The Mechanic and The Clown (Robert Downey Jr/The Joker)

Chapter 12

"I've gotta get her back, he's crossed the line this time and I'm going to kill him," they say it's a clear sign of madness when you start having a lengthy, angry, full blown argument with yourself. And there I was driving, sober too if I might add, ranting out but I didn't care if passers by gave me strange looks. Because lets face it I've gone past crazy years ago. But that's what The Joker does, he hits you where you're vulnerable, taking the white knights of the world and pulling them down to his immoral level. "But not to me, I refuse to be dragged into his games. He's an idiot!" I hadn't lost my temper like that before as I punched my fist harshly against the steering before I pulled over, breathing deeply. A panic attack was starting on and I sure as Hell did not want Bruce Batfake to see me like this. To cut a long story short, I was a piping hot mess without Pep, maybe I'm getting older but she keeps me sane. I had nothing left. No more to lose, my wife was kidnapped by the most insane lunatic on the planet, and my best friend was missing in action. It's enough to drive anyone mad, God knows what it would do to me.

I had been getting a lot of calls from Banner, it was nearing sunrise and I had been driving round aimlessley the whole night, stopping the car quite a fair distance from the house. What is the point of going on without Pep? I have to think positive, and not let my demons get to me. I had done such a good job of surpressing the stress levels until that point. My hands squeezing the steering wheel with all my strength, I let out an agonising wordless yell, dropping my head onto the steering wheel. This was so unlike me, all of it, I swore to never lose Pep again since the whole Killian incident and what happens? The Joker comes and swipes her from right under my nose. The two of them might not even be alive. I didn't mention it yet did I? Before leaving the hospital I needed to get a status report on how Pep was doing before going missing. What I heard next hit me pretty hard, in normal circumstances I don't know how I would have felt, I mean with all that responsibilty.... Pep was five-six weeks pregnant, with my kid. So now two lives hung in the balance and there was a risk that I might fail one of them before it had even begun. I'm not saying I would want her to get rid of the kid but can you imagine me as a father? Because I can't. I'll either be like my dad who never even had the guts to tell me he loved me, or being me I would probably be much worse. I wan't even aware we were trying for a child. This was my fight to win, and nothing was going to get in my way I had to get my family back, because believe it or not, it means everything to me. And then I had to turn on the radio, because for some reason a part of me thought it was a good idea. How wrong I was. Why is it that when I'm already down, something happens to knock me even lower?

"Tony Stark," it's a good thing I had switched the engine off because my foot instantly kicked at the pedal at the sound at that oh so familiar voice and I could have crashed, causing serious damage. Which would have been an eye opener to be honest. Yeah I know I'm an eccentric, insensitive jerk. I get that from Pepper all the time.

"It's about time we had a little talk, I didn't have your number so I figured this would do the trick," my body tensed, his voice nearly stopping my heart as I swallowed nervously. Leaning back against the drivers sets my hand clenched over my chest. Or rather over the arc reactor. Was it only me or was it getting hard to breathe in the car? I needed air but the windows were already wide open.

Don't do this.

Not now.

You're Tony frikkin' Stark!

You got this Stark

Just breathe.

You have it under control.

Pep would usually help in these sort of things. Everything was so insanely difficult without her. "Well it's a bit one sided don't you think?" I remarked sarcastically, getting a little of my normal self back. Trying to stay as calm as possible. Knowing The Joker wasn't able to hear me.