"And there's no remedy for memory your face

Is like a melody, it won't leave my head
Your soul is hunting me and telling me
That everything is fine
But I wish I was dead"

- Lana Del Rey "Dark Paradise"

My entire body felt heavy. The blood in my veins

promptly replaced with cement. The feeling was suffocating, seemingly giving my lungs trouble to rise and fall. I remembered this sensation after the first time I had awoken as one of Donnie's experiments.

I knew what was to come next.

I tried to relax myself as I inhaled deeply, forcing my weighty eyelids to open. It took a few tries but eventually they fluttered apart. I was greeted by a dark, mahogany paneled room. Judging by the white tiled ceiling I could only concluded that I was in Angelo's office.

I must be on his leather couch. I let my fingertips graze along the slick cushions. A dull pain loomed in the back of my skull. There was always a headache.

I bravely ran my hands across my abdomen finding nothing more than a small hole in my skirt. Of course. Willing my body upright I inspected the hole further. I was definitely stabbed but miraculously there was no wound and I indeed, was not dead. Although I should have been.

Donnie saved my life tonight. However, I couldn't say I was grateful. I'm living this nightmare because of him too.

The door creaked open, "Olive?"

I turned my direction towards a very distraught Angelo. He looked absolutely haggard.

"Baby doll…" he stumbled into the room, closing the door behind him.

"You look awful." I mused, somehow pulling a small smile onto my lips.

He pulled a chair up next to me and sat down. His head cradled in his hands. "Goddamnit…" he whispered at first.

"Goddamnit!" his voice came to a shout as he kicked a leg at the air.

I had so many emotions building inside of me. I've always known Angelo as a strong man. Just a few visits from a clown and his whole world was turned upside down.

I tore my gaze away from him, "He knew, Angelo. He knew." I curled a hand against my stomach.

I could feel Angelo's eyes trying to search my face. "He knew I couldn't die…not like that anyway." I finally brought my eyes to meet his.

His jaw tightened. "He used your blood to write a message on the glass. It was a pretty horrific scene."

"Yeah." I let my hands drop to my sides. "He said 'Sometimes you got to send people a message'." My eyes narrowed towards the man before me. "Angelo, what did you do?"

He ran a hand up and down his tired face. "I don't know. It might have something to do with Freud."

"What does that mean?"

He was shaking his head, "I don't know, Olive! Just leave it! I'll handle it." He abruptly got up from his chair.

I swung my legs off the couch, "The hell I will! I was nearly murdered because of you!"

Angelo had his back facing me with his hands on his hips. He tilted his head back, "Jesus, Olive." Then he turned to me. "Listen, you need to go home." He paused for a moment. "No. You need to stay with Lady Eliza. Don't come back here until I figure this out. Her condo is in a well protected building. You'll be safe there. I guarantee it."

"You guaranteed me a lot things…" I mumbled heatedly to myself. I couldn't believe he was dodging important information that somehow had to connect to me.

"Look," he continued. "I brought you a change of clothes and Lady Eliza has already agreed to taking you in for a week…maybe longer. She'll be heading to the limo in about-" he looked to his watch. "-fifteen minutes. I need you to get in that limo, Olive. Can you do that?"

I really didn't want to, but I knew I had to. I also wasn't particularly looking for another encounter with the clown so soon.

"Alright." I sighed, defeated.

Angelo came over to plant a peck on my lips. "Thank you, baby doll."

With that, he left the room quickly.

I sat there for minute peering at the hole in my skirt. I really loved this skirt. It went with everything. I exhaled deeply as I got up to change. The clothing he had left me was laid out on his square, oak desk. It was a long-sleeved, lavender babydoll dress.

How fitting, I smirked. He always bought me pretty things.

I slipped on the dress and strapped my heels before discarding the bloodied clothing into the bin behind his desk. Nobody would be in here to find any of it and I knew he'd have it immediately destroyed by the morning.

I pulled open the oak door only to be welcomed by flashing cameras and the Gotham police scouring all over the second floor. Which was a strange thing to see.

And kind of funny too.

Angelo being the kingpin that he is, all he ever left police with was a hunch. They suspected he was the leader of the ring but had no proof that he actually was. Angelo also had enough crooked cops under his belt to keep any evidence from being found. He had quite the inner circle.

My legs strode through the many officers and investigators that were inspecting the area. The second level looked so much different without the lights dimmed. In an odd way, it made it seem more seedy. Like the light told the story of the real going ons in here.

There was a lot you could hide in the dark.

My attention was snagged by a group of officers huddled between booths 04 and 05. They were in lengthy conversation with a man dressed in a tan trench coat. His face was wrinkled intently as the younger of the four filled him in.

Upon further inspect, I recognized the man. It was Commissioner Gordon. A lump in my throat had formed. This meant The Bat was not too far behind. No wonder Angelo was a wreck.

I found myself drawn to the scene of my attempted murder. Red scribbled words catching my irises. There was a slender girl inside taking pictures of the crime. She must have been with forensics.

I leaned a hand on the door, taking it all in. My blood was certainly used to write a message, alright. A bunch of "Ha, ha, ha's" and "One week" sloppily scrawled across its length. I doubted anyone would understand what any of it meant.

But I did.

My eyes fell upon the seat of the booth. Sprawled across it was another girl. A dead girl.

I felt my fingers grip the molding of the doorway. She had been stabbed brutally in the gut, just like me. Her eyes frozen forever in terror. Her hair matted to the leather. I started to piece it all together.

I didn't die, so someone else had to take the fall. She had been a recent higher here. A no name stripper. I could feel that familiar squirm in my gut. The linear measures Angelo would take to protect himself and his business sickened me sometimes.

And yet…

"Hey! You're not suppose to be in here!"

I turned to see the younger officer glaring at me and the forensic inside. I stepped away as the dainty blonde made her way out. She held her camera close to her heart. The officer looked puzzled between us two.

"How did you even get in here? All reporters are to stay outside of the crime scene." he gestured to the other girl.

A reporter, huh? I could see that.

She offered him a sly smile, "No worries, officer. I was just leaving."

As she tried to make a break for it he called after her but another booming voice interrupted. We both snapped our heads in that direction.

"Stanza! What's all the trouble?" It was Commissioner Gordon.

I glanced back to see the girl had disappeared, making a clean get away. Officer Stanza saw this too. He looked mortified.

"C-Comissioner Gordon, sir!" he hurried back to the mustached man to relay the events.

Suddenly forgotten, I used this opportunity to slip away as well. I was in no mood to be questioned by anybody. I was a ghost floating through the chaos that had unfolded in a night club that I use to call home. All of the officials were too busy with their noses buried deep into the investigation.

I managed to reach the entrance of the club without a single question. The air had become cool and I felt light on my feet. The whirling colors of red and blue made me dizzy as I tried to find Lady Eliza's limo in the thick of it.

I passed by a few co-workers being interrogated by more police. Everyone I came across looked emotionally wrecked. Which would be normal for anyone who had been a witness to a ruthless murder. However, I couldn't say I felt the same.

Some how I felt, liberated.

"Butterfly!"

My focus diverted to a white limo containing Lady Eliza hanging out of the window. She was smiling ear to ear as she waved me to her vehicle.

When I approached, she propped open the door for me to climb in. I didn't hesitate. All I wanted in this moment was to be as far from this joint as possible.

Lady Eliza closed the door behind me and nestled back into the cushiony seats. "You look surprisingly well." She cooed, taking a sip of the martini in her other hand.

I cringed.

She noticed this. "Don't worry, love. Your secret is safe with me." She winked.

I couldn't bring myself to trust her. More over, how the hell did she even know?

As if reading my mind, she answered. "Angelo told me. A loooong time ago."

That bastard. Betrayed again.

"Why would he tell you?" Poison evident in my voice.

"To protect you, naturally." She seemed to be having fun with this.

I was not amused. "Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. Yet I still got stabbed."

"You don't trust any of us, do you?"

I didn't answer.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Everything Angelo does, he does within good reason and intent."

I felt a pain in my heart. I acknowledged most of that to be true, but still.

The limo went over a small bump in the road making Lady Eliza's black bob sway. "I can see that clown is very influential."

I smoothed my fingers over the lace strewn around the under bust of my dress. "What's the deal with that any way?"

"Nothing that directly concerns you." She took another sip. "Mostly Dr. Freud. Ya kinda got caught up in it. I think you've served Joker's purpose."

That stung a little bit and again, I wasn't sure why.

The rest of the ride had remained a silent one. Which wasn't all bad considering we had only been four minutes from her condo.

When we were finally inside, I marveled at how luxurious everything looked. It was all splashed in light hues. From plush, pink seating to white fur rugs. She had a knack for expressing her riches.

"You can sleep on the settee." She tossed her purse on the counter and lit a cigarette.

I could imagine she only had one bedroom considering she didn't have many female visitors. She pulled brandy from her fridge along with one small glass. Her eyes met mine, "I'm retiring to my room. It's been a long night."

I watched her close her bedroom door behind her before plopping down on the sofa. Staring upwards, I observed the main chandelier swing lightly back and forth. It was hypnotizing in its movements. My fingers absentmindedly trailed along my abdomen again.

I squinted down at my short fingernails thinking about the scar that would never be. Donnie started to cross my mind.

My body stretched back onto the rest of the sofa as I let my eyes close. His face filling in the void behind my lids. I recalled the day he had decided to that I was no longer anything more than his experiment.

That day started off like any other day. I wouldn't visit Donnie often while he was working at his lab, but when I did, it was usually with lunch or dinner in hand. I remembered bringing turkey sandwiches and pasta salad.

At the time, I was a simple waitress at the local diner in the small town of Monroe. The lab where Donnie worked towered over the town like some leering giant. Everybody was afraid of it.

Not me though. I thought Donnie was brilliant. I thought he could change the world. Change us. Change me.

I loved him.

"I thought I'd make a simple dinner for us tonight. Something easy to eat while you work." I set the plastic bag next to him.

He was engrossed in his microscope studying whatever liquid he had on the slide. "Olive, hun, I've got a deadline. I have no time for eating."

I pouted. I was very child-like back then. I was also nineteen. "You work so hard, though."

He sighed, turning away from his work. "I know, pumpkin. But if I don't finish this…"

"Whose it for?" I took up a chair next to him.

He looked weary to speak. "A very important man whose paying me good, good money." His eyes traced worriedly back to his microscope.

My brows furrowed, "The big one?"

I could see a faint smile tug at the corner of his thin lips. "Yes, the big one. With this money we could certainly leave this town."

Excitement grew in my chest. "Really?! Well what do you need help with? Is there anything I could do?"

He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. "Ah, I'm afraid not. The formula seems stable but I'm not sure if it will really work. I've exhausted all my rats so I'll have to go out and get another…test subject…" He had paused now, slowly lifting his eyes to me.

"So you just need more mice?" I inquired, never picking up the warning sign.

"Olive," I curiously watched his hand crawl across his desk reaching for something. "baby, doll face, you really wanna be Donnie's little helper?"

A wave of caution washed over me. There was something crazed lurking behind his deep, brown eyes. Why hadn't I noticed it before? I stared as he pulled a syringe from the desk.

"Donnie, you're scaring me." I jumped out of my chair.

His tone turned dark. "You said you wanted to help, right? Remember when we sat under the stars and talked about how we wanted to blow this town. Well," he waved the syringe around. "this is it! Don't you want that?"

My heart was pounding as my eyes welled. He was using our precious memories against me. It tore a hole in my soul. "Not like this, Don."

His face slacked with something I didn't recognize. "It's too late. You're committed."

I screamed when he lunged for me, pinning me to the ground. I fought my hardest against his strong arms but of course I was no match. He was merciless as he held my head down, exposing my neck.

"Donnie, don't! Please!" I begged, struggling not to choke on my own tears.

His voice was very hushed, "Olive, this is so important to me. Important for us. If I don't finish this tonight he might-" I could see his internal struggle with that out come. "This is for the best. You'll be alright. I promise."

A guttural sound ripped from throat as he jammed the needled into my neck, dispensing the clear liquid. It felt like cement coating my veins. The same feeling I had after waking up from being brutally shanked. But of course, the first time that it happened, I didn't know what was going on. Or why.

This was suppose to be the man I love. The man I supported. The man I saw myself having a future with whether we stayed in this town or not. Albeit, he was several years older than me so my fantasies may have been just that, fantasies. Looking back, I was very naive to believe he'd ever really put me before his work.

I let a heavy breath escape my lips. My memories didn't seem real anymore. I had locked away all of my time spent with Donnie in the back of my mind. After his death, I just wanted to sweep him under the carpet like old dust. I assumed he deserved that, making me into what I am today. Imagine all the kooks who'd love to dissect this little bug.

Little bug.

My eyes immediately opened. I caught the sound of a faint scrape touching the window outside. Biting my lip, I debated if I really wanted to know what or who that sound belonged to. Then again, if I didn't act, Lady Eliza could be in danger.

I mustered up the courage to sit up and glance out the balcony glass doors. There was nobody there but the noise definitely emitted from beyond it. What did I have to really lose at this point?

I got up and trailed slowly to the double doors. I pressed my right hand against the glass. My eyes scanned the entire balcony but still, there was nothing. Then I heard the scratching again. It was coming from above me.

I switched on the outside light to get a better look at what was catching against the glass. Tied to the neck of the lamp was a purple balloon and tied to the balloon was a folded piece of paper. My name was scrawled upon it.

I clenched my teeth, preparing to retrieve it. I had an inkling to who might have written me. I gingerly pushed open one of the doors and snatched the note from the balloon. My hands were shaking as I tried to unfold it.

Something dropped out of the note making me leap a few feet back. I had to cover my mouth quickly to stifle my subtle scream. My eyes darted back and forth making sure Lady Eliza didn't hear me.

After a few seconds of silence, I investigated the object that had fallen to the floor. It was a perfectly preserved butterfly. Emphasis on was, before I had let it drop unceremoniously to the tile. It's wings mostly shattered. I could somehow relate.

My grey eyes drifted back to the now opened note. The hand writing was more or less chicken scratch. Scribbles of a mad man:

Dear Chrysalis,

In light of the horrendous ordeal Mr. Rouse put you through, I hope you can accept my token of apology. I know how much you like butterflies.

Delicate little things.

I'd also like to clear the air between us, little bug. So I'm temporarily rooming at the opposite end of this building with a friend, number 208.

I'll be expecting you in five.

- J

Hello! I wanted to take a second and thank everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm going to be busy the next couple of days so I wanted to add at least one more chapter before next week. I also felt that this was an appropriate place to insert a little of Olive's backstory to bring things full circle, eventually. I know some stuff might still be a bit unclear but don't you worry, everything happens for a reason. ;)

I hope you're all still really enjoying this, and please, R&R!

Thank you!