Henchman (JOKER X READER) ✅

chapter 2: what you have to have

case open, case shut, but you could pay to close it like a casket

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You were on your feet before you could give it a second thought. You tore out of the alley, fueled by terror and anger and adrenaline, and collided with Jim Gordon. The two of you tumbled to the ground, and you could feel his hands on your shoulders as you pinned him to the asphalt. His brown eyes were wide, and he stared up at you through the rain pouring down around you.

The men in suits started firing, so you ducked your head to keep from getting shot. A bullet slammed into the window of the cop car next to you, and the glass broke, sending shards of it crashing down on your back and hands.

The pain didn't even register for you, though. Actually, you felt... alive. Maybe it should have made you worry, but it didn't. You just gritted your teeth and clung on for dear life, resisting the urge to join the fight.

When the shooting finally stopped, you could hear the men who had just robbed the bank talking loudly to each other. You looked back down at Gordon- he hadn't moved an inch since he hit the ground.

"Stay here," you whispered and rolled off of him. Just in case he tried anything funny, you slipped your hand into his jacket pocket and took his gun with you.

"Hey," you called to the guys in the suits. One turned towards you- a man with dark brown hair and a beard.

"Hey." He sounded on edge, like he'd shoot you if you made any sudden moves. "Nice job, taking down Gordon. Is he dead?"

Your mind was blank. All you could think to do was hold up his gun, which the man seemed to think of as an answer in and of itself, and nodded.

"You know, we could use somebody with your kind of bravery," he said. Something about his tone said you didn't have much of a choice.

"Who's 'we'?" you asked.

The man smiled and stepped toward you. He held out his hand for you to shake. "I'm Jonny Frost. We work for the Joker."

You shifted your weight restlessly, your fingers tight on the grip of the gun. "The Joker, huh?" you asked. All of a sudden, you were finding it hard to process anything that had just happened. The adrenaline must have been starting to wear off.

"Yeah," Frost said. "And we've been looking for new recruits-"

"Ever since J killed the last guy," finished the guy in the panda mask. Frost glared at him, and he shut up. But you were already aware of the Joker's violent nature. Everybody in the city was.

"Don't listen to him. It's dangerous, sure. But I've been with J for two years now, and I'm not dead. Working for him is tough, but if you're smart, you'll make it," Frost reassured you. "And you look pretty smart to me."

"I did just get fired," you muttered.

"Even better. You'll have a brand new start."

You looked down at the gun in your hand, then back over your shoulder at the cop car you'd left Jim Gordon behind. You had no money, no ties to anyone, and your morals were loose enough to accept Frost's offer. What, exactly, did you have to lose?

"Sure," you said, and dropped Gordon's gun. "I'll do it."

Frost grinned. "Good." Turning to the other guys, he said, "All of you- tell J that I'm bringing in a new recruit. We're going to go settle some things first." There was grumbling from the man in the panda mask, but otherwise, his directions were followed, and they peeled away from the curb and into traffic in no time.

"Alright," Frost said, looking back at you. "You're gonna have to move in as soon as possible. J's got no sense of how long that actually takes, so you'd better start now."

"Was it like that for you?" you asked as he glanced down the street for a cab.

He snorted. "No, you're just lucky I found you first. I got dropped off at my apartment, Joker said 'take only what you have to have', and gave me an address to find after. Didn't even stick around to wait. And you know what?" he said, looking a little wistful. "I walked out of there light as a feather. I didn't need a damn thing, when I thought about it."

When a cab pulled up, Frost handed the driver a twenty dollar bill, and said, "Tell him where," so you rattled off the address of your apartment building. Frost whistled. "You're not in a good part of town, are you?"

"Not at all," you said, slumping against the seat.

Frost turned to you. "Remember," he said, "Only what you have to have."

"If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me?"

"Exactly."