Love Thine Enemy: Part 8- Fear
Title: Love Thine Enemy: Part 8- Fear
Author:
nikki6
Pairing: Batman/Joker
Fandom: Nolanverse
Disclaimer: None belong to me, just having fun.
A/N: This is the second last chapter of this, I think. It's winding up to the end...
x-posted to darkknightfic
All previous chapters here
The Joker stood in front of what was left of his men and tapped his fingers on the table. He had suggested robbing a bank to get some spare change, the mob wasn’t doing much of anything, and the places were ripe for the picking.
But his men refused.
“I’d rather be broke, than dead.” One of them answered sullenly. Most of the Joker’s henchman had either been taken out by the Bat, or had run away, not wanting to be associated with the Joker at all, knowing it would probably lead to their lives being shortened considerably.
To be truthful, the Joker was a little concerned himself.
He had hurt the butler, even though he knew it was the one thing he shouldn’t be doing. His lover was capable of forgiving him for many things, but not that. The Joker’s jealousy of the man who shared the Bat’s whole life had taken hold though, and though the Joker didn’t regret the pain he’d caused Bruce Wayne’s mentor, he did regret the hurt he’d caused Bruce, even when it made him feel so much better.
Now, with the Batman on a rampage through the city to find him, the Joker was wondering what to do next. He could leave Gotham, come back when Batman was a little less crazed, but where would the fun in that be? He’d never been interested in self-preservation before, and he wasn’t about to start now. Gotham was their city, him and Batman, and if they tore it apart now, so be it.
Batman drove through the narrows, searching for new leads to the Joker. The dream from earlier still haunted him, but he was trying to forget it. The streets were remarkably quiet. No one wanted to be caught out there by him.
He was stopped at a light when there was a honk next to him. He glanced over and saw Maroni’s limo, with the man himself in the back, window rolled down.
Batman rolled his own down in disbelief; he almost respected Maroni at this moment, it took guts to seek him out.
“You want the Joker. I want to help you find him.” Maroni said bluntly.
“How can YOU help ME?” the Bat asked incredulously.
“I know the places he could hide, and let’s face it, you’re not exactly inconspicuous. My men can be. Let me look for him, give me one night. I’ll have him for you tomorrow night, at the docks, 8 o'clock.” Maroni promised.
“What’s in it for you?”
“You don’t kill or maim anymore of my men.” Maroni said.
“Always got an angle, eh, Sal?”
“Do we have a deal?”
The Batman paused then nodded. “24hrs. I’ll meet you at the docks, tomorrow night.”
“Done.”
The limo pulled away and the Bat headed to the hospital.
Alfred was still in a coma, his face looked better, less swollen and the plastic surgeon had promised that when the sutures dissolved there would be no scars, which made Bruce very grateful. He sat beside Alfred’s bed for a long time, just holding his hand, and thinking.
The door opened behind him and he turned. Lucius Fox came in, carrying flowers which he put on the table. He nodded to Bruce, then looked hard at Alfred, shaking his head and bent to whisper in his ear. After he straightened, he beckoned to Bruce and they moved to the far corner of the room.
“What happened?”
“I was holding the Joker in the Batcave. I didn’t tell Alfred. He went down there, I guess. The Joker attacked him and escaped.” Bruce answered.
“I thought he died at Arkham.” Lucius asked, confused.
“It was a ruse. He was...going crazy. It was my fault, I felt guilty and took him home, but I didn’t realize how crazy he was.” Bruce tried to be honest without saying the most humiliating part.
“And now?”
“He’s loose, but I have help. The mob is going to deliver him to me tomorrow night. They’re tired of losing their men; and they have no loyalty to the Joker.”
Bruce pulled on his coat. “I have to go. Stay Lucius. Talk to him, they say they can hear.”
“And what happens when you have him?” Lucius asked suddenly, his eyes regarding Bruce steadily.
“He’ll pay.”
He headed for the door, halting briefly as Lucius said, “Be very careful, Mr. Wayne. Revenge can be a two-edged sword.”
Bruce squared his shoulders and kept walking.
The Joker was surprised when Maroni’s men showed up wanting to join him and his crew. He questioned them suspiciously.
“Now why would you want to join me? You know that the Bat is trying to find me...”
“But he keeps finding us, and he hasn’t found you yet.” The one guy said nervously. “We figure it’s safer here than out there, wondering when he’s going to show up.”
The Joker smiled. “Okay, well, do you have any jobs in mind for us to do? My men are a little gun shy right now.”
“There’s a ship coming in tonight, for the Russians but there are too few of them left. Easy pickings for us.” Another man volunteered.
The Joker grinned. “Now you’re talking. Let’s set it up.”
The docks at night were quiet and almost eerily empty. The criminals were all in hiding, and as the Joker and his men emptied the ship of its cargo, he marvelled that this might be the beginning of a good thing. If no one was around to collect their contraband, the Joker could really profit from it.
He was just finishing when the men suddenly disappeared. The Joker thought they were in the ship but it was silent.
“Uuh, guys?” he called. “I’m going to take all the loot for myself....”
A voice in his ear suddenly chilled him. “I don’t think so...”
He began to turn but was unconscious from the blow to the back of his head before he even was half-way around.
When the Joker awoke he was suspended from chains, horizontally spread-eagle, looking at the floor. His head hurt, but he had a feeling that was only the beginning.
He could feel the Bat was close, he could almost smell the rage...
“Let me guess; you’re not happy I left my little home away from home. Haven’t you ever heard the little saying? “If you love someone, set them free, if they come back they’re yours, if they don’t..””
The Bat’s voice cut in harshly. “Hunt them down and kill them.”
The Joker blinked and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the way it’s supposed to go.”
“No. But that’s the way this is going to go.”
The Joker lifted his head, trying to see the Bat, but he couldn’t turn that way. “I know you’re mad about the butler...he was being nasty, didn’t seem to like the idea of you and me getting naked together. I had to defend our love.”
“Shut up.” This order was followed by a sharp kick in the gut.
When the Joker could breathe again, he muttered. “No sense of humour.”
“I don’t think you’re going to have much of one left by the end of this either.” The Bat commented, moving some things behind him around.
“Finally going to get the balls to do it, are you?” the Joker asked. “Finally going to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Get on with it then.” The Joker taunted him.
“Oh, I’m going to torture you first.” Batman said evenly. “No easy death for you. I’m going to make you pay for everything you’ve ever done to hurt me, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Then do you think you’ll be free?” The Joker asked.
There was a long silence.
“I guess we’ll have to see....”
Author:
nikki6
Pairing: Batman/Joker
Fandom: Nolanverse
Disclaimer: None belong to me, just having fun.
A/N: This is the second last chapter of this, I think. It's winding up to the end...
x-posted to darkknightfic
All previous chapters here
The Joker stood in front of what was left of his men and tapped his fingers on the table. He had suggested robbing a bank to get some spare change, the mob wasn’t doing much of anything, and the places were ripe for the picking.
But his men refused.
“I’d rather be broke, than dead.” One of them answered sullenly. Most of the Joker’s henchman had either been taken out by the Bat, or had run away, not wanting to be associated with the Joker at all, knowing it would probably lead to their lives being shortened considerably.
To be truthful, the Joker was a little concerned himself.
He had hurt the butler, even though he knew it was the one thing he shouldn’t be doing. His lover was capable of forgiving him for many things, but not that. The Joker’s jealousy of the man who shared the Bat’s whole life had taken hold though, and though the Joker didn’t regret the pain he’d caused Bruce Wayne’s mentor, he did regret the hurt he’d caused Bruce, even when it made him feel so much better.
Now, with the Batman on a rampage through the city to find him, the Joker was wondering what to do next. He could leave Gotham, come back when Batman was a little less crazed, but where would the fun in that be? He’d never been interested in self-preservation before, and he wasn’t about to start now. Gotham was their city, him and Batman, and if they tore it apart now, so be it.
Batman drove through the narrows, searching for new leads to the Joker. The dream from earlier still haunted him, but he was trying to forget it. The streets were remarkably quiet. No one wanted to be caught out there by him.
He was stopped at a light when there was a honk next to him. He glanced over and saw Maroni’s limo, with the man himself in the back, window rolled down.
Batman rolled his own down in disbelief; he almost respected Maroni at this moment, it took guts to seek him out.
“You want the Joker. I want to help you find him.” Maroni said bluntly.
“How can YOU help ME?” the Bat asked incredulously.
“I know the places he could hide, and let’s face it, you’re not exactly inconspicuous. My men can be. Let me look for him, give me one night. I’ll have him for you tomorrow night, at the docks, 8 o'clock.” Maroni promised.
“What’s in it for you?”
“You don’t kill or maim anymore of my men.” Maroni said.
“Always got an angle, eh, Sal?”
“Do we have a deal?”
The Batman paused then nodded. “24hrs. I’ll meet you at the docks, tomorrow night.”
“Done.”
The limo pulled away and the Bat headed to the hospital.
Alfred was still in a coma, his face looked better, less swollen and the plastic surgeon had promised that when the sutures dissolved there would be no scars, which made Bruce very grateful. He sat beside Alfred’s bed for a long time, just holding his hand, and thinking.
The door opened behind him and he turned. Lucius Fox came in, carrying flowers which he put on the table. He nodded to Bruce, then looked hard at Alfred, shaking his head and bent to whisper in his ear. After he straightened, he beckoned to Bruce and they moved to the far corner of the room.
“What happened?”
“I was holding the Joker in the Batcave. I didn’t tell Alfred. He went down there, I guess. The Joker attacked him and escaped.” Bruce answered.
“I thought he died at Arkham.” Lucius asked, confused.
“It was a ruse. He was...going crazy. It was my fault, I felt guilty and took him home, but I didn’t realize how crazy he was.” Bruce tried to be honest without saying the most humiliating part.
“And now?”
“He’s loose, but I have help. The mob is going to deliver him to me tomorrow night. They’re tired of losing their men; and they have no loyalty to the Joker.”
Bruce pulled on his coat. “I have to go. Stay Lucius. Talk to him, they say they can hear.”
“And what happens when you have him?” Lucius asked suddenly, his eyes regarding Bruce steadily.
“He’ll pay.”
He headed for the door, halting briefly as Lucius said, “Be very careful, Mr. Wayne. Revenge can be a two-edged sword.”
Bruce squared his shoulders and kept walking.
The Joker was surprised when Maroni’s men showed up wanting to join him and his crew. He questioned them suspiciously.
“Now why would you want to join me? You know that the Bat is trying to find me...”
“But he keeps finding us, and he hasn’t found you yet.” The one guy said nervously. “We figure it’s safer here than out there, wondering when he’s going to show up.”
The Joker smiled. “Okay, well, do you have any jobs in mind for us to do? My men are a little gun shy right now.”
“There’s a ship coming in tonight, for the Russians but there are too few of them left. Easy pickings for us.” Another man volunteered.
The Joker grinned. “Now you’re talking. Let’s set it up.”
The docks at night were quiet and almost eerily empty. The criminals were all in hiding, and as the Joker and his men emptied the ship of its cargo, he marvelled that this might be the beginning of a good thing. If no one was around to collect their contraband, the Joker could really profit from it.
He was just finishing when the men suddenly disappeared. The Joker thought they were in the ship but it was silent.
“Uuh, guys?” he called. “I’m going to take all the loot for myself....”
A voice in his ear suddenly chilled him. “I don’t think so...”
He began to turn but was unconscious from the blow to the back of his head before he even was half-way around.
When the Joker awoke he was suspended from chains, horizontally spread-eagle, looking at the floor. His head hurt, but he had a feeling that was only the beginning.
He could feel the Bat was close, he could almost smell the rage...
“Let me guess; you’re not happy I left my little home away from home. Haven’t you ever heard the little saying? “If you love someone, set them free, if they come back they’re yours, if they don’t..””
The Bat’s voice cut in harshly. “Hunt them down and kill them.”
The Joker blinked and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the way it’s supposed to go.”
“No. But that’s the way this is going to go.”
The Joker lifted his head, trying to see the Bat, but he couldn’t turn that way. “I know you’re mad about the butler...he was being nasty, didn’t seem to like the idea of you and me getting naked together. I had to defend our love.”
“Shut up.” This order was followed by a sharp kick in the gut.
When the Joker could breathe again, he muttered. “No sense of humour.”
“I don’t think you’re going to have much of one left by the end of this either.” The Bat commented, moving some things behind him around.
“Finally going to get the balls to do it, are you?” the Joker asked. “Finally going to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Get on with it then.” The Joker taunted him.
“Oh, I’m going to torture you first.” Batman said evenly. “No easy death for you. I’m going to make you pay for everything you’ve ever done to hurt me, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Then do you think you’ll be free?” The Joker asked.
There was a long silence.
“I guess we’ll have to see....”