Prologue

194 4 0
                                    

When I was ten years old, a man took me under his wing after my blood-related family died in a car accident. The man's name? He didn't have a real one to go by... he simply went by Joker, or the Joker...

He was an absolute maniac, constantly shooting people, bombing buildings and finding elaborate ways to play with his prey. It used to scare me as a child, but I became used to it as I got older. I knew, deep down in my heart, that what he was doing wasn't right. But, I didn't say anything as he was the only thing close to a foster parent.

Well, him and former doctor, Harleen Quinzel, or Harley Quinn...

As I got older, I grew lonely and a little depressed. It became increasingly difficult being the only 14 to 15-year-old in my father's crew. I say that like I was a part of his crew when I was really just an onlooker or wallflower. All of the thugs were in their 30s and 40s and were a bunch of sleazebags. For once, I wanted a friend my age to talk to and who won't judge me for being the Clown's Daughter. Someone who understands me and sees the real me... the me I don't show around my dad.

That was until I met the boy wonder, Robin. He saved me when one of my dad's thugs threatened to kill me, in order to keep him at a distance. What a bunch of cowards... being scared of a teenage boy in a costume and using me as a human shield or distraction. Robin managed to disarm him and beat up the other guy with him. He then was allowed to deduce that I was Joker's daughter. At first, he thought biologically, to which I said...

"Ew! What?! No! Do I have the bleached white skin of a mentally unstable circus clown? He literally unofficially adopted me after my blood family died in a car accident! Good God..."

He laughed at my reaction and said...

"Sorry. I couldn't tell because that bastard is hard to identify... at least, according to Batman. Sorry about the mix-up."

"It's fine, just don't compare me to that maniac..."

I forgave him for the confusion...

At that moment, an unlikely friendship came about...

We would go out and do things without telling our family where we were going or what we were doing. Sometimes, it would be in the middle of the day, while other times, we would order fast food or stargaze during some of his patrols.

During that time, he told me his real name. Jason Todd...

I was ecstatic to learn who he really was under the mask. Of course, I didn't tell my dad or anyone else who he was or even that we had been meeting up. I couldn't let him ruin my newfound friendship...

Regardless, I looked forward to every moment we spent together. I cherished the time we would spend, talking and just being two kids with little care in the world. I just wanted to keep seeing him and talking to him. And as time went on... I started to develop feelings for him...

I know that's really crazy, being the young wards of the two biggest opposing forces. Plus, that would be putting us at a lot more risk than what we were already doing... but, I was willing to take the risk... if Jason was...

I even told Jason not to go after the Joker all by himself or without Batman. It would only get him hurt... or worse...

But, little did I or my naive little heart know...

That our friendship would end in heartache...

After my father kidnapped, tortured and killed a bunch of little kids, Jason ran after the Joker alone, completely ignoring Batman's order to stand down. Jason had always told me that he had a soft spot for children, which I admired deeply. But, he still went after the clown, despite my warnings to him. My father and his thugs then ambushed and kidnapped Jason, bringing him to an abandoned part of Arkham Asylum, thanks to some guards on payroll.

Batman: Arkham Echo (Joker's Daughter AU! OC Arkhamverse Fanfic)Where stories live. Discover now