The Aster {Book 1 & 2} (Batman/Joker/Robin/Batgirl story)

1.15. The Club

A suited henchmen is waiting for me outside the club. God, I feel like a criminal just being seen near this place.

From the outside it almost glows, lighting up the street with a vivid ice blue light. I can't help feeling a little excited at the prospect of finding out what it looks like from the inside.

The henchmen bows a little too graciously in front of me. I don't know why it makes me nervous, it just does. Fuck, everything is making me nervous right now.

In the end I wore a black silk strapless dress, mainly on the basis it has a long slit down the leg which will be less restrictive if I need to make a quick exit. Plus it makes me feel like Rita Hayworth which is always a confidence booster. The fact I've got my mask on makes me feel better too.

I try not to react as I step into the club, and it's very difficult. It's undeniably beautiful. A vast, icy floor dotted with white clothed tables sweeps around a central blue pool, where a black tied orchestra is playing soft old jazz numbers on an iceberg like centrepiece. The whole place is glittering.

Looking around I see just about every high class criminal in Gotham. No wonder. You'd need to be a criminal to afford the prices in here.

The Joker is sitting at a table between the dance floor and a sparking ice cool champagne fountain. He stands when he sees me. He's wearing a white tie evening jacket with tails. I don't like this. It's too theatrical.

"Sit down, sit down, so down," he waves me over to the seat opposite him and a waiter quickly darts out of nowhere and pulls it out for me.

"Thank you," I thoughtlessly mouth at him.

"More champagne !" The Joker yells after him. I don't drink but I know there's no point arguing. I'll drink the champagne and like it.

"What do you want?" I get to the point fast, perhaps a little to fast.

He just smiles. "We can talk about business later. You know... that mask really ruins your look. I must insist you take it off."

"I don't want to-"

"Take it off." His voice doesn't leave me much choice.

Fuck.

Here goes.

I pull of the mask.

"Much better," he croons, leaning over the table until his face is nearly touching mine. I can feel his eyes burning into my skin, memorising every detail of every feature. "Now we can get down to business."

"J!"

We both look up simultaneously. I almost choke on my own saliva. The Penguin is standing over our table, all four foot nothing of him. It doesn't make him any less intimidating.

"Ah, you arrived just in time to be introduced to my little debutante," the Joker exclaims, waving his arms out at me.

"Ah, so this is infamous Aster," he says politely, his eyes running over every inch of my body. I can see my reflection in his monocle. I don't look happy. "Looking ravishing if I do say so myself."

"I thought she looks a little bare myself," the Joker comments, his eyes fixed on me too. I feel like a prize animal being sized up for slaughter. "But who can blame her, I've been telling you to turn the heating up in here for weeks!"

He laughs so loudly people at other tables start to look, but only start. As soon as they realise who it is their attention quickly snaps back to whatever they were doing before.

He's interrupted by the waiter who returns with the champagne but continues to smile.

"Ah Louis," the Penguin snaps his finger at the waiter, "bring this young lady one of the new overcoats that arrived in last night. Quickly now!"

The waiter nods and disappears. I watch him go. I don't like being alone at the table with these two.

"My little flower is in close cahoots with Batman, aren't you?" The Joker's attention turns back to me.

Is he trying to get me killed? Because if he says that again a little louder I'll be murdered so many times over they won't be able to identify my body.

I just smile as confidently as I can. What else can I do?

"Excellent!" The Penguin exclaims just as the waiter returns with something on a silver tray. The Penguin takes it off the tray and the waiter bows. It definitely isn't an overcoat.

"Compliments of the house."

He holds out the brightest, most spectacular diamond chocker I have ever seen.

Even just looking at the thing makes me nervous. I don't want it anywhere near me.

I choke. Where's the catch in all this?

He indicates to the waiter who takes it from him and steps behind me. I'm forced to compliantly pull my hair aside as he fastens it around my neck. It's ice cold and I almost jump as it touches me skin. I look up at the Penguin and the Joker who are watching intently from the other side of the table.

Thank God neither of them are anywhere near my neck, I'll say that.

"Much better," the Joker smiles. "Now run along Pengy, I have some business to discuss with the lady."

The Penguin nods and bows before leaving. I can't admit I'm not relieved. At least the Joker is predictably unpredictable, with him I didn't know what to expect. He creeped me out.

"Now then..." the Joker leans forward and locks is eyes into mine, "I have a tiny little thing I need you to do."

"Okay..." I brace myself.

"A good friend of mine is planning to raid Gotham city museum. I want you to help her, and I want you to persuade Bats to tag along."

"You want me to get Batman to bust me and your friend?"

"Yes," he sneers. "And I want you to make sure she doesn't get away."

"Okay, I guess..." I shrug. "I'm not sure what it'll do to your friendship but it can only improve Batman's trust in me."

I take a sip of my champagne and try my best not to grimace.

"And the more Batman trusts me, the closer we get -"

"-to destroying him," the Joker finishes for me, clinking his glass against mine. "And we have cut out the third person out of the museum profits and can split it between the two of us."

"I'm not in this for the money," I say in a pissy tone of voice.

"Ohhhh, suit yourself," the Joker rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair.

I down the rest of my drink in one, my confidence growing. Maybe it's just the alcohol, maybe it's the fact I don't think I'm going to be killed by anyone tonight.

"So who's your friend?"

"More of a friend of a friend actually," he grimaces, taking the pink carnation out of his buttonhole and without warning, begins to tear it apart with his gloved fingertips. "In fact she's betrayed me one too many times."

His expression is scaring me now. It's a smile but not like his usual smile... it's not an attempt at being funny, it's not even insane. I don't know how to describe it... but it's terrifying.

"Anyone I would know?" I ask dryly.

"You might have seen her around," he laughs. "Her name is... Poison Ivy."