Dollface Chapter 1: Arkham City

As Dollface stood on the roof top looking out onto Arkham City; watching as the moon shone down through the white glistening snow, a sense of calm washed over her.

A sense of calm that lasted for all of two seconds, before it was interrupted by loud yelling and the sound of gunfire in the distance. Well, that's Arkham City for you.
It was the closest thing to a home she had. After she had left Arkham Asylum, she had wandered the streets of Gotham aimlessly. She didn't really belong there. Arkham had become her home since she no longer remembered her previous one, and besides: all her friends were here.
That's why she decided to get into a fight on purpose - so she would be brought to Arkham City.
Here you could be who ever you wanted to be. You don't need to remember your past, or even your name, to fit in here.



This place is truly Heaven. Or Hell, depending on your perception, she thought. I would say its Hell, but... a very pretty one.


She nodded to herself as she gazed at the water, and watched as the light from the moon reflected over its calm ripples.

This place is so beautiful. All the buildings are run down like they're dead, but the city is so alive.



And it was definitely cold, like the Pagan description of Hell: full of ice and snow. She shivered as a chilling breeze hit her. This was probably the coldest winter Gotham had ever seen, and it didn't help that she wasn't exactly dressed for the cold. She was dressed only in a light pink corset, a light pink mini skirt with multi colour strips running down it, and short, black, lace socks. Most people would say she was crazy to go out in such cold looking like she does (although many call her crazy regardless of what she wears), but she really doesn't mind the cold.



Tearing her eyes away from the view, she picked up her mask. She had painted it to look like a dolls face - it was white, with rosy pink cheeks and pink lips. She'd had it ever since she made it in Arkham Asylum, and now she carries it around everywhere she goes. She placed the mask gently on her face, tucking the string keeping it on behind her ears and adjusting her brown, pink-streaked hair to hide it.

"It's time to see Mr Dent in the courthouse," Daila said to her self in her usually happy demeanour, beginning to move across the rooftop.

As she leaped across the rooftops, making her way to Solomon Wayne Courthouse, she noticed various thugs and prisoners out on the streets. She dropped down from the building, instantly noticing Two-Face's thugs, sprawled out on the floor in front of the courthouse. She walked towards them cautiously, examining the scene.


"Unconscious figures. I don't know why Two-Face puts up with them. They're all a bunch of good for nothings," Paradoxica said in her usual indifferent and slightly annoyed tone.



Don't say something like that, Dalia replied.



"It looks like Batman did this. I'm not intimidated by him. I couldn't care less about him. However... trouble always seems to find him. I think its best if I take over from here" Paradoxica said out loud.



Agreed, Daila answered. She looked around the dark to see if anyone was nearby. She didn't want anyone seeing her talking to herself - she didn't want to appear to be schizophrenic. People thought she was crazy as it was, without them knowing about her other personalties.

Dollface walked calmly towards the front door of the courthouse. She reached out to grab the handle, but stopped suddenly.



What if he's still inside? Daila wondered hesitantly.



"Don't be such a wuss," Paradoxica replied angrily



Go see, Daila insisted.



"Fine. Seriously; the things I do for you!" Paradoxica mumbled to herself.

She walked back down the stone steps and around to the side of the building. Peering through the window at the end, she could see cat woman hanging upside-down over a vat of acid whilst Batman was kicking Two-Face's henchmen's asses. Two-Face himself was was on the stand shooting at Batman.
She watched silently on as the scene unfolded before her. Batman finished knocking out Two-Face's Henchmen, before Two-Face managed to shoot him in the chest. As he toppled backwards and landed heavily on the floor, Two-Face came out of the stand and put a gun to Craftswoman's head.

Doll Face just shook her head. It was obviously not going to work - she had witnessed first hand how resilient Batman could be. Just as she expected, while Two-Face was busy with Catwoman as she broke free and slashed at the good part of his face, he failed to notice that Batman had made his way on top. As he pulled out his gun, Batman used his grapple to tie Two-Face up and pull him up above the acid tank, dropping him so he was hanging upside-down just above the tank in the exact same situation that Catwoman had been in only moments before.
Catwoman kicked Two-Face in the torso, just to add insult to injury.



I'm glad I wasn't in there, Daila said, letting out a sight of relief.



"Humph. I could've taken him," Paradoxica decided confidently.

As she watched, she heard Batman and Catwoman talking about Protocol 10. Of course, she already knew what it was, but why spoil the fun? She'd let Batman figure it out for himself.

Suddenly, without warning, she noticed a green dot appear on Catwoman.



"Oh, this cant be good," she said out loud, just as she heard the sound of a large shot and glass shattering.
Dollface fell backwards. "What did I say? Trouble always follows him. I don't know why some people even bother; he's more hassle than he's worth!" She said to herself, shaking her head as she looked up to see Batman gliding away.



Then, suddenly, she stopped. She could hear three of Joker's thugs approaching, ganging up behind her.


"What are you doing here, little girly?" One of them spoke, causing the others to laugh.


She smiled wickedly to herself underneath her mask.


It's show time, Daila. Do your thing, she wispered to herself. She put her hands to her face to cover her mask, and began crying very loudly.


"Aw, are you lost, little baby?" Another thug said as the others laughed along with him.
She turned round to face them, carefully keeping her mask hidden.


"Dont worry, we know somewhere you'll be safe," he said while reaching out and touching her shoulders.


Now Para! Dalia signalled, purposely using her pet name for Paradoxica, knowing it would anger.


Paradoxica took over and dropped her hands from her face, and before the thug could react she slammed her head hard into his. He fell backwards, unconscious, and while the other two were stunned and confused as to what just happenned, she took the opportunity to get one up on them. She quickly went for the second thug, punching him hard in the stomach, and as he fell to his knees she wasted no time in grabbing his head and kneeing him right in the face, quickly let him fall to the ground, unconscious. The third thug was backing himself against the wall while pointing his handgun at her, and before he could even think about firing she grabbed his gun hand and pulled it backwards so that the gun was under his own chin.


"Bet you're regretting it now," she said, grabbing the gun with her other hand and stepping backward with the gun pointed at the thug.


Paradoxica, don't! Daila shouted.


Don't worry, I was just having a bit of fun! I wanted to scare him, that's all. Paradoxica replied. She quickly threw the gun in the air and caught it by the barrel, hitting the thug hard across the head with the butt of the gun; once and then twice, and three times for good measure. She watched as he fell to the floor.


"Well, that takes care of that then. That's what you get when you mess with us," Paradoxica said.


Yay, we won! Daila excalmied happily. She was glad they won, because if the thugs had gotten her they would have taken her away to the Joker. Which really wouldn't be so bad, since she knows Harely. Or they could have raped her - or worse! She knew from personal experience that bad people like the thugs do horrible things to innocent girls.

She shivered at the thought and put it behind her. It wasn't like she didn't have confidence in her ablities - she knew the outcome of the fight before it had even begun.


"I'm done here. You can take over now," Paradoxica stated.
DollFace walked away from the thugs and towards the front entrance of Solomon Wayne Courthouse. She saw some of Two-Face's henchmen were starting to wake up. She stood by one as she came around.


"Oh, it's you Miss Janeus. Two-Face is in the courthouse," he said still slightly dazed.


Thanks for stating the obvious. Talk about idiots, Paradoxica said, before noticing something his eyes weren't looking at the right place.

She looked down at her self, blatantly saying, "Are you looking up my SKIRT?!" She sharply kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious again.


"The nerve of him!" Dollface said, annoyed, and continued to walk to the Courthouse door. She opened it calmly and went into the main room.
Two-Face's henchmen were still laid on the floor unconscious, and Two-Face was still tied up.


"Finally. I was wondering when you would show up," he said in his normal voice.

"Well, I was held up. Here, let me get you down from there," she replied, climbing up to where he was held upside-down, and got him down.


"That bitch will pay for what she did to us," he said angrily in his deeper voice.


Dollface reached out her hand to tend to his wounds on the good side of his face, and he grabbed her wrist before she could touch him.


"It's fine. Leave it," he said in his deeper voice. He let go of her hand and she let it drop to her side.

"But I just wanted to h.." she started to say, but was cut off by Paradoxica.

Just leave it, she said. Suddenly Dollface started to feel like she wanted to get back at Catwoman for what she had done.