Sweethearts in a Getaway Car

Sometimes Dead is Better

Three Months Earlier

Phoenix Blake had had it. Absolutely had it. She was up to her eyebrows in bullshit and she sack of shit in front of her thought she was so stupid. She may have been young, but she was not someone to double cross the way that she had just been double crossed. You don't do that to someone. Especially not to her. He should have known by now that she could end him in a millisecond. But, of course, he was too cocky to ever admit that to himself or anyone else. And now the bastard was going to pay for it.

"Look here, buddy boy. You said you would have the money two weeks ago. Of course, you came up with an excuse not to get it to me and I let it slide. Then, we agreed on tonight and guess the fuck what? You still don't have it. And now, you know that I know that you're lying through those pretty little teeth of yours. And, you're still not fessing up to fucking me over? C'mon, Jack." The petite little spitfire monologued slightly, ominously twirling her switchblade between her nimble little fingers.

Still, the green eyed snake in fort of her looked at her like she had grown three heads. She wanted to kill him. And she probably would end up killing him. But, she wanted her fucking money back first. Then, she could stick a knife into his brain.

"I'm sorry-" The asshole started, but was quickly cut off by the brunette.

"Fuck your 'sorry', you asshole! Where's my money?!" Phoenix shouted, slashing the young man's chest with her knife.

He stumbled backwards with a surprised groan before he was pushed flat onto his back by a swift kick in the face from the tiny drug queen. He was extremely scared. In an alley in the Narrows with no one else around and a crazy little scarred up bitch after him, who wouldn't be fucking scared?

Before he had a chance to get up to defend himself properly, she was straddling him. Her knife was nearly shoved into his jawline as she leaned her face close to his. She may have been small, but she knew how to use leverage to her advantage. And, in the position she was currently in, she had all the leverage she could ever want against the scumbag.

"You know, it didn't have to come to this. You could've just told me without any fuss."

The kid looked very confused, and terrified. He hadn't really done anything in that moment to warrant what he was being given, but he had done enough for Phoenix to use it as an excuse to carve him up.

"I-" He started, only to be cut off by a very painful jab of the knife going straight through his jaw. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't.

"Oh, shut the fuck up." Phoenix said lazily as the young man groaned out in pain, tears dripping out of his eyes, "You did this to yourself."

And then she cut out his tongue. She didn't care about the money anymore. She just wanted the little shit out of her hair. But, she wouldn't kill him quickly. No, definitely not. She would make it last, draw it out long enough for little Jackie Boy here to see how much of a coward he really was.

So, she got to work.

Thirty minutes later

Jackie Boy didn't even look like Jackie Boy anymore. Jackie Boy looked like a gutted pig. Or a cow. Phoenix didn't know, but he looked like some sort of animal that had been really fucked up. She was standing above him and he looked up at her with damaged and bloodshot eyes. The man was still alive, but only just. He wouldn't be alive for much longer. Too bad. Well, it wasn't like he didn't deserve it. She was pretty sure that he had fucked over many more people than just herself.

But, then...something in the air changed. Someone else was there. Oh great, now I've gotta kill someone else. Phoenix thought as she turned her head slightly over her right shoulder. She could see a silhouette, but nothing more. It was too dark for her to see much anymore.

"What do you want?" She snapped, twirling the bloody knife between her equally bloody fingers once again. She couldn't have any witnesses to this. She didn't want to be thrown into Blackgate. Again. That place was fucking terrible.

She knew that she'd have to kill whomever was there (and it looked like it would be easy with his hunched figure and all). And then the guy spoke and her mind went blank.

"Sometimes dead is, uh, better."

Oh, you've gotta be kidding me.

Yeah, there would be no killing this guy. She was lucky if she even got out of the alley alive, if his reputation meant anything at all. She couldn't even try to kill the fucking Joker. She wouldn't live to see the light of day. Oh well. Better to get on his good side than try to kill him anyway.

So, Phoenix turned around to face him and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. Her mind was still fucking reeling.

"I wouldn't know about that. I like playing with my food while it can actually bite back."

And then the clown smirked.

Phoenix knew she was already in too deep.

Maybe sometimes dead is better.