Chapter Text
Chapter 1
New Enemy
"Batman doesn't do ships. There's no 'us'. You mean nothing to me. No one does"
It has passed over weeks since Batman said those hurtful words to Joker. The words he'd never forget. Harley tried to cheer him up and do anything to distract him, make him laugh, trying her best to be his personal psychologist-friend, but nothing could help. Joker fell into slight depression, though he appreciated the blondie for worrying about him.
"It's fine Harley. I just need time" he said making himself a tea with lemon and raspberry jam. It'd always calm him down when he had it on heavy rainy days. His sobs were hearable through the door of his room where he hid to be alone.
"Did I deserve this? Why he is so rude to me?" he spoke to himself wiping his tears away. "He has no heart at all, stupid Batman" he frowned childishly.
"I wish I could make him regret and feel jealous..." he wanted to take another sip from his cup but suddenly he saw the red laser dot on it. As if someone was aiming at it from distance.
"What the-" once he noticed it, the cup exploded and the liquid spilled all over his table. Someone just shot his glass cup and crashing the window, jumped into the room. The clown prince shut his green eyes and tried to dogde from the flying shards, and he couldn't see who envaded his territory.
The stranger grabbed Joker and closed his mouth with his huge hand in red glove. He put the gun near his head and holding him tightly from behind, whispered into his ear:
"Finally we met again, Joker"
The raspy deep voice was so familiar.
"Mmm-" Joker's screams were muffled, he tried to get out of his grip and even panicked a bit.
"Don't even try to scream or I'll pull the trigger" he warned what made Joker slowly stop struggling.
The unknown man tied his hands up with a rough rope behind his back and threw the green-haired criminal on the ground. Joker finally could turn his head to see his attacker.
"Jason?" he asked being surprised and gasped.
"Glad you didn't forget me"
"But what- how- why are you here?" Joker stuttered. He didn't expect to see the former Robin who dissappeared long time ago.
"It's all about the reunion, Joker" he took off his Red Hood mask and grinned somewhat charmingly. He walked closer to his captive and hold his chin, lifting his face up to make him look him into the eyes. "And you didn't even change since last time. Still didn't loose any weight?" he chucked and stoop up, looking around and checking out the cabinet he was in.
"Hey! It's just my constitution, I'm not fat!" Joker rolled his eyes. Right, he hadn't strong 'nine-pack' abs like Batman or Jason, he always suffered that his butt was bigger for a man and his body was plushy, that was very comfortable to squeeze and hug. He never worked out in gym but it never hurt to fight or be physically active. Probably thanks to his regular yoga and pilates classes, meditation and spa saloons.
"Right. Well you don't have care about your health anyway, because I won't leave you in peace since now on and make you beg me to spare your life" Jason spoke darkly, trying to threat terrifically as possible.
"Ehm... Why?" Joker lifted his right eyebrow. He wasn't scared at that moment, he just actually didn't understand why the man in red sounded being so obsessed with him.
"What do you mean 'why'? I came for revenge. You're my greatest enemy"
"Huh? Hahah, uhh, boy, stop dreaming and go fight someone else who'd be on your level. I'm too great villain for you" Joker spoke arrogantly not even taking Jason seriously. Even if the Red Hood was now a grown strong dangerous looking man, yes, for the great criminal genius like Joker he was still just a little boy.
Jason seemed offended by that answer.
"You think I'm not good enough for you?"
"Exactly."
Jason could feel how his jaw was about to drop, he never felt so taken down.
"Tell me. Is that Batman? You think your level is Batman, and not me?" the jealousy in his voice could be easily heard.
"Yes, that's absolutely correct. I'm Batman's greatest enemy, he might deny it but he just doesn't knows it yet" Joker still loyally believed that him and Batman still have that thing.
"Batman doesn't gives a f*ck about you! But I do! Do you even know how many years I spent planning an invasion on you? Do you even know how many nights I spent dreaming about how I'm taking revenge on you? You've always been in my head" Jason desperately burst out his words almost in angry shout.
Joker knew that he was right. Batman didn't care about him and he just reminded him about that. The flashbacks of him saying him that he meant nothing to him came back to his mind and Joker suddenly started crying.
"Oh I'm... I'm sorry, please... Don't cry" Jason got a bit lost seeing his enemy crying, it was the first time when he saw him being so vulnerable that he even felt bad for hurting him. He didn't know how to act and it was so awkward.
"It's too late. I just came over it and you bring it up again" Joker accused the young man in front of him as if he it was his fault for getting him into depression.
"Please just calm down... Shh... " he sat on the floor near him and taking off his red gloves, he gently wiped the tears away from clown's face. "Forget about him. He doesn't deserves you, okay?"
"Do you... *sniff*... Actually think so?" Joker asked naively searching for any comfort. "You know, Jason, I gave him the best ages of my life, and he... *sob*... He just-..."
"I know it. Just listen to me. You have to forget him. It's only us now, me and you... The Red Hood and The Joker. Let's start fighting like the great enemies, shall we?" he said it as if he was calming down a crying kid, but not the enemy who he hated with all his heart.
"But... Aren't we moving too fast? I mean... Just now? Start fighting. We don't even know each other that well... At least invite me somewhere, where we could discuss about all that stuff" Joker suggested shyly, he wasn't ready for the spontaneous fight like that. He needed some kind of foreplay, preludes, proem, before their 'great enemyship' begins.
"Oh right. That was bold of me, I apologize," Jason scratched the back of his head, "We can go to nearest cafe, eat something together, it'll be on me. And then... " Jason cut the ropes that were tied up around clown's hands and took one of Joker's hand in his. "Let me prove you that I can be the best enemy, that any villain could only dream about. Will you give me a chance?" Jason promised sincerely, looking directly in Joker's teary green eyes.
Joker sighed and smiling slightly, he nodded in answer.
"Mistah J? Are you leaving?" Harley saw as Joker was going out of their base with some stranger in red.
"Ah yes, Harls, clean the room up there before I come back, please. It got a bit messy" he ordered to her, following the man who walked towards exit.
"But, is everything alright? Who's that?" the harlequin couldn't recognize the young guy and was a bit worried.
"It's all fine, honey, I'm having a date this night. Don't wait for me. Ciao" he playfully winked and waved at his sidekick closing the door behind himself. He seemed a bit cheered up? He definitely got in a better mood and seeing him being like that, it made Harley feel better too.
***
(to be continued)