The Archer | T.D. ✔

Chapter Twenty-Two

Everyone in the Batcave had their eyes glued to the screen, watching as Rory sat there and took every punch while still fighting back and it put Tim on edge. With every insult, he held his breath afraid that the Joker would just get tired of her and kill her too but it seemed that he wasn't going to kill Rory, at least not now.

Steph was next to him and gripped his hand tightly. She could see just how much the video bothered him, but he couldn't leave not without knowing if Rory made it out alive or not. Tim watched with wide eyes as Rory fought her way out of the chair using her weight to crush it before using the sticks to hit the thugs with them.

His grip on Steph's hand tightened and he saw the others tense when Joker put the gun to her head. "You're making this very difficult, he didn't say it would be this hard," he said while still holding the gun, but in the blink of an eyes Rory kicked it out of his hand and held the Joker at gunpoint.

Tim didn't have to see the look in her eyes to know that she was angry, her chest rose and fell quickly and her body was unnaturally calm.. He knew that if Rory was aiming at him, she was aiming to kill.

 "What are you going to do, shoot me?" the Joker laughed, his hands raised in mock surrender. "That would break a couple of Batman's rules."

Rory cocked the gun, her chest heaving in anger. From the angle of the camera, only the back of her head was visible, but it was obvious how she felt, "Oh, but you don't play by the rules right? I can see it, you've killed before but are you going to kill me too?"

Rory didn't move, keeping the gun aimed at him. "You said 'he', who is that?" she demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Rory didn't move, he was taunting her. Whatever it was he was talking about, it only made her angrier "You think you can get me to kill you? You're right, I have killed before and I don't play by the rules." she grinned. "I make them." 

They watched as she threw the gun, hitting the Joker in the head, and took off out the door. The video was silent other than a few grunts and thuds before there were gunshots. Tim's heart started beating faster and his hands began to shake, there was no sign of Rory and he was scared. Steph could feel him shake and she gripped his hand tighter to remind him that she was there. Looking down at her, he gave her a small smile. Tim couldn't afford to have a panic attack, not now when he had to find his missing girlfriend.

Everyone let out a breath when one of the thugs drug Rory in the room by her hair and they all saw that she was still breathing, and where the gunshots landed in her left shoulder.

 The camera moved and the Joker held it down to put Rory in focus."Back so soon?"

Rory was sat up on her knees, gripping her shoulder, and looked up, her face swollen and her shoulder bleeding. "Don't forget to smile at the camera, we don't want bats to think you aren't enjoying yourself." Rory glared, wincing from the pain in her shoulder.

"Fuck you." 

The next few minutes were torture to Tim, he stood there and watched as the Joker kicked her in the side whimpers leaving Rory as she tried to hold it in. He knew what she was doing, Tim would do the same thing if it were him. She knew that if they heard her cry out in pain, it would only worry them more but the Joker seemed to notice this too.

He was handed a green liquid and with a grin, he began to pour it on her side.

Rory's screams of pain echoed off the cave walls, and tears welled up in Tim's eyes as he was forced to watch the girl he loved to be hurt over and over. Barbara covered her mouth and turned away unable to watch anymore as Dick rubbed her shoulder in comfort and Jason stood there like a statue.