A non-stressful environment.
Harley is as far away from one as she could be. With Robin in the hands of the Joker, Red Robin gravely injured, Batman and Red Hood pressing on through a funhouse of horrors that the Joker has trapped them in, and the man she loves near a mental breakdown, Harley is far from relaxed.
The Joker has them all wrapped around his fingers like marionettes, and they don't even know it yet. As he crosses names off of his list for tonight, Harley is going to have to muster what strength she's got to pull herself- and everyone else- together, before he succeeds in taking them out.
Batman walked slowly, the lenses in his mask scanning his surroundings.
Red Hood followed, his hands resting on his guns in their holsters.
Nightwing paced the floor, biting his lip nervously as he glanced at his motorcycle.
Harley stared at the computer screen, her hands hovering over the keyboard as she waited for anything to do.
"Batman…" came Robin's weak voice over the comms.
"Tick tock, White Rabbit," the Joker purred. There was a sudden crack followed by a choking sound over the comms, and he wheezed out a laugh. A loud bang sounded.
"Batman," Red Hood hissed, "we're not even sure he's in here. This could be a trap."
"I traced Robin's comm to the building," Harley told them.
"She's right. And it is a trap, I explicitly told you. Hard to hear with that helmet on, eh, boy?" Joker laughed. Robin's scream echoed over the comms, and they could hear it somewhere above them. "There. Proof enough?" Harley pinched her eyes closed.
"I will enjoy killing you," Red Hood said.
"No," Batman hissed.
"Still so noble," the Joker sighed. "Just swoon worthy. Wouldn't you say so, Dear?" he laughed. "Now don't be shy. Batman, tell me- if you put a bird in a trap as bait, what can you catch?"
"What?" he asked, playing along as he moved carefully through his surroundings. The Joker rolled his eyes.
"Oh please. I quite miss Nygma, you know. Clever fellow. Annoying as hell, but clever. That wasn't rhetorical, answer for the class, Batman." Robin whimpered.
"A bat," he guessed.
"Wrong. Answer." The Joker's laugh rose into a cackle. "Purr for daddy, would you?"
"Batman I'm so sorry I-"
Catwoman was cut off before she could finish.
"She followed you here, Batman. You led your lamb to slaughter."
"No! Don't you dare-" There was a short, almost inaudible snap, and then Red Hood hit Batman hard from behind, knocking him out of the way before he could fall through the crumbling floor. Red Hood slipped and his hand shot out, his knife biting into the splintered wood before he could fall into the darkness below.
"What the hell!?" he cried, staring downwards. "I thought this was the ground floor! Isn't this the ground floor!?"
Batman helped him climb back over the ledge.
"I'll see if there are schematics for the building," Harley offered, already searching.
"Well that one wasn't so bad," he breathed, walking towards the stairwell door. It dangled from it's top hinge and Red Hood examined it. "I don't see anything. Do you?"
"Well I don't see much when I look at your fiancee here, but obviously you see something more," the Joker said conversationally.
"Batman, the GCPD want in the building," Harley warned.
"Let them in," Joker grinned. "Batman's walked past several traps that those morons will die in. Let the mice come play in the maze."
Red Hood gave the door one more look before tugging it open. He stepped into the stairwell and looked up at the door to the second floor; putting his boot down onto the first step, Red Hood cried out as a burst of Joker gas filled the area. "Batman! Gas mask now!" he shouted, his mask blocking the chemicals.
"You're running out of time," Joker yawned. "I'm getting bored. You fail to entertain me, Batman, is that what we've come to? Whatever shall I do to occupy myself when Batman can't satisfy? ...I could always see if Catwoman can," he laughed darkly. Catwoman cried out furiously in the background. Batman's jaw clenched.
"Hey asshole," Red Hood taunted, "I really hope story time's not over. I had this really good one about a crowbar."
"Oh! Is it about mine!?" Joker cried, perking up. "The new Robin's heard it already."
"Nah, it takes place in the not so distant future where I see if I can paint it red with your blood."
"Challenge accepted," Joker laughed as Red Hood and Batman burst onto the second floor. The Joker stood at the opposite end of the hall, grinning at them.
"I could just shoot him now," Red Hood offered. Batman hesitated.
"No."
"Shoot him, Jason!" Nightwing snapped.
"No!" Batman cried. The Joker disappeared back into his room, his laughter following him. "Let me go first," Batman said, but Red Hood was already two steps down the hallway. He stepped over a tripwire, and there was a sudden and short thwip as a thin metal rod no longer than half a foot was fired into Red Hood's chest. "Red Hood!" Batman caught him as he slumped.
"What happened?!" Harley cried. Red Hood gasped, clutching at his chest.
"Nothing," he coughed. "We're fine here."
"I'm telling the police to move in," Harley ignored him.
"Tell them we need paramedics," Batman told her.
"Bruce!" Catwoman screamed from the end of the hall. "He's leaving! He climbed up to the roof-" she stopped short and winced, yanking at the ropes binding her.
"Don't go after him alone!" Batman told her.
"I can't get free," she breathed hard. "Oh God, Damian…"
"You have- to go get him-" Red Hood choked, gasping a little. The rod hadn't hit his heart, but it definitely punctured a lung.
Batman held Red Hood steady, thought about Red Robin downstairs, Robin and Catwoman injured down the hall; and he shook his head. "No. As much as I hate to say it, the Joker knew that his escape would be ensured by this. If I go, the three of you will die." He was reluctant to leave Red Hood, but Batman made his way carefully to the end of the hall and untied Catwoman. She couldn't meet his eyes, Joker's lipstick smeared against her lips. Robin lay on the floor, his dark hair matted in blood and cuts over his bare chest. He wore nothing but his underwear and mask; he looked up at Batman weakly. His cheek was swollen and blood caked his lips from his broken nose.
"It's about damn- time," he choked, shivering. Batman draped Robin's cape over his shoulders and wrapped it around his small frame, and Catwoman picked him up in her arms. Batman carried Red Hood as they made their way downstairs, where police officers and medics were carrying Red Robin away to the ambulance. Batman handed Red Hood over to them as well, and Catwoman gave Robin to Batman. Robin's fist tightened around a handful of Batman's cape, his hood pulled around his bleeding face.
"Batcave," he whispered. "Please- n-not the hospil'-"
"You need professional medical attention," Batman told him. EMTs rolled a stretcher up, but Robin held tighter to Batman.
"Go with him," Catwoman told him. "I'll take care of everything and head back to the cave in the Batmobile." Batman looked at her worriedly.
"Be careful. Make sure they treat you back in the Batcave." She nodded, and he he went with some nervous paramedics to an ambulance.
Harley finished sending off a quick text to Barbara to check on Tim and Jason at the hospital and glanced at the screen.
"He still has Robin's comm," she groaned, her heart sinking.
"I do. Why, you're sharp as ever, Darling."
"Don't call her that, you son of a bitch." Nightwing's voice was low and furious.
"I can call her whatever I like," Joker laughed. "I still own her. Like I own you. Do you think my playdate with the baby bird tonight was just for the hell of it? No."
Everyone listened quietly to their comms, the dread hanging over the line.
"I could have killed all three of them, instead of injuring them. I could have dumped Robin in a ditch and gone after you two, all alone at the cave you call home; while the rest of the cavalry was out searching for the boy. I could have done anything I wanted to, and do you know why? Because I own you. This was what they call a power play. I could have decapitated Robin and left nothing but his head for you, but then I'd be cutting down on my own leverage. Plain and simple? That's what I could get done in one night with no planning. If you try to leave Gotham-" he laughed a little- "I have three boys and three girls to kill as creatively as I'd like. And I won't stop there. Gordon? Him too. Selina? Won't have nine lives when I'm through with her. Will and his sweet little family, that adorable little daughter that loves that Disney movie… I've got a circus tent to burn down. So stay. Put."
"You're a monster!" Harley shouted furiously, jumping up out of her chair. "I should have let the Arkham inmates deal with you instead of letting you gas them!"
"Now Darling, don't get overexcited, you remember what the doctors said about you getting too stressed," he clicked his tongue, laughing darkly. Dick was too horrified to say anything.
"You wanted me dead," Harley breathed. "Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Who said anything about wanting you dead?" The Joker said sadly. He chuckled. "I don't want you dead. It hasn't been you I've been trying to kill, now has it?" Dick touched the bandage on his neck in terror. "Anyways. I really haven't got time to chat, and I know you can track me with this thing, so. See you soon, Darling," he purred. The comm went offline. Harley sank back into her chair, defeated. She put her head in her hands. Dick blinked slowly, sinking to his knees in front of Harley. He turned her chair so she was facing him.
"It'll be okay," he breathed. His gloved hands shook as he placed them on hers, taking a deep breath. "We'll be okay. He's bluffing. He's lying. I won't let anything happen to us, Harley." Dick's voice was reassuring.
"But we can't protect everyone," Harley objected. "What are we going to do?"
"We all take care of each other," Dick replied. "We were disorganized. When we all stand together, he's just one homicidal maniac. He can't take us all if we protect each other."
"I can't bear anyone else getting hurt. Dick... I'm scared," she breathed, finally breaking down.
"I know," he cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. "I'm not going to pretend that I'm not too, but we can figure this out."
"He took Damian." Harley's lower lip trembled. "What if he or Tim or Jay or even Selina aren't okay?"
"We have to be optimistic. We can't leave, but we can fight."
"You can fight," Harley corrected.
"Harley, it's not about that," he said quietly.
"Yes it is. It's about us being in danger, and me not being able to do anything to help."
"No, it's never been about that," Dick said adamantly. He took her hands and helped her stand. One hand went to her cheek, keeping her eyes on him as he cleared his throat. "You did your fighting, Harley. You spent months fighting for me- for us- and I didn't even know it. I know you still haven't told me everything about the month you were alive and trying to stop the Joker, but I don't pry. They're your battle scars. I know it's hard not being able to do anything, and I am so sorry, but you did your fighting. Put down the hammer and tag me in, Harley Quinn. Maybe it's just my turn to fight." He stroked her cheek, looking into her eyes seriously.
"It's just so hard," Harley mumbled.
"I know it is. But what other choice do we have?"
"None," she sighed, the crease forming between her eyes.