Despite the impressive speed at which you fell asleep, you weren't really resting well; you would sleep for an hour, then wake up, then sleep for an hour, then wake up. It was a cruel cycle, and each time you woke up, you were more tired than the last. Your lack of good sleep wasn't really a matter of being anxious anymore, it was just a matter of growing accustomed to your new environment. You were never the type to sleep peacefully wherever you were. Routine kept you grounded, and this was a huge shift in your routine.

After the third time of waking up, you figured that trying to fall asleep again was pointless; you'd just end up awake again an hour later. Out of curiosity, you glanced at the time.

3:12 AM.

Jesus.

You sat up in bed, wondering what you could do to pass the time. You would've spent your time scrolling on social media if you hadn't deleted all of your accounts. It had been for good reason, since you were worried about the police finding you through your posts or monitoring your every move. But, you were beginning to regret that decision now, since those apps would come in handy in times like these.

Then, you realized something:

You were living in a mansion. You were living somewhere with more rooms than you could possibly comprehend, and you hadn't even begun exploring them all. Maybe you should start.

   You quietly rose from your bed. You figured that everyone would be asleep at this hour, so by quietly snooping, you wouldn't be disturbing anyone. Just in case, you made a mental note not to prod around where anyone could be sleeping. You didn't want to wake someone and have it be a whole situation. So, the first floor would have to do, since you hadn't the foggiest idea of who could be staying where on any of the other floors. You could get a more extensive tour at a later time, anyway.

   As you quietly creaked open your door, you couldn't help but feel like you were doing something wrong. Joker had never explicitly told you not to leave your room, so technically, you weren't breaking any rules. But, it was still something you were doing on your own, and doing things on your own was something that unnerved you in most situations. But especially this one, since you were dealing with the Prince of Crime.

   You slipped out of your room, quickly tiptoeing over to the staircase. As you descended to the second floor, you were grateful that this place was lavish; you didn't need a creaky floorboard giving you away on this maybe allowed, maybe not allowed quest.

   After reaching the second floor, you chose the left staircase of the two, then descended onto the first floor. You noticed that the lights were still on here, yet no one was around.

   You began to suspect that maybe you should go back to bed, but your curiosity got the better of you. Plus, you weren't a meaningless member of Joker's team like his kitchen staff. He had said it himself! You were useful, they were disposable. Surely a little snooping from you wouldn't ruffle his feathers too much.

   You padded into the kitchen, taking note that on the right side, there were no rooms beyond the dining room. So, you went left instead, and were greeted by a hallway that came to an end with a singular, wooden door. This door seemed grander than that of your room; it had detailed accents carved into it, and the doorknob looked to be made of diamonds. Beside it, a plaque read "assembly room".

   The door was open ever so slightly, and you were about to go inside when you heard voices. Given the fact that this room was an assembly room, it wasn't unreasonable to conclude that Joker was holding a meeting in here currently. It was a little absurd to have one at 3:15 in the morning, but nothing surprised you when it came to the Joker.

   Now that you knew where he was, you began to feel nervous again. If you thought about it logically, Joker wouldn't be mad that you were out of your room. But, he would definitely be mad if you were silently eavesdropping on a meeting that you weren't invited to.

   With that in mind, you turned around and began to leave.

   But, then, you heard your name.

   "So, what's the deal with (Y/N), boss?" a voice you didn't recognize inquired.

   You had a mental battle with yourself then. Would you be smart and leave, thereby ensuring your safety? Or would you be stupid and stay, thereby hearing Joker's opinion on you and noting what you could do better?

   Being stupid was something that you did often. So, your nosiness kept you rooted to your spot behind the door, ear pressed against the wood to better listen in.

   "Meaning..?" the voice of Joker replied, sounding a bit annoyed at the question.

   "Meaning, what the fuck is the deal?" the same man asked with an obnoxious chortle. "You never hire girls. Especially girls with as little experience as she has. Do you honestly think she'll be useful?"

   Joker let out a quiet chuckle. "I'm not sure if she'll be useful. But, in all fairness, I wasn't sure any of you would be, either. Sometimes, ya gotta take risks."

   "Calculated risks," the same man amended. "Come on, boss, do you really think that prissy little thing will be able to get anything done? She's just so...delicate. She carries herself all wrong."

   You couldn't help but be a little offended at that. You knew this guy's opinion didn't matter, given the fact you didn't know his name, but you knew Joker's. The more prominent man had seen your potential. Still, it stung that others didn't.

   This was just a reminder of how much harder you needed to work.

   "Dennis, she shot a man in the leg with no hesitation, then killed countless people minutes later," a different man chimed in. "I don't know if you're reading her right. She seems like she's got a lot of potential."

   You said a silent thank you to whoever that man was.

   "Never said she wasn't crazy," Dennis said. "Get any crazy bitch in front of a gun, and she can fuck shit up. That doesn't mean she's automatically useful."

   "True, but she's definitely not delicate if she can kill that many people," a third man spoke up.

   "But she is, though," Dennis replied, which just made you mad. Why was this guy so obsessed with how lackluster of a teammate you'd be? "Even when she killed those people, she looked hesitant at first. And when she finally did, she went fucking bonkers. It'd be one thing if she acted bonkers all the time, laughing and shit, but she only did it then. What happens if she goes crazy during a mission? Is she gonna get carried away then, too? That's partly what I mean by delicate. She's susceptible to her own emotions, and her lack of experience could very well make her lose her head."

   "She also does appear meek when talking sometimes," the third man mused.

   "Exactly," said Dennis.

   You huffed quietly. Some first impression you had made. And you thought you had been doing all right.

"Well, what does it matter what you lowlifes think?" Joker asked, his voice an angry hiss. "I happen to think that she'll do just fine. Craziness can be molded. Craziness can be redirected. With enough training, she'll be able to put in just the right amount of crazy. As for the meekness? I say good for her. She knows how to obey. She knows how to behave. Something that you all lack."

   Joker defending you was enough to make you smile a little. For whatever reason, he had taken a liking to you. And that was a huge win.

   "Bet you'd like her to behave in other ways," Dennis said slyly, laughing at himself. "Come on, J, you gotta admit. She's a fucking piece."

   Everyone seemed to murmur their assent, causing you to reflexively recoil. Men were such pigs. But, still, you couldn't help but wonder what Joker's thoughts were on that.

   "That's why he hired her!" the second man spoke up with a hearty laugh. "It wasn't about her skill. He just wanted to get his dick wet! With Harley gone, he's probably been going crazy!"

   Howls of laughter erupted from the room, and you began to realize that being the only girl on this team would prove to be problematic. This conversation was disrespectful at the least and sexist at the most, and you were beginning to feel your skin crawl with displeasure.

   Still, you needed to hear Joker's response. Not that it mattered at all, but you were curious.

   "Please," Joker replied with a snicker. "I'm not that low."

   "What about Harley? You certainly seemed pretty low when it came to her," said the third man. "You manipulated that girl like there was no tomorrow, just so someone would love you and do your bidding."

   "Yes, but with Harley, that was the whole goal," Joker responded. "I got her specifically for that reason. I wanted a pet, if you will. An attractive pet to use however I wanted. But, (Y/N)... I hired her because she seemed useful. I want her help. Her...assets? Those are just bonuses."

   "So, you admit she's a piece?" asked Dennis.

   "She's stunning, yes."

   The word stunning sent a jolt of excitement through your body. You didn't know if anyone had ever used that word to describe you. It was beyond flattering.

"Mind if I go for her?" Dennis inquired sleazily. "She's just too damn fine."

You felt the urge to hurl all over the floor. Thank God you had heard this conversation. Otherwise, you never would've known who to stay the fuck away from.

"No," Joker replied quickly.

When he didn't continue, Dennis proceeded to whine like a baby. "Why not? Come on, boss, I do everything for you. The least you could do is let me have a little fun with the new meat."

"Dennis, I said no, and that's final. I do not owe you an explanation."

Joker's voice was getting deeper, more dangerous. This didn't sound good. You wanted to flee from whatever conflict would arise, but you were rooted to the spot. Always wanting more information, but not wanting it at the same time.

"But, J, have you seen that rack she's got? She's a fucking goddess, and no doubt a freak in the sheets with an ass like that. Holy fuck, you'd have to be an asshole to prevent me from seizing that oppor—"

A loud bang resounded through the halls. You clapped your hands to your ears, jumping about a foot in the air.

All went quiet, including Dennis' crude remarks. You felt your insides churn. Dennis was dead. Joker had killed him.

"Anyone else wanna comment on (Y/N)?" Joker growled to the remaining men in the room.

The silence that followed was his answer.

"Excellent. Now, let's get back to business, shall we?"

And with that, the conversation shifted to business matters. You couldn't even begin to decipher what those business matters were, honestly; you were too deep in your own thoughts. Joker had killed a man, all for being vulgar toward you. In a weird way, it was almost chivalrous. But, still, something about it felt wrong. Maybe it was the fact you had witnessed it when you weren't supposed to. Maybe it was the fact that you were the cause of it, even though Joker held the gun.

Regardless, you knew you had to leave before the meeting ended. So, you padded back to the stairs, taking them up to the second floor, then to the third. You found your room and quietly shut the door, leaping onto your bed and groaning into your pillow.

What a fucking night. You really seemed to be turning this mansion upside down with your very existence. Despite the pleasure that came with Joker so devoutly defending your honor, you were also unnerved. Joker never did anything for anyone other than himself. What was his motive?

You pondered that question for a while.

Needless to say, you didn't get another minute of sleep that night.