P o s s e s s i v e m u c h ? Batmanxjoker

12- ESCAPE

"So, you're telling me, the same Joker you have locked down there is 17 years of age?" Alfred queried. He found hard to accept the unanticipated new Bruce had broken to him this morning. Alfred thought Bruce had lost marbles when his young master came barging into the kitchen, telling of the Joker's sudden adolescence. The butler looked at him with unbelieving and skeptical eyes.

He's gone stark raving mad! Alfred considered. It wasn't until Bruce provided him with Mr Fox's convincing evidence that Alfred could slight grasp the concept. He was stunned so shocked he was unable to speak, had normal to react. How could he react. Alfred found it to be a paradox.

"Believe me, I can't fathom it myself." Bruce said more annoyed than shocked, the shock had worn out after the a night of over-thinking. Bruce eyebrows furrowed, a tingling feeling of annoyance had been following Bruce since last night. Every time the Joker crossed his mind, the feeling of irritation followed. Last night's antics with the clown left a sour taste in his mouth, he wasn't used to being insulted or belittled by the Joker in such a blatant way. His bitchy attitude made Bruce's skin boil. What surprised Bruce even more were the insults had gotten under his skin, it made Bruce feel immature and that made Bruce even angrier at the Joker.

"How is that possible?" Alfred asked, even though Bruce had explained it to him the whole morning. Quite frankly Alfred didn't think there would be any explanation to wrap his mind around.

"Scarecrow, that's how." Bruce repeated.

I say! These villains are getting more bolder . Alfred could only imagine what crazy the plan they would concoct soon, if Scarecrow could do this to the Joker, Alfred only feared what he could to civilians.

"Well this makes things ten times, worse." Alfred mumbled.

"You have no idea, mix the Joker's psychotic nature with impulses of a teenager and you can only get a whole lot of trouble." Bruce muttered. Alfred frowned, that's not what he had meant, his mind was more occupied with what Scarecrow could do with such power.

Of course Bruce thought of Joker first. Alfred worried with Joker staying under Wayne manor with every passing second, there was a dangerous possibility that Batman's obsession with stopping the Joker would become worse. He had kidnapped him after all. But if Joker was seventeen, things had gotten a lot more technical. Alfred frowned suddenly, a pang of achievement hit him.

"Wait so does this technically mean you're harboring a minor?" Alfred asked. Joker was now technically a child under the law. For a flash second Alfred wondered what the Joker was feeling right now. Bruce scrunched his face up in disagreement. Yeah, he's 17 but he's still the Joker.

"Don't think of it like that, I shouldn't act a curtain way just because he's a different age." Bruce reminded.

"How else I my supposed to think of it?" Alfred shrugged, "A teen is a teen." Now that he thought about it really was bad. Batman had kidnapped a person! Something hero's didn't do even if the person was the Joker. Alfred felt sick now he knew the Joker was just a teenager, if only he had grabbed Bruce by the ear, and forced him to turn in the Joker. Bruce looked at Alfred, who was sporting the same disappointed look, he knew a lecture was coming.

Ah no . Bruce thought, I know what I did was bad, but don't have time to be guilty. Not today at least.

"Look Alfred, I have things to do today that don't involve Batman I'm going to check on him before going to work." Batman excused himself.

"Hmm." Was all Alfred could respond still discouraged. Bruce sighed and left Wayne manor going down into the bat cave, where another problem waited for him below.

"Joker." Bruce huffed displeased.

****** 🐧

Joker despite sleep for what felt like hours, woke up groggy and tired, his whole body felt numb as he wriggled around, trying to shake the sleep away. He gazed around lazily, still laying down. The dark, forbidding lights and subterranean setting immediately reminded him of where he was.

Oh right, Batsy, kidnapped me. He thought slowly, he sighed unhappily remembering the past events the night before, fortunately he wasn't in the mood to be angry. Joker sat up, noticing he wasn't tied up with ropes, a good change for once. Joker sat up, legs crossed, able to move around more freely. He didn't understand why the hero had left him untied like this, but Joker didn't complain. However as tried to get off the surgical table, Joker soon realized fate wasn't as kind to him. Joker had gotten his hopes too high. He felt a force pull him back to the table, he looked back. One of his arms had been tightly shackled to a leg of one of the table, via a handcuff.

Well this makes much more sense, no way Batsy could be that nice. Joker huffed. Joker blinked, his eyes rather droopy and body senseless, he felt heavy, after all that movement.

God did he fucking use a tranquilliser? It was such a strong sedative, the clown found it hard to move or think. Joker scratched the back of his head looking around . I need to get out of here. He looked back at the hand cuff which so tightly bound around his wrist. He needed to get it off and get it off fast, before thinking about anything else. Well at least before the Batman came in.

He probably knows already, and will be ready to hand me over to Gordon's ! He imagined horrified, Batman turning him in, the mob losing faith and his total reign of anarchy and control diminishing before his very eyes. Joker bit his lip, the thought that Batman could possibly know his secret wasn't set in stone yet. Maybe the blood test fail and all the drugs left my system. Joker thought hopefully but not convincingly.

Well I don't want to stay here and find out . That's why he needed to think fast, come up with a solution soon. Joker scourged through his pockets, maybe a weapon or of his dangerous toys could suffice.

"What the?" Joker squeaked. His eyed widened whilst patting around in his pockets. There was nothing but blank space. The Joker began to panic, muttering "no." repeatedly.

He took my weapons , the clown gasped. That bastard! He just keeps annoying me. Joker groaned. But it was to be expected, Batman was a smart detective, so of course he wouldn't be dumb enough to allow Joker to possess a pocket full of weapons.

Wow, I'm surprised he hasn't taken off my makeup! Joker thought sarcastically, though he joked about it the prospect scared him very much. Joker began to chew on his bottom lip whilst thinking. With no weapons Joker had nothing, no means of escape. He could only think of one idea now.

Joker had one last option; the emergency fail safe.

Use only in a time of emergency. A cautious warning, he always reminded himself. Joker didn't use this fail safe much, it was less glamorous than his other weapon or deranged toys that he took pride in. Like him it had an ugly past, that the Joker often wanted to dissociate himself with.

"The fucking irony." Joker chuckled half-halfheartedly, he had used it once long ago to get out of a sticky situation and here was doing the same thing when he promised he wouldn't, you could say fate had twisted sense of humor.

Using his free hand, Joker reached to the back of his head, where a seemingly stray hair clip, rested in his hair. The Joker yanked it off with force, he tried his best holding it carefully despite his weak, shaky hands. Slowly the hair clip retracted into a small blade. Joker smiled with success. He quickly looked at the door, this was the part had to be quick but careful with. If Batman came back at the this exact moment Joker would be toast. Groggy and uncoordinated, Joker bought the small blade to his handcuffs, maybe he could pick the lock.

I've locked pick millions of locks before; this will be easy.

Joker grunted, doing he best to free himself from the lock. He couldn't help but feel a sense of disarray and adrenaline, his heart was thumping loudly in his chest, hands shaking. The Joker was submerged in a world where breaking the lock was the his only concern, he thought of it as life or death. He continued at it, it was music to his ears each time he heard a successful click, he needed to hear at least four clicks before he determine that the lock was opened.

Come on! He begged. He jammed the little knife in there one more time. And it was if the universe had answer prayers, as if the universe had forgotten all the crimes he had committed. The fourth click came.

YES! Thank you sweet baby Jesus! Joker unlatched the handcuffs and tossed them far. Unfortunately he didn't hear the footsteps coming into the bat cave. It was only when a dark and gruff voice spoke that snapped Joker from his little world.

"Joker are you ready to talk?" Batman growled. Joker nearly shat out his heart but kept the restraint to scream. He slowly slid his uncuffed hand behind him, blade still in hand, he stayed on the table, acting as if he was still cuffed.

Shit he's come back too early . Joker worriedly glanced at Batman, he needed to get to the door but of course Batman was blocking the exit. Joker felt his hand unconsciously grip the blade tighter.

I have to do what I must . Joker sighed; it would take his best acting to convince Batman. Joker looked up the hero and smiled. He tried to replicate his former smile.

"Yes," He faked grinned. "I've seen the light and now I wanna confess." He laughed coyly. Batman merely looked at him. The way Joker was acting reminded him of the old Joker, the one that wasn't a feisty adolescent. It was the Joker he was used to. Nether the less this Joker or that Joker batman couldn't be too trusting.

"Don't play games with me I'm serious, I don't want to have a repeat of yesterday." He warned. Joker gulped nervously, but kept on with act.

"You won't." He smirked at Batman, Batman frowned at him. He had at least expected rage from the Joker's side.

It must be those teenage hormones.

"I better not."

Joker rolled his eyes, he would need to be convincing.

"Fine I'll tell you one thing then, the reason why I needed Scarecrow was because he did something bad." He confessed, that part was the truth. Batman walked closer, pretending to be interested. He knew the information already, he knew about all of it. He just didn't know the reasons behind why it happened. Batman stood now in front of Joker, he told him to continue.

Joker, who was shaking inwardly from batman being so close and surprised he had gotten far with his dumb plan, began to move his away from his back slowly. I need to do it now. He didn't want to lose courage.

"Something like," Joker started, he blinked one last time before pulling the knife out "this!" Joker yelled. Batman didn't see it coming. Joker jumped off the table, quivering with a knife in hand. Bruce could only wonder how? as the clown ascended on him.

"Feel my pain!" Joker laughed as he pierced the blade into Batman's shoulder, he was careful not to make a deep cut, he didn't want to kill the Dark Knight after all, he just wanted to escape. Joker inhaled, with the sedative still in his system he knew had to push he harder, he managed to shove his way past the Batman and began to jog for the exit.

Batman who hadn't anticipated the attack, wasn't hurt at all. His thick armour protected his shoulder blade, Joker's little knife had barely gotten through, it had fallen out after impact. Batman growled; the act had annoyed him very much. He ran after the Joker, quickly catching up. He grabbed the Joker's wrist, yanking him back roughly. The Joker stumbled back with a sequel , he was now facing an angry Batman. Joker insides turned; he was so scared he felt sick. His whole body trembled in the hold of the Dark Knight, he trembled at this new found animosity Batman had, Joker could not recognise the man in front of him. Where was the hero that abided by the law and protected the people? However, he could recognise the feeling, a familiar feeling of a scarier time. The rage of a dominant authority figure, and the feeling of helpless Joker felt from being underneath such a person.

"Joker!" Batman snarled. He grabbed Joker's collar with fury, his other hand lifting Joker's wrist in the air. Joker squealed again, loudly.

"Take a joke, Batsy," he laughed nervously trying to make Batman calm down.

"I didn't mean it -..."

Batman tightened his grip, ignoring the Joker's plights. "You're going to regret that." He promised. I'll make him regret it.

You're going to regret that.

You're going to regret that.

Familiar words the Joker had heard before, familiar words in the same hold.

"Mr Tate, please no."

"You're going to regret that!"

The past memories flooded into his mind, this situation was an exact copy, a replica of a disturbing time. Joker was having a relapse.

"Batman wait, please." He begged, he could feel the hot sting of tears welling up in eyes. This reminded him too much of the past.

Batman looked at him, un phased and not caring. Joker could see the stone cold look in Batman's eyes, a look he had seen before.

"Don't hit me, please." He uttered, just as he had uttered before, but he knew what was to come next. Joker felt the blow land on his nose, the sensation of pain ran through body, the punch was excruciating. Joker yelled out in pain, Batman released him, letting him fall to the floor. Batman was panting hardly, standing over Joker who lay on the floor scrunched up in a ball, whimpering in pain. Batman was too angry to see the pain, or frailness the Joker was exhibiting, he was too angry to realise had punched a seventeen year old minor, he was far too angry to realise.

For some reason, whatever it was this teenage this teenage Joker bought out the worst in Batman, an annoyed, angry and impulsive side came out when he was around this young Joker and Bruce didn't understand why. It was like everything little thing about Joker ticked him off immensely, and the Joker stabbing him right about now didn't exactly help.

I can't stand him! I hate him! Bruce thought. It was a big thing to say, Batman had always known he hated Joker, especially after the death of Rachel, but this hate was different. It was animalistic, brutal, very hard to ignore. Bruce had woken up with a negative feeling towards his captive, he should of been sympathetic towards the clown, considering that he was now a child and very much kidnapped. But he couldn't, something restricted against, he could on feel hate. Something inside Bruce snapped that day, something that made him realise the amount of power he truly had, it was a sadistic and ferocious power that was bought out by the idea that Batman the hero who had tried to stop the clown prince of crime for years finally had him his grasp. He had done it without playing nice, so why continue plying nice? Gotham's most dangerous criminal was far away from the people, without him the mob would fall to pieces, no criminals would have any one to look up to and crime would dwindle. The idea of being a hero was throw away now, batman would do things his way.

Batman left the bat cave, leaving the Joker un tied but bruised up, he didn't worry about the clown causing trouble, he couldn't anyway even if he tried.

Joker lay on the cold ground, next to the surgical table. He felt hurt, not because of the psychical pain, no no. It was the look in Batman's eyes that scared him, a look that Joker had seen years ago and tried to suppress. It wasn't just the look however it was the demeanour Batman had when he struck him, Joker could feel the flashbacks coming, flashbacks to a time when he was naturally seventeen and abuse was the only lifestyle he knew. A time when he had to watch his every movement, a time where broken beer bottles littered his home, the smell of cigarettes forever stayed in his noise, and where a raised voice scared the hell out of him. He was re-living his teen years, and now that he was trapped as 17 there was no one they wouldn't plague his mind.