Adult-FanFiction.org : Comics

Living in Darkness- HIATUS/editing ch 19-25	By : Meursault Category: DC Verse Movies > The Dark Knight Views: 9298 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, nor any of the characters from it. I have not and will not make any money from the writing of this story. All characters are fiction. Story is set after the Dark Knight movie by Christopher Nolan.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Sorry for the delay. Started school again, so the next few chapters will be coming at a slow pace. :(
Chapter Eighteen
After my ear stops aching, I pick up the shattered plates and scattered remnants of food, stacking them in the corner by the door. There are paper towels in the bathroom, and I use those to wipe down the coffee table. Rubbing my shoulder, I turn ‘round the room; everything is clean, and once again there is nothing to do. Slumping on the bed, I think of my family. Are they still searching for me- they must be. It hasn’t been too long long; the police will be looking at least…but even that wouldn’t matter as long as my family hasn’t lost hope. Do they miss me at all? What about my friends; do they just assume I’ve dropped out?
I get off the bed and pace around the room, the soles of my feet brushing lightly against the soft carpet. I shouldn’t think negatively, it gets me nowhere, or as my therapist says, ‘puts me in a depressing cycle’. It would be irrational to believe that my family and friends don’t miss me. Think positively, Elena, think positively.
The hours tick by as I do absolutely nothing, unless brushing my hair and clipping my nails count as productive. Every few minutes I glance at the door, anxiously waiting for someone to collect the remains from lunch. This moment is pivotal, because while I have no chance of escaping the Joker, I could possibly outrun some random guy. It’s then when I have an epiphany.
“God I’m stupid,” I murmur, “Why didn’t I think of this before?” My plan had currently been, whenever the person came, to just bolt like crazy and hope for the best. However, it would be much more useful to actually plan for my escape.
Humming to myself, I go to the wardrobe and pull out a ratty pair of tennis shoes and slip them on my feet. After tying my hair up in a ponytail, I stretch my legs out a bit and sit close to the door. This way, I’ll be ready the second that it opens and hopefully take the guy by surprise. My eyes glaze over the pile of food a few feet away and come to rest on a silver fork. I reach over and grasp the fork, twirling it in my fingers. It’s not a knife, but it’s sharp and could come in handy. At least another hour passes and still no one’s come. By this rate, it’ll be the Joker who opens the door and my preparations will have been for naught. I need to go to the restroom real quick and so leave the fork on the ground as I close the door behind me. As I exit the bathroom, I see the sight before me and stomp on the ground in anger.
“What the fuck?” I storm, unable to control my disappointment.“Seriously? Come on!” The food and broken plates are gone. The fork is gone. My one chance in escaping today is gone due to bad timing. I didn’t even hear the goddamn guy come in and pick everything up! I kick the wall in frustration, leaving behind a black mark.
It’s like they knew I was in the bathroom. My thoughts begin to reel, paranoia seeping through the usual reasonable aspects of my mind. How do they know when I’m in the bathroom? It’s not like there are any windows or peep-holes like in the movie Psycho. Maybe the mirror is one of those two-way glass things? More likely there is a freakin’ security camera hidden somewhere in here. Even though all of this is unlikely, I refuse to believe I missed out on escape because of bad timing- the universe can’t be against me too. I begin to search about the room, seeking for anything that might be a camera. Finally, after a few minutes, a shake my head in disgust.
“What am I doing?” I groan. “There are no cameras. It was just bad luck. Maybe tomorrow…” I stretch my neck and glance up at the ceiling. My gaze comes to rest on quarter-sized black dot. It’s shiny and rounded, and most definitely a lens.
“No way…” I whisper, craning my neck for a better look. Due to my vast knowledge of security cameras (ha) thanks to movies and television, I can defiantly tell it is a camera.
I taunt loudly enough for the camera to hear me. “You just couldn’t leave me alone could you? I thought you trusted me! I’m hurt, really!” I then scoff in anger and utter amazement at the length the Joker goes to keep me in check.
Stalking to the shelf, I grab a random book and push the armchair across the floor until it’s directly under the camera. Balancing on the back of the chair, I prop myself up against the wall and begin smashing the camera with the book. At first, my efforts fruitless. However, using sharp corner of the book, the lens of the video camera begins to crack. One more thrust and the lens shatters, small pieces of glass falling to the ground.
“Ha!” I laugh, jumping down from the armchair. It feels invigorating to have some kind of victory, no matter how small. Hopefully I won’t get too reprimanded; the Joker said himself it was impossible to break out of here. Surely he doesn’t need me watched every minute.
The rest of the afternoon passes quickly and I don’t notice how late it is until my stomach rumbles in hunger. I’m collapsed on the bed with a book when I hear the lock clank into place. The door creaks open and the Joker strolls in.
“Hey,” I say cheerfully. Maybe if I have a good attitude, I won’t get a lecture for breaking the security camera. “How was your afternoon?” I set my book down and sit upright, legs crossed.
The Joker looks more disheveled than usual, which is saying a lot. His clothes are in tatters; the vest is actually singed at the ends and grey with soot. The Joker glances at me, shakes his head, and then stares at the remaining shards of video camera on the ceiling.
“Well, someone’s been a naughty girl today!” he announces with a feral grin as he flings his purple coat onto the ground. “What am I going to have to do with you?”
“Well, you could always just forgive me,” I persuade innocently.
The Joker frowns, pursing his lips and takes a seat by me on the bed. “Now, pray tell me, why would I do something like that?” He smacks his painted lips and eyes me curiously.
I lean my head against the Joker’s arm in a playful manner. He jolts in surprise, and stiffens. “Because,” I tell him, “I am too tired and hungry to fight with you right now.”
The Joker chuckles and stands up, pushing me away. “You’re not very convincing. You already know I don’t care about your wellbeing, so why do you think I would let this go just because you’re hungry? Dumb, dumb, dumb!” He knocks his fist lightly against my head.
He leans forward onto the bed and puts his arms on either side of me. I tilt my head back to put distance between his face and mine. Even after this, we’re only inches apart. In a whisper, the Joker continues, still with a slight smirk etched on his face. “Most importantly though, don’t disrespect me by trying to play me off. We both know you don’t want to be here.” He stands upright and cracks his back.
“What are you talking about?”
“You belong to me, not the other way around. Don’t try to earn my pity by cozying up to me; it doesn’t work like that Elena.”
“I just figured if we start, you know, acting civilly towards each other, we might both benefit from it.” I reason, folding my arms over my chest.
The Joker stares off into space, tapping his fingers against his chin. “What you really mean to say is you’re hoping we can be ‘friends’. For some reason, you believe if this happens I’ll have second thoughts about what…hurting you? HA! Is that it?” The Joker starts laughing loudly, wiping tears from his eyes. “Ahaha, I really thought you had more common sense than that, Elena.” he scolds. “I have no reason not to injure you. Unless you ah, you do everything I demand…without that snippy little attitude of yours.” He scans my face and chuckles softly. “Somehow I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
I make a face. “You’ve got that right. I guess I’ll have to suffer through a few more bruises.”
“Honey, I admire your courage, I really do. However, I have to warn you you’re choosing a very dangerous path. It would be much easier to surrender yourself.”
I flick the air with my hand. “I’m not being courageous, I trying to… you know what? It doesn’t matter. Just know I will not succumb into abject slavery. I will revenge the pain you have inflicted upon me. Before this is over, you will curse the day of your wretched creation.”
The Joker stares at me intently, dark green eyes boring into mine. He’s not trying to provoke, merely studies curiously, as though trying to find the source of this new blatant defiance.
“Are you done?” he asks finally, although many long seconds have passed. I nod, my lips pursed in annoyance. “Good!” the Joker says happily, clapping his hands together. “Now, time for dinner.”
I try to protest, but the Joker grabs my arm and hauls me off the bed, pulling me towards the door. We make a sudden stop under the broken video camera.
“I guess I’ll have to get someone to come replace this tomorrow,” he sighs. “Try to control your temper next time. Money doesn’t grow on tree.”
I mouth twitches in annoyance, “I don’t want a video camera in here.”
The Joker crinkles his eyes at me. “And I don’t care,” he replies. “Oh and I’ll save you some trouble by letting you know I’m covering the new camera with bullet-proof glass. Don’t waste your time trying to break it.”
“Then I’m going to camp out in the bathroom 24/7.”
“Do as you will, kitten.”
I grump in defeat. “Fine, you win Big Brother. And don’t call me kitten.” What am I suppose to do? Build a gun out of a shampoo bottle? No. But I probably will be spending a lot more time in the bathroom. Maybe I can even move some furniture in there.
“Big brother?” the Joker asks suggestively, “is that some kind of sexual nickname? I didn’t know you possessed such incestual fantasies in that little innocent head of yours, Elena.”
I make a sickened face, and take a step back “That’s gross, and I don’t even have a brother. It’s a reference to 1984 by Orwell. The government spies on its citizens…remind you of anyone?” I give him a pointed look. “Come to think of it, more national surveillance wouldn’t be a bad thing. At least there wouldn’t be sick freaks like you wandering about.”
“At least I’m not putting flesh-hungry rats on your face,” the Joker snaps back.
I start for a moment in surprise. “You’ve read 1984?”
“Maybe,” the Joker says with a leer. “I’m just saying you should remember things could be a lot worse for you, if you were in different hands.”
“Wow, lovely, thanks for sharing that with me.” I say sarcastically. I honestly can’t fathom how things could be worse than they already are, rats or no rats.
The Joker ignores the slight, and says quickly, “Really now, enough of this. Let’s eat dinner. But first you need to put your swimsuit on.”
“Why?” I ask suspiciously.
“We’re going swimming,” the Joker chortles in mock enthusiasm.
“Swimming?”
“It’s when you move around like a fish in a body of water- a pool in this case.”
“I know what swimming is,” I assure, rolling my eyes. “But why are we going swimming?” I almost spit out the last two words, still in disbelief.
“Does there have to be a reason?” the Joker asks. “Be happy you get to leave the room.”
That’s true. I’m getting sick of these same four walls. “I don’t have a swimsuit.” I state, looking around the room as if I’ll find one lying around.
The Joker picks up his jacket off the floor and rifles through the pockets, throwing something black at me. “I got this for you. Happy Birthday.”
I hold up the pieces of black spandex. It’s an extremely skimpy bikini. The top isn’t too bad since my tiny boobs can’t pop out of it, no matter how small it is. The bottom piece however, is a thong bikini.
“I’m not wearing this.” I say disgustedly, letting the swimsuit fall to the ground.
The Joker’s flicker down my form, “Swim in your birthday suit then; I won’t complain.”
Despite the suggestion, I wear a pair of dark underwear with the bikini top. I want to wear a shirt over the whole thing, but am anxious of running out of clean clothes. There has been no sign of laundry being done.
The Joker ties a handkerchief around my eyes and leads me through the building. We walk down the long hallway to the elevator and descend to what I think is the ground floor. My bare feet feel the cold tile as we pad down another few hallways. I hear a door open, am pushed another few feet and we stop. The Joker lets go of my arm and I hear another lock click into place. Suddenly, the Joker tugs my blindfold off and my eyes widen.
The pool is beautiful. There aren’t any pool lights, so the water is dark like a lagoon. In fact, everything about the pool reminds me of a tropical paradise. There is a waterfall that streams into the pool, rippling the otherwise calm surface. Fresh flowers are planted in groups around the body of water. The air doesn’t smell like chlorine but sweet, like fruit. Drooping from the ceiling are vines with large green leaves and pink flowers. The lights are dimmed and the only other light comes from the skylight, where I can just make out the edge of the moon. It would have been extremely romantic, had I been with anyone besides the monster standing behind me.
“This way,” the Joker says, taking my hand and leading me to a small table by the pool. I take a seat in one of the two empty chairs, my eyes lighting up and the sight of food. The main course is steak, so either the Joker forgot I’m a vegetarian or does not care. Besides that, there are some nicely cooked vegetables, fruit, some kind of pasta salad and soft wheat rolls to partake of.
The Joker pours me a glass of red wine. “Thank you,” I say, smiling slightly. “Hey this is different. Usually I’m the one serving you.”
The Joker shrugs his shoulders. “Well, we are on vacation.” We eat in silence. I try to not watch the Joker eat, as it’s not a pretty sight. I quickly finish my glass of wine and the Joker pours me another.
“This is good wine, what kind is it?” I inquire.
“I don’t know,” the Joker says with a huff, “I didn’t pick it out. I just found it in some rich guy’s house.” The Joker chews his steak loudly. “You’re twenty or so, aren’t you Elena?”
I frown and pop a grape in my mouth. “Yes, why?”
“You’ve drunk alcohol before? I wouldn’t peg you for the type.”
“I’m in college, most kids drink in college.”
“Still,” he persists, “you’re always following the rules, mine being the exception. You’ve never been in trouble with the law. Why disobey on this one thing?”
I ignore the fact he knows somehow that I’ve never been in trouble with the police. “It’s hard not to drink at parties when everyone else is, and then there’s curiosity. And I have to admit, although it has consequences, alcohol is a great distraction.” I take another sip of wine.
“In my opinion, the drinking age should be lowered. That way, teens will be more likely to get drunk at home with their families or close friends. They’ll understand the consequence of drinking too much before they can even drive.”
The Joker frowns slightly. “It’s different for you though,” he dictates, “you’re not a parent. Maybe you’re opinion will change when you have a kid who wants to start drinking at thirteen. That is, if you live long enough to have a kid.”
“You know, you don’t always have to bring up the fact that you might kill me,” I say, fury creeping into my voice.
The Joker’s eyes widen. “Oh, I apologize. I, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just maybe you’ll get in an accident or hey, maybe you’ll even kill yourself before you have a kid. You just interpreted it the wrong way.”
“Whoops, my bad!” I seethe quietly. After a few minutes I restart the conversation we were having. “I don’t know what I’ll decide when I have children. All I know is, my parents allow me to drink, although I’m not of age yet and have taught me to drink responsibly. It’s worked well for the most part.”
“But not always?” the Joker stresses curiously.
“Well, of course not always. I think everyone gets hungover a few times in their life. I’m a real light-weight; I’ve had to practice a lot on learning my limit.”
“What’s your limit?”
“I can have three glasses of wine within two hours at the most. I can’t have four glasses though, not even if I only drink one an hour. Three is my limit. And no hard alcohol.”
“You must be sooo fun at parties,” the Joker concludes, a predatory smile creeping up his face.
“I was fun at the few parties I went to. I just couldn’t take shots; it didn’t stop me from enjoying myself.” I pause and look him in the eyes. “This is weird, talking about parties and drinking with you, like you’re another normal person.”
The Joker’s smile is now spread across his face, the ever-present paint glowing in the dim lights. “What do you mean, ‘like another normal person’?”
“Normal being an average sane person, I guess. Which you are not. You’re not like me and my friends who go to school and talk about movies and music and drinking.”
The Joker chuckles. “You are far from being a normal person, Elena.”
“Maybe I’m not a ‘normal’ person,” I deicide, “but I’m not abnormal. I don’t go around killing people.”
“Dearie, you tried to kill yourself.” the Joker taunts sinisterly.
“Will you stop bringing that up?” I exclaim, “It’s the only thing you have against me. Yes, I tried to kill myself, who cares?! That doesn’t mean I’m like you.”
I stand up, drain the last of my wine and walk over to the pool, swaying a little. The inky water looks dark and mysterious; I jump in without a second thought. I’m surprised to find the pool pleasantly warm against my skin. I know it’s cliché, but I love swimming. There’s nothing more thrilling than the feeling of water enveloping your body. It’s like being in an alternate universe of pure magic. I take a deep breath and dive to the bottom of the pool, swimming down through the black water. It’s almost impossible to see anything without a light. Had I been spinning, I wouldn’t know which way was up. Finally, my lungs begin to give, and I kick back to the surface, taking in large gulps of air. I smooth my wet hair down and float on my back with my eyes closed. All sounds of the outside world disappear, and I almost forget about the Joker and my family and the depression. For a second, everything is peaceful- almost like death, except without the sorrow.
Slowly, I open my eyes and take in the sight above me. A shining orb, not quite matured, peeps out from behind a cloud. In a surprising way, the moon gives me hope. No matter how much pain and suffering people endure here on earth, there is beauty up there that darkness cannot touch.
I close my eyes again, and begin to drift off into dreams when I hear a splash and get a face full of water simultaneously. I gag as water goes down my windpipe and quickly stand upright in the pool, walking towards the side. After a few forceful coughs, I’m able to breathe again. I take a deep breath and wipe the tears of effort from my eyes.
Turning around, I see the Joker on the other side of the pool, face-paint still intact despite the water. “What’d you do that for?” I glower. “You made me choke on water.”
The Joker shrugs his shoulders. “It’s a pool; you can’t get pissed if you get wet.” He then smiles broadly and ducks underwater. I scan the dark waters lazily but can see no sight of him. Suddenly, the Joker pops right out in front of me, spraying me with another face-full of water. It isn’t until I blink the liquid from my eyes that I realize the compromising position I’m in. The Joker towers above me, bare chest gleaming as white as the moon, crisscrossed with pale scars.
With my back to the wall, I have absolutely no room to back up, nor any space to make a quick getaway. Despite myself, I can’t help but notice the toned muscles of the Joker’s otherwise lean body. I dart my eyes to his face and blush fiercely as his eyes meet mine. Had he seen my eyes flickering over his body? A cat-like smile curls up on his face, confirming my suspicions. Quickly, I turn my face away, finding the flowers by the pool curiously interesting.
“So…” I mumble, “I’m surprised you’re in here. I didn’t think you’d be into swimming.”
“I’m not,” the Joker replies, an obvious fire burning behind his eyes. “It’s bad for my complexion.” He touches his face gently and then looks at his hand and smirks. “But you’re in here, so I’ll make an exception.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice.” I say awkwardly, sliding my back along the wall. The Joker however, moves with me so the distance between us doesn’t increase in the slightest.
I sigh, “Can you please scoot back and give me some room?”
The Joker raises his eyebrows in what I’m sure is mock confusion. “Why?”
“I obviously feel uncomfortable with you so close to me,” I huff. “But you already know that. Actually,” I point out, “I know you’re doing it on purpose just to provoke me.”
“Heh heh, you’ve got that right, dearie.” Before I can protest, he steps in my direction, closing the gap between us and grabs me by the waist, pushing me forcefully against the wall of the pool. His chest is so close to my face, I could lick it. Instead, I place my hands against his chest and push forcefully, but it’s like trying to shove a cliff. I drop my arms and lean my head up to meet his gaze, frowning.
“Let go of me.” I insist. The Joker only tightens his grip of my waist and presses himself against me, clearly enjoying my annoyance. As I fight half-heartedly to get away, passionate laughter rings out.
“Obviously, you’re having a blast,” I fume through gritted teeth. “But I’m not. Now, get away from me!”
“Aww, Elena. But this is fun!” the Joker runs his hands up and down the sides of my waist. “You need to lighten up!”
I lean all my body weight onto his arms, trying to break his hold, but he only giggles. “Oh, it’s so cute to see you try and be all strong. Bet you’re wishing you worked out more, am I right?”
“Shut up!” I yell fiercely, struggling against his iron grip. Seconds pass, and I stop struggling, realizing there’s no use in wasting my energy. The best thing I can do is wait for him to get bored. We stand there as the minutes tick by; him with his arms around my waist, drumming his fingers against my back, never taking his eyes off me. I lean as far back as I can, my arms resting against the ledge of the pool.
“Are you done annoying me yet?” I finally ask impatiently. “This is stupid.” Suddenly, I feel something move up against the inside of my thigh. I breathe in deeply to keep myself from freaking out. I often let my imagination get the best of me. “Are there fish in here? Or other animals? I really don’t like fish much.”
The Joker eyes me curiously, smile deepening. “Not that I know of.”
I look down into water, but can’t see a thing. Taking another breath, I reach over the Jokers arm and grab whatever’s on my leg. Blindly, I grasp the object with my hand. It moves a bit. Well, it’s not a fish… it firm but soft and long. I run my hand down the object. What? Oh…fuck. Screaming in absolute disgust, I let go of the Joker’s protruding erection.
“Fuck you!” I shriek in bloody rage as I try to wriggle away in a complete frenzy. Smirking, the Joker steps back and allows me to prop myself out of the pool.
“What’s wrong, Elena?” he chortles arrogantly as I climb shakily to my feet. My body is quivering with utter repulsion and fury as I point a trembling finger at him.
“You sick fuck,” I yell. “What’s wrong with you? Jesus Christ, you fucking weirdo!” I groan and run my fingers through my damp hair, feeling nauseous.
“It’s not like it’s anything new. You’ve felt it before…in your mouth at least,” the Joker reasons, smirking broadly.
“I didn’t know you were naked!” I shriek. “You, you violated me. Fuck you! I don’t care that ‘it’s nothing new’! You’re disgusting.” I walk over to the table and grab my somehow full glass of wine, taking a long draught.
The Joker walks towards the stairs of the pool. “No! Do not get out!” I demand.
The Joker ignores me and continues to make his way to the stairs. “Are you deaf?” I scream hoarsely, “Don’t get out of the pool! Motherfucker…” I whisper as an afterthought.
He stops and grins at me. “You shouldn’t throw around harsh words so liberally, angel face. Once you’ve said something, you can’t unsay it.”
“Good,” I fume. “I want you to remember what I think of you.”
“Likewise,” the Joker leers, “it’s unwise for you to act so rude. Considering everything, I’ve been pretty generous. However, that can all be taken away.”
I laugh loudly, taking another gulp of wine. I know I should slow down, but my loathing for the Joker has left me haphazard. “How can you say that with a straight face? How have you been generous?”
The Joker slowly begins to walk up the pool stairs, baring more and more skin. “Before this, despite going to therapy, you were on the verge of committing suicide again. I saved you from that fate. You-”
“Don’t get out.” I interrupt. The Joker eyes me appraisingly and continues to ascend. I refuse to look at him and spin around, facing the dining table. Behind me, I hear the small splash of water indicating he’s gotten out of the pool.
“As I was saying,” the Joker continues, “I’ve provided food, shelter, and companionship.” I can’t help muttering the word ‘questionable,’ to myself.
“Besides that, I’ve given you a piano, books, nice clothes, your medication. You’ve slept in a bed, you’ve taken hot showers. How can you say I’m not generous?”
“If you were as generous as you claim, you’d let me go.” I protest firmly. I can feel the Joker standing right behind me now and force myself not run. His hands come up and firmly hold onto my shoulders.
The Joker leans over my shoulder, sliding his face next to mine. I feel the tickle of his lips on my ear. “Here’s the problem sweetie, the one thing that trumps my generosity is my selfishness. Funny huh? I would let you go, but my need for you is great. Besides,” he adds, “if I let you go back to your normal life, you’d be miserable. You’d lock yourself in your apartment and cry yourself to sleep, wishing to be magically cured of your depression, but not willing to do anything proactive. Such a sad existence,” he ends with a growl.
Tears of fear begin to trickle out of my eyes. It’s the first time I’ve cried in front of the Joker in a long time. The alcohol is getting to me, usually three glasses of wine doesn’t make me so emotional. Already, I know this is not going to end well.I struggle to release his hold of my shoulders, but he only tightens the grip. “A-ta-ta-ta, calm down now. All I want is for you to be more grateful. That’s all. You don’t know how good you have it. And with all your audacity and cursing, you’ve been quite cruel.” he chuckles. I gasp as he bites my ear and whispers hotly, “You know, I can be just as cruel as you.”
With that, he lets go of my shoulders.
- 17
- 18
- 19
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Living in Darkness- HIATUS/editing ch 19-25