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You had put up no struggle when the men had bound and gagged you to the chair in the centre of the cellar-like room, going limp as you allowed yourself to be roughly pulled into place and secured. Your lack of resistance was met by mutterings of discomfort from the hired bags of muscle and you could see them eying you warily behind their leers, pulling the binding painfully tight in the hopes of gaining a reaction from you.Once restrained, most of the men had left quickly enough - none of them appreciating the damp darkness any more than you currently did - and you’d been left alone with nothing but the two armed guards that stood directly in front of you, their guns cradle against their chests. For a while you had listened to the men chatter together but they had long since fallen into silence and, for close to an hour now, you had kept your gaze on the floor just in front of your feet, whiling away the time by tracing the pattern of cracks that laced their way over the concrete.You were finding it increasingly difficult to distract yourself from your position though. Despite your lack of movement, your wrists felt like they were rubbed raw from the rope-like bindings, and the cloth in your mouth had been pulled so tight it was becoming painful against the edges of your lips.This wasn’t the first time you’d been in this sort of situation and, regardless of how uncomfortable you were, you knew better than to waste your energy trying to struggle against your restraints - like any other professional, you had briefly tested the bindings within the first few minutes of being alone but quickly come to the conclusion that the material was too strong, and the ropes pulled too tight, for you to have much hope of managing to work yourself free.You had let out a deep sigh into the icy cell then – plenty of time, you had guessed, to think on your mistakes.And think you had done. And you were slowly driving yourself insane over everything you should, or could, have done to avoid this.Lot of good it did you right now.Through the almost painful silence of the room, you heard the crackle of your guard’s ear pieces as new instructions were barked down them. You couldn’t make out any words but glanced up through your lashes as both the men in front of you now stepped forward, moving past you and most likely heading to the door.You resisted the urge to follow them with your eyes, instead dropping your gaze back to the familiar patch of concrete. At least you have some new guys to spice things up, you thought bitterly.Your felt your ears prick up as you heard the distinctive click of heels on the stone floor behind you, but you still didn’t lift your head, listening as the footsteps moved closer, following a similar path to the previous men as they move around you. Out of the corner of your eye you caught a flash of colour, then a pair of smart black dress shoes stepped into view, slightly hidden by the bottom of a pair of dark purple trouser legs.You could make an educated guess who they belonged to. You weren’t sure, however, if you wanted to be right.The man squatted down in front of you now, allowing more of him to come into your field of vision. You could see his white shirt, slightly crumpled, visible below the edge of his green waistcoat, and his long purple trench coat trailing on the floor, open agape to show the red lining within.You still stubbornly refused to lift your head.“Oh, how the great doth fall.” The Joker drawled, and you didn’t need to look up to know he had that sinister grin on his pale face. “And - oh my - now isn’t that a nasty cut…?” He grimaced, bringing one of his hands up to your cup your chin. You flinched at his icy fingers, but he showed no signs of noticing, forcing your head up to study the gash that ran diagonally across your cheek bone, courtesy of some of the men that had tied you up. They hadn’t appreciated your silence, but you still barely even made a whimper when a few of them had decided to take it in turns to have a few shots at you, their ringed knuckles bruising your ribs, cutting your cheek and blackening your eye.The Joker now brushed his thumb along the wound, the contact making it sting like hell - and he knew it – but you just bit down on your tongue, keeping your face passively blank.“So stoic…” He commended with wicked grin and you thought he almost sounded impressed. You wrenched your head back in an attempt to free yourself from his fingers and the Joker let you go, dropping his hand. “Yes…” He murmured to himself. “Seems to be a lot of that around these days…” He mused to himself, his eyes flickering over your face as he studied you. You simply glared back. “Kinda takes the fun outta all of this, though.” He muttered, now pushing off his knees to stand up fully again and turning away from you.“But,” The Joker cried, throwing his hands up in the air, “I’m ever the optimist, doll!” He declared and then seemed to reach inside his coat pocket and you heard the distinct sound of a blade snapping open. “Yes, I’m sure I can find something to entertain myself…” He grinned, turning back to you, the knife aloft in his hand. “After all,” He purred, stepping towards you once more, “you can find fun in the most boring of places,” He grinned cruelly, bending at the hips so his face was level with yours. “If you know where to cut…” You felt the icy blade on your already-cold cheek, but you kept your eyes defiantly on the Joker’s green ones, only inches away from you. He watched your expression as he ran the tip of the knife along your skin and you tried to keep your face blank as you fought the urge to shiver at the caress-like movement, biting on the gag in your mouth. The Joker continued his trail along your skin and it took a moment for your brain to catch up when he finally slid the blade under your gag and easily cut through the material.The Joker rocked back on his heels, letting out a howl of his signature laughter as you spat the rag out in surprise. You made faces as you stretched where you mouth now ached in relief. “How’d you get in here?” You finally growled at him as he continued to laugh away to himself, your voice croaky.“Oh, I dunno!” The Joker cried, slightly out of breath, “The door?!” He exclaimed, his eyes wild to match his grin as he fell back into mad hysterics again.You kept your face relatively neutral through the Joker’s laughing fit, – though it was almost amusing to watch him - waiting for him to calm down enough to be able to talk again. “Why are you here?” You finally asked him, a bored expression on your face to show you weren’t too impressed with his psychotic ways.“Well,” He exclaimed, throwing a hand up dramatically, the other folded behind his back as he paced in front of you, “Dear old Harvey upstairs believes that I hold a similar grudge to what he does, but in fact, my dear,” He purred, now leaning in towards you again, “I’m here to… Let’s say… ‘Buy you off’…” He grinned nefariously.You frowned up at the Joker in confusion and he chuckled pulling back again, clasping his hands behind his back as he once again began to pace causally in front you. “You see, as much as Mr Penny upstairs annoys me, dolly, I don’t really want him dead…” He drawled and paused in his stride to look over at you, “Not yet anyway.” He leered with a wicked grin. “No,” The Joker sighed sadly, continuing his pacing again, “I’ve got too much riding on a particular business deal of his…” He mused to himself, bringing a hand up to his chin and seeming to get lost in thought. You watched him curiously, wondering what was going on in his twisted mind, when the Joker suddenly seemed to remember himself, startling you as he suddenly flung his arms in the air, “Anyway!” He cried, turning to face you again. “I’m here, kiddo, to make you a counter offer…” He exclaimed, beaming at you. “You made quite a splash at the party back there! Ruined my shirt…” He observed his voice turning dark as he pulled at the bottom of his waist coat, glancing down at the speckles of blood that had sprayed over his clothes.“You’d hope the pattern’d hide it…” He mused to himself, “Oh well!” He shrugged theatrically, “Not the first time and not the last time!” He sang with a grin. “I mean, I don’t even bother pre-soaking anymore!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up “I just buy a new one!” He laughed. “The alley outside my place is full of well-dressed tramps!” He cried falling into another fit of laughter and you weren’t sure if anything he just said was true or not.Eventually his laughter subsided again. “You see, darling,” He gasped, “That’s the power of money – a nice suit and all the bloodshed you could wish for…!” He drawled, “But I expect you already knew that, didn’t you…?” He sneered, leaning incredibly close towards you with his twisted grin and you had to fight the instinct to recoil.He let out a bark of laughter, reading the expression on your face, and pulled away from you again, now dancing around you to stand directly behind your chair. Suddenly his hands were on your shoulders and you felt him lean down to your ear. “Gotta, say though, sweetheart,” He hummed, “Can’t help but admire your work back there…” He breathed against your neck. “You’re quite the marksmen…” He commended.“Thanks.” You muttered dryly. “It’s not every day I get complimented on my work…”“Oh, but you should, doll! You should!” He exclaimed, pushing himself off your shoulders and skipping around to stand in front of you again. “It was quite the work of art!” He grinned, throwing his arms up into the air, pitching over backwards slightly as he giggled. He looked almost drunk from where you were sat, unsteady on his feet, as though, if you pushed him, he would just topple over backwards.“I didn’t even hit my target.” You pointed out soberly, confused by his excited behaviour.“No, but you hit everyone else!” He cried, letting out another roar of laughter. “Hoo…” He breathed, “So here’s the deal, kiddo…” He beamed, swaggering towards you, “You drop your current contract and come work for me! And in return… I’ll get you outta this hole…” He growled, glancing around at the concrete walls.“What makes you think I want out of this?” You asked, self-consciously shifting your wrists as much as you could to ease some of the discomfort. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”The Joker giggled at you, stepping back. “Oh, no doubt doll… Left here on your own whilst you’re target paces at ease above you…” He grinned wickedly. “Harv always was one to underestimate a woman… I almost wished you were going to take him out…” The Joker mused sadistically. “But I,” He said, turning his attention back to you, “am offering a far less… ‘risky’ way out…” He paused, watching you slyly for a moment. “For triple.” He finished, his grin wide and sinful.He couldn’t have missed the flicker that crossed your face at the mention of the number. You narrowed your eyes suspiciously, “How can you make that promise?” You scowled. “You don’t even know my price.”“Oooo, just making a rough guess based on today’s market – stocks values and what-not.” He hummed, waving a hand careless around. His eyes flashed to yours again, the dark grin back in place. “I’m guessing something in the region of 50K…?” Something in your face must have given you away again because the corners of the Joker’s grin stretched even further, and he let out another echo-y chuckle. “So whatda ya say, sweetheart?” He asked, leaning back down to your seated level, his green eyes locking on yours. “Fancy workin’ for me?”------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Change of plan Harv! The kid’s coming with me!” The Joker declared as he pushed open the door to a familiar room of the large warehouse, striding confidently in with you in tow behind.Harvey Dent glanced up from he had been leant over the long wooden table in the far corner of the room, several phones and documents laid out before him.“What?!” He roared, making his burnt, mangled side of him look even more hideous. “You can’t just take her! That bitch tried to kill me!”“And now she’s had a change of heart.” The Joker beamed at him, completely unfazed by the deformed man’s temper.“That’s not how this works, clown.” Two-face snarled at him and you noticed Dent’s hand slip silently across the desk.“Look, I know how upsetting this must be for you,” The Joker pouted, “but – hey –“ He threw his arm ups, “she tried to kill me too, but I’ve moved past it!”You watched Harvey’s fingers tense on the table and you reacted instinctively as his dominant hand now moved to his gun holster. You had automatically clocked every weapon the minute you entered the room and you now reached – without thinking – for the nearest one, moving up to the Joker, snatching the pistol from his inner coat pocket and spinning as you did so, placing you exactly where you needed to be to take the shot at Dent.As you did this though, you clocked, out of the corner of your eye, the only two other men in the room who now responded to their boss’s movements and began to run over to the three of you, pulling their own weapons out as they did so. You had initially planned to aim for Dent, but in that split second you changed your mind, swinging the barrel of your gun around to the two running men. You fired two bullets in quick succession. One each. Both men dead before they hit the floor.The Joker’s howl of laughter behind you brought you back to yourself as you now turned the gun back to Two-face who was glaring at you with pure hatred.“It must be hard, Dent,” You faux-pouted. “Barely having enough masculinity for one person… And you have to share it between two.” You taunted childishly with a sneer, daring him to take the shot at you.“Why you little – !” Harvey snarled as the Joker whooped and fell into a fresh fit of laughter, doubling over to brace himself on his legs.You and Dent stared each other down, both trying to convey the most hatred for each other through your glares.“Oh, lighten up, Harv!” The Joker gasped, pushing himself back upright, tears in his eyes. “Clearly our good friend doesn’t find your attempt on his life as amusing as I do, doll.” The Joker hummed, dancing around excited, eager to see what you would do next. You tuned him though, your eyes steady and unyielding on the gun aimed at you, reading every flex of Dent’s muscles, predicting his next action before he’d even thought of them. “Maybe we ought to alter our act to suit his… particular palate…”“Probably only likes double acts…” You muttered, and the Joker hooted loudly behind you.“Hoo hoo! Good one, kiddo!” He cackled.“Maybe you just get out of here before I fill you both with lead.” Dent growled, lifting his hand to show the blackened side of a coin between his fingers, then twisting it around to show the other clean, though slightly scratched, side.“Also a tempting option!” The Joker grinned, jabbing a finger at Dent. “But don’t go wasting too many more of those bright ideas on little ol’ me though, Harv! We all know you only have a limited supply for the year!” He beamed. “Opps, time to go!” The Joker chortled, seeing the look that now came over Dent’s face, grabbing your arm and towing you along with him.You had to smirk.