Unhinged
Chapter 10
Happy New Year! 2021 is FINALLY upon us, and already things are looking up. Day 1 of the new year, and I now have not one, but TWO job interviews lined up! I'm making good money at Papa John's and I still love my job, but of course if one of these turns out to be better, I will definitely seize the opportunity.
But enough about me, y'all don't care about my personal life lol time to get on with the show!
Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to DC Comics or Gotham.
Harley Quinn waited for Jeremiah's response, a twisted smile spread across her face.
"Well, puddin'?" she said, leaning forward on her knees. "What do ya think?"
"I think...I should have thought of that first."
"Well, that's why we're such a great team! We have such great-"
She gasped as Jeremiah grabbed her wrist.
"Puddin'", she grunted, "you're hurtin' me!"
Jeremiah just stared into Harley's eyes, which only grew more fearful. As suddenly as she was grabbed, Harley was released. She backed away instinctively, clutching her wrist.
"Well, what are you still doing here?" said Jeremiah, a dark look on his face. "Get to it!"
Harley nodded frantically and backed out of the room, examining the red mark on her wrist that Jeremiah had left.
…
Alfred glanced in the rearview mirror at Bruce, who was staring out the window deep in thought.
"I'm sorry, Master B", he said.
"She was my friend", Bruce finally said. "This is all Jeremiah's fault, and when I find him, I'll kill him."
"Now, Master B; we agreed that there were certain lines that you would never cross. Don't throw away your values for petty revenge. If you kill that boy, your pain will only increase, and they'll lock you up."
"You're right. I'm sorry, Alfred."
"I know it hurts, fella. But don't worry; things will turn out right. You'll see."
The car pulled up to the townhome and Bruce got out.
"I'll be right in, Master B", said Alfred, getting out as Bruce went up the stairs and opened the front door. "Just gotta check on some things."
Alfred walked around to the passenger side of the car, reaching into the glove compartment for the tire pressure gauge. He didn't see a figure sneaking up behind him with a syringe. As he straightened up, he grunted as the syringe was plunged into his neck. He struck out, momentarily shocking his assailant, and pulled the needle out of his neck.
As Alfred's vision began to blur, he saw Harley standing in front of him with a wide grin on her face.
"Hiya, Alfie!" she said comically. "Sleep tight!"
Alfred tried to call for Bruce, but no sound came out. Harley signaled someone, who caught Alfred and dragged him to a waiting black van. Harley walked up the front steps and casually dropped a note through the mail slot, grinning.
"See ya soon, Brucie", she said darkly, and chuckled as she ran back to the van and climbed inside next to the unconscious butler.
…
Bruce sat at the kitchen table and waited for Alfred to come in, wondering what was taking so long. After 15 minutes, he decided to go out and see if he needed help.
"Alfred?" he called out the front door as he approached the walk. "Alfred, what's-"
He froze. The passenger door was open, and there was a tire pressure gauge on the ground, right next to an empty syringe.
"No."
Bruce ran down the stairs and over to the car to investigate. Breathing heavily, he picked up the tire pressure gauge and looked around frantically.
"Alfred?!" he called. "Alfred!"
It was then that he noticed the letter on the hardwood floor just inside. Throwing down the gauge, he ran back inside and tore it open. His blood ran cold as he read the words scrawled across the paper:
The Abandoned Joke Shop
10 am
Come alone
At the bottom of the letter was a bright pink lipstick mark. Bruce crumpled the letter in his hands.
"Harleen."
…
Jeremiah Valeska watched as Ecco and Harley unloaded Alfred and got him into position, tying him to a chair with his wrists behind him and fitting a gag over his mouth.
"Perfect", he said to himself.
Harley finished the final knot on Alfred's feet and walked over to him.
"Are we ready?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Then let's get started."
Ecco nodded and turned a valve on the wall.
"Our guest should be arriving any minute now", said Jeremiah, glancing at the clock on the wall.
…
Bruce burst through the door of the abandoned joke shop, right on time.
"Jeremiah!" he called.
"Welcome, Bruce", a voice said. "Welcome."
"Where is he?!" the boy demanded, looking around frantically. "Where's Alfred?!"
"Ooh, someone's not too happy", said a girl's voice, followed by crazy laughter.
"Harleen", Bruce said, a little more gently. "Please, if you're still in there-"
"Sorry, kid; there's no one by that name here. Try again."
"What do you want?!"
"Follow the pathway, kid. Come and find out."
The walls around Bruce were suddenly lit up, and he gasped as he saw Alfred being punched over and over again. There was blood coming out of his mouth, and the butler was laughing his head off.
"I told you what I wanted from the start, Bruce", Jeremiah's voice said. "I want you to be the brother I never had."
"Never!" Bruce yelled.
"I was like you once, Bruce", Harleen's voice said. "So full of spirit, so naive; so WEAK. But my puddin' helped me see the light of day, and I've never felt better. You can be like that too, Brucie!"
"All it takes is one bad day."
Bruce growled in frustration, smashing one of the projector screens.
"Where are you?!"
The boy coughed as he wandered the halls, forced to watch more haunting images of his beloved butler being tortured.
"Alfred!" he called. "Alfred, where are you?!"
There was a faint laughing sound coming from just ahead of him, and Bruce broke into a run. He kicked open the door in front of him and saw his butler tied to a chair with blood all over his mouth.
"Alfred!"
Bruce ran over and quickly freed his butler, who was still laughing.
"Alfred, it's okay; you're safe now. Come on, let's get out of here."
But the butler just kept laughing, flashing Bruce a bloody smile.
"Why so serious, mate?" he said, grinning like a madman.
"Alfred?"
Bruce gasped as his butler pulled a knife from behind his back and attacked.
"Alfred, no, it's me! It's Bruce!"
"Let's put a smile on that face, eh?"
The boy's eyes grew fearful as he fought off his butler. Alfred leered over him, laughing sadistically.
"Alfred, please; don't!"
Alfred lunged forward, blood dripping out of his mouth and onto Bruce's jacket.
"I won't fight you!"
Bruce struggled as he held back his butler's hand, still holding the knife; but his strength was fading.
"Please, Alfred, don't make me hurt you! Jeremiah did this to you, but I can help you!"
"Help?" Alfred said, tilting his head to the side. "Why would ya do that, mate? I've never felt better!"
As he lunged forward one last time, Bruce stepped to the side and Alfred toppled over the edge of the balcony they were standing on.
"NO!"
The butler continued to laugh as he plummeted, before hitting the ground hard. Bruce felt nauseous as he saw blood appear behind Alfred's head.
"Alfred", he said tearfully.
From the control room, Jeremiah grinned, throwing his arm around Harley and pulling her in for a kiss.
"We broke him", she said, giggling.
"Yes, it seems we have", said Jeremiah. "And now-"
BAM! The doors were kicked open once more as the GCPD stormed the warehouse.
"GCPD!" an officer called. "Come out with your hands up!"
Jeremiah's grip around Harley tightened, and she gasped.
"Let's go", he said angrily, and he pulled her through a secret escape hatch. Ecco followed suit, eyeing Harley suspiciously.
"Bruce!"
Jim Gordon found Bruce staring over the balcony at his fallen butler.
"You okay?"
"I...I killed him, Detective."
"What?"
"I killed Alfred. He's gone."
"Bruce!"
To Bruce's surprise, Alfred came running up behind him, completely unharmed.
"Alfred?" Bruce said, shocked. "But...how? I-"
"It was a trick, Bruce; it was all a trick, to get you to break."
"Alfred!"
Bruce ran to his butler and embraced him in a tight hug.
"I'm alright, mate", Alfred reassured, stroking the boy's head. "I'm right here, it's me."
They broke contact and turned to face Gordon.
"How'd you know what was going on?" said Alfred.
"Yeah, the note said to come alone", said Bruce.
"We received an anonymous call", said Jim. "A woman said she knew where to find you and what Jeremiah was planning to do."
Jim Gordon locked eyes with the pair.
"It was Harley."
What's this? Could it be that there's still hope for Harleen Quinzel? Guess you'll have to wait until next time to find out! See ya later!
-Imagigirl20