Scars That Smile

Scars That Smile - (Jokeress?) Chapter 1

"You really think I care that it hurts?" He smiled maliciously. He watched her panic and struggle as he picked into her skin with his penknife. Just before he was about to slice her throat one of his goons knocked on the door. "Uh... Boss?" He murmured, acknowledging the fact that he had interrupted his boss' 'art work'. The goon fell to the floor as the door he was leaning on was yanked open.

"What?" He snarled. Pointing a gun at the goon's head.

"It-it's just the news. You might want to-" Before he could finish, his brains decorated the floor. The Joker turned to his hostage and shot her as well, then swirled back round to the door, tutting about the mess. He stepped over the body slumped onto the floor and walked into the TV area of the hideout. He grabbed the TV remote from another one of his goons, "Start cleaning up in there." The Joker told him before switching to the news channel.

"Could it be true Gotham? Do we not have the brunt of evil? Is there someone out there WORSE than the Gotham rogues, perhaps worse than the Joker himself? Stories are coming in thick and fast of this new criminal, who has shocked the nation with an apparent affliction for torture and vicious brutality. This English villainess is known only as Ace. Yes, you heard it right, this rogue newcomer terrorising England's citizens is female. Could she be the new "Jokeress?"."

At that, the Joker switched the TV off, grumbling to himself. He turned once more to his goons, who sat rather on the edge. "Did you hear that boys? Competition...This is going to be fun, I just - I just can't wait." He sang to himself skipping around the couch in the TV room. One of the goons coughed and sat up. "Uh boss, does this mean we're going to England?" The Joker's glares sliced through him. To prevent another killing, another goon perked up. "Oh man," he playfully slugged the other goon's shoulder "I heard the chicks there are insane." The choice of word caused the Joker to raise a brow.

"No boys-" he spat, rolling his eyes simultaenously. "She'll turn up, that's the point of the media, they wouldn't have said it if she was staying in England, now would they?" With that he turned around and went back to his office to wait.

2 Weeks Later

The sound of the alarms rang loud and the sirens outside blared. "Maybe I should start planning these little set-ups boys..." The Joker threw his arms in the air facing the opened double doors that was now full of policemen with firearms aimed at the Joker's head and heart. Before he could come out with one of his famous mind-twisting quotes, the pavement beneath the policemen exploded, leaving around 10-15 bloody corpses spewed on the floor. The Joker and his clown-faced goons stood in awe as a figure approached them, a big red button in hand.

"Whoops." The figure giggled. The Joker tilted his head, watching as they stepped over the corpses towards him. He analysed her. Above average height for a female, around 5,7 or 5,8, long, dark red hair, tinted with streaks of bright, firetruck red, luminous green eyes and a devilish smile. She wore a pair of tartan jeans, one leg dark purple and the other black. Her body was wrapped in a tank top with fishnet sleeves. Covering her fingers were multiple rings and, hanging around her neck, a razor-blade that swung like a pendulum. Hypnotic. He noticed her staring at him, she was now standing just an arms-reach away. He held a gun to her head. His finger caressed the trigger, pausing briefly as he felt a cold metal nudge against his own head. Rolling his eyes, he glared behind him to see another tall figure, this time male, with a lip piercing, flopping hair. He laughed and kicked back, watching as the boy hit the floor.

"You may be a big deal back in England sweetheart" He mocked the British accent, "but here you're nothing but low-level scum. You don't own anything or anyone, no one's going to take any notice of you" He smirked.

"Is that so... If I'm not mistaken I just saved your ass, and you're currently taking notice of me." She winked. "Besides, did I not already get a formal introduction on the news a couple of weeks ago?" She saw his face wipe clean of emotion, apart from the fraudulent smile that marked him, cheek to cheek.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now?" He watched her intensively. She seemed like someone who would make a slick move and disappear into the night. She giggled and confidently pushed the gun from her head down to her heart. "Now, now... I'm not here to fight you. I need your help, and seeing as I just saved you from another trip to Arkham Asylum, I figure that you owe me." With that his gun lowered and he shoved it back into his coat pocket. He circled her as his mind flowed with images of the things he could do to her. "Alright darlin'. Come with me." He held out a purple, gloved hand, when she concurred he bent down and laid a gentle kiss upon her knuckles.

"This is going to be fun, oh so fun." He sang as he danced back to his van with the girl in his grip.

Danny's point of view:

I folded suddenly as I felt the heavy army boot strike my stomach. The kick was too sharp to be just a boot. I looked down and sure enough blood now soaked my long-sleeved shirt and leather jacket. Fucking prick! He had a dagger in the back of his shoe. What kind of psycho puts a knife in his boot? I told Ace this was a bad idea, but she was so persistent. And now she just leaves me here, alone. She failed to mention that part of the plan. Heh, bitch. I scanned the floor, knowing her she will have left me a clue to where she was going. Instead I found one of her rings, the one she kept on her left pinky. Silver and sharply studded, the one I bought for her. I tugged at my own necklace and slid the ring onto the silver chain. I carried on looking for more clues only to be interrupted by reinforcment.

"Get on your knees." You've got to be kidding me. I had nothing to do with this! Fucking Ace, she's obsessed with this Joker guy, and for no fucking reason! Did he save her? No. Was he there after every overdose? No. I was! And yet we travel to America to find the clown freak. Ugh! I hate clowns. And now I'm being arrested, this is ridiculous.

That's when I saw it, some sort of wire on the floor. Fucking Ace... Why are you so brilliant. I discretely tucked my foot beneath the wire and tugged it gently. Explosions clouded the reinforcement. Leaving behind the shattered remains of the bank. I swifty turned for the back entrance and ran. I'll call her later. But first - my train of thought wanders...