Crossroads

This was the least human she had ever felt.

Lying on the floor - she had been ripped from her chair a long time ago - staring up at the ceiling with one swollen eye, bottom lip trembling as she tried to hold in tears. Everything hurt, and she felt dirty. She was dirty; crusted in blood and vomit and... piss, unfortunately. Her throat swelled and clenched at the memory of him advancing on her, and her just releasing everything, like she was some untrained dog. The humiliation was almost as unbearable as the pain. She was a coward. Coward. The Joker knew, Kyle knew. She knew.

"You killed my brother! You killed my fucking brother and I hate you! Please... just stop." an animalistic shriek dying down to a pitiful whimper, head bowed, bloodied and bruised and broken.

The Joker had looked almost disappointed at the revelation; dark eyes dull, scarlet-crusted lips curled into a frown. Almost comedic in his unhappiness. This had never really been about her, she knew that now. Perhaps he had wanted a reason to go after Maroni, and she had failed to deliver. Perhaps he had wanted her to last a liiiitle longer. Perhaps she was just his fucking evening entertainment.

Cre-e-eak. The door inched open, pale yellow light slicing through the dusty darkness. The Joker hadn't even bothered to lock it - in the state she was in, it would be a miracle if she could sit up. She opened her right eye - she other swollen shut - and stared at the door, pure fear crackling through her veins.

Please, god, no more, please-

Kyle.

"...Hayley?" he whispered fearfully, walking further into the overwhelming blackness, until his silohuette was no long visible against the light of the hallway.

The room suddenly flooded with light, and she flinched at the burning brightness - pain immediately ripping through her body at the slight movement.

"Oh god." he sounded like he was on the verge of tears, and it made Hayley sick. She didn't respond. "Hayley, are you alright? Please look at me."

"Don't you -" she rasped out, coughed weakly; "Don't you dare cry."

"Aww, don't cry. Shush, shush shush." he patted her cheek consolingly, and she only sobbed harder.

"Sorry. I know. I shouldn't." his voice dulled. He knew it would only hurt her more if he showed that he cared. "You look awful."

"You look mu-u-u-uch better like this, doll. A real masterpiece - if I do say so myself."

"Thanks." she snapped. "Why are you here? Did he send you to finish off the job?"

Kyle scowled, and she almost smiled.

"No. I'm cleaning you up. He didn't want me to, but - he probably won't see you again." he muttered the last part, before walking over and kneeling down beside her, taking out the bottle of water and thin reel of bandages from his pocket.

"Meaning...that's it for me, right?" the tendons in her heart felt icy and taut, tugging, tugging, tugging. "I've fufilled my purpose, so he's gonna get rid of me."

He sighed, the exhale tapering off into something suspiciously wavery and teary at the end - "this is gonna hurt a bit."

"Like a whore. He's fucked me and now he's gonna kick me out." she was ranting, so she didn't hear Kyle's half-hearted warning. "Because that's his idea of sex, I'm sure. Twisted, perverted motherfucker!" she screeched as the liquid splashed against the cut on her cheek. Apparently the bottle of water hadn't actually been water, but instead alcohol. It stung her nose.

"Shut up, he might hear you." Kyle hissed.

"Could've given me some warning."

"I did."

She only huffed.

Kyle dabbed at her face with a small ripped piece of bandaged, cleaning out the various cuts and ignoring Hayley's hisses and curses. Despite her grumblings, there was an almost comfortable silence. Of course, he had to ruin it.

"I'm sorry about your brother."

She stiffened. "Yeah, I am too."

"What was his name?"

"...Sam." she whispered, left hand instinctively circling the wrist where she wore her brother's watch. But, instead of feeling cool glass and worn leather, she met warm skin. A jolt of panic cracked through her.

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Kyle's brow furrowed at her panicked expression.

"My watch. Sam's watch. I was wearing it, and now it's gone!" her voice rose with hysteria, and she struggled to sit up, eyes tearing up at the pain that followed.

"Hayley, shit, you're gonna hurt yourself. Just calm down." he stopped her from rising - it didn't take too much effort, as she could barely lift her arms.

"Did he take it?" her chest rose and fell with her laboured breathing. Her green eyes were blown open - but rather than seeming childlike, it made her appear demented. "God, did he fucking take that as well?"

He's taken my brother. My boyfriend. My life, almost. But not this. I won't let him. I can't.

"I - I don't know." an odd mixture of pity and fear pooled in his stomach as he stared at her, still stunned by her sudden breakdown.

He felt like he was staring into a cracked mirror, and seeing Hayley's face peer out of it. It was her, but she was distorted. Wrong. And not in the sad, pitiful way that broken things tend to be; more nightmarish, if anything.

"I'm going to be the one to kill him. I swear."

Kyle wished he could believe her.