Hello to all my readers! Sorry it has been so long, but i can assure I am not dead! Now most of you have probably read my other stories and want to read something similar, but i must warn you that this isn't an exotic tail. This is a cross over story that i have been co-wrighting with my boyfriend. What is this a cross over of you ask? Of my two favorate 'bad guys'; the Joker and Jigsaw! Now this is a CHARACTER cross over. This means that the main male character(Dante) is a combination of the Joker and Jigsaw. So I hope you enjoy this and you will read until the end! (The characters involved can be seen as my Icon!)(chapter three is to be posted soon!) Enjoy!

Bienvinue! all followers of Slipping Hope and [[hopefuly]] future followers of the Phantom Enigma. This blood-curdleing tale is a co-produced thriller of the two aforementioned pens. The character known as Dante is of my own creation, and Kaiya is of SlippingHopes's creation...these characters are of our own persona I do hope that these puzzles trap you into reading.

J-K

I was laying on my bed with my Ipod blasting and my TV running the news. I was in my pajamas and I had seemed to sleep the day away. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, I just relaxed all day. I sat up and turned off my Ipod and as soon as I was about to change the channel the word "murder" caught my attention.

"-and the victims mouth was again cut from the cheeks to the lips. The man calling himself the Court Jester is-"

I flipped the channel. The news had become so depressing with this new serial killer on the lose. I flipped channels until I came across House. I settled down and watched for about ten minutes when my stomach growled loudly. I heaved a heavy sigh. In order to get to the kitchen I would have to go down the stairs. The stairs were dark and I have fallen down them many times in the past in the dark of night. I would have usually left the lights on, but my mom and dad where out of town and I would forget to turn the lights off so I usually just kept them off when I was the only one home. Being fresh out of high school, I was still looking for a collage and a somewhat decent job, so I lived with my parents..

Again my stomach growled and I had made up my mind. Holding my Ipod and bracing myself against the walls, I slowly made my way down the stairs. At the foot of the steps, Iflipped the light switch and blinked as the hall light blinded me. I made my way into the dark kitchen and a flash of lightning lit up the room and it was quickly followed with a loud clap of thunder and a wave of heavy, wind-blown rain.

I flicked on the kitchen light, placed my Ipod on the counter, and proceeded to look through the cabinets for something to eat.

"I hate this fending for myself gig," I said to myself while digging through the canned goods.

I was just about to move to the fridge when the lights went out.

"Oh that's just great!"

I tried to flip the light switch to avail and with a heavy sigh I slowly made my way to the living room, but I had forgotten my Ipod in the kitchen. Turning to go back into the kitchen I thought I saw something out of the corner or my eye. I turned and squinted into the dark.

"Hello?" I called.

No answer.

"Well I doubt any one would answer if they were here."

I walked into the kitchen and picked my Ipod up off the counter. I turned around and I felt watched, but when I was home alone, I was usually paranoid about these things; too many horror movies.

I found my cell phone in my pj pockets and flipped it open. I heaved a heavy sigh.

"And all my friends are too busy to talk to me. Not a single text message!"

I closed my phone, stuffed it in my bra, and walked down the hall, but as I walked I could have sworn I heard foot steps behind me, so I turned around. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, let alone someone one standing a few feet in front of me. After a long moment of staring into the darkness and staring at some one who wasn't there, I shrugged.

"I'm losing my mind," I said aloud.

I made my way to the living room and crawled onto the sofa. With a triumphant grin, I turned on my Ipod.

"I made it! And I didn't kill myself!"

"You may not have killed yourself…but I will," a male's low whisper said behind me.

I froze; my mind and body ceased to function. Suddenly, a hand was placed over my mouth and my head was forced back onto the arm of the sofa. I grabbed at the strong arm pinning me to the sofa and kicked out, trying to get lose from the grip holding me down. I opened my mouth and bit down on the hand holding in my muffled screams, but I was pulled to the floor. The hand was pushed back into my throat, triggering my gag reflex. When I gagged, the hand was pulled from my teeth and was replaced over my mouth. I felt something cold and sharp pressed against of my cheek; a blade of some sort.

"Now now…We wouldn't want anything to happen to that beautiful face of your's, now do we…Kaiya?"

How did this freak know my name?

I struggled against his grip, but as I lashed out to kick him, I felt the man's arm flex and I felt a sharp pain in my right cheek. I tasted metal and blood; he had pierced my cheek with the blade. My screams of pain were muffled by his hand and I could feel his sneer. I felt him tug the blade up through my cheek and the blood flowed down my throat, choking me. When I choked and coughed, he pulled the blade to my lips.

"Hmmm…Now for the other side," the man said with excitement.

I could hear the sneer in his voice.

He removed his hand and put the blade in my mouth. He plunged it into my inner cheek and I felt it exit out the other side. With a chuckle, the man pulled the blade through to my lips. My scream of pain went unrestrained, but I chocked on my blood and it was cut short. I thrashed and balled my fist. I raised it back and attempted to land one on his jaw, but I was too slow. He leaned back and dodged it. He then grabbed my arms and took the knife and plunged it through my hand, pinning my hand palm-up to the wooden floor. I screamed and when I went to pull the thing out, another blade was thrust into my other hand palm-up, pinning my upper body to the floor.

"There. What a lovely smile you have," he said gently touching my cuts.

When I hissed with pain, he quickly drew back.

I still had yet to see his face, but I could tell he was wearing a hat that his face in shadow and a trench coat-the cliché uniform of psychopathic stalkers. His voice chilled me and he seemed to know everything about me, but I had to do something to get away from this guy.

"Who the fuck are you?" I said through my teeth to keep from moving my lips.

"Such language. A woman with such a nice smile shouldn't use such vulgar words. But in answer to your question, I'm called many things, but recently I have been known as the Court Jester, but you, sweet heart, can call me Dante."

I gritted my teeth as a new wave pain took over me. I could feel my blood pour from my wounds and it was pooling around my mouth. I felt like I was going to drown in my own blood. The room was starting to spin slightly.

"Wh…W-wa…"

I couldn't form a full sentence through the pain and the blood loss. The man that called himself Dante stood up and walked away from me, slipping into the dark. There was a commotion in the kitchen. When he came back, he was carrying something.

"This will help stop the bleeding, but you mustn't strain yourself," he said kneeling next to me.

He holding the large container of salt and he popped open the cap. I didn't have time to brace myself before he poured on my scared mouth. I screamed and he poured the salt into my mouth. I gasped and choked on the bitter, burring substance. The pain was excruciating and I was blinded by it. I couldn't think. I couldn't even breath. I tried to turn my body away from this man before me, but when he noticed, he straddled me and kept me from moving. I could feel the cuts scabbing over with the help of the salt.

"Get off me!" I screamed through my teeth.

The man moved off me and sat across me. He sat there watching me struggle with the pain. With my hands pinned above me, all I could do was thrash about and hope that I got free. I pulled at my hands.

"Pull these damn things out!" I yelled at him.

"Only if you play my game."

"Well if you won't take them out, I'll rip myself free!" I yelled, pulling my hands, fresh, hot blood pouring from the wounds.

The man laughed at me.

"You can try, but you'll only succeed in causing yourself more pain. In order to get free, you'll have to cut through bone and-" he laughed curtly- "those knives are no where near sharp enough to accomplish that."

I pushes my palms against the hilt of the knives and pushed on it, but before I could get it out of the wood, my attacker was standing over me.

"Now now, we can't have that now can we," he said, a sneer in his voice.

He placed his foot on the hilt of the knife and pushed it further into the wood. When he lifted up his foot, I attempted to free myself again. The man suddenly ripped the knife from my left hand and knelt next to me.

"Since you want it out so badly. But this knife has to go somewhere," he sneered.

I pulled my arm down to my chest and feebly flexed my fingers, a fresh wave of pain blinding me.

"If you don't tell me where to put this, I'll chose for you."

I was just about to tell him where could shove that blade of his when I felt him loom over me.

"Too late," he laughed and plunged the blade into my left foot, pinning my leg to the floor instead.

The scream of pain that escaped my lips went unrestrained and the tears that spilled over onto my cheeks rolled down the side of my face and into my tangled ponytail. As the pain dulled, I tried to reach the knife in my right hand, but found I couldn't reach it. On a whim, I took my right foot and pushed against the blade holding my left leg to the floor. I felt the knife pull lose from my flesh. I kicked the knife to my side and picked it up, slashing at my attacker. He laughed and stood back away from me.

"I'm impressed. Most people would have laid there and bleed," he chuckled.

I crawled to my knees and gripped the knife still pinning me in place.

"But can you pull that out with your hand like that?" he asked amused and sitting on the couch.

He was right. My hand was weak and when I tried to pull the knife out, waves of hard pain rolled up my arm. I pushed my right palm against the hilt of the knife and pulled. I felt the blade give way from the wood and fell backward, hitting the floor. I tried to crawl for the door, pulling the knife out of my bleeding hand and throwing it behind me as I heard the man stand and walk in my direction.

I didn't even get out of the living room before he was standing over me, laughing. I reached for the cell phone in my bra and pulled it out. I kicked at the man and flipped open my phone.

"Now now, we can't have that, now can we?" he said suddenly grabbing my arms and taking my phone.

I crawled a few inches from him as he stomped on my phone, shattering it. I heard him close the small gap I had created between us and I screamed loudly, hoping that some one outside would hear me and come to my aid.

"Now now, we can't have that…now can we," he said again in a lower more intimidating voice.

I screamed again and still attempted to crawl away. The man sighed.

"I was hoping that you would come willingly…but I guess even I dream too hard."

Suddenly I felt something placed over my nose and mouth. Instinctively I held my breath and thrashed around. I threw a punch at him, hoping to hit him in the face. He leaned back, dodging it, and I hit the brim of his hat. I felt it hit my shoulder as it tumbled off his head and to the floor.

"You have a strong will, don't you." he laughed.

"Well I guess we have to do this the hard way."

He pinned me down and I felt his other hand release me, but before I could do anything, I felt a sharp pain in my side; he had stabbed me with one of the knives I had pulled from my flesh.

I gasped, but I got a lung full of Ether and the room began to spin. My head felt fuzzy. I looked out the window and I saw the street lights on, but my power remained off. I looked up at the man I dubbed as my attacker and the light from the street lamps lit up his face.

He had messy dark hair, dark eyes, pail skin, and well off looks, but he had scars running from his ears to his lips in a permanent grin. He looked disappointed, but my vision was fading and it was getting harder to make out things. Soon my vision blacked out completely and I was no longer aware of my surroundings.

~*~ Chapter 1 End~*~

Chapter 2

I woke up groggy, my senses dulled, and in darkness. I didn't know how long I was out. I rolled onto my belly and crawled until my head made contact with a wall. Cursing under my breath, I got to my feet unsteadily, bracing myself against the wall. My hands throbbed painfully and my left foot was too tender to support my weight. I hissed with pain as I ran my stiff, sore hands across the wall, stumbling and unable to insure my balance.

"Keep moving around like that and you'll only succeed in causing yourself more pain."

The familiar amused voice to my left caused me to gasp and scramble to get away. I stumbled and fell hard to the floor. The voice sighed and I squinted against the dark that was blinding me. I could barely make out the figure of the man before me.

"I told you so," he said kneeling next to me.

"W-w-" I tried to speak, but my mouth was numb and my tongue was proving difficult to move.

" 'Where am I?'…You're where I want you to be. And if you were smart you would listen to me…unless you want to fail your test."

"T-te-"

"Will you stop trying to talk and listen?" he said, his voice becoming irritated.

I glared at his dark figure, my eyesight still fuzzy.

"Why can't…I see…?" I managed to choke out.

"Don't worry…The blindness is only temporary. Now listen to me. I am not exaggerating when I say that your life depends on you passing this test."

I continued to glare at his figure, but remained silent.

"Good girl…" he said stroking my head.

I remained still and allowed him to speak and do as he pleased, not knowing what to do.

"Now-"he stopped rubbing my head "-listen. The knives that I used to draw your blood were soaked in poison. The antidote is in this house somewhere. All you have to do is follow the clues I have left for you."

I was still trying to focus on him, but was unable to. I remained silent and concentrated on his words. He stood up and moved to my left, slipping out of my currently limited vision. When he returned, he pulled me into a reclining position.

"Don't struggle or I'll be forced to pin you to the floor again and create more cuts in that juicy flesh of yours," he threatened when I protested.

I stopped thrashing and he hooked something metal around my neck, the heavy object pushing on my shoulders. The cold from the metal seeping through my night shirt, chilling me. I reached up to pull thing off my shoulders, but he caught my hand.

"Ah ah ah…now we can't have you running off during your test, now can we?"

"What is this?" I asked weakly and going limp, unable to fight him off anymore.

My vision was beginning to fade again and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness once again.

"Its something to keep you from running off. I suggest you finish your test. If you try to run, you won't get very far…in one piece anyway," he said, placing what I gathered to be a pad lock on the collar, a loud click sounding as it locked the collar in place.

He laid me down on my back gently, slipping his hand out from under my back. He stood up and walked away from me. I could no longer see.

"You have about two hours before the never agent attacks your system and you will no longer be able to function. I suggest you get to your feet as quickly as you can and attempt to find the antidote I have placed around here…I'm looking forward to see if you pass your test of your willingness to live. I hope your will is strong enough to keep you alive…And before I leave, I will leave you with a hint; The antidote can be found where your fondest memories are."

And with that I heard the opening and the closing of a door followed by the sound of a turning lock. I had lost how much time I was laying in the floor until I came to senses. I opened my eyes and forced my heavy body into a sitting position. I looked around the room and slowly stood up, my legs shaking under my weight. My vision was blurred and the room was dark. I stumbled and limped around in hopes of finding a way out.

I held my arms out in front of me to prevent myself from bumping into anymore walls. I walked a few feet until I felt my hands slide painful across rough wood. I winced and slid the tips of my fingers across the wood until I felt the crease of a door. I felt for a door knob and found it after a few moments. I pulled on the door knob, but it won't open so I moved on, my eyes finally adjusting to my surroundings. I limped to another and tried to open it. Nothing. I placed my sore and tender hand over the third door knob and pushed hard against it while turning the door knob. The door gave way and I tumbled inside of the room, falling to my hands and knees.

I hissed with pain as my scabbed palms slapped hard tiled floor, a small sob escaping my lips. I got to my feet and looked around. I was in a large kitchen. It looked run down and was falling apart. I could hear the mice running across the floors and I was suddenly aware I was bare footed and had open wounds on my hands, feet, and mouth.

I looked up and saw something on the counter. I limped over and saw that it was a folder. I picked it up and opened it. It looked like blueprints of the house I was trapped in. The room I was standing in now was marked with a red circle. At the top of the paper I could make out red words. I squinted at the letters and forced my eyes to focus on them.

Tick tock tick tock. How long will you search under the RAINBOW? Time is running out.

I stared at the bold capitalized word. RAINBOW. Didn't that psycho say something about clues?

I tore the top off the blue prints and stuffed it into my bra. I thought it would come in handy. I put the folder back on the counter and turned around. I gasped and screamed, stumbling back against the counter at the thing I saw before me. It was a figure. Upon closer inspection I found that it was a mirror and I had seen my own reflection. I leaned closer to it and gasped.

The cuts on my face were dark, blood stained, and scabbed over. I also saw the metal thing around my neck. It looked like it was an explosive of some sort. I looked closer and located what I guessed to be the detonator I went to touch it when my hands started throbbing painfully. I winced and turned away from the mirror, looking threw the drawers of the counter in hopes of finding something that I could use to bandage myself up. Upon finding nothing in the first four, I attempted the fifth. It had a red X on it. I hesitated for a moment, but I had to find something. I opened the drawer.

I found some dirty rags, but on top of them was a key. I picked it up and studied it for just a second before I stuffed it with the piece of paper I had taken from the blue prints. I then wrapped up the cuts on my hands and my foot.

When I left the room, I ran for the front door, attempting to use the key to unlock the door. I tried to force the key into the lock.

"DAMN IT!" I yelled throwing the key.

I slumped against the door, my head starting to hurt. Something to my right caused me to turn my head and my attention to it. A blinking light and a dark room. I limped my way into the room which I was guessing to be the living room. The blinking light I saw was from an old digital clock that was sitting on the floor. It was blinking 2:23 A.M.

How long had I been subjected to this poison that was being pumped through my system? My kidnapper had said that I had 2 hours, but how long had I taken to get started on this little test of his? I had to find the antidote.

I turned to exit the room, but another folder caught my eye. It was tacked on the wall so I pulled off and flipped it open. There was nothing in it but a piece of paper with red writing. I squinted and attempted to red by the dim light of a single lamp in the other room.

Time to look up…

I looked up, as stupid as that sounds, and I saw nothing. When I walked out of the room I turned looked to my left and saw a stair case. I felt a strong flash of hope. I climbed it and saw a single door that wasn't boarded up. A rainbow similar to the one I had on my door was painted on it. I smiled and pulled on the handle. Nothing. It was locked. My heart sank and I was running out of time, but I couldn't give up.

I suddenly remembered the key and run back for the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I realized with a sinking feeling that I didn't see where the key had landed when I threw it. I took a few steps and started looking for the key in the dim light. I was about to get on my hands and knees when my vision suddenly went black and I felt myself hit the ground.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

I watched as my subject collapse and started convulsing as the poison hit her nervous system. I sighed in disappointment. I really had high hopes for this one. Now I remembered why I avoided testing women; they can't function very well under stress and time limit.

I picked up her folder and my red marker, preparing to mark her test as a fail, but for some reason I had hesitated. I never hesitated. I glanced back at the screen and smiled, putting the folder and the marker back down. I looked back at the monitor and watched as my dear Kaiya continued to surprise and amaze me.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

I crawled to my knees and crawled to the other side of the room, but as I neared the wall, I felt something hit my shaking hand. I looked down and saw the key. Still shaking violently, I picked it up and crawled up the stairs. I reached the door still on my hands and knees, shaking. I put the key in the lock, turned it, and tumbled into the room. My vision was beginning to fade again and I was shaking more. I looked up and saw red writing above a bookcase.

Books are wonderful things.

I crawled to my feet and stumbled over to the bookcase. When I looked on the shelves, I recognized my photo box. I picked it up, shaking, and read the words on it.

Your fondest memories.

I opened it and reached in, but withdrew my hand as pain ripped through me and fresh warm blood rolled down my arm. I looked in the box and saw razor wire on top of a syringe. Holding my breath I reached in and pulled out the needle. But as I went to plunge it into my arm, I lost feeling and my sight. I fell to my knees and heard the needle roll the ground. I franticly felt around for it and heard it roll as it hit my fingertips. I gripped it, shaking, blind, and plunged it into my arm.

When I woke up, there was a dim, grey light coming in from a gap in the boarded window. I sat up and my head was splitting and my vision was blurry. I sat up and looked around the room. It was dusty and run down, but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the man leaning against the door frame that caught my attention.

He was standing with his arms crossed and with his weight on one leg. He was wearing a fedora and a long trench coat with silver buckles on the shoulders and waist. He was watching me with an amused look on his face, his scarred grin standing out against the pail grey light of morning.

I knew I didn't have the strength to fight him off, but I would try. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and glared at him waiting for him to make the first move and to gather my energy to make a run for it…but…I sat in amazement…The man before me began to applaud.

"Congratulations, my dear Kaiya. You have passed your test and your reward is my offer," he said walking over to me.

I tried to crawl away, but I wasn't fast enough to get away from him.

"Easy now. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to get the device off you. If you try to leave this house with it on, then it'll explode," he said moving slowly and showing me a key.

I backed myself against the wall with no where to go. I held my breath as he knelt down and reached for my neck. He took the key, unlocked the padlock, pulled off the collar, and tossed it to the side. It hit the hard, rotting wooden floor with a loud thud.

I stared at the man with wide eyes and rubbed my raw neck and sore shoulders.

"There we go. Now you can calm down and listen to what I have to offer," he said smiling at me.

I remained silent and against the wall.

"Alright. You are the first to pass your test. You win your life and my offer. I am in need of an apprentice and I have chosen you to test to see if you can be relied on. If you refuse, I shall leave and you will never see me again. If you accept, I will take care of you and make sure you are protected. I shall give you purpose."

When I didn't say anything, the man stood up.

"I understand. An ambulance and the police will arrive with thirty minuets of my departure. And again I congratulate you on your passing," he said walking for the door.

He pulled his hat low over his eyes and I heard his footsteps starting for the stairs. I crawled to my feet and stumbled for the door.

"Wait!" I yelled weakly.

He stopped and turned toward me. I couldn't see his eyes and his face was blank.

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked pulling his hat up and exposing his eyes.

He was wearing a questioning look and I felt as though this was a test.

"Why me? Why was I tested? I watch the news. The people you go after are druggies and ex convicts. I'm not that kind of person. I have done nothing."

"Precisely. You have done nothing," he said walking the few step he had taken and stopping before me.

"You, my sweet little Kaiya, have been tested because of the seventh deadly sin of sloth. You were doing nothing with your life and I have given you purpose…that is…if you take my offer."

I remained silent and he shrugged.

"Very well…" he said and moved for the stairs again.

"Wait!" I yelled grabbing his coat arm.

He turned and looked at me.

"Alright…" I said after a long pause.

"I'll come with you."

The man smiled and walked for the steps again.

"Alright then. Come on then. You have a lot to learn."

"But before I come with you…I would like to know your name…"

"I have told you once before…You may call me Dante."

"No last name?" I asked following him.

"I find them a hassle so I dropped it. I will ask you do the same."

I stopped. He turned to look at me when he didn't hear me behind him.

"This will not be easy. I won't lie. You will have to cut all ties to your previous life. That includes contact with your friends and family…Are you still willing to do this?"

I looked down thinking. After a long moment…I nodded. He smiled and continued down the stairs and out the door.

"Come on then…You need a long rest."

And with that I followed him. He was to become my teacher; my mentor. I would learn everything from Dante. He gave me purpose and new life. I would follow him every where and do what he asked of me. This was the start of my story. My new life. My new purpose. I was Dante's apprentice and he would teach me everything. This was the start my story…this was the start of Dante's legacy. It is up to you to decide whether what we do is right or not…

~*~Chapter 2 End~*~