chapter 20: in your time of need

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i threw my hands in the air, said, "show me something." he said, "if you dare, come a little closer."

—-

The whole thing stung. You hadn't even done anything wrong- but it wasn't as if Joker had let you explain. Instead, he'd tossed you out on your ass like you hadn't been unflinchingly loyal the entire time you'd worked for him.

Karma was definitely a bitch, but you weren't exactly sure what this was payback for. One misstep and here you were. A million steps forward with the Joker undone with one massive step back.

Frost called you a few days after, reassuring you that Joker wouldn't stay pissed forever.

"He gets like that sometimes," he'd said. "You've been taking care of too much shit around here for him to just fire you and be done with it. He'll ask you to come back, just give him a little bit."

"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" you demanded. "Assuming I want to go back there again, which I'm not sure that I do."

Frost laughed, but it lacked proper humor. "Trust me, you won't have a choice. Everything's already going to shit here. I never thought I'd say this, but thank god Dent's keeping his cool, or there'd be blood. I think that Michael guy is taking the edge off, if you know what I mean."

You couldn't bring yourself to laugh with him. "I don't know what they do," you said, your tone all but flat.

"I know." There was silence for a second, and then Frost sighed. "Look, we can help you until you find a job, or something. Sharkey and Fox insisted on it."

"I can't take your money," you protested.

"Too bad," Frost said. "You're doing it, and that's just how it is."

You laughed quietly. "Tell them I said thank you."

"I will," he promised. "Take care of yourself, Y/N."

"I'll do my best, Frost."

It was his turn to laugh. "I think it's been long enough. You can call me Jonny."

You blinked, surprised at this. "Then I'll do my best, Jonny."

You spent the next few weeks carving out a new, lonely life for yourself. You settled in an apartment not far from your old place, and you felt... listless. You'd finally been good at something that paid you well, but that you were good at, and enjoyed, too. You weren't the same person you'd been before joining up with the Joker. You used to think that was a good thing.

You knew your neighbors thought you were strange, even though they didn't come right out and say it. You'd acquired quite a few scars during your time with the Joker, and you weren't ashamed of them. You just hadn't factored in how other people might react to them. Needless to say, they kept their distance. You tried telling yourself that it was for the best- you didn't want their companionship anyway. But the truth was... you had made your closest friends in Joker's gang, and now you were on the outside, without any of them.

You didn't hear much about the criminal underworld anymore, so you had no way of knowing any new developments with the Joker. And as time passed, you began to wonder whether or not Frost had been right. Would Joker take you back eventually? Or were you waiting for nothing? Did the man you loved have any intention of giving you another chance?

Make no mistake, you hadn't been wrong to do you did. It was for a good reason, and you stood by it. But you just wanted to see him again. You'd tell him that you were wrong, if that was what he wanted to hear. (You wouldn't agree, but you'd do it all the same.)

The day everything changed again was a rainy Monday morning. You had gotten out of bed late, and you were eating breakfast in front of your TV (because nobody was there to see you, so you could indulge).

Suddenly, the quiet noise of the rain outside and the sound of the commercials on the television screen was interrupted by your phone ringing. The caller ID read unknown number.

Cautiously, you picked up. "Hello?"

"Y/N," came Mikey's familiar voice. He sounded panicked. "Can you get down to Arkham Asylum?"

You frowned. "Yeah. Why?"

"Those fuckers-" cops, you assumed, since he didn't explain- "Busted in on negotiations and dragged Joker and Two-Face off. We think they were taken to Arkham. We're going to break them out."

"How long ago was this?" You asked, breakfast forgotten.

"A while, actually. Joker's guys had some undercover breakout planned, but somebody fucking snitched. We're going to have to go in and get them."

"Fuck," you swore. "Give me fifteen minutes."

"Thank fuck," Mikey said, voice heavy with relief. "I'll wait for you."

"You do that," you said, and hung up.

more plot! >:) how do y'all feel about harley quinn getting involved?


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