Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC character Grace!

IIIIII

"This is ridiculous..." Sighing impatiently, Annabeth tapped her nail against the edge of her seat as she waited for her turn to arrive. When she'd entered the bank, she'd thought it would be an in-and-out trip like the previous two banks. With them taking one look at her lack of a license or any other form of identification and then refusing to talk further. All while looking nervous and glancing at their coworkers behind the metal bank bars. But no, at this bank, that didn't happen. It was different. The line was so long; she couldn't even reach that step.

Unable to take any more waiting, Annabeth stood up. Visiting the bank was already pointless. She knew that, just as she knew she wouldn't get a loan. But with her gun wound, she'd figured she needed to do something and chose this, but sitting and waiting for three hours? She could find something else to pass the time.

"ALIEN ATTACK! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

A little dumbfounded, Annabeth watched as the man who'd burst into the bank screaming ran right back outside, no explanation or reason for his outburst, nor did he stay long enough for anyone to ask questions.

BOOOOOOMMMMM!"

Startled, Annabeth jumped back in shock as an enormous creature burst through the bank, causing chunks of cement and brick to scatter around the floor as it entered the bank. The pieces smashing into multiple people unlucky enough to be under or near the blast while the creature slid across the floor, squashing almost half the people in the building. Unable to tear her eyes away from what she could only assume was the alien screamed about earlier. Annabeth felt a sudden spike of regret. Why exactly had she not gone to see the movies or at least read up on the Marvel world? At least then, she might be somewhat prepared or know when an event like an alien attack was going to happen!

Coming out of her thoughts, Annabeth was about to join the crowd of people running to the side exit, then paused, the ringing alarm echoing throughout the bank giving her an idea. Turning around, she made her way towards the bank vault. The staff and security were either dead, crushed by the alien beast, or gone with the rest of the crowd, leaving a completely unattended bank.

Wrinkling her nose at the stench of the alien, Annabeth tried her best to ignore it as she walked around to the other side of the bank, then entered past the golden gate to the employee-only area behind the counter, keeping her eyes peeled for any keys or papers with the vault code. Something that she knew the chance of was slim, but there was always that one employee who liked writing things down. So maybe she'd get lucky.

"Gotcha!" Chuckling, Annabeth grabbed a set of keys she could see almost hidden behind a computer. While she doubted it was to the vault, it might open some lockers or doors with stuff she could pawn off later. That should still count as a robbery, and it was probably a Harley thing to do. Pocketing them, she was about to double back and begin her thieving adventure when she heard something smash against the floor. Spinning around to look behind her, Annabeth frowned, scanning the area, but couldn't find the cause.

Her eyes narrowing, Annabeth glanced up at the alien, then down at the vault. Only now looking a little more closely at where the creature had landed. From what she could see, the vault door was still sealed shut, but maybe that wasn't the case from the other side of the wall where the alien was.

Hopping onto the counter, she tried to peek over the bars and see the sidewall, but unfortunately, the alien was far too large and obstructed her view. Seeing no other choice, Annabeth left and went back around to the alien's head, then began to climb. Using the metal plate-like armor on the creature to get a better grip as she climbed up. Luckily, with both her increased strength and her gymnastics skill, it made the task somewhat easy. The only slight complication would be if her stitches ripped or her pain medication wore off. But for now, she was good.

Reaching the top, Annabeth checked the sidewall, growing a little excited as she spotted a small hole. Moving closer, she peered through it and had to hold back a smile. Directly in the center of the vault was a stack of cash that looked to have just been transported into the bank, still on a pallet. Based on what she could see, it was a few feet high, and while she wasn't an expert. There should at least be over a million dollars there. Not to mention what was in the surrounding lockers on the walls.

Pulling back, she looked around for a bigger hole to climb through and then found a problem she hadn't really paid attention to until now. There was no hole big enough for her to fit through. Sure there were other cracks in the wall and some broken concrete in other areas. But none large enough for a human to slip through.

Frowning at the problematic situation in front of her, Annabeth glanced around at the bank, looking for something she could use to break the wall further. But of course, given that it was a bank, there weren't a whole lot of options or tools to choose from. The best she could see was a bench, but it would most likely just shatter against the wall instead of breaking it, not to mention it would risk her ripping her stitches if she tried to lift it.

"Think, think, how can I do this?" Annabeth muttered to herself, trying and failing to come up with an idea. It wasn't as if she had planned this type of thing before or researched how to break a wall. Usually, that sort of thing didn't come up in her past adventures, and even if it did. Percy could have dealt with it using his abilities. "...What would Percy do?"

As soon as she asked herself that, her eyes fell on a vacuum by the bathroom, and Annabeth knew she had her answer. Her husband would no doubt follow a plan from a movie, such as vacuuming up the money. A plan that seemed a little absurd, yet it would probably work depending on the vacuum used. Luckily for her, she could see the long plastic tube still connected, and it looked like it would just about fit through one of the cracks along the wall and let her suck up the cash.

Hopping down from the alien head, Annabeth inhaled sharply as the pain flared in her stomach, reminding her once more that she was injured. A little detail she'd somehow forgotten in her rush to see if her new plan would work. After all, movies weren't real, and she was in a virtual game. So it was possible, despite how realistic everything was, that she might not be able to.

Plugging in the vacuum, she rolled the machine's core next to the alien, then grabbed the tube, stretching it as she climbed. Fortunately, it reached with extra to spare, so she didn't need to find a way to pull the main part of the vacuum up with her. A feat she sincerely doubted she'd be able to do in her condition.

"Last step." Annabeth breathed out as she went back down the alien head, this time going slowly and not jumping off. If the money vacuum worked, she would, of course, be able to afford stitches again. But really, why would she want to go to the hospital and lose more money? Instead, it was better to be careful, then find a hotel and finally take a nice hot shower. Something the nurse refused to let her do, despite keeping her there for two days as they monitored her... Then again, it wasn't as if she would have been able to afford the cost. So maybe the nurse did her a favor.

Flicking on the machine, Annabeth waited, listening for the sound of paper to come flying through the tube. However, after waiting for a few seconds, there was no change. A little confused, she looked at the vacuum and noticed a blue button she'd missed. Pressing it, Annabeth had to quickly jump back as the machine went into an almost shrieking frenzy as the suction grew more powerful. The sound of what could only be money coming from the tube as it got sucked out of the vault and into the machine.

Grinning, Annabeth left it to gather the money and went to search for a bag. Which luckily, the bank seemed to have plenty of, whether it be from employees, the supply closet from the janitor, or someone who'd left theirs when escaping the bank. There were even a few bags on some of the bodies, but given all her choices, she didn't need to consider those. Not that she'd want to touch them anyway.

Looking at her pile of bags, she hesitated, then grabbed one backpack and one duffle bag. Together they should be okay for her to carry without ripping her stitches. Though if she had a phone to call a taxi, that would be even better. Then she'd be able to take more than just two bags. Glancing at one of the bodies near her, all of whom she was sure had phones. Annabeth considered the idea of taking one to call a taxi, then decided against it. If carrying a duffle bag out of the bank would call attention to herself. Then calling a cab and loading multiple bags would be even worse. She might even get mugged later if she was unlucky enough.

Hearing the vacuum start to become muffled, Annabeth turned it off and removed the lid. Making piles of cash instantly fall to the floor in a stream. Grabbing a handful, she quickly started filling the duffle bag, resisting the urge to throw the money in the air. A rather childish thing to do, and one she knew Percy would have done if he was in her place. But for now, as she didn't know how long she had until someone decided to come back to the bank. Annabeth focused on her task, trying to go as fast as possible... Though maybe, just maybe, she'd play with the money later once she was at a hotel. Percy would never let her live it down if he knew she had the opportunity and didn't.

Half an hour later, with a bulging duffle bag and a stuffed backpack, Annabeth made her way out of the bank, the light change causing her to blink rapidly as her vision got accustomed to the bright sun once more. Then blinking some more, Annabeth dropped the duffle bag to wipe her eyes as she made sure the alien corpses she could see littering the street were real and not just her imagination, which in hindsight, was probably something she should have expected given that a huge alien had broken through the bank. But for some reason, it hadn't really registered in her mind until now that there would be more than one alien. Though the fact that New York had fallen silent probably should have been an indicator that something was wrong. Even the bank's best soundproofing attempts couldn't drown out the noise of the entire city.

+200 Crime Points!

"And still no explanation." Annabeth's eyes narrowed at the window that popped up. Crime points should have a use if she were getting them, but what the purpose was, she hadn't been able to figure out yet. The fact there was no increase to her reputation was interesting, though.

Picking up the duffle bag again, Annabeth began walking in the direction of a hotel she knew of. She'd stayed there before with Percy years ago, so hopefully, if the game world were accurate, it would be there. As for the dead aliens, they weren't her problem. It wasn't part of her quest, and it looked like whoever killed the ones in the street had it handled just fine.

IIIIII

"Ah, that hits the spot." Sighing softly, Annabeth rolled onto the bed in her hotel room, ready to call it quits for the night. She'd taken a nice relaxing shower, had a small dinner courtesy of the delivery service the hotel employed, as well as hidden the money in a secure location. Well, if you could call under her bed secure, that is. But as she was in the room with it, it should be fine. The only complaint she had at the moment was her clothes, which she'd, unfortunately, had to change back into after her shower as they were all she owned. But tomorrow, that would all change. She could go shopping, get more clothes, equipment, then truly go on a robbery spree. Then who knows, maybe she could pull off a heist as well.

Pulling the comforter over her body, she tried her best to clear her mind and get some rest. She did not want her thoughts to wander and start worrying about her family's situation and if anything was being done to them. She also didn't want to think about the time difference in the game compared to reality. For her, it was a frightening thought to think her husband and daughter had been kidnapped for three days now. No, she'd rather finish her mission as quickly as possible, all while praying to all the gods she knew that time was faster in the game than in reality.

Drifting off to sleep, Annabeth felt as if she was resting for all of five minutes before she woke to the sound of someone pounding on the door, the loud banging practically shaking the door on its hinges and probably waking her neighbors. Though based on the light coming in from the window, it looked closer to mid-afternoon than early morning.

Getting out of the bed, Annabeth made her way to the door, ready to demand whoever was on the other side to leave and let her go back to sleep. However, once she opened the door, and saw two police officers standing there. Well, that plan immediately went out the window.

"Hello, Miss. Why don't you make this easy and follow us back to the station." The officer on the left smiled, not a nice one, but more of a resigned; I don't want to be here but have to smile. The one on the right, however, was much less talkative and instead barged right in. Opening the closet, cabinets, and dresser as he searched around the room.

"I-I don't understand. What's the matter?" Annabeth asked a little awkwardly, having a feeling she knew the reason but hoping otherwise. After all, how coincidental would this world have to be to have two cops show up at her door and not be because she'd robbed the bank the other day?

"Please, let's not play games. We have you on recording yesterday afternoon robbing the downtown west bank." Then pausing and looking as if he aged a few years, he continued. "We had had a very long day yesterday. So can you do us both a favor and come quietly."

Hesitating slightly, Annabeth considered breaking past the cop and booking it down the hall. But she wasn't sure if it was just these two, and well, they had guns. Chances were with her recent luck that she'd be shot before she got to the elevator. So, after a few more seconds of thought, she agreed, adding a little Harley flare as she held out her hands, grinning. "Alright, officer, take me away."

IIIIII

"Now, Miss, for the last time. Would you mind explaining why you robbed the bank? You're not in any of our systems. You have no criminal record or any record for that matter. So why should you throw your life away for some cash? Do you realize what's going to happen to you now? Let me tell you..."

Listening as the cop talking droned on and on, Annabeth, for a moment, briefly considered whether it would have been better to run and risk getting shot. She'd been in the interrogation room for the past three hours. With only ten of those minutes being used to take her fingerprints and name. As for the rest? It was spent waiting or listening to the police officer across from her speaking as he tried to get her to explain her actions, which she had, hours ago. But apparently, saying 'because I felt like it' wasn't a good enough reason for the man.

"Alright, Brady, that's enough. I'll take it from here."

"Thank the gods," Annabeth muttered as a new and older-looking cop entered into the room, taking the now named Brady's place, looking more professional and less talkative.

"Now, Harley Quinn... by the way, is that an alias or your actual name?" The cop frowned for a moment as he scanned the folder before looking up.

"Would I have given it ta you if it wasn't?" Annabeth rolled her eyes. She'd actually thought of going with Harleen Quinzel. But after giving it some more thought, she'd chosen to stick with Harley. She could always use the other name as an alias if she needed it.

"Very well, now, Quinn. Today's your lucky day. The bank has decided against pressing charges. They understand that yesterday was a stressful time for everyone, and you making a wrong judgment call could be forgiven. Plus, the money which we found beneath your bed has been recovered. So no harm done. A decision I disagree with, but as no one was hurt... Anyway, I suppose I'll just have to overlook it."

"Huh?" Could you repeat that?" Annabeth asked, almost positive she'd heard she wasn't going to prison and that no charges were being pressed against her. But that should be impossible... Right? She'd robbed the bank in the real world that should get her a prison sentence, or at the very least jail time. All because this world was a game shouldn't make that much of a difference.

"You heard right. The bank was even kind enough to let that hundred dollars you spent on the hotel slide." Sighing, the officer stood up, closing the folder. "So, after you sign a few documents, you're free to go."

Fifteen minutes and a few signed papers later, Annabeth found herself standing outside the police station, a free woman. No prison trip and no consequences, well, other than losing the cash. But at this point, Annabeth didn't care and was honestly unsure if the game she was in had a few bugs or was maybe even broken. First, the cashier shot her by mistake, then there was no report on her attempt, and if she was being completely truthful, failed robbery. Now, she robbed a bank and was let go, free to try again at a different bank.

Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all, Annabeth began walking down the street, an idea starting to form in her mind. If what had happened in the past few days truly was a bug and could be replicated, then she could pretty much do whatever she wanted. However, if that was the case, then it might make getting her character template a hundred percent more difficult. On the other hand, if it was just a strange series of coincidences, well, then she blamed Percy. Only his luck could be that bad, yet good at the same time, and given the number of years they'd been married. It was possible it might have rubbed off on her. However, godly interference wasn't off the table either.

Stopping right next to a convenience store, Annabeth took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a minute as she collected herself. Then, smiling brightly, she spun around, giving a little wave to the police station down the street, then walked into the store, this time planning on staying in character no matter what, wanting to test a thought she'd had recently.

"Alrighty, folks! You're all about ta get robbed, put yer hands up and… Oh great, it's just you." Annabeth perhaps lucky, or perhaps not. Somehow managed to choose an empty convenience store with no one inside but a cashier who looked to be in his mid-sixties smoking a cigarette. "Fine, you'll do. Open the register and start filling up a bag."

The man gave her a look, then ever so slowly, he took the cigarette out of his mouth and pressed it against the ashtray. "Do you know that the police station is a little ways down this road? If so, you're either mighty foolish or just not all mentally there. Either way, I don't care."

"Why, thank..." Trailing off, Annabeth stared at the shotgun that was pulled from underneath the counter and pointed at her. "Oh."

"Now, I'm going to give you a chance to leave. Turn around, walk out that door, and we'll both forget about each other. If not, well, I'm an old man who was defending himself when getting robbed. No sweat off my back if an accident happens."

"Haha! You're hilarious, mister." Now maybe the gun was really loaded, but Annabeth was sticking it through to the end with her little performance. So she did what she believed Harley would. She moved forward, then, before the man could pull the trigger, she grabbed the barrel and pointed it in the air.

Bang!

Ears ringing, Annabeth smiled at the old man opposite her, pulling the shotgun away and aiming it at him. "Why don't we start this again, hmm?"

Character Percentage Increased!

Seeing the text appear, Annabeth let out a small and somewhat relieved laugh. Happy to finally be back on track. She'd been thinking about it recently, trying to come up with reasons for why the character template had stopped increasing after she got her outfit. But so far, the best she could come up with was two things. The fact she was wearing a hoodie, something Harley didn't exactly wear on most occasions, as well as her attitude and how she was only choosing to act like Harley during a robbery and around people. For all she knew, the game kept track and wanted her to stay in character at all times.

Now, though she still needed to do more testing, it appeared she was right. The outfit was part of it, but she seemed to be wearing enough so that it didn't matter. On the other hand, what did matter was her staying in character, even if no one was watching, something that could get tricky the farther down this road she went. But she believed she could do it. She was the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. If she couldn't, then no one could, that she was sure of.

"Here's it is. Now can you go? I have nothing else of value left!" The old man ground out, practically slamming the bag of cash on the counter.

"Thanks, Pops!" Giving a mocking salute, Annabeth threw the shotgun at the back of the store and skipped her way out, only half pretending to be as giddy as she was acting. She hadn't expected what had happened to, well, happen. But altogether, it went pretty well. She didn't get shot, she successfully stole some money, and she increased her character template.

+100 Crime Points!

Ignoring the text, Annabeth paused for a second as she spotted another small store, tempted to rush in and rob the place, but she didn't want to push her luck. She knew the old man certainly wasn't going to be like the previous cashier and was positive he would call the cops if he hadn't already. So she needed to leave as soon as possible—preferably this time without getting caught.