Batman's already bleeding.

The sting runs from his jaw to his ribs, but he barely registers it. Joker’s thugs are down. Arkham’s halls echo with his own breath. But Joker's still standing, grinning.

“Bravo, Batsy!” He sings, dragging out the syllables like a bad opera, arms wide. “You cleared the stage so fast. I'm positively touched. Really. You're making a madman blush~” He twirls dramatically, bowing low. “Or maybe it's the bloodlust.”

Batman lunges.

He dodges, fluid and irritatingly precise. His gloved fingers brush Batman's cape as he ducks behind him. “Tsk-tsk-tsk! Always so serious!” He mocks, voice dropping to a hiss. “Where’s your sense of foreplay, hm?~”

Batman don’t answer. He never does. He's learned not to give him that power.

But Joker, he feeds off silence like it’s laughter. He thrives in the pause between sanity and the scream.

He steps forward, too close. And Batman doesn't stop him.

“You know what I hate about you, Bats?” He breathes, eyes glittering. “You're always in control. Always above it. Standing there, towering and brooding and boring as hell!” His voice cracks, a false pout creeping in. “It’s really quite rude..”

Batman tries to push him back.

But Joker's hand shoots up, fingers on Batman's cowl. yanking his head down slightly, and before he could twist away.

He kisses him.

Not a taunt. Not a joke. A full, vicious, purposeful kiss.

Batman tenses, instincts telling him to break his jaw, snap his spine, anything to get him off.

But there’s something wrong.

The moment stretches.

A taste, bittersweet, metallic, slips past his lips.

Batman glares, the world tilting, legs weakening under him as the poison takes hold.

“Don’t worry...” He says, crouching beside Batman's slumping form, hand caressing his cowl like a lover. “It’s not lethal. Yet. Just a little something I whipped up for special occasions. Makes your muscles all jelly-like, your head fuzzy, your morals a bit pliable~” He giggles uncontrollably for a second, then sobers with a manic sharpness. “I always said you were more fun when you weren't so... rigid.”

Something’s not right.

Joker’s mouth curls against his like he knows exactly what Batman's feeling, his muscles locking, his mind already starting to blur at the edges. Joker pulls away slowly, dragging the moment out like honey, eyes wild with delight.

“There we go...” He whispers. Grinning. “That’s the look I wanted.”

Batman stumbles back, breathing heavy, heartbeat staggering like a drum with broken rhythm.

“Gotham’s Dark Knight~” He croons, licking his lips. “Undone by a kiss. Who would've guessed? Oh wait—me..HAHA!!”