A/N: Okay folks, get some snacks, a drink and a comfy chair. This one's a big one and it's been long awaited I feel.

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Chapter 19 – Little Revenge – Part One

Noon in Gotham didn't mean much except rain filled dashes to a restaurant, a deli, a fast food joint or a soggy walk home. The dark grey sky and heavy drops of rain meant everyone was hidden beneath umbrellas and coat hoods. Everyone was used to Gotham's endless rain. Arkham Asylum didn't fare any better with weather. The damned island just fitted grim and dreary weather, the dark and foreboding building fit against a murky sky. Joker and Harley had been standing in the rain in a clearing just outside the asylum and they waited for Frost's conformation that everyone was in place and ready to go.

"I want blood, puddin'," Harley growled and paced beside him. Her son was safe with her best friend, far away from this hell hole and that meant she could let herself fall into her desperate need to inflict pain on the people here.

"Harley."

"Let me go, please, let me go and find the bitch," Harley begged angrily.

"Not yet," Joker snapped. "Do not make me control you, do not make me hit you. You can control yourself for a few more minutes."

"I wanna kill all of them," Harley snarled. She wanted blood, revenge, she wanted it all. She'd done her waiting, she'd waited near enough two months for her revenge and now she was just minutes away from it. "I wanna kill her." She suddenly felt two hands around her neck, pressing her new choker into her skin and she met his furious gaze with one of her own.

"You are going to end up as dead as her if you are not very careful!"

"They took our baby, I want them to pay for it!" Harley hissed. She looked up at the asylum and went to grab her gun. Joker moved fast and slapped her across cheek. He glared at her as she fell to the floor and then pulled her up by her arm.

"You will fucking listen to me!" Joker said with an icy cold voice. She wasn't his wife, lover or partner now. She was the hired help that was getting too out of hand. It had to be this way or he'd never get this done. "I swear to god, Harley, if you ruin this, if you get left behind, I am not coming for you again. I will take the kid and raise him without you. Got it?"

It was a dirty rotten lie, but he needed her to believe him to make her focus. She would spiral and get caught out and he could only break this with violence. She went out of control so fast and made so many mistakes.

"J, Harley?" Deadshot said cautiously as he approached the arguing couple. "Croc and Boomer are in position. We're all set."

"Copy that, boss," Frost nodded and handed Joker a machine gun. "We're all good to go."

"Good," Joker growled without looking away from Harley. "Boys, start phase one. Get in there and get things moving. But do not start until you hear Harley's signal." Frost and Deadshot slowly moved away from the clowns and slowly made their way to the entrances they'd planned.

"Now go with Dead-head and get ready." He kissed her hard, stealing her breath away and making her head spin. He urged her away and smirked at her little bit of confusion. "Oh and Harley, if you find a white coat and glasses, bring them with you."

"Of course, puddin'," Harley giggled. She ran to catch up with Deadshot and Joker went with Frost.

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Samantha Drake had been enjoying her return to work, she'd been declared fit and given light duties for a while so she could ease back into it. Waller had pushed through her return to work, much to Sharpe's disapproval, and after just a few weeks she had returned to her apartment and then finally back to the Asylum. She was still receiving some counselling herself thanks to Waller's methods of extracting information, but she felt better and ready to move on. But there was one person she sorely missed, the one person she shouldn't have had any feelings for in the first place.

She'd started her day with a coffee and blueberry muffin for breakfast, she'd checked in and sat at her desk. She'd stared blankly at the computer screen that she was trying to work at until she saw a file flash up. Harley. Her heart had clenched painfully. She'd tried to stop Waller having the baby, but she hadn't been strong enough. She'd failed protecting her patient her… friend. She'd spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out what she could've done, but it didn't change anything. Sam shook her head and looked at Harley's review quickly, she hadn't typed it, but it stank of Quincy Sharpe. The wording and phrases used were that of an angry short old man that had lost a game he hadn't realised he was playing.

But Harley… Harley.

"Stop it, you're never seeing her again," Samantha growled at herself and she closed the file. Her mind was still stuck on the crazy jester, her heart was still loyal and she knew she probably should've taken that moment to turn around, go home and book another two weeks' worth of counselling. That would've been the rational thing to do. As it was, Sam was doubting whether anyone in the asylum was sane or rational, certainly not the doctors at the very least. They all laid their time and lives down for Sharpe and Arkham, she felt like the only one who knew what was really going on as Sharpe experimented with drugs and Arkham gave young doctors to the vicious and most psychotic inmates.

Sam had requested a hold on her own patients for a couple of weeks, just so she could get back into the swing of things and she could observe some sessions without the pressure of being in the hot seat. She'd tailed Joan Leland around and a couple of others, but Joan was patient with her and gave her time so she'd stayed with her mostly.

For some reason her mind wandered to Waller again and she flinched, almost spilling her coffee over her. She grabbed the edge of the desk and took long deep breaths to calm herself. Waller had stopped just short of water boarding and had used a few methods to try and get her to talk. It had been painful and rushed, she'd tried to stay strong and to fight, but she wasn't as strong as she wanted to be. So she'd talked and talked and watched as Waller and her soldiers took everything she said and pushed her for more.

"Stop it," Sam told herself. She was getting trapped in the tsunami of memories and images that refused to leave her head. "Stop it now Sam."

"Hey, Samantha, do you want to come for lunch?" Joan asked as she opened the door to Sam's office. The younger doctor jumped and laughed at herself before she nodded.

"Sorry, I was… lost in my own little world for a moment there," Sam answered. "Yes, that'd be nice."

"Canteen's got mac and cheese, always a favourite," Joan smiled. Sam stood up and followed Leland down the corridors. Joan was chattering away and Sam gave the appropriate response at the right time, but she wasn't really listening to her friend and manager.

"I mean, they've not been sighted for two months, do you think it's broken them?" Joan asked and frowned when Sam just hummed with a shrug. "Sam? What do you think? Sam?"

"Huh? Sorry, Joan," she blushed a bit and shook herself. "What were you saying?"

"Joker and Harley? They've been off the radar for two months," Joan repeated. "Do you reckon that means that taking the child has cured Gotham's problem?"

"No," Sam said. "They'll find him. They're probably just waiting. See where he turns up and go after him, if they haven't already."

"True," Joan nodded and pushed open the door to the canteen. They walked in and Sam stayed silent for the rest of the wait to get food. She ate slowly, the mac and cheese felt heavy and solid in her stomach. She knew she was back too soon, but she'd been going mad in the house all on her own. When she'd finished as much of her meal as she could stomach, she stood and took her tray to the trolley and put it down.

"Saaaaammiieee." She whirled round, she knew that voice and she'd know it anywhere. It had infected her sleep, her mind, her soul and she didn't know what to do about it. Her heart raced and her blood went cold. She was elated and terrified all at the same time. If Harley was here, it meant that she was coming to break her out of this life. But it also meant the Joker was somewhere as well.

"Momma's home, Sammie!" The explosions rocked the asylum and Sam was pushed by Leland and a couple of others out of the room. She wanted to find Harley, she wanted to apologise and explain her actions, but everyone was pushing her away from the canteen. She fought to get her control over her own motion and she ran beside Leland.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere they won't find you," Joan shouted as alarms blared and the patients all started cheering and jeering at the terrified doctors. There was the sound of gunfire and chaos overtook the building. All the guards picked up arms and started to fire back at the costumed goons heading their way. Joan tried to open one of the security doors but it wouldn't budge, she swiped her card three times but the computer wouldn't let her passed. So she grabbed Sam's arm and took her another direction. The place was a maze, Sam was amazed that Joan knew where she was going at all, let alone where the secure areas were.

"If they're looking for me, why don't I just hand myself over?" Sam asked.

"They'll kill you."

"And? It'd save everyone else," Sam said.

"It wouldn't, they'll kill us all whether they get you or not, Sam," Joan told her and opened another door to yet another hallway. It was lined with their low-level patients who were mostly cowering from the noise of fighting.

"We need to start evacuating," Sam said suddenly. "We can't let them pick off the patients one by one, or utilise any of them for their own purpose."

"Let Sharpe and Arkham worry about that, we just need to get you safe."

Sam didn't want safe, not with Leland, not with Michelle, not with anyone. She wanted chaos and free thinking. She wanted a life without rules or morals, she wanted to be with Harley and to taste her life, her fun. She wanted to know what that life was like, she had to stall Leland and the others from getting her out of here. Even if that meant fighting dirty. She followed Joan to another room and this door did open, Leland pushed her inside and closed the door behind them. Coward, Sam thought angrily.

The room was around twenty foot by twenty foot, there was a chair, cupboard with dried food, first aid kit, a microwave and a big water canister. Sam guessed it would've lasted someone a good five days before they'd be in trouble. There was a safe mounted into the wall that had been badly covered by a framed print out of Arkham's emergency codes, protocols and words of wisdom from Jeremiah and Quincy. The room was almost homely, if you didn't remember that it was to be used in case of mass breakouts.

"If they find us, there's a secret exit, built into all of the safe zones," Leland told Sam. "You have to lift the frame of Arkham's mother and there's a dial underneath. Turn that three times anti-clockwise and push it flat against the wall. A small hatch will open and you get through there and run to the next safe zone."

"Arkham's mother, three times anti-clockwise, flat to the wall, got it," Sam nodded. There was another explosion and Joan looked down at her phone.

"Shit… they've blown up the medical centre," Joan gasped. "They're gonna destroy everything."

"Wouldn't you if you'd had your baby stolen?" Sam challenged. Joan looked at her and a flash of fear filled her eyes before she turned and called Jeremiah Arkham. Sam ignored her conversation and memorised the pattern of the room and hallways they'd been down. She had to get to Harley, she was the only one that understood and maybe, just maybe, she could bring Harleen forward and they could be happy together.

"They've got who?" Joan shouted.

"Killer Croc." Sam muttered.

"Wait, how did you-" Sam pointed through the bullet proof glass at the hulking reptilian man that was heading their way. He had blood running down his chin and chest, someone's arm in one hand and a hungry look in his eye. She watched as he took a bite from the arm and through the remainders away.

"Sam… go, GO!" Joan shouted and grabbed tranquilizer gun from the safe in the wall. Sam opened the hatch and she threw herself the hole and ran down the new brightly lit corridor. There weren't any cells down here, it was just a white long corridor and she had no idea where she was going. She looked round to see Joan just getting through the gap as Croc grabbed for her. How the hell did he get through that door? Sam thought.

"The person that brings me Samantha Drake gets to go home alive," the Joker's voice rang out from the speaker system. Her heart stopped. He was here and he was looking for her. She just hoped that she found Harley first. She finally came to another door and she didn't wait for Leland to shout her to go through it. She was met by a hail of bullets and she dropped to the floor instinctively. The windows shattered and sprayed glass everywhere. She peeked up to see a new selection of costumed mascots as well as some guys in clown outfits. They stopped firing for a second and she heard the doors open behind her again.

"Joan, no!" Sam shouted. There were two shots fired and Joan hit the floor beside her. Sam couldn't take her eyes off her friend's dead body and she felt the world spin. She'd seen photos of murder scenes, of all manner of psychotic killings, but this… this was real and as much as she had been annoyed by Joan's insistence to escape, she didn't deserve to die, surely?

"Boss lady wants you," the guy in the panda outfit said and pulled Sam to her feet by her arm.

"Put me down!" Sam shouted. "You killed her!"

"You should've heard what the boss had planned," goat head man laughed. "Ol' Leland had much worse coming her way."

"You killed her! She didn't do anything!" Sam screamed.

"Oh shut up," Goat-man growled and put a piece of duct tape over her mouth. "Take her to Harley, do not leave a mark on her. You know how she gets when her friends are damaged."

Sam looked around her, desperately trying to figure out whereabouts in the asylum she was. There was so much smoke, so much destruction already wrought upon the old walls and they'd only been going for an hour at most. They walked into a corridor and there was a swoosh of metal. Panda-man fell to the floor and Sam scrambled to her feet. She just needed to get as far away as she could.

"Ah shit," Boomerang cursed and took off after her. "Darlin', I just wanna talk to you!" He called after her and gained on her easily as she was still wearing her heels. She kicked her shoes off and finally gained some speed. She could hear the thunder of Boomerang and Joker's goons boots and she ducked into one of the open cells and hid underneath the cot bed in darkness.

"Doctor, doctor, where are ya?" Boomerang hummed as he walked down the string of small prison-like rooms. "Harley wants to talk to you. She reckons you can help her. Y'see, I'm on her side as are these daft bastards in costumes, we all want her away from the Joker and she says that you know how to help her with that."

"Yeah, Harley don't wanna be with him no more," Goat-man chimed in. "Says she got the hots for a bit o' skirt these days."

"You need to shut up, dude," Boomerang frowned. "Anyway, we just wanna help her and you're gonna do that."

Sam didn't wait any longer and she bolted from her hiding place. She sped round the corner, just as one of his boomerangs hit the tiled wall and she felt her heart slam to a halt before beating rapidly again. She was heading towards the next safe zone when the lights in the asylum all turned off. She pressed herself against the wall and tried to control her breathing as the entire building went silent.

"Good afternoon, Arkham Asylum, Joker here!" his voice sent ice down her spine and she looked up to where she knew the speaker was. "As you have probably discovered, I needed to do some redecoration of the old place, getting worn out and broken down it was. So I thought we could have some fun whilst we were at it. We have Quincy Sharpe and Jeremiah Arkham, they came quietly. Only had to kill five of your best guards. Bring me Samantha Drake and you all leave with as few casualties as I can stand. Got it?"

The lights didn't turn back on after he'd finished, but she could see one stuttering up ahead of the corridor. She tried to stay quiet and kept her back against the wall as she stumbled blindly. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart and her mouth ran dry. She needed to get to Harley. Now.

"I can smell you." A low rumbling voice said from behind her. "You stink of fear and sweat. Your heart's beating so fast. You'd be so… delicious to eat."

He was too close. Croc was right behind her, she convinced herself that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She kept close to the wall and picked her way over the rubble, she tried to keep herself from making too much noise, but she felt like she was being even noisier despite her best efforts. She was so close to the interview rooms, so close to a security block and safe zone.

"This place stinks like a sewer," Croc growled. "It stinks of self-righteous, egotistic maniacs in white coats and a salary. But you… you smell of the same crazy as Harley. I'm so close to you. I can reach out and touch you." Sam screwed her eyes shut and waited for claws and teeth to rip her apart. She'd never met him and had no idea if he was still human enough to wait on Joker's orders.

"There you are. Humans are so easy to track. So easy to tear apart," Croc chuckled. "So easy to follow. I don't need lights, I can use your scent to find you." Sam slipped down the wall into a ball. Suddenly there was another round of gunfire and she heard Croc shout and grunt in pain as Taser bullets struck him. Then there was light and she jumped out of the way to see Aaron Cash jump at Croc.

"Go, Drake, run!" Aaron shouted as Croc recovered and struck out. Sam didn't need telling again and she ran down the corridor and finally figured out where she was. She saw her office and wrenched the door open. She threw herself inside and pulled the door closed. She pulled the tape from her mouth and threw it to the side. She was gasping for breath and she rested her forehead against the metal, trying to pull herself together. She wasn't fit enough for this. She heard some shouting between Cash and Croc and finally pushed herself back onto her feet.

"Boo!" a male voice shouted and Sam jumped and turned round. Boomerang. "Harl' really wants to see you darl', I suggest we get you to her before she throws you out to Joker. And boy he is pissed. You stole his girl, stole his baby and now… well, it's a game to see who gets you first."

"I don't believe you," Sam stammered.

"Say again, honey?"

"I don't believe you," Sam repeated. "I don't think they're trying to fight each other. She wouldn't do that."

"Doesn't really matter now, does it?" Boomer smirked. "Now, we've got the entire asylum rigged with all kinds of crazy clown shit. The Bat is at least on his way, he might already be here, so you ain't going anywhere that we don't want you to. So I'm takin' you to Harley. Unless you want Croc here to help you out?"

Sam jumped as the door was pulled off its hinges and Killer Croc stood there, his chest heaving and blood still dripping down his jaw. She walked backwards away from him and bumped straight into Boomer. He grabbed her arms and tied her wrists together before Croc threw her over his shoulder.

"Thanks, mate, there ain't much to her but chicks get heavy after a while," Boomer smirked and put another section of tape over Sam's mouth.

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Harley and Joker were waiting for Sam in Harley's old session room. They'd spent time fighting and beating brains out but now they had a new game to play and it was one that both of them were very good at. Harley watched sat on the edge of the desk and leaned back against her hands. As Joker set out his toys and instruments, she ran her hand over the ECT machine beside her and grinned to herself. She couldn't wait, it was going to be so much fun and it felt like a coming of age. She was so ready to do this to someone and she wanted to make her puddin' proud.

"How long, Harley?" Joker asked, breaking their silence.

"They picked her up in the offices so a few minutes," she answered and turned to look at the clock. His eyes were dark at the mere thought of his creation having this power in her hands and he just wanted the show to start. His phone beeped and he saw Frost had sent him an image.

"Bats is finally here," Joker told her.

"If you wanna go and play-"

"He'll be kept busy for a while. He's got doctors to rescue, Joker toxin to avoid and a strange case of cell doors opening and releasing his favourites," he grinned. "I've got time. I'd like to see you do this." He turned to look at her and his eyes travelled up her legs, hips, waist, chest and to her face finally.

"This is where it all started, Mistah J," Harley said with a small smile.

"Oh isn't it just," Joker purred and he walked to her. His hands wrapped in her pig tails and he kissed her passionately. "Do daddy proud, Harley, don't let me down."

"I promise," Harley grinned and kissed him again before she hopped down from the desk. She felt confident and determined. She'd gotten her seal of approval from Joker and she was going to finish what she'd started so long ago. She checked her hair and make-up and put her bat over her shoulders. She walked through the darkened hallways of the asylum and picked her way to where Boomer and Croc were meant to be.

Nothing.

"I should know better than to let those idiots do my job," Harley growled. She carried on walking and made sure to listen carefully for any sounds. She eventually found Boomer with a bloodied nose and Croc, recovering from being zapped with a Taser.

"You picked yourself a crazy bitch there," Boomer gasped.

"Good," Harley giggled. "Go have some fun boys. Take a few pot shots at Batsy for me. I'll do this myself." She picked up the discarded Taser and left them to go and find Sam. She wandered merrily around the corridors and listened to the sound of utter destruction break out again. All the misery made her heart soar.

"Sammie?" Harley called out. "Sammie, where are you?" She heard someone running towards her and she braced herself for anyone. She was scrappy and could take on the best, she'd gotten the best of the Bat and Robin enough times. She grinned when she saw a dark hair woman run towards her with tied arms and tape over her mouth. Harley opened her arms and hugged Sam tightly.

"There you are, I've been lookin' for ya," Harley giggled. She ripped the tape off Sam's lips and laughed when Sam threw her arms around her again.

"Oh god, Harley, I'm so happy you've come back for me," Sam gasped.

"So am I, honey, so am I," Harley said with an evil grin.

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A/N: Whew! Although, as I'm discovering whilst I write and adjust, it sure sucks to be Sam right now...

Please Review! :D