Henchman (JOKER X READER) ✅

chapter 31: the lead

other boys you may have dated serrated your heart with a slice, but the cut of your love never hurts, baby, it's a sweet butter knife

—-

Belle Reve was the name of the blacksite. The feds had decided to mark Harley and a bunch of the other big bads in Gotham as terrorists and sent them down there. So that was why nobody had heard from Deadshot in weeks.

You were the one to break the news to J. He'd been locked in one of the rooms for at least a week. The place had been completely stripped of furniture. Instead, Joker had knives and all kinds of weapons scattered all around him. You hated to see him like this, and you wished desperately that you were enough to bring him out of it. But you weren't, so you were going to have to settle for bringing him news of the one person who seemed to be able to.

At the sound of the door opening, Joker looked up sharply, aiming the gun at you. You didn't stop, just calmly sat down on the steps. You watched as he lowered the gun. If he wanted you dead, you would be.

"Where is she?" he demanded, but his voice lacked his usual conviction. He sounded lifeless, hollow. Not at all like the Joker you knew.

"It's complex," you started, "This is not just her. Everybody's disappearing." You paused, half expecting a question, but he just motioned for you to keep going. "There's this new law where if you're a bad enough bad guy, they stamp 'terrorist' on your jacket. They send you to this swamp in Louisiana. A blacksite. That's where she is." You watched him carefully for a reaction, any reaction, but nothing came. "So. What're we doing?"

After a moment, Joker said, "Bring the car around. We're going for a drive." And then he lay back on the floor and, for the first time in nearly two weeks, started to laugh, a high, shaking sound that echoed off the walls. It scared you, but you couldn't bring yourself to move away from him. Just like always.

When you finally left him alone again to get dressed, Jonny was outside waiting for you.

"Found a guy who works at Belle Reve," he said. "And I know where he's going to be tonight."

"Does J know?" you asked, busying yourself with strapping an extra knife to your thigh. It never hurt to be prepared.

"Yeah, he does. Apparently this guy's not one of the morally upstanding guards in there, though."

You allowed yourself a tiny smirk. "So tonight's gonna get bloody, is what you mean."

Jonny shrugged, nonchalant, but you could see the excitement in his eyes. "Could be."

Then his phone buzzed. He glanced down at it, then turned to the rest of the guys behind you. "Boss says wheels up in five. Get going." There's a flurry of activity as Jonny turns back to you, guys leaving and bickering quietly over ammunition and whose mask is who's.

"Doin' alright?" he asked quietly. "I know seeing J like this freaks you out."

"It doesn't freak me out," you lied. "It's just weird, is all. Look, I'm not Quinn's number one fan, but if getting her back means he gets it together, then I'm alright with that."

"Sure," Jonny said easily, which you knew by now meant that he was just placating you. "Got your gun?"

You pulled it out and spun it around your pointer finger. "I don't go anywhere without it."

"I know you don't."

Jonny chose to ride with the other guys (and the obscene amount of cash you were going to be bribing Jonny's guy with later) while you stayed back at Joker's request.

"Alright, Y/N," Joker said when he finally emerged from the penthouse, his voice sliding back into his customary almost-purr. He was back in style, makeup done and chest bare under his gold jacket. You felt a wave of relief crash over you. He might not have been all the way back, but he was getting there, thank God.

When you got to the garage, you asked, "Am I driving?"

Joker shook his head. "Not tonight. Gimme the keys, darlin'." You ignored the blush surely making its way onto your cheeks and tossed them to him. You got into the purple sports car (the replacement for the old one) on the passenger side and made sure to buckle your seatbelt. It was always a good idea when Joker was driving- he drove like a maniac on hallucinogenics.

Joker revved the engine. "There we go," he said, satisfaction clear in his voice.

"Let's go get this son of a bitch." You sounded nearly breathless. The Joker just cackled and put the pedal to the floor.

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and we're back! what's good!!!!

also: should i make a spotify playlist for this fic? it'd be all the songs from the chapters but also a few others that i think match some of the other characters and dynamics in here. idk. i like making playlists so it might happen anyway