"Is she ok?" murmured a henchman, as his comrade joined him on the roof of the steel mill.

He snorted. "Is she ever ok? She's always been crazy, and she's just gone crazier since J died."

"Yeah, like sick crazy," retorted the henchman, shuddering. "God, I can't sleep at night remembering what she did to Joe. And did you see the smile on the bitch's face? She's crazier than J ever was."

"They were both as bad as each other," retorted the other henchman. "But now Harley's gotta be crazy enough for both of them. And I think she's doing a good job of that."

Silence fell between them. "What was that noise earlier?" asked the first henchman. "Weren't you going to go see?"

The second henchman nodded. "Yeah. And I did."

"And?" prompted the first henchman.

"It was Harley," he replied. "She was…laughing."

"Laughing?"

"Yeah." He paused. "See…I was passing by her room…just, y'know, to see. She was holding something in her hand and laughing, laughing hysterically. I ain't never heard anything like it, not since J died. She laughed and laughed and laughed, and then threw whatever she was holding on the ground. And then she just started clutching her stomach and sobbing. I ain't ever heard anything like that either. It hurt just to hear her, y'know? I watched her until I just couldn't take it anymore, and was about to leave, when she suddenly started laughing again. 'You're right, Mr. J,' she said. 'You're right. I gotta just keep smiling, baby. Keep laughing. For you, puddin'. Only for you.' And then she left the room."

They were silent again. "And that's it?" asked the first henchman. "You don't know what she had in her hand?"

"Yeah, I do," replied the henchman, reaching into his pocket. "I grabbed it after she left."

He held it out to the first henchman. It was a pregnancy test. A negative pregnancy test. "There were tons of them scattered about the room," he murmured. "And a really creepy doll in a crib. Painted to look like J."

The first henchman stared at it. "Jesus Christ," he muttered.

"Yeah."

Silence again. "So you think she's gonna snap?" asked the first henchman, quietly.

"Can she snap anymore than she has already?" replied the second. "If I'm honest, I feel kinda bad for her. I know she's a crazy, homicidal bitch, but she's lost everything. She's got nothing left to live for, y'know?"

The first henchman shrugged. "Oh, there's always something to live for. Thing about Harley is, she's strong. She's had to be, to put up with J all these years. She'll live because she's too strong to die. Because all the crap that beats her down only makes her stronger and more determined. Harley's a fighter, and nothing's gonna stop her now. She's got nothing left to lose."

"You're a smart guy, y'know that, Mikey?" murmured a voice. They both turned to see Harley standing behind them. She looked the same – as if she had been crying, but she always looked like that these days. But there was also a strange light in her eyes, which seemed even more terrible surrounded by tears.

She strode to the ledge of the building and looked down. For a moment, the henchmen wondered if she was going to jump. But she just stood there, her veil blowing gently in the wind. Then she asked, quietly, "Are the men back here with the cops yet?"

"Yeah," retorted Mikey. "They're waiting in the loading bay. What do you want us to do with them?"

"Keep 'em there," she whispered. "We'll use them to set a nice trap for Bat-brain. He'll come to save them, but he won't be leaving. I'll teach him to let Mr. J die. You two had better go join them."

They nodded and headed down. Mikey paused at the top of the stairs and turned back. "Harley…are you ok?" he asked, quietly.

"Fine, Mikey," she murmured, still staring out at Arkham City. "I'm fine."

He nodded again and left her. Harley stared out into the distance, watching for any sign of Batman approaching. "He's as good as dead, Mr. J," she whispered. "And once he's dead, I can die too, because you'll be avenged, right, puddin'? That's all I'm living for now – my revenge. Once Bats is gone, you'll release me, won't you, puddin'? You'll kill me?"

"I promise, Harley girl," he murmured in her ear, stroking her hair. "I always promised to kill you one day. You do this for your Mr. J, and your Mr. J will give you the ultimate reward. You'd like that, wouldn't you, baby?"

"Oh yes, Mr. J," she whispered, shutting her eyes tightly. "Oh God, yes, baby."

"Kill Batsy for me, pooh," he whispered. "And then we can be together forever. I won't leave you ever again. I promise."

"Oh, Mr. J," she murmured. "I love you."

"Make me proud, baby. Make him pay."

She felt his kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes and grinned, staring out at the sun setting over Arkham City. "C'mon, Batsy," she murmured. "Come and get me."

She heard his laugh, beautiful and maniacal, ringing in the air around her. And she threw back her head and joined in.

The End