Unsuspecting Hero (Batjokes)

Chapter 10

A week had passed since Joker agreed to rehabilitation. He had gotten settled into his new room, and was ecstatic when Bruce agreed to letting him paint the walls. Alfred, not so much, but he warmed up to the idea once he saw how happy it made Joker. 

Bruce told Joker about every discovery he made when it came to the Harvey investigation, but concerning the videos, not much had been said. Joker kept telling him he was ready, but Bruce would change the subject, much to Joker's annoyance. 

Everyday, Joker would make an effort to have dinner with everyone, and it admittedly got less and less awkward the more it happened. He hadn't heard much in concerns to that therapist Bruce had been so firm on, but he didn't mind too much. He was okay with how things were for now.

It was almost two am, and Joker stared at the alarm clock sat next to his bed with a sigh. He was bored, with nothing to do. With Bruce on patrol, he couldn't go and annoy him either. So he got out of bed, getting dressed into some comfortable Pyjamas and walking to the kitchen. It wouldn't hurt to get a small snack.

He stopped in his tracks at the three voices in the hallway. One was Alfred, Joker recognized. Though the other two voices, he was oblivious to. "When will Bruce be back from Patrol?" A male voice asked, just as Joker stepped closer to try and get a peek without being noticed. "The last I heard, he was trying to track down Edward Nigma for questioning" Alfred answered. "If you want to wait, you're welcome to. Though, the Batcave would be the best place if you wanted to avoid our guest"

"I think that would be best" A feminine voice spoke, one that Joker could oddly recognize. He tried to pin-point the source of that voice. "I can happily accompany the both of you there, Miss Gordon"

Joker felt his blood run cold. Barbara Gordon. The old Batgirl, who he had indirectly paralysed from the waist down. It should have been obvious, Joker sighed to himself. "How is he doing?" That male voice asked again, and Joker could no longer resist peeking around the corner. 

Barbara looked Good. Her hair was combed back into a slick ponytail, her glasses framed to her face snugly. She wore a cute cream turtleneck sweater, bright blue jeans for her bottoms. She looked well, much better than the last time Joker had saw her. His eyes then travelled to the man next to her. He recognized quickly by the uniform that it was the current Robin. The one that...showed up not long after Jason.

Now, Barbara may have been an accident, but Jason was purposeful. At first, Jason was simply to get under Batman's skin. But then Joker got too greedy with the power he held, and the torture he put him under was more of a show, than anything else. To show Bats just what Joker could accomplish. He didn't kill Jason for a reason. He knew Bruce would never forgive him for that.

Joker had never felt remorse before now. But he couldn't pin-point this emotion he was feeling with anything else. How could Bruce let him into his home? 

"Jack?" Alfred spoke, and Joker looked up. He realized that he had spaced out, and was probably called more than once. His eyes travelled back to Barbara, and she looked oddly...calm, about him being there. 

"You, uhm..." Joker thought about his wording carefully, as he stepped out of the corner he had been hiding behind. "You look good" He directed to Barbara with as much sincerity as he could manage. She didn't respond, but he could tell by her expression that she was trying to analyse him. 

Joker looked down to the floor, allowing her scrutiny after everything he had put her through. "Jack, is something the matter?" Alfred asked, and Joker looked up to notice that all three of them were trying to analyse him. "I was gonna get a snack when I heard you talking. Just thought I'd...see who was there"

"You weren't expecting me?" Barbara spoke, something underlying in her tone that Joker couldn't pin-point. "No. Honestly, I haven't seen you in three years, since...the accident. How have you been, anyway? Since, well..." Joker stumbled on his words, feeling awkwardly out of place. "No, nevermind, that was a stupid question.  I'm...I'm gonna go" He quickly said, turning on his feet.

"Wait" Barbara spoke, and Joker turned back around to face her. They both stared at eachother, for what felt like ages under the silence of the room. "You know, I always had this speech prepared for when I'd next run into you" She began, and Joker suddenly grew restless, fidgeting his feet on the floor nervously. "It was about how you hold no power over me. About how what happened to me didn't make me weaker, it made me stronger. All that corny crap that I thought you'd need to hear to make me feel better about it"

Joker adverted his gaze back down to the floor. "But...you look good, too"

Joker's gaze shot back up at her, and he felt his emotions sky rocket at the sly smile on her face. "What's....what's that supposed to mean?"

"Look at you. I've known you for so many years, and you look just about ready to bolt out of this room. Not out of boredom, not out of the need to gut some random guy out in the streets, you look like you might piss yourself because you saw me and you felt guilty."

Jokers hands clenched, jaw tensing as he considered her words. "That guilt...it looks good on you"

"Shut up" Joker mumbled, not exactly to her, but the thoughts rushing through his brain. Still, she heard him, and still, her words continued. "Why? What is it that makes you so scared to be human?"

"Shut up" He repeated, louder, glaring at her as much as he could under the guilt. "That's not it. That's not the problem"

"Then what is, Jack?" Alfred chimed in, watching the interaction wearily.

"Why hasn't this come up before?" Joker didn't mean to yell, but it ended up coming out as one anyway. He began to pace the small spot he was stood in, his frustration bubbling over. "I used everything I could to get under Bat's skin! I kidnapped and tortured Jason," The mention of him made Barbara's gaze harden, yet still, he continued. ",Barbara was a complete accident, and yet I still weaponized it against Bats, and yet here I am! Under his roof, under his care, around his family, why the fuck am I even here!?" He yelled, glaring at Alfred through all of the confusion and guilt he felt. 

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Jack"

"Second chance?" Joker laughed incredulously, scratching at his arms again as he felt another panic attack coming on. He tried to ground himself, using Alfred stepping closer as a way to do so. "You say that as if I accidentally took their fucking candy, and not that one of them turned into the Red Hood and the other is permanently wheelchair bound!!" Joker yelled, chest heaving with the need to breathe. It was only then when he realized he was hyperventilating.

Alfred stepped closer, holding Joker's shoulders as they heaved up and down. "Come on, Jack. We've practiced this. Breathe. One, two. One, two" Alfred counted, trying to ground Joker even more but Joker could hardly hear his words. "D-Don't touch me" Joker wheezed out, but Alfred's touch didn't move away. "Don't touch me!!" He screamed, but Alfred's hold stayed.

"Why don't you want me to touch you, Jack?"

"Because...Because I'll hurt you!" Joker yelled. It wasn't meant to be a threat, Alfred knew. Joker was just scared, scared he would turn manic and hurt the family he was staying with. Tim, however, didn't know this. In retrospect, Alfred realized how Joker's comment came off to someone who didn't know the new him. Alfred barely even registered the tazer until it was too late. 

Joker's eyes widened when he realized what was happening. He looked up at Robin, then at the convulsing Alfred on the floor. 

Alfred had stepped in the way of the shot. On purpose. To protect him.

Joker's lips quivered, watching as both Robin and Barbara rushed over to check on Alfred. He took a step back, then two, before running off with his heart thumping heavily in his chest.