WARNING: REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THIS CHAPTER!

Let me know if there are any mistakes, as my new glasses aren't coming for another two weeks.

Lita had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming as Flug stitched a particularly nasty cut on her arm. Needles hurt. Period.

"After nine months of living here," Flug said, "you should've known better than to get into a fight with Dementia."

"She started it," Lita moaned. "You sure that needle is—ow—disinfected?"

"Trust me. I've done this thousands of times. You're just lucky she didn't disembowel you, or bite off your fingers!" Once he was done, he snipped the thread with a tiny pair of scissors. "I'm, uh, gonna have to check the rest of…you for, uh, injuries, so…"

Catching his meaning, Lita stood up from her bed and slid out of what was left of her gown.

"So much for this dress," she murmured, noting how torn and blood-stained it was.

"I can always have 5.0.5. patch it up," Flug said, trying not to stare out of respect as she stripped down to her underwear.

Lita sat back down as Flug checked the injuries on her back, dabbing alcohol onto the scratches left by Dementia.

"Shouldn't you be," she said, wincing in pain, "treating Dementia too?"

"Dementia can handle the pain," Flug said unsympathetically. "Though you must've really worn her out. I only needed half as many tranquilizers to put her down!"

Lita groaned. "I must've looked so unprofessional."

"Oh, yes." Setting down the wet cloth, he got out a roll of gauze from the first-aid kit. "But the other guests enjoyed the spectacle. Hold out your arm, please." When she did, he began bandaging her arm. "And you earned the boss two thousand, three hundred and seventy-five pesos!"

Her eyebrows shot up. "The guests were carrying around that much?"

"Well, I'm just rounding up the conversions," he said, cutting the gauze and tying it up. "Some brought dollars and yen and even drachmas."

Lita steadied her breathing as he began bandaging her wrist on her other side. "So…he bet that neither of us would win?"

"Pretty much. He must've predicted you'd be of equal measure. I must say I'm surprised." He cut the gauze. "Not that I doubt your capabilities, Lita, but Dementia was literally built to withstand any injury! You really put up a fight!"

"I learned a lot from our sparring sessions," she said with a shrug. "So, is the boss gonna punish us for disrupting the gala?"

He hesitated to answer. "I'd worry about it in the morning."

As he moved to bandage the injuries on her body, Flug took note of numerous older scrapes and bruises. They varied in color, suggesting they'd been inflicted at different points in time.

"So, um…" Flug gulped as he began wrapping the gauze around her middle. "H-How many of these are from Black Hat?"

"What do you mean?" Lita asked.

"These, uh…other injuries. Which ones did the boss give you?"

She turned her head, giving him a look of bewilderment. "Uh…none of them?"

Flug stopped his wrapping a moment to look up at her. "What?"

"I mean…I guess a couple bruises are from training sessions, but most of that was Dementia."

Now he was bewildered. "There's…there's no need to defend him, Lita. We all know what he's capable of."

"I'm not defending him." She turned away. "He hasn't hurt me. Well, not since that incident with the Disintegration Ray."

Flug still didn't believe her. "He hasn't…lost his temper with you? Strangled you? Slapped you? Gripped too hard on your arm? Thrown you through a wall? Set you on fire?"

Lita rolled her eyes. "No, Flug."

He stared at her a moment before continuing with the bandages. "L-Lita, don't you…don't you think that's…weird?"

"What?"

"That…that he hasn't done anything like that to you?"

Lita pondered over this. "I…guess? But…I can't exactly complain, right?"

"I…suppose." Flug snipped the gauze and tied it into place. "You and the boss, you…seemed pretty…friendly tonight."

Holding her head back, she groaned. "Oh, come on, Flug! Don't you start too! It was just a dance! I danced with a lot of guys tonight! You, included!"

"Yeah, it's just…" He fiddled with his tools as he packed them back up in the kit. "The way he was…and you were…and the two of you…I never…" He took a deep breath. "I've known Black Hat for over a decade now."

She looked back at him. "And?"

His gaze met hers. "I've never seen him act that way around anybody before."

"What way?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Like…I don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Like…you matter."

Lita was silent for a moment. "Well, sure. I'm his employee, aren't I?"

"No, what I'm trying to say is…" He shook his head. "Never mind." Picking up his kit, he stood from the bed. "You should get some rest. I'll check up on you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Flug."

As Lita carefully lay back in her bed, Flug shut the door. Letting out a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the door.

She had no idea. If Flug was right about the boss' regard for Lita, she had no idea. His scientific mind couldn't comprehend how that was possible! Didn't she realize how differently she was treated in comparison to the rest of the household? Hadn't she noticed the way Black Hat had looked at her tonight? The way he had held her?

It was the only explanation, even if Flug still didn't believe it himself. Despite how the two of them had looked on the dancefloor tonight, Flug was certain Black Hat was incapable of affection. After all, he'd done nothing to stop the fight between Lita and Dementia. If he had truly cared for the former, he wouldn't have just stood there, taking bets on who would win.

For the first time ever, Flug didn't want to be right. Because if he was, there would be nothing he could do to help the first human being he'd cared about in a long time.

When Lita didn't show up for breakfast, Flug went to check on her. She was still lying in bed, too sore and a tiny bit hungover to get up at the moment. As he changed her bandages, he told her Black Hat wanted to see her in his office as soon as possible.

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised to see Dementia there too. The mutant looked just as banged up, her arms and legs covered in bandages. Lita didn't make eye contact as she walked up beside her.

"So glad you could finally join us, Miss Ladrona," Black Hat said, not even turning from his place at the window. "For a moment, I thought your injuries had been fatal."

He didn't sound concerned, but Lita figured it was because this sort of thing happened to his employees all the time.

"Now," he said, his head spinning around, the rest of his body following a second later, "I'm sure you both know why you're here this morning."

"Because the kid here can't keep her knives to herself?" Dementia said, darting her eyes to the woman beside her.

"What?" Lita said.

"It was supposed to be a weapon-free party!"

Lita gaped at her. "I only brought that knife for self-defense! Clearly, I was right to when you threatened me!"

"Hey, doll face!" Dementia raised her hands. "I wasn't the one who drew a weapon first! After you slashed me," she pointed to her stomach, "I had to improvise!"

"I wouldn't have slashed you if you hadn't pounced at me!"

"I wouldn't have pounced at you if you hadn't called me a mamahuevo!"

"You called me a slut!"

"You were dancing with my—"

"ENOUGH!" Black Hat shouted, springing up between the women and using his tentacles to shut their mouths. "I would have thought you ladies would have cooled down by now! But clearly, you need a little more time to sort out your differences!"

When he was certain they were listening, he retracted his tentacles. "As profitable as your little brawl last night was, you also disrupted my event!" With his hands behind his back, he moved back around his desk. "You're lucky the guests were too entertained to be upset, but imagine if a disagreement like that had broken out during a heist!"

Seeing the guilty looks on both women's faces, Black Hat sat down. "I'm not asking the two of you to get along or become friends. All I'm asking is you come to some kind of accord!" His eye snapped towards Dementia. "It's bad enough I have to deal with you and Flug all the time! Must you harass Miss Ladrona as well?"

"But she—" Dementia started to say.

"I don't want any excuses!" He slammed his fists on the desk. "You can pick fights with heroes all you want, but no work is going to get done if you keep picking fights with your colleagues!" Glancing at Lita briefly, he relaxed a bit. "Perhaps, what you two need is some…quality time together. Which is why instead of your usual duties, you both will be spending the rest of the day cleaning Dementia's room."

"What?!" Dementia leaned onto the desk. "But honeybun, what about my art?!"

"Your art," Black Hat said through his teeth, "is of no consequence to me. And if you don't want this task to be difficult next time, I suggest you keep that pigsty of yours in order!"

Huffing, Dementia bolted out of the office. Lita didn't like the idea of spending a whole day with that brat, but she agreed that last night had gone too far and didn't complain. She was about to follow the mutant when her boss spoke.

"Lita."

She turned back to him, nearly jumping when she found him standing right in front of her. There was no grin or scowl on his face, just a half-lidded gaze as he stared down at her.

"I trust your," he said, his eye trailing over her bandages, "injuries aren't too severe?"

Her hand went to her arm. "Uh, no. I'm, uh…I'm fine."

Thinking that was all he'd wanted to ask, Lita turned to leave. But he grabbed her wrist—the one that wasn't bandaged—and had her face him again.

"You were out of line, last night," he said in a dangerously low tone.

"I know," Lita said apologetically. "You told me not to bring weapons, and I—"

"That's not," he said, putting a finger to her lips, "to what I was referring."

For a second, she thought he was still talking about the fight. But by the stern way he was looking at her, she realized he was talking about the dance. Or, more specifically, what she'd done towards the end of the dance.

"Perhaps, I've given you the wrong impression," Black Hat said firmly, "having you accompany me to Paris, inviting you to lunch, dancing for more than one song." He pulled her closer as he whispered. "Let me be clear that all those gestures were in a professional interest. If I wanted to break my own rules, I would have done so already. Do we have an understanding?"

Despite the many questions swimming in her head, like why Black Hat hadn't said something like this last night, Lita nodded.

"Good," he said, lowering his finger. "The last thing I need is another Dementia."

Dementia provided no help in carrying cleaning supplies. Lita had to make the trek with the cleaning cart from the closet to Dementia's room herself. When she reached the large metal doors, it occurred to Lita that she had never been inside Dementia's room. That had been one of the off-limits areas during her orientation tour, and she had never been tasked with cleaning it. The mutant's bathroom, yes, but never her bedroom.

After typing in the code Black Hat had given her and scanning her handprint, Lita watched as the doors slid open. She hadn't expected the sight she was met with.

It was like something out of Jurassic Park. Not the dinosaurs, but the giant metal trapdoor in the middle of the floor, bordered by a rail with warning signs suggesting it was electric. For a moment, Lita thought she'd accidentally walked into one of the enclosures for the carnivorous experiments, until she spotted Dementia sitting on the steps leading up to the trapdoor.

"Took ya long enough!" she exclaimed, swinging her legs back and forth. "Ya gonna get started or what?"

As Lita rolled the cart in, she glanced around at the graffiti on the walls. Since most of them were hearts encircling the initials "BH," there was no longer any doubt that she was in the right place. Above the trapdoor was a tower of some sort. In the window, she could see a Hatbot pulling at the levers of a control module.

"Beam us down, Scotty!" Dementia shouted up to him as she stood.

The trapdoor opened up and a platform was raised. In the middle of it was some kind of restraint table, like one would use for violent inmates. Instead of helping Lita haul the cart up the steps, Dementia rushed to the platform.

"Come on, slowpoke! We don't have all day!"

Sending the mutant a glare, Lita rolled the cart onto the platform, only now noticing the dried blood and chunks of indeterminable meat. She chose not to think about its origins as they were lowered down.

The steel walls must've been at least ten meters high. They were so slick, there was no way any human being could climb out. Red splatters decorated them, along with the neon graffiti pairing Dementia with Black Hat.

"Well, get to it!" Dementia said, clapping her hands. "Chop, chop!"

Despite Lita's bewilderment over her surroundings, she wasn't falling for the lizard-girl's game. "Black Hat told us both to clean in here. And the sooner we get this done," she said, handing her a mop, "the sooner we can get away from each other."

Rolling her eyes, Dementia snatched up the mop. "Fine. But touch my art, and you die!"

Shrugging in agreement, Lita got a bucket and sponge from the cart and began scrubbing the blood off the walls.

"So, uh," Lita said, glancing at the restraint table, "this is…where you sleep?"

"Yup," Dementia grunted as she picked the strange meat off the floor. "Home sweet home."

Lita turned away before the mutant could toss the meat into her mouth.

She was beginning to understand why Dementia was so…on edge, all the time. This wasn't a bedroom at all. This was more like a cell for a wild animal. Meanwhile, Lita, Flug and Black Hat had their own rooms. Their own beds. By the looks of things, Dementia was strapped down every night, and…was that a straightjacket crumpled on the floor?

"Sorry," Dementia said, picking it up. "If I'd known I was gonna get company, I would've put my pajamas away."

She tossed the cloth over the table. Seeing it laid out like that confirmed Lita's suspicions that it was a straightjacket.

This was…this was horrifying! Dementia always acted like a wild animal, of course, but Lita had no idea she was being treated like one! At least not to this degree!

"How…" Lita couldn't shake off her shock. "How…how can you sleep in a place like this?"

Dementia shrugged. "It's not that bad! It's a lot more spacious than my old room, that's for sure!"

Despite being afraid of the answer, she asked, "W-Where did you sleep before?"

"A test tube in Fluggie's lab," the mutant replied nonchalantly. "You know, when I was still growing."

"Growing?"

Dementia flipped her long hair. "When I got my muscles and this luxurious hair, doi!"

Lita stopped scrubbing and turned to her fully. "How did you end up here, Dementia?"

The mutant paused in her mopping, a blank expression on her face. "I'm…not sure." She leaned onto the mop handle. "To be honest, I…don't remember much about my life before Black Hat. Oh!" She held up a finger. "I remember I was in a hospital of some kind!"

"Hospital?"

"Oh, yeah!" She pointed to the restraint table. "Believe it or not, this thing is way more comfortable than what they strapped me down to there!" She snorted. "And let me tell you, the electric shocks there weren't half as fun!"

Lita's blood went cold as she started to realize what kind of hospital Dementia was talking about. "W-Why were you in a place like that?"

"Dunno," Dementia said with a shrug. "But the bracelet I was wearing when I came here said 'Dementia' on it, so I assumed that was my name. One of the doctors called me 'sweetheart.' I called him Dr. Handsy, cuz he…well, you know how doctors are."

Her giggles slowly faded as she gripped the mop handle. "I hate doctors."

It didn't take much for Lita to put the pieces together. Poison Ivy had been right. Even before Dementia had arrived here, she'd been treated like a wild animal. No one had ever thought to treat her like a human being.

Even she wasn't one hundred percent evil.

Putting down her sponge, Lita walked over to the lizard-girl and put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. Figuring she didn't like being touched, understandably so, Lita retracted her hand.

"I'm, uh…sorry."

Dementia cocked her head. "For what?"

"Just…I get why you hate me." Lita folded her hands together. "After all, I…I get a lot of time with Black Hat these days, but I don't love him!" She hung her head. "I…know how it feels to be…powerless and…to be treated like you're…nothing more than trash, but…you should know that…you don't have to be a—"

"Stop right there, kid!" Dementia said, clasping a hand over Lita's mouth. "I don't do the touchy-feely stuff! Let's just get this all over with, okay?"

Nodding, Lita went back to scrubbing the walls.

"Hey," Dementia said after a minute of silence.

Lita turned, only to see the mutant's back to her.

"You…um…" Without facing her, Dementia took a deep breath. "Thanks."

Instead of asking her what for, Lita merely smiled as the two of them continued cleaning in silence.

That night, Lita woke to something jumping on her bed.

"Get up, get up, get up, lazybones!"

Bolting upright, Lita squinted to see the culprit in the darkness. "Dementia? What in the world are you—?"

"Shh!" Dementia covered Lita's mouth and glanced around. "Ya wanna have some fun tonight?"

Confused, the sleepy woman pushed the partially gloved hand away. "What are you talking ab—?"

"Shh-shh-shush!" She covered her mouth again. "Ya want the boss hearing us?"

Lita scowled, bringing Dementia's hand down to her lap. "You're the one who was screaming and jumping on my bed just now!"

"I wanted to make sure you were up!"

"Well, I'm up! Now what is this all about?"

Dementia gestured for Lita to come closer before whispering, "I wanna make up for yesterday. So I thought we'd hit the town! You know! A girls' night out!"

Lita shook her head to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But nope, Dementia was truly perched on her bed like a cat, looking at her excitedly with those mismatched eyes.

"Even if you're serious," Lita said, cradling her head, "we're not supposed to leave the manor without Black Hat's permission."

"I know!" She lowered her voice as she smiled mischievously. "That's why we gotta be sneaky about it!"

"Dem, the guy has cameras everywhere. He might even be spying on us right now—"

"He's in his office," Dementia said bluntly. "Reading the paper in Czech. That'll take him at least twenty minutes. Then after that, he'll browse the pirated movie website and watch some shitty movie for about two hours, unless it's something Marvel-related, in which case it'll take an extra hour and an extra five minutes for him to destroy his laptop and shout at how stupid the villains are. Then he'll get really bored and check the cameras, which gives us at least two hours and twenty minutes of fun! So, hurry up and get dressed and meet me in the basement! Oh, and bring your wallet, just in case!"

She slithered away before Lita could process what she had just said. It wouldn't be smart to go against Black Hat's orders. If they got caught, Lita didn't think the boss would be so easy on them this time.

Then again, he had also ordered her and Dementia to find a way to work together without killing each other. This would be the perfect opportunity. Plus, Lita had a feeling if she didn't go along with Dementia's crazy plan, there might be a repeat of the ball.

So, against her better judgment, Lita threw the covers off herself and went to get her clothes.

"What kept ya?" Dementia asked, leaning against one of the heavy steel doors in the basement.

Ignoring her, Lita came running up in her usual jeans, knife boots and black hoodie. Her backpack was slung over her shoulders.

"Why are we at Lil' Jack's cell?" Lita asked.

"This," Dementia said, reaching into her wild head of hair, "is our way out."

She produced a roll of scotch tape and went over to the handprint scanner. Lita watched in bewilderment as Dementia taped all across the scanner and then pressed her hand to it. The scanner beeped and the light next to it turned green. Above it, a metallic cup came out of the wall.

"Uh, I think it also requires a DNA—" Lita started to say.

"Presto!" Dementia said, pulling out a small vial from her hair.

The tiny label read, BH's SALIVA.

"How did you…?" Lita trailed off as Dementia poured a drop of the spit into the cup. "Never mind. I don't wanna know."

The door beeped as it slid open.

"After you," Dementia said with a bow.

Lita sent the mutant an amazed look as she walked into the jungle enclosure. Dementia bounced in after her as the door shut behind them.

"Oh, Jackie!" she called. "Ollie, ollie, oxen free!" She whispered to Lita. "Stick with me, kid. Lil' Jack isn't too keen on strangers."

Just as she said this, the enormous black snake dropped down into Lita's face. She shrieked at first but then laughed when Lil' Jack started rubbing her cheek against hers.

"Aw, hey there, serpiente!" Lita said, rubbing the snake's head. "Estas bien? Have you been a good snake? Have you? Have you?"

As Lil' Jack hissed contently, Dementia's jaw dropped. "Hey, since when are you friends with Jackie?"

The snake stuck her tongue out at her.

"Seriously? That's all it takes to buy your love? A pat on the head and some leftovers? Come on, Jackie, it took weeks for ya to even let me touch ya!"

"You can understand her?" Lita asked.

"I'm part reptile, duh!Anyway, Jackie, the kid and I need some fresh air. Can you lead us out the back?"

With a small nod, Lil' Jack slithered to the floor. The girls followed her to the back of the enclosure. In the wall was the opening to a tunnel of some sort. The floor was littered with bones and blood.

"Thanks, Jackie!" Dementia said, pulling a dead squirrel out of her hair. "Keep the cameras covered for us, will ya?"

Snapping the offering up in her jaws, Lil' Jack slithered up to where the security cameras were rotating.

"So, this is our way out?" Lita asked, pointing to the tunnel.

"Yup," Dementia said. "Jackie's feeding tube! But don't worry, it only sucks people in from the other side! It's off until someone steps on the pressure plate outside!"

Lita tried to ignore the bones at her feet as Dementia climbed into the tube.

"Come on, it's like a slide!"

Before Lita could ask further questions, the mutant pushed herself through the tunnel, screaming joyfully as she slid downward. Gulping, Lita glanced back at Lil' Jack, who was wrapped around the security cameras.

"Don't eat me when I come back up!" she called up to her.

The snake sent her a hiss, leaving Lita to assume it was one of reassurance.

Buckling her backpack around her middle, Lita hoisted herself up to the tunnel's entrance and looked down at the dark abyss. Taking in a deep breath and shutting her eyes, she allowed herself to fall.

The scream that came out of her was instinctual. She was sliding down really fast! But not for long, as she was stopped by something soft. Upon opening her eyes, she discovered this was Dementia's hair.

"Grab onto the end!" Dementia said, pointing back as she started climbing upward.

Lita snatched up the end of the giant green ponytail as Dementia pulled her up with her.

"This is how I got here, ya know?" the mutant called down.

"This tunnel?" Lita asked.

"Yeah! I'd just gotten out of the hospital, no shoes, nowhere to go, and then I find myself outside this mansion and next thing I know I'm being sucked down a tube and I'm in this jungle room with a giant snake! The little rascal would've eaten me alive right there if I wasn't such a biter!

"That's when Flug found me and brought me to Black Hat! Oh, boy did he look handsome with that scowl! I've been working for him ever since!"

She stopped when they came to a manhole cover and lifted it above her head. The cold night air that hit Lita's face as Dementia hauled her up felt so refreshing.

"Well, come on!" the mutant said after recovering the hole. "We've got about a hundred and twenty-seven minutes before the boss notices!"

Dementia bolted off between the nearby houses. Lita was about to follow her, but paused when she caught sight of Black Hat Manor.

It was only just occurring to her. She was outside. If she wanted to, she could run away right now and never look back. Her feet were itching to. Right now, while Dementia's back was turned. She could get herself as far away from the manor as possible, maybe even make it to the Hero Organization. Enough time to get help before anyone noticed her gone. This was her one opportunity for escape.

But the fact was…she didn't want to.

"Hey!" Dementia called. "Lita La Tortuga! Ya coming, or what?"

Smiling with certainty, Lita ran after her. "Who you calling a tortoise? You're the one who's part reptile!"

"Where the hell are we?" Lita asked.

Dementia had led her to a shadier part of town. Which, in fairness, wasn't very specific a description. But the buildings were more run-down and garbage littered the streets. Lita had only come here a few times with her father whenever he had to meet with associates and couldn't get a sitter.

"Somewhere we can have some fun!" Dementia exclaimed, leaping into an alley.

Lita followed her to a door. Dementia banged on it, as if no one would hear her if she didn't. A slit opened in the door, revealing a pair of eyes.

"Password?" a male voice asked.

Dementia flashed her teeth. "Let us in before I munch ya into mincemeat!"

The slit shut and the door opened quickly. The muscular bouncer smiled nervously.

"Come right in, ladies!"

Grabbing Lita's wrist, Dementia dragged her inside what appeared to be an underground club of some sort. People were loud, drinking tankards while smoking some indeterminate substances. Lita had to duck to avoid an incoming dagger. Half the guests were dressed in typical thug clothing. The other half were in villain costumes.

"What is this place?" Lita asked.

"Hangout for crooks like us," Dementia said, grinning toothily at a table of men shrinking under her gaze. "I'm a regular here."

Attending the bar was a tall woman with brunette hair tied back in a braid. The black tank top she wore made her thick muscles visible to the world.

"Hey, Bertha!" Dementia said, slamming her hand on the counter. "Gimme my usual, and put it on Black Hat's tab!"

Bertha looked up from the glass she'd been cleaning. "Ya gonna play nice with my boys tonight?"

The mutant huffed. "No promises!"

Rolling her eyes, Bertha turned to Lita. "Who's the kindergartner?"

"This here's my buddy, Lita!" Dementia said, throwing her arm around her. "She's a thief too!"

"Lita, Lita…" Bertha squinted. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Lita thought about it, and then tensed when she remembered. "Big Bertha?"

"Of course!" The bartender put the glass down. "Little Lita! Sheesh, you've grown! Not by much though!"

"So, um," Lita said, looking up at her nervously, "have you?"

"Little Lita?" Dementia said, glancing between the two of them in bewilderment.

"That's what we called her back in juvie," Bertha said. "Ya know, this cookie was like half the size she is now, and she was the only one who had the guts to take me on!"

Lita shifted on the barstool. "You're, uh, not still mad about that, are ya?"

"Shit, no! I left ya alone after that, cuz you had my fucking respect! Tell ya what. First round's on the house! Whaddya want, sweetheart?"

"Uh…piña colada?"

Bertha gave her an incredulous look. "Whaddya think this is, a cocktail bar?"

Lita blushed. "Just get me whatever Dem's getting."

"Ooh. Ya sure ya can handle that, hon?"

"She fought me till I passed out, yesterday," Dementia said, pointing. "This kid can handle anything!"

"No shit." Bertha grinned at Lita. "I told 'em. Don't fuck with Little Lita."

As the bartender went to prepare the drinks, Dementia couldn't stop herself from giggling at the nickname.

"Oh, I am so calling you that from now on!"

"Great," Lita said with a groan.

"Seriously though, you took that fucking building on when you were in juvie?" Dementia banged a fist on the counter. "Shit! I knew you were tough, but I didn't think you had balls!"

Two shot glasses with green liquid were set in front of them.

"What's this?" Lita asked.

"Green lizard shot," Bertha replied. "Mix of limeade, lemon-lime Gatorade, and a whole lotta rum."

"And a splash of vodka!" Dementia exclaimed, snatching up her glass. "Just the way I like it!"

"Hey, are you even old enough to drink?" Lita asked once she realized she didn't know her colleague's age at all.

"You a cop?"

"No."

"Then shut up!" she said, downing her glass in one gulp and slamming it down. "Keep 'em coming, Bertha!"

As Bertha went to get more drinks, Lita stared at her glass unsurely. Shrugging decidedly, she chugged the green liquid down her throat. The lemon-lime flavor was good, but the strong mix of rum and vodka caused her to choke.

"Bertha, I think I'll just get a beer next!" Lita shouted.

"What kind?" Bertha called as she poured the Gatorade.

"I don't care! Surprise me!"

Once they got their next round of drinks, Lita decided it was finally time to ask, "Why'd you bring me here, Dem? I thought you hated me."

Dementia downed her second glass before answering. "I don't hate you! I mean sure I beat ya up every now and then, but that doesn't mean I hate you!" She snapped her fingers towards Bertha, asking for another shot. "If anything, you're the one I like the most! Other than Blackie, of course!"

Lita paused in sipping her beer. "Really?"

"Doi!" She smacked the side of her head. "You're the only one on the team with any real spine! I mean do ya have any idea how long I got that worn out from a fight? That's enough to get my fucking respect!"

She punched Lita's shoulder, nearly sending her off the stool.

"What I don't get," Dementia said, grabbing her third drink, "is why my honeybun spends more time with you than he does with me."

Lita watched silently as the mutant gulped down her glass. "How did you get mixed up with him? I mean…I get you walked into the manor accidentally, but…you obviously can do fine on your own. Why stick around?"

Dementia sighed in satisfaction as she put her glass down. "I'm not a victim of circumstance, if that's what you're thinking. When Flug brought me to Blackie, told him how much of a beast I was in fighting his snake, he asked how I felt about working for him! Course, didn't have much else going for me! Couldn't remember my own name, much less if I had folks to stay with! A job and a home? Sounded like a good idea at the time. So what if I was too out of it to read the fine print? How was I to know they were gonna stick some needles in me, make me sleep in a test tube for some months, record my every move and give me zero privacy and a shitty bedroom?"

Pausing, she signaled to Bertha for another shot. "But it ain't so bad, being so strong and stuff. And hey, it makes eating people so much easier!" She caught Lita's horrified look. "May not remember much about my time in the hospital, but I'm pretty sure I bit a nurse's ear off at some point."

"O…kay." Lita sipped a little faster. "So, you didn't have a lot of options. That I get. What I don't get is your whole obsession with Black Hat. I mean, sure, the guy is…somewhat attractive, I guess. He at least dresses kind of nice. And he's a total asshole, but he does have some manners. Not to mention he's a really good dancer and…"

She trailed off when she noticed Dementia staring at her.

"But despite his good qualities," Lita said quickly, "he's still a murdering psychopath."

"Your point?" Dementia said, gesturing to herself.

"Right. But he fucking slaps you around, Dem! That's not a healthy relationship to be in! And he's made it perfectly clear he doesn't want you."

"But he does want me!" She drank her fourth shot. "He said so himself when he hired me!" She turned the glass in her hand. "After all, no one else fucking wants me."

"That…that's not true."

"Oh, don't lie! I'm not fucking stupid!" Her voice dropped an octave. "I know no one likes me. Not Flug, not that bear, not even…" She paused. "Why does he like you so much?"

She didn't need to explain who.

"Dem, that dance last night was just a formality. Black Hat and I aren't—"

"But he still likes you, right?" She turned to her. "He doesn't…break your arm or…throw you through the roof or…shove a phone in your mouth." She plopped down her glass. "What…what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's…" Lita tried to sound comforting. "Wrong with you."

Dementia scoffed. "There's plenty wrong with me, and you know it! Is it cuz I'm too strong? Cuz you're violent, and he can still stand you! Is it cuz I stink? Cuz he stinks up a storm! I've done everything the fucking bastard has asked me to do in four or five—really can't keep track—years and nothing I do is ever…fucking…good…enough."

Her head fell down and she started breaking into sobs. So, she's a crying drunk, Lita thought as she sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

All these months, Lita had assumed Dementia to have a one-track mind. Black Hat, destruction, Black Hat. But under that insane persona, she was carrying a whole lot of emotional baggage. Perhaps, she was even acutely aware that her life was messed up, but just didn't want to think about it.

"I'm pathetic," Dementia mumbled.

"You're not pathetic, Dem," Lita said, hesitantly reaching a hand out towards her. "You're just…human."

She sniffed. "I'm half-lizard."

Lita lay her hand on her shoulder. "Still half-human."

Dementia lifted her head slightly. "Most people don't focus on that part."

"I can tell," Lita said softly.

"What am I doing wrong? Do I come on too strong or something?"

She hesitated. "M-Maybe?"

Dementia slammed her head back down.

"N-Not that there's anything wrong with that! I mean…what girl hasn't gone crazy over a guy?"

Her voice came out muffled. "Then how do ya get him to hang out with you?"

"Well, for starters, I don't treat him like he's the second coming of Christ—err, Antichrist? He may be a demon and all, but he's still human. Sort of. At least he used to be."

Her head shot up. "He was?"

"It's just that…do you even know anything about him, Dem?"

"Course I do!" Dementia said, straightening up a little. "I know everything about him!"

"You sure? You gotta know the basic stuff at least, like…what's his favorite color?"

She caught Dementia's narrowed eyes.

"Right. That one's obvious. What does he like to eat, what does he do in his spare—?"

"He eats just about anything, but mostly raw meat and poison." She listed the items on her fingers. "He likes murdering, maiming, chess—"

"Okay, okay, but what about the personal stuff? That's a lot more important in making a connection with a guy. Has he ever told you about his past, where he grew up, who his mother was, do you even know his real name?"

Dementia stared at her. "Do you?"

Realizing she'd said too much, Lita clasped a hand over her mouth. She blamed the alcohol.

"H-How do you know his real name?" the lizard-girl said in a broken voice.

The smaller woman didn't answer, only gulped down the rest of her beer.

"He…he's never told me his real name!" Dementia exclaimed, cradling her head. "I…I've been trying to weed it outta him for years! Why…why would he tell you and not me?!"

Lita put her glass down. "Because unlike you, I treat him like a person. Not a demon, not a god, but a human being like me. He doesn't want your blind devotion. He just wants to be treated with respect. Just like…just like you do."

The smallest trace of a smile graced the mutant's lips. "You know? Last time I dragged Flug down here, he passed out after one drink. And Bertha wouldn't serve Fives cuz he's underage. Which is weird cuz I never really showed her my ID either." She hiccupped. "Point is I don't really get to talk to anybody. Other than Jackie, but you know, she's a snake. What does she know about boys and stuff?"

Lita also smiled, knowing all this openness was probably due to the several shots of limeade. "I never had anybody to drink with either."

Dementia blinked. "What the hell did you do for fun then?"

"Uh…watch TV?"

She blinked again. "Seriously? You never did anything for fun before you came here?"

"I was, uh, kinda…busy?"

"Girl!" The mutant placed a hand on her hip. "I was in the fucking looney bin! What's your excuse?!"

"Now hang on, there was a lot going on with my Papi and—"

"I'm strapped down to a table every night, and even I find time for fun!"

She had a point. "But you see, I never really had anyone to—"

"You do now!" Dementia grabbed her shoulders. "Kid, we're gonna have some fun tonight, even if it kills you!"

"What?"

"Watch this," she whispered before picking up her glass and tossing it across the room.

The glass hit the back of some large thug's head, shattering upon impact. The man growled as he turned.

"Who threw that?!"

"Me, me, me!" Dementia said, raising her hand.

The brute huffed. "You looking for trouble, lady?"

"Uh, yeah! That's why I threw the damn thing at your ugly face!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Lita whispered harshly as the brute's friends rose from the table, pounding their fists together.

"Having some fun!" Dementia crawled up onto the counter and addressed the crowd. "All your mothers fucked heroes!"

That got people's attention. Lita dropped to the ground as a chair was thrown her way.

"Are you nuts?!" she shouted up at the mutant.

"What a stupid question!" Dementia crouched down. "What you so worried about? I've seen ya fight!"

"Yeah, but never more than one opponent at a time! I'm not that strong, Dem!"

"Oh." She frowned for a moment, then grinned brightly. "More fun for me then!"

This chapter was going to be longer, but after seeing the length I decided to split it into two, because a WHOLE lot more will be happening!