Chapter 1

Harley Quinn stood in the VIP room of the Smile and Grin, sipping her cocktail and peering out of the window that overlooked the club. A pang of nostalgia stabbed her insides as she remembered how she used to dance the nights away in her cage and occasionally sneak in through the window to spend some time with The Joker himself. That was before, when Gotham thought she was just a blonde bimbo that he was using as a toy. Before The Clown Prince-Now-King had married her. And before she'd taken her seat of power by his side. She was no ditzy dame, not by a long shot; although sometimes she wished the underground crime world still thought she was.

It was easier to let J call all the shots and just stick around for the ride, but they had come so far and had become Gotham's "it" power couple, a feat that had taken her years to gain the respect she knew she deserved, even from The Clown himself. And now, here she was, standing where he once stood, holding down the fort and overseeing their kingdom while her husband was locked up in the big house – again.

She couldn't be mad, and realistically she wasn't. After all, if he didn't land himself in Arkham from time to time, they never would have met. But she missed him dearly after only a few weeks, and even though it would be wiser to wait until the literal and figurative smoke from the steel mill explosion cleared out of Gotham, she'd only just gotten him back when he had been taken from her again.

A knock at the door behind her broke her from her thoughts and she turned on her heel. "Come in!" she called and the familiar face of Johnny Frost peaked through the door.

"Mr. Nygma is here for his appointment, boss."

"Send him on up, Frosty," she chimed and she poured her friend a glass of water. There were many things about Edward Nygma aka "The Riddler" that many villians, including her Puddin', didn't quite comprehend. Which, in Gotham, being misunderstood amongst the flock of black sheep had its own set of dangers. However, given Harley's psychological background, she could understand and communicate with Eddie in a way that made their relationship like a couple of siblings.

And there he was, in his head-to-toe green suit, black undershirt, and green tie patterned with purple question marks. He tipped his bowler hat to her before setting it down on the couch along with his question mark cane. Harley extended her elbow to him, which Eddie grinned and reached up to tap his own with her's. It was like their own secret handshake; which Harley had invented to make him more comfortable with her since Eddie wasn't big on physical contact. Along with being a textbook sociopath, Edward Nygma also showed symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive tendencies.

"Eddie! It's good ta see ya!" Harley exclaimed. "Please, sit. I poured ya a drink."

"Thank you, Miss Quinn," he replied, which Harley didn't bother to correct. He'd been calling her 'Miss Quinn' for years, and Harley knew his compulsion would make it difficult and uncomfortable for him to change what he called her, so she had never pressed the issue. The two had a mutually understanding relationship; Harley knew what he needed socially due to her doctorate in psychology, and Edward never once questioned or judged her relationship with The Joker, since he had no interest in anything romantic and didn't much care for social concepts anyhow.

Edward took his seat across from her and Harley followed suit and sat on the couch. "As much as the invitation is appreciated, I confess I'd like to know why you've called me here," he said.

How interesting that the jester had perplexed The Riddler. She smiled at him over her drink before taking a sip.

"Well, Eddie, as you know, my Puddin is currently in the slammer for sending The Wall sky high." Edward grinned; he too had worked for Waller in the past, and was glad to see her gone.

"And the world seems brighter without Amanda Waller clouding up the recesses of my thoughts. Anything I can do for you and The Joker in return for this peace of mind, just say the word." Harley smiled.

"I'm glad you feel that way," her grin widened over her face. "I need to get into Arkham undercover."

"So, you need a false identity to get close to The Joker and get the scoop on his whereabouts. I can help with that." Harley clapped her hands and squeaked with giddy excitement.

"Where should we start, Eddie?" The Riddler grinned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of nose.

"What's something that belongs to you, but everyone else uses?" Harley chewed her lip for a moment in thought before breaking into a grin.

"A name?"

"Bingo."