Alright. I'm ready for this, She thought, taking several deep breaths. The fall was approximately six feet to the railing off the walkway, and eight more to the floor below. All she had to do was make the land and spring off...without closing her eyes. She checked her hips for the hundredth time, making sure that all of her weapons were secure, then took another deep breath.
All she had to do was make the landing, and hope that everything else just fell into place. If his men just stood there, she would attack first and initiate the fight. Then all she had to do was last long enough to catch his eye. Then he would see that she was useful. Then he would accept her, and let her be his. All she had to do...was survive.
"What if we don't make it...?" Elise's soft, frail voice squeaked out, echoing in contest to Doll's stream of thought like snow fall. Then I'll fight my way out or die trying, or die trying. It will all. Be. Worth it.
The amateur villian shook her head, long red-dreads flinging this way and that as she regained focus. One last deep breath, as she closed her eyes, and relaxed, feeling her new-found alter ego take control.
"Ohh...yes." Doll hissed with delight, stretching out her fingers and rolling her neck. She sighed, and took in the area, launching herself out of the vent without a second thought.
Just as Rag Doll had expected, her fingers found the railway with ease, her body upside down and rigid until she sprung off in a delicate cat's curl before her bladed-heels landed onto the ground with a loud clack. And yet...she went unnoticed.
"Oh, you can't be serious..." Doll looked around at the several goons, either with their backs to her, or passing by with nothing more than a glance. One of them walked by, his eyes moving, almost too slowly, up and down her body, before he winked at her and carried on with his box in hand. Rag Doll rolled her eyes in disgust and followed him to where he set the box down on the floor, and bent over to tap his shoulder.
"Well, hey beauti-." He wasn't able to finish with her fist in his face. At his pained cry, the other men turned around finally realizing that she didn't belong, and were on it.
"Now you're onto something, boys!" Rag Doll teased as she dodged one of their punches, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back before slitting his throat and dropping him, just in time to dodge an open blade.
She found herself laughing as she dodged and attacked, killing them with ease. Our practice paid off, we can do this! Elise cried happily, looking through Rag Doll's eyes to see if the Joker was close. Doll jumped into the air and flipped onto the back of one of the more muscular men and snapped his neck, then kicked off of him, her heels flying out in a deadly spin.
Time passed slowly as she dropped one man after the other, and Elise kept scanning. Finally catching sight of the clown on the walkway from before, she noticed that he stood with his back to her, talking to the harlequin. He apparently didn't even care that someone had broken into his hide out and was killing his men! Doll scoffed. "This isn't just your boys in a fight, Clown... Remind me why we're doing this again, Elise?"
"Huh?"
Rag Doll shoved her knife into the center of his chest and dropped him. "I wasn't talking to you." She said coolly, her eyes already drooping with boredom. There was about ten men left in the area, and no telling where the others were lurking or gone to. Elise glanced at the clown again, who still hadn't turned around. He's not noticing... Elise said nervously. Panic was rising in Rag Doll's throat, despite how hard she tried to push it back. "Keep you're emotions to yourself, damn it. I don't need that right now."
But you can't keep this up much longer, Rag Doll. Neither of us can...a few more minutes pushing like this and we're dead.
"No. We're. Not. Stop it, Elise. You're making this worse." Rag Doll tried to keep her focus on the men around her but Elise kept shifting her gaze to the clown, causing Doll to try dodging at the last second and end up with a deep gash in her right forearm. She hissed with pain but kept going. "God damn it, Elise, I mean it. Hold back. Let me handle this!"
Elise wasn't listening. We're going to die in here! She screamed hysterically. Rag Doll tried even harder to concentrate, shoving Elise back as much as she could. She gripped the blade tighter, slashed harder, breathed harder, fought harder. He had to notice. He had to at least see her before she either collapsed, or was killed by Elise's carelessness. Maybe they just weren't ready for this...
And then she saw him, turned around with his arms crossed casually against the railing. The harlequin had walked off and sat a top a fairly high pile of boxes, most likely for a better angle. She watched with wide, interested eyes, while the Joker's only danced with simmering glee. But still they danced...
He saw us, Rag Doll...and we're—She almost choked on a happy squeal—We're entertaining him!
"Good, then he'll stop them any second, right?"
And he might even clap for us! "Encore, encore!" Oh, I bet that's what he'll say, Rag Doll. Just watch.
"You're fucking nuts." Doll muttered, her arms burned as she dodged again. Her movements slowed. He had to be fascinated...or at least interested. At the very least he would want to use her!
Realizing that the Joker had no intentions of calling his men off, Elise's panic returned two-fold, shoving against Doll's mind and causing her vision to go black for a fraction of a second. Her body dry heaved. Elise was trying to resurface. He really was going to let her die, and Elise wasn't helping anything. She felt Elise's emotions pour out in a heavy burst, like a waterfall from a breaking dam. Elise suddenly screamed with rare rage, causing Rag Doll to black out entirely and watch from inside.
"God dammit Joker! Don't I look useful to you?!" She turned to the villain. "This, all of this, was for you! And your just going to let me die?"
She felt his men grab her from behind, though most of them looked confusedly to Joker for the OK to kill her. She kept going.
"You're going to let the one person who can actually do something for you die, just like that? That bitch cant even fight! She just whines," she changed her tone to a mockingly high pitched jersey accent, " 'Oh Mistah J, come help me, please save me Mistah J, Im so scared Mistah J, They've got me." She spat towards the now fuming Harley Quinn who had settled herself down on a stack of boxes across the room.
The blonde jumped down and opened her mouth to say something but the clown raised his hand wordlessly, an entertained grin spread across his face.
Doll went on, " You cant to that to people, 'Mistah J', you cant just...just inspire someone the way you did and not even give them a chance." She finally calmed down, breathing hard. "I'm not useless..."
It was quite for a minute, when finally the clown prince stepped down from where he was, grinning all the while, and paced over to her-around her. His eyes raked over her form like knives.
"You want me to give you a chance huh?" He stopped in front of her then laughed. "And here i thought you were a new vigilante!"
Doll watched unsure of how to respond as she watched him, but then he calmed down.
"Look, I've already got a girl...Doll, but thanks for the offer. I suppose I wont kill you just yet." He licked the insides of his scars, his eyes boring into hers as he thought.
"Joker, please... I can help you, I know it! I want to help you show the world this...this disgusting disease that its become...! ...please..."
She went slack in the minions hold as she watched the Joker walk away. Rag Doll felt sick at how Elise was begging and finally pushed her aside and regained control.
"Quit begging you bitch," Rag Doll muttered to Elise, uncaring that she was saying it out loud, "You sound like the harlequin."
Noticing her change in attitude Joker stopped, and turned back to her with his head tilted.
"Excuse me?"
Rag Doll didn't answer right away, but watched him.
"There is no excuse." She smirked and dipped her head in what little of a mocking bow her captors would allow her to give, and even bent in an awkward restrained curtsy. "Elise has made an ass of us. And for that I suppose I...apologize." She grinned coolly.
The Joker chuckled, looking at her dreads, her blue leather corset, her red and white stockings...her heels. "You realize that the whole Rag Doll bit is taken, right?"
Doll lifted her chin like royalty, "It was renounced, by my father. He asked me to carry on his name."
"A girl, to carry on the title of Rag Doll?" The clown looked very unconvinced. "And one who's not even mentally sound...hmm...well, I certainly don't want to deal with you."
He clapped his hands above his head and barked out a command. "Put her up boys. Chop, chop! ...This kids useless to me anyway."
…
"You're so beautiful..."
Finally...
Smile.
Sigh.
Nod.
Feel him...
So close...
Feel his warm breath...
His scarred lips,
Leaving feather-light kisses in their wake...
"I love you, Elise."
"Wait...what?"
Why Elise?
Why do they always love Elise?
THAT'S NOT WHO I AM ANYMORE!
Doll woke up coughing. Not only was she already sick to her stomach from Elise's dream, there was now surely a dark bruise forming on it as well. Her arms slowly unwound from clutching her stomach, and Doll propped herself up on one arm. Elise's excitement swelled up, almost choking Rag Doll, as she looked up at the idiot who had just kicked her, (What if it's Joker? Elise hoped excitedly, making Rag Doll roll her eyes.) Her eyes quickly shot up and down the form of the man, wearing torn, greasy jeans, a tattered wife-beater, and a rubber clown mask.
The over-powering, and drastic change of Elise's emotions was slowly starting to wear down Rag Doll's patience, although she still found herself laughing out loud at Elise's let-down. Did you really expect to see your Clown Prince of Crime coming to fetch you? Outwardly she laughed even harder. Honestly, what do you see in him anyway?He's so-
"Get up." The goon said the order roughly, hatred dripping in his voice. His hand tightened around the crow-bar in his hand and he stepped back, unsure of what Rag Doll might do.
"I said get up!" He moved to kick her again, but her hand easily grabbed his ankle, holding it in place before he could make contact. Her nails dug into his exposed skin as she used him to pulled herself into a sitting position.
"You'd watch your tone if you planned on keeping your guts on the inside, now wouldn't you?" Rag Doll's green eyes burned into his and she released him, standing in one fluid motion. The man stuck his chin out and looked down at her before giving a nervous chuckle. She assumed it was supposed to sound condescending but it didn't. After all, she just killed off half of his friends in a little under an hour the night before. Huh...friends...
"Oh I know why you're so grumpy..." Rag Doll smiled, a wicked glint in her eyes. "I killed some of you're friends last night didn't I?"
"Stop talking." He growled, nudging her threateningly in the back with the crow bar.
"Were you fond of him?" Doll cooed mockingly. "Did you play cards together? Oh wait... I know...He made you laugh, didn't he?A tiny bit of light in this horrible, dark wor-."
She cried out in surprise when a sharp pain shot through her back, and whipped around, grabbing his arm before he could pull it back. She leaned back with his limb in her grasp and used his arm as leverage to swing onto his back before he could react. Her other arm wound around his neck. "I told you to watch your fucking tone."
Her legs swung up, her feet angled so that the blades on her heels could sink in easily, rolling off of him as he fell. Blood poured out of his mouth as his body went into shock. Rag Doll, however, went on towards the van, seeing several more henchman waiting for her.
They climbed in the back wordlessly. The clown himself sat directly across from her on the dusty metal floor.
"Where's the man I sent?" He asked, only half interested.
Doll smiled her most charming smile, showing her teeth. "Funny thing, that...he didn't seem to have very good manners."
"Ah..." The Joker had already busied himself with sharpening one of his knives.
Rag Doll didn't very much care. The clown was moody and obnoxious, she was just glad he wasn't he's usual excited self. Actually...Rag Doll watched him a bit more closely, tilting her head in thought. Is he nervous?
With a thoughtful huff, she sat back, trying to assess the situation. Elise made her feel a sense of worry begin to bubble up. Doll laughed. Oh...Elise. Are you worried for the poor bastard? Do you want to go over and console him?
Stop it Rag Doll...
Too bad he likes that Harlequin more than you. Maybe it's because...
Rag Doll, please... stop it, Elise begged helplessly, despite the frustration building inside of her.
Doll gasped in mock surprise, like the thought had just hit her, Maybe its because she's not crazy like you, are. Did you ever think of that?
"Yes. She! IS!" Elise screamed suddenly, her physical body caught between laughing and seething with anger. The driver jumped, causing them to swerve slightly, and the other men tried they're best not to look at her, though they were visibly shaken and sneaked cautioned looks towards her. Of course the harlequin was crazy, he wouldn't choose a girl who was sane that would be just wrong. She was just useless.
Besides...everyone was crazy, they were just ashamed of it. Everyone except Joker. Joker was proud of his insanity... Elise sighed and leaned her head back again, remembering the shrill, hyena-like laughter she had heard so many times before in his videos. Rag Doll rolled her eyes in disgust, but allowed Elise to remain like that—relaxed, eyes closed—for the rest of the ride.
The sound of the van doors being swung open and slamming on themselves with a loud metallic clang jolted Rag Doll and Elise awake. The men around her climbed out watching her expectantly.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Joker asked from behind the group, his voice aggravated and impatient. "Drag her out!"
And he stalked off ahead of them. Joker, wait... Elise thought pitifully, knowing it was no use to call out to him. He hated her, she knew it. Everything she had done had only pushed him away from her instead of making him see her. Her attention was drawn back as the men started to nervously reach out for her, but she put her hand up.
"It's okay guys, I can get out myself. Thank you though." She smiled brightly, climbing out carefully and hopping onto the ground. Elise dusted off her leggings and straightened up, every feeling of Content and maybe even Curiosity flying out of her head with Rationality in tow. She shrieked and tried to go back into the van, feeling the henchman grab her and begin dragging her after the clown as she struggled to get away from them.
Though her eyes were squeezed tightly shut the image of the ever looming asylum burned in her memory. "Please," she begged, crying pitifully, "You could have just killed me. Joker could have killed me. Why bring me back to this...this shit hole!"
She screamed again, shaking herself in a violent effort to be freed but to no avail, and then suddenly went still. For a couple of minutes, the goons were dragging nothing but dead weight. They drug her around the building and down a small hill off the side of it, making their way to a back door.
The goons shifted her in their hold, wrapping her arms around their necks as though she were merely drunk instead of feinted, and went through the back door and down a series of halls with numerous twists and turns. Her feet skidded across the concrete floor, bouncing every once in a while as the fake red leather of her heels refused to slide smoothly.
Rag Doll slowly began to come to, doing her best to push Elise to the back, just as the men had found the room they were looking for, pulling her in and chaining her to an unsightly metal chair. They walked out in a hurry and waited in the hall. Joker, however, was nowhere to be found.
She looked around the room, realizing that she was in fact in Doctor Jonathan Crane's office. Supposedly he only handled cases dealing with Mob members and the severe nut-jobs—the kind of people Elise had never been comparable to. She just wasn't crazy enough to have been put in his 'care'. Well, now apparently, she was. Her attention focused on the Doctor in front of her, his blue eyes dancing with a delight she had never seen before. Given she had only seen him a few times in passing.
"Hello, Ms. Hancock." He said courteously, fumbling with his suitcase and laying it on top of his desk. Rag Doll groaned inwardly. When would they understand, when Elise was out, and when Rag Doll was out? Two completely different people, just trapped in one single body. Would they never learn? "It has been brought to my attention that you may have been in need of my care, and I apologize for having not done anything sooner. You being brought here, was so that I can put you through a series of tests to see how serious your condition has become."
He folded his hands, head cocked to the side innocently. His lips pressed together for a second, he glanced at his suitcase and then back to her, smiling.
Rag Doll sighed, aggravated. "Dr. Crane, do you think us fools?" She said simply.
Jonathan laughed, "Of course not, why would I think that?"
"You're feeding us bullshit for one. We were brought here by Joker's men, not doctors. Please don't underestimate our intelligence. God knows why you've really brought us here, but I'm quite sure you don't give a damn about our 'condition'."
Crane watched her, his smile fading as he listened. When he spoke, it was as though he was thinking out of his head. "Us, we, ours... Tell me, Ms. Hancock—," he adjusted as he spoke jumping at Rag Dolls sharp response.
"Stop calling me that. I am nothing like Elise, understood?"
He pushed his glasses back up his nose and smiled fleetingly at her. "Yes, of course. And what should I call you?"
Doll lifted her chin proudly, staring at him with regal contempt. "Rag Doll."
"Oh, Alright then. Now, child..." The Doctor was now slipping on his trademark mask, eliciting a surprised gasp from Elise, "Take a deep breath, for me."