It was dark. The full moon shone through the large iron-cast windows, illuminating the space in an eerie blueish glow, and highlighting the boy in the chair, strapped down by his wrists and ankles with barbed wire. He struggled, the wire cutting deeper into his flesh with every weak, monotonous motion, fully understanding now that all his attempts to gain even an inch of space were completely in vain, but not bothering to stop. The smell of dust and mold and blood permeated the air, choking out every last inch of this forsaken hall.
It was the smell of abandonment.
"...Wanna hear a joke?"
Jason's head laid sunken against his chest, the only sign of his even being conscious being the mindless twisting and pulling of his wrists against the wire. He did not stir, and finally, after long moments of not receiving a reply, The Joker stood from his own chair facing the boy and approached him.
"Hey, I asked you a question! Didn't Batsy ever teach you that it's rude to ignore people?"
An almost imperceptible tilt in Jason's head as he lifted his gaze to the clown standing before him, staring at him a moment before lowering his eyes back to the floor.
"...No more jokes…"
The Joker smiled, hands on his hips as he bent over to look the young crusader in his face.
"A little birdy was trapped in a cage," He began. "He was beaten to death and no one ever cared."
Jason raised his head more fiercely now, glaring daggers of pure malice at The Joker as his lip curled in disgust.
"That's… Not… Funny."
The Joker's smile did not waver, didn't even falter as he stood back up erect, his hands still placed on his hips as he began to circle through the darkness, rounding Jason's chair, illuminated by the moon like a spotlight, the only part in this place that was separated from the shadows.
"Batman ran the rooftops with a new sidekick and forgot about the beaten bird." He circled back to Jason's front, bending back over so the young crusader could see his face, waving his hands in faux excitement.
"The End!"
Jason's head slumped back down, his wrists ceasing their struggles as he breathed out a heavy sigh. There was no way to reply to that.
This clown was mad. He was a complete lunatic. Nothing he said even made any damned sense.
And then Jason's head suddenly shot back up, the realization of what Joker had said coming to him all at once.
"What did you say?!" He shot out, and The Joker laughed. Out of nowhere, the madman brought his hand up and smacked Jason across the cheek, the joy buzzer strapped to his palm immediately sending currents of agonizing electricity through the boy's skull. Jason seized up, taken completely off guard by the attack as he convulsed and moaned from the currents going through his system. His chair fell over and he frothed at the mouth, but his sheer rage pushed through and a broken, muffled shout managed to push passed his lips.
"WWWHHHH-AATT D-DID YOU SSS-SA-AYYY?!"
The Joker barely contained his laugh, his smile growing wider as he casually began to stroll around Jason's fallen and writhing body, the boy lashing his head out at the clown's shoes in desperate fury.
"He's forgotten about you champ, made some new kid his playmate." The Joker spoke with mirth, making sure to step over the streams of blood which had begun to seep from Jason's wrists.
"Wh-What…" Jason growled, keeping his eyes set on the clown as he continued to circle round his chair.
"Yeah, I mean you HAVE been gone quite the while. Who wouldn't forget about some twit boy dressed in red and green, following the knight like an annoying puppy dog?" The Joker suddenly gave Jason a stiff kick to the ribs, the force turning his chair over onto its back as Jason's eyes nearly bulged out, and all the air rushed from his system.
"You probably cramped the man's style!" The madman continued. "Black iron clad clashed with someone as pathetic and clearly weak as you."
Jason gave no reply, furious pants for air being the only thing coming from his lips. The Joker regarded him for a moment, lying helpless on the floor, still under the spotlight of the moon, before grabbing a fistful of the boy's hair and roughly pulling his chair back onto its feet. Jason let out a strangled scream, more blood seeping from his wrists as the wire dug even deeper inside him. The sight made Joker chuckle.
"Yeah, Batman probably thought "hey if this kid was anything worth it, he'd have escaped on his own by now! Clearly a waste of time… now where can I find someone better?"
The Joker gave Jason a once-over, admiring his pathetic, exasperated expression as he continued struggling for breath, unable to reply, barely able to focus on anything at all besides the pain. Joker's grin twisted into a perverse smile, leaning onto Jason's chair as he whispered these next words into his ear.
"And that's why it's best you hang out with me from now on."
He leaned back, gleaming the boy's confused and angry look, before pushing himself off the chair and continuing his stroll around the spotlight, the moon still illuminating Jason, and The Joker always careful not to cross its borders.
"There's nothing for you up there." He stated matter-of-factly.
Jason continued to huff, his head hung low and his eyelids drooping as pain and fatigue overwhelmed him. Barely, in nothing more than a harsh whisper, he was able to voice his rage.
"What the hell… are you… talking about…"
The Joker began to dig into the pockets of his purple suit, producing an envelope.
"If you really need to see I've got the pictures right here!" He tossed it onto Jason's lap, the second Robin staring at it before raising his eyes to The Joker's.
"I've kinda got my hands tied here." He hissed. If The Joker caught the hate dripping from the boy's words, he didn't acknowledge it as he burst into hysterical laughter.
"AHAHAHAHA TH-THAT'S A GOOD ONE! AHAHAHAHA!"
Jason's eyes widened and his teeth began to grind as his fury, which had been previously dissolved by pain, returned full-force. This clown this… this lunatic he… he was less than human. He was unlike anybody else who existed, he… he was a monster. Instinctively Jason gave a hard tug to his binds, trying desperately, mindlessly to reach out and crush the madman's skull, thoughts of gouging out his eyes and smashing his windpipe rushed through the adolescent vigilante's head, and in return, all he received was a flash of bubbling pain and the sickening sound of wire scraping against bone.
Jason recoiled, wincing as a sensation, not unlike that of his brain melting, overwhelmed him. The pain paralyzed his body, and all he could do was sit there motionless, and wait for the madman to tire out.
...The same thing for six months... Six goddamn months… how could he be so useless…
It took minutes before The Joker's mirth to died down, but once it did he wasted no time in snatching the envelope back off of Jason's lap and ripping out its contents. He turned from Jason, admiring the photos on his own for some moments, and Jason's curiosity couldn't help but lean over and try to see for himself what they were. The Joker spotted him out of the corner of his eye and smirked.
"Trying to sneak a peek, eh boy wonder?" Suddenly Jason felt his face flush.
"I-I'm…" His gaze fell down, unsure of what to say. The Joker merely chuckled.
"Oh! This one's cute!" He suddenly called, going back to the stack of photos. "Looks like he's mentoring the little boy. On one knee and everything!" Jason could feel tears welling at the back of his eyes, but he didn't know why.
"What…?"
"And this one!" The clown interrupted, holding the photo up high as he gazed into it. "You can just recognize them using their silly grapples. Whoosh! Swinging away from YOU." And suddenly Joker threw the stack of photos at Jason's feet, allowing the second Robin to quickly scan them, and confirm his own fears.
The tears which had been welling behind his eyes instantly bursted through and dripped down his cheeks, a low whine escaping the young crusader's throat. It was Batman and… Robin, but… it wasn't him.
"No…" He pleaded. "Th-these are fake!" He screamed, and Jason brought his eyes back up to meet The Joker's, only to suddenly be met with a crowbar across his jaw, once again sending his chair tumbling to the ground as the young crusader's vision exploded into stars.
"Was that fake?" Joker deadpanned. Jason began gurgling on the ground, helpless as blood bubbled into his throat, helpless to rid it from his windpipe. The Joker did not help, instead bringing the crowbar back down again, this time smashing the boy wonder's nose open, and then again, breaking several of his teeth.
"Or THIS? Or THIS? Or THIS or THIS or THIS or THIS?!" And then The Joker exploded into laughter as he continued pounding the young hero's face in, Jason completely helpless to defend himself, unable to do anything at all besides close his eyes... and cry.
"Because I assure you," The Joker began, his voice low, hissing. "Where you are and who you're with is completely REAL."
Blackness swelled at the edges of Jason's vision. His eyes blurred, first from the tears and the blood, but eventually from his own trauma. His throat burned and he couldn't breath, and soon he found himself welcoming the respite of death. He knew that Batman would never approve of such thoughts, but… Batman hadn't come, had he?
So who cares what he thought?
"...Not YET kiddo." The Joker again pulled Jason up by his hair, but this time the young crusader barely noticed the pain, too overwhelmed by everything else. Joker started pounding him on the back, beating out all the blood that had blocked his airway, and… saving Jason's life.
"I'm afraid it isn't quite time for you to check-out, not just yet." Jason hacked and moaned as The Joker continued pounding on his back with physical strength that betrayed the clown's slight build. Even with his windpipe cleared, Jason found himself still desperately struggling for oxygen, as The Joker's relentless and insane patting rendered taking a deep breath completely impossible. Only when the vigilante's convulsions weakened and his face turned a shade of blue, did The Joker finally stop, turning away from the second Robin and giggling into the darkness.
"...He's out there looking for me right now…" The Joker suddenly turned around, surprised at the boy's voice. Jason struggled to get the words out, his body pleading with him to take in oxygen, but his fury compelled him to speak.
"And when he finds me… HE'LL KILL YOU!"
And The Joker smirked, slithering his way back over to Jason's face.
"Would he?" He asked, mockingly, the words spreading like a heat throughout Jason's body, and suddenly the vigilante found himself unable to hold The Joker's gaze.
"He… He will… I know he will…"
The Joker shook his head, folding his arms like a disapproving parent.
"Tsk tsk tsk, the little birdie doesn't sound so sure."
And suddenly Jason felt defeated. He had no more words, no more strength even, nothing at all with which to fight back, in any meaningful way. All at once the realization came to him; he was at The Joker's mercy. There was nothing he could do, and with that, a new feeling erupted in the young vigilante's heart.
"...I hate you."
"What was that?" The Joker tilted his head, surprised and amused by the bluntness of his birdie's outburst.
"I hate you." Jason repeated, in nothing but a whisper, his head still hanging low and his eyes focused on nothing at all, the only other sound in the room the gentle splashing of his blood drops into the pool below.
The Joker feigned astonishment, falling back and placing a hand on his forehead.
"Ooohhh! Ouch! Eek! The pain! My tender feelings!" And then the madman began to laugh, and at this Jason finally raised his head, revealing a visage of mangled meat and crimson flesh, eyes twisted into something he had never experienced before, the most pure, and malicious fury.
"I HATE YOOOUUU!"
"Shut UP!" And The Joker silenced him with another whack of the crowbar across his jaw.
"So annoying!"
And suddenly the room was silent, the spotlight on Jason's chair beginning to fade as the moon continued its revolutions across the sky. Several long moments passed like this, Jason's outburst having been ended by the crowbar as abruptly as it began, but the hate that was inside of him continued to fester with every passing second. The Joker saw it, and he reveled in it. Eventually, his smile returned.
"Here. I know what will make you feel better."
Jason did not react.
"A little entertainment! A break from the exhausting darkness." Joker reached back into his oversized clown pockets, almost comical had they not been the bringer of endless pain and suffering, and produced a VHS tape.
"Forgive the outdated format," He chuckled. "I know you kids today are more used to your digital media, what with the DVDs and the Blu-Rays and the whatnot." The madman disappeared into the shadows for a moment, pulling back with him an old television stand, complete with a VHS player.
Without another word he set up the film, stepping back next to Jason with his hands on his hips to admire his own work. His smile immediately reversed into a deep frown however, when he noticed that the young vigilante had failed to look up at the screen.
"HEY!" The Joker suddenly screamed. "I go to all this trouble to record a home movie for us to enjoy, the least you could do is raise your sorry face to pay attention!" The Joker stepped behind Jason and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head up while snaking another hand around the boy's jaw to keep his eyes firmly locked to the screen.
Jason fidgeted, weakly, and moaned, but there was no way for him to fight back.
"Ba-Baatmann…!" He began to cry out. At this The Joker's devilish grin fully returned.
"If you miss the bat so much, take a look at this!" And then the film began to play, rough and grainy footage handled by a cameraman who's insane giggles rendered a steady image impossible.
"I recorded it myself." The Joker spoke proudly. "Not the best cinematography I admit, but wait till you see the star!"
Jason's eyes were dull, glazed over and unfocused. The footage was clearly taken from a hiding spot of some kind, looking up into the night sky, at nothing. It took several long moments for the adolescent vigilante to realize what it was he was looking at.
"Ba-Baa-Bat-"
"That's right, it's BATMAN!" The Joker cheered as the caped crusader appeared on the edge of one of the tall buildings, and even through the awful recording Jason had no doubt that had to be the man he knew, standing so proud and with such conviction. Jason couldn't quite make out what his mentor was doing, but it appeared as if he was speaking to someone, before he took a dive off the edge and his cape extended to glide him through the streets.
"Whoosh!" The Joker laughed, and then another figure appeared at the edge of the rooftop following close behind Batman, and Jason felt his heart sink.
"And following close behind… ROBIN! The boy wonder!" Joker continued his narration. He withdrew his grasp on the young vigilante and circled back around to his front, confident the birdie's eyes were now glued to the screen. He was happy to see fresh tears dripping down the boy's face.
"That's not…"
"You?" The Joker finished for him. "Sorry, it's not. But you could pretend it is!" The lunatic leaned in close to Jason's face, hands clasped together excitedly as his lips peeled up to reveal his horrible, shark-like grin.
"Go ahead." He whispered. "Pretend that's you. You were Robin after all. Shouldn't be too hard to imagine." Jason's lip quivered, unable to form a reply, his brain racked with emotions. The Joker continued.
"It's like you're there, except you're not! It's like that kid is your understudy! You're sick and need to stay bound to this chair. Batman understands, completely gets it, don't worry. That kid's got you covered so take all the time you need!" And suddenly the madman leaned in even closer, his face now only mere inches from the young crusader, his tone even lower.
"And trust me, you're going to need a LOT of ti-"
"AARGH!" Without warning Jason smashed his head forward as hard as he could, the clown recoiling in pain and surprise as his own nose exploded into blood. Jason began screaming again and struggling with his binds, the pain now numbed by his anguish. But Joker didn't pay attention. He was on the floor now, propped up by his elbows on his back, gently placing his fingers to the ruined flesh and pulling back to reveal his chalk-white appendages stained crimson.
He smiled.
"So THAT'S how you wanna play it, eh kid? He slowly got back to his feet.
"BATMAAAANN!" Jason continued screaming. "BATMAAAAAAANNN!"
"You know…" Joker turned, making his way towards the fallen crowbar. "I doubt he'd be able to hear you down here. He's probably back in his cave right now, actually. Having some father-son time with the new Robin."
"BAAATTNAANN!" Jason's struggles weakened as he broke down into sobs, the tears mixing with the blood on his face and sliding down his cheeks onto the floor. He cried, feeling The Joker beat out his innocence with every strike from that crowbar, replace it with hate and malice every time he laughed. His chair fell over again, but The Joker gave him no respite, bringing the crowbar down hard across his legs, ribs, arms and head, with the young crusader completely helpless to do anything about it.
As The Joker's laughs grew louder, the moon's spotlight on Jason continued to dim in brightness, until eventually, it faded entirely, and Jason Todd was enveloped completely by the shadows.
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