II
Harleen was not looking forward to this event. She wasn't a huge fan of sports aside from her gymnastics. But she had made a promise to CiCi and she felt like she needed to attend. She put on a pair of jeans and a black v neck t-shirt with Doc Martins. She let her long blonde hair hang down in a wavy pattern and straightened her glasses. She started towards the campus gymnasium and stuck her hands in her hoodie front pocket. She felt like someone was following her so she picked up her pace. Just then, someone shoved her to the ground.
"Empty your pockets, bitch." a thug in a mask growled at Harleen. He pointed the gun directly at her face. Harleen shook and tried her hardest not to cry. She started to reach for her wallet when all of the sudden the thug was lifted from the ground and thrown into the night. Harleen looked over her shoulder in shock when a black leather arm reached out in front of her.
"Go home." He bellowed. Her savior was Batman. She didn't know much about him other than he was Gotham's well known vigilante. Harleen was not one to take orders. She shook her head and started laughing.
"Well isn't that rich? A masked rodent telling me what to do?" She giggled. Batman growled under his breath. "I saved your life." He exclaimed. She raised her eyebrows. What makes you think I couldn't handle that myself? Just a typical male. Always thinking that he is the only way a woman can stay safe. She got up and brushed her knees off. When she looked back up, the winged freak was gone. She was never a fan of Batman. She always got an eerie feeling about him. Harleen walked to the gym, not even the slightest bit shaken about the previous events. She saw her friend CiCi and joined her group. The people within her group basically ignored Harleen. Harleen was fine with that. She didn't like crowds and personally didn't want any attention. CiCi talked her ear off all night and occasionally jumped from her spot on the bleachers to cheer for Gotham University's basketball team. Harleen just wanted the night to be over. She had turned in her giant paper earlier this morning and now her nerves were shot. She laughed to herself at the thought of being more nervous about a paper rather than the fact that she almost got mugged just an hour prior. Once the game was over, Harleen was the first out of her seat.
"We are all going to go out and get drinks, you down for that?" CiCi asked as the rest of them waited for her. "No I am fine. I am pretty tired and I have a meeting with one of my professors tomorrow morning." Harleen replied. CiCi gave her a hug and disappeared into the night with her crew. Harleen got home that night, she saw a package on her doorstep. It was a package from her mother. Harleen smiled and hurried inside. Her mother always sent her random goodies. Since her mother had re-married to a wealthy businessman, she was able to spoil Harleen and Barry a lot more now. Her father was still in prison, so no spoiling there. Harleen had always wondered what it was about a criminal that made them so willing to give up everything for crime. She shook off her thoughts and opened her mother's package. Inside was a bath set. The colors were vibrant with pink and purples. She smiled to herself and decided she had earned herself a bath. She filled her old tub and lit two small candles she had. She grabbed one of the bath bombs that was lying in the spa basket. She read the directions and unwrapped it carefully and set it next to the tub. She got in slowly and winced at the hot water touching her pale skin. She sat there and got lost in thought. She was surprised at how well she was taking almost being mugged. She knew that some people would over-react and take a whole week off of their responsibilities for something like this. Not her. It took a lot to bother her. She picked up the bath bomb next to her and dropped it to her side into the water. She watched intently as the purple bomb slowly fizzed out a mix of purples and greens. She curiously questioned the choice of colors that had been placed inside the contraption. Her tub slowly filled itself with streaks of green and purple as she sank back.
Harley knocked on her professor's door cautiously. He was usually crankier in his morning classes. "Come in!" She heard from the other side. She peeked her head in to see her short, chubby and bald teacher sitting in his chair with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked up and smiled slightly.
"Ah, Ms. Quinzel. Please." He said as he gestured towards the chair across from his desk. She smiled and sat down. He sighed and put his hands together. She was starting to get nervous. "Harleen, you know you are one of my best students. You have always had the best grades in my classes. Which is why I have recommended to the upcoming internship directors that you would be perfect for the job." He said smiling. Harleen's heart nearly jumped up through her chest. She had worked so hard for this and she had finally earned it.
"Are you serious?" She asked raising her eyebrows. He nodded. Harleen laughed to herself in a thrilled tone. "Sir, thank you. Thank you so much!" She said as she smiled in disbelief.
"You have earned this Ms. Quinzel. All of the hard work has finally paid off. I know you will do well in this position." He said in a sincere voice. "I will send you an e-mail of all of the specifics. You have a meeting with Dr. Burton next Monday at three o'clock. Will that work?" He asked. Harleen shook her head yes in a quick and eager manner. Once Harleen had left Dr. Newlin's office, she still hadn't let it process that she had finally done it. She was going to be an intern at Arkham Asylum. When she applied for the position a few months back, she really didn't think she would land it. She figured the transfer student from England would get it or maybe that guy who was a know it all jerk who always argued. Harleen had known for years that working with the mentally disabled was her calling. She wanted to understand why psychopaths were what they were. Why some people like her father were incapable of being good. She shook off her thoughts as usual and went home. She had a big week ahead of her.
Harleen made sure she looked good for her meeting with her new boss. She wore a red, button down silk blouse with a black pencil skirt. She put on her black pumps and black lined panty hose. She looked in the mirror for one final check and smiled slightly to herself. Dr. Burton was a well known psychiatrist in Gotham and highly respected. She was not nervous but just too anxious. This was a paid internship and from what Professor Newlin's e-mail said, she would be seeing patients. This was exciting for her. She had always hand interest in the human mind. But to be working with mentally ill patients was shockingly a plus for her. Her family was far from normal. She was fully aware that more than half of what happened in her childhood was not ideal. She always had a talent for reading people. The only difference now, is she would be getting paid for it.
She arrived at Arkham Asylum and felt an overpowering sense of relief. She couldn't understand why she would feel at peace after showing up to a mental ward. She parked her car in the visitor's parking lot and headed towards the security gate. A large burly man was at the gate. He eyed her pervertedly and emerged from the security shack.
"What can I do for you, good lookin'?" He said suggestively. HArleen ignored his banter and rolled her eyes. "My name is Harleen Quinzel. I have an appointment with Dr. Burton this morning." She said as she straightened her glasses. He looked at his clipboard and pressed the gate button. "Go on in." He said as he watched her walk through the double doors. Harleen reached the reception desk and politely smiled at the guard behind it. "Hi, my name is Harleen Quinzel…" She said as she was cut off.
"Ah, Ms. Quinzel. So glad you could make it." A short older man said as he emerged from the side door. "My name is Dr. Burton." He said as he extended his hand. She took it graciously and smiled.
"So nice to meet you sir." Harleen said sweetly.
"Well follow me, my dear. We have lots to talk about." He said as he motioned towards the authorized access door. Harleen followed him down a plain grey hallway with black brick surrounding her. Arkham was very old sure, but she never noticed in her years of training just how dark it was. She followed Dr. Burton into his office and sat across from him. "So let me give you a rundown on how this will work. Technically we do not pay our interns however, I have read your work on managing psychosis and it is brilliant! I would feel bad if I had a good doctor on staff and didn't compensate. What I think we will do is start you out with training sessions with me. You will observe only, please keep that in mind. We work with some of the most dangerous people in the country. It can get very intense. Once we have done that for a week or so, I will let you do sessions on your own. However I will pick your patients. We will start you out with the easier ones. Any questions?" He asked. She shook her head no. "Okay good well, you start on Monday! Since this is a work study, I will be reporting your progress every month to your professors. Welcome aboard Ms. Quinzel." Dr. Burton said as he took her hand into his.
"Thank you so much for this sir. I greatly appreciate it!" She said as she tucked her hair blonde behind her ear. He smiled and led her out. As she walked down the hallway, smiling to herself, she heard a backup call over the intercom. She then saw two security guards running down the hallway. She couldn't help but overhear.
"This is a code 219, we are on our way down there. Make sure he is double locked and in a jacket. Can't let the fucker get loose." one of them said into his walkie talkie. "Sir what is the panic about with this one?" The other asked as they kept running. "Don't you know who The Joker is? Gotham's most wanted psycho. Dude can get out of any withholding cell and handcuff." the larger one replied. Harleen thought to herself for a moment. She knew that this meant they had caught him. Or Batman did. The fear in those guards eyes was intense. She had never seen The Joker in person. Nor did she want to. Little did she know that was going to change. Soon.