A Painted Smile (A Harley Quinn Fanfic)

Joker

One mile north of Gotham central train station.

Four months ago.

4:53 AM.

'You think the Bat is going to save you, don't you? He wont'

'You know Jonny, I'm gonna call you Johnny, I like you, I don't want to kill you, but, if I'm totally honest.....' Joker paused, pulling his gun from his belt, a old 1955 revolver, his personal favorite, he pressed the gun against Johnny's head, the cold steel digging into his forehead. Joker looked around motioning for a light to be shone on Johnny.

A large thug pushed a old rusty floodlight from one corner of the Warehouse to the other, trying his best not to trip over the wive that was running across the dirty floor. Johnny sat, fear filling his eyes and his mouth drier than the desert, tied to a chair his mouth coveted in duct tape, unable to speak.

'Where was I?, ah, yes, Johnny my fat friend' joker leaned down to the bound man, his fave just mere inches from Johnnys , Joker started to whisper 'Johnny, do you prefer fat or obese, or morbidly obese' Joker looked down at the man's stomach and prodded his stomach.

'Boop'

Joker started to laugh as he walked round the man, tapping him with on the head with his revolver as he did 'Johnny, you know I like you, but, and I don't mean to sound bad, but, you really are lousy company' Joker started to laugh in the mans gagged face, looking over at his henchman stood in mostly darkness.

Joker teased his hand round the gagged mans mouth, picking at the corners of the duct tape before grabbing it and pulling it away, ripping some of the mans facial hair with it.

'Johnny, what's the combination?' Joker pointed to as large safe in the corner, made of thick slightly rusted metal.

Johnny shook his head, blood running down his forehead from the beating before he was kidnapped 'you think I'm stupid, I tell you the combination, you've got what you want, so you kill me'

Joker placed his gun back in his belt and buttoned up his purple jacket 'Johnny, don't be like that, you tell me the combination, I get what I want, I let you go, you get what you want, its win win buddy, now come on.....' Joker leaned in closer, griting his teeth 'tell me the combination'

Johnny shook his head once more, joker stood back, veins pulsating in his head, staring Johnny straight in the eyes, grabbing a handkerchief he removed the sweat from his head, he then ran his hands through his hair, making himself look more, presentable. Joker turned his gaze to his henchman.

'Karlos, bring her in' Joker screamed before again diverting his gaze back to Johnny. Joker reached out and grabbed the arms of the old wooden chair that held Johnny turning it around to where Karlos was just stood. The chair scratching against the floor, screeching as it did.

Then, nothing, just the darkness of the warehouse.

No sound, just the breathing of Johnny, trying to breathe past the tight ropes holding him in his chair.

Then, from the darkness, from where Karlos had gone.

Karlos, pulling a chair, that too screeching across the floor, he dragged it, then stood out of the way, smiling smugly at the joker like a dog that had done well, a dog awaiting its reward.

'Oh johnny, you recognise her, don't you' smiled the Joker pointing to the woman tied, gagged and bleeding in the chair at the other side of the warehouse.

'That johnny, my useless sack of shit' he continued 'is your wife, and I, was going to let you leave, leave to eat a few more burgers, shovel down a few more doughnuts, but you johnny, you decided you held the cards in our little game'

Joker smiled over at Johnny's wife, Sandra, then back to Johnny 'but johnny my pal, you don't joker started to laugh, gently at first, then uncontrollably, his hands resting on his knees, heavily breathing, trying to calm himself down.

'Now, Karlos is going to rip your lovely wife limb from beautiful limb, I say beautiful because you really did bat above your average, good for you, but she will be inn pieces, several, unless you tell me the fucking code, to the fucking safe' joker smiled his face now millimeters from Johnny's.

Tears streamed down Johnny's face, stinging as they ran into the cuts, he looked up from the floor, unable to look at his beaten wife, he looked to the Joker, who was still smiling, still pleased with himself.

'I don't care what you do to me, but don't hurt her, she's done nothing wrong, please, let her go' gasped Johnny, the taste of the iron in his blood filled fourth coating his tongue, running down his throat, the continuing sting of his own tears.

'Johnny, the combination'

Johnny looked to the safe, then back to Joker '1826130125'

Joker smiled, rummaging in his pockets frantically 'heh, I'm gonna have to write that down' he grabbed a scrap of paper and a small pencil and scribbled the code as he walked over to the safe, muttering to himself as he did.

'One, eight, two, six, one, three, zero, one, two, five' Joker inputted the numbers and as he pressed the final one the mechanisms in the door started to move, releasing the lock as the door swung open to reveal, nothing.

'Karlos, it was the other warehouse' smiled Joker, spinning round, he pulled his gun from his belt again, pressing it against Johnny's head, pushing, harder, harder, the wooden chair, rocked back balancing on its two back legs, he pressed further until the chair lost its balance, falling backwards, Johnny's head slammed against the cold floor. Joker ran his purple leather gloved fingers through Johnny's hair, slowly to the scalp then he gripped tightly pulling Johnny and his chair back up, blood dripping from Johnny's head From the fall.

Joker pressed his gun against Johnny's head again and paused for a moment, looking into Johnny's eyes 'its the wrong safe Johnny' smiled Joker 'you really should have said' he whispered, his finger pressing on the cold trigger, until he pulled it, the bullet shooting from the barrel and into Johnny's head, blood pouring from his now lifeless body, as he slumped into his chair, no longer struggling with the ropes binding him to the rotting chair.

Joker strolled over to Johnny's Wife, Sandra, walking round her in circles before finally pulling away the duct tape gently from her mouth. 'You know, your obese husband over there, dident want me to hurt you, wanted me to let you go, put him self out there, for you, hence his brains making their way across the floor, but sadly, that's not the kind of guy I am'

Joker aimed his gun at the woman's temple and without any thought pulled the trigger, killing her instantly. Joker looked at her for a moment as if a moment of cruel contemplation, before looking up at Karlos 'would you look at that top shares wearing, what is this? 1984?'

Joker walked to the door, Karlos behind him as the sun started to slowly rise over Gotham city.