Harley Quinn is in love.
Two years ago she was seduced by the Joker's mad charm, and she released him from Arkham Asylum, an institution for Gotham City's criminally insane. She hasn't thought twice since.
Until the Joker forgets the anniversary of that important date, causing her to falter in her otherwise steady footsteps as she trails behind her lover, clinging to his coattails. Harley must choose between the Joker— or the unknown future that sprints away across the rooftops of Gotham, challenging her to follow.
Harley laid with her back bent over the arm of the couch and her head dangling over the floor while her fingers plucked the stuffing out of the upholstery. The two tips of her hat slid along the ground with every move she made. She crinkled her nose. Is it worth even showing up? Harley twisted around and grabbed the side of the couch to see the clock on the far wall.
3:27. Oh, no. Mistah J is going to be so pissed. Harley swung her legs up over her head and catapulted to her feet. She still couldn't bring herself to hurry. She huffed and swung the tips of her hat over her shoulders. As she shuffled over to the window, she stopped at the cracked mirror. Her blue eyes pierced out of the black mask while her face shone ghastly white. Harley tilted her head to the side and the black tip of her hat swung. She tugged at the top of the hat before turning away.
The window was at the top of the basement wall and half sized. Harley turned the latch and propped it open. She jumped onto the old table beneath it, and gripping the top of the sill, she swung herself through. Her feet landed softly on the dirty alley bricks.
With sure hands, Harley grabbed the drain pipe and pulled herself hand over hand up to the roof. At the top she swung her legs up on either side on the wall and pushed off. She reached out in front of her as she soared across the alley and grabbed the fire escape railing. She put one foot in front of the other on the railing and jumped up. Her hands grasped the edge, and she pulled herself up into a handstand before letting her feet fall one at a time to the rooftop.
Harley sprinted across the roof and jumped over to the next one; she landed on her hands before cartwheeling forward. She quickly increased her momentum back into a run. The path was familiar to her. When the Joker had decided on the heist two days earlier, Harley had taken four trips to find the fastest route to the warehouse. The only difficulty was the stop light. There was one busy intersection to cross, and Harley needed it to be red and a large vehicle to be stopped.
It was her lucky day. The light turned yellow just as she reached the edge of the apartment building roof and a van pulled to a stop. Harley dropped down to a garden balcony below and dove forward. She hit her shoulders on the roof of the van as she somersaulted forward and kicked off the side of the van. Her fingers clutched the ledge of the dark apartment window above the foreclosed bar. Using the burnt out neon sign below as a foothold, Harley regained her balance and scaled the wall.
Once at the top, she stretched her arms behind her and wiggled her cramped fingers. Up ahead was the old library. Behind the library was the warehouse and the job. Harley sighed quietly, but a smile crept onto her face. Maybe there will be some fun.
She skipped forward. The library roof was slanted and crumbling, so she clambered across slightly off balance. She squatted down at the edge and peered below. Ahhh, the whole gang is here. Nightwing and Robin were in a tussle with a half dozen men while the Batman was one on one with Joker near the warehouse door. Batman had him backed into the wall.
Harley glanced on either side and ran to the right. She slid forward off the roof onto the old window air conditioner and flipped across the alley. Her feet hooked onto the ladder of the warehouse fire escape. The ladder slowly lowered down. Harley swung down to the pavement.
"Hello B-man," Harley said as she sauntered around behind him. Batman craned his neck to try and follow her movements. "Long time no see."
"Harley Quinn," Batman acknowledged before throwing a right hook. Harley did a back bend beneath his fist before popping back up.
"You know. I think you almost had me that time," she taunted. Batman's elbow whipped one of Harley's hat tips as she ducked beneath it, her arm winding up behind her. Her fist connected with Batman's collarbone as her foot hocked the back of his left knee. He tumbled backwards as his balance failed.
The ladder slowly rose back into it's place as the Joker made it to the next level of the fire escape. Harley squatted with her hands on her knees as she bent over Batman.
"Maybe next time, huh?" she gave him a mock salute. "Nice tangoing with ya."
Harley sprung over Batman and pounced onto a dumpster. From there she climbed to a window sill then back up to the air conditioning unit. She pushed hard off of the unit to sail onto the roof of the warehousing building beside the Joker. She turned to give Batman a wave and a wink before trailing after the Joker.
"Perfect timing Harley Puddin," The Joker flashed her a wide smile, "but try to be here when we start next time." Harley pouted her lips.
"Don't be sad Harley." The Joker reached out to her. Harley pushed his hands away.
"You forgot," Harley objected pointing her finger accusingly at him.
"You were the one that was late not me." He laughed.
Harley's eyes widened. "Not everything is a joke."
"It can be." Harley turned and unthinkingly started walking back the way she had came. "Harley," the Joker called. "Harley!"
"Nightwing!" Harley's head snapped down. She had reached the edge of the roof, and Batman and Robin stood below her. She followed where they were looking and saw a figure running across the library roof. He disappeared over the peaks.
Keeping an eye on the figures below, Harley jogged away down the roof ledge. She stopped. There was a broken pane in the window across from her. She backed away from the edge and took a sprinter's stance. Tossing a final glance at Batman and Robin, Harley ran forward. Her right foot planted hard as she hurtled off the warehouse.
Her toes made the window ledge, but her left leg slipped and skidded down the brick wall. Her hands shot out on either side of the window as her body pitched forward. She caught herself unsteadily before she hit the glass. Once steady, she quickly retracted as much of her body within the confines of the sill as she could.
Harley rammed her arm into the broken pane and fumbled around for the latch. She flicked it up and pushed the window panel in with her shoulder. She swung her legs in; her feet crunched on broken glass. It was an office. Harley vaulted over the desk to the door. She kicked the door in, and it splintered at the hinges. The old library stretched before her. Some of the shelves were still standing as baren monuments while others had fallen into broken heaps.
She wove her way through the dusty mess to the far window. She hooked her fingers into the cracking window frame and swung her feet at the glass. The window shattered out as her feet swung up toward the brick wall. Her heels stabilized on the decorative brick topper to the window. The glass fell to the street below.
Her eyes quickly scanned the buildings. On the boarded up office building to the left of the library, a figure dashed along the roof. Harley skipped from window sill to sill until she reached where the library and office met. The figure had hooked left two buildings over.
Harley trailed Nightwing until he suddenly stopped and stood on top of a wharf building. Harley hid behind a fisherman's hut as she watched the shadowed figure bend his head. She wanted to go closer but didn't. Harley stood with her hands dangling at her sides as she waited for the figure to do something. He sat down, but nothing was happening. Just as she stepped out from behind the hut, Nightwing stood up. Harley froze. He was doing something. After struggling to see what was happening, Harley realized he was putting his mask on. He slowly walked away.
What is he doing? Harley trailed after him. She lost him for a moment before she realized that he had hit the streets. She watched him disappear down into the subway.
Harley made it down into the tunnels as the doors closed on the train. She could see Nightwing sitting with his eyes closed inside one of the cars. The subway jerked into motion and Harley sprinted back up the stairs. I won't be able to make the next stop, but I should be able to intersect it at Jefferson.
She ran. If I take the low fire escape two blocks over then cut across over the bar… And she was already headed there. She was worried she wasn't going to make it in time as she considered the train's weaving path and her slower, albeit, more direct route. Finally, she was sliding down the stair railing into the subway station. Harley stood quietly gasping for air as the floor gently shook from the approaching train. It screeched to a stop before her.
Through the window in front of her was Nightwing. He was laying across several seats with his eyes closed. There were three men in the corner watching him and a wingding in the dead ceiling light. A smile pulled up the corners of Harley's mouth.
The train door huffed open.