TRIGGER WARNING: As you can probably tell from the title of this chapter, this section has heavy references to drugs and overdose.
Chapter 22
Overdose
Ana nervously drummed her fingertips against the wooden table. She glanced around the lounge in the hideout, taking in all the changes since she was last there several months ago. The new dining table looked formal and important, with traditional carvings etched into the legs. It's mismatch of dining chairs each boasted a different style and era entirely though, suggesting an easy find at a scrap yard.
She glanced at the sofa and TV that was still set in the far-right corner of the room, but now had five other chairs scattered around it. To her right near the entrance were a pile of large crates, assumingly holding new artillery, while to the left was the large boarded-up bay window. Ana gazed at the specks of dust slowly dancing in the cool rays of the sunrise outside.
Her first official day back after what felt like a lifetime of alienation. Ana swallowed a lump in her throat and lowered her head, her eyes sliding to the glossed wooden knots along the table.
Duncan strolled in behind and pulled out a chair to sit beside her. Ana looked up at her ex-lover and offered a light smile.
"Here's your old phone, I held on to it," he faded off, sliding the old phone across the table.
"Thanks," Ana mumbled, reaching out to glance at her old belongings.
"And your old room is still up for grabs if you were fed up with that tiny apartment of yours," Duncan leaned back in his chair, observing his old companion.
"You knew where I lived?" Ana raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"Of course I did, the Boss needed someone to keep an eye on you," Duncan waved in dismissal. Ana let out a scoff at his bluntness.
"Right, of course," she glanced down at her phone, hiding the pang of annoyance on her face that he knew where she lived and never came to see her. "Do you still live here?" she asked tentatively. Duncan met her gaze and looked away avoiding eye contact.
"No, I moved out once I had saved enough money. But a few others still live here," he gestured to the L-shaped stairs that led to the other rooms from the entrance hall.
"Right, I imagine being the Joker's right-hand man pays well," Ana nodded and pursed her lips. Her eyes locked onto Duncan's features. "How's the gunshot wound?" she nodded to his chest where he was ambushed by the mob when they kidnapped the Joker.
"It's fine, how's yours?" Duncan replied, referring to the wound in her leg.
"It's fine," Ana lowered her head again and stared at the table.
The space between them suddenly left dense with awkwardness. The time that had passed these last few months was laced with an unshakable sense of betrayal and desertion to Ana. Any feelings of love and softness towards Duncan were fading. Ana was unsure why Duncan felt cold towards her though.
What did he have to be mad about?
Not wanting to start her first day back with bitterness, she powered through the silence.
"I haven't seen Winston yet. Is he still around?" Ana asked with an added chipper tone, glancing around. Duncan glanced back at the girl and let out a soft sigh.
"He's around. He's more of an outdoor cat these days. He'll go out for days and come back all filthy and carrying a dead rat or something," Duncan explained. Ana let out a little chuckle.
"Well, he's changed," she smiled.
"That's what you're supposed to do when the situations change. You adapt," Duncan came back sharply. Ana stared at him, slightly taken back by his speed, and not missing the clear dig towards her.
"That's sometimes harder than you think," Ana leaned back in her chair, her eyes sliding back to the waltzing dust particles in the light beams.
Duncan shifted in his chair as he rested an arm on the table.
"Why did you come back?" he finally asked, watching his hand graze against the table. Ana stared at the dust sparkling against the sunrise. A peaceful ballet that guided her to her response.
"This is all I have," she breathed.
"You had a chance for better. You had a chance to escape all of this and to do something better with your life, but you wasted it," Duncan replied promptly. He clearly had been wanting to say this for a long time. Ana couldn't mistake the anger in his tone.
"You can't force someone to do something they're not ready to do," she glared back at Duncan, "Even if it seems like the better option for them. You don't know what they're going through, even if you think you can imagine it. You don't have to understand it, you don't have to like it, you just have to respect it and move on," Ana and Duncan stared at each other.
Duncan went to speak.
"Besides, what's it to you?" Ana interrupted him with a cold stare. "Why do you care?" she spat. Duncan let out an irritated scoff.
The front door of the hideout creaked open with the noise of chattering people filling the entrance hallway. Ana's eyes flickered away from Duncan to address the unfamiliar voices.
A group of people wandered into sight, 2 men and 2 women.
Ana hadn't realised more women had joined the team. She tensed up as these unknown people started to take notice of her.
"What's up Dunks?" one of the women called, sauntering in towards them.
Duncan broke away from Ana and looked up to address the team.
"You alright Kira," Duncan nodded. Ana eyed the woman up and down, noticing her taller stance and slightly athletic frame. Her pale freckled skin had a light brush of makeup, while her faded murky blue hair was tied up in an unkempt low ponytail. She wore a white tank with a denim jacket wrapped around her jeans.
"I'm all good, my love," she patted Duncan on the shoulder.
My love? Was that just a friendly remark or were they an item?
"Who's your friend?" she stared down at Ana. Ana looked up and felt the urge to shorten the height distance quickly.
"Ana," Ana spoke flatly, watching to see if recognition appeared on Kira's face.
"Ana…" Kira's eyebrows rose, and a smile spread across her face. Ana felt a twinge of smugness that her reputation presided her.
"Yep," Ana held her stare.
"I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere, drugged up to your eyeballs," Kira laughed, glancing back at the other three who also sniggered in the entranceway.
Ana let out a chuckle and slowly stood up. Kira was still slightly taller than her to Ana's annoyance.
"Nope, I was just busy saving the Boss. You know, I didn't see you guys there?" Ana remarked with a smirk. "I guess you were just too afraid. But don't worry that's normal for newbies, it'll come with time," Ana condescendingly smiled.
Kira let out a scoff and started to square up to Ana.
"For your information, we've been here for 6 months already," the girl in the back called out, her dark brunette hair falling across her face as she sneered towards Ana.
"6 months?" Ana asked in a false surprise. Ana couldn't ignore that the Joker replaced her after only 2 months laid up in hospital. She pushed it aside for now.
"Wow, you've been here for 6 months," she continued, glancing at the brunette girl and then back at Kira. "Well, I've been here for 6 years. On and off I guess you could say," Ana's face dropped. Duncan decided not to intervene and just watched the pair.
"Let me ask you this?" Ana said, digging into Kira's eyes, "In all your 6 months have you ever heard of the Joker being merciful?" Ana glanced at the other group, but no one answered.
"No, of course not" Kira tentatively answered. Ana returned her glare.
"Wrong. 8 months ago, when the Joker murdered all his men in hospital, he showed me mercy. In all my 6 years, I've never seen him show mercy to one of his men. Yet, he did for me. Why do you think that is, hmmm?" Ana cocked her head to the side.
"Well clearly you're whoring yourself out to him," Kira smugly remarked. Duncan's eyes flashed to Ana, waiting for a response. Ana let out a chuckle.
"No, try again," Ana smiled, enjoying watching the cogs turn in Kira's head.
"Why would I know?" she finally said, with clear irritation coming out in her voice.
"Loyalty, respect, understanding," Ana spoke sternly. "I've been working with the Joker longer than all your times combined. You want to know how to get on his good side? Don't piss me off and maybe I'll teach you," Ana finished.
Kira stared down at the girl, slowly pursing her lips considering her next step. The brunette stared at the other guys, unsure what to do.
Ana held eye contact with Kira, knowing that she couldn't lose the staring battle without reducing the power that she just portrayed.
"Kira, the crates in the hall need to be moved," Duncan ordered, growing tired of the pair. Kira let out a sigh of frustration, stepping back from Ana.
"Yes, Dunks," she grumbled before storming out of the room, the group following her.
Ana let out a breath that she didn't realise she was holding in. She had forgotten the power game you had to play in this place. One thing she didn't miss.
"2 months? It took 2 months for the Joker to replace me with that blue candyfloss?" Ana demanded.
"Well, we didn't think you'd be coming back," Duncan glanced up at her with his arms crossed.
"And yet, you kept my phone and my room free," Ana recalled.
Duncan's lips thinned trying to contain a half-smile.
"Can I see my room now?" Ana asked with her eyebrows raised.
Walking upstairs and down the corridor, Ana slowed near her old room. Taking in a deep breath, she creaked open the door. To her surprise, the room looked in decent condition, but her stuff was gone.
Most likely stolen by Kira.
Ana wandered into the room and gazed around, observing the dusty furniture and high ceilings that were laced with cobwebs. It wasn't much, but she felt a sense of belonging here.
Ana breathed out and released a small smile, wandering over to the boarded-up windows. Glancing through the gaps, she regarded her old view of the courtyard out front.
The Joker was lost in thought calculating his next plan, figuring out the correct timings and every possible direction. He strode down the corridor in search of Duncan, mumbling his formulas to himself.
Strolling past Ana's old room, he noticed that the door was open. He snapped his head to glance inside as he passed. Realising that someone was in there, he stopped in his tracks and stepped backwards to look again.
Seeing Ana standing by the window, he let out a smirk.
"Admiring the view?" he asked her back and leaned against the doorframe. Ana glanced behind with a light smile.
"Yes," she breathed and glanced down, trying to control the curve in her mouth. "It's good to be back," she looked back up to the Joker, noticing his smug look.
"Good," he simply said, pushing himself off the frame. "I've got a job for you," he wandered over to Ana who looked back with eager eyes.
"Tomorrow, we're robbing the police," the Joker spread his hands, gesturing a surprise. Ana didn't understand what his goal was in raiding the police station but figured that she didn't need to know. "I need you to block off the East Street corner. It'll be one of the more obvious routes where backup will come. Unless you're there, blocking their way," the Joker cocked his head to the side, staring down at his old recruit.
"How will I block their way?" Ana frowned, trying to plan out the attack.
"Get creative. Like old times." The Joker grinned down at the girl. Ana nodded, slowly remembering times when she blocked streets with burning vehicles, barricades of scrap yard piles, and one time a well-planned riot. "You'll take one of the vans," the Joker waved dismissively, turning away to leave.
"Sure thing, Boss. You can count on me," Ana spoke confidently, watching the Joker exit.
When he was out of sight, she swallowed a lump in her throat. A wave of excitement washed over her, followed by another wave of dread.
My first job. You can't blow it. Not now.
Ana wasn't wasting any time. By the next morning, she had already begun to move her stuff back in. It didn't take long, there were only a few boxes of personal items like toiletries, electronics and clothing.
She had found a few of her old pieces of clothing around the hideout and decided to revisit her old look. Ana straightened up her favourite black blazer and rolled up the sleeves. It was too warm for boots so her trainers, black jeans and crop top would have to do for now.
Ana studied her outfit and noticed how the blazer was hanging looser than she remembered. She reached into the pocket and observed her stash.
That would be why. I guess it got pretty bad there for a while.
She scoffed to herself and shrugged, carelessly opening the sachet, and sprinkling some of the powder onto the back of her hand.
In one sniff she felt it rush through her and burn her nostrils. She out a quiet groan while wiping her nose with her other hand. She noticed a drop of blood on her fingertips.
"What the…" she mumbled, walking to the mirror fixed to her wardrobe. This time she wasn't suffering from a full nosebleed, she only saw a few raw wounds inside her nostrils.
"Ready for your big first day back?" a condescending voice called from the corridor. Ana rolled her eyes and glanced over to Kira, who was hanging off the doorframe.
Ana quietly cleared her throat and forced a stern expression.
"Of course," she hissed.
"Try not to cock up this time, wouldn't want Daddy Joker to send you away again," Kira laughed and wandered out of sight before Ana could respond.
Ana glared after her but once she realised how useless it was, she let out a long sigh and dropped her head.
"I'm not going to mess up," Ana whispered to herself. She glanced up at her reflection, noting how dull and sunken her face still looked. Her blonde hair was growing out but still looked lifeless and dry.
"I didn't cock up last time, it wasn't my fault," she muttered to her reflection, remembering the power station heist when she and Charles were ambushed.
"Could you have defended yourself better?" her reflection asked.
"No no no, we were like sitting ducks up there," she shook her head.
"You messed up and fell," the reflection countered.
"We were electrocuted and thrown from the pylons," Ana corrected.
The memory of her suffering the raw heat of the electricity surging through her body flashed through her mind. A silent scream lingered. She couldn't speak but she still remembers trying to let out a petrified cry.
"Stop it. It'll be fine," Ana finished, yanking her blazer collar one last time. She sniffed again and checked her nostrils before heading downstairs.
Walking down the stairs, she watched everyone heading out of the door. They were all geared up with their clown masks and artillery.
Her eyes scanned the room and saw Kira and the gang she met earlier laughing. Kira met her eyes and then mumbled something to the group. They laughed again. Ana pushed down a pang of annoyance and unjustified embarrassment.
Since when was this high school?
Getting to the bottom of the stairs, Ana watched the Joker storm out of the lounge and follow the team. His eyes clocked Ana standing to the side.
"Grab the bag in the kitchen. Remember East Street Corner. Don't mess it up," he pointed at her before sauntering out the front door.
Ana watched the hideout empty. Her legs refused to move and her heart was pounding.
"Don't mess it up," she repeated to herself. She glanced over to the kitchen with panicked eyes.
"Come on move," she muttered, willing herself to walk over to the kitchen. As she stood in the doorway, she scanned the room and saw a large black zip-up bag resting on the counter to her right.
Ana strode over to it and peeked inside. More guns. They will help her block the East Street Corner.
A wave of nausea hit her and her stomach flipped. Ana rested her hands against the counter and lowered her head. She started to breathe heavier trying to ease this sinking feeling.
"What do I do? What do I do?" she panted, feeling her chest tighten.
"Oh my god," she struggled to breathe, realising that she may be having a panic attack.
Ana pulled her head back gasping for air. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating faster. She tried to breathe in rhythm to her heart to calm herself down but knowing that she needed to leave right now was distracting her.
"Don't mess it up," the Joker's voice rang in her head.
Oh my god. What do I do? What do I do?
Ana's eyes were frantic trying to focus on something. Anything. She placed her other hand in her pocket and felt the plastic wrapping of her stash.
Letting out a wheeze she gawked down at the sachet in her palm.
Yes.
Knowing that her cocaine was great for blocking out her anxiety and pain, she shakily opened the packet and poured a piled line onto the counter.
She couldn't remember if this was part of Isaac Baxter's tainted stock, but she had just tried a bit and it was fine. She didn't have time to lose.
In one last moment of hesitation, Ana bent down and sniffed the powder off the counter.
She felt the immense quantity fill her sinuses and move through her body. Her panic flashed before her and then hyper-focused into a high-pitched ringing.
Ana let out a huge moan of euphoria, her breathing slowed and her head went fuzzy. Her eyes suddenly felt heavier, and the burning sensation came back in her nose.
Ana let out a pained wince while rubbing her nose again. She peered down at her hand and saw it covered in blood. Her breathing started to quicken again.
Her head was feeling heavier like she could fall over from the weight. She placed both hands on the counter to steady herself, leaving a bloody handprint.
Nausea returned with vengeance. The room started to spin.
Realising that she had gone too far, she tried to stagger out of the kitchen to her room. She knew that upstairs she kept an adrenaline shot for this very reason. She cursed herself for leaving her mobile up there as well.
Ana stumbled across the entry hall, her nose bleeding profusely. She lazily tried to cover her nose with both hands but quickly let them fall beside her while growing more tired. Ana eventually climbed up the stairs, leaving red handprints along the bannister and walls. She let out a gurgled groan, struggling to get to the top of the stairs.
The room was spinning and going dark. She fell into her bedroom and crawled to her boxes that sat on the other side near the window.
Reaching out she tugged one of the boxes on top of the pile. It fell to the side, sending its contents across the floor in front of her.
Ana's breathing started to slow down once again, her eyes glazing over. She slowly rested her head on the ground. Her mouth opened agape and her eyes flickering shut.
"She's dead. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead," The Joker muttered to himself while wildly driving the van down the street.
Duncan dug his nails into the dashboard, trying to keep himself steady.
"I'm sure there's a valid reason for her not showing up, Boss," Duncan cautiously spoke, clinging on to the speeding vehicle.
"If she isn't dead, she's going to be," the Joker grimly smiled at Duncan, carelessly taking his eyes off the road.
The van swerved into their street, sending out a loud screech that bounced off the surrounding buildings. It slowed when they drove down the alley.
"It's a good thing we had that bazooka otherwise we'd all be behind bars right now," the Joker growled.
"She might have been arrested on her way there," Duncan reassured as they drove towards the hideout.
"Oh really? Then why is her van still out front?" the Joker gritted his teeth and pointed at the parked vehicle.
"Oh," Duncan gawked at the parked van and slumped in his chair.
The Joker shook his head and started muttering to himself again.
"Oh she's dead. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead," he continued. The van grinded to a halt and the Joker kicked open the door and jumped out. Duncan hastily followed him into the base.
"She'd dead, she's dead, she's…" The Joker marched into the entranceway and immediately noticed the blood trailing along the floor and up the stairs. His eyes landed on the blooded handprints on the bannisters and up the walls.
His face turned to puzzlement, sucking his cheeks in deep thought.
"What the hell?" Duncan exhaled. His eyes widened, scanning the room.
Without hesitation, he sprinted past the Joker and worked his way up the stairs. His breath trembled with the fear of what he was about to find.
The Joker's eyes followed him upstairs while he casually wandered to the kitchen. He leaned into the room, his eyes instantly landing on the untouched duffle bag. They slid down to another bloody handprint on the counter, sitting next to remnants of white powder.
He made a clicking noise with his tongue and turned away. He walked along the blood trail and followed it up the stairs, eyeing it with fascination and curiosity. Every couple of steps, the Joker skipped over the line as if he were playing jump rope.
When he got to Ana's room, he slowed his pace and leaned against the doorframe.
Without moving, his eyes quickly calculated the scene. Ana was lying on her side. Her hair was wet with strands stuck to her face. Blood had dried, leaving a red river down her chin and left cheek. White foamy vomit dripped from her mouth. Her eyes were glazed over.
The Joker stared at her, his face blank.
"I think she's OD'd!" Duncan called to the Joker and then crouched closer to the girl, "Ana! What did you do?!" he yelled, holding onto her face. He shook her, but there was no response.
"She has one of those adrenaline things somewhere," he frantically said, diving towards the pile of boxes.
The Joker lazily stood off the doorframe and walked closer, cocking his head to look at her again.
"I got it!" Duncan declared to no one raising a medical pack containing an adrenaline shot. He quickly tore it open and started to prepare the needle.
"I don't know what to do next," Duncan gawked up at the Joker. The Joker shrugged.
Duncan's eyes widened looking down at Ana. Seeing her in this state sent shivers down his spine. They were losing her.
The Joker watched Duncan struggle for a few more moments before he rolled his eyes and started shrugging off his heavy coat.
"Here," he commanded, kneeling next to Ana, and roughly rolling her onto her back. He noticed how she felt lighter than usual and moved like a rag doll.
The Joker swiftly tore open her top to reveal her bra underneath. Without hesitation, he snatched the needle from Duncan and violently stabbed it into Ana's chest, aiming for her heart.
Duncan watched with panicked eyes. Had he done this before or was just good at stabbing things?
As the serum entered Ana's bloodstream, she let out a heavy gulp of air, causing her chest to rise and fill her lungs. Her eyes flashed open. She rolled over to the side and vomited across the floor.
Duncan let out a sigh of relief and looked at the Joker.
"Thank you," he breathed to the Boss. The Joker just grunted and returned to leaning against the doorframe.
"You're okay Ana, just let it out," Duncan rubbed her back while she continued to breathe heavily and throw up onto the floor.
An hour had dragged by in Ana's room. There were no words, only silence while Ana struggled to recover from her overdose. Duncan had transferred her to her bed and sat beside her, watching as she continued to vomit, pant, and sweat terribly.
The Joker hadn't said a word. He merely watched from the door, his back pressed against the frame and his gloved hands and bare arms crossed over his chest.
Duncan dapped a cold towel against her forehead. She tiredly opened her eyes and glanced over at her ex-lover. Still breathing heavily, she became more aware of her surroundings at last, hauling herself out of her never-ending back and forth from the unconscious to the awake.
"What happened?" she weakly murmured, lightly licking her licks to hydrate them. Duncan shifted in his seat with eager eyes.
"You overdosed," Duncan spoke softly, but still had a hint of a lecture in his tone.
"Oh," Ana turned her head away and let out a disappointed sigh. She felt the sweat beads on her forehead. Her body was still fighting against the remains of the cocaine in her system.
"I'm so stupid," she shut her eyes tightly.
"You need to stop the drugs, Ana," Duncan leaned in and touched her shoulder. Ana glanced back at Duncan. Her eyes flickered to the Joker. As her eyes met him, he looked away. His face looked stern, maybe even a little angry.
"I can't just stop Duncan," Ana admitted, looking back at the henchman in defeat. Duncan let out a prolonged exhale while watching her give in so easily to the drugs.
"I can't," Ana breathed.
The Joker let out a scoff and angrily pushed himself off the doorframe. He stormed over to Ana, his eyes dark with rage. Ana's eyes widened at his approach. He shoved Duncan out of the way, causing the henchman to let out a sharp yelp.
Ana pushed herself up on her elbows, trying to prepare for what unknown thing he was about to do.
The Joker violently grabbed hold of a chunk of her hair. She let out a scream at the sudden shooting pain on her scalp. The Joker hauled her off the bed and dragged her to the door. Ana tried to stand up and keep their distance narrow, so he didn't tear out her hair.
"Boss!" she shrieked, holding onto the roots to try and soften his grasp. The Joker ignored her and continued to the stairs and down. Ana started to trip on the steps, causing the Joker to drag her again. Not looking back at his henchwoman, he marched down the stairs, his nostrils flared and jaw tense.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the Joker hauled her around the bannister to the doorway underneath. Duncan watched from above, seeing the pair head to the basement.
"Stop!" Ana screamed again, managing to stand up. She started to punch at the Boss.
The Joker snapped his head down to face her, fiery in his eyes. He yanked open the basement door and viciously threw Ana into the dark stairway, deliberately making her trip and fall down the rickety stairs.
There was a loud rolling bang that echoed into the entrance hall. Ana collided with the wooden steps, each one ramming into her. As she crashed onto the concrete floor, she clutched her shoulder trying to let out a scream, but the pain was too immense. She had dislocated it!
She let out a silent breathless scream and watched the Joker advance down the stairs toward her. There was a glint in his eye and a slight curve in his mouth. He was enjoying this.
"No," Ana winced. The Joker snatched her other arm and dragged her down the corridor towards the vault.
With his free hand, he hauled open the heavy metal door, causing it to screech in obedience.
The Joker let out a giggle and threw Ana into the box room.
Landing face down, Ana let out a pained groan and pushed herself up. She quickly scanned around the room, nothing but the usual essentials of an old mattress, a bucket, and a chair.
Her head snapped to the door, seeing the Joker loom in the way. Ana caught her breath, knowing what he was about to do.
She frantically pulled herself to her feet and dove for the exit. The Joker grinned wickedly and promptly slammed the door shut. Locking her inside. Alone.
The harsh white light flashed to a dull green light. An emergency light that made the small room warp into textureless walls and darker looming shadows.
Ana heard the Joker laugh hysterically, sauntering away from the door and down the corridor.
"Joker!" she screamed, slamming her hand against the metal.
"Joker!"