Inside Your Eyes

I stared at Cordelia, chained to a chair in one of the back rooms of the hideout. Being the only one in The Joker's twisted logic that could do this job made me angry.

"So what are we supposed to do about the hostage?" I asked getting out of the van.

"I guess we'll tie her up and demand money for her."

"Ok, who should I get to watch over her?"

"Well, I don't usually have female hostages and all my henchmen are guys except..."

"Wait, you want me to do it...because I'm a girl?"

"Putting it like that makes it sound bad. Why not say it's a special mission only you can do?"

I sighed, "Wouldn't be the first time," I walked off.

Something is so familiar about this girl, but what?

"Could you not stare like that? It's starting to get on my nerves!"

"Nope, it's what I'm paid to do."

"The Joker pays you? I thought he always killed his henchmen."

"Do I look like a henchman?" and he pays me in a different way. I smirked.

"Well I've never seen or heard of you before. Are you new?"

"Guess you could say that."

"By the way, why does your shirt have two nipple holes?"

"Fighting tactic," I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms.

"So what's The Joker like?"

"What do you mean? He's like what you read in the papers or hear about on TV."

"Well, I kinda meant...since you have a vag and all..."

"Oh, you think I sleep with him because I'm female?" Sexism is high tonight.

"Oh, so you aren't?" a kooky grin spread over her face.

"Actually, I am, he's great in bed," I started to laugh and looked at the camera, knowing he was watching.

The smile on her face faded and she did something that was so familiar, she pursed her lips, twirled her hair, and shut her eyes. That look was so routine for a certain friend I had during high school, "Don't brag, slut."

"Gertrude?" the name slipped out.

She looked back at me, "What?"

I put my head in my hands and started to laugh, "Gertrude Bends. You've changed a lot, even picked out a new name, but you still have the same gestures and mannerisms you had in high school."

"How do you know my name?"

"That I won't answer."

The door opened, "You're relieved of your duty Ms. Conway," one of the henchmen said, "The boss wants to see you."

"Maya Conway? I thought you were dead!" Cordelia would have stood up in her chair if she could have.

"So does everybody else," I walked up to the henchman, "Never call me by name!" I punched him in the stomach before slamming the door shut behind me.

**************************************

I walked in The Joker's office/room, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, I had her history brought up. Appears this girl isn't the usual type. She has a prison record, mostly drug trafficking related, and changed her name."

"Already figured that last one out. Oh, and thanks to one of the guys she knows my name!"

He sighed and took out his gun, "There really is no good help for us around here," and walked out the door. I watched him pace to the room and shoot the man down. The noise made goosebumps appear all over my skin.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Cordelia's voice was so excited he'd done that.

It took me years to get used to that noise, and here she is rejoicing it the first time it happened? What happened to you over the years Gertrude? You used to be so loving and light hearted. This isn't all because Dan broke up with her...something made her this way, and I want to know.

Without knowing it, my feet had brought me to the room. A man lied in a puddle of blood. The damage was normal to me, I had become numb to it.

"Alright," he put the gun to her skull, "Tell us everything you know about us and maybe we won't kill you."

She was smiling, "I've followed you from the very beginning! You're a genius in the way you carry out your plans! And..."

"Actually I meant her."

"Oh, Maya Conway. She and I used to be friends until the whole boyfriend thing. Then we went out separate ways."

"Hey, I tried to be your friend afterwords!" I cut in.

"Yeah, you were still Dan's too."

"And? You think I'm supposed to just take sides and be your little piss puppet?"

"I expected you to be there for me!"

"And I was. Were you too blind to see that?"

"No, you were friends with the enemy!"

I started laughing out of frustration, "Gerttie, he was a gay boyfriend, not someone who gunned down your mother."

"Don't call me that name! It's Cordelia."

"Ok, Cordelia," the bitchy.

"Maybe I should let you guys fight while I'm not here," The Joker began to creep towards the door.

"No! Stay here!" Cordelia and I shouted at the same time. We looked at each other, a little shocked that we were still able to say the same thing in unison without practicing.

"Still got it," I said and we giggled.

"I will never be able to understand women," the Joker leaned against a wall.

"Truce?" she asked.

"Truce."