Joker drives home from Ivy's house in a blind rage, who would dare to take Harley from him? And why? It was no secret he controlled her and would sacrifice her life if it benefitted him. He'd tried so many times to kill his love for Harley, resorting to trying to kill her multiple times. It was pure survival instinct Harley Quinn was his weakness so she had to be destroyed by her maker and no one else. She always survived. She always escaped captivity. She always came back for more. She gave him loyalty, unconditional love, and sex. Crazy, wild, amazing sex. He gave her minimal affection, bruises, and now this. The Cat was truly shaken when he saw her and that cat didn't spook easily. What was being done to Harley? How could it possibly be more sadistic and downright scary than what he'd done? Joker drives into the garage for his building where Johnny Frost is waiting for him. Joker gets out of the car and tosses the keys to the building's valet. Frost falls into step with Joker and they walk in silence to the elevator. It takes them up to the penthouse, Joker owned the building and lives on the top floor. The minute the doors open Joker loses his composure. Before Frost can utter a word Joker is moving through the room like a hurricane, he ends up punching a wall.
"Boss," Frost grabs his arm "You need your trigger finger!"
Joker jerks out of John's grasp and looks at his hand. It was starting to swell. Yup, he had a boxer's break now.
"I want all the men out on the street," Joker goes to the sink and runs cold water over his hands "and see what my spy network has to say."
"Whatever you say, boss," Frost raises his eyebrows "You gonna let me handle that?"
"I like you Johnny and I value your work ethic," Joker sits down in a plush leather armchair "But if you tell anyone that I let you play doctor..."
"You'll kill me," Frost finishes Joker's sentence "Yeah boss we've done this before."
Frost gathers up some basic medical supplies from Joker's stash and goes about tending to Joker's hand. The knuckles were scraped raw and bleeding the hand itself had swollen even more. Frost has Joker hold a bag of ice while he sterilizes the flayed skin and tapes the hand when his work is done.
"If you survive to next payday remind me to give you a bonus." Joker relaxes in the chair for a moment.
"Just wear gloves for a few days," Frost nods to Joker's hand "Nobody will notice."
"I'm ambidextrous when it comes to violence," Joker looks at his watch "I have to be at the clubs tonight but I've got a secret mission for you."
"Whose knees am I breaking?" Frost asks.
"Nobody yet," Joker laughs "I want you to find the Cat tonight and shadow her, assist if she needs it."
"Assist with what?" Joker never ceased to perplex Frost.
"You'll know when and if it happens." Joker stands and goes to get ready for the night. If Ivy and the Cat didn't deliver hell hath no fury like the Joker without his favorite toy.
Selina's plan for Harley's rescue had quite a few moving parts. First, she and Ivy would need high status man candy to gain entry to the club. A crime boss like Joker would be ideal but for obvious reasons the Cat would have to improvise. Selina didn't mind, she had the dream man for the job. She had Bruce Wayne on speed dial and she wasn't afraid to use him. They dated on and off but as far as Bruce knew, Selina was just a college student studying journalism. If he got too close to her life Catwoman's facade as Selina Kyle would shatter like glass since she almost never attended class. The Cat paces around her apartment, pondering what to say. Ivy was due to arrive any moment and they still needed their backstage pass. Selina gathers her nerve and dials the billionaire's personal line.
"Selina?" she loved the sound of his voice.
"Bruce," Selina replies "I need to show you something."
"Are you alright?" his voice grows concerned.
"I'm fine," someone was at her front door "I stumbled across a bad-guy bar and I'm dying to take a peek inside."
"Selina," Bruce pauses "You're going to get yourself killed one day."
"Is that a yes or a no?" Selina hears more bodies shifting outside her door. She picks up a knife and hides in the shower.
"Give me the address I'll have Alfred get a table." Bruce sighs. This was going to be trouble.
"It's in the warehouse district they're just calling it the 'club'" Selina's front door gets kicked in "Make that a table for three, gotta run!"
Selina hangs up and pops out of the shower, men are in her apartment and they weren't Joker's. Gunshots fire but no one hears due to silencers. Selina rolls and slashes the tendons on the back of a man's knees. She gets a quick look around, two more of them with guns. Selina performs a series of tumbles, staying on the floor and slashing at anything that came near her. She pauses under a table sensing Ivy coming up the stairs.
"You started the party without me," Ivy pheromone dusts the one man left standing "Now be a doll and tell us who sent you."
"I don't know," the goon says dreamily "Zsas didn't say who placed the order."
"You tell dear Victor this one's under my protection," Ivy nods to Selina "Now take your friends and drive off a bridge."
The men depart under Ivy's spell. Selina's loft was a wreck and now she was running late. Ivy was already dressed in a shimmering red gown with matching stilettos, her standard for a combat job. Selina pins her braid in a crown around her head and dons a slinky black cocktail dress. She stuffs her catsuit and whip in a purse and checks her reflection.
"You look edible," Ivy heads for the door "Let's not be late for our date."
The sun had set hours ago but the night was still young. Bruce sends a car for them and he's standing outside shaking hands with a bouncer when they arrive. Ivy and Selina saunter up to him.
"Bruce, meet my colleague Pamela." Selina introduces them. For a moment he looks surprised then he shakes Ivy's hand.
"Charmed," Bruce says "Shall we?"
"We shall." Selina winks at him.
Bruce Wayne comes swaggering into "The Club" with a beautiful woman on each arm. It's dark, noisy, and crowded. There's a huge bar along the back wall with a stage and platforms for the scantily clad dancers. As they walk deeper into the nicotine smoke and darkness the VIP room becomes visible. Bruce walks right up to the bouncer and has them seated at a front row table in moments. At the moment an auction is happening. Criminals are bidding on black market items from women to kilos of cocaine.
"This is what you wanted to see?" Bruce faces Selina
"I wanted you to see," Selina leans in "You have pull at city hall, can't you have this place raided or shut down?"
"I can try," Bruce pours three glasses of champagne "Maybe Batman will beat me to it."
The trio shares an uncomfortable laugh and drink a toast to the Bat, the girls not knowing he was sitting at this table. Ivy catches Selina's eye and nods. Selina excuses herself and heads for the bathroom. Ivy leans in close to Bruce and gives him a dose of dust.
"Go home," she tells him "It's been a lovely evening."
Bruce Wayne is all to happy to agree and depart. Ivy gets up and goes after Selina. She was in the bathroom suiting up. Ivy knocks on her stall and Catwoman steps out. "Meow!" Ivy admires the new suit. The Cat looks at her watch. Once they got down in the basement everything would have to move swiftly, silently, and with lethal force.
"Follow me." Selina and Ivy slip out of the bathroom. Across from them there's a guarded staircase. "Do your thing." Selina tells Ivy. A few minutes later Ivy has kicked off her heels and they're running down the stairs. Ivy drops her gown, underneath she's wearing boy shorts and a black corset. Selina grins in approval, jumping off the last few stairs. She whip-kicks a very surprised henchman and looks around for more. So many corners, so many halls and places to hide.
"Which way?" Ivy pulls her hair back into a ponytail. Selina runs down the same hall to the room Scarecrow showed her. The next door was Harley's room.
"Stop anyone that comes down this hall." Ivy tells Selina. With a cry of pure rage she kicks the door open, bare feet and all. What had been done to Harley that would make her incapable of escaping?
"Die, Red Queen!" Harley comes cartwheeling out of a corner and tries to punch Ivy.
"Harley it's me!" Ivy blocks the punch.
"I have the Vorpal blade now," Harley holds up a loaded syringe "You can't stop me from slaying the Jabberwocky!"
Cat sticks her head in the room and is perplexed as to why Harley has her hands on the drug. She does the math and looks at the closed door next to Harley's room. The men that came to her loft earlier. The lack of guards. Scarecrow deliberately showing her where Harley was.
"Ivy it's a trap," Cat looks at the mirror "We have to go, now!"
"Through the looking glass!" Harley comes at the distracted Ivy and throws her at the mirror. The glass breaks and Ivy looks up into the eyes of Victor Zsas, professional assassin for hire. The observation room was filled with his men. He grabs Ivy's ponytail before she can dust him.
"It's a shame that I have to put you girls down," he says "That thing with the car and the bridge, pretty hilarious."
"Ivy!" Catwoman had gotten the syringe away from Harley "Catch!"
Ivy snatches the syringe out of the air and stabs Victor with it. He instantly goes into a dreamlike state. Gunfire is coming from The Club above but Ivy and Cat have Victor's men and Harley to contend with. Harley gasps and covers her mouth.
"Ivy, you slayed the Jabberwocky!" Harley throws herself into Ivy's arms. Ivy holds her with one arm and blows pheromone dust with the other hand. Catwoman works her way out of the room and down the hall, using her whip to clear a path.
"Keep moving!" Selina yells, cracking the whip frantically. She drops the men as quickly as they come. Harley clings to Ivy, afraid she'll disappear.
"I can't leave," Harley says "I'll miss my doctor's appointment and then I won't get my medicine."
"We'll bring you back in the morning," the Cat lies "Your Puddin sent us he wants to see you."
Harley's face splits into a grin and she takes off, doing a series of walkovers down the hall.
"Why didn't ya say so?" Harley throws an elbow and starts up the stairs. Ivy and Selina exchange a look and run after her. They can hear what's going on upstairs now, Batman had busted the club and he was doing his Bat thing.
"It's Bat Brain!" Harley cartwheels and swings at the Bat. He dodges her and sees Catwoman and Ivy running up to him after Harley.
"I should have known you three would turn up," Batman continues dropping henchmen and ducking Harley "Why is she crazier than usual?"
Bruce Wayne recognized Ivy earlier and Harley was hard to miss but he hadn't the slightest clue to the Cat's identity.
"We only came to get our girl out," Ivy grabs Harley "Victor Zsas is in the basement in a trance."
"Is he now?" Harley spits at Batman and he dodges again.
"You're welcome," Catwoman looks around "We could use an exit."
"No need, I'll walk you to the door." The Bat clears a path for the trio, he opens the front door and waves goodbye. Ivy drags Harley outside, Selina pauses at the door.
"When you're done burn this place to the ground." The Cat and Bat share a kiss then Selina is outside with Ivy and Harley.
"What now?" Ivy is holding on to Harley like her life depends on it.
"I'm calling our ride." Selina pulls out her phone and calls Wayne manor. Alfred answers.
"Hello Miss Kyle," he says "Master Bruce isn't home can I take a message?"
"Alfred I'm in trouble I need a ride!" Selina starts stripping off the catsuit.
"Right away Miss Kyle," the butler says "Are you hurt?"
Selina hangs up and texts Alfred their location. Harley plops down on the ground at Ivy's feet.
"What a night," Harley lays out flat "Let's do it again!"
Author's note : This chapter was a doozy to write. I appreciate my readers so much thanks for motivating me to push the limits of my writing.
