What’s Love Got To Do With It?

From the diary of Penelope Halwind:Valentine’s Day

Love, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

I couldn’t see or move. All I could hear was footsteps. They came closer and a blindfold was lifted from my eyes.

“Wakey, wakey. HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Joker? How did I get here? I looked around and found I was tied to a chair. I tried to speak but found a gag in my mouth.

“What’re ya gonna do, puddin’?”

“I don’t know, pooh.” He pulled out a gun. “I think maybe I’ll just kill this one.” He clicked the safety. “Dirty pigeons. Always leaving their crap in the worst places, when you least expect it.”

They say life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. Not for me. I started thinking about how I knew this would happen; somehow, some way. It seemed like everything was going in slow motion. I found myself regretting that I didn’t get to say goodbye to Stanley. I pictured him in my mind; his strong shoulders and back…. wait. Why was he in front of me? The gunshot would kill him!

“NO!” I sat upright in bed, gasping.

“Hey…. what’s wrong?”

Stanley! I took a deep breath. No use embarrassing myself… “I just had a nightmare. I’m ok. Go back to sleep.” I needed to do something about Joker.

The next night I was sitting in my office, The Question and Lady Panther at my side.

“I’m proud of you birdie.”

“You’re sure this is what you want?”

“Thank you and yes. I need to deal with this my way.” The office door opened. Two of my biggest and baddest ‘boys’ dragged a battered Joker into the office. He looked up at me and sneered. “Consider us even for invading my personal space.” I nodded and the boys let him go. He adjusted the cuffs on his jacket and ran a hand through his hair. “I want to discuss a truce.” He gave me one of his mirthless smiles.

“I’m listening.”

“We can work out the details at a later date, but I would rather concentrate on not getting put out of business by Nightshade than spar with you.”

“Agreed.”

I walked in front of my desk and held out my hand. He deliberately opened his hand and took off a joy buzzer he was wearing. Knowing him it was lethal and I assumed this was as civil as he was going to be. He took my hand and a step toward me.

“I’ll play along, for now, but don’t forget it took two of your goons to subdue me.”

I could feel Stanley tense up behind me. Joker put on his hat, smiling at me, and started whistling as he left the office.

“Bastard” hissed Lady Panther. Stanley pulled me into a rather possessive hug.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Nightshade couldn’t help smiling. He had just said the same thing out loud that The Question said over his earpiece. He put that and his binoculars away and went to finish his rounds.

Joker returned to the hideout to find the girl putting food on the table. Well, he was hungry. He could do without the girly-smelling candle though.

“Hi, puddin’.” The Harlequin noticed Joker’s black eye. “Are you ok?”

“Never better, Harl. I always enjoy planning a doublecross. HAHAHAHAHA!”