isn't that right, mister?" She nudged Val's shoulder wearing a ghostly smirk.
Val narrowed his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"How does it feel to have the same mind as the Joker?"
He moved his head back, blinking a few times, trying to be sure that he heard her right. "WHAT?!"
"She's not wrong" I shrugged. "Your suspicions are hardly wrong when you guess his next moves"
"Andd in order to do that, you have to get inside his head and think like him, don't you?" Lina added.
"Well yes but, should I be offended or something?" Val really didn't know how to respond to that. To be fair, if I were him I wouldn't either.
"Nah, you'll always be our Val" Lina grinned from ear to ear as she wrapped her arm around Val's neck, treating him like a little kid and rubbing the top of his head.
"Hey! You're ruining my hair! Lina!" Val tried to remove himself from her grasp, getting a laugh out of me.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Bosses!" We froze as we heard Zane yell from the other side of the door.
"What is it Zane?!" I shouted back.
"There's an insider!"
[End of Chapter 11]
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Word Count: 2,324
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-Yam
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