((alright. first off, thank you for reading. i wanna take a sec to explain how this chapter and maybe soon to follow are set up...this chapter is almost a prologue, but i still wouldn't wanna call it that. it does quite a bit of skipping. the whole story jumps ahead a few weeks or months. i just wanted to clarify that because i had some confused betas, haha c: and second off, i don't own any of this. not even duela dent. she's a small character--kinda--but she's definitely not mine. anyway...thanks again!))

She probably should have been quicker, in every sense of the word.

Since the Joker "created" Two Face, they've had the same target: Batman. It was only natural that one day they actually end up meeting each other in the process. Their reasons may have been completely different, but their drive and dedication led them to this same parking garage. As she saw the Joker's smile etched on his face, she couldn't help but remember the last time she saw it.

Two Face escaping from Arkham was ultimately her fault. She had been curious, as any young woman would be, about who her father was. She searched through her mother's things endlessly, trying to find a birth certificate, or a picture, or anything really. Finally after a week of digging she found an old diary that her mother kept at one point. Her mother's diary started a year before she gave birth to her daughter, and it detailed the relationship she had with a certain Harvey Dent.

Her mother wrote and wrote about the dates he took her on, the gifts he gave her, and finally the night he proposed. It was…sweet, for lack of a better word. Apparently he got down on one knee and everything. Her mother's entries began to get shorter and shorter every time, as she was no doubt busy with her wedding planning. She was excited, and it shone through the pages.

However, after the marriage, her entries began to get shorter and shorter, but not in a good way. She spoke about Harvey's obsession with a two-sided coin that decided every important decision he had to make. He was getting angrier with Gilda, though there was no mention of actual abuse from him. The only happy entry after her wedding was about her being pregnant, and soon her entries focused on the baby.

Her very last entry was about the birth of a baby girl.

"I feel like I owe it to Harv, to let him choose her name, though I have to be honest, I'm starting to regret it. He's gone through this odd stage of really loving the number two, and ever since we found out our baby's gender, he was…disappointed. He really wanted twins. So, being the clever man he is, he named her Duela Abigail; Abigail after Abigail Adams, thanks to his fascination with politics, and Duela only because it had to do with the number two.

"Since having Duela, I've started to become more wary of Harvey. He's getting angrier and angrier, and…well, that coin is still getting in his way. He won't hear anything about it, though. Not to mention his dreams of taking down the mob in Gotham. I think it's a little silly, and really dangerous. I'm not entire sure I want my child exposed to the danger that is the mob.

"My child is now my greatest concern. If I find she isn't safe, with Harvey, his dreams, his obsessions…I may have to take action. Duela is my entire world, and as much as I love Harvey, she must come first.

Gilda"

Duela read it and re-read it carefully. She'd always been quick to have a temper, but this…this was ridiculous. She stared at the old diary, simply seething. Her pronounced cheeks were dangerously red and her large brown eyes went wide as she tossed the diary from across the room, but it didn't stop there. She shoved boxes around, yelping when her toe collided with the side of a desk. It didn't stop her anger, however.

Her mother had been telling her lies her whole life. "He was never a good man," she would say, if Duela ever asked. "He's a plumber now, working in New York and can barely afford his own rent. He couldn't afford to have my princess." That was all Duela would get, plus a kiss on her head. She believed her mother, because why would her mother lie to her? She was a good mom. She married men so maybe Duela could have a dad around, to provide for her and show her what a man should do. Provide. That's all men are good for, Duela.

Everyone in Gotham knew that Harvey Dent had disappeared. They say he died, but only half of the residents believed it. After all, the city's officials had lied to them before. So Duela did some digging, the only place she knew where. She contacted Commissioner Gordon, and when she did finally get a meeting with him, she laid it on pretty thick.

"I just…want the truth, about my father. There are so many rumors about his death, about what kind of man he was, and…they say you were his friend." She sniffed, and pushed back some of her very light brown hair, her eyes meeting his. Duela had always been good at manipulation. It was easy for her…perhaps she learned it from her mother.

Gordon had been sympathetic. She felt his eyes look over her, taking her in. "You look remarkably like him," he'd finally said. When Duela saw old posters of his campaign posters, she'd thought the same thing. They were both attractive, with strong jaws and blonde hair. The only difference between her and her father were her eyes. They were big, and brown, just like her mother's.

Still, Gordon wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to allow just any nutjob into the circle of trust, but he had a heart for kids, ever since he helped out a young Bruce Wayne. He gave her a paternity test, running the test himself and shredding the evidence when he was done. Gordon didn't want anyone finding out about her, or what happened to him. He didn't think Gotham needed to know…this young woman, perhaps.

The smile on her face when he told her the news was heart breaking. "He's not dead. Well…that is, his heart is still beating. But Duela, I must be honest with you…he's not who you'd think he is," Gordon said, gently. "He's not Harvey Dent anymore. He was scarred too badly by his loss of Rachel Dawes, the assistant District Attorney and love of his life."

"Where is he?" Duela asked quickly, her eyes going wide.

"Nowhere good. We've placed him in Arkham Asylum, for treatment." He paused, and she looked like she wanted to get up. "I'd recommend you don't visit him. You won't like what you see. That being said, you're seventeen…old enough to make your own decisions. I can't fault you for being curious. But that's not your father."

Duela didn't care. She didn't heed his warning, or even consider that her father might be insane. Not him—not the man her mother had nicknamed "Apollo". Surely he was just depressed, and not…well. She was wrong.

She visited him, and she found out how truly right Gordon was. The first person she met was Two Face, and he quickly denied her. "Sorry, kid…never had a child. You're looking for someone else, believe me. Now…how exactly did you find me?" he asked, constantly pushing against his leather straps out of habit. However, as Duela went into the story about Gordon, and the diary, Harvey Dent managed to push through and take control of the body he and he himself used to occupy.

Harvey stared at her, frowning. "Who are you?" he spat. "And how do you know I'm here? Gordon told everyone I died," he said, with a small smirk across half of his face.

Duela gaped at him. "I…I just told you. My name is Duela Abigail, err, Dent." She stopped as she watched realization sweep across his face. "You named me that, didn't you?" He just nodded. What she mistook for concern and worry for her well being was actually the wheels in his head turning. How could he use her? How could he use her to get out? She was a virtual unknown, after all…and he wasn't relying on the Joker to hurry up and blow the asylum half to hell. Two Face mumbled in his ear how she could be useful, their one outside link to the world.

Harvey humored her for weeks, even if it was Two Face whispering in his ear, telling him to right questions to ask and the right ones to answer. "She's pathetic," Two Face would mumble to him while he sat there, alone, in his cell. "She'll do anything for her daddy, Harvey. Talk to her. Tell her you missed her, your whole life, even if she was just another horrible disappointment in your horrible life. Find out your strengths. And afterwards…we dump her."

"I can't kill my own flesh and blood," he responded, out loud, his eyes glazed over as he spoke with Two Face. No one was in the room at this moment, as he had just bid good day to Duela. She walked off with a smile on her face, like maybe she had truly connected with her father. Maybe.

"Why not? What has she done for you? Do you think maybe her life could have made yours a little easier, if she'd come to find you sooner? She wasn't there for YOU, Harvey."

"She was a child," Harvey responded. "She doesn't deserve to be in this…I don't want her involved. She's probably not good at this anyway. She seems…she seems wholesome. Wholesome like her mother."

"What would you be if it weren't for your father, Harvey?"

Harvey frowned, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"Would you be this smart, this driven, if your father didn't beat it into you? Wouldn't you just be showing your daughter the ropes, the Dent family tradition of strong human beings? And besides, even if we did keep her around…at least we could teach her the ropes. A fair world does not have to die with us."

Harvey frowned a little at that. "You're right," he said. Two Face and Harvey were in agreement, then. For another two weeks he wore Duela down, convincing her to use her gift of computers to get him out of here. Sometimes he would remind Duela of what kind of person she was. A whore, sleeping around for drugs…she was exactly the type of person Harvey Dent tried to bring down. He offered her a new life, with him, doing what was fair. What Rachel deserved, and he promised to throw in a little trip down vengeance way, as she had plenty of enemies herself. Duela seemed to like the idea of a brand new life, to escape her old, meaningless one. Two Face loved that determined look on her face, and he often reminded Harvey how much it looked like his own determined face.

She was much smarter than he'd originally thought…she created a false fire emergency after nearly a month of ruthless planning. She had the residents evacuated, and Harvey escaped from the chaos and into her car. Two Face took over during the plan, either because he didn't trust Harvey or because Harvey didn't trust Harvey.

Duela drove the three of them to an old, shabby apartment building where paying rent meant offering favors to the landlord. At this point, though, after nearly two months of hearing her father's manipulatively soothing voice in her ear and gentle promises, she didn't mind doing this for him. She listened to his philosophies and what his plans were, over and over, however vague he was being about them. She believed him, she believed in him.

Their first goal was Gordon. Two Face explained this was a test for her, a test she would have to past if she were to prove her merit. Harvey vaguely remembered having to prove his merit to his own father, so this went very well with him. Duela went to his home one night, having dinner with all of his family before sitting in the den. His son and daughter played with blocks in the floor while his wife went out for ice cream.

"I just wanted to speak with someone who knew about him, who he really was. My mom is still angry with him, and…either the people of Gotham loved him at one point and then hated him, or never liked her to begin with," Duela said to him on the old couch, her large eyes turned up to him. Then Two Face entered.

The plan went through without a hitch, though Duela had to be honest, it hurt seeing the coin come up as tails. It hurt more seeing the bullet flying through James Gordon's six-year-old son's neck, but Duela tried to put it out of her mind. Harvey quickly took over afterwards, rewarding Duela with his kindness. He knew Two Face to be a little ruthless, and didn't understand the finer points of rewarding someone.

He kissed her on the forehead, and offered her his pinstriped coat because she was cold. She took it, just as Two Face had suspected she would. "You did well," Harvey cooed, driving off and avoiding the police with ease. That seemed to satisfy her and make it all worth it.

Their next goal was Batman. This would prove even more difficult. Harvey and Duela managed to convince the Riddler after months of tracking him down and harsh interrogation to give up information regarding Falcone crime family's next meeting, where Batman would no doubt show up. The two crouched in a corner of the parking garage. It was cold. Duela's eyes darted around at all of the different men and only one woman. This was where they stood now. Duela was sure she'd done well for her father…she'd adopted his philosophy, and even joined in with his persona. The left half of her face had been blackened before they left with makeup.

"Well if it isn't old Dead Face and his little partner-in-crime, a newbie to the Freak world," said an odd voice behind them. At once the three turned around, and Duela's jaw dropped. Before her stood the notorious Joker, in his full getup. He looked even more intimidating in person. "I don't believe we've been formerly introduced, my name is Joe. Joe Kerr." He flashed his smile, the scars making it even more terrifying. His eyes went over her just as they had Harvey at one point, taking her in.

"I don't know exactly what you're doing here," said a calm and cool Two Face. He played with the coin in his hand, glaring at the Clown Prince. "But tonight is not your night for the Batman. Tonight belongs to us."

The Joker put his hands up in the air. "I think you know I mean no harm, Harvey."

"His name is Two Face," snapped Duela, and she stepped forward a little, glaring at the evil eyes. "Harvey is dead. Don't you read the papers?" She was almost like a puppy guarding her perfectly willing owner, the way she snarled at the Joker.

The Joker cackled. "Ooh, goodness! And she's feisty!" he exclaimed towards Two Face. He walked forward curiously to the girl, as if expecting her. "The similarities are endless between the two of you, you know," he continued, pacing forward slowly and menacingly. Unsurprisingly, Two Face didn't move, ignoring Harvey asking politely for him to move in front of Duela. This was his legacy he was protecting, after all.

"Last time I checked, I didn't see you having any reason to catch the Bat!" Duela snapped. As she yelled, the mobsters noticed them. Two Face resisted the urge to hit Duela.

The mobsters mumbled to themselves before deciding to reconvene elsewhere. It was no secret they hated the Freaks, but at the same time, they feared them. For wherever they seemed to be, Batman was not far behind. Quickly and without warning they piled into their cars, waving their guns around at the other three and daring them to follow. Their empty threats echoed through the parking garage, but Harvey knew not to follow after them. Sometimes their threats weren't empty.

Two Face growled and he grabbed Duela's shoulders. "You've ruined everything!" He yelled, and he shoved her, leaving. He had half a mind (literally) to give her up to chance, but instead he left her, knowing she had nowhere else to go. And besides, perhaps if he followed the mob, not all would be lost.

Harvey pled with Two Face not to leave her behind. This was his legacy…not to mention he knew what the Joker was capable of. He didn't think it was particularly fair that she only got one chance. The two argued on the way to the car, though Duela and the Joker both only got one part of the conversation before they walked off to their car and speeding off.

The Joker turned back to Duela, a little smile on his face as he did. "Do I…need a reason, to catch the Bat? Maybe…maybe I just wanna see him hanging from the big tree in the sky, maybe I just want to have some fun. But he's right…you ruined my fun tonight. You're just…" he began to laugh, pulling out a knife. "You're just a stick in the mud, aren't you?"

This was definitely when she needed to be more quick.

He ran to her, his eyes mad as he did, and he pushed her on the ground. He sat on top of her, looking down at her as she struggled and screamed. His natural smile and the one etched in his face combined flawlessly. "Like I said, the similarities are endless between you two," the Joker mumbled, and he took her knife to the blackened side of her face, flicking open her skin. "Except one little thing…" he cut her once more, seeing the blood crawl down her cheek.

He cut the left side of her face nearly ten times, smirking at what he saw. "Now, see, now…now you look like him. Daddy's little monster, aren't you?" he asked, and pinched her cut cheek, causing her to whimper. He rose up from her and started off, leaving her to bleed. He knew she wouldn't die of anything but shock, maybe. It all depended on how strong she was.

Duela sat there for a while, deciding it would be best to wait for someone to find her. The apartment was many miles away from the parking garage, so walking was out of the question. She lay down on the cold ground, curling up and waiting to be taken into custody. She didn't think she could bear seeing the look on Gordon's face.

----

"Shut up, shut up…" Harvey whispered to Two Face, who was screaming in his ear endlessly. He stood over Duela about an hour later, seeing the cuts on her face. "I know, she's not strong. Not…not yet, alright?" he tried to reason. "She'll learn. She gets two chances—that sounds fair, doesn't it?" he continued, and Two Face seemed to concede, however hesitantly. He nudged her awake before he picked her up. Duela woke up, but she looked so incredibly exhausted as she lay there in his awkward arms.

The whole way back to their apartment, Harvey and Two Face argued. "She has potential," Harvey said to his other side, maybe a little desperately. "Don't you remember how she got me out? With the right experience…"

"Do YOU remember that you were supposed to dump her afterwards?"

"She ended up helping with Gordon, and she did a surprisingly good job with the boy. She didn't even cry. Even you have to admit how big of a feat that is."

Two Face didn't seem to respond after that. Harvey only assumed he'd won. For once.

He dragged her up the stairs to their apartment. His eyes went along the apartment numbers before he finally found B2, and he walked her in. He shoved her onto the couch, and left her there, now very much awake. Her shaking pale hand moved up to touch her cheek, and she winced a little, seeing a mixture of the makeup and her blood on her hand. She wiped it off onto her jeans, her eyes wide as she waited for something to happen.

Harvey pulled a footrest up to sit in front of her. He began to roughly remove the makeup off of her face, getting some of the blood as well. "You get one more chance," he growled, using the gauze to get off as much makeup as you could. He looked at her shivering lip and her somewhat teary eyes. "If you can't handle the Joker…"

"I can!" Duela yelled, staring at his eyes. There was a big difference between Harvey's eyes and Two Face's, even if they were technically the same eyes. His looked just a little bigger, like he was thinking things through. Two Face's eyes were dead, with nothing but vengeance in them.

"I can handle the Joker. I didn't have my gun with me, I…"

Harvey took her face in his hand, roughly, to look her in the eye. "Do not make excuses. Do you understand me?" he asked, and she nodded. As he continued to clean he only hoped she heeded his warning…Two Face did not appreciate excuses. He didn't like failure. She was lucky he was being so kind, when she'd ruined a plan that had took them months to make. Months of difficult planning, ruined.

Finally her face was clear of the black makeup, and he poured some alcohol onto a piece of gauze. "This won't feel good," Harvey growled, and he began to clean the cuts. When she winced and whimpered, he frowned. "What is our goal?" he asked.

Duela stumbled over her words. "To…to make sure what's fair is done, maybe not from us, but from…someone, anyway," she said, her hands shaking, and she nodded. "That's our goal."

"Is it our decision who gets killed?" he pressed, cleaning one of the bigger ones as he asked.

"No," Duela answered once more. "It's not our decision. It's left up to chance. Only chance." She wrapped her arms around her body. She felt sick, but not just from the alcohol. She was just hearing herself say these things. One half of her knew it was wrong, but the second half thought it was just perfect. It made complete sense, but it was still wrong.

She looked up to him after a moment, wetting her lips. "I'll try harder," she said shakily. "I promise…I'll try harder next time. I don't need another chance." He was all she had, now. She'd never lived up to her mother's expectations…Duela had always been too angry, and when her mother said her name, she spat it out like it was a curse word. Harvey and Two Face were all she had in life. She wasn't messing this up, not if she could help it.

Harvey listened, looking into her eyes. "Good," he said simply. As he eyed her face, which was now cleaned but still in bad shape, he couldn't help but smirk a little. In a sick way he was proud of these cuts. Now she did look like him…now she was his. To hell with Gilda, and all of the horrible things she'd said to Duela about him. She was now his to make into his own, to mold her into his little protégé of chance. To hell with Gilda. She didn't let Duela choose whether or not she wanted her father in her life…a week after she was born, she left. To hell with Gilda. Now Duela got to choose, and she chose to be loyal to her father and what her father stood for. To hell with Gilda.

"To hell with Gilda."

Harvey smiled on half of his face, standing up as he continued to eye her. "Tomorrow, the rent is due," he said to her, and went off to the only bedroom, leaving her to sleep on the couch.

Duela blinked. Even if he wasn't kind to her all the time, she knew—she hoped—he still expected to teach her. And although she didn't know what he would no doubt make her into, she still knew that it would be better than her current life. And besides, now with her face, she had every right to become a Freak. She had every right to go around the world, if she wanted, delivering what came to people who were unfair. That's what was right, it was fair.

She could almost feel the cold metal of the coin in her hand.