Jack's Descent

A/N - Wow, didja think I died? I thought I was going to for a while, but I survived the semester. YAY!! It was SO ridiculously stressful -- I had 26+ pages worth of papers to write, and it was just...ugh. So anywhos, after a draining semester, here's an update...hope it's worth it!

CH 10: Losing Ground

Feeling a cold gust of wind whistle through his hair, Jack groaned as he opened his bleary eyes and beheld a cold, barren field of desolation. The sky in the horizon was impossibly gray, and the equally colorless grass crunched beneath his feet as he hesitantly stepped forward.

"H-hello?" he croaked, wincing at the rawness of his voice. "Is anyone here?"

When the lonely wind moaned back at him in response, Jack spun around and despaired in the fact that all he could see was grass. "Hello!? For the love of god, is anyone there!?"

Feeling tears of frustration burning along his lashes, Jack tightly shut his eyes just as a soft crunch startled him to attention. Looking back up in surprise, Jack gasped when he beheld a small, beautiful little girl bedecked in her Sunday's best.

Penny...

Nearly choking with emotion, Jack dropped down to his knees and embraced his little sister, his face pressing against her shoulder as he pitifully moaned apology after apology. When she failed to respond, he hesitantly pulled away and gazed up into her brilliant blue eyes. They were soft and somber, a single tear sliding down her cheek as she began to slowly back away from him.

"No" Jack miserably urged, "please, angel, don't leave me!"

Penny wordlessly vanished in response, Jack screaming for her to stop just as his world shattered and sent him falling, falling into a never-ending pit of darkness. When his body finally made contact with solid ground, Jack opened his eyes and discovered that he was in his living room...before the accident.

Panicking, he jolted upright just as a rubber ball bounced off his knee, his mouth falling agape when he watched Penny regard him curiously from across the room. Her mouth was in the shape of a small 'O', but just as he moved to speak to her, she somberly held out her hand and gestured him forward.

Confused, but not entirely sure if he should ask any questions, Jack staggered up to his feet before clasping Penny's tiny hand in his. Allowing her to lead him into the kitchen, he recoiled when she pointed toward a petite, prostrate form lying on the opposite side of the room.

"Wh-who is that?" Jack demanded, his mouth growing dry.

When Penny still failed to respond, he rushed over to the fallen woman and flipped her over in his arms, a harsh wail escaping his lips when Rachel's elfin, blood-encrusted features stared lifelessly back up at him.

"NO!!"

Shooting up in his hospital bed as if attached to a spring, Jack continued to breathe heavily as his eyes frantically scanned the confines of his room. When he spotted Rachel stirring in the chair across from him, he gave a strangled sob of relief before tearing at the IV in his arm, his rubbery legs trembling as he stumbled out of bed and fell into Rachel's lap.

Shrieking, Rachel flailed about as Jack placed a shaking hand over her mouth, her terror-stricken eyes reflecting the pain he didn't wish to see as she struggled to escape.

"Rachel, what happened?" he demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. "Why are we at the hospital?"

Choking on a sob, Rachel felt tears streaming down her cheeks when he removed his hand from her mouth, her bottom lip quivering as she whispered, "He came back, Jack... We were painting, and...and... Oh God, he killed Harvey! You killed Harvey!" Now beating against his chest amidst her hysterical cries, Rachel couldn't help but feel infuriated by the clueless look across Jack's face. How dare he act as if everything was normal, again... How dare he act as if he had no memory of harming her Harvey! And yet...wasn't she equally to blame? Mere hours ago, Rachel had actually felt relief over Harvey being gone, because now she was finally free to be with the man she loved. The very thought of her inadvertant betrayal made her want to retch.

"No..." Jack argued, finally processing her words, "no, I didn't! You know I'd never intentionally hurt anybody!" Now placing his hands on her cheeks, he trembled as he moaned, "Oh God, Rachel, you've got to get me some help -- I can't take this anymore, I can't!"

Rachel miserably lowered her gaze to her lap. "They're going to kill you, Jack -- they know who you are by now, and after you recover, they're going to take you to court and have you executed." Placing her hand over his, she heaved a sob before whispering, "I know I should hate you after all you've done, but I can't... A part of me still believes you can be saved, Jack, and that's why I've decided to help you escape."

Jack quirked a brow, astonished by her sudden declaration. "What? Rachel no, I deserve whatever's coming to me -- I'm not about to let you suffer for my sins, so just -"

"Listen to me" Rachel irritably cut in. "If you pretend to be the Joker, you can take me hostage and we can escape out the back entrance." Reaching into her purse and retrieving a gun, she placed it into his hands while insisting, "If you use this, security will have no choice but to let us go."

"Rachel..."

"Please" she pitifully begged. "When I told Bruce you were all I had left in this world, I really meant that. I may be crazy for believing you can be cured, but since I've admitted that I love you and only you, I have to take that chance."

Feeling sick to his stomach, Jack miserably placed his hand over hers and exhaled deeply. "Alright, I...I'll try, but please tell me to back off if I'm scaring you." Pausing in order to give Rachel a chance to change her mind, he sighed while sustaining, "Ok, let's go before a nurse comes in to check in on me -- it's about time for dinner."

Taking Rachel by the wrist, Jack cautiously opened the door before peering out into the hallway, his gaze returning to hers as he gave a nod to reaffirm their safety. Pulling Rachel into his arms, he placed the gun against her temple and began rushing with her toward the back exit, his heart thudding in his chest when the elevator doors parted and emitted a swarthy doctor.

"Hey, you!" the physician exclaimed, only to balk when he spotted the gun in Jack's hand.

Using this to his advantage, Jack hurriedly whirled around and gave a guttural snarl, Rachel shivering when she heard his voice transform as he barked, "Call off all your men -- tell security to abandon the front desk and go to the east wing!"

Shakily bringing his walkie-talkie up to his lips, the doctor nervously rasped, "Bullock to 206, Bullock to 206, all front desk personnel report to the east wing. I repeat, all front desk personnel report to the east wing."

"Goood" Jack cooed, grinning ferally as he re-adjusted his squirming fiancée in his arms. "Whoever said you can't teach a doctor new tricks, hmm?" Giggling madly, he moved as if he were going to shoot the physician, but he used his gun to press the down button to the elevator, instead.

Hoping to add to the overall effect, Rachel began kicking and screaming as Jack dragged her through the elevator doors, her cries only faltering once they were well on their way toward the main floor.

"You ok?" Jack asked, his grip softening as he stroked her hair.

Nodding weakly, Rachel shivered before agreeing, "Yes, but you were so convincing... For a second there, I thought I'd lost you again."

Jack frowned at this, but he forced a false sense of cheer to his voice as he insisted, "You don't have to worry about that now, alright sweetheart? I promise I've got everything under control."

Nodding wordlessly, Rachel bit her lip as the elevator came to a complete stop, her limbs trembling as Jack gave her a not-so-gentle push out into the lobby. Feeling the barrel of his gun pressing against her back, she hurriedly forced her legs to move faster as they walked suspiciously close to one another. Rachel happened to catch the receptionist's eye as they neared the exit, but something about them must have warned the woman since she lowered her phone with a gasp.

"Hey...stop!" she shouted, now realizing that they were the ones on the APB. "If you don't stop right this second, I'm going to have you arrested!"

"And if you don't stop, I'm going to shoot a hole through this de-light-ful little bunny's head!" Jack snarled, placing his gun against Rachel's temple to further prove his point. When the receptionist held her hands up in surrender, Jack grinned while giving his fiancée a push toward the exit, Rachel gasping as she nearly tripped onto the sidewalk.

After hailing a Taxi, Jack ripped open the passenger door and fired a quick, point-blank shot straight into the driver's head. Muffling a scream at the gory sight, Rachel looked up at her lover in hurt disbelief.

"Get in the car" he urged, quickly pushing the body into the backseat.

"You promised me" Rachel tearfully whispered. "You promised me you had everything under control..."

"Get in the car, or I'll put a bullet through your skull, too!" the Joker snarled, now raising his gun so that it was aimed right between her eyes.

Choosing not to cry since she knew that was what he wanted, Rachel miserably slid into the passenger seat before curling up against the car door and closing her eyes.

--

Pulling up to a dark and abandoned warehouse, the Joker licked his lips while observing the premises.

"What are we doing here?" Rachel demanded, opening her eyes as she, too took in their surroundings. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, so she couldn't help but dread his answer.

With a long, dramatic sigh, the Joker turned and took Rachel's hand before giving it a condescending pat, his voice tired and annoyed as he explained, "Look, uh...just know that whatever happens here is nothing personal, alright, beautiful? It just so happens that in this world, everyone's looking to further their own de-signs, and uh...I'm no different. I know I'm not, but the difference between me and people like your dear Harvey is that I'm not ashamed to admit what I am."

Rachel flinched and abruptly yanked her hand back, her eyes narrowing as she hissed, "You are nothing like Harvey -- you don't even deserve to put your name in the same sentence! You think you have mankind all figured out, but you seem to have forgotten that there are good people in this world!"

"Hmm, you mean like the Bat?" the Joker acknowledged, grinning as he clicked his tongue. "You're right about that one, beautiful, but there's only one Bat, and millions of those like you and me."

"I am nothing like -"

"Yeah, yeah, you're 'nothing like me', blah blah blah, but you only say that because you don't understand me" the Joker shot back. "People fear what they don't understand, and you, gum drop, most certainly don't understand a guy like me. Nobody does, and that's why they dread the vision I have for this city."

"No, we dread your vision because you're hopelessly insane!" Rachel argued.

The Joker grinned at her words, his nails drumming against the steering wheel as he finally urged, "Get out and wait for my next order -- we're going to play a little game."

"What?"

"Just do as I say!" the Joker growled, his glee dissipating as he directed his cold, unfeeling gaze upon the woman before him.

With a pained look upon her face, Rachel hesitantly reached out and touched the clown prince's hand. "Jack" she brokenly began, "Jack, please listen to me -- I need you, and..."

"Get off me!" Striking Rachel's offending hand as if it were a poisonous tentacle, the Joker took Rachel by the throat and began forcing her out onto the concrete alongside the car.

Whimpering as she glanced down at her scraped knees, Rachel looked up just as the Joker towered over her in all his terrifying glory, her bottom lip quivering as she whispered, "I want my Jack back..."

The Joker's lips curled back into a broad, wicked grin at her request, his voice smug and mocking as he purred, "Well, uh...you can't have him, honey bunch. The way I see it, you're the only thing that keeps me from running the show 24/7, so if I can get rid of you, there'll be no more Jack Napier to deal with."

Rachel's eyes widened in horror. "W-what are you trying to say?"

"God, are you really that stupid? Do I reeeally have to paint it all out for you in your own buh-lood?"

"Please" Rachel begged, her hands grasping at his pantlegs, "please don't do this! Just let Jack and I go!"

"Let you go?" the Joker reiterated, laughing dryly as he withdrew his pistol. "Now where would the fun be in that, hmm?"

"It's not about fun -- not everything in life is a game, you know" Rachel firmly returned, a single tear streaming down her cheek as she gazed up at him with hate-filled eyes.

The Joker appeared as if he were actually mulling her prospect over in his head, his lips curling back into a wicked grin as he raised his revolver and fired. In that same instant, a great black blur slammed into his side and sent him hurdling to the ground, the clown prince laughing hysterically as Bruce struck him again and again.

"You're too late" the Joker hissed, giggling merrily as the rat's fist connected with his jaw. "The pretty little lawyer is, uh...gone."

Blinded by rage, Bruce found that he could only respond by hitting him over and over again, the notion that he'd promised Rachel he'd never hurt Jack now being pushed to the far corner of his mind.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" the Joker suddenly spoke up, grinning madly as he spit out a yellowed tooth. "I can see from here that she's still breathing, so now you have a choice: take me into custody and let the darrrling beauty bleed out, or play the role of the ever-loving hero and take Miss Dawes to the ER. You choose, but you've got to do it quick -- chest wounds are a hit or miss, after all."

Growling in frustration, Bruce took the Joker by the lapels of his shirt before pushing him roughly back to the ground, his teeth gritting amidst his fury as he leapt to his feet and rushed over to Rachel's fallen body. The son of a bitch knew he'd choose Rachel, and in so doing he'd escape...again.

"Rachel?" Bruce implored, his voice strained as he turned her over in his arms. "Rachel, can you hear me?"

Coughing up blood, Rachel slowly directed her gaze up toward Bruce's face, her body shivering from the shock as she rasped, "Jack...? I-is he here?"

Bowing his head, Bruce narrowed his eyes as he glanced over where the Joker had just resided. "No, Rachel" he miserably whispered, "Jack's gone."

A/N - DONE!! Just ONE more chapter left, people! :) The only problem is, I seem to be having issues with updating lately, so if you want me to get my butt into high gear, please leave a review... I know I drive a hard bargain, but I always work best "under the influence", aka with support. :P Love ya!