It was a sunny day in June I believe…when I first saw her. We went to the same camp together. It was a beautiful place to go with log cabins surrounding a lovely little outdoor mess hall with a lakeside view. I saw her blonde hair and blue eyes and it was then that I found a woman I wanted to be with forever.
When we had arts and crafts together for the first time I made sure to sit next her, introduce myself to her, she smiles a beautiful, energetic smile, and responded with, "Hi. I'm Harleen."
The energy was the most confusing thing, such an angel with such energy…I really couldn't fathom it. I shook her hand and smiled back, "I'm Ginger Fox." That was the first time we spoke to each other. As the weeks went by, we learn so much about each other. I learned about her parents who lived in downtown Gotham and were both unemployed, "I'm here using state funds. My counselor said it would be good for me to get out of the big city." I felt horrible when I told her that my parents actually live in California, I had a choice between going to camp and going to prep school again…I chose camp."
She didn't harbor any ill will towards be for having parents who own a large business. She was excited to hear about it and I was glad to tell her. When camp came to and end we said our goodbyes and went our own ways. I never forgot her though.
About ten years later, I was accepted into Gotham University. My parents were furious until I made to excuse of meeting the young proprietor of Wayne Tech, Bruce Wayne. I never met the man, didn't want to. I scoured the halls and corridors for the young Harleen and we did finally meet in a psychology class. We hugged, we reminisced and then we moved in together.
She told me about her dream of being a psychologist and working with the criminally insane, she really wanted the fame and fortune of curing the incurable. I explained my business plans of taking over my parents business and then I told her the truth. The business was going under after a scandal with a board member. My father was in a lot of trouble and my mother had left him because of it. I explained to Harleen that I just wanted to get out of California and what better place to move than the city were my best and only friend lived.
We spent holidays together, never going to visit family and when my dad business died he did too with a bullet to his head. I wasn't sad at all. I took over his business, for a short while after college, and shut it down. I used what money was left and started my new life in Gotham with Harleen Quinzel and that my friend is where I take you now.
"Foxy!" Harleen shouted into my ear while I slept, "I got the internship!" she nearly squealed, jumping on my bed like the loon she was. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, "Harleen, its nine in the morning, I don't have work till a lot later."
"Don't you know what this internship means? I'll be working with the best and scariest! Poison Ivy, Scarecrow…the worst of the worst! My dream is finally realized."
"I thought you wanted to intern at Blackgate…what happened there?"
"Aw…those loons are too boring, how am I supposed to get anywhere there. Now Arkham, that's the place to be!" she stopped jumping and took a landing on the bed which gave a large creak from age, "You know what they say, Foxy, aim high!" she quoted and pointed a finger at me in the shape of a gun and said, "You said that to me…bam!" After those words she literally leapt out of my room, I knew I couldn't have stopped her and so she dressed for her big day at Arkham Asylum and left without even a goodbye.
When she came home, she undressed and bathed, I had dinner ready; I even went all out and made all her favorites. But she never did ask why I wasn't at work. She seemed distracted and dreamy, well she was always like that, but this was somehow different. She poked at the chocolate cake I made for dessert and smiled, "I think the guy likes me," she commented, before munched down on her snack. I nearly choked on my water, "Excuse me!"
Harleen laughed, "Joker…he gave me a rose. I don't know how but it was in my office when I walked in and then he specifically requested me as his therapist. I'm tellin' ya Fox, my dreams are being realized."
I lost my appetite, "Look Harleen, I don't like it. I wish you would've gone to Blackgate. It's an easier start."
"Hah…this coming from the girl teaching college students. At least, I didn't have to buy my way into my job,"
I smiled and shook my head, my dark hair coming loose from the bun I had put it in, "I'm not doing this with you again. You care more about your career than anything else, Harleen, and mark my words, it will destroy you."
"That's a laugh!" she screamed back, getting up from the table, by now we'd fist fight over who was right, but tonight was different, she didn't start the punch even when I entered my own stance.
She went to my Inari shrine; the shrine I desperately believe gave us our luck in our careers, and tipped it over, breaking the statue of the two intertwined foxes and ruining what was life of my ancestor's beliefs. I snapped, "Get out, Harleen!" But before I finished that statement, she was out the door.
Months past on and I hadn't heart from her, I packed up what was in her room and left all there to gather dust. She never called, she never wrote, when news broke of Jokers escape from Arkham, I turned the television off. She just faded away from me and I was soon all alone. I didn't blame Harleen though, I blamed The Joker.
I arrange a trip with a few other teachers at Gotham University, taking our best and brightest students for a visit to Arkham Asylum. We made the proper security arrangements and even had our student sign wavers, just in case. They enjoyed the sights and sounds, the freaked seeing the 'worst of the worst' in cells, I staggered behind, looking for the man who ruined my life, The Joker. I didn't find him there though, I did find Harleen. The glass cell was riddled with pictures of her and Joker's heists and plans, pink hearts circling his name, his face, she was like a little school girl again.
"Harleen Quinzel," I thought I whispered, until she looked up from her bed.
"Wow! Look at you, Foxy." She sounded like her over exuberant self, "What brings you to Arkham," She tilted her hips and popped her gum.
"Field trip for the psych classes," I commented dryly, looking around her cell in disgust, "What happened to you."
"Eh…Mr. J and I got into it and he left me for The Bat, but its okay, we'll work it out. We always do."
I shook my head, "What happened to your infamous career goal?"
"That silly thing, I traded it in for love."
"How romantic," she knew my statement dripped with sarcasm and frowned. Our conversation didn't go any further than that after an orderly escorted my back to the group.
I quite my job at the college, got a day job working at the elementary school in downtown Gotham. The kids were hopeless, the pay sucked, but I had my nights and that was all I needed. I research all I could about Joker, Harley Quinn and even Batman. I wasn't one for news and old heard tidbits of information from random conversations and colleagues who thought I was interested.
I took out the old Kitsune mask given to me by my grandfather after he passed away, spend some of my emergency funds on items that I'd need for my quest. I finally had a lead on Joker and I vowed to be the one to kill him. He ruined her life and now I was going to take his.
It took me a while to realize, Gotham criminals had their own hierarchy. I didn't want to do wrong against others, so I decided to help The Batman out. I didn't care of he wanted it or not, I just wanted answers about the Joker. I can still remember my first run in with him.
He looked at him from his dark mask, "You have no business here," he stated, after I had just stopped a robbery at the bank.
I shook my head and played religious, "I am the messenger for Inari. These people have upset him and my job as Kitsune is to retribution,"
"Where's your twin? Inari travels with two foxes, not one."
That shocked me and I stood straight, abandoning my fighting stance, "You know Inari's legend, then you know you can't stop me."
"We're working on the same side."
I shook my head, I had enough of talking, after a clever smoke bomb, and I left. I knew he let me escape. I wasn't a threat to him; beside he had other crimes to take down. I just had the Joker's.
Kitsune became just as popular as Batman, but Gotham City didn't adopt her as their new hero. I didn't care. I tracked down Joker's henchman one after the other, meeting The Bat frequently, but that never stopped me.
Batman cuffed the last man while I gather my equipment, "You'll get yourself hurt," he stated, he always said that when meeting me.
"I just want my old life back," I answered to him, cleaning my katana off.
"Then tell me why you are really doing this,"
"I want to save Harleen Quinzel," I answered, putting my sword back into place, "She's all I have left in the world."
I just finished shower one Saturday afternoon and after putting on a shirt and underwear began grading test for my class. The paperwork piled up after Joker got out of Arkham again and I was busy again at night. I yawned and scratched at the scar protruding from my left side, for what I had I believe my homemade stitched worked just fine.
The day was slow, I finished the test with no events until I heard a knock at my front door. I walked to the door and answered it, not expected Harleen to be on the other side, "What do you think you are doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Foxy," she answer, sitting on the couch and making herself at home again, "I was wondering of you had my old stuff."
"Of course I do. It's all in your old room," I crossed my arms, the look of distain on my face. I didn't get why she was here, and I wished I was happy about it, but something told me this wasn't right.
"Look, Foxy. I'm sorry what happened between us. That little tiff doesn't mean we aren't friends, Right?"
"Things have changed. You're a wanted criminal now."
"Yeah but I've change, girl. I'm not Harley Quinn anymore. I saw you in the paper. Your kids won first place in the spelling bee."
I shook my head, "If you want to stay, stay. You're my best friend after all."
We started back our old friendship like nothing happened, Kitsune retired from crime fighting. Harleen stayed at home and played while I worked. When we ate dinner, she would always ask if we had enough money to pay the bills. "We're fine. Trust me" I would answer every night. She offered to give me money from 'Mr. J's secret account'. I denied her and explained about the money left from my fathers business and what I make in my salary.
"How much do you have left from ol' pops?"
"Several thousands." I answered, getting annoyed with the subject, "Look Harleen, I told you when I came back to Gotham years ago that I would support you. I bought this house for us to live in and everything. Its your fault you left for some psychopath." Harleen frowned, and growled and soon stormed into her old room with nothing else to say.
Months past and I was happy, rejuvenated even. Harleen went out at night once in a while, taking care of unfinished business. I didn't mind, just as long as she was happy and with me. Most of the time, we caught up and talked. It was like old times again!
One night we discussed her role as Harley Quinn. She explained everything that happened and I even forgave her for breaking my Inari shrine. I smiled and told her about Kitsune. I explained how I've been looking for her for years, how I created Kitsune and abandoned everything just so that I could find her again. She hugged me, "That's sweet, Foxy. It really is," was all she said back.
One night, Harleen went out again, she said she'd be back before dinner, she promised. I waited for two hours, before finally she came back. She looked listless and pale. She explained that she wasn't hungry and went to her room. As concerned as I was, a knock hit the door right then and I went to check who was calling this late at night.
I opened the door and a loud sound reverberated in my ear, a searing pain entered my lower stomach. I couldn't breath, I couldn't move, I fell to the ground, my hand cupping my wound.
I watched at Harley Quinn came into the room, she didn't look at me. She stopped and I heard murmurs all around me. My head started to spin. I reached for Harleen but she left the house.
"This is what you get for messing with other people's affair," I heard a low voice say, another stab of pain hit my shoulder, my leg. My eyes focused enough to see the gun barrel in front of my face, "Any last requests" he said with a sneer.
I couldn't speak, look toward the front door. It was closed, but I knew Harleen was behind it. I gave my last, silent wish to her, as the trigger was pulled and I disappeared from this earth.