This is a chapter I've been dying to write for some time now. Harley has finally gone bad, she is about to break out the joker, and all hell is about to break loose. This chapter is going to be a heart breaker fair warning.
Barbara took a vacation day the following day in order to look into Harley's strange behavior as of late. Part of her felt guilty snooping into her best friend, but despite her best attempts the feeling in her gut just wouldn't go away. So as soon as Harley and Sarah was both gone Barbara walked into Harley's room and decided to take a look around. The first thing she noticed was that the outfit she bought as well as the hair color and paint was nowhere to be found, despite her nearly flipping the whole bedroom apart.
The second thing Barbara discovered was something extremely out of the ordinary for Harley. Sitting on her desk in plain sight was her smart phone.
"That's strange," Barbara said to herself "Harley never leaves her phone at home, she is addicted to that thing like chocolate she feels naked without it." Barbara couldn't believe why Harley would leave her phone at home. Was it because she was about to disappear and didn't want anybody calling after her.
Her fears growing Barbara called Alfred.
"Alfred I'm about to send all recent contacts that Harley has made for you to search through." Barbara hacked into Harley's contacts and forwarded all her call records to the bat computer. "Look into any calls that even might look remotely suspicious."
"Yes Ms. Gorden but care to tell me why you are digging into your best friend's private records like this?"
"I hate to think this but Harley has been acting strange lately. Ever since the abduction by Joker Harley has seen off. And what Joker mentioned about Harley helping him has stuck with me."
"Ms. Gorden I am shocked and appalled you would ever take something the Joker said like that as seriously as you are. I'm no therapist but people act strange all the time after abductions, has to deal with the shock and Post dramatic stress. I fear you are becoming a bit too paranoid."
"I know Alfred but I have to know for sure, for my own personal closure."
"And what if your wrong, which I hope to god you are."
"Then I will go crawling up to Harley and beg for her forgiveness. But please do this, for me."
"As you wish," Alfred sighed, looking through Harley's phone records. "Hmm, there's a incoming call that came in during your birthday party. It's not on any of her contacts, let me see if I can trace it... Oh dear."
"What is it Alfred?"
"The number belongs to one Terry Johnson, known by his street name as Smiley, his police records shows he is a prominent member of the Joker's gang."
"Dammit," Barbara cried,
"Barbara, why would Ms, Quinzell be in contact with a member of Joker's gang?"
Barbara didn't answer, she started digging through more and more of Harley's things. She found a disc hidden in the bottom drawer, taking out her laptop from her bag she slipped the disc in, and gasped as she saw it was the video of the night of Joker's creation.
"Alfred, Harley has a copy of Batman's battle with the red hood."
"Ah yes, the night of Joker's creation." Barbara gasped as she saw Red Hood fall into the vat of chemicals.
"Batman was the reason Red Hood fell into the chemicals." Barbara pin pointed "He was trying to escape him."
"That night is still one that haunts Master Wayne."
"How does Harley have a copy of this?" Barbara asked herself "Why does she have a copy of this?" Barbara next pulled out Harley's journal and started reading through it. At first it was typical Harley stuff, lame jokes and pranks she pulled on her roommates. Barbara even chuckled when she read about the time Harley put a fake snake over Barbara's face while she was sleeping and how freaked out Barbara was when she woke up.
But then things got a little more disturbing, the humorous stuff was gone and instead the entries was more and more about the Joker and how she felt sorry for him. Barbara got more and more scared when she read how Harley started feeling bitter toward Batman and Batgirl, and how she blamed them for the inmates conditions, especially Joker's, and that the death of the vigilante's might truly be the only cure for their conditioning.
Finally Barbara got to the last page, and Barbara let out a tearful gasps as she read aloud the final page, her worst fears were now confirmed.
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.
"That does not sound good."
"It's true," Barbara realized, not bothering holding back the tears forming in her eyes, "It's all true. Harley has fallen for the Joker. Alfred What am I going to do? How am I ever going to be able to face...?"
She was interrupted when a notification came through her phone about a gruesome murder at a weapons dealership. Last year Barbara had rigged her phone to send her notifications coming in through the police radio about crime scenes or current crimes in process happening during the day time. She didn't go to many of them, mostly because she worked during the day and most of the daytime crimes was stuff her father could handle, but on her off days Barbara would often check them up in her Batgirl persona.
"You think that involves Ms. Quinzell?"
"There's only one way to find out."
Ten minutes later Barbara arrived at the crime scene, dressed in her Batsuit. Her father was already there along with multiple police cars. The officers were busy pulling out the red tape when Batgirl walked up.
"What do we have?"
"A customer walked in this morning and found the owner like this," Jim pointed to what was remaining on the weapons shop owner. Batgirl couldn't help but cringe in disgust as she saw the amount of blood splattered on the floor and walls, and the fact that his head was now just splattered remnants of brain matter and muscle. "Needless to say he is being treated for shock at the moment, pretty shook up from the phone call."
Batgirl walked up to the body and started inspecting it, Barbara had been doing work like this as Batgirl for going on twenty months now, but this scene right here was no doubt the most bloodiest crime scene she ever witnessed during that span.
"What are you thinking Batgirl?"
"There is no powder or residue, so this couldn't be done by any of his own weapons, plus judging by the fact that all of the muscle and brain matter are all in one spot on the floor whoever did this to him had to have used a bat or pipe of some sort. My guess is our victim was bludgeoned to death," Barbara looked up and noticed that all his weapon counters had been stripped bare "And then they cleaned house of every weapon he owned."
Batgirl looked to the ceiling and saw a security camera hanging on the wall. Getting up Batgirl grabbed a chair, walked it over to where the camera stood and pulled it down.
"Commissioner do you have a laptop in your cruiser that I can borrow?" Jim nodded and ran to his cruiser, bringing back his laptop a few seconds later.
Batgirl took out the chip from the camera and plugged it into the laptop, within a couple minutes they were able to see exactly what happened and who the murderer was. Batgirl's heart instantly sank and she instantly regretted watching the video, and not because of how gory it was.
"Is that who I think it is?" Jim gasped
"Dr. Quinzell."
Suddenly a emergency call came in through Jim's radio. "Sir there is a break in at Arkham Asylum! It's Joker's men, they are trying to break him out!"
"No!" Batgirl gasped to herself "Harley don't,"
"Ten four officer."
"Commissioner, I'll take this." Batgirl replied "You finish this crime scene here and meet me down there when your done."
"Will do, give em hell Batgirl."
Batgirl got on her motorcycle and drove off, hoping that her father did not see the tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Harley please, don't do this."
"Alright boys listen up!" Harley ordered as they shot their way into the asylum. Harley was decked out totally in her Harley Quinn get up. On top of her red and black shirt and tight shorts her face was completely painted white and half of her hair was died red while the other half was black. "Feel free to kill as many guards as you like, but nobody and I repeat NOBODY is allowed to lay a hand on Dr. Strong. YOU UNDERSTAND!?"
"Why is she so important?" A Joker thug asked through his clown mask
"She's my room mate and best friend," Harley replied "So if I see any of you even pointing a gun at her I will impale your pointed heads through a pike. GOT IT!?"
"Yes, loud and clear," The other goons replied shivering in fear.
"Good, now move out!"
Joker's gang stormed the asylum, opening fire on the guards and holding several of the nurses hostage. Harley grabbed a set of keys from one of the dead guards pockets and released several of the prisoners.
"Cause a riot," Harley ordered "And if you make it out your free to go."
The prisoners nodded and joined into the commotion, attacking the guards. The guards did everything in their power to fight back the prisoners. With all the commotion Harley was able to slip away and head toward Joker's cell.
She didn't slip away unnoticed however, while hiding behind her office desk Sarah noticed someone slipping away through her office window. Figuring that this person was after the Joker, Sarah slipped out from her desk, grabbed a gun from a deceased officer and ran after the person heading towards Joker's direction.
"Don't move!"
Harley recognized the voice behind her, she turned around and saw Sarah pointing a gun in her direction. Despite all her makeup and wild colored hair Sarah recognized Harley and she gasped and dropped her gun in surprise.
"Harley?"
A joker thug came from behind and knocked Sarah over the head with a bat, causing her to fall to the floor, her head spinning. Harley glared angrily at the guy who struck Sarah earning a confused look by the thug.
"What, I didn't kill her, and she was pointing a gun toward you." Harley didn't respond instead she just took out her gun and shot the thug two times in the chest killing him.
"I said nobody lay a hand on Dr Strong" Harley left Sarah laying on the ground grasping her injured head, turning her focus back onto reaching Joker.
Outside, Batgirl reached the asylum gates. She wasted no time busting through the doors, she had to find Harley before she made a decision she would seriously regret. Inside she saw that Harley had already caused a riot, it would be nearly impossible to get through these rioters before Joker was freed.
"We got these rioters, you get the crazy lady!" One of the guards replied as he got control of one of the many rioters.
Batgirl hated to leave these guards to defend for themselves, but her priorities were elsewhere, busting through the crowd she made her way down the hall, where she was stopped by a injured Sarah, who was still rubbing the back of her head.
"Dr. Strong are you alright?" Batgirl gasped helping Sarah to her feet.
"It's Harley!" Sarah cried "Somethings happened to her, she's gone..." Sarah couldn't even bring herself to finish without choking up. The shock of the situation at hand sinking in.
"I know, Joker's gotten to her."
"What are we going to do?"
"We'll figure that out later but first we got to stop her, if she unleashes Joker all hell is going to break loose."
"I'll lead you there, I know where he is being held, follow me, hurry!"
Joker was laying on the cold floor, staring at the wall, still in his straight jacket and muzzle when Harley walked up.
"Hey, Puddin'"
Joker's eyes lit up at the familiar sound, he turned around and saw Harley unlocking his cell. "Come on, we're getting you out of here."
As soon as Harley took off the muzzle Joker let out a bellowing laugh, "Doctor, I knew there was something special in you."
"Uh, uh, uh, the doctor is out Puddin'" Harley laughed "Say hello to your new and improved Harley Quinn!"
The two of them laughed in sync as Harley handed Joker a gun, she then got on her radio and called the gang.
"We got the boss, head to the chopper at once, we're getting out of here!"
"So, how did you manage to pull this all off anyway?"
"It's amazing the discounts you can get on weapons once you beat his brains in."
Joker wailed with laughter "Harley dear you are going to go far in this business."
Batgirl and Sarah arrived a minute later, only to see that Harley was gone, along with the Joker.
"Oh no, he's escaped!" Sarah screamed. The both of them suddenly heard the sound on a helicopter starting.
"Is that a...?" Batgirl started to say, she was cut off by Sarah grabbing her hand and guiding her to upstairs.
"Come on this way will lead us to the roof." Sarah led Batgirl up several flights of stairs, through a door that lead to the roof of the Asylum. Batgirl ran through the door and saw Joker and Harley standing at he open door of the helicopter, laughing over what they just pulled as the helicopter started to take off.
"Bon Voyage Bat Freak!" Joker laughed "I would like to stay and chat but I've got to fly."
"See you later Bat Brain!" Harley laughed pulling out a bazooka. Before Batgirl could move Harley fired the Bazooka, hitting a gargoyle above her head.
"Batgirl look out!" Sarah screamed running towards Batgirl and pushing her out of the way of the falling debris. Unfortunately the debris landed on top of her, burying her under it's weight.
"Sarah no!" Batgirl screamed, seeing her friend get buried under the debris.
"No!" Harley cried, falling to her knees as she realized what just happened. Sarah pushed Batgirl out of the way, saving her, but as a result got buried in her place. Harley fell to her knees as she started weeping, Sarah, wasn't supposed to get hurt, yet she did, and it was by her own hands.
"Ah cheer up Harley." Joker chuckled putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll get Batgirl next time, not a bad first attempt though if I must admit."
Harley buried her head in her hands in sobbed loudly "Sarah, oh god I'm sorry, Sarah!"
"No!" Batgirl ran and started frantically pulling the chunks of stone off her friend "Sarah hold, on please!" Once she reached Sarah she gasped at what she witnessed. Sarah was fatally wounded, a sharp piece of stone was stuck in her abdomen and she was bleeding out fast. She was already pale and weak, and Batgirl could tell she wasn't going to make it much longer.
"Sarah, oh no, no, no no NO! SARAH!" Batgirl took Sarah in her arms, and, despite the rule of keeping her identity secret, Barbara took off her mask, revealing her identity to her dying friend.
Sarah's reaction was not one of shock or surprise. As she stared at Barbara, in her bat suit minus the mask, she just let out a tired smile "I knew it."
"What?" Barbara replied through tears.
"I knew it was you, it always made the most sense. Your father got arrested, you go frantically pulling stupid stunts to try to prove his innocents then suddenly the Batgirl shows up and finishes the work. I put two and two together and figured it was you doing all that stuff."
"If you knew that then why didn't you confront me or try to stop me?"
"I wanted to respect your decision by keeping it to myself. Plus I knew I couldn't stop you even if I tried."
"Your going to be fine Sarah I promise, I'm going to get you help."
"There is no helping me at this point I'm afraid." Sarah whispered, her voice getting weaker and weaker. "Barbara promise me one thing, don't give up on Harley."
"Sarah please!" Barbara wept,
"Promise me, that you will get through to her. There is still good in her I know it. She is lost, but you can get through to her, I believe in you. Promise me, that you will get through to her."
Through sobs Barbara nodded. It was right then that Sarah's head fell back, her arms fell to the ground and her eyes closed for the last time as she took her last breath, dying in Barbara's arms
"NO!" Barbara cried "NO! NO! NO! SARAH!" Barbara grasped Sarah's body tight, and rested Sarah's head on her chest as she wept over her deceased friend. In one day, in a little over twelve hours, Barbara had lost both of her best friends.
Sorry, it had to be done. I knew the second I created Sarah that she was going to die and I also knew it was going to be in the second story when Harley went rogue. I know it's sad but I needed Barbara to have some sort of tragedy in her life sense she didn't lose any of her parents like Bruce did.
Till next time.