Bad Girl

Anti Hero

The horn blares and the van lies upside down in a quiet country lane, smoke emanating from the engine. The monochrome-coloured car door opens and a designer black ankle boot with silver studs hits the ground. The offending vehicle is relatively unharmed. 'Get the doors boys.' Horace grabs the key from the unconscious driver tossing them over to Jasper who grabs them mid-air. Jasper unlocks the back of the van door and Cruella throws them open inside lies an unconscious Baroness with a nasty red gash across her forehead. Cruella leans over pressing two fingers against the pulse point of her neck. 'She's alive. Bring her to me.' she instructs and walks out of the upturned vehicle. Jasper sighs at Cruella's latest crazy scheme but bosses' orders are bosses' orders. He leans down putting one arm under the older woman's legs and another carefully around her shoulders lifting her and carrying her back to the car. The drive to Hellman Hall consists of Cruella's erratic driving and a terrified-looking Horace who has an unconscious Baroness slumped beside him.

When they arrive Jasper lives their unconscious prisoner again, following her inside. 'Estella,' he begins. 'Don't call me that, Estella is dead remember darling.' Jasper rolls his eyes. 'Fine, whatever, where do you want our um...guest?' he quizzes as he has no intention of carrying her all day. 'Lay her on the chaise in the lounge. After that leave the rest to me.' she instructs. Jasper does as commanded and rests the lady on the chaise. Cruella enters and tucks the Baroness into a blanket and kneels beside her, she studies her face simply out of curiosity. She uses the black sleeve of her jacket to dab away the blood on her forehead. Their noses are almost touching when Victoria opens her eyes. There is a pounding in her head everything is a blur she notices the green eyes studying her. Prison. Reynolds. Transfer. Escape. Crash. 'Cruella!' she screams jumping up and clutching the blanket to her chest. 'Oh calm down darling, don't excite yourself Victoria. I did just rescue you.' Cruella leans back on her heels. 'R-rescued me?' she looks around and realises she is home at Hellman Hall. Cruella stands and twirls. 'I decorated I hope you like it.'

The Baroness struggles to push herself into a sitting position. 'What do you want from me?' she asks coldly. Cruella sits beside her and gently takes her hand. 'I don't want anything from you, we are both women, I heard what Reynolds was planning I couldn't just stand back at let you be raped.' her tone is gentle and warm, and Estella. 'You ruined my life, you took everything from me, set me up, left me to rot in that hell hole and now expect me to believe that you are some sort of advocate against sexual violence on women.' she looks down dismissively at Cruella's hand which is holding hers the Baroness rips her hand from her grip. 'Tell. Me. What you. Want?' she firmly states each word. Cruella's face cracks as it changes from the sweet and innocent concerned woman to the vicious devil that is Cruella. 'You know, even though we aren't related by blood you and I are very a like you are a smart woman.'

The Baroness rolls her eyes. 'I hate repeating myself, dear.' Cruella smirks and tilts her head. 'Oh? Am I holding you back? Were you in a hurry to get to Wormwood? I can call you a cab if you'd like?' she gestures to the phone. The Baroness gives an involuntary shiver. 'Well, what now?' Cruella looks up as she thinks. 'Tea.' she announces. 'Mum always said the best way to start or end anything is with a nice cup of tea. Milk? No, sugar.' she asks. The Baroness watches her dual-haired crazed kidnapper. 'Yes.' Cruella remembers how she took her tea from when she was Estella. This is how Victoria and Cruella found themselves sitting together. Victoria awkwardly on the chaise pretending to focus on her tea, Cruella in a nearby armchair studying her unwilling guest. 'Is it to your liking?' Cruella breaks the silence. The Baroness looks at her. 'If you would not mind I'd rather not drink arsenic thank you very much.' she puts the cup down refusing to drink. 'Darling if I were going to poison you I wouldn't do it by wasting a good cup of tea.'

Cruella places her cup down. 'How's prison?' she asks casually. The Baroness shoots her a look. 'How's prison? How's prison?' she repeats. 'Oh, it's marvelous, strip searches, cockroaches, and all the slop you can eat. I was actually thinking of making it my second holiday home.' Someone has clearly spent too much time around you, the sarcasm drips from her lips. Cruella chuckles partly amused. 'It must be terrible darling, a woman used to such comforts and luxuries such as yourself,' she plays with a white curl. 'To go from that to being trapped in a cell, no money, no power. I bet you were popular, you're a good-looking woman, and your accent reveals your class. I'm sure that the prisoners reveled in having such a guest.' she mocks her. 'Did you end up someone's prison bitch?' The Baroness stares at her with hatred. 'No!' she snaps. Cruella's eyes widened. 'You did, didn't you? You old whore!' she laughed.

The Baroness looks like she is ready to murder her. Cruella holds up her hands. 'Okay, enough pleasantries. I have a problem.' she admits. 'Oh, you noticed did you?' The Baroness sasses her again, implying her problem is she is insane. Cruella's lips pull into a smile. 'Good one. Now then, there is something that I am looking for and I believe only you can help me.' The Baroness snorts. 'And, just why would I help you?' she is almost laughing at the idea. 'Because. I am the Baroness Cruella De Vil. I have money, power, and influence. You help me with this one little favour and I swear you will not step foot in a prison again. I will give you a reasonable cash sum and a little cottage in the country.' The Baroness doesn't look impressed. 'That's how I grew up it's not the life you are used to but it's better than handcuffs and hell is it not? Again if you'd rather go back to prison be my guest.' The Baroness clenches her jaw the idea of this infuriates her but prison terrifies her. Fear trumps fury. 'And what exactly is it you are looking for?' the Baroness must admit she is a little curious about what the younger woman is after.

Your taxi is racing to Wormwood you have to get there you have to stop them. Seeing the police van you bang on the driver's headrest. 'Stop the car, stop the car.' you demand. The driver pulls over at the edge of the road you jump out. You spot Kevin talking to the officers who cordoned off the scene with police tape, the officers are being loaded into ambulances. 'I just finished me shift and I said to meself that's one of our vans lying tipped over. I only pulled over, I'm a guard ye see, over at the lady prison.' he is giving his statement to the officers. 'Kevin.' Kevin turns and double takes seeing you. '(Y/n)? What you doing here...oh you got out today, hey lads this used to be one of the women I locked up. What are the chances?' he jokes. 'Hope I didn't forget to lock up now they are all running around.' he laughs then looks worried and checks his key is in his pocket. 'Where is she? Where is the Baroness?' you demand. He shrugs. 'Beats me love, looks like she's done a runner on us.'