The Scars Left Behind
This is the Sequel to the Harlequin and the Bat and The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners. Except the characters I wrote in my profile.
Warning: Violent and Psychological scenes to come. These stunts are done by highly trained professionals and should not be imitated by anyone. Except those proficient in martial arts training and weapons, even then it shouldn't be imitated.
Chapter 21
(Venus's POV)
Venus was now drifting into sleep, she tried to fight, she tried to access anything she may have inherited from her mother or father…but she had no fight left in her or consciousness to wake up. But she did hear a very loud crash somewhere.
(Bill's POV)
"Hyde…Crush…Thieves!" he roared and a shadowed figure materialised behind him "Rogue? Why Rogue here?" he asked he pointed to the building and Hyde nodded "Save Venus. Save Family." Hyde spoke as he crashed through the concrete wall.
As the dust settled there were two people who materialised through the room "Stop him! We must not be interrupted!" a figure shouted through the hole
"Zombies…Hyde…CRUSH ZOMBIES!" Hyde yelled to the top of his lungs as he raged towards the three, the Rogue smoke bomb struck into the fleshless faced one with a roundhouse kick into his jaw. Hyde slammed the large one who was just as large as he was "Hyde crush zombie man!" he yelled
"We aren't zombies! We are the Dollmaker's children!" the large one shouted
"And the little girl on the table is to be one beautiful doll!" the fleshless face one finished before being clawed by the Rogue. "ARGH! It burns! The hell did you put in that…" the fleshless one said before frothing at the mouth and falling over in paralysis.
"Orifice! ARGH!" the large one called out to his "brother" before having his face ploughed into the ground.
"Stay down! Venus!" Hyde roared before turning back into Bill "Rogue…keep them down…" he struggled as he hobbled to the surgery room. He saw the two people who were going to operate on his daughter.
"Stay back! You will not interrupt this! She will be preserved!" the man proclaimed holding Venus in his arms in an almost protective way
"You…get your…god damned hands off my daughter!" Bill breathed between each part growing more angry each time.
"I-I know who you are…Hyde. The man that broke out Bruce Wayne from Arkham, the man who fought Firefly, the Suicide Squad member…The Monster! How could this beautiful creature be your daughter?" the man said while holding a scalpel to Venus's neck.
"She gets her beauty from her mother." Bill explained taking another step.
"Ah, ah." The man said inching the scalpel nearer to Venus's neck "One more step…and I slit her jugular vein. And my search will continue…"
"Search…you're insane…I'll rip you apart." Bill threatened as he grew angrier.
"No. I'm merely: an artist. The Dollmaker…and I've always wondered what's under that mask of yours." Dollmaker told Bill his name and saw Dollhouse slam a large mallet into Bill's head knocking him out.
(Venus's POV)
The effects of the gas began to dissipate from her system, Venus slowly began to awake, she heard everything that transpired between Dollmaker and the second figure 'Dad…you came…' and after hearing that she gets her beauty from her mother she smiled internally. As she saw a shadowed figure knock out her father she tried to scream for him to be alright. But to no avail she was out in seconds.
(No-one's POV)
"Get her to the next room, we will continue the surgery." Dollmaker ordered Dollhouse.
"But it's filled with the other pieces. What if she wakes?" Dollhouse asked while dragging Bill's body.
"Then all the worse for her and the better for us; She'll probably go into shock from the sight." Dollmaker said but didn't realise that someone was hidden in the shadows behind him.
(Bruce's POV)
Batman and Ivy landed by Bill's stolen car and raced towards the wreckage "I didn't know Bill could drive now." Ivy wondered
"He cant." Batman answered as he saw the behemoth and the fleshless face man laid on the ground. "Where's the girl?" he grabbed the large one.
"B-Batman?" he shook in terror.
"Where is my daughter?" Ivy struck the man
"She's dead…Dollmaker has her now…" the man sneered
Ivy became heartbroken and raced into the building hoping that he was wrong, he laughed with blood in his throat, Batman continued his scowl and punched the man in his chest cracking at least three ribs causing him to roar in pain "You better be lying…because if you're not. That punch will be a tickle compared to what the Girl's father will do to you." As he bat-cuffed the large one.
"Batman!" a woman's voice called out
He turned around and saw "Killer Frost; what are you doing here?" Batman asked
"Same as you: looking for Bill. He went crazy and stormed the building. He's still inside." She explained running with him inside.
"How do you know his identity?" Batman asked as they caught up to Ivy.
"He orchestrated a Coup d'etat against Waller. He told us who he was and he would do anything for his family." Frost explained
"That sounds like Bill." Ivy spoke feeling the pheromones from her daughter. "She's this way!"
"She's Bill's girlfriend?" Frost asked as Batman followed Ivy "And I thought I had weird taste in people."
Ivy saw Dollmaker about to make an incision to Venus "Get your hands of my daughter!" she yelled
"Careful, she's under and I'm the one with the knife." Dollmaker demanded "Here's what's going to happen: you're going to let us continue by leaving, then you can take her pretty body after she's perfected."
Batman didn't want to risk a batarang for fear of Venus and held back Ivy, but he did notice someone in the shadows "Batman, what are you doing? He's going to kill her!" Ivy struggled against him.
"Stand down." Batman spoke trying to calm her down.
"Listen to the Dark Knight dear…he is the world's greatest detective." Dollmaker sneered
Dollhouse removed Bill's helmet exposing his face, she recoiled from the sight "My god! Father it looks like he's already had some of our treatments." She turned fear into a laugh.
"Bill…" Ivy began to cry "Venus…"
Dollhouse picked up a scalpel and looked over Bill's face and was stopped as his eyes immediately opened and he grabbed her throat, crushing her vocal chords and airway in the process "What in god's name?"
"A daughter for a daughter…" Bill whispered as he threw Dollhouse into the other "pieces of art" she went limp and lifeless. He rose from the table and looked at Dollmaker. His face scarred Dollmaker to his core.
"Stay…Stay back…" Dollmaker stepped back…bad move as he walked into the Rogue who stuck him down with a nerve pinch.
The Rogue nodded and left for the shadows Bill walked up to the still conscious man, his voice was gone but his eyes begged him to spare his life, his head leaned left and Bill saw behind him: a small girl about the same age as Venus. "Hyde, let him go." Batman ordered as Ivy collected Venus from her bonds holding her in her arms crying with joy taking her away from the room followed by Frost.
Bill looked at the young girl, then Venus and Ivy who were leaving, then Batman and finally Dollmaker. Bill dropped Dollmaker but still gripped his hands "What use is a surgeon without hands?" Bill crushed Dollmaker's hands in his grip. Dollmaker's cries echoed through the ruined building, every bone in his hands were crushed: Carpals, Metacarpals; proximal, intermediate and distant phalanges were turned to meal. Dollmaker would be out of commission for a long while. "Remember my face. Know the man who broke you goddamned hands. Know the man who strangled your daughter; because if you or any of your family does this again…I'll kill you and them." Bill threatened him as he fainted from his pain.
"Dollhouse is still alive…barely. Hyde let's go." Batman spoke as he examined Dollhouse. Hyde collected his helmet and walked with Batman as the police began to arrive. "I know how you feel…but he needs to be judged by the real law, not vigilantism." Bill didn't answer
Outside Venus was waking up she was currently in a Metropolis ambulance and Metropolis police were there collecting the Dollmaker's Family, (canonically Metropolis and Gotham are within driving distance of each other…who knew?) and she was waking up "Bill. Bill come on, she's waking up." Ivy called out to him, there was no sign of Killer Frost, but there was a roar of a helicopter flying off.
"D-Dad…is Dad here?" Venus asked weakly.
Bill held his daughter's hand "I'm here baby girl…daddy's here." He didn't have his helmet on.
The police and even the medics whispered about how Bill looks a little like Joker, but he had a very good heart since Joker didn't care for any human being. "Bill…your helmet." Ivy commented on him not having his helmet on.
Venus opened her eyes and saw her father's face; first it was blurred but then it came into focus: his toxic green hair and slit mouth grin like the Joker's, his eyes were Venom green and almost spiked in light and dark shades; Venom green veins surrounding his eye sockets. His face was covered in small scars and veins that resembled rose stems with thorns. "Dad…" she asked as her vision came into focus. Bill didn't answer but nodded, Venus leant forward and hugged her father "I knew you'd come for me. I knew it." She cried
"Always…Always." Bill reciprocated as he comforted his daughter.
Batman let Bill, Ivy and Venus have their moment as a family "Oracle…she's safe. Dollmaker and his family have been contained. They're being shipped off to Arkham as we speak."
"Oh thank god…good job. Way to go Batman." All their voices were ecstatic: Alfred, Sonia, Tim, Dick and Harley included
"It sounds like the gas that Dollmaker used has worn off." Batman said with a heartened voice
"Yeah, thanks for getting them for us. We'll see you back home." Oracle spoke.
"Hyde, Bloom. We've got to go back." Batman ordered them
"Back where?" Venus asked "Home?" Batman nodded and Venus continued to hug her father even more knowing he'll be right there with them.
"I'll meet you there, there's still one thing I must do before I go." Bill spoke releasing Venus.
"Not another revenge thing Bill." Ivy hoped for him not to do anything drastic.
"In a manner of speaking…" Bill explained.
(Bill's POV)
*a half hour passed*
Batman oversaw Dollmaker and his family escorted to Arkham Asylum, Ivy went back with Venus back to their home. Bill however returned the Suicide Squad's former Head Quarters. Waller and her troops managed to get themselves down. Bill had his helmet back on so he could part with Waller on…uneven terms. "Well Bill, you've managed to pull your Coup d'etat on me; come to rub it in my face?" she said looking straight into his eyes.
"I think we're both adult to admit: we've been playing a game…a game for power." Bill spoke handing back the keys to the car he stole "Sorry about the car." And then began to walk for the door.
Waller looked at the keys then spoke "Watch your back Bill. There will come a day when you need my help." She warned him "Maybe to protect…Venus."
She struck a nerve…a very raw nerve. Bill turned; he ran towards Waller and grabbed her by the throat. The guards aimed for him but were ordered not to shoot; Bill's armour could deflect bullets even at close range, Bill through Waller into the guards knocking them out, Waller just rubber her head to gain some consciousness. Bill stepped on her stomach preventing her from moving; he removed his helmet once again. The look on Waller's face looked like The Scream (that famous painting where the guy looks like he has a head for a spoon. Look up: Edvard Munch, The Scream) Bill gazed at her and spoke "The day my daughter needs help from you, is the day: that I've died. You know my strength, you know my intelligence…but you don't know the madness that lies within my mind…When you injected me with Crane's Toxin, you brought about something that you cannot control. No matter how hard you try; face it Amanda…You've lost your pet." Bill let up his foot allowing Waller to breathe and he walked out the door and entered the Metropolis Police van.
(No-One's POV)
*nine thirty Arkham Asylum*
"Okay lights out inmates." Officer Cash called out and oversaw the lights going off one by one, he passed The Dollmaker's cell and saw him struggling in his sleep. "Hey, I'm going to need help here. Dollmaker isn't looking good."
*Inside Dollmaker's mind*
Dollmaker was back inside that room once again and he was overseen by a helmeted Hyde, "No…no…stay. Say back! Stay away from me!" he began to run in his imaginary world but he was caught by a doppelgänger of Hyde. He was chained to the table he was about to operate Venus on, he was jerked up vertically and saw face to face with Hyde. Hyde took off his mask and revealed the horrible face he possessed "get away! No, stay away from me!" he cried and begged
"What use is a surgeon without hands? Remember my face…" Hyde spoke as he crushed Dollmaker's hands in his fists.
*end of dream*
"Argh! He's coming! He's coming for me!" Dollmaker screamed himself awake
"Hold him down! Get the tranquilisers!" as three guards held him down while the medic injected him with morphine
"Hyde…he's coming…beware…beware Hyde…" Dollmaker muttered as he fell unconscious.
"Hyde…who's he talking about?" one guard said.
"The guy who broke both his hands and drove him crazy…first Dollhouse now her dad." Cash explained
"What happened to Dollhouse?" a second guard asked
"She was screaming in her sleep she tried to commit suicide by slitting her wrists." The medic explained
"God…and Hyde tried to kill them both? I thought Scarecrow was the only guy who could frighten the crap out of people." The first guard asked as they exited the room
"Scaring people to death isn't exclusive just to Scarecrow. Remember Joker? He'd terrorise people with his death threats and so on." Cash began to explain.
"Let's hope people sleep soundly tonight." The medic hoped
(Venus's POV)
"Dad…I'm glad you've shown your real face. It's not as bad as I thought." Venus smiled
"I told you: you get your good looks from your mum." Bill explained as he was falling to sleep on the settee.
"I'm glad your home." Ivy snuggled with Bill.
"So am I Ivy…So am I." Bill said falling to sleep.
*ten thirty PM*
Venus went to bed a half hour earlier, she was exhausted and wanted to sleep trying to forget the day and look forward to her Aunt's wedding. But not all her dreams were pleasant; she tossed and turned in her bed, shaking in sweat. She dreamt of the terror she saw in Dollmaker's holdup: all those dead people turned to dolls and she turned into a doll she tried to move trying to get someone's attention, she saw her father and trying to reach out to him her arms shattered, she cried and imagined falling; shattering into a million pieces losing sight of her father and mother, she was struck in terror as she saw Dollhouse and Dollmaker laughing at her saying how they would fix her again. Venus cried out in terror "Daddy!" and she jerked out of her dream clutching the bed quilt in fear crying she reached looked around and saw the porcelain doll that was always there and never bothered her before, she grabbed it and threw it at the door shattering into pieces
"Venus…Venus…" Tim called out as he entered her room "Bill, Ivy!" he called out to her parents as he consoled her in a cuddle.
"What happened?" Bill came in through the room "Ow, god damnit!" he trod on the porcelain shards.
"Don't…don't let them turn me into a doll!" Venus cried as she held Tim
"Venus, it's okay…we're here. We're here." Tim held her close as Ivy
To be continued
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