Hello, everyone! I'm sure most of you have heard the saying "The calm before the storm". I think that pretty much sums up this chapter. Enjoy!

Ariana opens her eyes. She is laying on the table in Joker's meeting room. She looks around and sees many eyes looking back at her. She immediately sits up, half confused...but full of apprehension. She realizes that she's still in one piece and that she must have fainted.

"How ya doing? HA HA HA! I thought you were going to get ate up. You shouldn't have scared poor Waylon so badly." Joker is smiling at her. Everyone laughs, except for her.

She looks around the room and sees the beast who grabbed her just moments earlier. She starts to scream, but Joker puts his hand over her mouth, muffling the sounds, and speaks in her ear so only she can hear. "Shhhh...he can't help how he looks or what he is. I'll deal with you breaking the no snooping rule later. Get back upstairs...now." His voice is cold as ice.

She immediately stills, looks into his eyes, can see that he is pissed and only putting on a show for his men with the smile on his face...he doesn't want them to see that she has been disobedient to him. She gets off of the table and hurries out of the room, down the hall, up the stairs, and back to her room. She thinks about what Joker said..."shouldn't have scared Waylon so badly". Yeah right, she scared him...okay. What the hell is he anyway? She also thinks about his promise of punishing her for snooping around. She gets in bed and buries her face in the pillow. Her worries soon leave as sleep finally arrives.

"So what's the plan, boss," says Jonny. Everyone is now listening closely.

"We're going to pay a visit to Monster T's biggest club, "The Grindhouse". A statement needs to be made. Everyone rest up today because tomorrow night we are going to fuck his world up. HA HA HA!

Ariana wakes up, finding herself on the edge of the bed facing the night stand. Bright sunlight is pouring into the room. She squints her eyes and looks at the alarm clock. It's almost noon. She groans and turns over to face the opposite direction. She jumps and startles when she comes face to face with the Joker who is laying on the bed, fully clothed, staring at her. "Are you here to punish me?," she asks.

"As much fun as that would be...no, that's not why I'm here. We're going on a mission tomorrow night. Meet me downstairs in 15 minutes so I can discuss the details with you."

She smiles at him. A mission! Yes! This is what she has been waiting for. She tries to get closer to him, but he gets up. She looks at him with puppy dog eyes, but he just heads for the door. "Hey," she calls after him.

He stops in the door frame and turns to look at her. "Hmm?," he rumbles.

"How long did you lay on this bed and watch me sleep?," she asks seductively.

One tiny corner of his mouth turns up, but he doesn't answer her. He just turns back and says, "15 minutes," as he closes the door and heads downstairs.

She sighs and gets up, going to the closet and picking out a pair of leggings, sports bra, tank top, and sneakers. She goes into the bathroom brushing and tying her hair up in a long ponytail before washing her face and brushing her teeth.

She heads downstairs looking for him. She finally finds him in the kitchen. He is wearing black trousers and a red silk dress shirt. She wants to go over and put her arms around him and breathe in his scent, but she is getting tired of his rejections when she puts forth efforts of affection...so she refrains herself.

"Sooo, the mission?," she questions.

He looks her up and down. Her outfit is clinging to every delicious curve of her sinuous body. She has no idea her freshly scrubbed face and long ponytail are having an effect on him. He absentmindedly licks his lips before composing himself.

"Tomorrow night we're going visit a nightclub owned by a former associate. This "associate" has been making moves he wasn't given permission for and needs to be put in his place...permanently. Understand?"

"Sure, sounds like the problems I used to hear about between the mob families. Who is he and what has he done?"

"Who he is, at this point, isn't important. What IS important is that he's trying to take over Daddy's territory. I can't allow this blatant play for power and disrespect to continue." Joker does not want her to know this involves Monster T. At least, not yet.

"Agreed. Whatever you want me to do, I'm ready." She is willing to do anything to please the Joker. A threat to him is a threat to her.

"Oh, I know you are, angel. I'm willing to overlook your earlier disobedience as long as you make good on a promise." He knows that part of her still has morality and he can't have her fucking things up.

"Okay, what promise?"

"No matter what I tell you to do tomorrow night, you will do it, just as I say. No hesitations and no questions." He smiles at her in that way that makes her stomach flutter.

"I promise," she whispers. Then she remembers why she chose her outfit. "Do you have a gym or a place where I can go for a run?" She hasn't worked out since she left the penthouse.

"Yes, but you can't use it right now."

"Why not?"

"My men are in there and I can't have you going in and distracting them."

"I won't bother anyone."

"No, but they might have thoughts of bothering you," he says as he scans his eyes up and down her body.

She finally understands and nods her head.

"You can go for a run up the road to the gate and back. When you get back, I'll have the gym empty for you."

Tired of restraining herself, she throws her arms around his neck and gives him a quick kiss before bounding off for the front door. He just stares after her. Then he heads down to the gym.

She is running down the long stretch of private road that leads to the gate. It's a beautiful sunny day and the fresh air feels like heaven in her lungs. She takes in her surroundings. It was dark when she was last down this road. On either side of the road are huge spans of perfectly cut grass that meet the woods. The entire estate is nestled inside a large ring of woods. In the distance she can see rolling hills. It doesn't look like there is a neighbor in sight, which isn't surprising. It doesn't take long to reach the gate before she heads back.

When she gets back, she is barely winded. It was a good warm up...maybe 3 miles total. She heads inside to the kitchen. She goes to the fridge and spots some orange juice. She looks for a cup and pours herself some. As she's hungrily gulping it down, she notices a note with her name on it.

"Come downstairs. Use the door in the dining room."

She finishes her juice and looks for the door. She easily finds it and goes downstairs. To her right she sees a large gym with mirrored inner walls and a clear plexi-glass outer wall so you can see into the gym before entering.

She starts to walk in, but notices the Joker laying on a weight bench wearing only a pair of loose fitting black gym pants. She stares and watches him bench press what looks like a phenomenal amount of weight. A smile creeps across her face as she admires his body and strength.

He gets done with his reps and sits up, noticing her staring at him; causing him to smirk. He waves her in.

She walks over to a table with workout gear and puts on a pair of light gloves. Then she walks over to the free standing bag and begins punching and kicking it, working in her regular routine. This time it's Joker's turn to stare. Watching her pound and kick that bag is beginning to turn him on. He remains seated, taking in the show.

She was so concentrated on her workout that she didn't notice him watching her so closely until near the end. She has her own smirk as she takes off her gloves and wipes herself off with a clean towel. She also takes off her shoes and socks. He has a puzzled look on his face until she runs at the hanging heavy bag and jumps up on it, straddling it with her legs. With her legs locked tightly around it, she begins doing sit ups with her arms folded in an "X" in front of her. As he watches, all he can think of is having her legs wrapped around him while he's fucking her. She gets to number 35 when she feels strong hands pull her off of the bag.

"You are such a naughty girl to tempt and tease me like that," he growls.

"I did no such thing. You didn't have to stay while I worked out," she retorts.

Without warning she is suddenly on her back on the floor with him between her legs. She can feel how hard he is and gasps as he grinds against her. He pulls up her tank and sports bra exposing her breasts which he greedily nips, licks and kisses; tasting her skin. She moans, wanting to use her hands, but he pins them over her head. He kisses her roughly on the mouth and then nips along her neck. Her breathing is increasing as well as his.

He gets on his knees and flips her over on her stomach on all fours and rips her leggings down past her hips and ass. He sees that she isn't wearing any panties. "Naughty, naughty," he says again and gives her a loud stinging slap on her ass, which causes her to inhale sharply. He quickly drops his pants before immediately plunging his cock into her waiting pussy. She cries out and he lets out a long groan.

He wastes no time in fucking her hard and fast, doggy style. She notices that she can see every angle of him fucking her in the mirrored walls. She moans loudly. He notices that she's watching their sex and how much it's affecting her. He growls and fucks her even more aggressively. They get eye contact in the mirror. "You like watching Daddy fuck you, little angel?"

"Yes Daddy," she moans. She is high off the endorphins from running, working out, and now being fucked by the person she craves the most. She can't help herself, she starts aggressively moving back against him. "Fuck me, Daddy J," she says breathlessly.

"All right baby, come for Daddy." A few more seconds of pounding and she comes first in a mind blowing series of orgasmic waves while yelling out his name. When he reaches his peak he comes hard, grunting and snarling with each stream of cum shooting deep within her.

He collapses on top of her and they lay there for a few moments, catching their breath and recovering from their orgasms. She lets out a giggle.

"What's so funny angel," he asks, still breathing hard.

"Good workout," she giggles. He laughs too.

She spends the rest of the day in her room, watching TV and reading. Joker said he had work to do and not to disturb him. She sighs and looks at the clock. It's 11pm. She shuts everything off and gets in bed. Tomorrow is the big night. She smiles as she drifts off to sleep.

Joker and Jonny are sitting in his office. "What did you find out?," asks Joker.

"Monster T has been making moves without the knowledge or permission from Falcone or Maroni. At least that is what their men are claiming. They think he is working with someone else, maybe a new player. Nobody seems to know for sure."

"That fucking weasel! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! I can't wait to play some games with him." Joker leans back in his chair. "I want everyone here by 6pm."

"Yes sir, boss," Jonny says as he leaves.

Dawn arrives at the manor. Ariana gets up and goes for her run before heading down to the gym. After getting something to eat, she heads back for her room to get a shower. The rest of the day is uneventful. Her orders were to stay put and wait until the Joker comes to her.

Around 2pm her door opens and he walks in. He is wearing a full tuxedo and all of his jewelry. He has a box under his arm. He smiles at her. "Hello, hello angel. It's time to get ready. I want you to wear this. Daddy wants you to look extra special tonight. Now come here and give Daddy a kiss."

He chucks the box on the bed and holds his arms open. She rushes to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him like her life depends on it. She breaks away after a few moments. "Thank you Daddy J."

"Mmm Hmm. You need to come downstairs around 6 to meet everyone before we go."

"Is that creature going to be down there?"

"Yes, his name is Killer Croc. Don't worry your pretty little head about him. He won't bite unless I tell him to. HA! HA! HA! I have to go. Don't forget...6 o'clock." He releases her and leaves.

She opens the box. Inside is a black velvet dress with long sleeves and high neck. It is mid length, stopping just above the knee. It has a large cut out in the back to expose her tattoo for all to see. The front left side has a slit that runs almost to the top of the thigh. The material stretches and drapes to hug every curve. There is also a pair of black velvet Gucci platform heels. She starts to turn from the box, but something glitters and she moves closer to see what it is. It's a brooch. It is the letter "J". She can tell it's very old, probably late Victorian era. The metal is gold and the fancy calligraphy style letter is encrusted with old European diamonds and garnets. It is gorgeous. She further gasps when she sees a black garter with a small sheath holding a dagger. It looks to be very old too, perhaps Persian in origin. She takes the blade out of its sheath to inspect it. It's a very fine Damascus blade, very sharp. She smiles and shakes her head and thinks...for someone as cold as the Joker usually is, it can't be said that he doesn't give amazing and thoughtful gifts. She will be sure to work to the best of her ability tonight and do whatever he asks of her.

After taking the next couple of hours meticulously styling her hair, applying makeup, and getting dressed, she checks herself in the mirror and sprays on some perfume before heading for the staircase. As she descends the stairs, around a dozen pair of eyes are all transfixed.

Joker notices she is wearing the pin and smiles. She notices Jonny staring before he quickly looks at the ground as she approaches. "There she is," says the Joker. "Come to Daddy."

"Boys, this is Ariana. She will be joining us tonight."

"Hi everyone," she says feeling a little awkward and weird.

"How ya doin missy, I'm Cap'n Boomerang," says Digger as he pushes through everyone to extend his hand. She looks at him, then his hand, and then to Joker, unsure what to do.

Joker laughs. "Forgive his ignorance." Then he shoots Digger a look as he says, "Apparently he doesn't understand the rules yet." Captain Boomerang immediately withdraws his hand and backs up a few feet making Joker laugh again.

She looks over at Killer Croc, her eyes widening as they lock eyes. "Sorry I scared you," he says in a deep growl.

Still staring at him, she replies, "No problem...I thought I was the one who scared you."

Everyone laughs.

"Let's go," says Joker. They all get into a small fleet of SUV's. Ariana and Joker get in a limo driven by Jonny.

On the drive to The Grindhouse, Joker pulls Ariana into his lap. "You remember your promise?"

"Do exactly as you say and no hesitations."

He slips his hand under her skirt to see if she's wearing her dagger. "Good girl. When we get inside, your job is to clean out the safe in the office."

She wraps her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his and nods. That shouldn't be hard. She's cracked dozens of safes. She glances towards the front and sees Jonny look back at them in the rear view mirror. Joker takes her face and kisses her and puts his hand back under her dress to grope her ass. She kisses him back, but she feels like he only did it to put on a show for Jonny. The rest of the ride is awkward for Ariana. Joker remains silent as he keeps her on his lap, never taking his hand out of her skirt. Finally they pull up to their destination.

"Stay behind me", he says as he moves her off his lap. Jonny gets out and opens the door for them. Joker gets out, followed by Ariana. The rest of the men are all lined up. They have guns. Big ones. Ariana's stomach drops. She has a bad feeling things are about to get ugly.

The men form a barrier around Joker and Ariana as they move forward through the large double doors. A man at the door starts to yell something at them, but is mowed down by gunfire.

The place is full of patrons and as they move to the interior of the club. Some of Joker's men barricade and guard the door, not allowing anyone to enter or leave. The rest of them move to the center of the club, leaving people to scramble to get out of their way. The music cuts and everyone freezes. The club is eerily quiet. Monster T's men, who are in random areas, draw their weapons and Joker's men point theirs back.

Joker speaks in a loud, booming voice. "Don't stop the party on my account! I mean, being an unwanted guest certainly hasn't stopped some of you from partying on my lawn lately!" Joker looks around. "Where exactly is the boss man tonight? It's bad manners not to come out and say hello."

"He's not here. He has business elsewhere. You aren't welcome here. Get out before we take you out," snarls one of Monster T's henchmen.

Joker throws his head back and laughs. HAHAHAHAHA! "Take me out? A couple of pathetic little boy scouts are going to take me out? Oh, that's rich." Joker smiles gleefully at the henchman who threatened him. "Let em have it boys."

The entire club erupts in gunfire. Joker's men have sub machine guns. Monster T's men just have small handguns. Glass is exploding everywhere and bodies begin dropping. One of Joker's men is hit. As he hits the ground, Joker picks up the machine gun and starts spraying back and forth, cackling as more bodies drop.

People are screaming and trying to rush the front door, resulting in more people being mowed down by Joker's men, who are guarding it. To Ariana, it is a scene straight out of hell. Blood is everywhere. It's on the walls. It's pooling on the floor. People are falling and slipping in it. Their faces...the terror in their eyes will be burned forever in her memory. She feels a little light headed. She'd scream, but she's slightly in shock. She had no idea things were going to happen like this. She honestly thought this was going to be a heist. Sneak in, get the job done, and sneak out. She didn't know innocent lives and blood would be spilt. A wave of nausea threatens to make her vomit.

Joker looks at her and sees how pale she is with her eyes big and mouth open. He knows that look. He's seen it on countless people over the years. He was right about her. She is still holding on to her moral side. That won't do. He grabs her by the upper arm. She looks at him. "It's time for your part of this mission," he smiles. "You remember your promise?"

This time when she looks at him, his smile seems so cruel and his fingers gripping her arm are digging in and it hurts. She just stares at him. He jerks her a couple of times, snapping her out of her shock. He points to the back of the club to a door that is slightly ajar. "That's the office. The safe is in there." He shoves her forward roughly. "Now get in there and do what I told you to do."

By now, the gunfire has practically ceased. Monster T's men are either hiding, dead, or out of ammo. Joker's men start moving through the club looking for the rest of Monster T's men. As Ariana gets closer to the office door, a man suddenly blocks her path. He doesn't say anything, but his eyes are desperate and he goes to grab her. Without thinking, she reaches under her skirt and grasps the dagger. She plunges it into the man's upper abdomen and twists the blade. As he goes down and collapses on the floor, she comes face to face with a little boy. "Daddy?", his little voice says with his eyes brimming with tears. Oh my fucking God...Ariana wishes she could die right now. She drops to her knees, whispering, "I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry." She starts crying.

Suddenly she is hoisted up by the Joker. "What the fuck are you doing?," he demands.

She can barely speak coherently. "The man...I killed him...his little boy...oh my God." She is on the verge of hysterics.

Joker waves over one of his men. "Get this kid out of here." One of the henchman approaches the boy who is still crying. He looks at the henchmen with huge, terrified eyes. "Nooo!," his little voice screams as he is grabbed and carried away.

Ariana starts going nuts, fighting against the Joker, trying to get out of his grasp. "NO! NOOO! DON'T HURT HIM!"

Joker backhands her trying to snap her out of it. She continues to try and fight him. He slaps her again. This time she stops trying to fight and slumps down on the floor again. He immediately jerks her back to her feet.

"GET YOUR ASS IN THERE AND OPEN THE GODDAMNED SAFE!," he roars at her. She looks at her hands and her knees. There is blood on them from the man she just killed. Still crying and sniffling, she finally obeys him and heads in the office.

She sees the safe and kneels down. Someone comes in and she looks up. It's Captain Boomerang. "Need some help?"

"You know about safes?," she asks through her tears.

"I've opened a couple here and there," he smiles sympathetically. "Use this," he says as he hands her a small listening device.

"I haven't used one of these in a long time," she says with a far away look in her eyes. "I should be okay now," she reassures him.

He smiles one more time before leaving the office. It takes her about 5 minutes to open it. It's been years since she did this, but it was as easy as riding a bike. She opens it and her mouth drops. It is full of cash. Lots of it. Joker comes in. "Good girl." She stands up, with her arms crossed in a self hug.

Jonny comes in with another henchman and they begin cleaning out the safe. They put everything in a duffel bag and leave the office. Joker looks at Ariana, but she's looking at the floor. She doesn't want to look at him right now. With her arms still crossed, she walks out of the office.

Joker rolls his eyes. Who in their right mind brings a kid to a club like this? Damn brat almost ruined everything. He follows her out.

"I want to leave now," she says quietly.

"Leave? LEEAAVVE?! Things are just getting exciting! This night is far from over, angel," he tells her.

"I didn't know it would be like this," she states with her eyes still downcast.

He looks at her like she's insane. "Like what? You do know who I am?"

"But innocent people"...she starts before Joker interrupts her.

"Angel, nobody is innocent. They're all guilty of something. I did them a favor by ending their pathetic and worthless existence. You chose this, remember?"

She knows it's pointless to argue with him and she would lose. He's right, she did choose this...but she did it without thinking it through. She was so blinded to her lust for him that she overlooked everything else. She just nods her head.

She looks over and sees Killer Croc. He is on the ground eating a corpse, pulling intestines out, and licking up the blood pooled on the floor. "What the fuck," she mutters and turns away in disgust.

Joker comes closer to her. "Okay, I should have warned you about that one. Apparently he eats people to gain their power."

"And you trust him?," she asks with her voice monotone. The question was more of an auto-response than an actual question. She doesn't feel like she's really even there at this point.

"Trust me, he couldn't handle someone like me inside of him...but someone like you would probably be a very tasty morsel."

Ariana makes a face and visibly shudders as she tries to come back to reality. She thinks about what's really bothering her. "The little boy, what did you do with him?"

"He's unharmed."

"What does that mean?," she narrows her eyes.

Joker grabs her by the throat, his eyes wild. "DO NOT QUESTION ME!," he snarls. He sees the fear in her eyes and releases her. He shakes his head and points his finger at her. "I've been more patient with you than anyone in the past, but if you keep trying my patience, I can't promise that I won't hurt you. I WILL hurt you, so stop pushing your luck."

Jonny approaches them. "We've got one of them, boss."

"Excellent. Let's go."

Joker grabs Ariana by the upper arm and they head to the limo. The rest of Joker's men get back in their SUV's.

When they get in the limo, the man who had threatened Joker to leave the club is also in the back. His hands are tied behind his back and his ankles are bound. He is sitting on the sofa style seat opposite of Joker and Ariana. An explosion rocks the area. Joker starts laughing as they pull away. Monster T's club is no more.

They start moving through the city and stop on a run-down street that looks like it was forgotten about many years ago.

Joker begins questioning the man. "Where is your boss?"

"I'm not telling you shit," he spits out. "Fuck you!"

Joker is on him in a split second. He shoves him on his back and starts pounding him in the face before moving to his ribs and abdomen. Ariana cringes with each sickening sound of Joker's fist connecting with the man's face. She thought she was ready for all this lifestyle entailed, but she is beginning to question what she's gotten herself into.

The man starts coughing and trying to catch his breath. His face is bloodied and a few blood bubbles pop out of his broken nose. Joker grabs him by the shirt and pushes him back up to a sitting position. He then sits next to him and throws one of his arms around him like they're buddies.

Joker says, "You know, that's what wrong with today's youth. No respect. No common decency to answer a simple question. I think you need help. Would you like to continue with this lesson or are you ready to be a good lad?"

The man looks at Joker, who smiles at him...then he looks at Ariana. "Ah ah ah," Joker says as he wags a finger at him, "You don't look at her."

The man speaks. "I've seen her before. In the boss's office he has a picture of her."

"What?," Ariana and the Joker say at the same time.

A ringtone sounds from the man's trousers. Joker reaches in and gets his phone. It is a text from Monster T. Where are you? Need you at the warehouse now. Joker knows exactly where it is. There are only so many warehouses in use for crime activities and he knows who uses which one.

Ariana speaks up. "Who is your boss?"

The man starts to speak. "M...", but Joker shoots him in the head, splattering the window with his brains before opening the door and kicking his corpse out on the street.

"Why did you do that?!," exclaims Ariana. "I want to know who the hell his boss is!"

"We didn't need him anymore," he tells her. He shouts to Jonny, "We're going to Warehouse 12. Let everyone know."

They drive for a little bit in silence. Her mind is racing. Who would have a photo of her? None of her family is left...the few who tried to continue on in the business ended up dead. It makes no sense to her. "Please tell me who it is," she asks Joker.

The limo begins to slow down. They are pulling over on a street lined with a few small businesses and apartment buildings. Just down the street is a large warehouse. He doesn't answer her question. Instead he turns to her and takes her face in his hands. "You need to listen to me. Under no circumstances are you to leave this vehicle. Lock the doors and wait for me. This is important. Tell me you understand and will not disobey me."

Ariana is confused. First he puts her in the middle of a crazy bloodbath completely disregarding her feelings and now he is acting protective. She tells him what he wants to hear. "Yes, I understand. I will not leave the vehicle. I will wait here for you."

"Good girl." He leans over and kisses her very briefly and lightly before exiting.

Bruce Wayne is sitting in his living room watching TV. His program is interrupted with a breaking news alert. He listens to the reporter that is live on the scene. "I am standing here in front of what used to the popular night spot "The Grindhouse". It is complete chaos down here. According to a few eyewitnesses, the infamous criminal known as The Joker, entered the club with a group of men and opened fire on the crowd inside. Witnesses further report that shortly after the Joker and his men exited the club, there was a large explosion which leveled the building. It is unknown how many dead or injured at this point. We will continue to update as this story unfolds."

Bruce's mouth is set in a thin tight line. He gets up and heads to the elevator and presses the down button.

Joker and his men advance to the warehouse. A few of them enter cautiously, guns drawn and looking around. It looks empty except for stacks of crates in random places. They turn and wave everyone else in. As they slowly make their way into the warehouse, it appears nobody is there. They stay behind some of the taller stacks to shield themselves in case of an attack.

Jonny whispers to Joker, "You sure this is the right place...or is this a trap?"

"Boomerang, send a message up there." Joker points to an upper area that has a couple of doors. It looks like it could be a couple of offices. Captain Boomerang gets out a couple of boomerangs that have explosive devices on them. Joker holds his hand up to signal him to wait for his cue. In a loud sing-song voice he says, "Little pigs, little pigs, let me in or I'll huff and puff and blow your house down."

He waits a few seconds and when he hears no reply, he gives Captain Boomerang the go-ahead. Digger nods and sends two of them, one right after the other for each of the doors. The double explosion blows open the doors and sends two fireballs up and out of the top of the ceiling, causing glass and building materials to rain down on the floor.

Coughing and movement can be heard coming from the upper area where the smoke is still thick. Joker smiles and he and his men come out from behind the crates in the open area to find Maroni himself standing there. He isn't alone. Some of his men and Monster T's men are standing with him. They all have guns.

Joker smiles at Maroni. "Do you really want to start a war?," he rumbles.

Batman is driving through the city. He has his scanner on. It isn't long and he hears reports of explosions at Warehouse 12 on the east side. He steps on the accelerator.

Ariana is sitting inside of the limo, her insides churning with anxiety. She hears and sees an explosion at the warehouse as a ball of fire erupts from the roof. Holy shit! She knows she was told to stay put, but what if Joker is hurt? She can't just sit there and do nothing. She doesn't think twice before kicking off her platform heels, exiting the vehicle, and running towards the warehouse. When she gets there, the front door is ajar. She slips in and sees stacks of crates in front of her. She creeps up behind a stack and peeks around. She can see the Joker and his men facing off against another group of men. The Joker's back is to her.

She doesn't recognize any of the other men except for the one Joker is talking to. She remembers meeting him long ago when her father had him over to the house...Salvatore Maroni. She always thought it was weird that his first name was her last name.

She knows she should get out of there. If she is caught, there will be hell to pay. Just as she is about to sneak back out, gunfire erupts. Bullets are whizzing by, which causes her to duck and freeze. She crouches down and peeks again when the gunfire stops. She can see a few of Joker's men and a couple of Maroni's men are dead in the middle of the floor. The rest are hiding behind various crates.

She looks for Joker and sees him and Jonny behind a crate only a few feet from her. This is her chance. She can make a break for it now, get back to the car and pretend like none of this happened. She starts to back up when a large strong hands and arms cover her mouth and put her in a vise grip, dragging her out of the warehouse. She tries to fight and scream, but whoever has her is too strong.

Back inside, suddenly the glass ceiling of the warehouse shatters and several black streaks go flying through the air. They find their targets, which happen to be Maroni and Monster T's men, which are knocked out cold by batarangs. Maroni cries out, "Batman!" Maroni and his crew scramble to the back exit as Batman comes down into the center of the warehouse.

Joker starts laughing. "Batsy, Batsy, Batsy, long time no see!," he smiles and waves as he stands up from behind the crates so Batman can see him.

"Joker!", yells Batman. "You've caused enough trouble tonight, you're coming with me."

"On the contrary, I don't think I've caused enough."

"You can't go around killing innocent people. You're going to Arkham for good this time."

"I don't think so. None of this is my fault. They started it."

"You're the criminal I came for."

Joker is having fun. He loves these moments with the Caped Crusader. "Oh, I know. It's so flattering, but I'm not ready for a vacation just yet. There is still so much work to be done. I hope you like fireworks because the next one is just for you. Bye bye bat." Joker backs away to retreat.

Batman starts to advance towards him, when out of nowhere, Killer Croc tackles Batman in a bear hug. Joker cackles and runs out of the building with the rest of his men, leaving Batman and Killer Croc struggling against each other.

Joker is laughing as they sprint by some of the businesses on the way back to their vehicles. "Light it up boys!," he shouts. A series of explosions rocks the neighborhood as several businesses are destroyed, the fire threatening the adjoining apartment building.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Joker can't stop laughing. Jonny gets in the limo to drive away as Joker enters the back. Something's seriously wrong. All he sees is Ariana's shoes. "FUCK!"

"What's wrong boss?," asks Jonny as he turns around to see. "Oh shit."

"FUCK...DAMMIT!" Joker runs his hand through his hair and is visibly distressed. "Drive Jonny, that piece of shit has her."

Ariana has been drug to a van and thrown in the back. Her attacker immediately gets in with her and slams the door shut. The van starts moving and she scrambles to turn around and face whoever has taken her. It takes just a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she sees his face, she screams.

Author's Note: Things are beginning to happen...the plot is going to get much thicker and deeper. Stay tuned!