Little Miss Gotham

Chapter Ten

The disguise was on. 
My phone, however, was still in my pocket. It was the only sign of Sophia Thompson on me. But for the moment, I needed it to let Kayla know that my personal driver is on speed dial on her phone for when she needs to leave. As far as she's concerned, I drank too much and left but as an apology, there's a hangover cure/gift basket waiting for her with my personal driver. 

Before I put my phone away, I got another text from the Joker.
"Ten minutes. Take all the shots you need but I'll be waiting. I got a treat for you if you do this right." 
I hurried over to the bar, my heart trembling as I thought of taking someone's life. Could any amount of alcohol help make this any easier? I returned to my same bartender, still tipsy but sobered up enough. 
"I need your strongest, please." I said. But he gave me an odd look and nodded. It occurred to me that no one knew I was Sophia Thompson. In fact, people were now intimidated by the new face in this club. Looking down in my purse, I saw the gun but a small pill was taped to it. It must have had some purpose for me. Maybe it'll make this all easier. 
Once my shot was ready, I removed the pill from the pistol and swallowed it down with my drink.

I guess I was ready. 
On my way over to the table, my senses started acting up and my thoughts became more horrifying. Who was I really doing this for? Myself? Or am I too scared of the Joker that I just bend over backwards whenever he needs me to? I couldn't think straight and the overwhelming sensation kept hitting me. I wanted to back out but I was already moving to that table. 
How can I take someone's life? My vision started to blur and my eyes fell on the man in the suit. 
He wasn't a criminal.
It was my dad's friend. 

But for some reason that didn't phase me, even  as I watched him walk right past me to out of the booth he was sitting in. My blood was running fast instead of cold and my heart rate picked up out of excitement, not fear. Instinctively, I pulled his hand and didn't let go as I stumbled to the exit of the club. The beat of the music played through my head and made the moment all more upbeat. I was running out of time and luckily, the man didn't resist. 

"Hey, I'd love to find a more comfortable spot but--"

I turned around and watched the color drain from his face. That was a pleasing sight as we stood on the small street between the club and the rest of Gotham's developing district of warehouses. It was late and everyone was already dancing and drinking and not paying attention to this outside world.

"What's this little plan of yours?" I asked, my own voice sounding foreign to me. "Is it a surprise for me and my Clown Prince? We love surprises." I added with a giggle as I stepped closer to him.

"I-I don't know what you've heard. I don't even know who you are!" he exclaimed. Ryan? I  think that was his name. How could I forget? I've known him since I was a child. The bastard always badly influenced my dad. 

"Then why are you so scared?" I asked. My own voice scared me once more and I reached a whole new level of dark when I pulled out that gun. I was trapped in this shell I call my body, feeling like I was watching the situation unfold through another person's eyes. 

Ryan wasn't running. The fear in his eyes seemed to have kept him grounded. 
"Please, I won't go after you or Joker. I'll tell the Mayor to cancel the mission. I swear!"

I paused. 

"What mission?" I demanded, aggressively holding the gun and shooting at the ground in front of his feet. He trembled and fell to his knees.

"The m-mayor. He has a way to put all of Arkham's criminals back into the Asylum. Including you and the Joker. You two are his main goal." 
My mind started racing and I feared for my future at this point.
"How?!" I yelled, pointing the gun at his forehead. 

"Belle Reve prison!" Ryan cried! "The worst of the worst! They're gonna send them out here and pull you all together. It's guaranteed to work. Once they have you all together, they're sending every SWAT member out and taking you in. I-I don't know the specifics but--"

I pulled the trigger and even as his body fell, I stared blankly down the alley and the shattering of my morals left me grounded. The drug was in full blast but my thoughts got the best of me. I no longer felt human or pure or anything related to normal. I was a murderer and I felt nothing. 

Clapping echoed throughout the street and the Joker's laugh sent shivers down my spine.

"Well done!" he exclaimed, his voice dragging out in that spectacular growl. His hands clasped my shoulders and he spun me around. With that sinister, psychotic smile and those crazy blue eyes, I no longer felt that conflicted. I've always questioned myself and doubted myself after my nights with the joker but now, I felt nothing.

I felt at ease.

A smile broke out on my lips and Joker laughed.

"Let's go, princess. I got a surprise for ya." 

He grabbed my hand and led me to his parked sports car.  I adored that red, sleek color with the glow coming out from underneath and even on the inside. Once in the passenger seat, I inhaled slowly and exhaled with relief. I loved this. I loved the craziness. I looked over at the Joker once he sat in the car. His white suit matched the interior.  I stared at him as we began to drive. We went crazy in the fast car but I continued to admire all of his features. He was crazy and I loved it. But I couldn't find a single thing about him that was human. Maybe that's what drove me crazy about him and maybe it's also what's going to be our downfall. I was still human but he was a lost cause.
We drove for what felt like a lifetime. But with the window down and the lights blurring out everything else in my vision, I felt like I was driving on a rainbow without a single care in the world.

We were nearly in downtown Gotham with concerned me. Then he turned down an alley behind one of the hotels on the outskirts. It was nice for the area but still a little sketchy. Did the Joker really just live in a hotel? 

"For Gotham's most dangerous criminal you spend a lot of time in some obvious places." I said as he helped me out of the car. 
The back door was opened for us and lead to the emergency staircase. 
"Well when you've got bombs strapped to every corner of the building, people will keep their mouths shut, princess." he grinned. 
Of course, not to my surprise, we didn't take the more secret way to wherever he was staying but instead, an elevator that lead straight to the master suit. 

"Lady's first." Joker said with that growl to his voice. I stepped out into the hotel room that had a massive kitchen and living room and instead of walls, the floor raised a few steps and led to a simple bed. Weapons were scattered everywhere and the floors weren't the nicest but this was good for a simple hotel. The lights were also half installed. Some were in the ceiling and then it turned into a string of light bulbs.

"Let me guess, you threatened for renovations?" I chuckled. 

"Yes. I even got a bigger closet which is where I'll be taking you." Joker replied, grabbing my hand and leading me to a short hallway where a door was placed. He opened it first and the lights opened up to a ton of clothes. One side there was a rack of men's clothes and on the other was a rack of glamorous women's clothes. There were shoes too. 

"What is all of this?" I asked, walking down the line of clothes and looking into the mirror that had about six different angles. 

"All for you, Little Miss Gotham." Joker grinned, his pale face creeping up in the gold lighting and appearing next to mine in the mirror. His cool breath was on my neck and his hands were at my hips. "I think you need a new style." he whispered, lips grazing against my neck. I could see it in my own eyes that I craved him. Was the drug still working or was I still drunk? Or both?

"So get dressed into whatever you'd like and let your hair down loose..." his deep voice trailed off, pulling of the wig. Goosebumps rose on my arms and a shudder ran down my spine. As my long, auburn hair fell over my shoulders, he pulled down the zipper to my leather jacket. "Because we're going out tonight and you're going to have the night of your life." 

I turned myself around and looked him in the eye.

He had a look as wild as I felt.

Before I knew it, his red lips pressed against mine so hard that my back nearly shattered the mirror behind me. We moved against each other, lips and hips fitting together like a puzzle piece. My heart exploded and his shirt was unbuttoned. 

This really was going to be the night of my life.