Where could I go?

“Helloooo Gotham City!! Joker here! Just wanted to give everyone a little update about the current state of affairs!”

As the Joker continues his announcement, he explains his plan to bomb various areas of the city using semi trucks rigged with explosives. He’s set a timer for ten minutes before the trucks are detonated to ‘let the bats try to stop him’, though Peter knows he has a remote detonator switch in his pocket. He’s giving them time to try and stop him, so it has to be about the heroes, not about the terror he’ll inflict on the city if those trucks detonate.

He’s toying with them.

He’ll have to learn how the Joker works soon enough if he’s going to be under his thumb for a while. He’ll do what he says, if only to avoid being shocked again. 

In the warehouse itself, there’s a cartoonishly large bomb in the center of the room that the Joker is pacing in front of. He’s mumbling something to himself, his hands brushing through greasy hair. 

Peter stays seated on his beam, looking out the higher windows in the warehouse. He sees a smoggy, dark, city outside. The skyline is completely different from New York, it’s completely unfamiliar. The moon shines over the city, bathing the clouds and smog in a silvery glow. It looked ghostly. Something about this place was unsettling, but he couldn’t deny that it was beautiful too.

His eyes trace their way back to the Joker, who keeps walking back and forth between the front of the warehouse and the bomb in the center. He meticulously checks over the device before walking again. To his credit, it was a smart plan. Multiple bombs would be moving around the city with no ability to track them. He could easily target densely populated areas, areas that have innocent people in them.

I can’t let him hurt innocent people.

His hand goes to his face, feeling the dense paint settled in. It’s overwhelming to wear, he needs to go back to his room soon so he can get it off. What he really needs is to get out of here and away from the Joker.

His hand traces the metal disc embedded in his skin.

That’s not happening anytime soon.

As the large timer ticks on the front of the bomb down, he waits for the vigilantes to arrive. His plan would be so easy to execute randomly, but he felt the need to give Batman a head start? He’d have to focus on the relationship the Joker had with Batman to gauge how to proceed with their interactions. Peter has the feeling Joker has a bit of an obsession with Batman, based on how much he talks about him and his general mentally-unstable vibe. 

While Peter can’t actively attack the Joker or show that he’s helping out the other side, he could possibly try to sabotage in little ways. Just enough to stop his plans from hurting people. Joker told him Batman would likely bring someone with him, it was Peter’s job to fight whoever joined him. Maybe he fights normally, trying not to hurt them too much? If he was lucky maybe he could tell them about the remote detonator too if he can get them somewhere quiet. 

Right now he was Prank, so he couldn’t just help out of nowhere. He’d probably be shocked if he even hinted at wanting to help sabotage Joker.

If he can help, even in a little way, he’ll feel better about being in this horrible situation.

9 minutes left on the timer.

After only a couple of minutes, two costumed figures burst through the warehouse doors, stopping ten feet from where the Joker was poised. The costumes they were in were slightly ridiculous, but then again he galavanted around in a costume that was bright red and blue. So, he can't really judge them. Even now he’s in some scratchy jester's outfit with horribly gaudy clown makeup on, if anyone in this warehouse looked ridiculous it was definitely him. Though, the Joker gets second place for sure.

The one that was likely Batman, based on the huge bat symbol on his chest, was already scowling. His face contorted into a grimace as his hand twitches towards something on his belt. The person next to him was in a suit that was definitely less bat-themed, a red top with black stripes crossing the and black pants. It was like the non jester version of Peter's own costume. Knowing Joker, that was probably on purpose. From what he was told as the Joker painted his face, he thinks this one is probably Red Robin? Is that the right name? When Joker would talk about the various vigilantes in this city, he would often go on tangents and work himself into a frenzy. So he’s not exactly sure who’s who.

7 minutes on the timer.

“Ah Batsy! So glad you could stop by to see the fun unfold.” The Joker steps towards the pair, flapping his coat tails back and giddily tapping his toes. 

Before Batman could rush forward, Joker stops him with an outstretched hand. 

Does he know that he has the detonator? Or does Joker just play tricks like this all the time? Probably the latter…

“Ah ah ah Batman! Let me do my little monologue first,” He shakes his hands and feet out, posing as if he was in a bad theater production. “Batsy, I've been feeling a bit lonely lately…so I decided to look towards my personal hero, you, for a way to make myself feel better. I realized that I don’t have a classic sidekick like you! I don’t have as many as you do of course, y’know you win some you lose some, you lose some specifically in a freak warehouse accident,”

That seems to piss Batman off, he harshly grabs the Joker's lapels as the man starts to giggle. The giggles turn into a full blown cackle as the hero demands to know more. Wiping a tear from his eye, the Joker speaks again.

“I want you to meet my new sidekick! Oh pranksy!” Jokers singsong voice echoes through the warehouse as Peter prepares to fight.

Forgive me for what I'm about to do, May.

Peter opts to just silently fall to the floor in an unnatural crouch, sliding into a standing position and walking towards the pair. 

“How about you deal with Red Robin for me, Prank? I’ll handle this pesky little bat,”

In an instant Joker sprays some type of gas in Batman’s face and Peter lunges towards Red Robin. The hero hops into a fighting stance and presses a button on a device in his palm that extends into a bo staff.

Oh shit that’s so cool.

Peter dodges Red’s first swing at him, aiming a kick towards his side which he tries to make as light as possible while still being convincing. As they fight, Peter opts to keep the fight with Red Robin going as long as possible until (fingers-crossed) Batman stops Joker and they’re either arrested or escape. Maybe he can even throw in a couple quips to try and find out what this place’s deal is.

As Red Robin shoves Peter, causing him to skid back on the concrete, he takes his chance to see how these people operate. If they were cool, he could possibly see about helping them out. But he doesn’t know this city yet, he doesn’t even know if these guys are good.

Though he knows the Joker is definitely bad.

“That’s a pretty cool bo-staff you got there, make it yourself?” Something simple to start off with, maybe he can find out what it’s made out of? Based on its looks it’s very sturdy, and definitely cool. He hadn’t realized it at first when he got here, but he’s really missed getting to tinker with random devices. Before all of this he would mess around with whatever he could dumpster dive for.

Red Robin doesn’t respond, instead swinging at Peter with his staff. On instinct Peter flips backwards and sticks his hands to the nearest wall, crouching at least five feet off the ground.

“C’mon man, I’m new to this town and trying to make friends. Know any good Italian places around here?” Peter quips again, hoping to get another reaction out of him. The only thing he sees is confusion and a mumbled ‘what the fuck’ at seeing Peter on the wall. Why does he never fight anyone funny?

He lunges off the wall, aiming both his feet at Red Robin's chest. As it connects, he hears an ‘oomph’ sound as he’s knocked to the floor. As he gets up Peter risks a glance at the timer.

4 minutes remain.

Shit shit shit shit shit

After Red Robin is back on his feet, Peter quickly hops on the offense, pushing him back with blows that don’t fully connect as he keeps moving him towards a corner of the warehouse. Red robin quickly jumps on the defense, blocking his hits and stepping back farther and farther.

If he’s going to do anything, he has to do it now. He has to save those people. 

When they’re in the darkest spot Peter can find. He grabs both of Red Robin's hands quickly and holds them tight, dragging his face close to his own. 

“He has a switch in his pocket,” Peter’s eyes bore into the white of Red’s domino mask, he can’t say much. If he’s seen just talking to him he’ll be punished severely. 

The shock on Red Robin’s face almost makes Peter chuckle, he raises a hand to his ear and mumbles something into a comm before simply staring at Peter with a conflicted expression.

“Well? Keep fighting,” Peter aims a punch to Red’s head and slowly moves the fight back to the light of the warehouse. His blows stay consistent, only aiming to injure, and not too severely. He dodges the strikes from the vigilantes bo staff, flipping out of the way when necessary and sometimes webbing himself to higher ground. Sneaking another glance, Peter notes the time left.

2 minutes left

Batman! Fucking do something!

As Peter starts to think that risking his life by helping these vigilantes was in vain, he hears the soft beeping of the timer stop. He breathes a sigh of relief, slowing down his fighting.

“DAMN IT!” The Joker’s yell is heard across the warehouse and Peter suppresses a flinch. 

“Prank! Web them and let’s get going!”

As Joker turns to leave, Peter quickly jumps away from Red Robin and webs the duo's feet to the ground, sprinting out the door Joker left through. Waiting outside is a van with men in clown makeup holding open the doors for them. 

As they drive back to amusement mile, the Joker seethes in his seat, The tension in the air is palpable. Light mumbles exit his mouth every few minutes as he clenches and unclenches his fists.

Peter can sense that he’s likely going to get the brunt of Joker's anger tonight.

They drive for about half an hour, he assumes it’s to make sure no one is tailing them. As the time passes the Joker only gets angrier, clutching at his head and tapping his foot wildly. Manic chuckles fill the van as he slams a fist down on the dashboard. The entire van flinches at that.

-

When they arrive back at the dilapidated building, Joker shoves him into the center of the room. 

“Did you do something? Did you fuck with my plan? You must’ve done something I know you did! Such a fucking waste,” The Joker scowls at Peter’s shaking form on the floor.

Peter kneels in front of the Joker, shaking his head wildly. Oh god, he was going to die now. He tried his hardest to help and now he’s going to pay for it. He should’ve just waited for the real heroes to help. HE continues shaking his head, mumbled apologies and excuses fall from his lips.

“Alright, enough groveling. Get up, I believe you,” The Joker stands above him, hands buried in his pockets as he glares down at Peter’s shivering form. 

He scrambles to his feet, standing away from the Joker and keeping his eyes down. Thank god he thinks he didn’t help. He’ll have to be careful if he tries to help again, the way that things are going, he might not even try. Maybe it won’t be so bad if he just places his trust in the heroes, they’re probably more experienced than he is.

“Tonight was…rough. How about you get a nice night of sleep and tomorrow we’ll regroup, go ahead and get to bed,”

Peter doesn’t hide the confused look on his face, he hears a light chuckle as he turns to head towards his room. 

His spider sense calls out, but it doesn’t necessarily signify danger. A clammy hand grabs his wrist as he’s yanked into a hug. That toxic smell fills his nostrils again as he’s held in the Joker’s grasp, though he doesn’t try to pull away.

“It’s ok, Prank. It’s you and I against the world,” Peter feels an uncomfortable sensation slowly crawling up his spine. This feels wrong, this isn’t like when May or his friends would hug him and tell him it’s alright.

It’s fake. 

When the Joker pulls back, he’s wearing an unreadable expression. His eyes scan Peter's face as the younger tries to avoid eye contact. He sighs, waving a hand for Peter to head back to his room.

When Peter takes a few steps heading back to his quarters, white hot pain spreads through his body. He falls to the floor again, his head cracking against the musty wooden floors. His body can’t stop jerking as the pain continues, his vision is starting to black out.

The pain continues for longer than normal, his limbs continue jerking and he can feel drool start to pool out of his mouth. He can’t move, he can’t see or hear, he can’t…

He can’t hear the Joker laughing like he usually does.

When the pain subsides, he’s left twitching on the floor for God knows how long. When he starts to feel better, and his vision returns, he still sees the Joker’s shoes in front of him. Glancing up, the Joker stares down at him. An unreadable expression is settled on his face, though he can see the corners of his mouth turned up in a satisfied smile.

As he shakily stands back up, the Joker yawns boredly. 

“Go to bed, Prank. I’ll see you in the morning,” 

When Peter is back in his room, the first thing he does is wash the makeup off his face and get out of his itchy costume. After a cold shower, Peter lies in his bed. 

Eventually, the tingling in his body subsides and he can get to sleep.