11:30 am

"How did Joker escape!?"

Strange didn't so much as flinch at the fury in Gordon's voice. Instead, he smirked and began to recite his practiced remarks. "Joker was, unfortunately, able to take advantage of a small pocket of time our security system was being maintained. Due to the release of patients that the Board of Directors and certain other parties insisted on, there were not enough guards posted in Extreme Isolation to prevent his escape."

Gordon's response came in the form of a low growl, which amused Strange greatly. "Are you seriously blaming Joker's escape on patient releases!? With all your talk about how you've made Arkham more secure than ever, the fact that Joker escaped because of patient releases is-"

Sharp intervened from his phone line. "Under Warden Strange's tenure, violent incidents in Arkham have decreased dramatically! This unfortunate incident is an outlier!"

"An outlier that could get God knows how many people killed, Mayor!"

"Well then, Commissioner, just what is GCPD doing to prevent that? Do you have any leads on Joker's whereabouts? Or are you relying on Batman to do your job for you, as usual?"

Strange heard a sign, then reveled in the tired defeat in the Commissioner's voice. "No. He's gone underground. We're following up on sightings we've had in the Greater Gotham area-"

"Then I suggest that you stop haranguing Professor Strange and get back to work!" Sharp shouted. "If Joker kills anyone, I'll hold you and GCPD accountable!" Sharp hung up and so did Gordon, with a disgusted noise. Strange hung up, feeling quite pleased with himself. Sharp was following his orders perfectly, and Gordon was overwhelmed. Strange was about to return to his work when his phone rang again. He looked at the number, then answered the call.

"Phillip? What can I do for you?"

Warden Ward wasn't anywhere near as cordial. "Hugo," he said in a cold, hard voice. "Did you release the Joker?"

Strange frowned at the tone in Ward's voice. "Nigma has to be dealt with once and for all. To accomplish that, we needed a distraction."

"So you released a mad dog!? Joker is ten times more dangerous than Nigma ever was! How could you risk the safety of everyone in this city!?"

"I have reached an understanding with Joker," Strange insisted. "In return for this favor, he will ensure the return of Harley Quinn to Arkham. That will undercut Kyle, which will, in turn, undercut Nigma."

"You think Joker will keep his end of any bargain? He might blow up a hospital, or a school just for laughs!"

"And if he does, we will use that against Young's group. We can easily say that their insistence on leniency for our prisoners led to the conditions that allowed for Joker's escape."

"And if people die, Hugo?"

"People were always going to die, Phillip!" Strange yelled furiously into his phone. "For our vision for Gotham's future to come to pass, there would always be sacrifices! You knew that from the beginning!" Strange lowered his voice and all but growled. "If you are having second thoughts now, I would like to remind you that it was your idea to bring Bane to Gotham. It was you who said that Nigma and Young needed to be stopped."

"I never wanted Joker to be brought into this-"

"Joker's involvement was inevitable. He is too big a player to be ignored. And do you think that Nigma will care that you wanted it or not if I were to cut you loose?"

There was a long pause before Ward spoke again. "You wouldn't. You can't..."

Strange smirked. Once again, any concern Ward had for human life was exceeded by his concern for his own life. "I would. I warned you, I will not let anyone or anything jeopardize our mission. Do you understand, Phillip?"

Strange could practically hear the sweat beading on Ward's forehead. "Yes, Hugo. I understand."

"Good. Now go back to your duties. I will reach out to you again when the time is right." Strange hung up without waiting for Ward to speak.

1:30 pm

"Checkmate."

Edward acknowledged Penelope's victory with a nod. 5-3, her favor. To tell the truth, his mind had been elsewhere since Selina had called him. He wouldn't leave Ellen and Penelope to get involved in Harley going back to Joker, part the 43rd. And yet...Selina was his friend. Harley had been his friend once. Could he just throw her to the wolves? Just like that? He let out an irritated sigh. One year ago, he could have done just that and not lost a minute's sleep either. Being a better person didn't have much of an upside, did it?

"Are you alright?"

Edward looked into Penelope's face, her brow furrowed. "I'm fine," he insisted. "Just amazed that you seem to somehow keep getting the better of me."

It was a feeble excuse and they both knew it. "You're thinking about Harley." It wasn't an accusation. There was no anger in either her face or her voice. Only a probing look.

Edward shook his head. "I meant what I said, Penny. I'm not leaving you or Ellen to go after her."

Ellen spoke up from the couch. "Wasn't she your friend though? If she's in trouble, shouldn't you do something?"

Oh, to be that young and naive. "It's not that simple, Ellen. I can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped." He sighed. "She wouldn't listen to me, anyway. The only people who might be able to get through that Joker obsessed brain of hers are Selina and Ivy, and as I've repeatedly said, I'm not leaving the two of you here alone."

Penelope looked pensive for a moment before she seemed to decide on a course of action. "You can help her without leaving us. You have your laptop with you, and I have mine. We could monitor the GCPD feeds and try to find her that way."

Edward stared at her, stunned. "You would do that for Harley? After what she did to you?"

Penelope narrowed her eyes. "For Harley? No, but think about it. Strange might have intended for this to happen. Maybe this is his way of getting back at Selina for helping you. We can't let him succeed." Her face softened as she looked into his eyes. "And I know that you still care about her. I won't help her for her sake, but I will for Selina's, and yours."

If Ellen hadn't been there, Edward didn't think he could stop himself from kissing Penelope. Instead, he reached over and grasped her hand tightly. "Thank you." He then got up from his seat and dashed to the dining room table where he and Penelope had left their briefcases. He pulled his laptop out and booted it up.

"What do you want me to do?" Ellen called out.

"Change the channel to a news station," Edward said as Penelope joined him. "Keep an eye out for any breaking news regarding Joker."

"You got it, Pops." As soon as his laptop was on, Edward typed the familiar commands to begin monitoring the GCPD's radio feeds. It was a longshot, but it was the best chance they had.

Dispatch, picking up reports of a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of West Marshall...possible drunk driver on Sprang Way...possible Joker sighting at Wall E. Weasels on fifth and Market...Maybe an hour passed with the three occupants of the safehouse in silence, Edward and Penelope at their computers, Ellen intently watching the television. Edward was distracted from his work by Penelope's hand reaching out to touch his.

"Edward, I think I might have something. Come over here."

Edward got up and joined her on her side of the table. He leaned in closer to her laptop to listen in on her feed. All units, possible break-in at Wayne Pharmaceuticals. Four suspects reported, one woman, three men. No costumes, but proceed with caution. Edward frowned. A pharmaceutical company wasn't usually a prime target for Joker, but the woman could be Harley. The three men with her could be...he snapped his fingers. "Larry, Moe, and Curly. Joker's longest-lasting henchmen."

"Do you think this could be Harley?" Penelope asked.

"It's our best lead," Edward said, pulling out his phone. It was circumstantial at best, but it was better than nothing. He dialed Selina's number and hoped that she'd answer.

2:30 pm

"It's been over two hours, Selina," Ivy hissed as the women exited yet another boarded-up building in Gotham's industrial district. "We're no closer to finding Harley. We should go to whatever hole Nigma's buried himself in and drag him out."

Selina shook her head. "We're not doing that, Red. It would just be a waste of time." Not to mention, if Selina led Ivy to Ellen...she'd be lucky if Eddie didn't try to kill her. She was distracted by the sound of her phone vibrating in her pocket. She sighed. Please, don't be Bruce. She pulled her phone out and did a double-take at the number. Speak of the Devil. "Eddie?" she asked when she picked up. "What-"

"Lina, I've been monitoring the GCPD feeds. Well, I and Penny have, but we think we might have found a sighting of Harley."

Selina could kiss that man. "Where?"

"Wayne Pharmaceuticals. There was a break-in reported there about ten minutes ago. Larry, Curly, and Moe may be there with her. You better hurry. Even with most of GCPD out looking for Joker, they'll be there any minute."

"Got it. Eddie, thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Penny."

"I will believe me." Selina hung up and turned back to Ivy. "We need to go Downtown. Eddie thinks Harley might be breaking into Wayne Pharmaceuticals."

Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Why? That's not a place she'd normally go."

"We can ask Harley when we get there. Let's go!"

Miraculously, Selina and Ivy had managed to beat the GCPD to Wayne Pharmaceuticals. The offshoot of Wayne Enterprises looked in one piece, though as Selina pulled her car around to the back of the building, she could see a white van illegally parked along the loading zone, as well as a guard lying prone on the ground. Selina immediately stopped the car and dashed out towards the guard. She leaned down and took the man's pulse. He was alive, thankfully. If Harley killed anyone, there'd be no way to keep her out of Arkham. The guard groaned then and opened his eyes. They widened a bit when they focused on her. "Shit! Catwoman?"

Selina got back up to her feet. "The one and only. What happened here?"

The guard slowly got to his feet, keeping one hand on the back of his head. "I was just finishing locking up the building after the employees evacuated when that van pulled up. A woman got out, with three big guys. I told them that we were closed, and the woman hit me with a mallet."

Relief and dread overcame Selina in equal parts. Harley was here. "We'll take it from here. Get going." The guard did as she said and ran towards his car. Selina looked over her shoulder to call Ivy over, only to see her facing off against...Selina's heart sank. Bruce and Dick were here. Of course. If Eddie was listening to the GCPD feeds, Bruce must have been too. Selina ran as fast as she could towards her car.

"Get out of our way, Ivy," she heard Bruce growl. "We know Harley's here."

"You aren't taking her," Ivy growled back, her skin a vibrant green now, her red hair almost straight up. "I'll kill you both before you take her back to Arkham!"

Dick pulled his escrima sticks out and deployed the electric charge. Before he or Bruce could move in for the attack, Selina got between them and Ivy. "Wait!" He looked at Bruce with what she was sure was desperation. "Can we talk?"

Bruce gave Dick a sharp nod. "Watch Ivy. We'll be back." He gestured for Selina to follow him. When the pair had walked fifty feet away from her car, he stopped and turned to face her. His stern, rigid posture remained, but his voice became concerned. "What happened, Selina?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "After I got your call, I went straight home, but Harley had gone out shopping. We've spent the last three hours trying to find her."

"Why didn't you call me?"

Selina scoffed. "What, so you could use her to find Joker? So you could throw her into Arkham? We both know what's waiting for her there. How can you want to send her back?"

"The last thing I want to do is send Harley back to Arkham, but if she's gone back to the Joker, she may not leave us any other choice."

"We don't know that she's gone back to him for sure! He could have forced her into this! You know how manipulative he is! Let me and Ivy go in and try to talk some sense into her."

Bruce stood still, silent and unyielding. "Selina-"

Selina reached down and grabbed his gloved hand with her own. "Bruce," she pleaded, looking into his eyes, unobscured by his cowl. "Please. Let us try."

Bruce's expression remained stoic, but his hand clenched tightly around hers. "Twenty minutes," he said. "I'll reach out to Gordon. If there's no sign of you by then, Dick and I will have to come in. If Harley gets violent, I'm going to have to take her down."

"I understand," Selina said. She leaned upon the tips of her boots and kissed him. "Thank you." She extricated herself from him and went back to a waiting Dick and Ivy. "We're going in Red," she said to Ivy. Then she gave Dick a quick nod. "Your boss gave us the go-ahead." Dick looked towards Bruce for confirmation, which he gave with a nod of his own. He stepped back, turning off the electricity to his escrima sticks and sheathing them. "Sit tight boys," Selina drawled with more confidence than she felt. "We'll be out with Harley in a few minutes." She then lead Ivy towards the back door of the building, which she noticed was open. As soon as the pair stepped inside, she unfurled her whip.

"How long until your boyfriend follows us in?" Ivy asked.

"Twenty minutes," Selina answered, taking a look down the hall that lead towards the main offices. No one in sight, though the lights were still on. "Hopefully, we can talk Harley down by then."

"If we can't, I'm fully prepared to drag her out kicking and screaming. My vines work wonders."

"Good to know." As the two women walked further into the building, Selina could make out the sounds of rustling, like someone was ransacking. The sounds became louder as they walked past the offices, and towards the medical storage rooms. Five minutes after they entered the building, Selina could make out Harley's voice.

"Grab everything you can! Pain relievers, antibiotics, even eczema cream! Mistah J needs anything we can get him!"

Selina and Ivy exchanged a pained look. Not even six hours after the Clown's escape, and Harley was back to calling him 'Mistah J'. The pair stopped in front of the medical supply room they'd heard the voice from. The door was open, and sure enough, inside the room was Harley, still dressed in the casual clothes she'd been wearing when she'd left the house, leaning on her oversized mallet and directing three henchmen as they ransacked the room, grabbing anything they could get their meaty hand son and sticking it into boxes.

"Harley!" Ivy shouted.

Harley spun around, her jaw dropping at the sight of her two friends. "Red? Kitty? What the Heck are you guys doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing!" Selina shouted as she pushed her way inside. The henchmen had paused midway through their thievery and were looking at the other two Sirens with a mixture of annoyance and fear. "What the Hell are you doing, Harley!?" Selina demanded.

Harley raised a hand, though Selina noticed she kept a firm grip on her mallet with the other one. That wasn't a good sign. "I can explain," Harkey said. "I saw Mistah J. He's sick. He said he wanted to make things up to me before he," she paused to sniffle. "Before he dies!"

"And you believed that, Harley?" Ivy spat. "That's the oldest trick in the book!"

"No, he's really sick!" Harley insisted. "I saw him! That TITAN crap Dr. Young made poisoned him! He's dyin'! I have to take care of him!"

If Joker was sick, then that would explain why Harley and Joker's henchmen were robbing a pharmaceutical company. "Harley," she said as patiently as she could. "If Joker's that sick, he needs medical attention. You're not going to do him any good doing this."

"No!" Harley cried out, shaking her head so hard her pigtails whipped the sides of her face. "No one'll take care of him! The doctors'll just let him die!"

"Good," Ivy seethed. "It's the least he deserves for what he's done to you. Do you remember all the times he threw you out? The time he trapped you in a rocket? Every time he's beaten you? The time he tried to kill you by throwing you out of a window!? He doesn't love you, Harley. He didn't reach out to you for over two years until he needed something from you. Look at how he's manipulating you now!"

"He's not manipulating me!" Harley shouted. "I decided to come here all on my own! Mistah J didn't have anythin' to do with it!"

Selina couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Maybe he didn't tell you to do this, but I'll bet he didn't put up much of a fight." She stepped forward then, reaching a hand out towards Harley. "Harley," she said. "You haven't done anything terrible yet. Let's just walk out of here, the three of us. We'll figure this out without you getting arrested."

Harley took a step back, glaring at Selina with a vehemence that she'd never seen before. "What do you care if I get arrested or not?"

Selina raised an eyebrow. "Harley, I'm your friend-"

"Are you?" Harley asked. "If you're my friend, why don't ya trust me?" Harley pointed her finger towards Selina in accusation. "When you came to me and Red and offered us a place to stay after we got out of Arkham, you said that there wouldn't be any secrets between us!" Harley's face darkened. "Well, what the Hell do you call what's goin' on with Eddie!? You've been holdin' out on us about him for over a year! He's lettin' that witch Young turn him against me, and you're helpin' her do it, Kitty!"

"Nigma?" Ivy repeated, stunned. "You went back to Joker because of Nigma? Harley, he's not worth throwing your life away!"

Selina for her part didn't know what to say. She'd thought she was doing the right thing last year when she hadn't told Harley about Eddie's disappearance, she thought she was doing the right thing by Eddie by keeping Harley on an info diet, but she'd never imagined it would lead to this. "Harley," she said at last. "Eddie's angry with you about what happened this summer, but he still cares about you. He was the one who told us where you were."

Harley scowled. "Yeah, well, I'll bet he only did that to make sure I couldn't get anywhere near his precious little Dr. Young! Maybe you're right, and he still cares about me, but he cares about her more. He'll choose her over us every time, Kitty." Harley's lower lip quivered. "I know Mistah J's got problems," she said, "But at least I know what I'm gettin' with him! I don't even know who Eddie is anymore."

Selina was about to argue the point when Ivy stepped forward. "And what about me, Harley?" she asked. "Nigma may have rejected you, and Selina hasn't been honest with you, but what have I done to you?" Ivy stepped within Harley's space and cupped her face in her hands. "Please, Harley. Don't make me watch you suffer with him again. You've been living without him for two years. You don't need him. Come back with us."

Harley's face flushed and a fresh wave of tears came in her eyes. For a moment, Selina thought that Ivy might have gotten through to her. "I'm sorry, Red," Harley murmured. Then Selina saw her raise her mallet. "But Mistah J needs me more than you do." Before Selina could shout out a warning, Harley swung at Ivy with her mallet, knocking the woman to the ground. That was the signal the three henchmen needed to advance towards the pair. "Stall them, but don't hurt them!" Harley yelled, running to pick up a bag stuffed with medical supplies.

"Harley!" Selina shouted. Before she could try to reach her, one of the henchmen threw a punch at her. Selina dodged it and kicked the man's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. Another henchman lunged towards her, only to be knocked back by her whip. Selina looked over to Ivy, only to see her back on her feet, tying up the third henchman in her vines. She sent her vines towards the two Selina fought, wrapping them up before they could get to their feet. Harley had taken advantage of the chaos to escape the room. "Come on!" Selina shouted at Ivy, running back to where they had entered the building. Maybe they could intercept Harley before she made it outside. Selina caught sight of Harley just at the end of the hall, about to go out the back door. "Don't!" Selina shouted. "Harley, Batman's here!"

Too late. Harley ran out the door without a look back at her and Ivy. The two followed her out a moment later. "No!" Ivy shouted. Bruce had Harley in his grasp, her arms twisted behind her back. The bag of medical supplies lay discarded on the concrete parking lot. Commissioner Gordon was there as well, with a SWAT team at the ready. Ivy's face went from stricken to angry. She advanced towards Batman and the police officers, no doubt ready to attack them to free Harley.

Selina wasn't about to let that happen. While Ivy wasn't looking, she quickly got into position behind and hit her in the back of her neck. Ivy crumpled, her skin going back to its usual muted green shade. Selina caught her, supporting her on her shoulder. Bruce had passed a kicking and crying Harley over to Dick, and walked over to Selina.

"Joker's henchmen are tied up inside. Let me take her home," Selina asked. "Technically, she hasn't done anything illegal."

Bruce hesitated, then nodded. He walked back towards Dick and Gordon without another word to her. Harley, however, had plenty to say as she was loaded into the back of a police van. "You set me up, Kitty! You and Eddie set me up! I thought you were my friends! I thought you were my friends!" Selina guided Ivy back to her car, trying in vain to drown out Harley's screams, trying in vain to stamp down the guilt as her friend was taken into custody. "I'm sorry, Harley," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

3:30 pm

It was the news Edward had expected for hours, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt, just a bit. "I'm sorry, Lina," he said into the phone. He was still sitting at the dining room table, Penelope and Ellen by his side, listening in. He wet his lip. "I didn't want this to happen."

"I know you didn't, Eddie," Selina said, trying to sound casual. "Thanks for helping me and Red find her."

For all the good it did. Edward lowered his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have expected this the minute he'd become reacquainted with Harley, after Aesop, after the encounter between her and Penelope that summer...still. He remembered her coming into his apartment with presents, her putting that ridiculous cardboard crown on his head on his birthday. "PI Eddie Nigma and Harley Quinn, crackin' cases and takin' names!" Had he done enough? Should he have joined Selina in trying to find her? Maybe if he'd been there, it would have convinced Harley that more people than just Joker cared about her. He felt a gentle pressure on his hand and looked down to see Penelope's hand on top of his own. He looked up and saw her look at him, concern in those ice-blue eyes of hers that he adored. He gently squeezed her hand. Maybe if he had been there, he would have made the situation worse. Harley might have told him point-blank that he had to choose. He'd made that choice months ago and he had no regrets. "You're welcome. Do you want me to come by later tonight?"

"I think it might be better to wait. Ivy's still out, but she's probably going to want to kill you if she sees you again."

"Fair point," Edward said. "Still. My door is open, Lina."

"Thanks, Eddie. Hold on, I think Ivy's coming to. Take care of your family." Selina hung up before Edward could respond.

"Hey!" Ellen said. "Harley's arrest is getting on the news!" Ellen walked back over to the couch and turned up the volume.

"Breaking news, Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn, a longtime associate of the Joker, has been arrested for breaking into Wayne Pharmaceuticals. Quinn was released from Arkham two years ago for turning over evidence on Joker's plot to take over Arkham..."

Edward watched Summer Gleeson's report with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry," he heard Penelope say. "I know she's your friend."

"Was," Edward said. "She was on three strikes with me. Going back to Joker is strike three." He sighed. Goodbye, Harleen. He and Penelope continued to watch the newscast, not letting go of the other's hand.

Selina had driven about three blocks away from the pharmaceutical company when Ivy came to. "Stop the car, Selina," she growled. "Now!"

"No can do, Red," Selina said, putting her foot on the gas. "I'm not going to let you attack GCPD and get yourself thrown back in Arkham with Harley."

"We can't leave her!" Ivy argued. "We can't let her go back to that life!"

"She already has," Selina said dully. "Red, she's made her choice. She chose to go back to him. She has to choose to leave him again."

"She won't," Ivy said. It was the most vulnerable and broken Selina had ever seen the other woman. "You know how deep Joker's influence is in her. If she wasn't able to shake him after two years of no contact, she never will." Ivy's green eyes turned hard as jade. "He'll pay for this," she seethed. "I will make him suffer for what he's done to her."

"Get in line, Red," Selina quipped. She hoped Bruce would be particularly brutal when he found that damn clown. She let out a long sigh. "It'll be ok. We'll go home, we'll figure out our next move-"

"'Our' next move?" Ivy repeated. "There is no next move for us, Selina."

Selina stopped at a red light, then turned to give Ivy a look. "What are you talking about?"

"I only agreed to this 'partnership' because Harley wanted to," Ivy explained. "To tell you the truth, even before whatever happened between you and Nigma, I never fully trusted you. Harley's gone. I see no reason to continue."

Selina wet her lip. "Pam," she said. "Things are going to get dangerous for us. We're better off sticking together-"

"I can more than manage on my own," Ivy said. She took advantage of the stopped car to open her door and get out. "Goodbye, Selina."

"Pam!" Selina shouted. "Wait!" Ivy ignored her, walking down the street. Selina considered getting out to go after her, but she knew how well that would end for her. She slammed her hand down on the steering wheel. "Damn you, Joker!" she yelled. "God Damn you!"

4:00 pm

"You have any idea what Harley was yelling about? About Joker being sick?"

"No," Bruce answered, driving through the Industrial District. Thanks to the Commission recommendations, he wouldn't be allowed into GCPD to interrogate Harley without getting Gordon into trouble with Mayor Sharp, something that he couldn't afford, after the call Barbara had shared with them.

Dick continued. "If Joker's sick, it could explain why he's been out of action for so long."

Bruce considered this. He hadn't heard anything about Joker's health, but Strange kept Arkham on such a strict lockdown, he wasn't sure about the health of any of the patients in custody. Just as Strange intended, he was sure.

"So. Any idea on where to look for Joker?"

Almost on cue, Barbara's voice came through the loudspeakers of the Batmobile. "Bruce, Dick. GCPD's just received an anonymous call reporting a sighting of the Joker at the old Sardine Cannery on the Northeast pier."

"How credible is it?" Bruce asked.

"I heard it myself. The anonymous caller is the Joker."

Bruce made a sharp left turn and drove at full speed back towards the pier. "Joker's reporting himself?" Dick asked. "Why?"

"Because he got what he broke out for," Bruce growled. "It was all a way to lure Harley back."

4:30 pm

"Breaking news: the Joker has been recaptured without incident. Commissioner Gordon has confirmed that the Joker was located in an abandoned sardine cannery in Gotham's old cannery row. When asked about Batman's involvement, the commissioner had no comment, but eyewitnesses report seeing him and the vigilante known as Nightwing in the immediate vicinity. Joker is en route back to Arkham Asylum under heavy police guard. Mayor Sharp has issued a statement, saying that 'This situation, unfortunately, underscores the fact that despite the lower crime rate, Gotham City still has a long way to go before it is truly safe again. The involvement of Harley Quinn should serve as a grim reminder that despite however long they may live without incident, a Rogue will never be tame.' This is Summer Gleeson, continuing to bring you live updates as the situation unfolds."

Edward had to scoff. 'A Rogue will never be tame.' As if it wasn't obvious who that little quip was aimed at. "Do you think Sharp knew what Strange was up to?" he asked Penelope.

He watched her shake her head. "Strange wouldn't share that with him. The Mayor has to maintain plausible deniability after all." Her gaze was cold as she watched the news. "Though that doesn't stop him from taking political advantage of it."

"Freakin' jerk," Ellen muttered from the couch. "I can't believe Gramma voted for him."

"I can," Edward drawled, getting up from the table. "Well, now that Joker's back in custody, I should get the two of you back home-"

"I'm hungry," Ellen whined. "You barely had any snacks in here."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Oh, to have the appetite of a sixteen-year-old again. Well, I suppose I can get you an early dinner after I drop Penelope off at her office."

Ellen raised an eyebrow. "You're not gonna invite her to join us? Smooth, Dad."

Edward flushed. "Ellen!" He turned back to Penelope with a sheepish look on his face. "I know you have work you need to catch up on-"

"It can wait," Penelope said. She brushed a hand through her bangs. "If it's not too much of an imposition, I wouldn't mind joining you."

Edward's flush returned in full force and he had to suppress a small noise of delight. Instead, he settled on teasing. "You're putting off your work? At last, I've corrupted you!"

"You stop that," Penelope scolded, gathering her laptop and putting it back into her briefcase. "I've already managed to reschedule with my patients." Her face softened. "And I think you could use the company."

Edward smiled genuinely. "Well ladies, let's be off then! I know a nice Italian place not too far from here."

5:00 pm

Once Joker and Harley were confirmed to be back at Arkham, Dick and Bruce had separated, Dick going off to the clock tower to visit Barbara, and Bruce to the animal shelter Selina had set up as a home base two years ago. He parked the Batmobile outside the old gate, next to Selina's car and walked towards the old shelter. A light was on in the living room as the shadows began to fall with the low sun. Bruce kept a hand near his belt as he approached the door. It seemed calm but he didn't want to walk into an ambush courtesy of an angry Poison Ivy unprepared. He pushed the unlocked front door open and walked inside. "Selina?" he called out.

"In here, handsome," her voice answered from the right. Bruce followed the sound to a kitchen, where Selina was sitting at a table. She was still in her catsuit, though her hood was off. Bruce saw a bottle of wine sitting in the middle of the table, and watched as Selina took a long sip from her glass. "Ivy's gone," she said. "She just got out of my car and walked away. Her stuff's still here, but I don't think she'll be back for it. She said that without Harley, there was no point in staying here. She's probably going to hold up in Robinson Park again." Selina took another sip, then put her glass on the table. She ran a hand through her hair. "I know it's not my fault," she said in a choked whisper. "But why do I feel like I failed them?"

Bruce walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You did everything you could. Harley left us with no other choice."

"I know," Selina said. "I know that, but that doesn't make me feel any better." She leaned back in her chair and looked up at him with a pensive look. "Do you have anywhere you need to be?"

Bruce rubbed her shoulders. "No. Do you want me to stay?"

Selina nodded. "Yes." She got out of her chair, turned to face him, then removed his cowl. Bruce wrapped his arms around her. "You found Joker?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. He paused before he continued. "He turned himself in after Harley's capture was televised."

Selina tensed in his arms. "That son of a bitch," she hissed. "He escaped just to get Harley back, didn't he?"

"I don't think he escaped," Bruce answered. "I think Strange released him."

Selina pulled back slightly, and Bruce could see that her green eyes were wide. "He-why?" Her eyes narrowed. "Was this a shot at you, or was this his way of paying me back for helping Eddie?"

"I'm not sure. Whichever one it was though, you need to be careful. There's no telling just how much further Strange will go to get what he wants."

Selina let out a dark chuckle, then rested her head against his chest. "Nine lives, remember? Strange is going to wish he never messed with me."

Bruce leaned down to kiss the top of her head, then rubbed her back. Their world had become much more dangerous and now, he wasn't sure he could stop Strange. Not alone, at least.

6:00 pm

"You don't have to walk me to my car, you know."

Edward smiled as he kept pace alongside Penelope on the way back to her car. "What kind of gentleman would I be otherwise? Besides, I want to."

Penelope shook her head, but a small, pleased smile came across her face regardless. He'd parked about five feet away from her car in her office parking lot, leaving Ellen to take the front seat. At least, he thought she'd take the front seat. "Hey! Look! There are flurries!" Edward looked up into the dark sky and saw indeed that the first snow flurries of the season were starting to come down. Edward turned around to see Ellen standing under a streetlamp that illuminated the parking lot, laughing and trying to catch a flurry.

"Ellen!" he scolded. "Put your coat on! It's getting colder!"

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, it's not that bad. Doc, make him leave me alone!"

Edward shook his head. "Stubborn, willful little thing."

Penelope let out a small chuckle. "I can't imagine where she might have gotten that from."

Edward gave her a long-suffering look. "I know full well where she got it from, my dear doctor, but that doesn't mean I have to approve."

Penelope laughed again, and Edward had to laugh along with her. The two of them reached her driver's side door when she hesitated. "Thank you again, for coming to get me."

"Not at all," Edward said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Thank you for helping with Harley."

"I meant it when I said I was sorry," she said, her usual serious tone back. "Selina won't be angry with you, will she?"

"She didn't sound like it. I'll reach out to her tomorrow while you're with your committee."

Penelope shook her head. "I still can't believe Sharp wants to go through with the dedication ceremony. Well, I can, with his ego." She looked up at Edward, a question in her eyes. "If you're not busy tomorrow night, will you come over to my apartment? There's something I want to discuss with you."

Edward nodded., his curiosity piqued. "I'll be there."

Penelope smiled then, and Edward felt his heart race. "Thank you." Penelope looked down at her feet before she looked back up at him. "Well. Goodnight, Edward." She looked past him to wave at Ellen. "Good night, Ellen. Try not to drive your father too crazy."

"No promises!" Ellen shouted. "Bye Doc!" Edward opened Penelope's car door for her, then shut it as soon as she was inside. He took a step back and watched her as she pulled out of her parking spot and drove out of the lot, down the street. He watched her go then rubbed his chin. What did she want to talk with him about tomorrow that she couldn't tonight? Oh well. He'd find out soon enough. He walked back towards his car and noticed Ellen had gotten into the front seat and pulled her sketchbook out. She was scribbling something when he got into the car and started it.

"What do you have there?" he asked.

Ellen looked up with a mischievous smirk. "Nothing. Just imagining what yours and Doc's kids will look like! They're going to be my little brothers and sisters you know!"

Edward felt his jaw drop and his face flush yet again. "Ellen!"

6:30 pm

Strange watched Joker and Harley Quinn being escorted to their cells by the Arkham guards with a smug smile. It had gone even better than he'd hoped. Harley Quinn was back in custody, the volunteers had been released without any interference, and Wayne and his allies were in the dark. All without Joker spilling any blood. Tomorrow night, Phase Two would begin, and it would go perfectly. There was nothing he hadn't accounted for. Tomorrow night, he would finally be given the power he needed to advance his plans, and Nigma would be rotting in Arkham. There was nothing that could stop him now. Nothing.

Edward returned to his apartment building at long last. He walked up the two flights of stairs with a sigh. What a day. He thought about Harley again, and the guilt came back. "I did what I could," he said to himself. "Harley chose to throw us all over for Joker again. There's nothing I could have said or done to stop her." He had to believe that. He walked up to his door, unlocked it, then walked into his apartment. He didn't take more than one step inside before he had to take off his coat. "Jesus!" he muttered. "Did I leave the heater on! It feels like a sauna in here!" He was about to reach out to flip the main light switch when an overpowering sweet smell came to his nose. It smelled like...roses. Or rotting meat. He knew that smell. "Oh shit," he muttered. He raised his cane, only for something to snare his feet. "Shit!" he yelled as he was lifted feet first into the air, his hat, cane and glasses falling to the floor. His front door slammed shut, and the lights came on to reveal, standing in his living room, vines surrounding her, a very, very angry Poison Ivy.

"Nigma," she hissed. "I've been waiting for you."

Edward crossed his arms across his chest and gave her the best glare he could, hanging upside down as he was. "Really, Pam? You broke into my house again?"

The vines around Edward's feet tightened, and he hissed in pain. "You abandoned her," Ivy growled, stalking towards him. "You threw Harley away and let Joker manipulate her into going back to him!"

"I did everything I could," Edward said. "Or are you forgetting that I was the one who told you and Selina where she was?"

"An hour after she called you! You could have done more and we both know it! If you'd done more than the bare minimum, if you'd come with us, we might have been able to save her!"

"If she didn't listen to you and Selina, she wouldn't have listened to me and we both know it! We probably would have wound up screaming at each other and made the whole situation worse!" Edward lowered his voice and delivered a strike he knew would hurt the woman who stood before him. "It's not my fault that she loves Joker more than she loves you or anyone else!"

His bard succeeded in riling the woman, as she responded with a slap to Edward's face. He cursed as his head snapped back, then froze as he realized that Ivy was only inches from his face, her hands caressing it. No, oh no. Not again. "Well, I know a way you can make up for it," she cooed. "You're going to help me get her out of Arkham."

Edward shook his head and shut his eyes. Her pheromones were already affecting him, making his face flush, making him sweat. "I won't-"

"You will, lover," Ivy purred. She brought her lips to the shell of his ear. "One little kiss, and I'll make you forget all about that little doctor of yours."

Edward's eyes flew open. Penny. In an instant, he saw her, those ice-blue eyes, usually so cold, but around him, as soft and as warm as anyone else had ever been. Her determination when she faced down the commission, her strength when she bluffed Bane, the delight when she saw the stars, the sound of her laughter, the gentle feel of her hand on his, how even after everything, everything she'd faced, she never gave up, not on her goals and not on him, how she was the most fearless, stubborn woman he'd ever known, how he didn't want go another day without her. Ivy came into his direct line of sight, her green skin, her green eyes, and she wasn't the woman he wanted, she wasn't the woman he loved. Before her lips could touch hers, he spat in her face.

Her reaction was instant and violent. With a shriek, she directed her vines to throw him across his room, into his bookshelf. He impacted it with a sharp cry, sending books and framed pictures to the ground. Edward lay on the ground dazed, as Ivy advanced towards him. This was it then. This was how he died.

"You're going to regret that, you miserable little meat sack!" Ivy yelled. "I'll turn you into mulch-" she was cut off by the sounding of breaking glass. She looked down at the framed picture she'd stepped on, then her eyes went wide. She picked up the picture and shoved it into Edward's face. "This girl. Who is she?"

Edward squinted at the picture, then his blood ran cold. It was a picture of himself and of Ellen that Nina and taken at Ellen's birthday. "That's my daughter," he choked out.

Ivy looked like she'd been hit by a truck. "Your daughter?" she asked. Then her eyes narrowed. "Since when do you have a daughter!?"

"I only found out about her a year ago," Edward said. He pulled himself into a sitting position. "She's sixteen. She doesn't have anything to do with us, Ivy."

"A year ago?" Ivy's brow creased in thought. "So that's the secret Selina was keeping from us."

"I asked her to," Edward said. He'd never been a good liar, and Ivy's pheromones loosened his tongue even more. "I never wanted anyone else to find out about my daughter. Not even Harley."

"Because you didn't trust her."

"Because I knew there was always a chance she could go back to Joker!" Edward shouted. "And I was right! Think about it, Isley! Anything Harley knows, she'll tell Joker, if she told Joker about my daughter..." he remembered Gordon pushing his daughter in her wheelchair. "If Joker knew about my little girl, he'd come after her. Either to get back at me or just to get a laugh. He'd hurt her, or he'd kill her. You know he would. I have to protect her." Edward looked up at Ivy, his head pounding from the beating and the light. "If you want to kill me, have at it, but leave my daughter out of it. I will burn you, and this whole city to the ground before I let any of you near her!"

Ivy stood still for a long time, considering him as he sat on the floor like he was a bug underfoot. Finally, her hair, which had been standing straight up, fell. "Finally, you're starting to sound like a man, instead of a selfish little boy. For your daughter's sake, and her sake alone," she took a deep breath, then glared. "I won't kill you, Nigma. But you owe me. Remember that." She turned her back on him, then walked to his door. The vines she had grown withered and died in her wake. She opened his door, walked out, then slammed it shut behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Edward began to take deep breaths. "Jesus," he murmured. "Jesus!" He reached up to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he felt the pain from his hitting the wall and winced. This had been the closest he'd come to death since Waylon Jones, he'd almost left Ellen an orphan, he almost died without telling Penny that he loved-

His mind went blank as the realization dawned on him. "Oh," he whispered. "Oh my God. I love her." His physical pain was forgotten as the truth he'd denied for months was finally spoken. "Penny. I love you."