Author's Note: Hello everyone, I hope you are all well. Just popping in to give a little shoutout to few readers who have cropped up this past month or so. Firstly thank you Shaddai, Stardreamer1457 and maylinetisserand25 for the favourite and follow! Now for the reviews, thank you to cozyapples, Shaddai and Stardreamer1457 for the reviews, you are amazing and brighten my day with your comments! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter! ^_^
Chapter 19
Blade
Ana's apartment was still. Outside her door, the unwelcome ruckus from her neighbours seeped through. People yelling, people playing loud bass music, and others stomping around upstairs. A loud car beeped outside her window, signalling that the day was already underway.
Ana wearily opened her eyes and looked around her apartment. Her tap in the tiny kitchenette was dripping continuous beats. She looked at her sofa on the other side of the room, visualizing Winston sitting there ready to greet her.
The girl sat up slowly, feeling the sharp pain from her stab wound from the night before. After Gabe stitched her up and gave her some painkillers, he sent her home. Protecting his ass.
Ana quietly winced as the pain in her abdomen radiated around her stomach and up her lower back. A pain that she now must bear, courtesy of her fall. She raised her hand and carefully grazed her face, hissing at the fresh bruises that were sure to be there.
She let out a long dreary sigh as she braced herself and allowed the different areas of pain to overwhelm her body, helping her understand what she had to deal with today.
Her mobile phone vibrated on her side table, Ana glanced over and checked the notification. She noticed first that the clock said 3:14 pm.
"Shit," she tiredly whispered. It was no surprise that she had slept the day away already, she doesn't even remember when she got back this morning. She glanced at the phone's notification, realising that there were a few missed calls and texts.
"Where are you?" Isaac messaged her three hours ago. Ana rubbed her tired eyes, wincing at the flash of pain. She couldn't care less that she was late for the new Boss.
Ana crawled out of bed and slowly staggered to her bathroom. Turning on the light, the dusty reflection over her sink revealed a girl that she no longer recognised. Her ginger hair was faded and dull, her dark blonde roots were starting to come through. Her face showed three different bruises, two on her left eye and cheekbone, and the other along her right jawbone.
She stared at her tired eyes, they looked sunken, red and sombre.
"Who are you?" she mumbled taking in each detail, each freckle, and each wrinkle, trying to remind herself. Ana closed her eyes and lowered her head.
A loud banging echoed across the apartment from her front door. Ana glanced over and cautiously walked out of the bathroom. She leaned against her bathroom doorframe and glanced down at her side table. Ana slowly opened the top drawer, pulled out a flick knife and made her way to answer the door.
She peered through the peephole, worried that it was the Italians tracking her down. Instead, she saw the distorted fisheye figure of Isaac standing there. Ana rolled her eyes and contemplated not opening the door.
"Elizabeth, I know you're there," Isaac called from the other side, Ana could hear the twang of annoyance coming from his tone. After tossing her knife into a pair of boots, she pursed her lips, stared up at the ceiling and then let out a long exhale, preparing herself for what was next.
Ana opened the door to let Isaac in.
"There you are, Elizabeth," Isaac flatly announced as he stared at her, clearly noticing her injuries immediately. He walked in and pushed past Ana.
"Don't you know the rules? You answer me when I call, you come to me when I say, and you never…" he squared up to her, "… ever skip a day without my say so," he scowled. Ana stumbled back and stared at the ground.
"Sorry," she mumbled, closing the door.
"What was that?" he snapped, glaring at her.
"Sorry, Boss," Ana breathed.
"I didn't hear you," he stepped closer to her, looming down.
"Sorry, Boss," Ana spoke up and glared at him. Isaac let out a scoff as he walked past her and glanced around her apartment.
"So what happened? You look like shit," he bluntly said. Ana crossed her arms as she turned to watch him walking around her place. She felt very exposed and wanted something to help cover herself up.
"I got jumped last night," Ana coldly explained.
"Shame they didn't leave your face, but I can still use you I suppose," Isaac glanced at her unmade bed. Ana swallowed a lump in her throat, she started feeling uneasy and nauseous around this man.
"Did you pick up a more exciting outfit for today?" Isaac asked as he sauntered to her cupboard drawer near the sofa. He rummaged through her clothes, throwing a few of them on the floor. Ana watched him, visibly annoyed at his rudeness, but feeling unable to move due to the pain and the nausea.
"Ah, this will do," he flung a dress onto the bed. Ana eyed the clothing, recalling that she only wore that tight-fitting dress if she was going out to hook up with a guy and fill the ever-growing void.
"Put it on," Isaac ordered as he cocked his head to the side.
"I'm not feeling well," Ana murmured, trying to keep down the queasiness. Isaac stared at her and let out a drawn-out sigh.
"You know, my little Elizabeth, you look like you need some of this," Isaac pulled out of his jean pocket a sachet of cocaine. "It will help with the pain," he smirked.
Ana eyed her favourite product, knowing that it would help soothe her aches and rid her mind of the constant reminder of the growing abyss within her. She realised that she was completely sober right now, instantly scaring her.
Ana walked towards Isaac and reached out to grab the sachet.
"I don't think so," Isaac teased as he pulled away. Ana started to shake as she angrily glared at the man. "Get changed first," he ordered, eying her up and down like some piece of meat.
Ana paused momentarily, then nodded and lowered her head. She turned to pick up the dress and started to walk to the bathroom to get changed.
"No," Isaac called, stopping her in her tracks. Ana knew what he was about to say, she turned but stared at the ground. "Get changed right here," he smirked.
Ana glared at Isaac, who only responded with raised eyebrows.
"Fine," Ana growled, straightening up and holding eye contact. She figured if he was trying to make her feel small, then she would try and act like she doesn't give a damn.
Ana pulled off her baggy t-shirt, revealing her naked chest. She went to pull the dress over herself before taking off her leggings.
"Take off the leggings first," Isaac couldn't help but smile as he eyed Ana's naked form. Ana let out an exhale through her nose and complied, pulling down her leggings, and standing there exposed.
Isaac observed her bandaged waist.
"You bandaged yourself up?" he asked as he started walking toward her.
"Yeah," Ana simply said as she pulled out a bra and underwear from her side table and started placing the bra around her chest.
"No," Isaac whispered as he stood in front of her and snatched her wrist, stopping her from securing the bra hooks. Ana looked up at the man, feeling the same sensation from last night when Armando grabbed her wrist.
"You want your next fix? You work for it," he whispered as his other hand grazed up Ana's naked waist and nudged under her breast.
He then roughly grabbed Ana by the neck and pulled her in. He forced a kiss, a rough sensation as he pushed his lips against hers.
Ana revealed a flash of sadness as the inner corners of her eyebrows rose. She didn't want this. She didn't want any of it.
Ana staggered down the street, feeling the cold sprinkle of rain patter against her tight-fitting dress, black denim jacket and knee-high heeled boots. Once she recognised the street she was on, she lifted her head and recognised a familiar bar sign. She used to go to this bar before she was kicked out of the Joker's gang.
She reckoned that she would be better going into a bar she previously knew, instead of trying a new one just in case more of Maroni's thugs were around. She decided to keep the flick knife tucked in her boot, just in case there was trouble.
As she entered, she glanced around seeing that nothing had changed. It had a simple layout like other bars, with the counters pushed to the back against a mirrored wall where shelves of spirits and liqueurs were displayed, while various wooden tables were scattered around the centre. She walked over to the bar to order her drink.
"Double vodka and coke," she raised her hand partially as she sat on the bar stool furthest to the right. The barman looked over at Ana and did a double take. He glanced around at the other punters before cautiously approaching her.
"I know who you are, you've come in here before," the older man lowered his voice as he leaned in to warn Ana. Ana's eyes flickered up to him. She figured changing her hair would have been enough to hide herself.
"I'm calling the police if you don't leave right now," the man tried to act threatening, but his wide-eyed look betrayed him.
Ana stared at the man briefly, having already had enough of today, she let out a scoff.
"It's Geoff, isn't it? I remember hearing your name a while ago," Ana crossed her arms and leaned in on the bar. Her heavy eyes dug into the bartenders.
"Well, Geoff, if I threw that delicious vodka and coke, that you're going to make for me, across the room, I guarantee it would splash onto what… 12, maybe 14 criminals," Ana explained as the bartender glanced behind her to see if anyone was listening.
"Knowing this place, I would say that they account for around 90% of your business. If you rat me out to the police, you will break the trust and loyalty of every other customer coming here," Ana calculated causing the barman to shift uncomfortably.
"Your business would go bust overnight. So tell me, are you ready to watch that happen?" Ana finished and tilted her head to the side.
She watched as he struggled to come back with a response. The bartender glanced back at the other customers, counted which ones were truly criminals, and let out a sigh of frustration.
"I don't want any trouble," he whispered.
"Relax," Ana sat back again, "I don't work for him anymore, he's not coming here," Ana sighed. The barman nodded and proceeded to make Ana her drink.
After placing it down, Ana quickly took a large gulp. It felt good to have something to help take the edge off today and make her disconnect from the world of Isaac Baxter.
"Keep them coming," she breathed as she nonchalantly opened her stash of cocaine at the bar and proceeded to scatter it out and snort a line.
An hour or so quickly passed as the combination of drugs and booze knocked Ana out. She was resting her head in her arms on the bar, allowing the heavy doses to consume her. She was still partially awake as she heard the other punters behind her chatting away and ignoring her. She felt herself drift to sleep for what felt like only a couple of minutes, but then her body jolted her awake.
Ana opened her eyes, feeling the buzz disappearing already. She wondered how long she was out for as she lifted her head and moved away some hair that had stuck to her face thanks to her salvia. Ana glanced at her phone to see that she had been out for almost an hour.
"Geoff, another round," Ana requested as she rubbed her drowsy eyes and felt her coarse throat crave another drink.
Ana's other senses started to wake up, as she smelt something familiar. Gunpowder, gasoline, and brandy. Her eyes flickered to the mirrored wall opposite her and saw that somebody was sitting next to her.
Ana swallowed a lump in her throat, feeling her entire body tense up. She briefly glanced at the man beside her and then immediately went back to facing forwards.
She let out a long exhale, rallying herself to talk.
"What are you doing here?" she breathed, still staring ahead in disbelief.
"I fancied a drink," replied the familiar raspy voice that Ana had longed to hear for nearly 8 months.
The Joker was sitting beside her enjoying a glass of brandy. He was hunched over, leaning on the bar, sporting the casual look of a navy blazer and hoodie ensemble, along with the burgundy baseball cap that he had worn when he visited Ana in the hospital.
The bartender came over and placed Ana's drink down, along with another brandy for the clown. Ana's eyes flickered to the bartender's face. His hesitation showed that he knew who was sitting in front of him, despite the Joker not wearing his warpaint. His infamous Glasgow smile was undeniable.
"Cheers, Geoff," the Joker smirked at him, signalling for Geoff to leave.
There was an awkward moment of silence between the pair as they both drank their drinks.
"So, you're drinking more these days," the Joker broke the silence as he took another sip of his brandy.
"That's what I do now, I drink…" Ana swirled her vodka, staring as it swished around the glass.
"And get high," the Joker finished her sentence. "You know, I thought you'd hit memory line hard. I just didn't think it would be this hard," he scoffed. Ana let out a sharp exhale and rolled her eyes as he jested about her relapse.
"Whatever," she mumbled as she took a large gulp of her drink.
"Going out every night, getting drunk, getting high, and finding an eager man to take home," the Joker glanced over to Ana with a raised eyebrow. "Not to mention, working with the likes of Isaac Baxter. A low-life drug dealer, who I've heard only cares about money and sex," the Joker eyed Ana's tight-fitting outfit up and down with a look of disapproval. Ana noticed him judging her.
"I see you've been following me," she flatly declared.
"You didn't think I'd just let you go stumbling around Gotham, creating waves, did you?" he smirked, cocking his head to her.
"Waves?" Ana asked with a look of confusion.
"You know, it's a good thing I was even here. I've been sitting here for almost half an hour while you've been out cold. Unprepared. Defenceless," the Joker shook his head in disappointment and sipped his brandy.
"What so you're protecting me now? That's your funniest joke yet," Ana rolled her eyes. The Joker let out a scoff and raised his right hand, gestured a gun, and rested the two fingers portraying the barrel onto the back of Ana's left hand. A simple light touch, but the threat was clear.
"Careful Ana. Don't forget who you're talking to," the Joker lowered his voice and stared at his ex-henchwoman. Ana locked eyes with him, forgetting how tired yet powerful they were. She almost instantly lost the staring competition and looked down at her drink in defeat.
The Joker revealed a smug smirk, removed his hand, and went back to drinking.
"So, what happened to your face?" he continued as if nothing happened.
"Don't you already know?" Ana lifted her drink and glanced over again.
"Perhaps, but I want to hear it from you," the Joker shrugged.
"I got jumped by Maroni's men. They recognised me, but I got them. They're both dead," Ana explained, taking another large gulp of her drink.
"Good. You got stabbed?" the Joker probed. Ana let out a scoff.
"I see Gabe can't keep his mouth shut," she grumbled.
"Well, he's a good dog, he's loyal and obeys his master," the Joker chuckled.
"Like I did, until you kicked me out," Ana snapped.
"You were never one of my dogs," The Joker laughed and then sucked his cheek as he thought for a moment, "Well, maybe at first," he grinned. Ana watched him, starting to get annoyed with his games.
"What the hell was I then?" she barked. The Joker flashed a glare at the girl again, giving her another warning. Ana released a drawn-out exhale, trying to calm herself down in front of him.
"You, Rex, Dunks, and even Georgy Boy are all playing a different game," he sternly explained.
"Right," Ana nodded and then turned away from him to roll her eyes again. "How is everyone?" she changed the subject. The Joker leaned back, pushing his hands against the bar.
"Not heard from Maroni since the attack, the storm has settled. Except for all of this of course," he lazily gestured to Ana's injuries.
"I guess the mole was one of the men who died during the attack then," Ana thought out loud. The Joker grunted. "Or one who you killed in the hospital," Ana flatly stated, causing the Joker to smirk into his drink. Ana stayed silent for a moment, wondering whether she should ask the next question. She took in a deep breath.
"Why did you do it?" she whispered, "Why did you leave me there and murder the rest of them?" she looked back at the Joker, her eyes filled with heartache as she asked the question that had been playing on her mind for 8 months.
The Joker raised an eyebrow and licked his scars.
"Had you preferred to die too?" he pointed at her, the brandy in his hand.
"It would have been better," Ana turned back to face the bar and stared ahead at the shelves sitting against the mirrored wall. She caught a glimpse of her reflection, "I don't even know who I am anymore." She lowered her eyes in another defeat, watching the bubbles form in her vodka and coke.
"Petrichor," she heard the Joker mumble under his breath. Ana slowly glanced back in surprise watching the Joker take another swig of his brandy. She thought back to the conversation they had almost a year ago now.
"What do you do when the storm is over, what's left?" The memory of the Joker asked.
"Petrichor," the ghost of Ana mumbled. "You're petrichor, you are what's left. So, you pick up the pieces and get used to a new…" Ana struggled to find the word, "Climate," she chose, trying to play on the Joker's analogy. The Joker chuckled and nodded.
Ana couldn't believe that the Joker remembered their conversation. She suddenly felt a wave of sadness as that old life came hurtling back to her. The familiarity of the base, the people, and the job. It was all she knew. Ana scrunched her eyes shut.
"I need you," Ana hesitantly whispered, avoiding eye contact, the Joker raised both eyebrows and turned to observe her. "Without you and the gang, I'm nothing. I can't… I don't know how…" Ana stumbled over her words, struggling to put explain her feelings. She gazed back at her old Boss, "Please, can I come back?" she asked with sadness starting to glaze over her eyes.
The Joker held eye contact, sucking his scars as if deep in thought. He then turned back to his drink, swallowed it in one final gulp and placed it down on the bar. Ana watched him, waiting for a response.
He then stood up off the barstool, corrected his blazer, and lowered his baseball cap, hiding his face from the rest of the room. The Joker smirked as he looked up at the girl again, sauntered closer to her and leaned into her ear.
"No," he whispered. Ana felt her chest twist. As the Joker pulled away, they locked eyes once more, before he turned and walked away. Ana watched him leave the bar, her eyes starting to well up.
She turned back to her drink and lifted it to have another sip. Before the glass touched her lips, she felt a sudden rush of anger.
How can he say no? How dare he walk away from me again without no explanation?!
Ana let out a shaky breath and slammed down her glass. She leapt off the stool and stormed after him.
As Ana made it outside, the rain had picked up. She ignored the downpour as she looked to the left down the street, and then to the right in the other direction to track where the Joker went. But she couldn't see him. Her eyes landed on a narrow alley beside this bar.
She angrily stormed towards the alleyway and saw the back of him sauntering off, back into the shadows.
Ana let out a sharp exhale as she ignored any rationality and marched down the alley towards him.
"What do you mean no!?" she yelled after him, but the Joker just continued walking. "Don't turn your back on me again!" she barked, storming towards him. She knew that he could hear her, despite the rain coming down between them. As she got nearer, she felt herself get angrier and lose control.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" she screamed, coming up directly behind him.
Before Ana could reach out to grab him, the Joker suddenly spun around holding out his right arm and grabbed the back of Ana's head, shoving her against the alley wall. She let out a yell as the side of her face collided with the rough bricks. She tried to push herself off the wall but the Joker held his arm against her neck and pressed his body into her back.
"Get the fuck off me!" she shrieked, continuing to try and push off the wall while also failing to hit the Joker behind her.
The Joker let out a cackle as he licked his scar and yanked one of her arms back. Ana winced at the sudden pain, if he pulled any further he will most certainly dislocate it.
"My my my, aren't we a little rusty?" The Joker grinned in her ear, Ana flinched at his breath.
"Get off of me," she demanded through gritted teeth.
"Running toward me with my back turned, did you think it would be that easy?" he lectured as his grip on her arm grew stronger. "Or are you too fucked up by drugs and booze to recognise the difference?" The Joker spoke with anger in his voice.
"I just wanted…" Ana argued back as she tried thrashing underneath him.
"What? You came out tonight to pick up another man, yes? Well, I'm right here," he giggled as he pressed his cheek into Ana's hair, "Is this what you had in mind?" He grinned as he yanked her arm up sending sharp shooting pains to her shoulder. Ana yelped out, pushing her body against the Joker's to try and reduce the space for her arm.
"No, I just…" Ana frantically tried to find the words.
"What? What is it? What did you want?" the Joker badgered.
"I just…" Ana felt her anger rapidly evaporate into pain and heartache. She felt her chest feel heavier and her neck tense as she tried to keep down her tears. But the dam was broken, she felt her face naturally scrunch up and her breaths become shallow.
"I just want it all to stop," she finally cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she couldn't contain her pain and grief any longer. She stopped fighting against the Joker and let the past 8 months out.
The Joker watched as she continued to cry out from under his grasp. He chewed on his inner cheek as he blankly tried to figure out what to do next. He was used to hearing victims cry, but it was usually due to the situation he put them in or the pain that he induced at the time.
He stared as Ana continued to let out heavy sobs, as if unable to hold it back. He knew that Ana wasn't crying because of him. It was for something completely different, something deeper within her.
The Joker glanced down the alley, through the rain, confirming that no one had spotted them yet. He lessened the pressure he was applying on Ana's neck and arm, but not enough for her to move.
Ana felt the rain hit her in the face and mix with her tears. She let out loud cries of anguish as the waves kept coming and she recalled everything she has had to endure this past year. She just wanted it all to be over, to stop feeling the pain from the fall, the craving for drugs, and the loss of friends and teammates. She remembered when she fell from the powerlines and tried to scream but nothing was coming out, her body had been electrified, and her voice was silenced.
No one could hear her, no one was coming to save her.
Ana wanted to sink to the floor, feeling her knees start to buckle. The Joker flashed a confused look down at her, as he felt her dropping under his weight. He rolled his eyes and licked his scar.
In one swift movement, the Joker released Ana and spun her around to face him. He held on to her shoulders, squeezing them tightly to keep her in place.
"Enough," he instructed, giving her an abrupt shake. Ana lowered her head, not wanting him to see her as this blubbering mess. She tried to calm down her loud sobs back to shallow wheezes.
"Look at me," he sternly ordered through gritted teeth. Ana let out another breathy sob and shook her head. The Joker sucked his cheek as he waited for her to obey.
"Look. At. Me," he snarled as he intensely grabbed hold of Ana's face, his hands grasping her cheeks and his fingers clutching the back of her neck. As he raised her head, Ana revealed a sudden panic in her eyes, overshadowing her tears as she looked back at the Joker without his warpaint.
The Joker now had a closer look at her face, briefly studying her bruises. His baseball cap caused rain to drip from its peak, creating a lace net of trickling water between them.
"Who is this Elizabeth? Hmmm? With orange hair and slutty outfits. No no no, a distraction," The Joker glared into Ana's eyes. Something rallied her to hold his stare as she locked eyes with him, "We need Ana. Resourceful, tactical, good with a knife," the Joker cocked his head to the side.
"She doesn't exist anymore," Ana shook her head between the Joker's grip, unsure if it was tears or rain falling down her cheeks now.
The Joker let out a breathy laugh as if he was mocking her. He released her face, straightened up and stepped back. Ana cautiously watched him, still pressing herself against the wall.
"I'll give you one shot," he called out through the rain. Ana stared in confusion, "Land a blow on me and perhaps I'll consider taking you back," he grinned as he opened his arms out, leaving him wide open.
Is this a trick?
Ana's eyes rapidly studied his position, checking which obvious and concealed pockets would be storing his knives. She glanced down at his sneakers, trying to guess what stance he'd take if she charged him.
He'll dodge out of the way if I just run at him. He's expecting it.
"Tick tock," he sang with his wicked grin, enjoying watching her work out her next manoeuvre. Ana straightened herself up, using the wall as support. She drew in a sniff as her cries subsided.
This is my one shot to get back on his team. I have to make it count.
Ana let out a sharp exhale before she pushed herself off the wall and charged at him. She raised her fist, ready to punch him in the stomach. As she ran toward him, he suddenly appeared a lot taller. The Joker let out a condescending scoff as he sidestepped out of the way.
Ana threw her punch and missed him, she appeared to stumble and crouched down to the ground. The Joker started to snigger with his back turned away from her. Ana smirked and pulled out the flick knife that she had kept in her boot.
In her crouched position, Ana turned on her heels and flicked open her knife. The Joker visibly twitched his head as he heard the familiar noise. Ana let out a yell as she pounced up and stabbed her knife towards him. The Joker swiftly spun around, revealing his paring knife and slammed his arm against Ana's knife-wielding arm.
Ana gasped and halted her attack as her face was inches away from the Joker's knife. The Joker scoffed and then glanced down at Ana's knife which was only slightly further away from his face, thanks to the height difference.
The Joker revealed a wicked grin and started to chuckle. Ana anxiously watched him as her attack failed, still holding out her knife just in case he charged at her. He lowered his knife as his laugh built up to hysterical cackles.
Ana slowly lowered hers and backed away from the old Boss, watching him bend over in laughter and hold his stomach. The Joker calmed his hysteria to childish giggles and returned to his ex-henchwoman.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. I give you, Ana," he announced to the heavy downpour, pointing to the bewildered girl. He dropped his arms and smugly sauntered over to Ana. She watched him closely, standing in a defensive stance, just in case. The Joker chuckled noticing this.
"My agent of chaos," he smirked and licked his lips as he loomed over her.
"So… So does this mean I can come back?" Ana hesitantly asked. The Joker sucked his scars and looked up in thought.
"No," he grinned before turning away from her and headed back down the alley.
Ana stared after him, her mouth partially open in surprise about what just happened. She knew she couldn't chase after him again without tipping him over the edge.
I blew my chance. I'm never getting back to the team.
She watched the Joker walk off down the alley and disappear into the rain. When he was out of sight, she looked at her hand and stared at the knife.
As she watched the rain bounce off the blade, she realised that her heart was pounding. She felt that the adrenaline, the rush, and the thrill, were all coursing through her veins.
Her eyes moved past the knife's blade and onto the puddles in the ground. She saw herself in the reflection of the murky puddles as it rippled out from the rain.
She hadn't used a knife like that in a long time. She hadn't seen the Joker in a long time. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. She felt like her past self again. But this time with new memories and purpose.
Ana glanced back down the alley and stared at the shadows through the rainfall.
What am I doing? Living a life that I despise, enduring the stupidity of others, and allowing them to walk over me and berate me? I'm waiting for Elizabeth to save me, but she can't, no one can. Not even the Joker. Only Ana can save me, only I can save me.
Ana let out a scoff. She closed her eyes and arced her head to the sky, allowing herself to feel the cold droplets of rain fall onto her face. As she felt herself waking up, she took in a deep breath and reveal an inspired smile. Ana felt her joy take over as her smile turned into a happy laugh.
I've been here all along. I'm coming back. I don't know how but I will find what I need, and I will make it back to the Joker. I will be back on his team as his henchwoman. I know it. I swear it.