I had not lied to Dr. Leeland; I am attracted to strong personalities. The stronger, the more sensational, the better. One of these patients in Arkham Asylum is going to be my golden goose. With a particularly difficult case of insanity rehabilitated under my influence, I will finish my internship, get my doctorate, publish my findings, and easily become a recognizable figure in the psychiatric field. The perfect candidate presented himself on my very first day; patient 4479, the Joker. He is Batman's arch nemesis, infamous, and if I could cure him I would be set for life. It took me nearly three months to set up a session. I have studied all of his tricks and gimmicks, and feel I am ready for anything.
One of my premises is that the clinically insane are very similar in nature to children. Many aspects of their behavior are simply bad habits that have gone uncorrected, forming a rut in their mind that they are unable or unwilling to overcome. The pattern, once established, becomes a fixture of how they view the world around them, and simply explaining or showing the subject the error of their belief will only strengthen the mental grip on it. My approach is a classic technique of allowing the patient to tell me what he thinks and understands about the world. From there I hope to aid his growth into a more rational standpoint using his own views.
The story that patient has spun for me is incredible. An abusive, drunken father and a little boy who only wanted to make his dad proud. Yet somehow, he has me laughing at the tragic tale, using laughter to cure the heartache. It is becoming clear to me the Joker, so often described as a raving, homicidal madman...is actually a tortured soul crying out for love and acceptance. A lost, injured child trying to make the world laugh at his antics. Yet there, as always, is the self-righteous Batman, determined to make life miserable for Mister J. Yes, I admit it. As unprofessional as it sounds, I have developed certain feelings for my patient.
Perhaps it is just as the Joker said to me as I confessed my affection for him, that I have been career-oriented for so long that I have completely repressed my inner child. It's perfectly natural for me to fall for a man who can make me laugh, make me remember what it means to have fun. Somehow, I have deviated from my original goal, and allowed him to draw me out as I tried to draw him. If I remain in control and allow things to go no further, there should be no conflict of interests and I can continue my research.
-From the notes of Dr. Harleen Quinzel
The lid of her travel trunk snapped closed and Harley locked it. How many years had it been? She wasn't sure, but the trunk seemed free of the weight they had carried. Lifting it off the bed, she carried it to the waiting taxi. Many times before she had left him. There was the time he had sacked her, and another time when she decided to strike out on her own and form a gang of her own. But no matter how many times she had left, Harley had always returned. This time was different, though. She was leaving Gotham, leaving Harley Quinn behind, not only going straight, but also going normal. Getting onto the 9 o'clock train to Metropolis was perhaps the hardest thing she had ever done. No tears fell as it pulled out of the station and as she looked back on the city she knew so well, she said goodbye to her past.
Part of her wanted to rage, to fight for her Mister J, go back, and find a way to keep him for her very own. A hundred different ways she had tried to catch and keep the Joker's attention. One day a year was all she asked for really, if nothing else. Today was yet again the anniversary of the day they met, but no acknowledgement was given to it. The focus, as ever, was on Batman. Harleen understood and accepted the Joker's obsession with the Bat, it was his defining purpose in life. However, she still found herself feeling like a scorned wife while Joker cheated with his mistress. All attention, devotion, and time was spent on schemes and plans to capture the attention of his enemy, but not a thought was spared for her anymore. She would always love him, but there was only so much the heart could take.
Harleen slept fitfully and when she awoke, the train had stopped. She resolved to leave the past behind her where it belonged. Before her was a new city, a new life. Now was the time to prove her worth in the real world. Metropolis was just as impressive as Gotham, if slightly cleaner. It was a new city with its own heroes and villains, but she would stay out of their affairs and they would fail to notice her very average presence. From the station, she took another taxi to a decent apartment complex, one rather cheap but still away from the dangerous parts of town.
Unpacking took a matter of minutes and while the place was pretty bare, Harleen felt hope rise in her as she looked it over. Here was a place that belonged to her - a home of her own. It had been far too long since she had been truly independent. Perhaps she was broken on the inside, maybe she didn't have the best record, but she could still start over and get her life back on the track that it was meant to be. There was no reason for her to be a criminal. She had no tragic past, no resentment of society, and all of her bad habits could be broken. Tomorrow she would find a community college, finish her degree, and maybe even find an honest job.
And if her heart, like the apartment, felt a little hollow on the inside… well soon it would be full of the pleasures of a normal life.