It was Halloween night and Alex had just changed into his civvies and locked up the office a couple minutes early. He stood out on the sidewalk which was eerily deserted for some reason so he played on his phone as he waited for Barbara to come and pick him up. Five minutes' passed and Alex got the feeling that he was being watched so he put his phone away and look around the street and spotted a clown standing in the alley across the street staring at him. Slightly unnerved, Alex studies the man but he looks to be unarmed so he assumed that it's one of those pranksters out early.
"Alright very funny man, you got me. Might want to get a move on though, streets are dangerous at night." He called out to him but instead of leaving he points in the direction behind Alex. He quickly turn and spot another clown behind him. Before Alex could react he was struck in the head with a frying pan and collapsed to the ground, vision blurring.
"Good work boys. Hurry up and get him in the car, our guest is late for the party." A voice says as Alex slipped into unconsciousness.
...
When Alex woke up he find that his arms were tied above his head and his legs bound. Looking around Alex saw that he's in what looks to be an old barn but other than that he had no idea where he's at.
"Ah, finally our guest awakens." Says the same voice from before. "Do you have any idea what your returns doing to poor Harley? Girl's throwing fits and we can't have that." The voice says and a chill runs down Alex's spine as he realized who's talking.
"Joker. What have you done to her!" Alex shouted, worried that he's done something to harm Harley.
"Oh I've done nothing to her. Yet." He says, finally stepping where Alex can see him. "However I can't just let her insubordination go unpunished again, a military man such as yourself can understand that right?" He threatens.
"This is between us, leave her out of it." Alex growled.
"How sweet, you still have feelings for her don't you? And after everything she's done to hurt you. Well guess what boy, she's mine now and I'll do as I please with her."
"You bastard, I'm gonna kill you!" Alex yelled, but Joker just laughs at his threat.
"Really, and how will you do that all tied up?" Fuck, he's got him there. Before Alex can say anything he turns back to his clowns. "Boys I think I'm done with the good Sergeant. Take care of him would you? Oh, and Sergeant, don't worry about Harley she's in good hands." He taunts before bursting into laughter and leaving the barn as his clowns circle Alex.
"I'm gonna kill you all when I get out of here!" He warns before they all start laying into him. They throw punches and kicks all over but he doesn't give them the satisfaction of crying out. Eventually one of them lands a good hit to his head and the blow knocks Alex out again.
...
So much for trick or treating tonight. Barbara had arrived at the RSS just in time to see clowns throwing Alex into the back of a van and drive off. She quickly changed into the spare suit she kept in her car and "Borrowed" a motorcycle before giving chase. Bruce would have a fit if he found out she'd taken a bike but desperate times right? Barbara followed the clowns out to the country side, far from the city, and they stopped at what looked like a large abandoned village.
Barbara parked the bike out in the woods away from the village and made the rest of the way on foot, skirting the edge of the village to avoid being seen, but the terrain was tough to navigate in the dark. As she passed the village she saw that it wasn't all that abandoned anymore, clowns had taken up residence and there was a lot of them, too many to fight on her own. It made sense that they'd hide here, it was out of the way and had been abandoned by the original residents ages ago, no one came here.
She kept pace with the clowns carrying Alex and saw them take him into a barn on the edge of the village. Barbara quickly headed for the barn but again the terrain made it difficult and it took longer than she wanted it to reach the barn. When she finally got to it she could hear the sounds of people gathering things and leaving. Peeking in through a window revealed Alex was tied up to the rafters and a lone clown with an AK stood guard over him.
Barbara quietly crept through the window and snuck up behind the clown, knocking him out with a blow to the back of the head once she reached him. Once she made sure he was tied up she set to work cutting Alex down and checking him over. He was unconscious with a likely concussion and it also looks like he had been beaten pretty bad. This was bad, no way Barbara could carry him out through that rough terrain in his condition and there were too many clowns out there to try sneaking out that way. Against her better judgement she shook Alex awake.
"Wha? Who?" He mumbled as he woke.
"Sergeant it's Batgirl. Listen I know you're hurting right now but we're stuck between a literal rock and a hard place. Can you fight?" She whispered urgently.
"Ugh, can't walk straight. Legs are fucked up." He replied.
"Damn, let me think." Barbara set him down against the wall and paced the room in thought. "Wait, you have an advisor right? Can he help?" she asked and he nodded slowly before pulling out his phone and giving it to her.
"Call…Anderson." He says slowly as he starts to pass out again.
"Hey hey, don't sleep you'll hurt yourself even more!" She warned him and he struggles to stay awake. After making sure he's awake Barbara unlocked his phone, having seen his passcode earlier, and call Anderson.
"Sgt what's going on? I thought I gave you the night off?" Anderson asks, surprised to have been called at this hour.
"Uh, Sir this is Batgirl speaking. Sergeant Westbrook got ambushed by clowns. I got to him but we're stuck in an abandoned village in the country side, he's in a bad way. Can you help!?" She quickly explains.
"Damn it. Yes, I can help, you got a radio?"
"Yes!"
"Switch to frequency Zulu One-Five-Nine-Three, we'll talk there." He tells her before hanging up. Barbara gave Alex his phone back and switched the radio frequency to the on Anderson gave her.
"This is Overlord can you hear me?" Anderson asks once she tuned in.
"Yes! We need help asap!" She repeated.
"I'm working on that now; help should be arriving soon. Stay on this freq and hold until they arrive."
"Got it."
"And Batgirl, get my Marine home in one piece."
"Yes Sir." She replied before looking back to Alex who is becoming more conscious. Barbara went back to the clown and retrieved his AK and spare mag, giving them to Alex. Normally she wouldn't have but given his condition it would be all he has to defend himself.
A couple more minute's pass before she started to hear the faint sound of an aircraft flying overhead and suddenly the radio comes on again.
"Bravo Golf this is AC-130 gunship Specter 6/4 entering your airspace now can you identify yourself?" A new voice asks over the radio. Man, when Anderson said he was getting help he meant it. Basically he had called in a flying weapons platform with enough firepower to level a town to save them.
"Yes, I have an IR strobe. Switching it on now." She informed the gunship, switching the strobe on her belt on.
"Roger we see you. Be advised thermals showing thirty plus foot mobiles near your position. Stay in cover and move when we tell you, we'll guide you out. Overlord are we clear to engage?"
"Specter 6/4 you are cleared hot. Engage at your own discretion and bring our guys home."
"Roger. Team lets show them our bag of tricks."
Suddenly there was a sound like a thunder clap from the sky and the building in the center of the village exploded as a shell from the gunships canon detonated inside of it.
"Move to the building across from you, we'll cover." The gunship ordered. Barbara quickly helped Alex stand and wrapped his arm over her shoulders while she supported his back. He tucked the AK under his arm and nodded that he was ready to move. The two quickly stepped out of the barn and moved as fast as they could across the street.
"Standby, technical to your eleven. Gunner take it out."
Barbara peeked around the corner and spotted a pick-up truck with a machinegun mounted on the bed just as a burst of machinegun fire shredded the engine block and the clown unfortunate enough to be behind the gun.
"Good effects on target, proceed to the water tower by the church.
They turned the corner and spotted the church and water tower they had mentioned and headed towards it just as clowns stormed out of the church. To his credit Alex fired his weapon at the clowns while we moved but since he was only using one arm his shots went wide and only grazed the clowns who quickly returned fire.
"Specter 6/4 we're pinned down by clowns at the church, help us out!" Barbara yelled as she threw them behind a fountain for cover.
"Negative Bravo Golf, we aren't authorized to fire on the church. Lure them away and we can engage."
Damn! Barbara looked to Alex who nodded at her before propping his AK on the lip of the fountain. Taking a deep breath Barbara charged out of cover and sprinted across the length of the street to the other end as Alex fired at the clowns forcing them to chase after her.
"Standby, firing danger close!"
The booms of a grenade launcher firing filled the air and the clowns chasing Barbara suddenly ceased to exist as the rounds exploded. Once the smoke cleared all that was left were smoldering craters formed where they had been standing seconds ago.
"You're clear past the church. Recommend taking the side routes, main road is crawling with bad guys."
Barbara ran back to Alex and resumed helping him walk, taking the side roads as the gunship recommended. They were in luck as the routes were clear of clowns but they could hear them shouting to each other from the main road as another thunder clap was heard followed by another explosion that silenced the shouts.
"Bravo Golf we've spotted transportation by a house at the edge of the village, two hundred meters west of your current location. The village looks cleared of hostiles but we'll keep eyes on you till your clear."
"Thanks 6/4, heading there now."
The two changed course and sure enough came across an old SUV, the doors were unlocked and the keys stashed in the visor. Barbara helped Alex into the passenger seat before sitting behind the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. Quickly throwing the SUV in drive and pulling out of the village and onto the road, Barbara put as much distance between them and the village as possible.
"6/4 we're clear of the village, thanks for the help."
"Been a pleasure Bravo Golf. Give our regards to your friends, we're always rooting for you guys. Specter 6/4 out."
The gunship then made a show of flying low and flashing its lights before gaining altitude and flying off into the night. As far as Halloween's go this was definitely the most exciting, though Bruce was going to kill Barbara when he found out she had left a village smoldering, even if it was abandoned. She was sure he would understand once he saw Alex's condition though.
Once they got closer to the city Barbara used the side roads to get back to the Wayne manor, having Alex shut his eyes as they neared the area. Barbara called Alfred and told him the situation before arriving and he waited for them outside. He then helped her bring Alex, who still had his eyes shut, down to the Batcave to start going over his injuries. While Alfred tended to Alex, Barbara sat back in a nearby chair and caught her breath.
"Rough night?" Bruce asked from behind her. She turned around to see him in his Batsuit, a scowl on his face.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"So tell me, why am I hearing that a gunship was conducting a live fire exercise on an abandoned village where an unfortunate group of criminals belonging to Jokers crew just happened to be hiding out?" Damn, he knew already.
"Look, the terrain around the village was dangerous and he can hardly move without falling over. What was I supposed to do!?" Barbara saw no use in trying to deny it.
"You should have called me. But instead you got the military involved and now thirty people are dead."
"I just asked for help, how was I supposed to know they would call a damn gunship!"
"And what's worse is you brought him here of all places. You could have just compromised everything we've worked for."
"Why are you treating me like the bad guy!? I saved his life!"
"I see that but you blatantly disregarded everything I taught you to do it. I'm placing you on suspension."
"What!"
"You heard me. Go home, Alfred and I will take care of Sergeant Westbrook and return him home when he's better."
"Arg! You know what… Gah, forget it!"
What was supposed to be a fun night had turned into a disaster. Barbara wouldn't admit it but Bruce was right, she had screwed up by asking for help from a black ops cell and now she was paying for it. Whatever, Alex was back in one piece and that's what mattered.
...
"I see your still alive, so either ya chickened out or ya managed to kill him." Harley spat at Joker once he got back.
"Your friend doesn't play fair, Batgirl and a damned gunship!"
"Ha, it's different when someone's actually trying to kill ya back aint it!?" Harley mocked before Joker suddenly knocked her to the ground with a punch to the face.
"I don't have to take this from you! You ungrateful little brat, I made you who you are!" He shouted down to her as she held her face in agony.
"You're a real bastard, ya know that! Ta think I fell for you one time..."
"That's because you're a fool, stupid girl! You belong to me now, not him! So don't go getting any ideas!"
"I'll have whateva ideas I want!" Harley shouted back. She was going to continue when Joker drew his .44 Magnum and pointed the muzzle towards her face.
"Such a nuisance, why do I even bother with you..." He sneered. Harley shut her eyes and waited for the bang signaling the end to her life but all she heard was a faint "Click" followed by maniacal laughter. She looked up to see a red flag with BANG! written on it emerge from the revolvers barrel. Not wanting to risk the second round being real she quickly got up and pushed past the Joker, making a beeline for the nearest exit and out into the night.
She needed to see Alex, try to explain herself to him but she had no idea where to find him so instead she settled for putting distance between herself and the deranged clown she worked for. Deciding to seek shelter with the one other person who could help her, Harley began to make her way to Poison Ivy's hideout when she passed by the Armed Forces Recruitment Center. She stopped in front of the Marines office to find to her luck "Sergeant Alexander Westbrook" written on the window. Harley smiled to herself, now knowing where to find him before resuming her trip to Ivy's place, already beginning to plan how she would go about meeting her long lost friend.
…Mission Complete…