Thursday, November 30th, 2007

9:30 am

Professor Hugo Strange sat alone in his office, reviewing the paperwork for the patients that would be released that day. The twelve volunteers had been moved from the manor to the Medical Center, to receive their final medical examinations and undergo their exit interviews. All of the doctors and most of the other medical staff were on hand, and the release was still on schedule for 5:00 that afternoon. Strange checked the clock on his desk again. 9:35. He'd finalized all preparations for Joker's 'early' release the previous night. The guards posted outside his cell were told to leave Extreme Isolation to help with the volunteer's transfer to the Medical Center fifteen minutes ago. Joker's men would be arriving on Arkham Island any minute. The Asylum's security protocols were being taken down for maintenance for exactly one minute. A small boat was docked by the Medical Center, ready to take Joker off the island. Strange looked back at his clock. 9:36. The security protocols had been shut off. Strange folded his hands. Now, it all came down to the Joker. 9:37. The security protocols were turned back on. Had the Joker done it?

9:38. A loud alarm began to ring throughout the Arkham Manor. ALERT. ALERT. SECURITY BREACH IN EXTREME ISOLATION. ALL STAFF PROCEED TO LOCKDOWN PROTOCOL. ALERT. ALERT-

From outside his door, Strange heard the sound of shouting and running footsteps from the guards. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. As long as the Joker kept his end of the bargain, all would proceed according to plan. And if he didn't...well. No matter what he did, Wayne, Nigma, and Gordon would be sufficiently distracted. Phase Two would succeed, and tomorrow evening, Nigma would rejoin Joker in Arkham.

10:30 am

"You seem to have responded well to your new regimen. I'd like to keep you on it, as well as increase the frequency of our sessions, just to make sure there are no side effects."

In the leather seat across from her, Penelope's patient, a young college-aged woman that she had been treating for clinical depression, nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Dr. Young."

Penelope took a quick look down at her calendar. "I have an open availability next Wednesday afternoon, at 3 pm. Does that fit your schedule?"

Her patient chewed her bottom lip in thought. "I think so. I'll call if something comes up. Do I need to do anything else?"

"No," Penelope answered. "I can write you a refill for your prescription next week. In the meantime, keep taking your medication on the schedule we talked about, and stay on your treatment plan. Call me if you have any problems."

"Thanks. See you next week, then." The young woman reached down for her book bag, got out of her chair, and walked out of the office. As soon as she was gone, Penelope moved from the second chair to her desk. She sat back down and jotted in the patient's name and contact information for the following Wednesday in her calendar before she reviewed her schedule for the rest of the day. She had no business with GCPD that day, and she'd be meeting with Joan, Bruce, and the others in their group the following morning to plan for their appearance at the City Hall dedication ceremony. Penelope shook her head. She'd been surprised when Sharp had called her two weeks ago to invite them. Perhaps, after all the humiliation he'd suffered the past few weeks, he was opening negotiations. She allowed herself to smile. Perhaps he'd be open to what they had to say about Strange. It was too much to hope that he'd be willing to let Strange go, but if they could drive a wedge between the two, they could defang the man for good. The downside of her meeting tomorrow was that she had to forgo her usual time with Edward. He'd been accomodating at least. He wouldn't be at the new City Hall tomorrow night, of course, but he might be available after she was done. Depending on how well her group's meeting with Sharp went, perhaps...perhaps. Penelope shook her head again. She had five more patients to see today and plenty of other work that needed to be done. She had just opened her desk drawer to pull out her next patient's file when she heard her cell phone ring. She checked the number before she answered, and was surprised to see it was Aaron. Had something happened?

"Aaron?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"Doc," Aaron said, and the serious tone in his voice put her immediately on edge. Then he said the words she'd feared for two years. "We just got word from Arkham Asylum. The Joker's escaped."

Penelope could feel all the blood drain from her face. Her grip tightened on her phone. "Oh," she whispered. "Oh my God..." She was inundated with visions from the past, the sessions where he had manipulated her, the threats, that horrible night at the Asylum, the monsters, the bomb, the blood, her blood-

"Doc? You ok?"

Aaron's voice shocked her back to reality. She forced herself to get her nerves under control. "What's the plan? Has the Mayor been notified? Has the Joker made any threats?"

"City Hall and most of the other important buildings downtown have been locked down. The Commissioner's mobilizing our SWAT teams. Think he's trying to get in touch with Batman too. Joker hasn't made any kind of announcement, but the Commish wants you to find someplace safe. He thinks Joker might be out to settle an old score. You want me to come get you, or do you wanna call Nigma?"

Penelope's gut began to churn in fear and outrage. Had...had Strange allowed the Joker to escape? Was this retaliation for her group's work to undermine him? Were Joan, Bruce and the others in danger too? Was Edward? She heard a beeping noise on her phone and removed it from her ear long enough to see that Edward was trying to call her. "Edward's calling me now. I'll call you to let you know what my plan is. Call Joan and Joe Bryant and make sure they're safe."

"You got it, Doc." Penelope hung up and answered the waiting call.

"Edward," she said, not waiting for him to speak. "The Joker's escaped from Arkham-"

"I know," Edward said, in the most serious tone of voice she'd ever heard from him. "You're in your office, yes?"

"Yes. Where are you?"

"Ten minutes away. Lock your door and don't open it until I get there. Stay away from your window. Pack up anything you think you'll need for the day. When I get there, be ready to go. I'll see you soon." As soon as Edward disconnected, Penelope did as he said, dashing to her door and locking it. She then went back to her desk, putting as much space between herself and the door as possible, sent quick texts to Aaron and Joan, then packed up her journal, her laptop, and her purse. Once she completed her tasks, she stood flat against the wall and waited for Edward. The next five minutes felt like an eternity to her as she processed the news. Was Strange so vindictive that he would unleash the Joker on Gotham City to get back at his detractors? Of course, he was. He'd approved of Bane being released to come after her, hadn't he? The man was a textbook definition of a God Complex. He'd justify any atrocity if it furthered his vision. There was one thing though that bothered Penelope. In Bane's case, Strange at least had plausible deniability. The Joker escaping from Arkham, though? How was Strange going to explain this in a way that didn't discredit Arkham? A loud voice approaching her door drew Penelope out of her thoughts. She froze until she recognized Edward's agitated voice.

"This is not open for negotiation, Rachel...I don't give a damn if someone recognizes me...if you think I'm leaving my sixteen-year-old without any supervision while the Joker's loose, you're the one who needs psychiatric help!... No, I don't know what exactly Diane would say, but Diane's dead and I doubt she'd appreciate you endangering her daughter over a grudge...I'll see you there, you vindictive hag!" There was a pause before Penelope heard a brisk knock at her door. Penelope grabbed her purse and briefcase, walked briskly to her door and opened it. Edward stood there, his face flush from the argument he'd had with Ellen's grandmother. When he saw her, his eyes softened. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yes," Penelope said. She stepped out into the hallway and locked her door behind her. "Are we going to get Ellen?"

Edward led her down the hallway, his cane in hand. "Yes, whether that battle-ax of a grandmother of hers likes it or not! Then we're going to a safe house I have in the Bowery."

"Not your apartment?" Penelope asked. Then she understood. "Because Harley knows where you live. Do you think she'll go back to the Joker?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders, then opened the front door of the office building for them. His car was parked right outside. "I don't know," he answered, opening the passenger door for her. "But I do know I'm not betting yours or Ellen's safety on her judgment." Penelope got into the car, shut the door and buckled herself in. Edward was soon in the driver's seat next to her, buckled up and starting the car. The car flew down the road away from her office, past two GCPD cars with their lights on. Penelope watched from her window as cars passed them on the left, driving as fast as Edward was. She could see people on the sidewalks, rushing to get inside buildings. It was a panic she hadn't seen since that night in Arkham.

"Strange did this on purpose," she murmured. "This is payback for our work against him. He's willing to cause all this chaos, kill God knows how many people, all for his sick agenda-" Penelope stopped when she felt Edward's hand on top of hers.

"It'll be alright," he said, not taking his eyes off the road. "I'll keep you safe. You trust me to do that, don't you?"

Penelope took the hand of the man she loved and squeezed it tight. "I do."

11:00 am

Something was going on.

Half an hour ago, Ellen's English class had been interrupted by an announcement on the loudspeaker, calling for a lockdown. Her teacher, Ms. Cuddy, got up and locked the door, then instructed all the students to draw down the blinds and to stay away from the windows that faced the front of the school. Ellen was huddled in a corner with a group of five other students, including her friend Clarissa. "What the Hell's going on?" Ellen whispered. "Were we supposed to have a drill today?"

Clarissa shook her head. "I don't think so. Look how freaked out Ms. Cuddy is." Both girls took a quick glance over to the desk in front. Ms. Cuddy was looking down at her phone, and her usually ruddy face had turned ghost white. Ellen heard her own phone vibrating in her coat pocket and pulled it out. She saw that she had two texts, one from Gramma, the other from Dad. Ellen read the message from Gramma first.

Sweet Pea: The Joker's escaped from Arkham Asylum. Gotham General Hospital has been locked down. Ellen gulped. "Holy shit," she whispered, shoving her phone to Clarissa. "It's the Joker! He's loose!" Her friend read the message and she looked as frightened as Ellen was. There were very few people Ellen could honestly say scared her, but the Joker was one of them. A loud murmuring and a few cries overcame the room, as the other students received the word from their phones. Ellen read the message from her Dad next. Penelope and I are on our way to get you. Ellen relaxed as much as she could. Even if Dad couldn't take the Joker in a fight, he had to know how to hide from him. Loud static came from the loudspeaker mounted on the wall, then the principal's voice.

"Attention all students. Please proceed to the front of the school in an orderly fashion. School is dismissed for the day." The school bell rang as Ellen and her fellow students quickly packed up their things. Ms. Cuddy opened the door and began to direct the students out of the class and down the hallway that led to the front entrance.

When Ellen made it outside, her jaw dropped at the pandemonium. Three school buses and countless cars were lined up, almost on top of each other, in front of the school and down the street. Several GCPD officers were present, helping guide the students towards the buses, or to their parents, if they were there. In the din, Ellen lost sight of Clarissa and her other friends. An officer approached her, ready to usher her into a waiting bus when she caught sight of a familiar green car, parked about fifty feet down the street from the school. "There's my Dad's car," she said to the cop, darting off. She jogged down the street, going faster when she saw her Dad open his car door and wave her down.

"Ellen!" he shouted. When she reached the car, he opened the rear passenger door for her and all but pushed her inside. "Buckle up, sweetheart," he told her as he shut the door and hurried back to the driver's seat. In a moment, he had restarted the car and they were driving past the school, heading Northeast. Ellen saw Doc Young in the passenger seat, her hands clenched tight in her lap. Doc gave her a strained smile in greeting before her face resumed its serious expression.

"Where are we going?" Ellen asked, turning her attention back to her father. "Your place?"

"No," her father answered, taking a right turn on Market st. "After what happened this Summer, Oswald Cobblepot gave me the use of one of his properties as a safe house. We're going there."

Ellen nodded, then bit her lower lip. "Does Gramma know?"

Her father scoffed. "Oh yes, she does. We had a nice discussion about it before I got Penelope." Which meant that he and Gramma got into another fight. "You'll be staying with me until Joker gets caught or until your grandmother gets home, whichever comes first."

"'Kay," Ellen said. At an intersection a block ahead, Ellen saw six GCPD cars, lights and sirens on, barreling down the street. She watched with both a sense of dread and curiosity. She'd never been out in public when the Joker had been loose before. She'd always been home, with her mother when she'd still been alive, or by herself after she died. Seeing the panic just one clown could cause...the car stopped at a red light, and Ellen's attention was caught by the sound of a motorcycle engine revving. She could see out of the corner of her eye a bike pull up alongside her father's car. Ellen idly looked out the window, then did a double-take as she recognized the bike. The driver wasn't wearing the red helmet, but she could recognize Red Hood's jacket anywhere. Red Hood, his face obscured by the dark helmet he was wearing, turned to face her. He gave her a thumbs-up, then revved his engine again, speeding off as soon as the light turned green.

If her Dad or Doc had noticed Red Hood, neither said anything. Doc was silent, with that serious, sad look on her face, staring out her window. Ellen's father alternated between looking at Doc and looking in the rearview mirror at Ellen. On his fifth check on Ellen, she noticed his eyes widen. "Hold on, I need to make a lane change." Ellen was about to ask why when her father made a sharp veer to the left lane, jostling Doc and making Ellen cry out in surprise. Doc looked ready to snap at her father when a long, sleek black car came speeding down the right lane, just where they had been a moment earlier. Ellen's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit! Was that the Batmobile!?"

"Bruce, I've been monitoring all newscasts and police feeds. There's been no word out of Joker. No threats, no announcements, nothing. He's gone radio silent."

Bruce mulled over Barbara's words, his grip tight on the steering wheel of the Batmobile. A quiet Joker was a scheming Joker. "Stay on it, Oracle. Red Robin, what do you have to report?"

"I went straight to Dr. Young's office like you asked. She got in a car with Edward about half an hour ago, then they headed west. I followed them to Chesterfield High School down in the West Side. They stopped to pick up his daughter, then they headed towards the Bowery. Do you still want me to tail them?"

"No," Bruce said. "Edward probably has a safe house there. Keep an ear out for any activity in the Bowery, but stay in the West Side to back up Batgirl if anything happens down there. Oracle, anything else?"

"I got off the phone with Dick before I checked in. He's heading to Gotham now, but it will take him at least an hour to get here. I just sent Cass out to monitor the situation Downtown. As far as I can determine, Mayor Sharp is still locked down in City Hall. I'm about to patch onto his call with Dad and Strange."

"Good. Keep me posted. Batman out." Bruce had barely hung up on his call when another one came in from the Batcave. "Yes?"

"Father," Damian's voice came over the Batmobile's intercom. "Let me come out with you."

Bruce reflexively narrowed his eyes. "No, Damian. That's final. You're not ready for Joker. He's not like any opponent you've ever faced." Memories came unbidden to Bruce of his conflicts with Joker. The first encounter that led to the fall in the vat of acid. The first murders. Barbara. Jason. The Asylum. His grip was so tight he was sure his knuckles were white under his gloves. "Stay with Alfred."

Damian sounded like he was about to say something else when Alfred interrupted. "Master Bruce, have you spoken with Master Jason?"

Bruce was silent, then he pressed another button in the Batmobile. "Oracle," he said. "Call Jason."

"Bruce, are you sure? He might not pick up."

"Try."

"Okay, here it goes." There was a slight pause before a painfully familiar voice picked up.

"Babs? That you?"

"Jason," Bruce said. "It's me."

"I hate it when she does this. If you're about to tell me to stay out of this, save your breath. The Clown's mine."

"Stay out of this Jason," Bruce said tensely. "We don't know what the Joker's planned. You might make the situation worse."

"I might make things worse? Really? If you'd done what you should have years ago, none of us would be in this mess! I'm not going to keep repeating your mistake! I'm finishing him off, once and for all!"

"Master Jason," Alfred's voice cut in, older now it seemed to Bruce and pleading. "Please."

For a long, tense moment, Jason said nothing. Then Bruce heard a sigh. "Okay, Alfie. For your sake, I won't hunt him down, but if he comes into the Narrows, I swear to God, I'll put a bullet in him." Jason hung up without another word to Bruce.

"Tt!" Damian huffed. "One problem solved, I suppose. I still say I should-"

"Batman out," Bruce said, disconnecting the call before Damian could finish his demand. He turned his focus back to the matter at hand: finding Joker. As soon as he'd received the news, he'd left Wayne Manor and began to go through the last places Joker had frequented before the Arkham riot. Given that that had been two years ago...Bruce wanted to kick himself. He'd gotten complacent, he'd taken Joker's absence for granted. He should have known, after what happened with Bane, that Strange wouldn't be above working with the Joker. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Strange had engineered Joker's escape, or at the very least, had looked the other way. Why though? Was this simply a warning shot at himself and Dr. Young? Or was there something else going on?

There was someone else to consider as well. Hopefully, Selina could handle her.

11:15 am

Selina ran into the living room of the former shelter at full speed, throwing her shopping bags to the ground. "Harley!" she called out. "Ivy!" She'd been treating herself to a late breakfast and shopping excursion in the more exclusive boutiques in East Gotham when she'd gotten the call from Bruce. She'd abandoned her mimosa and drove back to the shelter as quickly as she could. From the silence in the renovated home she shared with Harley and Ivy though, she feared she was already too late. "Pam!" he shouted. "Harley! Are you here?" It wasn't even noon, where could they possibly be?

"I heard you the first time, Selina," Ivy's cool tone came from a door on the left side of the room. She walked into the living room, dressed in an old pair of overalls. "What's wrong?"

"'What's wrong?'" Selina asked in disbelief. "Have you been watching the news?"

"I've been in the greenhouse, taking care of my children," Ivy answered. She crossed her arms across her chest and gave Selina an appraising look. "It's something serious. You're worried."

Selina nodded. "Joker's escaped from Arkham Asylum." Ivy's posture stiffened, and her green eyes narrowed in disdain. "Is Harley still asleep?"

Ivy's eyes widened and Selina's heart sank. "No. She's not here. She left two hours ago, she said she was going out to get some new video games when the stores opened."

"Shit!" Selina shouted. "Get suited up! We're going after her!" She ran down the right hallway that led to her room, kicked off her heels, opened her closet and pulled out her catsuit. She laid it down on the bed before she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She dialed Harley's number, only to let out another curse when it went to voicemail. Then her movements stilled. Why wasn't Harley picking up? Had Joker found her already? Had Harley already gone back to him? She threw her cell phone down on the bed, then hurried to change into her catsuit. Joker wasn't about to undo two years of Harley's hard work. Not on her watch.

Harley paid for her new games with a squeal of happiness. They were just the thing to perk her up. It had been over four months, and Eddie still wasn't being nice to her. He began taking her calls again, but he'd been much less friendly or patient with her, not telling her anything about what was going on with him. He still refused to see her, always saying that he was too busy. Her thoughts darkened. 'Busy.' Right. Busy with Dr. Young. Harley knew how to read between the lines. That stuck up witch wouldn't let Eddie see her. Just what was so special about her that Eddie was willing to cast his friend aside? She wasn't nice, she wasn't nearly as pretty as Kitty or Red, and she clearly wasn't that smart if she'd fallen for Mistah J's tricks. She knew Eddie was lonely after what happened to Professah Crane, but she didn't think he was that desperate. Harley forced herself to think about her new games, and not about what she'd like to do to the witch if she ever saw her again. Her games would be fun, and maybe she could convince Red and Kitty to play with her.

Harley exited the video game store and walked out into a scene of pure pandemonium. People running down the street, cars speeding, actual, honest to goodness panic. "Geez Louise!" she shouted. "Ya think someone just died they way they're carrying on!" She watched as an older man ran towards her, carrying a toy poodle he must have been taking out for a walk and stopped him as he was about to pass her. "Hey! What's goin' on?"

Luckily for her, the man didn't recognize her. "The Joker's escaped from Arkham!" he shouted. "Run for cover!" He pushed past her and continued running down the block, carrying the confused poodle over his shoulder.

Harley stood on the street for a long time in shock. Mistah J was out? He was finally out? Then she scoffed. Well, it was about time! What had he been doing for almost two years? Pouting over his party being ruined by B-Man? Harley turned on her heel and started walking back towards the shelter. Whatever. She and Mistah J were done. He'd kicked her off the party list, she squealed on him, she got an early release for it, and he got to sit in Arkham and think about how he let a good thing go. If he wanted to make it up to her, it wouldn't have taken him two years. She had a good thing going with the girls anyway, even if Kitty didn't trust her. As she continued walking down the street, she became aware of a car pulling up alongside her and coming to a stop. She turned to tell the catcallers off when she dropped her bags to the ground in surprise as three familiar men came out of the car. "Larry? Curly? Moe? What're you guys doin' here!?"

Larry, Curly, and Moe were three of Mistah J's most loyal, longest-lasting henchmen. They weren't in their usual Three Stooges get-up, but Harley would know them anywhere. Moe stepped forward, speaking for the three as he usually did. "Hey, Harley. You hear about the boss gettin' loose?"

Harley nodded, then picked her shopping bag back up. "I did, but I don't care! Mistah J and I are through! I don't care what he says to try to win me back, it's too late!" Harley looked at the three expectantly. "He does want me back, doesn't he?" The three henchmen exchanged an uneasy look, and Harley narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second. Why isn't Mistah J with you guys? He's always come in person to try to win me back before!"

Moe rubbed the back of his neck and Harley noticed that he seemed...stricken. "Harley, the boss...he's not doin' too good."

Harley cocked her head. "What? He got hurt tryin' to escape?"

Larry spoke up then. "Harley, Joker's sick. Really sick."

Harley hadn't expected that. A wave of worry went through her. "Sick? Mistah J never gets sick!" Then she shook her head. "I know what this is! He's tryin' to use some sob story to make me forget how bad he treated me! Well, tell him it ain't gonna work! I'm a new woman!"

"It's no story," Moe said. "We've seen him ourselves. He looks really bad. He told us to tell you..." Moe wet his lip. "That he knows he messed up. He just wants to clear the air with you before he goes. Nothin' else. He's ok if you don't wanna get back with him. He just wants to talk to you. That's all."

Harley chewed her lower lip. The henchmen weren't liars. If what they said was true...then Mistah J really was sick. Maybe he was dyin'. Or maybe this was a trick. Well, if it was, then Harley would make him sorry he was born. The girls would be angry with her, but whatever. "Okay," she said. "Take me to him."

11:30 am

It was the third time Selina had driven a loop around the neighborhood, keeping her eyes out for any sign of Harley in the storefronts she knew the woman frequented. "I still can't get ahold of her," Pam said in the passenger's seat. Selina noticed with some alarm that Pam's skin, usually a pale green, was becoming more vivid as she became more agitated. "We're too late."

Selina pulled the car over, then pulled her cell phone out. "I'm going to make a call. Can you use your plants to try to pick up Harley's trail?"

"I'll try," Pam nodded, then she looked at Selina suspiciously. "If you call Batman-"

"I'm not calling Batman," Selina snapped. "I'm calling Eddie."

"You think he'll help? After what Harley said about his precious little doctor?"

Selina honestly didn't know. No matter what had happened between them though, Selina was sure he wouldn't want Harley to go back to the Joker. She opened the driver's side door and stepped out. "Come on Eddie," she whispered as she dialed his number. "If you won't do it for Harley, do it for me. Please."

It wasn't until the three of them had arrived at the safe house, and Edward triple-locked the door behind him, that he allowed himself to relax. They were safe, Ellen and Penelope were safe and within his sight. Joker wouldn't find them here. The safe house was more of a flat, smaller than his apartment, in a small office building that Oswald used for the administrative tasks that came with running the Iceberg Lounge. It was sparse, containing only a television, a small couch, a table, a mini-refrigerator that contained drinks and a few provisions, and a chess table he'd set up for entertainment. Ellen had immediately settled on the couch, texted someone, her grandmother no doubt, then turned on the television, somehow finding a channel that wasn't wall to wall coverage of the damn clown. Penelope had joined him at the chessboard, at his insistence. She'd been tense the whole drive over, though she'd relaxed slightly when he assured her that apart from Oswald, the three of them were the only ones who knew about this place. She was still quiet though, and even while they were playing, he could tell her heart wasn't quite in it. He had made a move five minutes ago, and she still stared at the board, her face blank.

"Stumped?" he asked her, teasingly. "Well, I can't say I blame you. I am one of the best chess players in all of Gotham. There's no shame in admitting defeat."

His words had the intended reaction, as Penelope's face flushed in annoyance. "The best in all of Gotham?" she asked. "Really? Has that been proven?"

Edward smiled. Here was his Penelope. "Well, maybe not officially, but it takes a lot to defeat this genius."

"Doc," Ellen called from the couch. "Do you want me to smack him?"

"No Ellen, that won't be necessary," Penelope said. She moved her piece and smirked. "Checkmate."

Edward did a double-take at the chessboard. "What? How-" then he chuckled. "Ah, but that's just check, my dear doctor. Soon, I will be mating you."

As soon as the words left his lips, the implication set in. Penelope's eyes widened in shock and she looked at him in silence. Edward felt his face flush to the roots of his hair. Then the silence was broken by the sound of Ellen's laughter. "Oh my God," she said, wheezing. "I'm telling Auntie Lina!"

"I meant chess," Edward seethed, turning to glare in his daughter's direction. "Chess, you base, guttural savage!"

Ellen responded by laughing even harder, rolling off the couch and landing on the floor with a loud thud. "Are you alright?" Penelope called out.

"She's fine," Edward huffed. "She has a hard head."

"You're a jerk!" Ellen called out, pushing herself up and lying back down on the couch. "Dirty Old Man!"

Edward's face flushed again. "Is this the thanks I get for being a good father?" A raspberry was Ellen's only response. He shook his head, then looked back at Penelope. Her face was flushed, and she couldn't quite meet his gaze. "Can we pretend that didn't happen?"

"Absolutely," she answered. Edward was about to reset the board when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his best pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was Selina's number.

"Excuse me a moment, I need to take this," he said, getting up from his chair and moving towards a small hallway that led to a bathroom. He answered the phone. "Lina?"

"Eddie? Where are you?"

Edward immediately frowned. Selina sounded worried. That was never a good sign. "Holed up, as I hope you are."

"Harley's missing."

Edward sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose. How did he know? How did he always know? "And you think she went back to the Joker."

"We don't know that for sure. Look, I know that the two of you have had your issues, but she needs help. Come help me and Pam find her."

"Selina, if she went running back to Joker, after everything he's done to her, that's on her. I'm not putting myself in Joker's crosshairs to try to save her from herself!"

"For God's sake, Edward!" Selina shouted, so loud he was sure Ellen and Penelope could hear her. "Harley's your friend! You can't just turn your back on her!"

"She did that first!" He shouted back. "She hasn't made any attempt to apologize for what she did last summer! If she can't accept the fact that Penelope is part of my life, she's no friend of mine!" That was what he'd been telling himself since July, but it hurt, just a bit.

"I get that, but what happened to trying to be a better person?"

Edward narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare try to manipulate me, Lina."

"I'm not, I just-" Selina sighed, and it struck Edward just how broken up she was about this. He felt his heart soften, just a tad. "Eddie," she said again. "Please. She doesn't deserve becoming Joker's hobby again. If you won't do it for Harley, do it for me."

'Please'. Edward could count on one hand how many times he'd ever heard her say 'please'. He felt his resolve weakening. "Lina, I-"

"Dad?"

Edward looked back towards the living room with a start. Ellen and Penelope were both looking at him, Ellen with concerned curiosity, Penelope with an unreadable look on her face. Edward remembered that night in his apartment, when Penelope, his proud, strong, determined partner, broke down in his arms and wept over what the Joker had made her do. He remembered Commissioner Gordon, pushing his daughter's wheelchair. There was no other decision he could make. "I'm sorry, Lina," he said. "But there are other people I need to put first."

There was a pause before Selina spoke again, realization in her voice. "Ellen and Doc are with you, aren't they?"

"Yes," Edward said. His gaze never left Ellen's and Penelope's. "Penelope's suffered enough on account of Joker and Harley, and I'm not bringing this down on my daughter. I'm not leaving them to go running after Harley. I'm sorry."

There was another pause, and Edward thought Selina might have hung up on him when he heard a long, defeated sigh. "I get it, Eddie. I get it. Just promise me, if you hear anything-"

"You'll be the first to know, I swear it. Good luck, Lina." Selina hung up then, and Edward lowered his phone from his ear and ran his left hand through his hair. I'm sorry, Harley, he thought. He shook his head and walked back to his seat at the chessboard. Ellen and Penelope came first. Now and always. Ellen looked like there were a million questions she wanted to ask him, while Penelope's face remained unreadable. Her eyes though were wide, almost glistening and they seemed to soften as he sat back down. "Well," he said. "Shall we play again?"

Selina put her phone back into her suit pocket and ran a hand through her hair. She couldn't bring herself to be angry at Eddie. It had been a longshot, to begin with, and once she realized that he was hiding Ellen and Doc...Well, she'd been the one to help push him towards Doc Young. She shouldn't be surprised that he would put her and Ellen's safety first. She let out a sad chuckle. Finally, Eddie was starting to behave like a responsible adult. It just came at the worst time for Harley. She sighed, then walked towards where Pam was leaning against a tree. "Any luck?" she asked.

"Harley was here," Pam said. "But her trail ends here. She must have left in a car. Is Nigma going to help us?"

Selina hesitated before she answered. "No. He can't get involved."

Pam's eyes flashed, and her long red hair began to stand up. "Can't? Or won't!? That miserable, selfish little coward!" The tree's roots began to break through the concrete as Pam became more agitated.

"Calm down," Selina said. "We can't afford to get the cop's attention." Pam looked angry, but the roots lowered back into the ground. "Come on," Selina said, pulling her elbow. "Let's start looking for Harley. We know where some of her and Joker's old hideouts are. We'll just start going through them, one by one." Pam said nothing but followed her back to the car. Hopefully, they could still find Harley before it was too late.

12:00 pm

Larry, Curly, and Moe had driven for at least half an hour North, towards some old industrial buildings along the edge of the bay that had been abandoned. Harley heard her phone ring once before she put it on silent. Red and Kitty would be mad, but she'd talk to them later. First, she had to see if Mistah J was telling the truth about being sick. The van came to a stop, and the henchmen piled out, Curly holding the door open for her. He always did have the best manners of the trio. Harley followed the three into the old sardine cannery, her stomach in knots. It would be the first time in two years since she'd seen him, and she wasn't sure how to feel. Would he be happy to see her? Or was this a trick, just a way for him to lure her to a trap, to get back at her for ratting him out?

They walked inside what had been the main room of the plant, turning towards an abandoned office. Moe, at the head of the line, knocked on the door. "Boss?" he called out. "We're back. Harley's with us."

"Come on in," a voice from inside called out, and Harley's heart soared. Mistah J! Then her brow furrowed. His voice was rougher than it had been when she'd heard it last. Moe opened the door, and there, in a ratty old chair, still in his Arkham prisoner uniform, was Joker. Harley gasped, her hand coming up to her mouth. Even in the dim light, she could see how rundown he looked. He looked past the henchmen to stare directly at her. He gave her a weak, but genuine smile. "Hello, Harley girl."

Harley pushed past the henchmen and ran to his side. "Mistah J!" she cried out. She stopped when she came to him and put her hands on his face. "What's happened to you!?"

Joker chuckled. "Funny story. You remember that old TITAN chemical I had Dr. Young make? Turns out, it gave me blood poisoning!"

Harley's jaw clenched. "That evil witch," she muttered. "But you'll be okay, right?"

Joker shook his head. "Sorry Kiddo, but the doctors at Arkham say I'm not long for this world. Soon, I'll be going to that great comedy club in the sky." He started to laugh, only to start coughing. Harley immediately put her hands on his back and began rubbing it. Joker, her Joker, actually dying? It couldn't be true. "But enough about me," Joker said. "How've you been, Slugger?"

"I've been okay," Harley said. She realized that she was tearing up. "That witch Dr. Young though. She's ruined everything! She's turning Eddie against me! He won't be friends with me anymore because he's head over heels for her! And now this! This is all her fault!"

"Poindexter moved on from Spooky, did he?" Joker asked. He smirked. "Looks like Eddie's got a type. Who knew?" Then he reached a pale hand up to caress Harley's face. "My poor Harlequin," he cooed. "Don't you worry about mean old Eddie Spaghetti. You've always been too good for him anyway." Harley squealed a bit at the affection. She'd missed this for the past two years. "You know," Joker said, his voice low and serious. "I was angry at you after my party got ruined." Harley froze, then the Joker smiled. "But this diagnosis of mine's made me think about how I want to spend my last days. And who I want to spend them with." He looked up at her, an almost pleading expression on his face. "I'm sorry for kicking you off my party guest list. Can you forgive me?"

In that instant, all of Harley's anger died. She embraced him. "Oh, Puddin'! Of course, I do!" With her eyes. she didn't see the triumphant smirk on his face.