10 Broken Soul (Red Hood x Reader)

Prompt: Jason has the Joker right where he wants him. He finally gets to exact his revenge...or so he thinks.

Joker's eyes open slightly, just beginning to return to the world of the living. A sudden rush of pain swells through his head as he fights the urge to fall unconscious again. He forces his eyes wide open and sees he's in a primarily dark room with one lamp hanging just above him. His arms are chained above his head and his feet drag the ground.

"Either I'm in hell or this is one bad joke," he whispers, still regaining his voice. He examines the chains around his wrists one more time before laughing hysterically. "Oh, I need to meet the person who did all this for me!"

"Congrats filth...you get your wish," a mysterious robotic voice replies from the darkness. Joker strains his eyes to see the outline of a tall figure leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't be shy! Step on out! Claim your prize!" Joker encourages. The figure unfolds his arms and steps closer. As Joker's eyes adjust to the dark, he sees a pushcart not far away. The strange figure proceeds towards the cart and pushes it into the light with his foot. On the cart is a various array of power tools that could be potentially lethal.

"Recognize these?" the man says stepping closer.

"Well now let's see...there's a drill, a crowbar, a branding iron, a blowtorch, a saw, a staple gun- oh you really shouldn't have- and a gun. Oh boy! Sounds like a good Friday night!" Joker exclaims, bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"Very good, but I was hoping for a different answer. Where have you seen these before?"

Joker thinks for a moment. "In Victor Zsasz's closest? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

The man walks briskly into the light and grips him by the throat. Joker's laughing ceases and he smiles wider than he ever has before as he recognizes his captor.

"HOODIE!!! IT'S BEEN A WHILE!!! HOW'VE YA BEEN?!"

Red Hood, secretly known as Jason Todd, squeezes his hands tighter around the clown's throat.

"Not as good as I am right now," he says grabbing the branding iron and heating it with the blowtorch. "You see Joker, a long time ago you beat the shit out of me. You beat me until I was nothing but a bloody pulp and then you shot me! And now...it's your turn. Let's see how you like a hot iron against your cheek," he seethes, grabbing Joker's head and getting ready to burn it.

"RED HOOD STOP!!" someone's voice cries from directly behind him. He recognizes the voice immediately. The voice of an angel. The voice of the love of his life.

"(Y/N)..." he whispers. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? Trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life!"

Joker laughs again. "Well now, this is a plot twist!"

"Batman brought you here...didn't he?" Jason asks, ignoring Joker's comment.

"Nightwing actually," you reply. "Look, I know you're angry. What he did to you was horrifying. I can't imagine what that must have been like."

"SO STOP TRYING TO RELATE TO ME!!! STOP TRYING TO TALK ME OUT OF THIS!! He deserves to pay for what he's done..."

"You're right, he does."

You walk towards Jason and hold his hands. "Look at him...he doesn't seem fazed in the least. He's not afraid of death, or you. He deserves a fate worse than death and karma will make sure he gets it, but I can't let you do this."

"You're going to ask me to spare him," Jason says plainly.

"No...I'm asking to spare you. If you kill him, you'll be stooping to his level. He tortured you like this. If you're doing the same to him, you're putting yourself in a maniac's shoes. Please, don't do that to yourself. The police are on their way now. I'm begging you...put that down and come home."

Underneath his hood, Jason's eyes water with tears. How could he ever refuse your pleas? He knows he'd be trapped in a world of rage and malice without you to save him.

He drops the iron and allows you to lead him outside. As soon as the door to the warehouse closes he collapses in your arms and holds you close. You can't help but cry tears of your own. Jason has always been a broken soul and the evil man inside is to blame. Now, you are the one who needs to piece him back together.