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Laughter in the Dark	By : FlameWolf666 Category: DC Verse Movies > The Dark Knight Views: 9317 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Dark Knight or the Batman franchise. This story is just for fun and no profit will be made from it.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Author’s Note: I must say, I have been having blast writing Joker. He’s so... odd.

Chapter Eleven: Home Sweet Warehouse
    The smell of something coppery and the feeling of something sticky on her hands. Darkness and her heart beating in her ears as she listened to a familiar voice calling her name sweetly. Blinding light as the closet door opened. Blood, panic, screaming! George! Daddy! Mommy! Uncle Dave help! Screaming, screaming, screaming and then harsh shaking. “No, no, no,” came a voice as if through a fog and sounding miles away. Yet the voice sounded like hers and she slowly found herself leaving the land of blood and death. Slowly swimming upward through molasses and still the screaming continues as does the shaking.
    “Turn her sideways! She’s vomiting!” came an urgent order from a very familiar voice. Then she was jerked roughly to the side as her body heaved and what she had eaten for breakfast left her stomach in a hot rush. The substance hit what sounded like a concrete floor but she could focus on that right now. All she could focus on was the sickening pounding of her head and the severe disorientation she felt.
    “What the hell was that?!” came a shaken, pissed off sounding voice right behind her as she continued to expel her meal. Soon there was nothing left and her stomach began to settle, though the smell of slightly used eggs in the air honestly didn’t help.
    “N-nightmare,” she gasped out as she tried to catch her breath. It was so fucking bright in here! The light was like a jagged knife in her brain and she found herself whimpering as she shielded her aching eyes with an arm.
    “Must have been some fucking nightmare,” replied the voice from behind her as someone got up and moved across the room. Then the light was turned off, only a dim glow in the background left.
    Marie could only hum her agreement, keeping her eyes shut as her brain throbbed between her temples. If she never had to be chloroformed again, it would be too soon. “I know it’s a bit of a stretch but would either of you happen to have an aspirin and a glass of water?” the pained female asked in a voice that was much too weak for her liking. She almost sounded like a child pleading for a teddy bear.
    “Of course, we had one waiting for when you woke up,” came the other voice, the sound moving closer as something cool and cylindrical was pressed into the hand that wasn’t draped over her eyes.
    “Thank you,” she whispered, sitting up slowly and opening her eyes just a crack. She could make out the dim shapes of two men as well as the fact that she seemed to be in some sort of warehouse.
    Her memories slowly coming back, Marie found herself oddly calm. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that she wasn’t restrained and the two that had kidnapped her were now seeing to her comfort. It was an odd world she lived in when two criminals treated her better than her current boyfriend ever did. Shaking off the thought, the blonde held out her hand toward the thinner figure that she assumed was Crane. Two pills were then placed in her palm and she swallowed them as her vision slowly cleared enough to make out who was who. “Thanks Jonathan,” she murmured, giving him a grateful smile.
    “Yanno, most people would be a bit more cautious about taking shit someone like Crane gave them,” Joker observed from her left side. Marie only shrugged as she lay back down to let the pain subside.
    “Either way I’m dead, I just get to choose how I die in this circumstance,” the blonde
replied in a weary voice, not daring to turn her head due to the sick throbbing in her skull.
    “What did he do to you? Why do you stay with him?” Crane snarled from by her head as his fingers gingerly played with her temples.
    “It’s a very long story, not all of it I’m comfortable sharing,” she replied, jumping slightly when she heard a new set of footsteps approaching.
    “We got her shit loaded in yer room boss,” came a thickly accented, fairly stereotypical thug voice. Just hearing that very nearly made her giggle, making her wonder if she had retained some sort of damage from the chloroform. Then it dawned on her what the man said and she immediately sat up.
    “What?! How long are you going to keep me here?” the Psychologist asked, the room spinning and instantly making her regret moving so quickly. Then she was dry heaving over the side of the raised gurney she had been placed on, long strings of saliva leaving her mouth due to lack of anything in her stomach.
    “Fuck, send someone in to clean this mess up and fetch some dramamine,” the green haired criminal bit out while Crane rubbed her back in soothing circles. Then the intruder was gone, leaving her alone with the pair of killers.
    “You never answered my question,” Marie croaked once the heaving had stopped, laying on her back as she shut her eyes again. Thankfully the medicine was beginning to kick in and the sickening pain caused by the chloroform was beginning to recede.
    “Call it indefinite accommodations,” Joker replied, his voice holding an odd edge as he seemed torn between watching the entry and keeping an eye on her.
    “Mmm, what’s the star rating of this joint? Is it any better than the place I worked at?” the blonde replied dryly, smirking when the purple clad criminal beside her let out a quiet chuckle.
    “It ain’t the ritz but no one will bother ya. There’s always food in the kitchen but there isn’t much of a view,” he responded, looking up at Crane who simply continued examining her.
    “It appears to be a bad hang over caused by the chloroform,” the former Psychiatrist responded, as if answered a question that hadn’t been asked. It was at that moment that the thug from before returned with the dramamine and a rag. Thankfully he didn’t take long to mop up the vomit and leave once more.
    “Yeah, if it’s all the same to you guys I would prefer not to do that again,” the prone woman requested weakly, the pain in her head dimming to nothing more than a headache as she watched the man leave. Soon it wouldn’t even be that, something she was honestly grateful for.
    “Craney, would ya go see how Jasper is doin?” Joker asked, something in his slightly nasally voice telling her there was another reason. The taller, more thin male only nodded compliantly before leaving the two of them alone.
    Silence stretched between them as Marie gathered her strength, slowly sitting up and cradling her head like a faberge egg. “Jasper huh? You really went all out. Just what did you grab from my apartment and how did you get it all here without being seen?” the twenty-eight year old asked, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the metal bed she lay on.
    “What the Hell was all of that about Marie?” came an uncharacteristically concerned voice, nearly making her jump out of her skin. Surely that couldn’t have been Joker? He almost sounded scared by her simple nightmare.
    “I already told you what it was,” she replied, some of the panic from the dream returning. It was a memory about the night her boyfriend died but everything was wrong. Her parents were dead and their blood was on her hands. Shaking off the unpleasant memory, the casually dressed woman looked up to see a frustrated ‘Clown Prince’ glowering down at her.
    “That didn’t seem like a nightmare Doc, I’ve had enough to know. That seemed like a suppressed memory,” he murmured in an oddly serious voice, his green eyes seeming to search her for something.
    At that moment it struck her as oddly funny to see Joker doing her job and on her no less. Giggling at the absurdity, Marie only shook her head. “Are you playing Psychologist Joker? That’s unexpected coming from you. Look, it’s just a nightmare that I really don’t want to discuss the details of,” she replied, not wanting to go down this avenue right now; least of all with the criminal in front of her.
    “You were acting like your were being attacked or were attacking someone. You gave me a few, uh, war wounds to remember ya by when I tried to restrain your thrashing,” the decorated male responded as he showed her his bare forearm. There were several nasty looking scratches, looking as if she had tried to sharpen a pair of scissors on him.
    “Holy shit! Have you gotten those looked at?” was the first thing out of her mouth, her inner doctor kicking in as she slid off the wheeled gurney and took the injured appendage in gentle hands. The murderer only gave her a bemused look before tugging his arm out of her grasp.
    “Who’s George?” he asked suddenly, his eyes watching her carefully for her reaction.
    Marie jolted in place, the name familiar but not. Just hearing it brought back memories of her nightmare all too clearly. “I... I don’t know,” she whispered in a confused, lost sounding voice. Then she seemed to shrug it off as if it didn’t matter, taking his injured forearm in her hands again.
    “Though that doesn’t really matter right now. Where do you keep first aid supplies?” the concerned female asked, determined to avoid this subject for now. She had no idea just what was going on but it felt like it was getting too close to something for her own comfort, something dark and long buried. Once again Joker tugged his arm free of her hold, giving her an impatient glare.
    “I’d say it matters. You didn’t see the way you were thrashing around or hear you screaming like you were being murdered,” he responded, a firm tone to his voice that told her he was anything but willing to let this go.
    “I really don’t want to talk about it. I mean, are you going to tell me all of your dark secrets?” Marie hissed irritably. His persistent questioning was only causing things to stir up in her head more and she simply didn’t want to think about it. That night had been one of the worst in her entire life, she didn’t need her mind’s fabrication to make it any worse. Yet something deep inside her told her there was something more to these nightmares.
    Joker pursed his ruby lips at her words, his scars giving his expression an even more sinister look. Then he was bowing to her and offering her his uninjured arm. “Shall I show ya around the place? It’s not much but we like to call it home,” the criminal offered, moving on as if their previous conversation had never happened. Marie could only give him a confused glance before simply shrugging and giving him her arm. If she was going to be here awhile, she would have to learn to take odd behavior in stride. The bright side was that her time working at Arkham had well prepared her for that.
    “Who all is we? Somehow I doubt you and Jonathan were always so chummy,” the blonde asked as he led her into a surprisingly well furnished living area. The area behind her must be used for storage and a pseudo sickbay for those injured in heists.
    There was a large kitchen and dining area with a living room in close proximity to the kitchen. Said living room was filled with large couches and a few odd chairs, all pointed to face a rather nice T.V. Currently there was an emergency bulletin about Joker’s escape from Arkham, along with a lot of other super villains. Some of the people released were even more dangerous than the man slightly off to her left. Of course all of Joker’s men laughed at this while they either stuffed their faces or picked at their crotch. “Ah, so that’s the mysterious ‘we’,” Marie found herself joking, a bit surprised at herself.
    It was then a realization smacked into her like a ten ton truck. She was actually happy and relaxed. In a den of murderers, thieves, rapists and villains she felt more at home than she had in years, a fact that shocked her to her very core. Had Roger really made her existence that miserable? At that thought, another, more unwelcome realization washed over her. Roger. If she disappeared, what would he do to her sister and her children? Her mother? They were the last family she had left. All at once panic filled her and she swayed slightly on her feet.
    Joker, who was right beside her, was supporting her in moments; his painted brow furrowed. Then he was scooping her into his incredibly strong arms and carrying her past the living room, heading to some stairs that lead up to an office area. Mounting the metal steps two at a time, the green haired male kept his grip on her tight as he kicked open his slightly open door. Jasper, who had been sleeping on the bed like he belonged there, jolted up at the sound; giving the pair an offended look before crawling under the piece of furniture.
    Ignoring the feline, the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ set the Psychologist on his purple sheets before shutting the door and locking it. Then he was turning to quirk a brow at her, crossing his purple clad arms as he gave her a rather impatient gaze. The black around his eyes only gave him a haunting look, accentuating his glittering, hazel eyes. “Care to explain just what’s botherin’ ya?” he growled, his voice tinged with frustration. Just his tone told her he had enough of all her odd behavior and he wasn’t going to let this one go.
    “M-my boyfriend. I... I need to know how you left my apartment,” the sincerely frightened blonde replied, her stormy eyes wide with terror. The criminal before her only tilted his head in confusion, his brow furrowing as he pursed his red lips.
    “We made it look like ya had been kidnapped by yours truly. Even left my calling card. Why?” he replied, a gloved index finger tapping his right bicep.
    “R... my boyfriend... He made it very clear that if I ever disappeared that... I just can’t take the chance of him thinking I ran away,” Marie replied, relaxing slightly but still looking worried. Would Roger buy the ruse? Granted it wasn’t really a trick. Crane and Joker had kidnapped her but it had probably been the most gentle kidnapping in history. In fact, she was being treated more like a roommate than a captive.
    “Marie, I am over all the obfuscations... Either you tell me what’s going on or we’re going to have, uh, a problem,” the dangerous male ground out, his voice letting her know all of his patience had been used up for the day.
    “I... I just can’t there are more people involved than just me. People that mean a lot to me. What makes you think threats will work on me when I stayed with my boyfriend knowing he could kill me? Do you honestly think I would have stayed if I had any choice?” she retorted, nervous despite what she had just said. She had no desire to die but she wasn’t going to be forced into something because she was threatened with death. To be honest, if she had to be killed; she would rather it be Joker or Jonathan. They would probably make sure it was as quick and painless as possible. Roger would want to see her suffer, getting some sick thrill out of her pain and screams.
    Joker only stared down at her before releasing a rather bitter sounding snort of laughter. “Ya go me there. Look Doc, I’ll let ya keep this a secret for now but just know I’m not a very patient man. If this becomes a problem again, I will need you to tell me just what the fuck is going on,” he hissed, frustration tinging his mid-tone voice as he ran a leather covered hand through his dyed locks. Marie could only snort as she rolled her eyes. Still, she knew she couldn’t keep her secrets forever. With the connections he had, Roger was bound to become a pain sooner rather than later.
    Suddenly she found herself being yanked to her feet by her arms, her arm forcibly entwined with his as he jerked her back to the door and unlocked it. “Come on, I gotta make the introductions,” the irritated criminal bit out, dragging her beside him as he rushed her back downstairs. With all the rapid location changes, the blonde found her head spinning just a bit as she was dragged back into the living room. When she came back to her senses, she found herself standing in front of the T.V.; facing a large group of rather irritated men.
    “Listen up cause I’m only going to say this once. Penalty for disobeying this rule will result in death and I won’t exactly stop to listen to excuses. You all see this woman? She is mine. Just consider her having a sign on her that says ‘Property of J’. If any of you touches her in an inappropriate manner, well you already know what’ll happen,” the taller male snarled, his hazel eyes holding a steel edge as he surveyed his henchmen.
    Marie could only stand beside him in stunned silence, letting his words and actions sink in. On one hand, it galled her to be referred to as anyone’s property. On the other hand, that was probably the only thing these men would understand. In his own way, the killer was trying to make sure she would be safe when neither he or Crane could be here. “Do you think you could eat? You must have a pretty empty stomach right now,” came a gentle voice from the kitchen, drawing her attention to Jonathan. The feared murderer was once again cooking, humming a happy tune as his bony hips wiggled slightly.
    “Uh,” the thrown off female replied, her growling stomach answering for her. Both villains chuckled at her, the tux wearing male next to her leading her to the table and pulling out a chair for her.
    Blinking at Joker because of the unexpected gesture, the Psychologist sat at the table; unsurprised with the clown chose a seat next to her. In fact, he sat so close his thigh was brushing against hers; making her squirm slightly. Without the handy mask of professionalism, Marie found it much harder to get control over her odd feeling and urges. His closeness was doing odd things to her insides and she found herself fighting the urge to reach over and place her hand on his. Nibbling her lip as she desperately tried to ignore this distressing development, the blonde forced herself to focus on Crane and breakfast. She never noticed Joker watching her closely, a slight smirk on his painted lips.
- 10
- 11
- 12
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Laughter in the Dark