Harder they Fall
Kristina was free-falling.
Hard and fast, like a bird with broken wings. Spinning colors danced in her vision, and the offending sound of prison alarms filled her ears as she drew closer and closer to the ground. Rapid gusts of wind rushed against her form as she fought with gravity and lost. It continued to pull and scrape her clothes across her body harshly, making her cry out painfully despite this being her choice. The feel of the fall was similar to a good old fashioned beating, though there would be far more bruises when this hit was done. That and in all probability . . . a broken neck.
The woman breathed frantically as the fear of the moment consumed her, waving her arms and legs in a large swipes to try to gain purchase on one of the many ledges she was flying past. But with each attempt she failed, and thus kept falling. She was moving too fast to be able to grab onto something for safety, and the ground wasn't very far away anymore. In another moment she would land and it would all be over.
Gritting her teeth as her body finally stopped fighting the air currents; Kristina Moran let several anxious tears escape her frightened eyes as she silently fell to her death.
Several Days Prior. . .
It was 8:00 and her trap was set.
Kristina Moran- Nightmare- smiled to herself as she kicked back in her armchair and waited. It was only a matter of time before her invitation was answered, and she had vowed to enjoy every second of tonight. The woman was in desperate need for some fun after being cooped for nearly a month, and that's what she was going to get.
Good, adrenaline pumping, fun.
Ever since the incident where Harley had nearly blown her head off her shoulders, Roman Sionis had kept his promise. Kristina hadn't been touched by anyone or anything, and because of this, Nightmare's life was getting incredibly dull.
She was refused when she had asked to help with the bank jobs. Hell, she wasn't even allowed to pick up shipments anymore! And that was pure grunt work! The Boss had gone from devil-may care to overprotective in a heartbeat, and it was nothing short of infuriating.
But now, since the Mask had gotten himself locked away at Black Gate for some raunchy charges, Kristina was back in the game! Well . . . sort of. She would ultimately respect her man's wishes of staying safe, once he was busted free. But until then, the world was free game!
Nightmare lay back in her chair like a giant jungle cat, stretching her muscles and yawning as the minutes ticked by and became an hour. But she wouldn't despair. Not when she knew that her trap was perfectly set.
By the time 10 o'clock was rolling around Kristina was getting a bit peeved, and was about to call it a night when her caller finally arrived. Crashing through the window, with a hammer twice her size grasped in her red and black gloved hands, Harley Quinn made a capital entrance. Nothing short of a stunning performance, seeing as it defied all logic that she had been able to swing into the seventh story window with the hammer in the first place. But it was a well-known fact that Harlequin made it an everyday practice to achieve the impossible.
"You know, you could have used the front door, Harley," Kristina said with an amused shake of her head, as she rose from her chair and approached the now surprised clown.
"Nightmare?" Harley looked confused as she took in her old friend and then the room she had crashed landed into. "What're you doin' here?"
Kristina smiled, "Just whiling away the hours. I'm glad you got my invitation."
Harley was silent for a moment before she started to guffaw loudly, snorting as large peals of laughter echoed throughout the nearly empty room.
"There isn't a vault in here, is there?" She finally asked when she had calmed down her laughter.
Kristina shook her head. "Nope, just me. Hope you don't mind."
Harley shrugged happily as she lowered her hammer, and lazily leaned against it. "Nah, sweetie, I don't mind at all! I'm just surprised ta see ya! How ya been?"
"I've been better actually," Nightmare answered back easily, sliding her eyes over the hammer and yet again wondering how on earth the small clown could carry it around so effortlessly. "I need your help."
Harley looked slightly uncomfortable, "Oh yeah? What with?"
Kristina reached out her hand and placed it on Harley's shoulder soothingly. "Calm down, Harley. I've forgiven you for last month. I know that sometimes you're forced to do things you don't want to do, by the people ya love the most."
The names Joker and Black Mask instantly popped into the two women's minds, but neither stopped to bring notice to it, for Kristina immediately continued.
"I've got no hard feelings, Harls. . . I just wanted to offer you a good old fashioned con-job."
Where there had been uncertainty in the Clown Princesses' eyes, now only pure excitement shone. Harley Quinn's moods really were changeable. . . It was quite similar to how a child would react. One minute angry or upset about the injustices of their world, and the next, happily eating some candy and singing themselves a song.
Though in Harley's case, it was both innocent and horribly strange.
"What job, sweetie?" Harley finally asked curiously.
"My man's in Black Gate," Kristina answered truthfully. "I'm gonna bust him out, and I would appreciate having someone there to watch my back."
Harley openly giggled and clapped her hands together; seeming to forget the large hammer she was supposed to be holding. The gigantic weapon fell to the ground with a loud bang, making both Kristina and Harley jump. Then they both laughed together.
"Count me in, Nightmare!" The pretty clown crowed ecstatically, "Whatever ya need, I gotcha! We'll break ole Sionis outta the clinker, not sweat!"
"Thanks Harley, I'll owe ya one!"
The Clown Princess grinned. "Nah, we'll just call us square! So tell me, what kinda prison break did ya have in mind?"
Kristina Moran returned her friend's toothy grin in kind. "It's funny you should ask Harley. It's funny you should ask. . ."
Current time . . .
Roman Sionis was numb as he pulled himself away from the window of his prison cell, and felt the world seem to momentarily crash upon his weary shoulders.
Kristina was dead. . .
Only seconds prior he had gazed out at the outer wall of Black Gate Prison and witnessed her familiar form free-falling to the cement courtyard several stories below. He had called out to her, panic driving him to the brink of insanity as he watched helplessly. But it had been in vain.
Roman had turned away before her body hit the pavement, but he had known the moment it did. The sound was horrific and at the echoing crack, the Mob Boss had shut his eyes tight.
It was too much. . . Too much memory, sight, and sound. It wasn't possible. . . It just couldn't be.
His woman couldn't be gone . . . not now. Not here at Black Gate. . . Not like this.
Slowly, Black Mask felt stone cold anger take precedence over his heartbreak, and it was like a switch had flipped in his brain. No more mourning or sorrow, only red hot pain and hate. He was seething, and somebody was gonna pay. Whoever had pushed Kristina over the edge of the roof, or stupidly stood by and let her jump had another thing coming. They would wish that it had been them who had painted the cement red, when he was done with them. That was a bonafide promise.
And at the prompting of an undeniable impulse, the man launched his fist at his cell wall, and unleashed some of his emotion into the crack he had just created. But it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough, at this point . . . Other than someone's head on a platter.
Black Mask lifted his fist to hit the wall again, and would have continued to pummel the tiled wall if it hadn't been for someone clearing their throat obnoxiously from the doorway of his cell. Snapping his gaze up with fiery eyes, he was met with the goofy grin of the last person he had expected.
"Q-Quinzel?"
Harley Quinn- dressed in a prison guard's uniform, and lacking her usual makeup- made a silly face at him before she fully entered the small room. Where she had gotten the needed key-card or passwords was beyond Sionis, but there was too much on his mind in that moment, so he didn't think to ask.
"One in the same, Sionis," she said with a firm nod. "Did-ja miss me?"
Black Mask glared at the clown before he snarled, "Hell no, I didn't miss ya! Now get out!"
"I would, Sionis, in a heartbeat. Cause I really don't like ya! But Nightmare wants ya outta Black Gate, so I have ta play nice."
There was silence for a long minute before Roman's deadly voice stated three words.
"Nightmare. Is. DEAD."
At the steady growl of his voice, and the absolute murder in his eyes, anyone in their right mind would have run away crying, but not Harley. No, instead of doing the smart thing, she tipped her head back and laughed merrily.
Roman decided to kill her almost instantly, but first he would know what had made her laugh and make her regret it.
"What joke's so funny that it's worth your life, Quinzel?"
For a moment Harley couldn't speak, but she finally was able to huff, "Atta girl, Kristina! She played yous like a violin! Ab-sol-lutely perfect!"
Black Mask did a double take.
"What the hell are you talkin' about?"
Harley flashed the Mob Boss an extremely crazy grin as she answered. But Black Mask's expression put hers to shame as her words registered in his anger-ridden mind.
"Kristina is still alive, Sionis! She set up her fall so we'd have the proper distraction ta spring ya loose! Looks like she did a convincing job, huh? Gotcha all angry and bent fer revenge, when she hasn't even kicked the bucket! Haaaahh haaaahhhh!"
"H-How?" The Mask stuttered in shock. "I saw her fall! How could she make it look and sound so real? . . ."
"Geez, Sionis! Lighten' up! We're con-bimbos," Harley said with another laugh. "It's our job ta fool people! But I promise ya she's alive and waiting fer ya back at yer ha-ha-hacienda. Now I gotta getcha outta here before those party-poopers come back, or Nightmare'll kill me!"
After a moment more of shocked inaction, Black Mask slowly- but willingly- followed Harley back into the prison corridor, and down past several KO'd guards to an inconspicuous checkpoint. Here- as Harley swiped the stolen key card- she bid Sionis to grab the coat and hat off of one of the sleeping guards.
"Slip em on, or they'll recognize ya and this'll all be for jack squat!"
Roman quickly shrugged on the coat and expertly put the hat on his head, covering his hair and face, before he and Harley once more began to walk past the thick steel-based door. They went through the innards of the building and soon enough they came out of a secondary exit. As Harley punched in a set of memorized numbers into the final keypad and the last door opened for them, she offered another warning.
"Act normal, Sionis, and make sure ta keep that hat on. If we can get past these guys and outta the line of the snipers we'll be in teh clear!"
Black Mask nodded, and together the two cons exited the prison and walked across the sniper based outer wall, before finally reaching the employee parking lot. Harley walked over to an inconspicuous, crappy old mini-van and motioned for him to follow. Once they were both inside the van, Harley exhaled a large sigh of relief and started the engine.
"Free 'n clear, baby! Free 'n clear!"
And as they pulled away from Black Gate Prison, Roman Sionis couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. Nor could he control it when it became a full-fledged laugh. Impressed, happily surprised, and secretly relieved, Black Mask smiled.
Not only was he free, but Kristina was still alive!
Silently the Mob Boss marveled at the details that were still unknown to him, and internally bowed his head to the genius of the plan.
It was an indisputable fact: his little woman was truly something else.
A/N: Here's another commission for my dear friend !
Originally I had planned for this to be a direct (retribution) sequel to A Very Unusual Way but the story had other plans. The stinker wrote itself and damned all of my fine plans. lol XD
But on a positive note, now both Black Mask and Nightmare have gotten the better of each other. So it's all evens now! lol ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own DC Universe, Black Mask, Harley Quinn, Blackgate, or Nightmare.
~Lyn Harkeran