A/N: Sorry guys, but here's the second to last chapter. You'll understand the apology in the end xD
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Chapter 11
Joker looked down at the body in his arms and watched took a few moments to process what had happened. She was gone. His project. His wife. His little monster. She'd always been so full of life in someway or another, that his previous imaginings of her dead body had been too lively. She was grey already, cold and heavy. The only colour on her face was her bright red lipstick that had been smeared during her fighting and their final embrace. Her beautiful baby blue eyes dull and dark. Her infectious spirit and need for blood had disappeared. He was… broken. Lost. Every time they'd broken up and she'd gone off with Ivy and Selina, he had relished the time alone, now he regretted every second he hadn't spent with her.
All those moments he'd wanted to kill her, that he'd wished she'd just drowned in the acid and now she had actually gone. He'd spent so much time trying to kill her or get her taken to Black Gate Prison so she'd at least never see him again, so he wouldn't have to put up with her incessant need for attention, he wouldn't have to put up with her pathetic whining and sorry excuse for a laugh.
And now he craved all of it and more.
"She's dead, Joker, she's free of you."
"She's not allowed to die," Joker growled furiously. "I am the one who kills her!"
"Giving birth to your demon child killed her, the baby died too," Quincy Sharpe told him through the glass of his cell at Arkham Asylum. He'd just fought for his baby, fought for his Harley. His son couldn't have died. She couldn't have died.
"She's not dead," Joker snarled.
"No? She passed the after birth and her body drained of blood like a slaughtered cow," Quincy shrugged. "The baby died in Waller's arms."
"No!" Joker roared and started to destroy everything in his cell.
"I love you, Harls," he said too quietly for anyone else to hear. He took off his jacket and placed it over her as he put her down. He stood up and his furious eyes turned to Jason Todd. He was quiet and held a rage that even made Batman take a step back.
"Joker, don't-" the Clown pulled a gun and fired two shots at Michaela, killing her instantly. He punched Nightwing away and kicked Robin in the groin. He ran at Jason and pulled his knife once more. Jason tried to deflect the clown, but he was pushed to the ground and the blade jabbed towards his throat. Joker roared in pain and fury. The only thing he'd ever loved had died in his arms and all because he hadn't killed Jason when he'd had the chance.
Jason punched Joker in the gut and watched as he stumbled for a second. He took the opportunity and kicked him to the ground, Joker sprang to his knees and ran his knife into the material on the thigh of Jason's suit. It sliced through the neoprene-like cover and blood spurted from the wound.
"Jason!" Batman shouted.
"Shut up old timer!" Jason yelled back. He picked up Joker by the back of his shirt and threw him to the side again.
He then swung his gun round at Jason and they stared at each other, guns brandished at each other's heads.
He held his two week old baby girl in his hands, she was desperately hungry, but would throw up everything except her mother's milk, but Harley was in such a bad way that she couldn't feed and Joker couldn't figure out how to express her milk. His precious princess and his queen were on the verge of death and there wasn't anything he could do.
"Puddin'?"
"I'm here, Harls," Joker said quietly. "I need you to feed the baby, she won't…. she can't hold anything down."
"I'm so weak, Mistah J," Harley whimpered. "I… I don't know if I can."
"Tell me how I can help, baby, I need you to help me," Joker told her. He put Lucy down in her cot and pushed Harley so she could sit upright in the bed. Harley whined in pain and she slumped backwards for a second before her fingers numbly pulled the side of her top and bra down. Joker returned with the baby and gave her to Harley. He watched in agony as her she struggled to lift her baby. She'd been such a natural with Jack, she'd been so healthy, but everything had gone wrong with this pregnancy.
"Puddin', I can't… I need you to help," Harley almost sobbed. She was so weak. She looked like she would break at a breath of air, let alone a fight with the Batman.
"Tell me what to do," Joker said. She guided his hands to support the baby and she kept one hand with his under the little girl's bottom. She was giving everything to her baby and Joker had never felt more like she was disappearing in front of him, let alone baby Lucy. He hadn't told Harley that he'd named their daughter, but he'd had to call her something other than 'the baby'. He watched intently as his little daughter sucked like her life depended on it, occasionally he'd look up at Harley and see the dull light in her eyes getting worse and eventually her head rolled forward as fought sleep.
"I've got you Harls," Joker said softly. "You aren't going anywhere, you or Lucy."
He took Lucy away when she'd finished and spent an hour cleaning and coaxing the baby to sleep. He crept into the bed beside Harley and pulled her against him. He couldn't do this alone.
"I could forgive you for not looking for me," Jason shouted at Batman. "I could forgive you for not rescuing me, for picking another Robin and for putting another kid at risk… but why the hell is he still alive?"
"Good to see your argumentative side is still alive, Jason," Joker cackled.
"Shut up!" Jason roared. "Ignoring what he's done in the past, blindly, stupidly disregarding the entire graveyards they've filled. The people who have suffered because of both of them, the friends he's crippled…"
"Jason-"
"I thought I'd be the last person he ever hurt," Jason said incredulously. "If it had been you that he'd tortured for two, whole years, if it had been you that was apparently dead to the world, I wouldn't have stopped searching this entire planet for this evil death-worshipping monster and I would've sent him straight to hell. Is it so hard to cross that line?"
"It'd be too damned easy, Jason!" Bruce snapped back. "A day doesn't go by where I don't imagine putting him through everything that he's dealt onto the people he's destroyed and then destroy him. If I let myself go down that route… I'll never come back and I will not be any better than Joker."
"The blood of Gotham's innocent is on your hands," Jason snarled. He moved fast and knocked the Joker's weapon out of his hand and then a second bang filled the air. Joker let out a cackle as he fell to his knees, pain blossomed through his chest as blood started to pour from him. Batman and Robin tackled Jason to the floor, Nightwing grabbed Joker's shoulders but the clown batted him away and went back to Harley. He pulled her into his lap and he smiled as his own crimson mixed with hers.
"Ain't it funny, Harls, that I always thought you'd be the death of me," Joker chuckled and rocked with her dead body. "And now, after all those promises to not hurt me, to not abandon me, you've left me here, holding your pathetic carcass. You didn't even keep your smile, princess."
Acid swirled around them as he lifted her to the surface, burgundy and navy blue twisted and soaked into her hair and her natural peachy skin tone faded and drained into the vat. It hurt, it burned, but he didn't care. He was more curious about how this woman had so much pull on him that he had jumped in after her.
"Joker-" Nightwing tried.
"Leave me alone," Joker chuckled. "Or I'll drag you to hell with us." He weakly aimed his gun up at Batman's sidekick and the Boy Wonder backed off. He looked down at Harley's closed eyes and bright red lipstick, about the only thing that hadn't faded in the few minutes that she'd been gone.
"Boss!" Jonny Frost shouted as he burst onto the roof top. He looked at the scene in front of him and his blood went cold, he shook his head and approached carefully. Bile rose in his throat at the sight in front of him and he struggled to keep his typical stony cold persona.
"Jonny, you take the kids, you know what to do," Joker said lowly. Jonny nodded and shook his boss's bloodied hand, stroked Harley's hair and took a deep breath.
"Thanks for all of it, Boss," Jonny said quietly. "I'll look after them. See you on the other side, Jay." He turned and straightened his tie before he left to go and get Lucy and Jack. There were a lot of things to do before they left Gotham, he now owned Joker's empire until Jack was old enough.
"Look at them, Puddin'," Harley giggled from her spot on the sofa. Joker walked towards her and then his cold blue eyes cast over the scene in front of him. Little Lucy was plaiting Bud's Mohawk, Jack was braiding Lucy's and Lou watched over it all like a protective older brother.
"You know how I feel about the kids being near the Hyenas, Harley," Joker growled.
"They're not doing anythin'," Harley told him and rolled her eyes. "Princess, Cupcake, daddy doesn't want you playin' with Bud and Lou."
"But daaad!" Jack whined and Lucy just pouted at her father. He felt his heart swell at his daughter's face and his sons rebellion. They were good kids. They caused hell outside of the club, they were manic and Lucy's powers destroyed so much. He couldn't have been prouder. For a moment he could only see Lucy as a weak and fragile infant and Harley half a second from death trying desperately to give birth and then care for the new born. He shuddered and waved a hand at the kids before he settled beside Harley. She moved to lean against him and he kissed her fiercely for a minute.
His family was healthy and happy and all together.
"Thank you, Harls," Joker mumbled as he let his body succumb to blood loss. "Bats, I'm glad you get to see this. Your prodigy is four times a murderer now." He threw his head back in laughter and his body went backwards, dragging Harley with him. She laid over his chest and his hands tangled in her hair as he laughed.
Bright white light filled the darkness and he shook his head to clear it. He saw her walking towards him, a bright grin on her face and her Hyenas by her side. She was wearing her gold and black club dress, her jewels and heels, she looked divine.
"You're here, puddin'," she said with a soft smile. "You found me."
"Always, pumpkin pie," Joker grunted as he let go of his final breath.
The King and Queen of Gotham were dead.
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Jonny walked down the building quickly, Lucy was on his hip, her little arms wrapped tightly around his neck and he held Jack's hand. He ushered the children forwards and finally out of the old theatre just as police stormed the front doors and rushed in. He swept the kids to the side so they didn't get caught up and he guided them out of the Monarch. He saw Poison Ivy first and shook his head at her.
"No… no, she can't… no. NO!" Ivy screamed and fell to her knees. She opened her arms up and Jack and Lucy ran to her. Both children immediately started to cry and Ivy kept them as close to her as possible.
"Go home, all of you," Jonny shouted. "It's finished. Joker and Harley Quinn are dead. But, the empire still exists. It will be protected. Joker may be dead, but his son isn't. Any one of you pieces of shit step on Joker turf and you will still die."
"It's all up for grabs, Frost, you're no more than a banker-" Maroni started but a couple of bullets from Jonny's gun took out two of his gang.
"I'm not in the mood for this," Jonny snapped. "I swear to the devil himself, everything stays the same." He turned back to Ivy and pried Jack from her arms. He took the kid to the side and kept an eye on the retreating crowds.
"Uncle Jonny, what… momma and… and father-"
"You're gonna have to grow up quick now, Jack," Jonny sighed. "You and Lucy will be safe, but I need you to start learning what your parents didn't want you to know. You'll stick with me, you're going to have to take on this world earlier than planned."
"I understand, Jonny," Jack nodded and straightened up. He wiped his face on his sleeve and with all the courage he could muster, he walked to Lucy and Ivy. "Lou, come on. We need to make momma and father proud. Let's get outta here."
Ivy watched as he picked up his sister and held her hand as tightly as his little body could. He pulled her towards his father's car and opened the door. He helped Lucy into her seat and strapped her in before he got into his own. The plant goddess bit her lip and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm gonna need your help with Lucy, Ivy," Jonny said flatly. "I ain't goin' through the girl talk with her and her powers need you to help control them. She needs to learn from you."
"Don't make him into another Joker, Jonny."
"I don't have a choice, he's already half way there," Frost shrugged. "I'm taking them out of Gotham tonight. I'll stop by the apartment and grab a few things. Then it'll be cleaned down and all of their stuff moved out. If you want anything, go and take it. I'll contact you when we hold the funeral."
"The police will store their bodies in the GCPD and then cremate them," Ivy said slowly.
"Yeah, but there are ways around that," Jonny shrugged. "We've done it before. Joker made sure we had a plan for after their death, especially if the kids were still young. There are things to do and prepare for. I'll call you."
"I'll come with you-"
"No, Ivy, no." Jonny told her and walked to the car. He saw the two children already to go and he let out a long breath. They were both little demons, Jack was already showing the same kind of thought processes as his father and Lucy was so unpredictable and difficult to control that he had no doubt in his mind that she'd be hell on earth as a teenager. He'd never wanted kids, but now he had two and he knew that the devil himself would crawl from the earth if he screwed up what Joker had ordered. He saw tears still running down Lucy's face and Jack looking out of the window as if he already owned the city.
"Come on kids, let's get outta this shit hole," Jonny said calmly. "There's a new age coming."
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A/N: I said I was sorry...
One chapter left guys, then it's good night to this set of stories. I hope you've enjoyed it so far.