Sorry it took so long! I'll try to update as often as I can~ Review! It's the only thing motivating me to keep writing! :D
JACKIE'S POV
A shiver ran up my spine as my violent tears came to a crashing halt. Why am I crying? I'm crying because I'm hurting. Why am I hurting then? I'm hurting because the Joker's so readily destroyed me.
A form of internal flame sparked to life. I will do anything and everything I can to frustrate them. To annoy them. To make them squirm with irate rage. To cry, even, as I walk out of here and never come back. The intensity of the fiery determination frightened but also excited me. I've felt this flame before but I was always able to extinguish it before I could do much about it. But now...now I want to let it burn. I want to utterly terminate every tie that they have to me. I want to obliterate every thought of me returning in their stupid heads. For them to lose their 'toy'...I heard that after Alice was taken back they weren't too happy after words. Hopefully they'll feel that hollowed sickness after I leave under my own power, surmounting their foul tricks.
I will break their hands which worked so diligently to fool me.
My trained eyes ran over the bars of the cell. I don't even need to force anything. Picking the lock will be enough for this flimsy little cell. It's the other ones that I will have to think about a little more. I flipped the mattress over finding the springs which bound the bed together. The metal will be just perfect for this. No wonder the inmates are getting out so often. I reached into one of my deep pockets pulling out a pair of wire cutters. I never mentioned what I could and couldn't have with me. Besides, I always have tools with me. I never go anywhere without them. I'll just have to be a little discreet and not let them notice.
I snipped off two somewhat straight pieces, testing their flexibility. These are a bit flimsy but they will do. Nimbly I maneuvered the thick wires into the lock, holding down the proper mechanism as I tapped and clicked my way through the rest of the easy lock.
Black is skilled. Every time I'm nearing the end of the puzzle the mechanism pushes harder on the metal band making it slip, bringing it right back to the beginning. I grit my teeth, pushing harder into the hole. Let's see...down, left, right and then-
Click.
Within moments it opened, clattering loudly onto the ground. I slipped out of the bars. That was a little harder than I expected. This might actually take me the full two days. I strolled down the hall with an aching heart. This feeling...when will it go away? They've hurt me. They've scarred me. But why do I still long for their touch? I huffed in annoyance. Maybe I'm a masochist.
I approached the doors with a renewed vigor, eager to decimate this challenge within two days. The faster I break free the more hurt he will feel. He will see that it was no challenge when before he thought it was impossible. I rapped my knuckles on the door poking my head through with a face empty of emotion. The old blank facade which I've worn so much and so often in my younger years came through my features almost too naturally as I bore over my soon to be victim. His head shot up, mouth parting slightly in shock.
"The criminals are getting out of section one by using the springs to pick the lock. An untrained hand wouldn't be able to pick such locks but someone who knows how they work will eventually get the pattern and-,"
"HOW THE F*** DID YOU GET OUT?!" Black screamed, leaping up from his desk. His chair went flying back as the desk shuttered from his slamming fists. I remained rooted to the ground, undisturbed by his sudden jump.
"I used the springs from the bed. It was easier than I thought to get out of that particular one." I lied. The easier I make it sound the more riled up he will get. And I was right. He clenched his jaw as a wild and savage spark flitted across his eye.
"You! You must have cheated-!" He accused, trying to save some of his dignity.
"Not at all. You put me in the cage and I got out. As I will always do." The hint slipped from my mouth before I clamped it shut. I can't give them any warning as to me leaving for good. Or else they'll try to pull something on me. His eye remained the same, missing the key note. I internally sighed; good.
"Liar." He hissed.
"Fine. Watch me while I open the next one then and I'll prove to you that I didn't cheat." I taunted in a monotone voice. Slight puzzlement was overridden by his rage.
"Don't think I won't you lying b****!" He raged, snatching me by the arm and dragged me down the hall to my next cell. I blankly gazed over his stiff posture as he strode through the cells. He looks very distraught. A small smile crept over my face; good. Immediately my mouth twisted in horror. Wait what am I doing? They hurt me but...
Making them uncomfortable isn't giving me any pleasure like it should.
What's going on? Maybe...I'm not hurting them enough? My heart panged in anguish from the mere thought. Really...what am I doing?
Black whipped me around, flipping angrily through his keys to the right one to open the door. I carefully studied the copper colored key and the defined edges within it; I'll be able to pick this lock too. The ridges are a little more difficult that the first. At certain lengths in the key the metal has a small bump to move side locks which the first didn't have. I'll need four picks, then to open this door. His steady hands froze. I glanced up, spying his critical gaze. His eyes narrowed. Did he see me analyzing it? Whether he saw or not he opened the cage, leading me in by the hand. I willingly walked in eyeing the bed. It's different from before. Does this one even have springs? I jumped as I heard a grating metal against cement. I peered over my shoulder spying Black pulling up a chair. He plopped himself down heavily into the rusty chair, glaring at me with his single orb.
"Well?" He growled.
"Well what?"
"Open it you little f***er!" He hissed, smacking his fist against the bars. A tiny rattling caught my ear in the upper half of the bars from his fist's impact. My head shot up to the top of the bars spying a tiny gap in between the bars. I narrowed my eyes at the gorgeous sight. But I need to make sure this is what I think it is. I tightly gripped the metal poles heaving myself up onto the lower of the two horizontal bars.
"What are you a f***ing monkey now?" Black scoffed. I ignored his snide comments, lifting myself up to the bars. A defined line of rust and decay were all about the part of the bars that were in the cement ceiling. Good gosh those things are going to break soon. But the question remains by how much pressure and force? I might even be able to kick it down. I jumped down, studying the bars at the base; these are in an even worse condition. At this rate all it may take is a kick. Of course, I might not be strong enough but it's worth a shot...I took a step back before spinning around kicking the cage with all my might. Black jumped slightly from my sudden attack as the bars rattled and moaned from the hit. His eyes flashed to the parts which I examined. He's not an idiot; I know that. But do I really need to point out all the things that he's let go in his own realm?
"You need to replace the bars. Some of the inmates are probably strong enough to merely kick this sucker down." I explained, tapping my knuckles to the outdated metal. He merely grinned and scoffed under his breath.
"You think I'm a f***ing idiot? That's why they are routinely beaten beyond movement. They won't be able to do a thing especially someone with pathetic strength like yours." Black snidely commented. I shuttered from the thought. True; I've never seen a completely healthy inmate before. Just beating the inmate so he isn't strong enough for to kick down the bars...What twisted logic.
"I'll prove it." I said, moving beside the bed. Leverage will work best for this one. Moving beside the bed. Leverage will work best for this one. I tossed off the mattress, standing the bed frame on its side. This is fairly light.
"You should nail down the beds too. Inmates could hurt themselves and others with such a formidable hunk of metal. Including you if you're not careful." I noted, inching it towards the bars.
"What are you going to do with that thing? Hoist it at the bars?" Black's voice sounded a little more edgy than before. I emptily smiled. How could I have ever fallen in love with someone like him? He's forceful but kind. He pushes his ideas on others but not to the point where he'll hurt me like he would with others. I will admit that they do treat more a little better than others. I frowned.
But that's because I'm a foreigner and, on a larger note, their toy.
"Sort of." I sourly bit before reigning in my uncaring face. The raging emotions and the torn bits of myself were stuffed into a tiny mental box, storing it away in the recesses of my brain. Relax. The less emotion I show the less I will be hurt. I shoved against the bed poking the lower legs in between the bars. The horizontal metal pole held it steady making it lean towards the upper back corner with the other half. I should actually be able to break it off by the stems with this kind of leverage.
"You think that sort of thing is going to f***ing work?" Black asked, incredulous by the elementary idea.
"Sometimes little things are missed while concentrating on the bigger problems. That's one of your weak points and White's strong points." I said, jumping onto the bars and positioned myself just in front of the bed.
"What was that?" Black hissed. Again I ignored his aggravating voice. All I need to do is get out of the cage. It's that simple. I huffed, jutting my legs out and kicked the bed with as much force as I could muster in the awkward position. The bars moaned and creaked with small, muffled snaps. I cringed from the impact on my own back. That hurt. Black's eye widened as his eye darted to the base and top line of the cell. I took another deep breath, ramming my legs into the bed. The bars shuttered behind my back dropping without warning. I flew back with my only support, smacking into the hard rust covered bars. Two long, thick warm bars caught my backside. My head snapped up, spying Black's annoyed expression. Ah; he caught me.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He bellowed angrily. My eyes scrunched together; what am I doing?!
"A lot of things. Next cell?" I asked in an uncaring tone. His eye flashed as he ripped me off the ground slamming me onto my feet. I gripped his arm in an automatic response to steady myself.
"You're an f***ing idiot!" He hissed. Through his hard covered words seeped the truth between the cracks in his words. Why would you do something so dangerous? You could have hurt yourself. I ignored the underlying message in his words. He doesn't care for me; he cares only for his toy.
"Next cell Black." I said without emotion or life. I just want to get this over with and leave. I've had enough of their playing around with me. He hissed under his breath, snatching me by the hand and yanked me down the hall. Despite the black glove separating our skin contact I could feel the warmth beneath it all. He's so warm...I immediately cut off the thought. Yeah right. Warm and fluffy just like a cactus. Remain strong, Jackie. You'll be done with all of this soon enough.
"Here!" He spat, throwing me into an empty cell. I sighed, peeling myself off the ground. One look around and I knew exactly what to do. This is the same type of cell as that perverted inmate that keeps harassing me. The cell was cleaner than the others, obviously newer than the previous two. The bars were, amazingly, stain and rust free along with strong iron rods connecting to the cement. Everything was in suburb condition. My eyes drifted over to my target. On closer observation the hinges are the weakest here. I glanced out of the bars, eyeing his sadistic glaring eye. Again, he thinks it's impossible. Am I going to go through this with the last two cells too? That's bothersome.
I reached into my pocket, not caring if he saw my tools. As I expected his eyes bugled as he leapt from his chair.
"Hey b**** that's cheating!" He hissed.
"I never said I couldn't use anything on my person. You should have remembered I carry these things with me all the time." I said, berating him for his own stupidity.
"That's-!" He gritted his teeth unleashing a barrage of cursing combinations I have never heard before. I ignored his childish pouting and dipped the tip of the thinnest part of my tool into the hinge, working at the pin which held it. The pin easily came loose, clattering to the ground. I dipped down doing the same to the other hinge. Black's mouth twisted in fury as I freed the last bolt. I spun around kicking the gate down with ease. The immense fury of being constantly reproved sent a strange feeling coursing through my body. They've gotten cocky thinking that I can't do anything and I'll simply let them do whatever they want.
"Next." I said emotionlessly. He angrily grinded his teeth, stomping down the hall to my next challenge.
‡
"Y-you b****-!" Black snarled as I opened the final cell. I yawned as sleep began to descend over my eyes. I've had a long day. I wonder what White's challenge will be? I can only guess the tightrope. I turned down the hall only to have his iron hand clad down onto my arm, whipping me back around.
"Where in the hell do you think you're going?!"
"To claim my prize." I simply answered loving the frustrated snarling in his voice. I've gotten under his skin by breaking out of the cells so easily.
"I'm not-!"
"You've lost. Suck it up and take it like a man. If you ever want me to prove you wrong again let me know." I heartlessly sniped. His eye grew wide as I yanked my arm back. He sneered in my direction as I stalked off to my room, victorious. I slowly breathed out as I shut the door, sliding down to the ground against it.
I've won.
Now all I need is my choker and I will never have to deal with the Jokers again. A chuckling sob broke out from my chest. Why is this still so painful? I should be doing the happy dance right now. I just won my freedom. There is nothing that they can do to steal it away from me.
Except my choker.
After I've beaten White's challenge then I really will be free from this hell hole. My mouth twisted into a sad smile as warm tears streaked my face. I want to deny that it hurts but it feels like a knife is having a jolly good time skewering my heart. Do I...actually want to lose? There's no way! I've been tortured here! But...Joker's smile radiated through my mind. A warm feeling enveloped my body, threatening to take over. I wanted to rush out of here and stupidly make another bet to make Joker smile, even at my own expense. Why am I feeling like that? No...I shakily sighed. Relax. Thank logically. Do I really want to deal with them? It's best that I completely erase them from my mind. I sighed; all I have to do is beat White.
And then I'll never have to come back.
BLACK'S POV
"F***!" I shouted, breaking the ribs of the filthy ingrate who dared to scoff at me. He huffed, curling into a pathetic ball of flesh as I brought my boot over his neck, snapping it in half. So easily...I designed these f***ing cages myself and yet she was able to break out of each and every one of them! That b**** must have cheated somehow! There's no other way-!
"My my what a terrible mood you're in, Black." White goaded, leaning against the cell wall with blood splattered all over his clothing. I glared at my counterpart who held the other inmate by the throat with a slit across his neck.
"We've worked for months to keep her where she is and now, within a f***ing day she took everything away-!" I hissed, again viciously stomping the life out of the corpse before me. That b**** ruined all my hard work to keep her a** here-!
"Yes, that was quite rude of her wouldn't you say?" White smiled, dropping the body carelessly to the ground. "And now there are so few inmate's to play with~."
"I don't f***ing care about that!" I hissed, reveling in the snapping of the faceless's ribs. My toy...how dare she! That selfish b**** is slowly sucking up the fun playing with the other toys. I'm not even getting a thrill playing with the prisoners anymore! My clock squeezed. I only care that she is in my grasp, wriggling and struggling before I suffocate that desire to leave forever. I want her everything. I want her smiles. I want her laughter. I want her body. F*** I even want that b****'s tears! Nothing is more enjoyable than making her squirm. Every other inmate can die for all I care! White sighed, silently agreeing.
"Well," He chuckled, pulling out a choker, "we haven't lost completely yet, now have we?" I grinned as my desperation sobered up. That's right. As long as we have that she is ours. She won't leave that knowing it's here with me. As long as we have that...
She's mine.