Just Paint Your Face

Daisy

People have this funny little notion that losing your ability to speak makes you an invalid, a handicap, mentally disabled.

I find it quite the opposite. In fact, I think it's the other way around. Like how when the cops were shoving The Joker into a police car and I noticed Goofy and Grumpy darting out of the truck and dragging Happy behind, his leg bent strangely. I suddenly felt very nervous, thinking about it. And how the large fellow I recognized from the warehouse stood uncomfortably in the corner, clutching at his stomach. I tucked my thumbs in my suspenders, trying my best to seem calm leaning against the bars in the large jail cell.

The Joker and Ivy sat on a bench beside me. He sat, perked up and surprisingly apathetic, smirking at the police officials who would stare at us in the cage like we were monkeys in a zoo.

Terrifying, unforgiving, monkeys.

Ivy was sitting like she was bored, staring at her nails and wearing the chain they'd wrapped around her forearm like a bracelet. Her red hair stood in a shock around her head. Leave it to her to make it look like a fashion statement. I giggled silently. The cops stared, but every time they looked away, Ivy would inspect The Joker for any sign of injury, her eyes worried. The Joker would do nothing, say nothing. Only trail his hand up her back lightly as if to signal everything was alright.

We snapped up when we saw the Gordon fellow walk in hurriedly. He must've been worried we'd be broken out by now. But he was wrong. We could've, possibly... but we didn't want to just yet. We did things on our own time, by our own rules.

"STEP AWAY FROM THE BARS I DON'T WANT ANYTHING FOR HIS FRIENDS TO USE YOU HEAR ME?"

Gordon quieted, glanced over at us, shuddering slightly.

"What do we got?"

"The woman is May Queen, Dent's old secretary. The girl is Jeannie Gimble, high school student. As for him... nothing. No prints, no DNA, no dental. Clothing is custom, no labels. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. No name. No other alias."

That they knew of.

Gordon sighed, worried. He ruffled his hair and pushed up his black rimmed glasses. I recognized The Mayor as he came in. I'd seen him on TV and at the funeral. I bet he was as money hungry as all the other mobsters. He was no better. I stuck my tongue out at him as he passed.

"Go home, Gordon. The clown'll keep till morning. Tomorrow you take the big job. Commissioner Gordon."

Everyone clapped, patting his back.

They all silenced and looked over into the cell. Ivy was clapping her hands daintily, The Joker clapping widely, his face serious. I curtsied.

They stared at us strangely.

"I'll be back in an hour." Gordon insisted, looking determined.

We played games to pass the time. Staring contests, which I won. Thumb wars, he won. Who could make the weirdest hairstyles. Ivy won.

The Policemen stared, spitting insults.

"COP KILLER."

"WOMAN HATER."

"KID SNATCHER."

They didn't know the truth. I'd have to tell them. Have to show them. I walked over to where the group of men stood and they looked surprised. Fortunately, they hadn't taken my sharpie away. I pulled it out and wrote on the floor.

My father was a cop. He raped me.

They stared at the message. Stared at me. Stared at The Joker, Ivy.

They turned away as if they didn't see, talking about other things.

See what I mean?

Closing your mouth opens up your mind.

Not too much later, Gordon returned and we were cuffed up and led out. They tried leaving me in the cell alone with the fatty who complained about his tummy aching but Ivy snarled bitterly,

"She goes with one of us."

Gordon eyed her. She stared back, her eyes dark green slits. He knew that chain wouldn't keep her. They all knew. He cringed, looking over at me.

"Pick one."

My eyes flashed from Ivy to The Joker. I knew Ivy's interrogation wasn't going to be anything much. They figured she was some brainwashed beauty who would tear up the world with plants if they didn't keep her happy, so they would be nice. But the Joker? They hated him. They might kill him. I shuddered at the thought. But they wouldn't kill him with a young girl in the room.

I smiled, pointing to him. For half a second, he looked surprised.

Ivy smirked. She knew what I was up to. They cuffed me up and led me along. I followed.

Silently, but not stupidly.

Ivy

Batman came to see me first. He looked so funny in his little suit. I laughed at him. I missed The Joker then, with his shirt and tie and clashing socks. This guy depressed me.

He sat down, gargling a bunch of words.

"I'm sorry? What...?" I shook my head, chuckling.

He repeated something.

"Oh. Uh... Look. Have you ever thought about the fact that you may have... a speech impediment?"

He frowned.

"Look, Batman. Can I call you by your name? Oh, wait. That'd give you away... Look. Boy. Batboy. We're never going to get anywhere if you don't communicate."

He stared at me in disbelief and I cackled.

"You men. Always so surprised when a woman raises her voice."

I could tell he was enraged. Shocked. Maybe even attracted to me. I don't know. But he got up and turned then, growling and knowing he wasn't getting any answers from me.

"Aw." I faked disappointment, "And I thought I was going to get that kiss!"

I laughed loudly as the door slammed and Gordon walked in.

Daisy

"Evening... com-mission-er." The Joker drawled sarcastically beside me. He smacked his lips and rolled his eyes lazily. Gordon's eyes shifted to me nervously, then back to The Joker's as he sat down. It was dark and you could hardly see anyone's face.

"Dent didn't make it home."

"Of course not." The Joker proclaimed simply.

"What have you done with him?"

The Joker waved up his cuffed hands innocently, "Me? I was right here! Who did you leave him with, hm? Your people? Assuming, they are of course, your people and not Maroni's."

Gordon, sighed, frustrated.

"What's the time?"

"What? What difference does that make?!"

"Well... depending on the time he could be in one place, or several."

He stared. The Joker continued on,

"Does it depress you, commissioner? To know... how alone you really are?"

Gordon got up hurriedly.

"If we're going to play games, I'm going to need a cup of coffee."

The Joker smirked at me, "Ah. The good cop bad cop routine?"

I laughed silently.

"Not exactly." Gordon said, shutting the door and turning on the light. There was a blip of a second, as I sat on my end of the little metal table, where he looked on with this completely sane expression. I blinked, surprised by the sudden light and his posture. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, his face was slammed into the table.

I don't think the Bat Freak noticed me at all. There was a hatred and impatience set in his stubborn jaw.

"Ugh. Never start with the head... the victim gets all fuzzy, he can't feel the next..."

Batman slammed his fist down on The Joker's hand. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.

The Joker just blinked, "...see?"

"You wanted me," The Batman growled, "Here I am."

I wanted to laugh at their contrasts. The Joker was cheerful in his crazed, occasionally rage induced way, and The Batman was always angry, colorless, stubborn. That wasn't going to get him anywhere.

"I wanted to see what you'd do." The Joker shrugged, "And you didn't disappoint. You let several people die. Then you let Dent take your place. Now, even for a guy like me that's cold."

"Where's Dent?"

"Those mob fools want you gone so they can get back to the way things were. But we know the truth. There's no going back. You've changed things. Forever."

"Then why do you want to kill me?"

The Joker laughed maniacally, "I don't want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping of mob dealers? No.. no. No. I have everything I need now." He glanced over at me and I knew he was thinking about Ivy in the other room.

"You're garbage who kills for money."

"Don't talk like one of them, you're not! To them, you're just a freak. Like me! They need you now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out. Like a leper. You see their morals, their code? It's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. We'll show you. When the chips are down... these uh, "civilized" people... they'll eat each other."

Batman's jaw was harsh.

The Joker smiled and threw up his hands, "See, I'm not a monster. Just ahead of the curve..."

Batman grabbed him up suddenly, "Where's Dent?"

"You have all these rules and you think they'll save you..."

He slammed my him against the wall. I cringed, wanting to do something. I couldn't believe he was doing this in front of me. He'd stooped to a lower level, The Batman. At least the Joker acknowledged my presence.

(aw shit kid)

"I have one rule."

"Oh? Then that's the rule you'll have to break. You see, the only sensible way to live in this world is without rules. And tonight you're gonna break it."

"I'm considering it."

"And there's only a few minutes left, you're going to have to hurry if you want to save one of them..."

"Them?"

The Joker seemed to ignore him and licked his lip, "You know, for a while there I thought you really were Dent... the way you threw yourself after her."

He was mad now. He flipped the Joker onto the table. I stood up now, worried. He coughed and pushed me out of the way gently.

"Look at you go! Does Harvey know about you and his little bunny?"

His face was smashed into the glass. He giggled, unscratched. He was invincible. He took his licks with a grin.

"WHERE ARE THEY?"

"Killing is making a choice..."

A punch to the face. An insane laugh.

"You choose between one life or the other. Your friend the District Attorney. Or.... his blushing bride to be."

Another punch. Another amused laugh.

"You have... nothing to threaten me with! Nothing to do with your strength!"

It was then that the bat's eyes met mine. I backed against the nearest wall, my eyes wide. Would he sink that low?

He would. He rushed over in his enraged state and grabbed my shoulders. I was reminded of my father and scowled. The Joker blinked and twitched. He rose, fumbling and swaying like a drunk. He was pissed now, and if he'd had his knife, I know he would've brought it out.

"...Don't worry," He said too calmly, "I'm gonna tell you where they are. He's at 250 52nd Street. And she.... Avenue X. At Cicero."

He let go of me then and hurried out the door. The Joker walked dizzily to me and we sat against the wall, where we practiced making funny faces until the guard came in to watch us.

Ivy

Gordon didn't have much to say to me. He knew my past, he knew my relationship with Rachel. We'd even talked briefly at one point when I went to get Rachel after work for a night on the town, when he'd visit Dent's office and sat in a little chair by my desk. He'd laughed and joked with me about how Dent was a workaholic and I remembered saying the same thing about him.

And now, here we were.

"Did you willingly go through with it?" He pointed at the chain around my arm.

I shook my head, "Not at first."

"Why didn't you tell someone? Before it was too late?" He was talking to me like we were old friends and it made me sick.

I sighed, "I don't trust your people. Look what they did to Dent now, to Rachel."

I was upset about Rachel, but I knew he didn't really do it. For one, I knew he was here. And for another, the mobsters knew about my past and the only way to get to me. I just hoped they got her in time. I knew I could've but something was holding me back. And it wasn't the chain around my arm.

God, I'd changed so much.

Gordon sighed haplessly. He got up. Before he opened the door he asked me one question.

"Why?"

I smiled, "Because."

Daisy

Our little guard was an older man. He tried to look threatening as he avoided eye contact with us against the door, but I could smell his fear. It was a sour smell, an odd smell. You never smelled it on The Joker. Until the thought of losing Ivy passed his mind.

He rolled his neck slowly, "I want... I want my phone call. I want it. I want it. I want my phone call."

The man looked over, "That's nice."

"How many ...of your friends have I killed?"

"You know, I'm a twenty year man. And I can tell when it's just the punks who need a lesson in manners..." He looked at me, "And the freaks like you who just enjoy it. ...And you've killed six of my friends."

I held up six fingers and he mouthed the word in amazement.

I knew he was trying to push buttons. I don't know why, but obviously it had a purpose.

"Do you wanna know why I use a knife?"

The man was silent. The Joker pressed more.

"You see, guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... emotions. You see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are... so, in a way, I knew your friends better than you ever could."

Silence. Just one more.

"Would you like to know which of them are cowards?"

That was it. The final lever. The man rolled up his sleeves, muttering about how he could tell The Joker would enjoy this. He cracked his neck and I backed away instinctively.

I couldn't believe this was an interrogation room. What a lie. His laugh filled the room as the man punched and kicked and spat and I shut my eyes and closed my ears, wanting to block it all out. I couldn't believe they'd let a child watch such a thing, but I suppose they didn't see me as a child anymore. I was an enemy now, dehumanized. Even though I'd done nothing, harmed no one. It was the mere fact that I was in the company of two hell-raisers. That was all. And this fact made me hate the outsiders, the zoo goers, the yuppies even more.

I heard the movement shift and opened my eyes. The Joker now held the man in a headlock and picked up a piece of shattered glass from the window, held it to the man's mouth.

"Shouldn't of done that," he giggled, "Children are impressionable little things. Shoulda kept your cool..."

The man struggled nervously. The Joker held fast. It was surprising, how strong he really was.

"Come on, kid!" He cackled, holding the glass playfully, "Let's go get Ivy. ...By the way, detective, did I tell you how I got these scars...?"

He whistled as he walked by the cops. They aimed their guns nervously.

"Drop the weapon now!"

"It's my own damn fault," the detective cried out, "Just shoot him!"

"Let him go! Drop the weapon!"

"What? Sorry?" He smiled and I cupped a hand over my ear.

"What do you want?!"

The Joker smirked, "I just want my phone call..."

The cops looked at each other, confused, "All right." They threw one to him. Bad move.

Ivy

I wanted to bust out, but the commotion I heard outside kept me back. He was doing something. I was bored and the stupid guard they had watching me had winked at me, so I killed him. I gazed upon the weeds covering him up, amused. I now sat, tapping my fingernails on the small table and sighing impatiently.

"Come on. Come on." I muttered, messing with my hair. Why did he take so long?

I yelled in surprise as some sort of bomb went off. How the hell had he snuck that in?

Then I remember the fat one, the one who had tried taking off Batman's mask.

"Boss said he'd make the voices go away. Light my insides up. Like Christmas!"

(you look like christmas)

Glass sparkled on the floor. I covered my face in my hands as it showered down on me. There was a rancid smell of burning flesh that made me want to puke.

"Ivy, Ivy, Ivy." I heard him sing outside the window. I looked up. He was in the remnants of the window, smiling. Daisy stood next to him, antagonizing some Asian fellow.

"Come on, come on, slowpoke! We got some mobsters to mess with!" He waved his retrieved knife around excitedly. I smiled and climbed out, breaking the chains that bound me to nothing at all, and were just for show.

He yanked at my hair playfully and he walked out into the night, cackling. Ready to take on the world.