Criminal Witness
by Imagigirl20
Hey, guys! I'm back. Again. Sorry I've been away for a while, but I have been so busy with my job's training period. The good news is, I'm about to switch to a shift where I have more free time! The bad news is, I still don't have a computer of my own, so...I am currently borrowing my sister's computer, which she has been so kind to lend me. Anyway, I've hit a fork in the road with my current stories, so I'm taking up my old rule: When in doubt, roll something else out! This particular fanfic has been sitting in my head for a good while, and I am eager to share it with you. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Gotham or its affiliates. Takes place before Ra's al Ghul's death and during Jerome's return
Detective Jim Gordon glanced over at the clock and rubbed his eyes. When the clock struck 12:35 am, he picked up his jacket and threw it over his shoulder.
"Well, Harvey", he said, knocking on the captain's door, "I'm callin' it a night."
"Yeah, alright", said Harvey, looking over a file. "You get some rest, partner. I'll see you bright and ear-"
"HELP ME!"
The two men looked at each other and ran out into the corridor. A young woman had burst into the police station, sobbing hysterically and barely able to stand.
"He's after me!" she yelled. "Help me, please, I need HELP!"
"Hey, take it easy!"
Harvey came up to meet her, catching her by the shoulders before she collapsed to the floor.
"Who's after you?" said Gordon. "What's going on?"
"I saw him", the girl muttered, "I s-s-saw him KILL that man!"
"Whoa, hang on", said Bullock, "who killed who, here?"
"A man in a mask", said the girl. "He killed that man, he saw me. He's coming for me! I gotta get out of here!"
The girl struggled to break free from Bullock's grasp, but he kept a firm hold on her.
"Easy!" Bullock said. "We can help you!"
"NO ONE CAN HELP ME!"
Without warning, the girl punched him in the face. Gordon sprang into action and tackled her to the ground before she could run away.
"Damn it, can we get some help over here?!" said Bullock.
Gordon kept a firm grip on the girl's waist as she screamed.
"LET ME GO! NO ONE CAN HELP ME!"
Lucius Fox broke through the forming crowd and knelt down by the girl's side, jamming a syringe into her leg. The girl cried out, but then fell silent as the sedative took effect. Gordon let her go and stood up. He helped Harvey to his feet, who was rubbing his jaw.
"What the hell just happened?" he said.
8 Minutes Earlier
A young college student walked down the street, clutching her backpack. It was 12:27 am, and she was on her way home from a late-night study session. As she turned a corner and passed a large brown fence, she heard a clatter. The girl stopped and turned towards the sound. After a few moments, she heard nothing else. Thinking nothing of it, she continued on her way. As she passed the house beside the fence, she heard a man's scream.
"Oh, my God!" she thought. "What the-?"
The girl screamed as a man's body crashed through the window of the house beside her. Dropping her backpack, the girl stooped down.
"Sir?!" she said. "Are you alright?!"
She gasped as she flipped him over to find a knife in his head. The girl screamed and tripped over her own feet as she scrambled away from him. A man in a jekyll's mask stared at her from the broken window.
The girl clawed at the grass as she struggled to get to her feet, abandoning her backpack. A knife hit the fence as she ran by it. The girl screamed for help as she ran in the opposite direction. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the figure in the mask pursuing her. The girl failed to see a passing car as she ran right into the road. She rolled off the hood as the car jerked to a halt. Clutching her side, the girl got up and continued to run, half-limping, down to the police station.
"HELP ME!" the girl screamed as she burst through the doors of the police station.
Her head spun as an officer gripped her by the shoulders to keep her from falling. Suddenly, she found herself in the hands of the masked man. The girl screamed and lashed out, connecting with his jaw. Another officer plowed into her, knocking the breath out of her. She continued to scream and struggle, now seeing the man everywhere. And then suddenly, she felt a pain in her leg. Her vision became blurry and she lost control of her limbs. The last thing she saw was the clear face of Detective Jim Gordon before she lost consciousness.
45 Minutes Later
The girl groaned as she stirred awake, and immediately panicked as she found herself in handcuffs. As she frantically struggled to get away, a hand came down on her arm. The girl stopped and stared at Jim Gordon, who was seated across from her.
"Easy", he said. "Sorry about the restraints, but you punched my partner the last time we spoke."
The girl gasped and put her cuffed hands over her mouth.
"Oh, my God!" she said. "I am so sorry, I-I didn't mean-"
"Water under the bridge", said Harvey, still rubbing his sore jaw. "Now you mind tellin' me what you were talkin' about earlier?"
"You came in here screaming about a man in a mask being after you", said Gordon.
At this, the girl tensed up.
"You wanna tell us what happened?"
The girl gulped and began to tell the story of how she came across a dead body on her way home. She told them about the man in the mask who chased her and the knife he threw. When she mentioned that she had been hit by a car while running to the station, Gordon called for a medic.
"After I saw that knife in his head, I ran like hell", said the girl, shaking her head. "I've-never been...more scared in my...in my-"
Her head slumped down onto the desk as Bullock and Gordon rushed over to her. Her pulse was low, and they noticed a huge bruise on her side. Her shirt had been torn during the chase.
"Get that medic in here now!" Bullock screamed.
A few hours later, Bullock and Gordon were in the waiting room. The girl had suffered minor injuries and a concussion, but the doctors said she would be fine with a little rest. The two police officers stood as a nurse approached them.
"You can go in now, detectives", she said.
"Thanks", said Gordon as he walked past her to the girl's room.
The girl was sitting up in her hospital bed glancing nervously at the window when the two men came in. She flinched when she heard them approach.
"Easy", said Gordon, holding his hands up. "We just want to ask you a few more questions, if you don't mind."
The girl hesitated, but then nodded.
"Alright, let's start with an easy one", said Bullock. "What's your name?"
The girl turned toward them.
"Harleen", she said. "My name is Harleen Quinzel."
So, this is my origin story for Harley Quinn, before she became who she is, of course. What do you think? Eager for more? Any suggestions for an out-of-practice fanfic writer? Let me know! Until next time.
-Imagigirl20