Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.6

When Julia finally came aware, she felt rain. But it was a warm rain that soothed her aching muscles, that cleansed her body of blood. Which flowed down the drain, pink as it swirled down.

She reached one hand forward to turn off the water. She then opened the shower curtain with one hand, and grabbed a fluffy green towel with the other. Wrapping it around herself, she opened the bathroom door, and revealed a palace.

Not technically of course, but that's what the living room looked like. The walls and ceiling were high, the wood shiny. The furniture was expensive looking, as were some decorations. She turned slightly to see a wall made of Windows. It was night and the view was glorious as lights glowed among the dark in Gotham. But how?

"Do you like it?"

"Ragdoll?" she asked.

"Who else?"

Julia shook her head in annoyance.

"How?" she asked.

"I stole some money."

"That's not what I'm asking!"

"Oh... You mean how we escaped?"

"Yes."

Julia had went down a hall as she talked, seeing a couple of doors. Opening the first one closest to her, it revealed a bedroom just as amazing as the living room. A huge bed with a black comforter occupied one side of the room, while a wall of closets occupied the other side. And in the middle sat an antique white dresser with a tall mirror hanging above it. She exploded the closets, and smiled finding all sorts of clothes that were her size.

"So?" Julia said.

"I'm not going to tell you what happened. Just know that I kept my promise."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome." Ragdoll said smugly.

Julia quickly changed into a pair of grey sweats and a white t-shirt. She braided her wet hair as she went back to the living room. She ended up back in front of the Window Wall, memorizing the way Gotham looked so peaceful, not having a care in the world.

"Look towards the top left corner." she heard Ragdoll say.

There shining in the night, was the famous Bat Signal that she had never seen but heard about. It glowed brightly against the clouds that were slowly massing. Rain would be falling soon.

Julia sighed. "Gotham isn't capable of peaceful, is it..."

"No. It's not." Ragdoll stated.

Suddenly as she kept looking at the signal, she saw her reflection. And it startled her. Her brown hair was wet of course, but her eyes were so haunted. And a cut was slashed from the bottom of her left eye, trailing down just below her chin. It was bleeding red, and it scared her deeply that she couldn't feel it. Then next to her, appeared Dr. Crane. Her reflection's cut disappeared. In its place were a trail of stitches, that was also below her other eye. A stitched trail of tears.

This wasn't her, she told herself. Just as her reflection turned towards Dr. Crane, as he turned towards her. She saw them kiss with such a passion, that she felt tingling on her lips. But when she blinked, everything went back to normal.

"Julia?"

"What happened?"

"I have no idea. It felt like I didn't exist anymore." Ragdoll said faintly.

For the first time she heard fear in Ragdoll's voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Something... It made us become one. Gave us a sense of clarity. I think you realized who you are and who you are meant to be..."

Her cheek was still bleeding.

"One." she echoed.

"One." said Ragdoll.

Julia wordlessly turned and went to the kitchen. She pulled out a small, thin knife and then searched the whole penthouse until she found scissors and black thread and a needle.

"You sure you want to do this Julia? It means we'll be combined and you'll be alone for eternity."

"We've been together since we ended up at Arkham. I know you. You know me."

"But one..."

"Do you not want to Ragdoll?"

"I do. Just remember I'm the bad half. Can you live with killing?"

"I can." Julia said confidently.

She was soon back in the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror. Since she couldn't feel the pain, she didn't worry about feeling a thing as she stitched up her gaping wound. She then sliced her other cheek and stitched it up also. When she finished, the wounds were still bleeding. Seeping scarlet, red blood among the stitches.

The vision had helped her decide who she was now. She wasn't Julia. She wasn't Ragdoll. She was both and neither in one body. She could be who she truly was, and keep the names she was called.

She could thank Dr. Crane as Julia for finding herself. Or she could thank Scarecrow as Ragdoll.

She laughed, stretching the stitches. She looked like chaos, and that would be her weapon to bring Gotham to its knees.

But first she needed to find her good old doctor, to get the ball rolling.