Chapter Eleven - Learning the Ropes

SUMMARY - It is training time for Harley Quinn. However, how will Bruce react when he discovers what really happened at Arkham Asylum?

Bruce was irritated. The call that he had just received from Commissioner Gordon telling Batman that the Joker had just escaped Arkham. He had also kidnapped Doctor Quinzel. Bruce ran a hand through his dark hair as he watched the security footage from Arkham asylum. I should have known. I should have done something. I was there just hours ago. If Harleen dies, it will be my fault. Doctor Quinzel and Doctor Arkham had walked down to the Joker's cell together, only Quinzel and the Joker had walked out even if it was unwilling. But something wasn't sitting right with him. Arkham had looked uncomfortable walking down with Quinzel and they were walking too close together. He knew the doctors did not get along, they would never walk so close together. Bruce narrowed his eyes at the footage. Why would Arkham be looking around like that if Harleen was a victim in this? Something isn't right.

"She's hot. Who is that? I recognise her." Jason said with a cheeky smirk as he sat down beside him. Jason Todd, the eighteen year old orphan that he had taken in after he had found him trying to steal the wheels off the Batmobile three years ago. He hadn't been looking for someone to replace Dick after he decided to go solo in Bludhaven as Nightwing but Jason was a suitable replacement. Apart from his ability to act reckless, disobey occasional orders and rush into situations, Jason was a good Robin. Jason was tall and broad, he dyed his natural red hair stark black and had bright blue eyes. He was tanned and spoke fluent spanish due to his Latino heritage. He was tough and strong, Bruce saw so much of himself in Jason. The only thing that Bruce knew he had that Jason didn't was the discipline.

"That is Doctor Harleen Quinzel, she works at Arkham Asylum. You've seen her here at benefits I've had. Harleen has been the Joker's doctor since 3rd March this year. Since that time, she lost her fiancee to suicide and never attended a therapy session of her own, despite being advised to. When I spoke to her today, I could sense something was different than the last time I met her. Something is not right about this. Oracle, access the video footage of cell 0801 between 2030 and 2130."

"Accessing." The computer's voice responded. Bruce looked at Jason who was watching him.

"You're worried. You think that Doctor Q helped the Joker escape."

"I also think he won't kill her, which means-"

"The Joker with a sidekick? Come on, Bruce. That is ridicul-" The computer beeped as it finished loading the footage. Bruce looked to the computer, scanning the footage to see if anything was wrong. He slowed it down around 2051 when he spotted the cell door open.

"No fucking way." Jason whispered. Bruce stood up as he spotted Doctor Quinzel with the gun pointed at Arkham. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his forefingers. Doctor Quinzel has fallen to the Joker's way of thinking.

"Oracle, download all known Joker locations to the Batmobile." Bruce ordered, moving to change into his batsuit.

"You're going after him now?!" Jason asked, following him. Bruce stopped and spun to face him.

"I need to find them before they kill anyone else. Doctor Quinzel may not have pulled the trigger herself but she gave the Joker the gun. They killed ten people and injured four including Aaron Cash. I am going after them, tonight. Are you coming with me or not?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, of course I am."

"Then suit up. It is going to be a long night."

When the Joker woke the next morning, he felt extremely disorientated. He hated feeling like this. He sat up, looking around the room, reminding himself that he was no longer in Arkham. The sunlight was starting to peep through the curtains that he hadn't closed entirely. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked into the bathroom, wanting to wash the memory of Arkham off his body. He showered quickly, enjoying the hot water instead of the lukewarm water that he was used to showering in at Arkham. The Joker knew he had to plan something big to make his comeback. But first, he had to make sure that Harley would be completely ready for facing the Bat and the Bird. Harley Quinn was the most unexpected thing in his life and yet was the only thing that made sense. But he was pretty sure she had never been in a proper fight. She had never explained what had happened in her fight with Crane. But he knew Crane weighed like next to nothing and barely ate a thing so probably didn't take much for him to go down. She would need to know how to fight well, how to fight dirty, how to handle weapons, how to manipulate people and how to disguise herself. If he wanted to do this quickly, he would need help. The other rogues would be useful especially with what he was planning as his comeback. There are too many good people wasting away in Arkham and it is up to us to get them out. Harley was still asleep when he walked back into the room, she had rolled onto his side of the bed, her long blonde hair spread behind her. This is going to take some getting used to. Sleeping beside someone was something he had not done since that night. But he would not deny that last night was the best night's sleep he had had in years. Shaking his head, he dried himself quickly and got dressed. He would let Harley sleep until he had finished his meeting with Cobblepot. She had been through a lot yesterday and had handled it a lot better than he thought she would have. He thought that Doctor Quinzel would pick up more of a fight. Unless Harley and Harleen had been fighting in her head for a lot longer than I thought they were. Harley stirred slightly, mumbling something in her sleep. He smiled softly as he left the room. He would have to stop thinking about the naked Harley waiting for him back in his room if he was going to be talking with the Penguin. Shaking his head, he stepped into the elevator. I need a cup of coffee to stay focused. When he reached the ground floor, he walked directly to Cobblepot's office, not bothering to knock. Cobblepot looked frustrated when he opened the door until he spotted that it was the Joker and he smiled.

"Morning Joker. Did you sleep well?"

"Splendidly but could use a cup of coffee."

"I'll get one of the boys to make you one. I'm sure they all remember how you like it," Cobblepot clicked his fingers at one of the men stood in the room who left immediately, "now, what I can help you with?"

"Oh I see, straight to business then. We need to train Harley with the few remaining Rogues that are still in Gotham.

So, you round them up, send them over to my new place." The Joker explained. Cobblepot smiled.

"Who do you have in mind?" Cobblepot asked.

"Bane, Riddler and yourself." Cobblepot raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair.

"Myself? What do you need me to do?" He asked. The door opened and the Joker's coffee was handed to him. He took a sip. Oh yeah that's the stuff.

"You're the mutations expert. Harley needs to learn how to use a gun and not to be scared of them." The Joker explained, looking around the office.

"How do you know she's scared of them?"

"I've never had someone hand a gun over to me so quickly. She needs to get over that and quick. You have an hour, I need to go make sure she is awake. Where shall I send her?" The Joker stood up, coffee in hand and a smile on his face.

"Basement in an hour. See you then."

"Alright Harley, I am about to throw a lot of information your way very quickly but don't worry, I will go over it for you if needed. This is a Remington 1911-R1, .45 caliber handgun, the barrel is 1 to 16 left hand twist, feed system 7+1 round magazine. The one next to it is a AK47 assault rifle, 30 round attachable magazine, 7.62 by 39mm, muzzle velocity 715 metres per second, for the most effective shot you must be about 350 metres away. This is a IMI Uzi (MP-2) sub-machine gun, one of the Joker's personal favourite, 9x19mm, rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute, muzzle velocity 400 metres per second, effective range is 200 metres and the feed system is 10-50 round magazines. Lastly, the M40 sniper rifle, I know a guy that likes this particular gun. The cartridge is 7.62x51mm NATO, rate of fire is 6 rounds per minute, muzzle velocity 777 metres per second, most effective firing range is 800 metres and the feed system is 5 rounds integral box magazine. All snipers have a sight, this particular rifle uses a scout sniper day scope, ssds for short. All of these most commonly used in the USA and are particularly easy to use, but all do have a recoil, so be prepared for some bruises. Got that?" Cobblepot asked. Harley blinked several times. That was a lot of information. She looked over at the Joker who seemed to be enjoying watching her be flustered.

"Harley, start small." The Joker advised with a small smile, leaning back in his chair. She looked back at Cobblepot.

"I guess I'll start with the Remington." Harley said with a small smile.

"Good choice. Ever used one before?" Cobblepot asked.

"Yes."

"You have?" The Joker asked. Harley looked over at him.

"Cash taught me to use one when I started working at Arkham." The Joker frowned at her.

"Well, pick it up and let's move over to the firing range," Cobblepot said, Harley picked up the Remington and followed Cobblepot over to the firing range, "aim and shoot, it's not hard." Harley took up the stance, remembering how to stand, clicking off the safety and aimed. Take a deep breath and fire. She took a deep breath and fired the gun, bending her arms up with the recoil.

"Nice headshot," Cobblepot responded, "it's clear you know what you are doing with the Remington. Let's move on to the assault rifle."

The Laughter Lounge was a lot bigger than the Joker expected it to be. The ground floor still looked like a bar and he planned on opening it as a way of money and recruitment. The basement was a lot bigger than it looked with weapons and a training room ready to use. The upstairs was an apartment ready for himself and Harley. He felt happier to be in his own place, no longer relying on Cobblepot or being locked up in Arkham. He had his own place. He had Harley, who actually had handled using the guns that Cobblepot showed her a lot better than he thought she would have. The news that she actually knew how to use a Remington had surprised him but he had not questioned her yesterday. Her willingness to learn was encouraging. She still seemed a tad hesitant around guns but once she was used to them, she would be fine. The Joker was looking at all the new toys that the Penguin had provided, enjoying picking each one up, testing the weight and firepower of each weapon. Bats ain't going to know what hit him next time.

"You look like you're having fun." Harley's voice spoke softly from behind him. He smiled, placing the weapon back in it's place.

"If you're not having fun, Harley, you're doing it wrong. Always remember that." The Joker reminded her. He turned to face her, running a hand through his hair. She was leaning against the wall, her long blonde hair tied in two knots on the side of her head, she was wearing a tight white vest top and black skintight jeans. The bruises from the guns were starting to show on her shoulders. Today's going to be an even tougher challenge, I hope that she's ready.

"Why are staring at me like that?" She asked with a smirk. He raised his eyebrows at her and walked over to her. She bit down on her lower lip as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She rested her hands on his arms.

"I will look at you however I want, Harley." He teased her, leaving small kisses up her neck and along her jawline. Her grip on his arms tightened as he pushed her up against the wall, trapping her between his arms. He kissed her roughly, picking her up and wrapping her legs around him. He bit down on her lower lip as he slipped his hands up her shirt.

"BOSS! BANE IS HERE!" The Joker let out a low groan and put Harley down. She straightened her shirt and rubbed her lips.

"Send him down," The Joker called back, taking a step back away from Harley, straightening his own clothes, "to be continued, darling." He winked at her, smiling at the blush that spread across her cheeks. Heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and Bane entered the room. Bane, even without the boost his venom gave him, was already a huge muscled man, who wore an old wrestling mask and the Joker had never seen him without it. Harley's eyes widened as she looked at Bane.

"El Diablo, we meet again. What have you summoned me here for?" Bane asked. He had a thick accent that he never bothered to place. He smiled at him.

"Bane, meet Harley," the Joker gestured to Harley who still seemed in shock by Bane's size, "Harley, this is Bane. He will teach you how to fight." Bane turned to look at Harley. Harley smiled sweetly at Bane, clearly not letting the man see how flustered she was.

"Hola señorita Harley," Bane said, fondness already in his voice, "a pleasure to meet you." Bane offered his hand to Harley.

"Hola Sr. Bane. Quiero darle las gracias por enseñarme." Harley replied, shaking his hand, all her shock had gone and now she was standing tall. A woman of many talents. Bane laughed under his mask, looking back at the Joker.

"She speaks Spanish! You could do with learning some from her, el Diablo," Bane turned back to Harley, "No sea que me agradecía por el momento. Vamos a tener una gran cantidad de trabajo por hacer si usted está deseando para luchar contra el Batman."

"I guess I shall leave you two to it," the Joker said, going to leave the room, he turned back to face them before leaving the room, "oh and Bane, no venom. Not until she's ready."

"Do not worry, el Diablo, once I am finished with her, she will be ready for anything."

Nine wholes days she trained with Bane, covered in bruises and all of her muscles ached. In their final session today, with the Joker watching, she had to fight him whilst he used his venom formula on himself. She had won, just. God, if B-man's punches hurt half as much as Bane's, I better make sure I never lose. She was lying on the floor in the basement, staring up at the ceiling trying to ignore the ache across her whole body. "Defend your left, una pequeña. Otherwise you will be open to attacks from that side. The Bat and the Bird work as one, you must be able to fight both simultaneously." While she no longer left her left side undefended, it was still her weaker side. She couldn't remember the last time her all of muscles ached like this. She was covered in bruises down her left ribs, had bruises from his grip up and down her body, her right eye was bruised and blackened and she was pretty sure one of her ribs were cracked. But I won, I managed to take him down and escape meaning I could face the Bat. Harley closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. All she needed was a few days rest, painkillers and a hot bath. She could hear footsteps approaching but she was in too much pain to even open her eyes.

"How you doing, slugger?" The Joker asked. She groaned, trying to focus on anything apart from the pain in her ribs. She heard him approaching her and opened her eyes to see him, kneeling down beside her. He pulled her up slowly, wrapping one of her arms around his neck, slipping an arm under her legs and he picked her up. She winced and gripped his shoulder as pain spiked through her side. She rested her head on his shoulder as he carried back upstairs.

"You did better than I thought. Let's get you a nice hot bath."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She asked, as he reached the top of the stairs of the basement.

"Well, Bane's a big guy. He broke Batman's back, don't you know? So ya know, the fact that you aren't dead is refreshing to see." He ignored all of the looks from his men as he carried her through the Laughter Lounge to the upstairs apartment. The upstairs was a large open floor design, in dark royal colours. The kitchen was all brand new and was the first thing to the right when they entered the apartment. Their large king sized bed was towards the back left of the apartment, the bed still unmade from when they had gotten up. His desk, already covered in blue prints and scraps of paper, was to the left of the bed. A large wardrobe and chest of drawers stood in the right corner filled with their clothes and shoes. Around the room was several oversized armchairs and a sofa with a bookshelves dotted around the room. To the left was a door that led to the bathroom, everything new and following the same colour scheme as their bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and walked into the bathroom. She heard the running of taps and smiled.

"There is some bubble bath stuff in the cupboard, please put some in." Harley called from the bed. She heard the opening and closing of a cupboard and smiled. She forced herself to sit up, ignoring the pain in her side. Get used to the pain, Harls, it is going to be pretty common from now on. She slipped her left arm out of the strap of her vest top and used her right hand to pull it off her body. She reached up and pulled the hair band out of her hair, letting it fall loose down her back. Standing, despite the ache in her legs, she pulled at the leggings and shimmied them off her hips, trying to make sure she wouldn't have to bend to remove them. When she looked up, the Joker was leaning against the wall smirking at her.

"Need some help?" He asked, the cheeky and playful smirk still on his face.

"Please." The Joker walked over and helped her remove the rest of her clothes as gently as he could. He helped her to the bathroom and helped her climb into the bath. The hot water smelled like candyfloss and he had lit a load of vanilla scented candles for her. There was some music playing and she felt at peace for someone who had spent nine days being beaten by Bane. She sighed as she settled into the hot water, her aching muscles already started to feel soothed. The ache and pain in her side felt so much better. The Joker leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Call me when you're done and I'll come and get you." He said with a small smile and left the bathroom. Harley leaned back in the bath and closed her eyes. It will be moments like this that will make it all worth it. Don't worry, Harls, you made the right choice.

The Joker walked out of the bathroom and walked straight back downstairs to the basement. He was impressed with how she was handling the training. He had not heard a single complaint from her the past nine days after her training sessions with Bane. After seeing her fight him today, it reminded him of the potential he had seen in her when he met her in Arkham. Harley had taken to fighting as easily as I took to Bats. She hadn't complained about him teaching things alongside her. Pickpocketing was like second nature to her and he was surprised at how light handed she was. She was getting better at picking locks. Her stealth was surprisingly good but he figured it was down to her being a gymnast and being light on her feet. He walked down the stairs to the basement, straight to the wall where the guns were displayed and grabbed a Remington. He headed back up the stairs to the apartment. Setting the Remington down on the table, he shoved all the papers from his desk to the ground, not caring about the mess. Rolling his sleeves up, he kneeled down and searched for some paints and brushes, placing them on the desk. Grabbing the Remington from the table, he sat down at the desk, switching the lamp on to give him more light. He had thought about doing this for a while and after seeing how well she had handled Bane, he decided now was the best time to do it. As he decorated the gun for her, his mind wondered. It was exhilarating watching her fight Bane. She was so graceful, it was like watching Birdfreak no. 1 except better. Her past in gymnastics gave her a new and exciting way of fighting. Watching her fight Bane reaffirmed that he would definitely have the surprise factor when it came to her fighting Batman. Despite her size, Harley was fast, strong and precise. She knew exactly where to hit and could change her next hit midair. Once she knitted together Bane's teachings of fighting well and his teachings of fighting dirty, she would be one of the best criminals to walk the streets of Gotham. He focused on what he was doing decorating the gun, black and red, drawing three diamonds on the handle of the gun. He took his time, making sure every detail was perfect. When he looked at the time, two hours had passed and Harley had still not given him a call. Leaving the gun to dry, he went to the bathroom to see what was going on. He opened the door and found her asleep in the bath. Smiling to himself, he pulled leaned over and pulled the plug from the bath. Grabbing a towel, he lifted her gently, wrapping it around her. She stirred slightly but didn't wake as he carried her back into the bedroom. He dried her as much as he could and laid her down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. Returning to the bathroom, he blew out all the candles. As he returned to the bedroom, he removed his own clothes, folding them and leaving them on the armchair. He picked up her clothes, folded them and placed them on top of his. He switched the lights off and climbed into bed beside her. Harley shifted closer to him and laid her head on his chest. He stroked his fingers up and down her back, comforted by her soft skin and her breathing. Nigma can wait a couple of days, she needs to recover and I want her all to myself.

After another unsuccessful night of trying to find the Joker, Bruce had moved from irritated to furious. His temper was short, he hadn't eaten or slept much over the past twelve days and he hated this feeling; the feeling that the Joker was planning something big and he would be too late. Jason had also kept his distance from him and had even stopped coming with him to find the Joker after a week. Jason had been dealing with the other crimes going on around Gotham and was currently given him the silent treatment after his last fight with a Penguin gang ended in Nightwing coming to save him. Jason had escaped with only a dislocated shoulder and bruised ribs but he had every right to be annoyed at Bruce. Dick was sat in the Batcave waiting for him when he returned.

"When will you just accept that he is out and there is nothing you can do? You've been searching for him for twelve days with no success. No one is giving him up and you are risking Jay's life in a useless search." Great, Dick is irritated with me as well. Dick was twenty-two years old, with messy stark black hair and bright blue eyes. He was tall and muscular, standing before him in his Nightwing uniform. Dick was not a boy anymore and he stood before him as a man.

"You don't understand. I know the Joker and now he has help, which is making him more unpredictable." Bruce told him as he removed his Batcowl. Dick rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

"I get that. But you need to focus on the rest of Gotham as well. Jay's going to get himself killed if he carries on going out alone."

"The rest of Gotham will be killed if I don't stop the Joker." Bruce snapped. DIck shook his head, his jaw set in a hardline.

"But you don't even know where the Joker is, Bruce! You're letting Gotham fall to pieces in the pursuit of that man. Barbara's been trying to keep Black Mask's drug gangs off the streets but needs your help. You know that Babs hates Jay's method, so don't you dare suggest Jay helps her. The Joker is hiding, there is no point wasting your energy. The moment he comes out of hiding, you will find him but if you let Barbara and Jason continue without you, they are both going to get hurt. They need you out there, not trying to find that psycho and his new toy!" Thought I raised you better than that, Dick. Bruce stood up straight. Dick was still a couple of inches smaller than him and had to look up if he wanted to look him in the eye.

"Doctor Quinzel is an intelligent woman and if I can help I will, do not refer to her as a toy." Bruce turned around and walked to change out his Batsuit.

"Look, that came out worse than I meant it to. But you cannot let your city to go to ruins in the hopes you will stumble across their hideout. I will help as much as I can but your city needs Batman." Dick called after him. Bruce sighed. Dick's right. Jason's injuries are my fault and Barbara can't take on all the Black Mask's gangs at once.

"I understand. But if I didn't think Jason could handle it, I wouldn't let him do it. You can help Barb. I need to do this. But the city will not go to pieces, if I need to, I will step in."

"I hope you're right, Bruce."