Hey all- I know I know it's been a very long tie comming but I certainly am most pleased to introduce the newest chapter to you. I hope you enjoy it! I am very sorry, I have had so many projects in terms of writing going on and IWTV has been my main conern (as many of you know). The Joker is a VERY difficult character for me to emulate- asyou can imagine. So, it take a but longer fo rme to produce for this story. My only hope is that you guys will know that it was worth the wait. Enjoy!

It was silent for a long while, and you winced for some time- trying to make sense of everything. 'A game of strategy.... WHAT an answer!' You thought to yourself- going positively insane with fear and loathing. You hated the joker- HATED him. But you seemed to seethe even more violently towards Maroni. 'How could he do this to me?, how could he do this to me?, how could he do this to me?' You repeated over and over again in your mind. It became a clutch that you wanted to grab onto and never let go. For all the jokers crazy banter he as right- Maroni kept you there was a sick joke. He used you when he wanted you- and certainly used you when he NEEDED you. It was all so clear- here you were in this prison, lying only meters away from the most feared mass murdering criminal in Gotham- and it was all because of him.

You herd a noise, like the sound of feet dragging- you jumped right away, opening you eyes and backing up against the wall again. Straight ahead you saw him, his back against the wall of the door still, blocking your exit. His head was hanging low, and his eyes: closed. It became apparent right away that he has fallen asleep. You winced, and leaned slightly forward.

He jerked again violently and you retreated from your lean. It as not like a normal sleep-like jerk at all. His were very fast, and very; insane. 'He's out cold...' You said to yourself, bewildered. 'I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he said it was time for bed.'

You moved slowly and cautiously, trying to find a spot against the wall farthest away from him. Slowly you treaded, moving with ever bit of poise you could capture. You laid down and curled into a ball, the floor was cold and still you had to hold your shirt closed around your body.

'He might be asleep, but I sure as hell can't...Asleep or not- what if he wakes up- who knows what this son of a bitch could do to me while I'm asleep...You continues to watch him, second after second, and minute after minute. It was not helping- the time only made you more weary and your eyes and body was not prepared for such a fight against time.... 'I can't be falling asleep....' You reminded yourself. 'seriously... I can't seep...' Your eyes closed for a few seconds, and you tried to focus on the joker each time your opened them, but every time the image got more blurry. Finally, you surrendered...

(hours later)

Your body was stiff, your neck aching with the pain of no pillow and a pained swollen shoulder. Your eye balls felt literally bruised and glued together with a mixture of tears and eye secretion. Your lips opened with little resistance as you spoke to yourself quietly; "Where...Where am I?" You looked around the room and noticed the rather obvious beams of strong light trickling through the cracks where the walls joined. You realized that you were sleeping on a floor,

BANG

You jumped off the ground quicker then the sound of the pending gunshot hot its target. You knew exactly where you were. "Oh shit! Did I fall asleep? Actually fall asleep.?" You looked around the room frantically and felt every inch of your body- as though you were trying to feel that you were completely intact. You felt a heavier fabric draped on your shoulders. Slowly, you lifted the sleeve of the article and saw the purple cloth it exhibited. You let out a small disgusted peep fro your lips and threw it across the way. It was his blazer, full of his smell and painful essence. You looked around the room- straight to where he had fallen asleep last night. He was no longer there and this alarmed you more then if he were there still, sleeping away.

There was a gunshot fired, for whom it was for you had no idea still. Quickly you stood up- your shirt hanging open completely and your mind running wild with the thoughts of a possible escape. "My ankle...." You looked straight down and saw that you no longer felt any kind of pain in your leg area. it likely healed through the night as your rested it. everything else managed to replace the pain. Aching in every place you had gotten beaten since your abduction. You walked towards the door and placed your hand on the knob. For a second you paused, considering what you were doing...."why did he leave me here? Why the fuck would he just get up and leave?" You asked yourself almost angrily. There was no doubt that the joker had you on the ropes- questioning yourself and everything around you. Last night, he left you unharmed, and even stranger he placed his jacket over your shivering body. The more questions you asked the more you wanted to get out. You remembered what had happened last night....How you had killed Gambol...How the Joker put his hands all over your body...What he said you last night that seemed to make so much sense...And how much that scared you. He made sense....This was insanity- and absolute mentally unsound consideration to make. The joker was ill- mentally ill and to suggest that he was of sound mind and making legitimate statements said something about your own sanity.

You winced and perhaps ignored your own discretion. You opened the door immediately- fast enough to avoid any kind of creaking. You opened your eyes and looked around the room..."Empty..." You said under your breath.

The tattered mattresses and pieces of torn insolation lied lifelessly next to the destroyed television. There was glass all over the floor, the jokers men- nowhere to be found...

"Wait..." Your head was beginning to click in a way that you had no assumed before. Everything was much too easy..."Why would he let me just get away like this? He had plans....Or so he said..." You thought more deeply- the Joker liked to screw around with peoples emotions, and you knew it. Perhaps he just wanted you to leave- go into the world just as screwed up as him...Take the revenge on Maroni that you would have taken regardless of his interference... But then again you were thinking a great deal. Too much thinking was never good- not for anyone. Not this kind of thinking. Everything you were thinking was one big riddle. A joke of epic proportions; made to make you confused. Maybe his whole idea was to make you think- drive yourself insane.

BANG!

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" You yelled out. You shook feverishly and hit the ground in an instant covering your head. You looked up and saw that the doorknob of the still open door had been blow off completely. The sound of the cheap tin had hit the ground in several areas across the room. Keeping your hands over your head you looked around the room, your breathing gnarled and irregular. You looked to your right, slightly behind you- right in your blind spot where the frames of your glasses would have prevented any kind of vision.

And there, standing strong, was the Joker. You stood up slowly and sat on your behind, your arms flung behind you in terror, you began to breath more deeply than before- kkklkn the pain you were in for now that he knew you had tried to escape. Your shirt was wide open and limply fall to the sides of your body. He had the gun in one hand and was looking much "greener" than usual. He had removed his blazer from the blood that you had drenched him in last night. He had obviously left it on your shoulders in the same evening. An act that to this very moment you could not understand the motive.

The lowered the gun and began to walk forward with a serious face. He shook the gun off his hand like swatting away a pestilent fly, sloppily trying to shake it off the hold it had on his index finger... That dreaded smile appeared across his face, each step making him closer than the last. "Sleep well?" He said mockingly. "I assumed you did, committing heinous crimes will do that to a person." His steps continued, ever bouncy and energized.

He stood right over you, and you slowly tried to back up- pushing yourself by your hands. His eyes were on yours for a half a second, then he looked over your body once, whilst smacking his lips together very annoyingly so. "Not bad by the way, this is a good look for you." He said baring his yellowing teeth-referring to your half naked appearance .

"Don't." Was all you could say. Once and with an irritated attitude. You closed your eyes in agony. What you meant by 'don't'- you had no idea. It was resembling far too many emotions; it meant: don't touch me, don't look at me. It meant: don't bring that up again. And perhaps most importantly, it meant: please don't do this anymore...

"You have my blazer and I want it back." He answered strangely.

You blinked and shook your head slightly, "You...gave it to me...It's in the closet."

He turned his heal and walked back into the room. He picked up the blazer and put it back on, the blood stains now soaked in, leaving coagulated black imprints. He straightened himself out, collar and cuffs included taking his sweet time as you laid there helpless and anticipating. He looked back down at you.

"Couldn't exactly have you shivering all night. Its just not chivalrous." He mocked. It was then you realized that it was all a joke. 'Another joke...' you thought.

"Yes, because you've been acting like such a gentlemen..." You countered sarcastically.

He reached into the breast pocket of his vest and puled out another hand gun. 'How many fuckin' guns does this lunatic have?' you thought.

He took the gun and held it to your temple with no warning. "Up, up, up." He instructed in a derided tone.

You locked all your joints and stood up as straight as you possibly could. Slowly you got off the ground and eased your way into a fully upright position.

He pressed the gun into the flesh of your temple slightly more than before. You winced and prepared for a possible earth shattering bang. He started laughing completely unhinged and crazed. His face got close to yours and you backed your face up in reaction. He took hold of the other side o your face with his right hand and brought it back to his. His forehead leaning against the side of the gun and your head just above your ear. He laughed, "I'm not going to kill you! I'm not. So just give up that hope." He continued to giggle.

"It wasn't a hope." You answered shakily. His laughter stopped and he backed away slowly, the gun no longer pointed at you. But instead he held it to his own temple, swirling it around that one dangerous area. "I don't buy it doll face." He said again. He lunged forward and grabbed your wrist tightly. He took the gun and placed it into your hand. Your heart began to race instantly, was he seriously doing this again, giving you the chance to kill him. 'He really is insane- suicidal more like it. What a moron! If he thinks I'm not going to blow his head off he's more fucked than I imagined!' You thought.

"Let's test my theory shall we?" He smacked his lips and held your wrist (gun in hand) to his temple once again. "You couldn't do it last time- you didn't have the moxie. But lets see just how much spunk you got now. Now that you're a certified killer. Hrm?" You took in a few deep breaths- this was it- this would all be over- just one pull of the trigger. Just one...Your hands were shaking and your body just as limp as before. He took his hand off your wrist and placed his hands at his side. "Do it. Hit me. I want you to hit me. Give it to me common." He started to mumbled under his breath insanely. you swallowed once again as your listened to his deranged babble. "This is it...It's all over."

You tightened your index finger around the trigger and felt it beginning to bend under your grasp. Slowly you continued to pull- you winced and turned your head slightly...

Click.

You awaited the loud thundering kaboom. The one that would have been the head of the hallelujah chorus. You opened your eyes immediately and looked at the gun. You pulled the trigger again.

Click.

And again,

Click

Again, and again and again,

Click . Click. Click.

Nothing. Out of bullets.

He stood there for a moment, then he threw your wrist and grabbed you from the sides of your arms. He brought you close to him, inches away from his face. "Called your bluff." He flipped you around and forced you to your knees. You let out a slight scream from the pain. He leaned in close to your ear, "But, you were gonna' kill me. Looks like you did learn something after all."

He got down to your level and you could hear the fling and landing of the gun across the room. "Would have loved it if you hit me though." He said again. "What happened to you? You used to be fun." He laughed slightly, breathing down your neck. "You of all people should know- a mob whore. Everything is more fun if you play rough... Contact sports, snowball fights...Attraction." He said placing his right hand on your upper thigh.

He had no weapon that you knew of so you fought him undoubtedly. Elbowing him in the chest. It was a reflex of sorts. Having your ass grabbed every two minutes in the mob made it compulsory. Each time a guy did it- it didn't get easier to accept.

The joker let out a scream that hurt your ear, and you winced in succession. "There's that fight!" He remarked as he hunched over. You stood up and began to run when you heard him scrambling behind you.

He grabbed you by the back of your already ripped shirt and pulled on it tightly. You struggled in a big way and finally let him have the shirt. It came off easily, exposing your bra and upper body completely. Still you tried running. If you made it to the door you would be able to get some help. You didn't care anymore if you were half dressed.

You found yourself reaching the doorknob bar latch of the doorway when suddenly your scalp began to hurt and your head was thrown forcefully against the metal. It was hard, but not enough to disorient you. You let out a loud scream and you could tell that you had a bump forming on your head.

"Quit playing this game..." You said out loud.

"I like this game." He interrupted instantly. "You don't have the right to do this..." You struggled with speaking and making sure you were alright from the head trauma.

"The right?" He asked sounding interested. A terrible charade. "Did you have the right to kill Gambol? Did Maroni have the right to trade you off like some pierce of garbage on the side of the road?" He defamed your mercilessly.

You stopped. Staring at the ground. 'Why the hell does he keep making sense....He should never make sense...' "No. No you're wrong."

"Am I? I don't think so babe." He said picking you up by the arm and throwing you onto a piece of insolation near by. As you laid there he sat on the rundown coffee table only about a half a meter away. "I think you know I'm making sense. You're just stuck in your mainstream mentality." He leaned forward, "Snap out of it." He said snapping his fingers together.

You starred at him for a few minutes watching him watching you. The seconds ticked by and he folded his arms over his chest boldly. You could see him smacking his lips like he always did. "Just let it take over." He said looking seriously into his own speech. "I'm telling you what so many of these sewer rats will never get the chance to learn." He said in all seriousness.

You closed your eyes and looked to the ground. Purposely clouding your thoughts with anything else but what he was saying to you. 'He's right- NO- no...Oh shit I'm on insolation, this stuff is filled with microscopic glass fibers. This whole side of my body with be cut in just a few hours...The joker is making sense...Maroni deserves whatever I dish out. What's one more person? NO!' You thought wincing even more than before.

"I saw you last night." He said. Your eyes sprung open and focused on him immediately, breaking your original train of thought. His head fell limply until his chin touched his chest, and he looked at you from the top of his eyes.

You didn't know what he meant, 'What the hell? What did he see?' You shook your head slightly, confused.

"Don't be coy." He said shaking his head a few times. "You were looking at the scars."

Your confused look faded and your eyes grew slightly wider. He caught you. You were looking at his scars, and how much worse it was lit by the beams of light shining though the cracks of the tattered walls.

Your eyes moved away from his and you shifted in your position awkwardly. As much as you wanted to help it, you couldn't any more. You didn't even have the time to fight it off. Your eyes had a mind of their own, traveling to his scars, hidden slightly behind the layers of make up.

You swallowed and you made your eyes look away. But it was too quick of a transition and it was easily noticed.

He tilted his head keeping his eyes on one place, on your face. "Oh you look nervous. Still the scars?" He asked in fake concern. You shook your head right away. Whatever was coming couldn't be good. And you wanted nothing to do with it.

"Wanna' know how I got em?" He asked this time sounding much more interested and lively. You continued to shake your head. An on looker would have assumed your were insane. 'Oh God...I can't take this much longer...' You thought, running the statement over and over again through your mind. He began none the less, taking no heed to your apparent disgust and worrisome attitude. He leaned his head over slightly and smacked his lips together, "My father was... A drinker. And a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not-one-bit. So - me watching - he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it! Turns to me, and he says, 'why so serious?'" He got up from his chair and strode over to you, he reached into his bottomless breast pocket, and pulled out his nifty shank. The same one that he had discarded against the light bulb the other night. You shifted in your position, your face utterly distorted from the tale that was being lavished upon you, he slowly and animalisticly lowered his body onto yours and placed the shank to the inside of your mouth strategically. You began to shake wildly, the blade cutting at your sides slightly, "He comes at me with the knife... 'Why so serious? He sticks the blade in my mouth... 'Let's put a smile on that face!' And...Why so serious?" He asked you mockingly as he stared into your eyes deeply.

His expression was not the usual sick, fun loving attitude that he usually had. Instead, it read nothing but pure destruction. He didn't look like he was taking pleasure in sticking the knife in your mouth, nor did he look like he was about to enjoy it anytime soon. The knife was still there, limply cutting away in the smallest way at the side of your cheek. But in that moment you didn't know how to feel, there was so little pain that you couldn't believe your own body...

The feeling in your body was something more... Something that you were afraid to feel...You stomach lurched at the thought, and you begged your mind not to think about it. You squirmed and winced slightly under his body, his face still close to your own. Your heart raced as your realized what you were feeling, the exact emotion that you never thought you would feel for this monster...The last thing you would ever want to feel for him. The stockholm issue of the hour.. You felt some kind of pity.

Or worse...A kind of Sympathy...For the Devil...

**** FOR FANS OF THE STORY: I just want fans of this story to have available to them everything that the readers of myother story have. Therefore I am pleased to introduce a fan page on facebook fr Sympathy for the Devil: A Joker story. Please visiti it and join. You get get the opportunity to talk to other fans as well as post fan banners and what not, see when I plan to update the next chapter etc. etc. I would greatly appricate if you gys would join. It takes me a long time to write this story mostly because I put it on the back burner. If I had the slightest inclination that this story was as popular as my IWTV one then I certainly would nt take so long to post. I would give it the equal attention that I would give the IWTV story. Please join, post, etc. etc. I do NOT run the site however I am very close with the fan thats runs it and I fill him in on what I want posted almost every week. Here is the link, show your support! Hope to see you there!: .com/pages/Sympathy-for-the-Devil-A-Joker-Story-By-Prosati/62767717765?ref=ts

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for more!