Okay people, I know what you guys are thinking... "What the hell is this guy doing putting a Harley/Batman fic?!" Well I thought about it while reading BiteMeTechie's story, the Beginning. If you like Harley stories then you'll really love this one. Anyways, as I was reading this story, I felt that their was some kind of attraction between Batman and Harley... and there you have it, the reason why I'm a Batman and Harley shipper now. Well I guess you could call it a shipper. So, this is my first ever Batman fic, and I hope you guys enjoy it in some kind of way. Also, I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed in any kind of way, but please, if I did anything wrong, I would really like it if you guys came at me with some constructive criticism, instead of, "OMG YOU FKIN SUK!!!" Yeah... that's really not needed. But anyways, hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the Batman animated series.
He sat solemnly still in the darkness, with only a dim glow of the giant computer monitor to serve as any source of light. What was intriguing was that the man had a face that any observer could tell with a mask or not, that something was bothering him. Here was our hero, Batman, the one man that fought criminals and lunatics on a daily basis, that investigated crimes and accomplished feats that no other man or woman could accomplish with such ease. He was the best at what he did, especially when it came to capturing the bad guys. Batman was known to be feared by many of the villains that roamed the streets of Gotham, every super villain to petty crook knew when they did a crime, Batman was quickly behind them. And today was no exception, Batman had come across some information on the Joker, one of Gotham's many villains, was once again up to his usual bad deeds. Robbing a bank in the middle of the night was nothing unusual for the Joker and Batman was not impressed.
Naturally, our hero would quickly handle the situation no differently than any other time. So that's exactly what he did, but something went terribly odd during his escapade with containing the Joker and his henchmen. Something that had the hero sitting in this very seat within the darkness of the bat cave, contemplating on the dealings that lead to what was disturbing him at the very moment.
Joker always seemed to confuse and baffle Bruce with his crazy thoughts and maniac actions. But for once, it wasn't the Joker that disturbed the cape crusader, no not at all, it was the mistress jester that never left the side of the man that supposedly ruled Gotham's streets. Harley Quinn. Batman knew Harley Quinn to be as crazy as the green haired man himself, so it was a prefect match between the crazy jokester and the beautifully insane harlequin jester. Though the two had a very interesting relationship, Batman knew only one person of that relationship actually took it seriously. The Joker constantly used Harley more then a child that played with an abused toy, so it was easily seen that the exact thing happened to the once been psychiatrist. Their were many times that the woman would be a human shield for the clown even when she didn't volunteer for the position, but it was just like Joker to just use the vulnerable ill minded woman anytime he wanted, and Batman wouldn't be less then the Joker himself to say that he didn't have pity for the woman one bit when he did witness the abuse.
But Batman knew that the misled psychiatrist did put herself in the situations to be taken advantage of, and she also assisted the activities with the Joker. So she was equally labeled as a criminal no matter how warped her mind was with the help of the annoying white faced man. It still stumped Bruce that the woman that had an education and possibly a good life turned into criminal so easily. It just goes to show that the Joker could easily manipulate almost anyone to do his evil biddings.
But still, our hero was still figuring out how the actions with Harley even happened, Batman had no intention at all to ever be in a predicament with the loved crazed woman, but he was, and it did happen. The events that led to an unsettling incident wouldn't leave the vigilantes thoughts, no matter how desperate he tried to erase them, it came right back to him full force as if he was watching it from another's point of view, and how he saw it, their was nothing he could do to stop what had happened. At least, that's what he kept repeating through his head.
A sigh escaped the well built man as he slunk back in his seat and took the cowl of his mask off. "Why did I let that happen?" He muttered this as he looked through the abyss of darkness around him.
"What exactly had happened sir?"
Bruce quickly shifted his head behind him, searching in the direction the familiar voice had came from. A man with a butler's outfit came out in view for Bruce to see.
"Alfred… you startled me." Bruce held a small grin on his face, but was gone as soon as he turned his face to the giant monitor, typing away as if pretending his butler/friend was even there.
Alfred rose a brow from Bruce's actions. 'Something must of happened when he went to that bank robbery. But knowing the Joker, something is always disturbingly intriguing with the loon.' The old English men took a couple steps to young bachelor wanting to question his actions.
"Is everything alright sir? You seem to be… troubled?" Alfred now stood beside the personae of Batman.
Bruce stopped his typing and took a quick glance at his good friend, but directed his gaze once again at the screen. "I… I'm fine Alfred, just looking up some research." Thinking that the conversation was over he resumed his typing.
Alfred knew throughout the years that the man before him can be an enigma when he wanted to. Their was moments when he couldn't figure out his young master's thoughts at all, and it bothered him to no end that Bruce would always shut himself out from the world around him whenever something was troubling his mind.
"So, seeing you here early from your journey tells me that you apprehended Joker and his men, am I correct?" Alfred looked up to the computer screen to see what the man was looking for. 'Dr. Harleen Quinzel? Where have I heard-' His thoughts were stopped when hearing his young friend speak.
"Not exactly Alfred. I almost had him, but…" Bruce stopped what he was saying, knowing well that he still didn't feel comfortable with sharing the details about the aftermath of the robbery. He trusted Alfred with his very life, it was just that, he still couldn't believe the whole outcome of the actual robbery.
Bruce finally broke his gaze on the screen and looked up to his mentor, who was also looking back at him confused.
"What happened?" The butler asked again with concern written all over his face, and even more curious to why the man known as Batman was looking up information on this Harleen woman, when it was more like him to keep searching for the Joker instead.
Giving an exasperated sigh, Bruce decided to tell his life long friend the details that occurred that very night. 'Besides, Alfred might know what to do with this… thing.' He built up his courage and finally told the butler the details of the heist.
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A loud eerie cackle of laughter could be heard within the main bank of Gotham, but with much closer inspection, anyone that has ever meet the man with green greased up hair and skin whiter then a sheet a paper, knew the laugh like any other. The Joker, once again was on his usual tricks in robbing another bank.
"Hey!" The henchmen turned their heads to the man of the hour. "If you morons don't work any faster…" A huge grin was plastered on his face. "Then I might just have to motivate you fellas some other way…" He said this as he was patting what looked like a gun in his hands. The 'gun', as it looked to be, had a clown face with a big open toothy grin.
The men knew the possibilities of what could happen by being hit with that… 'gun', and every last one of them didn't want anything to do with it. With the threat still fresh in the air, the men began to work harder fearing the crazed man before them.
With a ever present grin on his face, the Joker let out a theatrical sigh. "It's sooo hard to find good help these days"
"You sure are right Mistah J, these lackeys weren't as good as the othas'." A high pitch moll accent could be heard by the stand still form of the Joker.
Joker looked over to his side with a disgusted look. The woman known as Harley Quinn held a big grin in front of her suppose 'boyfriend', looking more then nothing but an idiot in his opinion. He shoved her face away from him which led her to crash head over heels on a table.
Hearing nothing but a shrill cry, the Joker resumed his usual maniac smile, and continued his banter for the men to work faster.
But unbeknownst to the criminals, a tall figure stood in the shadows watching every move that anyone made. Already coming up with a strategy to take out Joker's men, and the jokester prince himself, Batman was just waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Harley shakily stood on the floor with a still wry grin. "Puddin'," she whined as she stood. "That kinda hurt."
Joker ignored what she said, and surveyed the bank as if he was looking for something… or someone.
Harley quickly saw the change of attitude in her 'boyfriend' and grew concerned. "You okay Mistah J? What are you lookin' for." She once again stood next to him waiting on nothing but his reply.
"Batman… I would've thought he'll come by now, hmm… something's not right." He said this while still keeping a watchful eye around the bank. It wasn't like Batman to wait long for him to stop his plans. 'So where is the annoying rodent?'
Right on queue, Batman leaped in the scene with grace, and didn't even stagger as he stood. "Why so impatient Joker? Can't wait till I actually do stop you?" The cape crusader said this with his throaty voice that would make any person cower away.
But it had no effect on the trickster, since he's heard it so many times before. "Ahh, Batty Boy, and here I thought you were losing your touch," Joker had a toothy grin. "Well then, since you're here… I guess I get to try out my new toy," He held up the ridiculous looking gun, and pointed it at Batman's chest. "I call it… Smiley." As he finished his sentence with his disturbing laugh, he shot the gun.
As soon as the loud bang could be heard, Batman dodged the dart with ease, and flung a bat-a-rang that was hidden in his hand from the very beginning for such occasion. With the dart missing it's target completely, the bat-a-rang did the complete opposite, with precise aim the bat shaped weapon made contact with the hand of the Joker, who recoiled the offended appendage while dropping the 'gun'.
"Dammit!" Joker cursed while nursing his hand. He did a quick one eighty degree turn of his head to meet eyes with his grunts. "What are you waiting for you idiots!? Get the Bat!" Once the words left him, the men hesitated but charged nonetheless at the hero.
"Awww, Puddin'… are you okay?" Harley cooed lovingly while clutching Joker's injured hand and cradling it between her own.
Still angered by the throbbing pain in his hand, Joker made a swift movement down with his other hand that had stricken the girl on her now bruised cheek. Harley fell to the ground while tenderly touching her abused face.
"Does it look like I'm okay you idiot?" He was seething in anger. "Now get up, and help those imbeciles capture Batman!" He kept his murderous glare down on the girl.
Harley wasted no time on heeding his words. She stood back up while grabbing for her trademark weapon. With a small smile on her face, she ran into the still happening fight like the madwoman she was, whilst holding a sledgehammer over her head. "I'll get him for you Mistah J!"
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With a powerful punch, the last of the henchmen feel to the ground where the other four men were scattered. Batman regained his composure, but heard a faint whistle that had him turn his head up to the sound coming from above him.
"Heads up, Bats!" Harley squealed with a huge grin.
With a quick back flip that would have any gymnast jealous, Batman nearly escaped the hammer that could've possibly squashed him. Turning to the assailant, Batman once again held his fighting stance against the woman. Harley held the hammer over her shoulder with a huge grin on her face that could rival the Joker's own.
"You know Batsy… Have I eva' told ja' how annoyin' you can be?"
The man in question stared Harley down with his intimidating gaze, not bothering to answer her.
Nonetheless she continued. "I mean, all my Puddins' trying to do is get a lil' money, but you always have to ruin everything with your whole hero complex thing." She finished her sentence with a serious tone.
"Stop wasting time woman, hurry and get him already!" Joker yelled from across the room, obviously impatient.
With a slight grin Harley readied her hammer, which had Batman ready as well. "Well Bats, time to say goodbye!" With another lunge, Harley made a swipe for Batman's head.
Once again with trained ease, the dark knight dodged all possible threats to his body. "Don't you see he doesn't care about you… he's using you like every other person he has." Batman said this to the delusional woman while avoiding being hit from her swings. She ignored his words and kept on working on crushing the man with her hammer, though it was surprising she could even lift the object, she was starting to struggle.
After a few more struggled swings, she stopped for a quick breather. Swinging around a hammer that's practically bigger then your self is no easy feat. "My Puddin' loves me Batman, someone like you wouldn't know love if it bit you on your ass." She took in a lungful of air while holding a fierce glare at her opponent.
Batman stood to his full height showing no sign of fatigue, and obviously not at all effected by her words, he continued. "Harleen," He saw her tense up at the name. "Your wasting your life away for this loonatic. Whatever feelings you have for him… will never be returned."
His words echoed in her head and stung so bad that tears threaten to fall from her eyes. "Your wrong." She finally said through clenched teeth. "He does care for me," She gave a side glance to the man that always held her attention. "He loves me." Her worlds where hardly above a whisper.
"He's using you Harleen… and your letting him," He paused to put more effect in his words. "I can help you become the woman you were before…"
Not wanting to hear anymore, Harley attacked the man that questioned her love. Blinded by rage that was fueled by the words of the vigilante, the woman was sloppily swinging the hammer that Batman had no trouble at all avoiding. But little did they both know a rude awaking was in store for the dark knight and harlequin jester.
As the Joker watched the two battle it out, the insane man saw it as an opportunity to take out the Bat, and finally get rid of the annoying pest that was obviously obsessed with him. He was doing himself a favor on getting her out of the picture he thought.
Joker held what looked like a grenade of a smiling joker in his palm. "Another great toy," he let out a cackle of laughter that went unnoticed by both fighters. "Like they say, 'Kill two birds with one stone.'" Another shrill of laughter escaped the lips of the Joker as he unclipped the grenade and hurled it to the unexpected couple, while making his swift getaway.
Both fighters came to an abrupt stop as they saw a object land between the two. Confusion went through the eyes of the jester, as recollection went through the Bats. "What's- HEY!" Harley wasn't able to finish her words as she was snatched up by the dark knight.
"BOOOM!!!!" Was the thunderous sound that echoed the streets of Gotham, possibly waking everyone in town. Though the building was engulfed in flames intending to be the death grounds of Batman and Harley. Both were now outside the ruined bank with their lives nearly intact, thanks to the quick thinking of Batman.
A groan escaped Harley as she felt pain throughout her body, which is not surprising since falling from the air could cause that effect. Though she was alright, she still felt shaken up by her near death experience.
'That was about worst then the time I got pushed out that window.' A frown was seen on her face by the memory, remembering who had caused the fall.
"Are you alright?"
The throaty voiced shocked her out of her reverie, completely forgetting that she wasn't alone. She looked up to the man that saved her life, and couldn't help but keep a gaze on his face. With the flames of the bank dancing around in the distance, Harley felt entranced by the hero that also kept his stare/glare on her. 'He… He saved me…' Were the words that swam through the villainess' mind.
Ready to repeat his words, Batman stopped as he saw the woman shakily stood. Noticing how close he was to her, he took a few steps back ready in case she started to attack again. But as he looked upon her face he was surprised to see a tear rolled down her cheek.
"It was an accident right… I mean, my Puddin' wouldn't do that on purpose, knowing I was still there… right?" She said this more to herself then the dark man.
Batman stayed quite, not sure if he should really answer the rhetorical question, and not wanting to stir any ill tempers either.
She finally looked up an held her gaze on the Bat. "He was only aiming for you…right?"
Batman looked in her eyes and saw true sadness and tears come from them. Seeing that she was actually wanting a reply he answered her. "Harleen, their was no way that the Joker thought you could've survived that blast when you were that close to me."
His words hit her hard, and she tried to stifle a sob from escaping her mouth. "But… But he… he loves me…" Harley desperately tried to hold in her sobs, but with Batman's words still fresh on her mind, she couldn't hold up. So she cried while hiding her face in her hands embarrassed. Embarrassed for that she loved a man that wanted nothing to do with her. Cried that she was a fool to think someone like the Joker would ever be in love… in love with someone like her.
Seeing the woman crying struck a pain in Bruce's heart. He knew full well how it felt to feel alone, and how it felt to think you were unloved. As he looked over the woman, he couldn't help but feel pity for her. Surprising himself, Batman walked over to the hysterical woman and gave a comforting rub on her back. What was even more surprising was the words he spoke. "Everything will be okay… I'll make sure you get better."
Though she very much enjoyed his actions, she was shocked that the one doing so was Batman, the dark knight himself. The man that stopped her and her… Puddin' from any wrong doing. As these were very much true facts, she didn't care. She liked the warmness that welled up in her chest as she felt him rub her back, and she loved the way he spoke those caring words.
As her sobs digressed to sniffling, Harley finally noticed with a small smile that Batman was still comforting her. She looked up with her smeared make-up to look to the man's hidden face and couldn't help but wonder what he looked like beneath it. 'I bet he's hot…' she thought. To say she was surprise by her dangerous thoughts was an understatement, but she didn't feel a need to take it back.
'Mistha J wouldn't like you sayin' that Harley girl.' A voice in her head said in her trademark moll accent, sounding disappointed.
'It doesn't matter what that joking idiot thinks… If you've forgotten, he tried to kill you and Batman.' Another voice said, but sounded more like the naturally voiced Harleen.
'That was an accident and you know it. Theirs no way that our Puddin' would try and kill us like that… he loves us rememba'?' The moll Harley spoke in a dreamy way.
'Theirs no way we could've survived that bomb. If it wasn't for Batman, we could be in that burning bank right now having are skin be ravished by the flames.' Natural Harleen said.
As both voices in her head argued over who was right and wrong, Harley clutched at her head and began breathing hard, pleading for the voices to stop. "Just shut up… Please be quiet." She said barely above a whisper.
Seeing her become quickly distraught, Batman once again tried to calm the woman down. "Harleen you need to relax. Just breath." Batman held her shoulders firmly just incase she decided to do anything drastic.
Hearing the voice of Batman automatically had the voices in her head instantly quite. As she followed his orders, her breathing evened out. Finally composing herself, Harley slowly opened her eyes to look at the eye holes of Batman's cowl. Another small smile played on her lips.
Batman gave a nod approving of her actions. "Good. Now I think it'll be good idea if we went to Ark-" His words were gone in the wind as he felt a pair of lips lightly touch his own. He was surprised- no, he was shocked- wait that doesn't work either, he was flabbergasted as Harley still kept her lips on his, though this was confusing to the bat uniformed man, it was even more unusual that the Batman of Gotham city was whole heartily returning her kiss.
As the kiss was reaching it's peak of no return for the couple, Harley quickly stopped as she heard the sirens of fire trucks and possibly police cars coming there way. She looked up at the dazed Bat and let out a cute little laugh. "Thanks Batman," She said this softly, gliding her hand against his cheek while tenderly caressing it, loving the feel of his smooth skin. "But I gotta go."
Still a little overwhelmed by the kiss, Batman's attention was alarmingly back as he felt the tremendous kick to his gut catch him completely off guard. He flew a few feet from where he was standing, but he quickly stood from the ground, finally noticing the fire trucks and police cars pulling up. Not bothering yet to look their way, he held his gaze down an alley where he could hear footsteps quickly fading away.
"What just happened?" His words were silent laced with confusion, absentmindedly touching his lips.
"Batman… mind telling me what happened here?"
Recognizing the voice to be Commissioner Gordon, Batman put his arm back down while still looking to the alley some more before turning around and telling the man what had happened, but secretly avoiding the whole Harley Quinn incident. He doubted very much that the commissioner would like the startling news.
As he finished explaining, James let out a sigh and shook his head. "So you weren't able to get those thugs out of there?" He already knew the answer, but felt he needed to ask.
The only response he received was a stern shake of the head.
"Alright then, I'll tell the firemen about that," He shook his head once more in disappointment. "It just goes to show ya' that Joker cares about no one but himself, uh?"
With a distant look in his eye, Batman looked to the alley where the footsteps were last heard. "Yeah… no one but himself."
Okay... Nice? Bad? Come on I can handle you guy's opinions, but like I said, constructive criticism please, I might be a towering man of 6'3 and all, but I got feelings like everyone else. So, please review, and I got one more chapter to put up for the actual completion of the story, since it's a one-shot and all. By the way, for anyone that's a Teen Titans Beast Boy and Raven fan, check out my story Partners, Great! I'm still working on it. But yeah, hope you guys like the story. Take it easy. Max.
