Joker raced down the stairs of his house, the voices in his head going crazy.
Pregnant!!!! And you know it is impossible that that baby is yours!!
She is pregnant with the baby of that assassin!
She is carrying the offspring of the man she betrayed you with. Kill her; kill it!!!!
And your precious little doll.,..she knew and she didn't tell you. She betrayed your loyalty for a little bastard.
J stopped at the bottom of the stairs , hunched over, his whole body shaking. He had to pull himself together; he couldn't let anyone see him this way. Usually Jonny would be at his side in a minute when the voices got like this but of course, he had shot him and kicked him out of the house so he couldn't count on that right now.
"Fuck!!" J yelled hurrying into the kitchen where some of his men were gathered around, looking confused.
"Shouldn't you be fucking doing something?" He said through grit teeth.
"Well, boss.." said one of the younger goons who J didn't know well. "Usually Jonny gives us our assignments but..."
"No excuses!" Joker yelled out as the voices in his head egged him on. He pulled out his gun and quickly shot the goon in the head.
The other men stepped back in shock as Joker looked around at them with a big grin.
"Do the rest of you need fucking Jonny here to do your work?"
The rest of the men shook their heads and quickly left the room.
Joker sat down at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, the voices unrelenting.
Pregnant whore.
Deceived by your own doll.
Your right-hand man gone.
Kill them all. Kill them all.
He stood up, tugging at his hair.
"Hatter!" He yelled, rushing from the kitchen. "Hatter! Hatter!"
Hatter came rushing into the front entrance hall, surprised to see a very disheveled and broken-looking Joker in front of him.
"Yes, boss?"
"Go get me your brother! Fucking find him now and bring him back here!"
"What..I mean...where..." a confused Hatter replied.
Joker unholstered his gun, pointing it at the boy.
"No questions!!! Go. Fucking. Find. Jonny. NOW!!!"
"Yes boss!" A terrified Hatter replied, racing out of the house. Not sure even where to go.
~~~~Downtown Gotham~~~~
Ana sat nervously in the back of the long black limousine. Usually behind these tinted windows, next to the man she loves, she felt happy, safe and secure. She could pretend Dig didn't exist and she was in a marriage free from the constraints of crime.
This time though, it felt different. Bruce sat away from her, his face somber and reserved. When he said he needed to meet her, it wasn't a request; it felt like a command from a person that was not happy with her.
"Bruce...what is it? What happened?"
"Ana, I have always trusted you; felt that you were a good person at heart, no matter what your husband has done."
Ana felt tears spring to her eyes. "Your feelings have changed towards me?"
Bruce brought his hands to his face, wiping at his weary eyes. "I don't know what to think, Ana. Why did you do it? Why did you lie to me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Your husband had a little chat with Batman."
Ana felt her face pale as she looked down at her hands.
"Ana...why? Why would you return her to the Joker? You knew she was the nurse, right? The nurse that was kidnapped from Belle Reve?"
Ana nodded, tears falling into her lap.
She could hear Bruce getting angry; his breathing always became deeper when he was angry.
"I am so sorry, Bruce."
"Why Ana, why? That girl just went from one monster to the other? Why didn't you just let Batman bring her home?"
Ana looked up, her eyes pleading. "She loves him, I swear....she seems to really love him. And...and he the Joker seems to care about her too."
Bruce looked skeptically at Ana. "The Joker? Treat someone well? I have seen his relationship with Harley. Can you really tell me he treats her any better than that? That a bruise from him has never graced her skin?"
Ana looked down again, her mouth set in a firm line. She heard Bruce sigh.
"Why...why?"
Ana choked back a sob. "Me and my kids...Bruce..."
Bruce let out a frustrated groan. "I know Ana!! You do everything for your kid; you were afraid Joker would come after them, but Ana...you could have just let me help you escape! You didn't need to use some kidnapped woman as your pawn!!"
"I just couldn't chance it."
She looked up again when she got no response from Bruce. "Do you want me to get out?" She said moving her hand to the door handle.
"I think that would be best."
Ana silently cried as she got out of the door, which sped away as soon as her feet hit the pavement. She wiped at her eyes as she turned around. She jumped in shock as a large body stepped out from the shadows.
"Ana?" A familiar voice asked.
Ana put her hand up to her rapidly beating heart. "Jonny Frost. What the hell do you want?"
~~~~Joker's Mansion~~~~
Joker bounded up the stairs as the voices pounded inside his head. 3 of his men followed him closely behind as he hurried to his room. He slammed the door open to find two terrified looking women sitting huddled on his bed.
"Take her and lock her in her room!"
He yelled to the men who grabbed a protesting Harley off the bed and roughly pulled her from the room.
Lisbeth watched in terror as her friend was dragged from the room and the door slammed loudly behind them. She looked up at J as he stalked towards her, his eyes wild.
"I am so sorry, Daddy!" She whimpered as he towered above her.
He was silent as she felt his hand make contact with her face and he body fall backwards on the bed.
"You betrayed my loyalty again, little one. You hurt me. I am so tired of not being able to trust you, of having to punish and hurt you."
Lisbeth's eyes became wide as she watched him unholster his gun. She closed her eyes as she heard the familiar sound of J's favorite toy being cocked.
"I am so sorry, Daddy....."