chapter 5: lessons

9.1K 243 33
                                        

rip it up on retribution, turn it up sideways, ready, aim, fire, fire, ready, aim

---

Frost set you up with a target and some soundproof headphones so you could practice. You must have been down there for hours, because the target was replaced by some other lackey every so often. But you had completely lost track of the time.

You'd started actually hitting the target a few hours ago, and now you were hitting it a good two out of three times. The walls were pockmarked with your bullets, and your arms and shoulders were tight with pain. You hadn't totally gotten used to the recoil yet.

You'd just hit the edge of the target again when the double doors to the basement banged open.

"Well, what do we have here?" came the high voice of the Joker.

You lowered your gun and turned around quickly, but Frost was already there, talking quietly to him. Joker nodded once, then sauntered over to you.

"Let me try?" he said, and you found yourself handing him the gun without thinking. With a sweeping move, he aimed and fired three times at the target. The first bullet tore through the bullseye, and the second and third followed.

"Holy mother," you mumbled, pulling off your headphones.

Joker cackled and put the gun back into your hand. "Never seen that before, have you?" He asked, his smile wicked.

"Never," you replied.

"Try it," he said. When you didn't immediately move, he waved a hand towards the target impatiently.

You aimed the gun, your hands suddenly far more shaky than they'd been just a few minutes before. You focused, aimed...

Bam! The gun jerked in your hands, almost throwing you off balance, but the bullet tore through the target just to the left of where Joker's bullets had hit.

You could hear Joker laughing behind you, and then his hands were on your shoulders. He was moving you into a different position, and you noticed, almost hysterically, that his hands were warm through your shirt.

"There. Just like that," he said, his voice low enough so only you could hear. He nudged your front foot with his, making you shift more of you weight there.

Sounding satisfied, he moved away, saying, "Do it again."

Your head was practically spinning, his presence making it near impossible to concentrate, but you stepped up anyway and squeezed the trigger.

You didn't hit the bullseye, but you got pretty  damn close.

"Good, good," he purred. And then, after a hushed conversation with Frost, he was leaving the room, and you felt like you could breathe again.

Frost turned to you, his face suddenly expressionless. "Well. I guess you'll be put into the thick of it sooner than I thought. J wants do test you out this week. I don't know how much trouble he can come up with so soon after a job, but if I know him, it'll be enough for him to see what you're made of."

"Do you?" You asked, acting on an impulse.

Frost, who was halfway to the doors, turned back. "Do I what?"

"Know him."

He just smiled, though it looked strained. "Nobody knows him, kid."

"You seemed pretty friendly with him," you pressed.

"His moods change like the weather, just a lot quicker. You'll see. Now- you're probably bunking in the room next to Fox and Sharkey's. No roommates, so you don't have to worry about privacy."

You nodded, still trying to take in both the Joker's actions and Frost's distinct non-answer. You pondered it even as the two of you got on the elevator back up to the right floor.

-

okay i know this was kinda short and didn't really do much or go anywhere however. consider the facts, which are that i like it

which chapter is your favorite so far?

Henchman (JOKER X READER) ✅Where stories live. Discover now