Jigsaw Puzzle || The Joker x Reader

➟ Chapter Twenty

"Are you feeling okay?" you asked, shifting your gaze between the make-up on the sink and Joker's partially painted face.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he replied, circling the black over his eye with his pointer finger.

You sighed. "Lau is Lau, but you were hit pretty hard."

"I'm fine," Joker insisted.

You picked up his red lipstick and unscrewed the cap. "Dent got his face burnt to shit. He's going to be distraught when he sees you later," you commented, extending your arm to apply the tip to his mouth and over his scars.

"Good. Time for a new villain to join the ranks with the pathetic criminals we have to deal with now," he responded.

"Very true."

✷✷✷

"You know the history of the (L/N) family, and you know we take care of our own," you said calmly as you skidded the knife across Lau's cheek.

"I-I'm sorry," Lau sobbed.

You bent down so your faces were close enough that your noses were almost touching.

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough," you seethed. "I'm going to enjoy watching you burn."

You slashed a cut across his cheek and put your blade back in your pocket. Bringing your hand around, you punched him as hard as you could. You used to believe that physical violence such as that was stupid, but not when it was personal.

"Put him up," you commanded.

Vincent and Charlie stalked forward and hauled Lau to the top of the money pile. You went to stand next to Joker who put his arm over your shoulders
--with a pistol in his hand--and kissed your temple.

"You did well to not kill him yet," he commented.

You wrapped your arms around his torso. "Self-control is all I have left for scum like him," you replied.

"Bosses," Felix called, jogging into the room. "Chechen and his men have arrived. Also with some dogs."

"Dogs?" you questioned.

"Correct," Felix confirmed.

"All right." You shrugged.

"You're not as crazy as you look," Chechen said as he entered the room.

"I'm a man of my word," Joker responded cheerfully. He detached himself from you, picked up a bundle of cash and threw it at Lau. You chuckled when it nailed him right in the face.

"What do you do with all your money?" Chechen asked, taking a drag of his cigar.

Joker approached him. "You see, I'm a guy of a simple taste--" he peered back at you "--not with my women, obviously, but I enjoy dynamite and gunpowder and gasoline." You went to stand by Joker as Todd started pouring gasoline over the mountain of cash, much to Chechen's shock. He took a step forward but Joker held up his gun. "And you know the thing they have in common? They're cheap."

"You said you were a man of your word," Chechen remarked with widened eyes.

You strode forward and snatched the cigar from his mouth. "We both are. We're only burning our half," you said, tossing the cigar onto the bills to make them burst in to flames. "See, Chechen, all you care about is money. The (L/N) family would be so disappointed in how the network is being run these days."

Chechen took a staggered step back at the mention of the name and realization dawned on him far too late.

"Exactly. This town deserves a better class of criminals, and we're going to give it to them," Joker said, poking his gun at Chechen's chest. "Tell your men they work for us now. This is our city."

"They won't work for a freak," Chechen snarled.

You tilted your head with an evil grin as Joker whipped out his switchblade.

"Freak," Joker mocked. "How about we cut you up into tiny pieces and feed you to your pooches? Then we'll see just how loyal a hungry dog is."

Vincent and Charlie latched on to Chechen and pulled him away to his execution. You rounded up your new guys and the original henchmen directed them on how they should act while Joker made a phone call.

"Welcome to Hell," you said. "Your main priority here is to listen to me and The Joker and protect him with your lives or you won't have yours anymore."

"Double protection goes for her or I'll torture you before your deaths," Joker commented.

"Relationship goals," Vincent muttered.

"Vincent here will fill you in on the rest of the day's plans. Don't fuck it up," you said seriously.

Joker took your hand and you both went to your car. You could hear sirens blaring from all directions and you knew the level of commotion that was ensuing was for patients to be moved from the hospitals. Even from the docks, where you were, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.

"Did you enjoy your revenge?" Joker inquired as you began to drive down the dirt road.

"It was pleasing, I'll admit, but it doesn't bring back what I lost. It's okay, but it's the thought of letting go so much that hurts me the most because I know I have to not dwell on such a thing," you responded, your voice laced with sorrow.

You weren't too good with emotions, but when it came to family, your heart grew like the Grinch's. Losing the physical memories was one of the most difficult things you had to deal with besides losing them. But the important thing is that The Joker, Jack Napier, was your family now and you would stay by him through it all.

You made it into town and back to the empty warehouse where the original and new goons would be within the hour as you and Joker went off to execute one of the last phases of the lengthy plan. You went up to, well, your shared bedroom with Joker to change into hospital uniforms for disguises.

"(Y/N)," Joker said suddenly as you both started to undress.

"Yeah?"

He didn't respond immediately and instead went into the closest and came out with a frame in his hand. You were perplexed until he flipped it around and handed it to you. Your breathing stopped and tears stung your eyes as your trembling hands grasped the edges.

"When did you take this?" you whispered.

"That day you busted me out. I don't know why I did it, but something told me to and I've been waiting to give it to you. I thought this would be the best time," he confessed.

You gazed down at the picture of you in between your mom and dad in a typical family portrait. It was the one you caught Joker with, you realized, but you never went into the living room after that to notice. It explained why he took so long.

"Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much," you mumbled, throwing your arms around him and giving him multiple kisses.

"Anything for you," he whispered in return, rubbing up and down your back.

You stepped back and thoughtfully put the frame in the drawer with the picture of Joker and his mother before turning back to the man.

"Let's do this."