Chapter 3

I backed away from the fight and watched as they punched and kicked and in Croc's case, snapped at each other. Suddenly Batman was pulling out a taser gun and I gasped when Croc went down twitching. I ran to him and grabbed his shoulder, trying to shake him awake. He was still breathing and his heart beat against my palm, so I was relieved. "He'll be fine. Why are you with him?" I look up at the man in black and frown.
"I..." I realize I have absolutely no idea. "I don't know."
"You don't know."
"No, okay?" I glared at him. "He just showed up... and I just... can't leave him alone."
"I'm taking him to Arkham."
"Fine. He told me not to get involved and I doubt I could fight you off anyway... but I'm not going back. I'm not going to be put in foster care." His eyes widened.
"How old are you?" I glare daggers at him.
"Sixteen."
"... you're very young... I didn't think-"
"What?" My voice was laced with venom. I get that Croc is dangerous, I get that he needs to be stopped... but he shocked him. Like he was an animal that needed to be put down. Instead of beating him up like he did with the Joker and all those other criminals.
"He's dangerous. You shouldn't-"
"Shouldn't what? Care? Shouldn't TOUCH?" I glare at him as he watches me quietly.
"You shouldn't get attached." I look down at Croc and pull his head into my lap.
"It's a little late for that." I don't know where I'll be going. I don't know how I'll take care of myself... but if I have the chance of seeing him again? I'll gladly go to hell and back.
"... I understand." He walks over and handcuffs Croc putting his arms behind his back.

When he leaves, I pick up my bags and follow. He'll be leaving him for the police to take, of course. That's just the way he does things. Then Croc will be going to Arkham. I needed to find somewhere to live on my own, and send him the address for when he broke out again. It was only a question of when, not if. So I followed him to the park where he tied him up with chains. "Do the buses run near here?" Batman turned to look at me.
"I'll give you a ride home."
"I'm not going home." He stares at me for a moment, then nods.
"I'll take you wherever you need to go."
"Why?" I was frustrated and confused. "You know I associate with him, why would you do anything for me?" His lips lift in a small smile.
"You aren't exactly edgy." I glare at him.
"So?"
"So." He's staring back at me with that mysterious smile and I just huff.
"Whatever, it's not like it matters." I walk over to the statue that Croc is chained to. "I wish you'd wake up, for just a minute..." His breathing stayed deep and even. "Batman?" He was suddenly at my side. "Don't shock him anymore. Please?" I wasn't expecting acquiescence or even a response, and I didn't get one.
"Where do you need to go?" I bite my lip.
"I don't have any family, so I guess I'll find a place to live after I get a job."
"Where will you live?"
"Um... Oh." I smile to myself. "Just take me to the docks. I can find a place there." He seems to raise an eyebrow at me but leads me to his very cool car and jumps inside.

He dropped me off at the docks after a long silent ride and I watched him disappear. I sigh to myself and walk toward the closest manhole. I know he liked the sewers, so I'd just have to live here, so he could find me.

I climb down and look both ways until my eyes adjust to the dark of the long tunnel. One end opens into the side of the docks to dump water. The other direction leads into deeper darkness. Damn, I needed a flashlight. I bite my lip and walk into the darkness, tense and cold. I swallow several times as the water flows over my shoes and my toes start to prune.

I stop at a junction and look both ways again, not seeing much more than the bare minimum of detail around me. Ugh, I hate the dark when I'm not sleeping. I mean of course I love the pitch blackness when I sleep, but when you're walking around bumping into things, it's not so pleasant. I smack into the wall for the fifth time and growl obscenities to myself as I walk further toward the end of the tube. I trip on something and my wrist hurts like hell when I catch myself. "Fuck this." I get up and step forward until I reach a wall, sitting against it and sighing as the water soaks my jeans. "I don't know which way to go..." Suddenly a light started up and I looked up, down the tube to see someone walking toward me. The light illuminated in front of them but kept their face hidden.
"And who might you be?" I sigh.
"Apparently lost." His laugh is immediate and somewhat unnerving.
"Aw, she's cute, puddin'!" I blink and look up at the second dark figure hopping around behind the first.
"Indeed, Harley." He came closer and she tap-danced her way behind him as they became more and more visible.

My mouth dropped open when I saw The Joker and Harley Quinn. "Ah, she recognizes us. Are you alone here girl?" I swallow. I didn't think it was a good idea to answer that. But he expected an answer and every moment of silence made his grin wider and his eyebrow arch higher.
"No. I mean. Yes, but I'm... waiting for someone."
"And who would that be?" He seemed certain I wouldn't answer, or that I wouldn't be able to come up with a good answer at least.
"Croc." I bite my lip and he looks mildly surprised.
"KILLER Croc?" I nod. "And why exactly are you waiting for him?"
"I... don't know." I frown and wrap my arms around my legs. "He just sort of..." I sigh, "Hurricane'd into my life and now..." I drop my face to my knee and groan. "God, I must be a masochist." A hand was suddenly on mine, and when I looked up, Harley Quinn had a soft look on her face.
"I understand." She smiled and wrapped her arms around me. "You're in love!" I blanched and turned bright red.
"No!" I lurch back and crawl away from her. "No, that's not- I'm not-"
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much." I glare at the Joker who grins back at me. "Well, with all due respect to Mister Croc, I don't think we should leave his lady love in the sewers." I blush harder.
"I'm not-!"
"Oh, puddin'! Are you sayin' we can keep her!?" She had her hands clasped in front of her and looked at him like he was a god.
"That's right. Why don't you grab her bags, Harley?" She squealed and I jumped to grab my bag but she was already there, hefting it onto her shoulder.
"C'mon Angel!" I groaned as they started walking away and I followed them sorrowfully.

Apparently they were living in an abandoned candy factory at the moment. I look around the spacious room where they have a large bed and an equally large desk. I blink at the bed sleepily and turn to see a couch nearby. I walk toward it and am slung around by my arm and thrown onto the mountainous bed. Harley jumps after me and we bounce for a moment before she takes the other bag from me and throws it off the side of the bed. "You can sleep in bed with us, Angel!" I almost felt sick when the Joker threw me a smirk.
"Um... actually I don't think... I mean-" Suddenly I got a lightbulb. "I don't think Croc would like it!" Harley thought about this as Joker walked over.
"She's right you know. Something tells me Mister Croc is a bit territorial."

Harley pouted, but I ended up on the couch with a blanket and pillow, apparently stolen from a high-class hotel or something because damn this thing was soft. I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep when I'd woken up. I was shocked awake by an explosion. It wasn't that loud, and I realized it must have happened down the street, but when I looked around to see Harley and The Joker weren't there... "Ugh... what did they blow up NOW?"

I got up and walked over to the small fridge in the corner, opening it and pulling out a hot dog. I ate it as I walked down to the factory floor which was flooded with stolen merchandise. I spotted a few art supplies and walked over to pick them up. My eyes widened. This was the expensive stuff! I run my fingers over them lovingly and sigh. A voice speaks up from behind me and I shriek, jumping. "You like art, huh?" I turn to see a guy with a red mask and a black biker suit with steel toed boots on. I stare at him.
"Red... hood..." He seems to smirk and drops from the rafters to walk up to me.
"That's right. You don't look like a criminal." I bite my lip as he holds out his hand.
"I-I'm... not." I lift my hand to shake his and he surprises me by grasping my hand and pulling it to his cloth covered mouth.
"Hm... I like you already." I'm blinking at him.
"I... uh... what are you doing here?" He let go of my hand.
"I came to catch up with Joker. You?"
"Harley... wanted to take me in... and I'm sort of... waiting for someone."
"Boyfriend?" He leaned back on a table and I blushed.
"No. He's just... a friend."
"Then why wait for him? There are plenty of other people to be friends with." I look away and lean back on another table holding lots of laptops.
"I... don't know. Maybe because I promised." He tilts his head.
"Promised?"
"To keep him safe." He chuckles.
"Is he so weak?" I blush.
"No, actually. I just... found him at a vulnerable moment."
"You say that like it was sexual." I jump.
"What!?"
"Ha." I try to calm my heart. "You do act like it's illicit though."
"I don't know why you'd think that." I turn around and fiddle with a few of the cameras with the laptops.

He was suddenly behind me and his gloved hand brushed some hair off my shoulder. He whispered into my ear. "Maybe I don't think that." I turn in a flash to find him gone. My heart was pounding as I looked all over and under tables for him.
"What'cha doin' Angel?" I jump and smack my head into the bottom of the table when Harley speaks from right next to me.
"Owww..."
"Oh look Harley." I rub my head and look up as Joker picks up a small card. It's all red with embossed lettering. "Red Hood is in town." I swallow hard at the mention of him. "Give you a good scare, there girl?" He was grinning again. I scoffed.
"I don't scare so easily."
He laughed. "Apparently not."

I waited as they counted up their take for the day and sighed when Harley tried to get me to be interested in crime. "Come on, Angel! It's real fun!"
"I know it is." I stare at the ceiling, on the floor. She frowns.
"Then why don't ya do it?"
"Harley, do you know what would happen if everyone were like the Joker?" She blinked.
"What?"
"Organized anything would be gone. Even crime wouldn't be organized because everybody'd be out for themselves. Some people would like it, would survive and thrive in that world. But most would die before they reached old age. That kind of world... I don't want to live there." I blink up at the ceiling as Harley sat silently beside me. "But." She looked at me as I smiled, "A world without anyone like the Joker... would be boring." She grinned.
"You are absolutely right, sweetheart." I look up as he steps up beside me. "Without chaos, life would be even more pointless than it is now." I sigh. "Now... I can't break Croc out... but I can get you in, if you'd like." I blink up at him and sit up.
"Why would you do that?"
"Professional courtesy, I suppose. But of course no one could know you were down there but us. They'd send someone in to take you home." I bite my lip.
"I want to see him."