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

2.15. Anything

A black Rolls Royce is waiting for us outside.

It's so cold out here, even for the end of summer I can't stop shaking. Or maybe I'm just going into shock. Who knows.

A chauffeur type bodyguard bows as he opens the door to the backseat of the car -and I hold tight onto Evelyn as I slide in. Please, please, make him stay quiet... I don't know how the Joker would react to crying, I really don't want to find out.

I look out of the window into the darkness as the Joker gets in next to me.

Could they be watching? Batman and Batgirl? Waiting to jump out and rescue us at the right moment?

Deep in my heart I know their not, but it's the only hope I have, I've gotta cling to it or I'll break down again.

The car engine starts and I realise that none of the bodyguards are coming with us, they're still in the mansion.

"Why aren't they leaving too?" I ask shakily, twisting around to see out of the rear window. "They're not gonna hurt anyone are they?"

"That depends," the Joker shrugs, catching my eye. "On what you want."

"I don't want anyone to hurt my friends."

"Aww, 'you're friends', that's so cute," he sneers, his dark red lips curling.

I expect him to do something, say something else but he doesn't. He just closes his eyes and leans back in the seat. I try to keep myself as close to the door as possible, but the leather seats are sculptured and no matter how hard I try I keep on sliding back down towards him. I pull my black bad close to me, it's the only thing I can use to barricade between us.

We're driving into the city, not the shithole area the Joker's bases usually are situated, but the affluent, modern area near the Iceberg Lounge. The fact that I'm being allowed to see where I'm being taken is probably more worrying than anything else.

Evelyn moans a little in his sleep. The Joker's eyes flash open and he looks over to us, I think it's the first time he's even acknowledged the baby is here.

"Keep the kid quiet."

"He has a name," I say quietly, tightening my grip around his tiny body.

The Joker rolls his eyes and sighs.

"I don't really care." His gaze returns to straight ahead of him again.

The chauffeur suddenly swerved in, pulling the car off the main road and practically onto the sidewalk. He then gets out and comes around and opens my door. I look to the Joker, trying to find a clue of what's gonna happen. His face is blank and bored.

I take hold of my bag and reluctantly get out of the car.

We're outside a huge glass high rise, even in the middle of the night it's glowing so brightly it practically lights up the whole street. It looks like a stock wallpaper image on a cheap laptop.

"Welcome home," the Joker whispers into my ear before grabbing my arm tightly and pulling me through the revolving glass doors.

There's a security guard sitting at the front desk but he doesn't look up as we walk in, although he's obviously well aware that we're here.

There's another guard standing by the elevator, one of the Joker's men I guess, he's holding the door open for us.

He follows us into the elevator and selects floor twenty six, the penthouse level.

My stomach dips sickeningly as the elevator starts to slowly rise, I feel agonisingly vulnerable with the Joker standing behind me. Being able to sense his presence but not being able to see him, his hands, the knife or gun they might be holding, waiting to cut my throat or blow the back of my head off. No, don't think about that, don't picture it, you're gonna panic if you do.

It seems to take forever but finally the elevator comes to a halt and the doors slide open.

Despite myself I catch my breath. The penthouse itself, or what I can see of it from here, is furnished with white carpets and walls with a large modern wooden table being the centrepiece of the room. But it's the view that I can't take my eyes from. Two of the walls are almost entirely glass, you must be able to see half of the city from up here.

It's a beautiful hell.

The guard suddenly steps over to me and makes a grab for Evelyn.

"No!" I dodge out of the elevator and almost trip as I back into the table. "Keep away."

"You're arm's gonna get awful tired," The Joker grins and waves his cane as he steps into the apartment after me.

The bodyguard quickly follows, I try and back away more but I'm trapped against the table. He makes another grab at me, this time succeeding in ripping Evelyn away from me. He starts to cry and I do too, I'm so defeated, I can't do anything to protect him.

"Please don't hurt him!" I yell, running over to the Joker and grabbing his purple alligator coat with both my hands. I'm not attacking, I'm begging.

"No one is gonna hurt the kid," he says flatly.

"You promise?" I demand through gritted teeth, I've got to get a grip, I've got to.

"I promise," his voice sounds weird, I he's trying to hide the sincerity in his voice rather than to fake it. He turns away and tosses his coat over an ornate stand by the elevator doors.

All I can do is turn and watch helplessly as the guard takes Evelyn across the room to a wooden door, the sound of his crying turns nearly inaudible as it slams behind them.

"What are you gonna do to us?" I gulp, turning back to the Joker.

He spins around and jumps up onto the table. I look up him, towering over me. I have to do everything he says.

It's at this moment I make a choice. Anything he wants, he can have. Anything for us to survive.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you," he half bows down like a magician at an encore.

I stay silent. I don't know what else to ask, whatever it is I'm obviously not gonna get an answer. The Joker stares down at me and sighs, like I don't get a joke he just said.

"What exactly is it you want?" He suddenly breaks the silence, his voice exasperated.

"I just wanna go home," I cry, isn't it fucking obvious?

"No," he looks up at the sky, it's like he's searching for the right words. "What do... what do you want from life?"

"I just want my life to be normal. A normal family, I want to love someone without knowing they might go out one day and never come back."

I flinch violently as the Joker jumps off the table, landing squarely in front of me.

"I could give you all of that."

"You could never give me anything," I snap, involuntarily clenching my fists, ready to hit out, to defend myself.

"Oh, you want me to show you normal?" He grabs me by the back of my neck and pulls me close.

"No," I shake my head, shit I've blown it, he's mad, really mad.

"Aww, come on, let's have some fun," he starts to pull me towards the door where the guard took Evelyn. "Let's be normal."