A/N

HA! I posted this chapter so soon! I forgot to mention last time I've got a copy of the Dark Knight Rises on DVD and you can see it's taking a toll on my title names xD I had a bit of difficulty writing this chapter even after all the planning it still doesn't go the way I wanted to. Oh no! I've become a schemer! D= Ah well, Things are coming together for Lily, figuring out her duty and accepting it, bravo! Again, any suggestions, comments etc leave a review or just message me, I go on nearly every day to read other stories. And. Here. We. Go!

~ CandiLand95

Chapter Seven: The Dark Masque Rises

When Lily got home from her mother's funeral and the excursion to the beach, she was excited and determined for what the night held for her. She bid Bruce and Alfred goodnight and trudged up stairs with purpose and a strange feeling of de ja vu all over again. She opened the wardrobe and pulled up the secret compartment and touched the fabrics of the Dark Masque outfit. 'It's now or never Lily...' she thought to herself as she pulled it out and carefully changed into the Dark Masque.

Lily looked into the mirror and instantly felt more comfortable and more confident. The corset showed off all her curves and managed to show and hold her breasts in, giving her a seductive look whilst not having to worry about her slipping out of her costume during a fight. The skirt of the corset was of course irritating, short at the front, long at the back. Sure it was in and made it slightly more modest (at least from behind) but the airy fabric of skirt served as a risk. Lily tied her utility belt on and loaded it with small weapons and other gadgets she must have gotten her hands onto illegally or made herself.

'Huh, maybe I wasn't such a girly-girl after all' Lily thought as she held up a sharpened breast dagger. A sly smile graced her lips as she carefully tucked it into her top, she then pulled on her heavy black boots that made their way half way up to her knees. Lily felt a small button just under her big toe and cautiously, she pushed down on it and a sharp knife shot out of the bottom of her shoe. Staring at it as if it was a god sent, she raised her foot up to examine her shoe.

"Beautiful..." She murmured as she traced her fingers delicately across the flattened side of the protruding knife.

Slowly she lowered her foot and picked up a pair of hand cuffs and smirked. "Kinky" said the memory of the Joker. 'Very.' She mentally agreed as she attached it to her belt along with her other tools. Lily then tied her hair back into a tight bun and secured a red wig with clips then picked up a make-up box that was hastily stuffed at the bottom of her wardrobe.

Lily opened the box and saw a selection of different eye contacts, black grease paint, black eyeliner, red lipstick and a red mask with black clown triangles over the eyes. Instinctively, Lily picked up a random set of eye contacts and began transforming her face. She looked up into the mirror and couldn't recognise the woman staring back at her, but she seemed so familiar... The contacts were a icy shade of blue that contrasted well with the darks surrounding her eyes. Her eyes were cold glaciers that would freeze any man who dared to look into her eyes. The mask hid the bruises not covered by foundation and Lily smirked at her reflection.

She felt sexy and dangerous, her harlot red lips quirked up into a sly half smile as she lastly pulled on her matching black and red gloves that matched her outfit. "Gotham better be ready, the Dark Masque ain't going to hide in the shadows anymore..."

xXx

The Dark Masque prowled the streets, her instincts guiding her around the streets of the narrows as if she had done this many times. Lily probably had before. She could sense someone was near by, she could smell the stench of desperation or was that just the sewers?It didn't matter, a scream pierced the air and she quickly turned her heel and ran to one of the millions of dark alleyways. A dirty drunken man had a well-off woman pinned to the graffitied wall while her young son, probably eight or so on the ground with a split lip and sobbing madly. The Dark Masque tapped the man on the shoulder and he turned around and stupidly blinked at the strangely dressed woman.

"It's not nice to attack a defenseless mother and her child." She swung her fist and hit his nose. He turned his back to her and swore loudly. "Hey! There is a kid present here, keep it PG okay?" She picked up a wooden two by four and screamed "Batter up!" and swung the wood across his head, knocking him out instantly. Disappointing really.

She waited a few seconds panting, waiting for the kick she had gotten in her memory. But she felt nothing. Not the thrill of a fight, or the giddy feeling of saving the mother and child, nothing!

"Get out..." She growled at the pair, frustrated. When they didn't move, she turned her murderous glare towards them. "I said GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed at the frightened two. The mother scoped up her trembling son and ran out of the alleyway not sure if she was glad for the help or annoyed by the rudeness of the strange woman. The Dark Masque turned to the unconscious man laying at her feet and gripped her newly found weapon tightly. "Why." WACK! "Can't." WACK! "I." WACK! "Just." WACK! "FEEL!" She swung it again but a high pitched laughter stopped her.

She turned around and her eyes widened, the Joker was leaning against the wall casually staring at her in interest. "Oh don't stop on the count of me!" He said hopefully but when she threw her weapon down and slowly walked up to him, he knew she was finished with him.

"Joker." She said venomously.

He tried to hold in his laughter and keep a straight face. "Dark Masque." He said casually. After a second of silence, he let loose a peel of giggles and bent over to hold his ribs. "Ho he ha ha, that was, terribly cliche`d doll... Joker" He imitated her voice poorly and the Dark Masque just rolled her eyes irritated and slightly... amused?

"What do you want Joker?" She asked, arching a brow under her laughter died down. "You get away from the pigs I see, difficult? Of course not, my marionette would always get away..."

"Pigs? Marionette?..."

The Joker frowned mockingly. "Forgot about me already doll?" He circled her like an predator stalking it's prey. "You forgot my pretty face?" He traced his Glasgow smile with his fingers elegantly, or at least as elegantly the Joker could.

The Dark Masque scoffed bitterly. "I've actually forgotten a lot of things lately..." she murmured more to herself. The Joker carefully examined her and saw a clip on her wig sloppily hidden. Suddenly he pounced on her and pinned her down on her stomach and perched himself on her lower back. "What the hell?" she growled as she went tried to toss him off her but he pushed his knee into her back painfully. "No no no no Doll-face, you stay down like a good little girl..." She struggled underneath him but he just pinned her down with his body weight as she wriggled. His hand found a clip on the back of her wig and Lily quickly understood what he was doing. She quickly kicked her leg back and caught him off guard long enough to throw him off her back and jump back up onto her feet but not before he got a glimpse at her dark hair.

"Asshole!" She squealed as he slowly rolled over onto his stomach.

When he got up on all fours, she pushed the trigger in her shoe and the dagger shot out and with a swift kick, she stabbed him in the rolled over onto his back and laughed whilst still in pain. "I gotta get me some of those..." He chuckled as he tried to get up. But the Dark Masque wouldn't let him, she stood over him and swung her fist to meet his jaw. when her fist came in contact with his face, a jolt of emotion and power surged through her body, just like in the bank. Drunk off the power and emotion she continued to punch him; breaking his nose, cutting up his lips and covering him in his own blood.

The Joker watched as this powerful angel pounded his face like a punching bag. She was so close to falling, he could practically smell it. He relished in it... the pain he felt, the bloody he spilt... he loved every second of it, got off on it. "Do it. Hit me!" he shouted at her. But before she landed the permanently damaging blow, she looked down at the smirking bloodied man below and her blood soaked gloves.

"Oh god..." She said, stepping back. She was becoming a monster, like him. The Joker pulled himself off the ground with a grunt and swung his fist at her. She didn't even flinch, she took the hit and like a frightened doe, she looked up at him with big eyes and ran off into the night.

The Joker laughed as she ran. He was so close to breaking her. He bent down and picked up the fallen blue eye contact and smirked, he was so close to finding her. How many women in Gotham City have violet eyes and dark brown hair? He could only think of one.

xXx

Lily stumbled into her house exhausted both emotionally and physically. Without really caring, she stripped down to nothing, walked into the adjoining bathroom in her room and turned on the shower. As the hot water ran down her sore body and mixed with the blood, she tried to figure out what was going on. Every time she had hit the drunken man in the alley way, she felt empty... hollow... But when she had hit the Joker... A shiver ran down her spine.

Lily growled and punched the wall of the shower, leaving a gaping hole and more wounds and blood on her knuckles. What was wrong with her? Why can't she remember what happened but could remember him? Why did she only feel something around him? 'Am I a freak?' she asked herself.

Lily finished up her shower and wrapped a towel around her wet body and looked in the mirror. "Shit." One eye was ice blue, the other was violet. 'Had he seen?' she thought as she took out the other contact. The phone suddenly rang, scaring the hell out of her. After gathering herself, Lily picked up the phone and nervously asked "Hello?"

"Lily, are you okay?" It was Bruce.

Lily sighed in relief. "Yes Bruce I'm fine..." She looked at her new bruise forming on her jawline and grimaced. "...sort of."

There was silence. "What happened?" He asked deadly serious.

"I just fell down the stairs, apparently I'm a bit of a klutz." She joked, hoping he would believe it.

Bruce chuckled. "You always have been. Anyway, I'm hosting a charity ball for Harvey Dent..."

"It sounds like you'd rather not..."

"...No, but I'm doing this for Rachael and also so you can get back into the groove again." He said smoothly.

"The Groove? How old are you?" She joked as Bruce laughed over the phone.

"So can you make it?" He asked hopefully.

Lily bit her bottom lip as she looked at her reflection. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night and it's a ball so it's formal and I'll have Alfred pick you up at eight. Great! see you then bye!"

"Wait Bruce!"

Pause. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?" Lily waited on batted breath.

"Anything."

"Who is my dad?" There was a long silence and she could hear him whispering to Alfred.

"I have no idea, but I can find out for you if you would like..."

Lily smiled. "Thank you Bruce." They then said their good nights and Bruce left his manor to become Batman while the Dark Masque went to bed as Lily. Neither of them knew the storm that was brewing in the near-future.

A/N
Will she rise or will she fall? Read on and find out =)
~ CandiLand95