Categories > Comics > Batman > The Joker's Son
Robin muttered a curse under his breath. This was supposed to be a way to show Batman that he was able to care for himself—not get re kidnapped. He listened to the sounds around him; once it had become apparent that he was alone he opened his eyes. The room was dark. He was strapped to a table. His utility belt was gone and he was pretty sure that the low humming noise that seemed to come from everywhere wasn't good either.
The room was suddenly filled with a bright light. The light was so bright (after being in the dark for so long) that Robin was forced to shut his eyes.
The Joker had a purpose for doing that. While Robin had his eyes closed The Joker slipped a pair of headphones on him. Now the only thing that Robin could hear was static. Like he had when he was kidnapped by Slade he hoped that he would be found before anything really bad happened.
Suddenly electricity shot through his body. He screamed as loud as he could. It seemed to go on forever. Then there was nothing but the static. He was on edge, somebody had to have been in the room to turn the lights and place the earphones on his head. Now the electricity that could be on a timer. For hours he readied his mind and body for another shock. After three shocks he felt tears gather under his mask. The super-absorbent material sucked it up. The static was gone.
Robin jerked his head as he felt a hand ruffle through his hair. "Ya know; it'll be easier if you just co-operate with him. He can be a really great guy if you give him the chance, sweetie." Then the comfort and warmth from the hand was gone.
The lights were turned back on but they were dim enough that they didn't hurt his eyes. The table moved. It went from lying flat to being vertical. He wasn't all that surprised to find himself staring at The Joker.
"Look at me with all the contempt you want. By the time it's over you will have told me everything I need to know."
Robin did the worst thing that one can do when held in a helpless position with The Joker—he laughed. It was 3 days before he saw anyone. When The Joker dame in, the first thing he did was send the boy though a two and a half minute electrical shock cycle. Robin was embarrassed and angered to know that his bladder had let go.
After 4 more days of shock treatments and needles full of god knew what being pumped into him, The Joker was relieved to find the boy mumbling to himself. He had been let off the table once he had become too weak and frightened to fight The Joker. Robin's world had been reduced to static, lights that were too bright and beatings. Sometimes so severe that they left him unconscious. Now The Joker was elated to find his prisoner rocking back and forth, scratching things into the floor and mumbling.
"J.J." The Joker was even further delighted when the boy acknowledged his name, the name that had been whispered in his ears all day and all night on a continual loop. He knew, that it would only be a matter of time before the boy would begin to forget.
Next The Joker would manipulate the boy, tear down his self-esteem and make him believe that the only one who loved him was The Joker. He had to make him believe that he was owned by The Joker and that he alone had ever cared for him.
He knelt beside the boy and smoothed back his clack hair. This boy was going to be his greatest creation, his prodigy. Once the transformation was complete the child would be just like him.
The first thing that he needed to do was to get Robin to reject his mask. Once that was done, the rest would be unbearably easy. But just incase things didn't go according to plan he had his portable shocker. It was very similar to a prod. If the end of the staff made contact with anything it gave off a steady bolt of electricity until the contact was broken.
As soon as Tim saw the staff he began to whimper and he backed up. He was up against the wall, shivering and shaking his head. He knew that staff. He couldn't remember what it was called but he knew that when it touched him it shocked him.
He took the boy by the shoulders and led him to the mirror on the wall. The boy was facing the floor as they approached the wall. Tim hated mirrors and he hated his reflection. He hated…everything.
The Joker grabbed the boy from under his chin. "Look at me, J.J." The boy shifted his gaze. "Good. Now look at you." The boy dropped his gaze and shook his head.
The Joker raised his staff. "Do I have to use this?" The boy was shaking and there were tears leaking out from under the mask. "Why do you wear this? Do you still think that Bruce is coming for you?"
For a minute Tim panics. He knows who Batman is. Then he calms down; he remembers that he had told him. The Joker had been sending currents electricity through his body in 15-minute intervals for almost 2 hours; he thought for sure that he was going to die. His bladder had let go and his muscles wouldn't stop trembling.
That's when The Joker, along with Harley had popped into view. He wished that he could wipe the tears away but he couldn't. With horror, he realized that Joker had a pitcher of water. "If I poured this over you," he tapped the pitcher with his index finger "and turned on the power, what would happen?"
Robin shook his head. "I'll get electrocuted."
"Who is Batman?"
When he was bet by silence he gave the stubborn sidekick another minute of electricity. Robin couldn't help it, he screamed. As soon as the buzzing and humming stopped, he forced himself to take a deep breath. "B-B-Bruce Wayne." The rest is a haze. With each shock treatment, punch, syringe filled with shit that made his pain seem all the more vivid he told The Joker whatever he wanted.
Tim is snapped back to reality by a light tapping on his shoulder, far gentler then he had expected.
"Do you still think Bruce is coming for you?" He repeats the question.
Robin shakes his head. It has been far too long. If Batman was going to rescue him, if anyone was going to rescue him they'd have done it by now. That's exactly when he realizes that there isn't going to be a swift rescue by Nightwing, Batman or anyone. The Joker is probably going to kill him and no one is going to care.
The Joker smiles. He can practically feel the kid breaking. He smiles his biggest smile; the satisfaction in knowing that he is responsible for the cracking of Robin's spirit is the best feeling in the world.
The Joker tightened his hold on the boy's shoulders. "If he isn't coming for you, why the mask?" He watched as Robin fingered the edges of his mask. He sighed and peeled the mask off his face. He looked at the floor again, not wanting to face the boy in the mirror.
The Joker laughed at the boy, crying with his hair in his face. He grabbed the boy by his chin and forced him to look in the mirror. "Who are you? Who is the boy holding a play-time mask? Is it Robin?"
Robin straightened his shoulders and looked at his reflection. "Yes. It's Robin."
The Joker took his prod and connected it with Robin's back. At first the boy tried to hold back his scream but as the electricity coursed through his body and he could smell burning hair he screamed. Then the electricity stopped. Robin had fallen to his knees during the assault. He was breathing hard but that soon slowed. The Joker grabbed him by the shoulders, once again and pulled him to his feet. "Who are you, little boy?"
"I don't know what answer you want."
The Joker backhanded the boy hard enough that he hit his head off the cement floor and blacked out. The Joker waited. He knew that the child wouldn't be out long. The Bat had trained him, and Bat Brats were never unconscious long, not even when medicated. This boy was no exception.
In the few minutes that Robin had been unconscious, the Joker restarted the tape. He shut the door and turned off the lights. In the dark the only thing Robin could hear was "Your name is J.J. Joker Jr. and your Daddy loves you."
He was left in the dark for three days. When The Joker returned he wasn't surprised that the room stank. With no bathroom the boy had soiled himself. The Joker pulled the boy by his arm and dragged him over to a corner of the room. He carefully cut the boy out of his clothes. Knowing what The Joker was capable of doing he stayed as still as possible.
Harley came into the room with a hose. She shrugged as Robin covered his eyes. He knew that this was going to hurt. He bit into his bottom lip as highly pressurized water assaulted every inch of his body, washing the filth and grime down the drain. He was suddenly cold when the water stopped.
The Joker was holding up an outfit. Harley smiled when she realized what the Joker was holding up and what the boy was mumbling. The Joker had a child's outfit that looked almost exactly like his own. "But first, let's dye that hair. What do ya say?"
Tim stood up. "Daddy loves J.J."
The Joker smiled. Tim smiled back. At first he had had his doubts that it would work. There were even times when he thought that maybe his plan wasn't the best idea that he ever had. Then this turn of events made him very happy. Unless the child was faking it; although he doubted that insanity like this could be faked.
The room was suddenly filled with a bright light. The light was so bright (after being in the dark for so long) that Robin was forced to shut his eyes.
The Joker had a purpose for doing that. While Robin had his eyes closed The Joker slipped a pair of headphones on him. Now the only thing that Robin could hear was static. Like he had when he was kidnapped by Slade he hoped that he would be found before anything really bad happened.
Suddenly electricity shot through his body. He screamed as loud as he could. It seemed to go on forever. Then there was nothing but the static. He was on edge, somebody had to have been in the room to turn the lights and place the earphones on his head. Now the electricity that could be on a timer. For hours he readied his mind and body for another shock. After three shocks he felt tears gather under his mask. The super-absorbent material sucked it up. The static was gone.
Robin jerked his head as he felt a hand ruffle through his hair. "Ya know; it'll be easier if you just co-operate with him. He can be a really great guy if you give him the chance, sweetie." Then the comfort and warmth from the hand was gone.
The lights were turned back on but they were dim enough that they didn't hurt his eyes. The table moved. It went from lying flat to being vertical. He wasn't all that surprised to find himself staring at The Joker.
"Look at me with all the contempt you want. By the time it's over you will have told me everything I need to know."
Robin did the worst thing that one can do when held in a helpless position with The Joker—he laughed. It was 3 days before he saw anyone. When The Joker dame in, the first thing he did was send the boy though a two and a half minute electrical shock cycle. Robin was embarrassed and angered to know that his bladder had let go.
After 4 more days of shock treatments and needles full of god knew what being pumped into him, The Joker was relieved to find the boy mumbling to himself. He had been let off the table once he had become too weak and frightened to fight The Joker. Robin's world had been reduced to static, lights that were too bright and beatings. Sometimes so severe that they left him unconscious. Now The Joker was elated to find his prisoner rocking back and forth, scratching things into the floor and mumbling.
"J.J." The Joker was even further delighted when the boy acknowledged his name, the name that had been whispered in his ears all day and all night on a continual loop. He knew, that it would only be a matter of time before the boy would begin to forget.
Next The Joker would manipulate the boy, tear down his self-esteem and make him believe that the only one who loved him was The Joker. He had to make him believe that he was owned by The Joker and that he alone had ever cared for him.
He knelt beside the boy and smoothed back his clack hair. This boy was going to be his greatest creation, his prodigy. Once the transformation was complete the child would be just like him.
The first thing that he needed to do was to get Robin to reject his mask. Once that was done, the rest would be unbearably easy. But just incase things didn't go according to plan he had his portable shocker. It was very similar to a prod. If the end of the staff made contact with anything it gave off a steady bolt of electricity until the contact was broken.
As soon as Tim saw the staff he began to whimper and he backed up. He was up against the wall, shivering and shaking his head. He knew that staff. He couldn't remember what it was called but he knew that when it touched him it shocked him.
He took the boy by the shoulders and led him to the mirror on the wall. The boy was facing the floor as they approached the wall. Tim hated mirrors and he hated his reflection. He hated…everything.
The Joker grabbed the boy from under his chin. "Look at me, J.J." The boy shifted his gaze. "Good. Now look at you." The boy dropped his gaze and shook his head.
The Joker raised his staff. "Do I have to use this?" The boy was shaking and there were tears leaking out from under the mask. "Why do you wear this? Do you still think that Bruce is coming for you?"
For a minute Tim panics. He knows who Batman is. Then he calms down; he remembers that he had told him. The Joker had been sending currents electricity through his body in 15-minute intervals for almost 2 hours; he thought for sure that he was going to die. His bladder had let go and his muscles wouldn't stop trembling.
That's when The Joker, along with Harley had popped into view. He wished that he could wipe the tears away but he couldn't. With horror, he realized that Joker had a pitcher of water. "If I poured this over you," he tapped the pitcher with his index finger "and turned on the power, what would happen?"
Robin shook his head. "I'll get electrocuted."
"Who is Batman?"
When he was bet by silence he gave the stubborn sidekick another minute of electricity. Robin couldn't help it, he screamed. As soon as the buzzing and humming stopped, he forced himself to take a deep breath. "B-B-Bruce Wayne." The rest is a haze. With each shock treatment, punch, syringe filled with shit that made his pain seem all the more vivid he told The Joker whatever he wanted.
Tim is snapped back to reality by a light tapping on his shoulder, far gentler then he had expected.
"Do you still think Bruce is coming for you?" He repeats the question.
Robin shakes his head. It has been far too long. If Batman was going to rescue him, if anyone was going to rescue him they'd have done it by now. That's exactly when he realizes that there isn't going to be a swift rescue by Nightwing, Batman or anyone. The Joker is probably going to kill him and no one is going to care.
The Joker smiles. He can practically feel the kid breaking. He smiles his biggest smile; the satisfaction in knowing that he is responsible for the cracking of Robin's spirit is the best feeling in the world.
The Joker tightened his hold on the boy's shoulders. "If he isn't coming for you, why the mask?" He watched as Robin fingered the edges of his mask. He sighed and peeled the mask off his face. He looked at the floor again, not wanting to face the boy in the mirror.
The Joker laughed at the boy, crying with his hair in his face. He grabbed the boy by his chin and forced him to look in the mirror. "Who are you? Who is the boy holding a play-time mask? Is it Robin?"
Robin straightened his shoulders and looked at his reflection. "Yes. It's Robin."
The Joker took his prod and connected it with Robin's back. At first the boy tried to hold back his scream but as the electricity coursed through his body and he could smell burning hair he screamed. Then the electricity stopped. Robin had fallen to his knees during the assault. He was breathing hard but that soon slowed. The Joker grabbed him by the shoulders, once again and pulled him to his feet. "Who are you, little boy?"
"I don't know what answer you want."
The Joker backhanded the boy hard enough that he hit his head off the cement floor and blacked out. The Joker waited. He knew that the child wouldn't be out long. The Bat had trained him, and Bat Brats were never unconscious long, not even when medicated. This boy was no exception.
In the few minutes that Robin had been unconscious, the Joker restarted the tape. He shut the door and turned off the lights. In the dark the only thing Robin could hear was "Your name is J.J. Joker Jr. and your Daddy loves you."
He was left in the dark for three days. When The Joker returned he wasn't surprised that the room stank. With no bathroom the boy had soiled himself. The Joker pulled the boy by his arm and dragged him over to a corner of the room. He carefully cut the boy out of his clothes. Knowing what The Joker was capable of doing he stayed as still as possible.
Harley came into the room with a hose. She shrugged as Robin covered his eyes. He knew that this was going to hurt. He bit into his bottom lip as highly pressurized water assaulted every inch of his body, washing the filth and grime down the drain. He was suddenly cold when the water stopped.
The Joker was holding up an outfit. Harley smiled when she realized what the Joker was holding up and what the boy was mumbling. The Joker had a child's outfit that looked almost exactly like his own. "But first, let's dye that hair. What do ya say?"
Tim stood up. "Daddy loves J.J."
The Joker smiled. Tim smiled back. At first he had had his doubts that it would work. There were even times when he thought that maybe his plan wasn't the best idea that he ever had. Then this turn of events made him very happy. Unless the child was faking it; although he doubted that insanity like this could be faked.
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