Chapter Text
“Which do you prefer?” The Joker looms in front of Jason, wearing a cheap plastic batman mask. He swings his bloody crowbar down hard, he swings it down and it cracks against Jason’s cheekbone, he sputters and pulls against the barbed wire that keeps him trapped to the chair.
“Forehand?” He swings once against whipping it back against Jason’s other side of his face, “Or backhand?” Jason groans as blood dribbles out of his mouth and onto his lap. Joker swings twice more, repeating his question over and over. Finally, Joker grows tired and swings the crowbar across his chest, knocking him back onto the floor.
The air is knocked out of Jason’s lungs as he lands harshly against the floor, his head bangs against the concrete and a low pitched moan slips out of Jason’s mouth.
“Sorry birdie, Uncle Jay has to get back to his cell. But don’t fret, I’ll be back before you know it!” The Joker cackles as he lets his crowbar clatter onto the floor, “And while I’m gone you get to hang out with all my friends! You certainly have a long line of visitors tonight,”
Jason squeezes his eyes shut tightly, willing his tears to go away. God he hated these nights, usually Joker and sometimes Harley would absolutely beat his ass before sneaking back up to his cell just a secret staircase away. But tonight, was when Joker invited all his little friends to get their revenge for whatever the hell Batman had done to them recently.
At the thought of Batman, Jason opens his eyes bitterly to stare at the ceiling, where Joker, with the help of Harley, had taped up every possible news article they could find of Batman and the new Boy Wonder.
Jason still remembered that night when Joker had awoken him from his drug laced sleep with lights that chased away every possible shadow in the dank room. He had even wheeled in a T.V. that was playing the news on full blast.
Jason was alone that night, Joker wasn’t down there to hurt him. He was alone, stuck in his chair as he was forced to watch Batman fight along side the fake Robin. Bruce seemed no different, not even slightly deterred that his son was missing, being tortured until his lips tinged blue from blood loss and his robin suit long stained with blood and vomit. Jason was almost happy the next night when Joker had showed up the next night, wanting to feel something. Until he found out just what Joker had planned for him that night.
Jason was ripped from his thoughts as one of the doors slammed open. Jason wasn’t able to see who entered, he was still stuck staring at the ceiling, and even then Jason didn’t have the energy to left his head.
Jason was pulled up roughly by his shirt, if you could even call it a shirt. It was in tatters and you could barely even make out the R symbol on his chest.
As usual Jason was met with a batman mask and a cruel smile. Harvey Dent. Jason almost let out a relieved sigh. He hated when Firefly or Killer Croc showed up, or even worse Scarecrow with his stupid fucking fear toxin. But Harvey? Jason could deal with brute force, he liked to use fists and blunt objects instead of fire, claws, and fucking fear toxin. So yeah, Jason thinks he can handle some punches.
But Harvey has a strange device in his hand, it’s about the size of a dollar coin, but it has glowing purple lines carved into its surface. Jason can’t find it in himself to be interested, he simply drops his head to his chest and lets his lungs rattle as they struggle to breathe. Harvey liked to tell great tales about his newest escapade against Batman and how he would have gotten away if not for some lame ass excuse.
Tonight, Harvey ranted about how he had broken into Wayne Towers and Jason had to hold back a smirk from the irony of it. As per usual Batman sent all of them to the hospital, beaten to within an inch of their life. But to Harvey’s, one of his men had slipped out unnoticed after taking the small device from a highly secured chest.
“I’m not quite sure what it is, or what it does. So, I was hoping you could help with that,” Harvey finishes, a twisted smile peeking out.
Jason doesn’t move, he’s experienced things like this, someone steals some strange object, and they rush to Jason to find out what their new toy can do, most usually ending with Jason’s body writhing in agony.
Harvey suddenly pitches forward, grabbing Jason’s hair and pulling it so Jason’s eyes met his, “You know Joker’s getting tired of you. You’re losing your spark, your fight. So if you don’t get your act together soon you’ll be a rotting pile of bones in the harbor. Then there’ll be no chance of Papa Bat coming to the rescue.”
Jason feels hope swell in his chest, he had given up on Bruce ever coming for him months ago but the thought of dying? That almost brought him to tears with how bad he wanted it, he wanted to be done with the barbed wire cutting into his wrists and ankles all the time, he was tired of the never-ending pain.
Harvey let out a huff and pulled back, Jason’s head lolls back against his chest, “Can’t say I didn’t warn you, I’m hoping this bad boy right here will get you screaming.”
Harvey moves the disc around in his hand, “I’ll be honest when I say I ain’t got a fucking clue how this thing works, but this button here is looking like a pretty good hint.”
Harvey presses his thumb against a small impression and it begins to glow brighter. He throws it towards Jason and takes a quick step back, “Hope this ain’t no bomb,” He comments as if he hadn’t really thought this through until now.
Jason stares down at the bright purple disc before looking up at Harvey curiously. That would be ironic, considering Batman originally thought he had died in an explosion. Jason’s lips just barely manage to curl up into a smirk before the floor drops from underneath him.