deal with the devil! | JOKER X READER

CHAPTER 2: target practice.

   As Joker led you through the crowded club, you couldn't believe your luck. You had a long list of names that you were considering, but the fact that your first option had worked out was mind-blowing to you. You tried to stay humble, though, since you still had to pass one final test to be accepted into his crew:

   Target practice. Were you a good shot, or were you just another mediocre villain failing to be something special?

   You knew the answer, and you hoped you could show Joker what that answer was.

You began to realize that you were blindly following Gotham's most notorious criminal to an unknown location, and that fact made you a little nervous. He could be taking you anywhere, and he could do anything to you. You hoped your gut was right, and that he really did just want to assess your skills. But, as he pushed open the club's door and exited the building, it was hard to remain optimistic. But, you couldn't show weakness. You had to keep following.

So, you, Joker, and his grunts were all outside, standing near the club's entrance. The fall air caused shivers to run up and down your spine. You crossed your arms over your chest, a desperate attempt to preserve warmth. You looked at your companions, and none of them seemed to be affected by the chill. Camping out in the cold was evidently something they did often.

Joker rested a hand on your shoulder and gestured to the road before you. "See all those people?"

You did. There was almost a constant stream of people walking into the club, parking in the lot, or driving past it. Aside from being a calloused murderer, Joker was also quite the hustler. "Yeah."

"Kill one of 'em."

For some reason, that demand caught you off guard. "What?"

"You heard me."

When you had envisioned this test, you had imagined him bringing you to some weird section of the club with targets all around. Granted, why on Earth would he have an area just for that sort of thing? But, it had made sense to you at the time. You would be able to flex like crazy without taking the step of taking a human life. It was a win-win.

You knew you'd have to kill someone eventually, but you didn't think that day would be today. Your emotions toward this last-minute demand were complex; you weren't sad, scared, or guilty, but you felt weird. Not weird because you thought you'd get caught, and not weird because the task was more upsetting than you had thought. It was just something you'd never done. Unfamiliar things never brought you ease, even if they were good things. It would just feel different, and you couldn't really imagine how.

   Joker sensed your hesitation. "Something wrong?" he asked, taunting you.

   You shook your head. "No. But, do you really wanna have me murder one of your patrons? That's just losing money." You truly didn't know why you were stalling. You had imagined being a vicious criminal countless times, and murder was inevitably part of those scenarios. Why, then, was it such a step for you?

   "Doll, I'd like to think that I'm doing pretty well for myself. One person ain't gonna break the bank."

   To prove his point, he snatched the gun from you. With no hesitation whatsoever, he shot a random passersby right in the head. She crumbled to the ground immediately, her brains splattered on the sidewalk. Her hair was dyed a bright red, so all the surrounding blood almost looked like someone had liquified her hair and poured it all around. Her pale skin grew even paler as she died before your very eyes.

   You didn't even flinch. You had seen murder time and time again. You lived in Gotham, for God's sake, and you had hung out with some of the scummiest individuals in the city.