Chapter Text
It wasn't supposed to go wrong.
Who could have known that a simple car chase down the Westward Bridge would rip Gotham into chaos? That was how it started anyway: The Batmobile streaked after Joker's purple Lamborghini down street after street, and you giggled and kicked your legs happily at the excitement of it all.
"Faster Daddy! Faster!" You shrieked in delight, and Joker threw his head back and cackled; the car veering violently this way and that as you wove down the Gotham streets with Batsy in pursuit as you tore down the Westward bridge.
It was all stupid Batsy's fault. Jumping onto the roof of the car and jabbing something into the tires, your car crashed into the side of the bridge and the car chase became a gun fight. Mister J shoved you down, of course, behind the concrete pillar of the bridge which your car had crashed into. He commanded you to 'Stay there!' in a snarl of silver teeth, and all you could do was watch in terror as the Bat fought and wrangled with your puddin'.
When he knocked the gun out of Mister J's hand, your palms flew to your mouth and your face contorted with utter terror as Joker backed slowly to your side, bleeding and laughing with bloodstained teeth. Sirens were wailing. Skidding to a halt on either side of you. With the Bat standing stone-cold before you, and a drop of three hundred feet to the Gotham river below behind you, you were trapped.
"It's over Joker." The Bat stated, jaw tight as police spewed from their cars like ants at a picnic, all holding guns that were pointed squarely at you and Mister J.
"Jump, Duchess." He hissed.
"What?" You breathed, head snapping in his direction.
"Go!" He roared. "Jump! Now!"
"I'm not leaving you!" You sobbed.
"It was not a SUGGEEEEESTION, Duchess!"
Oh yes. Everyone in the world was talking about how the Bat-mobile had streaked down the streets of Gotham City after the Joker's infamous purple Lamborghini. How he had caught the Queen of Gotham's crime underworld like an exterminator catches a rat, right there on the Westward bridge. What they weren't talking about, however, was how Mister J had tried to save you over him.
"You gotta jump, Duchess! I'm not lettin' em take you!"
Joker's eyes were wild as ever, and his teeth bloodied in a maniacal grin - even when he knew he was backed into a corner - but there was an urgency to his voice that rarely reared it's head.
Perhaps the reason nobody talked about how the Joker had tried to save you was because nobody would believe it. Not even the Joker himself could explain why when his end was drawing in, the only thing on his mind was getting you out. He could be thrown in the Asylum for years and he'd be able to get wrangle a plan together to escape but you... You'd be trapped there, alone, and not knowing if you were safe or not would gradually drive him to insanity and back. The man was a psychopath; A criminal mastermind; A legend, but you were his weakness.
What you also were, however, was loyal.
Stupid, stupid Batsy. Perhaps if he hadn't told the police to hold their fire when you grabbed Mister J by the shirt and kissed him with every inch of love in your heart, he'd have got you both. The Queen and her King. A matching set. But silly Batsy watched like the rest of them as your hands mustered every inch of strength within them and with one whisper of:
"I love you, Mister J."
Sent the man you adored flying down, down, down into Gotham river with one push.
When the Bat managed to get you thrown in Arkham Asylum, the world hailed him like he'd discovered the cure for cancer. Every newspaper, every news channel was reporting the story. It was on everyone's lips: The capture of the Joker's Duchess. The missing ballerina. The lost case of Y/N Y/L/N forever solved.
They were laughing on the other side of their faces though when they watched what utter fury that love could wage in the criminally insane. If the Joker was merciless with you at his side, without you, he was a force of pure evil. With you thrown into Arkham, he tore Gotham city into a ruin that not even the Bat could quell.