Harley didn't say a single word as she rode next to Jim in the police car. The entire trip she stared at the rear view mirror at Joker as he laid unconscious in the back of the police car. She stared in empathy as she questioned how someone could possibly be okay with beating someone half to death. Whatever Joker may have done he was still human, he still had a soul and Batgirl treated him like he was a monster, beating him half to death like he didn't have a soul.
Also it was Batman's fault Joker was what he was today, if he held back maybe Joker could have gotten the help he needed and reformed. But no, he didn't hold back, and now Joker has been damaged beyond repair. As Harley watched him her heart broke for him, for as everyone else saw a monster, she saw a soul driven to madness by a false idol. A idol who needed to fall before they drove anyone else to Joker's level.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that they had reached Arkham until Jim stopped the car. The officer in the back shook Joker awake, and very rudely told him to get up.
"Move it Joker, your back where you belong!"
"Oooh are we back in the circus?"
"You wish!"
Harley watched horrified as the officer kicked Joker out of the police car. Due to the severity of his injuries Joker could barely stand up and had to be dragged back to front doors.
"Oh Harley thank God I was so worried!" Sarah cried running up to wrap Harley in a tight hug. "What did that monster do to you did he hurt you any?"
"No," Harley said in a very tired tone.
"He had her dangling in a cage over a pit of rattlesnakes from what she told me back in the theater," Jim chimed in.
"He did what!?" Sarah gasped "Oh my God you must be traumatized."
"I'm fine," Harley denied "Batgirl got me out before I reached the snakes."
"Thank God," Sarah breathed. Sarah then turned her attention to the Joker who sat on his knees in front of the Arkham entrance.
"As for you Joker!" Sarah yanked Joker to his feet by the collar and tossed him to a couple of guards. "Three weeks in salutary confinement. You will have no contact with anybody except the guard that checks on you three times a day and gives you your meals. For your actions you will be placed in a special uncomfortable cell with no windows or views to the outside world during your entire time in confinement. And guards!" The guards turned to Sarah as they led Joker away. "Put that maniac in a straight jacket." The guards nodded "And a muzzle too so I don't have to hear his demonic laughter throughout the entire asylum."
Harley watched horrified as the guards put Joker in a straight jacket and fitted a muzzle around his jaw. Harley followed Sarah, Jim and the guards as they drug Joker down to the deepest part of Arkham, a cell that was nine feet below ground away from any other prisoners or nurses. It was a eight by eight brick cell with now windows with only one small light bulb and one small bed to sleep on. The floor was hard and metal, and you could hear the entire cell echo as Joker was literally thrown into the room.
"Welcome to your home for the next three weeks Joker!" The guard taunted as Joker hit the floor. "Maybe you will actually grow some sense into that small brain of yours while in here, but I doubt it!"
Harley felt her heart shatter into a hundred pieces as Joker laid on the cold floor. As the guard slammed the cell door shut Joker turned to Harley one last time with the most sad and hurt eyes she had ever seen. A small tear fell from Joker's face before he turned and stared at the wall behind him.
Sarah noticed Harley staring in silent at Joker's cell, a worried look drawn on her face. Sarah could sense something wasn't right, but she instantly scratched it off as trauma due to her kidnapping.
"Are you going to be okay Harley? I can offer you some therapy if you need it."
"Thanks Sarah, but I'll be okay." Harley stared back at Joker one last time, who laid on the floor with his back turned to them. Harley closed her eyes and tears fell from her cheeks as she sighed "I just want to go home and forget about today."
"I'll take you home dear." Jim offered "I know where you live." As Jim took Harley by the shoulder and led her out, Harley turned and stared at Joker one last time.
"I'll get you out of here." She said to herself, low enough so no one could here her, "I promise."
Barbara pushed everything Joker told her about Harley to the back of her mind as she prepared a mug of hot chocolate and prepared for Harley's return. Hot chocolate was one of Harley's favorite late night drinks and despite it being September and eighty degrees Harley would still chug those things down like it was December and ten degrees.
When it came to information Joker was not the most believable source. Barbara and her father would sooner believe a monkey then Joker when it came to info. So, why did this bug her so much? Maybe it was because Joker said that he had no reason to lie. He already was going to back to Arkham for what he did, what was the point of lying and saying that Harley was involved as well? Was it to try to get a shorter term, drag someone down with him? Or was it because Harley really was involved? Whatever the reason Barbara refused to believe it until she had proof. And until she had that proof she would act like everything was normal.
Putting two giant marshmallows in the hot chocolate, she walked into the living room just as the door opened.
"Welcome home Harley," Barbara greeted handing her the mug of hot chocolate. "Figured you could use something to get your mind off of what happened today."
"Your sweet," Harley sighed taking the hot chocolate and sitting on the couch. "But I'm afraid nothing will ever make me forget what happened today."
"I know, but maybe this could help ease the pain a little."
Harley didn't respond as she took the hot chocolate to her room and locked the door behind her. Barbara definitely felt something wrong. But she couldn't tell if was because of trauma or something much worse.
The next day everything went back to normal, everyone went back to work like yesterday didn't happen.
Every one except Harley, she had trouble getting through her sessions. With most of the patients in there being put there due to Batman or Batgirl most of them blamed their problems on the two vigilantes. Usually Harley would try to tell them that it was themselves that was the reason they were locked up, instead she just nodded in agreement.
"I understand how you feel Ivy."
"How could you?" Ivy responded "You never have known what it's like to have someone paint you as a monster. I'm not the enemy, people are. They are destroying this planet little by little each day. The more they reproduce the more they tear away at this planet to make room for them. I'll tell you Harley this city would be better off as a giant wetland. With trees standing were these towers are. But as long as Batman is in the way or now Batgirl I will never be able to bring this planet how it's supposed to be."
Harley just nodded and wrote down her notes. Ivy was taken back at Harley's lack of interaction, usually she would try hard to change Ivy's opinion and make her see what she thought was the light. But today nothing. "Is there something wrong doctor?"
"I... I'm sorry Pamela I can't do this today." Harley picked up her notes and left her office only stopping by the guard who brought Ivy to her. "Take her back to her cell, I'm done with her today." Harley ran to her boss's office, tears streaming down her face the whole way.
"I'm sorry, I can't do this today." She cried "This was to soon to start back, I... I need to take a day of two."
"I understand Harley, go. I'll get somebody else to handle your sessions."
Harley instantly walked to her car and drove off the premise, but instead of heading home she stopped by the shopping center and picked up a few items. A red and and black mid drift and matching short, a bottle of red hair dye and black hair dye, and a tube of white paint.
Barbara was a little surprised to see Harley home when she arrived home from work that afternoon. Usually neither Harley or Sarah got home at least a hour or two after she got home.
"Your home early."
"I needed some time off." Harley replied, laying on the couch while she searched through Netflix for something to watch. "It was a mistake to go back to work immediately after what happened yesterday."
Barbara saw the bag of items Harley bought sitting on the table and started rummaging through them.
"What's all this stuff?"
"Oh just some things I picked up on my way home."
"Hair dye?"
"Hey if Sarah can color her hair so can I?
"But I thought you always criticized Sarah for her red highlights? Called them unprofessional?"
"That's because she has her red highlights mixed with her real hair color. If I'm going to dye my hair I'm going to make it all one color. Besides I've always wondered what's it's like to be a ginger. I want to know if it's true that they have no soul."
"Hey now!" Barbara laughed as she reached for a pillow on the couch and playfully hit her over the head with it before continuing to search through the items.
"What's with the white paint and weird outfit?"
"It's..." Harley paused "For Halloween. I'm going to going as a clown."
"It's September Harley, and I thought after yesterday you would stray far away from anything clown related."
"Hey I like to get my shopping for Holidays done early, you can get them much cheaper. You know how I love to save money. And I'm not going to let one bad clown ruin my love for them, I was voted class clown in High School you know?"
"Somehow I can believe that."
"What's going on everybody?" Sarah asked walking into the apartment.
"Wow your home early too?"
"Wanted to check on Harley, the boss said she left early in tears still traumatized over yesterday. How you feeling Harley?"
"Well her sense of humor is coming back." Barbara answered, thinking back to her ginger joke. "Also she's been shopping." Barbara showed Sarah the strange items Harley bought.
"Hair dye? But I thought you hated my highlights Harley."
"I just want to see if gingers really are soulless." Harley joked again. Barbara stuck her tongue out at Harley jokingly. Her face then got serious and pulled Sarah to a separate room to talk.
"Do you sense something off about Harley?"
"What do you mean?"
"She has never once dyed her hair in the year of a half I have known you two. You've known her longer has she ever dyed her hair before?"
"Never."
"Don't you think something is wrong with her?"
"Well one common thing I've learned as a therapist is that a traumatic experience can make someone act like somebody totally different. It's known as Post Traumatic Stress disorder. Harley was abducted by Joker, who the hell knows what he exposed her too? So for her to act different is not a unusual thing. Just give her some time, she will eventually be herself again."
Barbara stared at Harley who was still laying on the couch surfing through Netflix. "I hope your right." She didn't dare tell Sarah what was going through her head. She was still fighting hard to not believe it, but seeing those items that Harley bought was only increasing her fears.
That night Harley laid in her bed awake, not having gotten a ounce of sleep. Instead she wrote in her journal, about to commit something very bad.
My heart aches every moment I think about Mr. J sitting alone in that cell. Every moment I long to be with him, to free him, to help him, to be by his side. And I cannot take it any longer. Tonight I am going to do something very wrong, but if it means giving Mr. J the justice he deserves then it has to be. If there is a God I hope he forgives me for what I am about to do. But the Bat must pay for what he has done to my puddin' Gotham must pay for the hatred that they have shown him. Tonight Harleen Quinzell dies and in her place rises Harley Quinn.
Harley closed her journal changed into her red and black mid drift and shorts, then peaked into both Barbara and Sarah's room to make sure they were asleep. She grabbed a baseball bat that she kept with her from her High School softball days and sneaked out to her car.
She drove twenty minutes to a weapons shop, grabbed her bat and marched inside.
"Hello young lady, can I help you with something?" The shop owner asked with a friendly tone.
"Yes, you can die!" Harley whacked the metal bat over the shop owner's head. He fell to the ground instantly with a thud. He looked up at Harley horrified as she raised her bat up above her head and struck him again a second time. She continued to repeat the action, again, and again, and again, five times, ten times, fifteen times, laughing the entire time until his head was nothing more then a bloody stain on the ground.
"Ooh somebody come clean up this mess, it's a slipping hazard." Harley laughed as she walked over to the supply of weapons. She grabbed every gun, hand grenade and rocket launcher in the store and stuffed them all in her car, not leaving a single weapon in the shop.
"The prices are reasonable but the shop is a little to messy for my liking, going to cost you a star on my online review." Harley then drove off laughing over her first murder. She had never felt more adrenaline in her life then when she was smashing that guy's skull in, his blood splashing across her face and clothes. During her time of the kill, she had never felt more alive, and she was so looking forward to what she was going to do next.
Joker's crew was all hiding away in a abandoned warehouse when Harley kicked the door in.
"Grab yourself a weapon boys!" Harley replied "We're breaking Mr. J out first thing in the morning! Then after that, the Batgirl will die for what she has done to my puddin'."