CW: Descriptions and mentions of abuse

…

Harley Quinn didn't know how much time passed since she watched Batman drag Commissioner Gordon out of harm's way, where she and her lover, the Joker were plotting a surprise. Luckily, she and her called "Puddin'" managed to escape capture and were currently in their hideout. All it had been was a simple joke that would put a smile on the commissioner's face. Instead, it ended with the commissioner and Batman's harsh words to Harley, warning her of the lingering danger of staying with the man she loved since the first time she laid eyes on him.

Harley herself felt a huge weight of regret, believing that she herself screwed up on an important joke. With that in mind, she was certain that Mistah J would be less than happy with her, not that this was the first time he got angry with her. This explained why the two were currently in the middle of a heated argument. Normally, Harley would admit defeat rather quickly, but ever since her recent round with the squad and recent talks with her best friend Ivy, she had learned to build a bigger ground for herself, not that she never had one in the first place, but she needed it especially. It was the perfect amount of armor she needed especially when Mistah J was berating her at this very moment. She formed the words in her mind to expel out to him after he venomously blasted her with his "waste of space" insult.

"Mistah J! You know I didn't mean ta screw up! I had it all ready! All ya doin' is being so mean! I helped ya with this plan as my big thank ya for helpin' me escape that stupid ole Belle Reve and this is how ya gonna repay me?"

The self-proclaimed Clown Prince of Crime fumed inwardly at her words and her angry tone. Truthfully, she wasn't wrong that he helped her escape that dreaded prison, even though he didn't want to. He only did because she was only useful for carrying out with his plans, though he never straight up credited her for it. He internally created a demeanor that would fool that waste of space. It had worked, Harley had been so happy to see him, worrying herself sick that he died, at least what she told him. Even long before her name became much more known amongst the rogues gallery, he wondered how she managed to survive under his employment for as long as she did. It didn't stop him from tossing her around like a rag doll on a multitude of occasions, especially during their arguments.

"Harley, the truth is that this joke has a very special punchline, and you fucking failed to even deliver that! You just don't fucking get it, do you?"

Harley gasped, the words cutting deep into the core of her chest like sharp knives stabbing her. It was painful to hear the man she loved say this. In fact, she had been so in roped into her argument with him that she had a feeling in the back of her mind that it went longer than usual. She usually wasn't one for checking on the time, but her usual average arguments with the clown would've long been over. Today, it was still going on, though she began to wonder through her anguish if she would end it here. Not just the argument, but also her relationship right here. It wasn't the first time she had that thought running through her mind, in fact, it wasn't even the first time that the words turned into action, and she would head on the journey to the other rogues' hideouts, usually Ivy.

Unfortunately, she told herself she'd been so engrossed into her Puddin' that she found herself going back to him. It was, what Ivy called, a vicious cycle. Even with the pain of her thoughts, she continued her courageous efforts to fight back.

"What am I suppose to get? I get you, Puddin'! I helped you with your schemes! I was your loyal and devoted lover! I helped you with the plan to capture that dumb commissioner and I even added some touches! Unless, what do you want me to do? Leave? Maybe I'll leave! Ivy was right about you! But, I love you too— "

"I would suggest shutting your god damn mouth for one second!" he fumed, his anger near at boiling point. "Yes, I got one thing to tell you, and of course you can leave, you imbecile!"

He turned away then paused for a moment to calm down after verbally eviscerating the henchgirl in question. He didn't pay attention to the startled on her face nor her sudden quivering lips, threatening to stretch them into a pout. After he assured himself he was calm enough, the clown turned to Harley, his face softened to that of sympathy and he placed a hand on her shoulder, although hardly anyone would have realized that he was actually faking his actions. Manipulation was one of his major artistic forms of comedy, and he made sure to use it well before he would fully give Harley a harsh truth.

"The painful truth about comedy is," he began, walking Harley towards the window of the hideout, as if he were trying to let her look out the window.

That was the opening he wanted. Sure, the henchgirl was once his psychiatrist, but he reveled in pulling her in, only to shut her out. It had been so easy for her. It was like when he first spoke with her, he revealed all of his own multiple-choice stories with her, and she was captivated. The next, he carried on with malicious intent, creating chaos in the asylum, entrapping her on the gurney and then frying her mind, all with a laugh of sadistic glee. He was certain he would accomplish that again, first letting her into the false sense of security, only to cut the strings, like he'd done before. Oh, he found it glorious!

It was that moment when his face contorted to anger as he harshly turned Harley to face him then leaned her against the window. Her expression went from surprise to horror. Oh, she had no idea what he really had in mind.

Harley began to have a sinking feeling in her stomach at seeing his angry expression. His eyes were gleaming with hate, hate she hadn't seen from him before, it was unnerving to see. Of course she had seen him angry, but it was not this extreme. She shuddered, wondering what he would say next.

Joker stood up to his full height, well towering over the terrified henchgirl. He made sure his next words stung hard before he spoke again, now his voice filled with hatred and malice.

"That you always take shots from folks who just don't get the fucking joke!"

Before Harley had time to react, Joker kicked her in the ribs hard, hard enough that her back broke through the glass window as she fell several feet down to the ground. He didn't look down at her to make sure she was okay. He was done with that idiotic, perpetual, lovesick henchgirl. She ruined his joke, utterly useless! Had she not ruined it, he would've had the damn commissioner and it would've been glorious to see what he could pull off, perhaps even taking Batsy along for the ride. He though had one more quip as he turned away from the broken window.

"And don't even think about calling me 'Puddin''."

With that said, he walked away and didn't think about turning back.

— — — — —

Down at the ground in the middle of the alleyway, all had been quiet until a figure landed on the trash cans in the area, followed by an agonized groan. A black and white sleeved arm lay slumped on the ground with the person in question being Harley Quinn.

Pain was all Harley felt, and it wasn't just physical from the impact. Her heart ached and stung, like someone ripped it right out of her chest. She wanted to scream but she was too dazed and stunned at the moment to properly react. She needed time to fully recover before she felt she was ready to try to get back on her feet and figure out her next move.

She wasn't sure what hurt worse, the physical pain or the harsh words Mistah J had for her before being pushed out falling several feet from where she was. Regardless, pain was the cruelest visitor that came to her life. She remembered receiving similar rounds of abuse, but this was different. It all happened so fast, she wasn't sure how to properly process it, she didn't even have enough time to react before she felt his boot connect with her ribs hard enough to send her crashing through the window and falling down to where she currently was in her state.

The henchgirl just laid there while she began to ponder what she planned to do next.

Was Mistah J right? Did I not get the joke?

She repeated the question in her head several times as if it were an unknown discovery that she tried to force herself to come to terms with. The more she repeated the question to herself, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Mistah J was right," she muttered, her tone dejected. "I didn't get the joke."

The statement alone caused a stinging pain in her heart, much less her saying it to herself. It was inevitable that she had come to believe it herself. It was her fault, only he got the joke, she didn't. All this time, she thought she had it figured out but in reality, she was slapped in the face and reality punched her in the gut.

"My fault," she moaned. "I didn't get the joke."

How much effort did it take for her to say that, she didn't know nor did she care to figure that out. She just watched her life flash before her eyes and now, she was trying to find the courage to at least crawl to her next destination, one she wasn't sure of yet, she was still too dazed to think properly at the moment.

After what felt like an eternity had passed, Harley found the courage to roll over to the right, not without the pain that ached her from the fall. She was slow to get into a movable position, which being she was ready to crawl to her next destination, having eventually decided that she would crawl back to Joker's hideout entrance and apologize to her lover. She owed him an apology for, as he put it, not getting his joke.

Gritting her teeth to fight back against the pain, she slowly crawled to the entrance of the hideout. She was determined to apologize, even in the broken state she was in. Mister J was rather hard to please in such important schemes, that was no secret, and even with the times she failed him, she'd apologize eventually afterward, even after hiding out at Ivy's place for a bit. It had to work; he'd accept her apology. She was that diligent of a henchgirl and she was determined to let that spirit shine through.

After making it to the front entrance of Joker's hideout, Harley sat down on the ground, took a deep breath, then pounded her fist to the door, hoping it was loud enough for someone to open it, much less Mister J. She waited patiently though a wave of anxiety filled up at the pit of her stomach.

Much too her relief and surprise, the door opened to reveal a man, his eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of the henchwoman. Harley found it no surprise that it was one of the goons, thankfully not one who tried to make a move on her. Pity to those who didn't take a hint.

"I'm surprised you're here, Harley," said the goon, seemingly studying her broken state. "I thought I heard the boss kick you out."

"Tell him I'm sorry," she pouted. "Or maybe better, get him over so that I can tell him myself."

The goon's expression changed to a solemn, almost saddened expression. He let out a sigh then slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but the boss doesn't want to see you," he said in a strained tone.

Harley felt her heart drop to her stomach when she heard the words, and her ears began ringing. Did she just hear that correctly? Or were her ears playing tricks with her since the day she dumped her meds after being rescued from the hellhole prison she was in just a few years ago?

"No, that can't be right," she dismissed, though she was barely hiding the dejected tone in her voice. "I'm here to apologize to Mistah J for what I've done."

She took a shaky deep breath, deciding on a new approach.

"Please get Mistah J here!" she pleaded, reaching her arm out to the goon in a pleading manner for a few seconds before putting it back down.

The goon shook his head again, his expression unchanging.

"He said, and I quote, 'Harley and I are done. I don't want her coming back.' He made that very clear."

A wave of piercing pain hit Harley in her chest as her mouth hung open in shock, she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. The almost regrettable-sounding tone in the goon's voice made the pain of the words that much worse. While Harley herself mostly had little interest in the goons and henchmen except for the standard of hiring them mostly done by Mister J, she had to guess through the slumped body posture of the man in front of her, his expression, and his tone of voice, she had to guess that maybe he had taken a bit of a liking to her, to what extent, she wasn't sure of. Maybe it was just the psychiatrist in her that noticed these things all while she was having the process of an agonizing round of heartache courtesy of Mister J.

This can't be true, Mistah J needs me!

"Mistah J doesn't…want me?" she asked, her lips quivering.

She let out a small but audible whimper at her own words. God, that was sounding painful, only making the stinging heartache worse. She was no stranger to heartache, but this one, much like the earlier fight, felt different. There was a heightened level of intensity to it, it felt like it was so painful enough that it would engulf her into it and possibly kill her. She had heard of cases of people dying of a broken heart. She did not anticipate that this would be the way she could potentially die, nor did she like it.

"No, he doesn't," replied the goon, sounding almost sorrowful. "I'm sorry, Harley."

Before Harley could say anything else, the goon shut the door and Harley heard the door lock. That was all the confirmation needed to tell her exactly where Joker stood about her.

Tears began falling down the henchwoman's eyes and the anguish of the confirmed breakup became too much for her to take. She placed her hands on the concrete then began to cry, the agony of her heartbreak spilling out from her mouth with her already spilling tears. Her sorrow was endless, having a new weight of pain that entered the core of her being, causing her to cry harder. She had been so wrapped up in her own anguishing heartbreak that she did not notice a car pulling up beside her. It didn't matter to her. The breakup was doomed to eat her away until she was certain there was hardly anything else left and it didn't help that the physical pain from the fall was another accompaniment. It was six words that sent her in this severely heartbroken state.

It was mad love no more.

…

A small note.

First of all, I didn't like how Joker was characterized in Suicide Squad, so I decided to add the twist of him faking that he was happy to see Harley only for him to go back to his usual abusing her, kinda similar to how he was in the Batman animated series.

Yes, there will be scenes from the movie in this story but will be extended but at least a good amount of them may be shifted or changed a bit to fit in the main antagonist I have planned for this fanfiction. No, I will not be revealing who it is now. They will be revealed when they first appear. That'll all I'll say on that.

Other than that, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! There's definitely more to come!