The Scars Left Behind

This is the Sequel to the Harlequin and the Bat and The Harley and The Ivy.

Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners. Except the characters I wrote in my profile.

Warning: Violent scenes to come. These stunts are done by highly trained professionals and should not be imitated by anyone. Except those proficient in martial arts training and weapons, even then it shouldn't be imitated.

Chapter 6

*New Year's Day*

Bruce and Harley were the talk of the town: playboy settles with seamstress for orphans. It was all the rage for the past week, there was talk about if Harley was pregnant (boy were they off) about Bruce rushing things and a whole exaggerated amount of things pertaining to this.

"Geez I guess people get excited when famous people get married right?" Harley asked looking at her fiancé.

"You should've seen what happened during Ian York's marriage." Bruce smiled snaking his arm around Harley

"Yeah, the: brass band, the obscenely large ice sculptures…the five hundred spectators…the ridiculous dress code." Harley listed off laughing

"Speaking of spectators…" Bruce pointed to a large group of paparazzi flashing their cameras.

"Have you been giving them ninja techniques or something?" Harley joked pulling Bruce's hand

"No…run!" Bruce laughed running with her down the streets.

The paparazzi called out following them "Mr Wayne! Mr Wayne! Is it true Miss Harley's pregnant?" and amongst other questions as they ran asking ludicrous questions.

Above the roofs Catwoman saw the duo and she held a small harlequin plush from Flora Plush and clawed it to shreds "So; you've made your choice…you've chosen her." She threw the doll down into the trash. "But you won't enjoy it for long." She made the threat without anyone hearing her.

(Talia's POV)

Talia read the newspapers from the following week: Bruce Wayne to wed Harleen Quinzel, Playboy to Marry. Etc. she threw the pages away into the rubbish. "Mistress…do you need anything?" an assassin asked his mistress.

Talia had her thumbnail in her teeth and then turned to her soldier. "Harleen Quinzel: her heart in a box, her head on a spike and her carcass thrown in Pena Duro!" she spoke with anger while retaining her composure.

"As you wish Mistress." The assassin spoke readying to leave

"Not…you." Talia stopped him. "I want to end her with my own hands." she said clenching her fists.

"As you wish…Mistress" the assassin left leaving Talia alone.

(Hyde's POV)

"Here, Hyde. Looks like the Playboy's finally tying the knot…who'd thought it would be with this Quinzel woman of all people and not some floozy model or gold digger…though maybe she is." Copperhead was reading the papers that Hyde had kept safe.

Hyde glared at Copperhead though his mask and she wasn't paying attention. Hyde wanted to say: "Harleen is not a floozy or a gold digger." But he knew that saying that would give Waller incentive to go after her and Bruce so he just lied saying: "Yeah…with all that money and resources she'd be on easy street for life." He mentally punished himself while working on a new piece of kit.

In came Waller brandishing the latest newspaper "Is everything operational Hyde?" she asked looking over to her loyal pet.

"Near enough. The tech is ready, the armour is stitched and we've got a location on where he'll strike next." Hyde answered immediately.

"Good. The Rogue may have escaped us once; but now we're ready to induct him." Waller grinned then looked at the headlines and spoke them aloud "Bruce Wayne settles down with Harleen Quinzel; a match hand-stitched in heaven. A bit clichéd but it works…now where is the Rogue?" she asked Hyde

"He was in the vicinity of Wayne manor. Now he's down town Gotham. He's fighting…" Hyde began

"Solomon Grundy. At Bill's Armour and Tech, should be interesting." Waller answered

"Let him fight him. Why should we care?" Deadshot jeered

Hyde looked at the police cameras and saw something "Because Wayne and his fiancée are there right now!"

(Bruce's POV)

'Great, first: the paparazzi. Now: Grundy!' Bruce thought "He must've regenerated fully" he spoke getting Harley out of the way.

"Can't we ever have a normal day?" Harley asked knowing the answer Bruce smiled and ducked as Grundy threw large pieces of Bill's former store through a building.

"Grundy want Armour and Tech! Where tiny man? Grundy want revenge!" Grundy roared before being impaled by several throwing stars. "ARGH; Who hurt Grundy?" he looked around then was fell by the Rogue. "Sneaky Man! Grundy crush Sneaky Man!" he roared and crushed the ground where the Rogue was standing but the Rogue dodged. The Rogue back flipped his feet into Grundy's face knocking him backwards then getting his balance; the Rogue signalled Bruce and Harley to go away.

As Bruce and Harley went away they saw two pods dropping down onto the rooftop. "I figured you needed these." Barbara's voice called through Bruce's phone.

"Thanks Barbara." Bruce answered getting his armour on.

(Harleen's POV)

As Bruce and Harley were slipping into their costumes Harley thought to herself with a daydreaming happy smile 'He's mine…all mine…the kindness, the love…his hot abs…whoa! Grundy first. Admire Bruce's ass later.' She snapped back to reality. Harley and Bruce were gone and Batman and Bat-Shard appeared, they flew down and landed to the floor to see the Rogue being thrown by Grundy.

Grundy threw the Rogue into a car; even the pain from that didn't make him groan in pain. "Grundy smarter now! Grundy break Sneaky Man!" he laughed raising his left foot. "Argh!" he called in pain

"That's enough Grundy!" Bat-Shard ordered throwing a Shard-Star into his back.

"Grundy break Bats!" Grundy turned and ignored the Rogue and raged towards the duo.

As the two split apart Grundy landed between them and the Rogue struggled to rise but was held up by Bat-Shard "Didn't your mother tell you not to mess with killer zombies?" the Rogue got himself up and nodded at Shard then grapple gunned his way to the roof trying to work through the pain. "His eyes…Batman!" she wondered then saw her fiancée fighting Grundy.

(Bruce's POV)

'Shard has the Rogue under wraps. I've got to maintain Grundy.' Batman thought while punching Grundy in his oversized stomach "When did you get stronger?" Batman questioned Grundy

"Grundy get smarter, Grundy get stronger. Tech Man crush Grundy; Grundy crush Tech Man!" Grundy explained swinging his fists down towards Batman. "Strength from home; crush Bat!" Grundy roared again but the zombie was landed upon by Bat-Shard again ploughing him into the ground.

"Good timing." Batman thanked his partner

"Any time." Bat-Shard smiled

"Grundy…crush little…huh?" Grundy strained getting up then his back was poked at by someone.

"Knock, knock." Spoke the voice as it punched Grundy in the back blowing his stomach into the next building.

"ARGH!" Grundy roared, as Batman and Bat-Shard were revolted and holding back their vomit.

"*tutting* Grundy…you never learn." The voice spoke.

It was Jekyll!

"All this time waiting for a dead man? Bill is dead, you've wasted time." Jekyll spoke as Grundy tried to get up but Hyde crushed Grundy's head in with a single punch just like with Bill on Halloween night.

"Okay…that was overkill Jekyll!" Bat-Shard spoke in direction of the helmeted armour goliath.

"Maybe; but zombies still come back until you destroy their brains." Jekyll spoke then he turned to the Bat themed vigilantes "Where is the Rogue?"

'*groan* not this again.' Batman thought then he spoke "We don't know. And why does Waller want him anyway?"

"That's the thing Batman: Why does Waller want him? The answer is obvious: she wants him for The Squad. That's why." Jekyll answered

"Bill, we can help you. Whatever hold she has on you we can help!" Bat-Shard tried to explain

(Waller's POV)

She overheard everything over the radio in Jekyll's helmet 'How the Hell does she know who you were?!' she thought "Ask her about Anduril?" she ordered.

(Jekyll's POV)

Jekyll remained quiet and then spoke "You know…I'm proud of you Anduril…you've really made something of yourself." He spoke like an older brother "Now one last time: Where. Is. The Rogue?"

Bat-Shard defended "We don't know."

Jekyll looked down at the ground and sighed "I know…he's tricky to pin down. I'm sorry for what happens next." Jekyll gripped his head and felt the transformation into Hyde. His screams and or roar transformed him into his Bane sized figure

(Waller's POV)

"They don't know? Then force them to tell!" Waller commanded Jekyll and she pushed a button on her computer. "We tried it your way Jekyll; now it's Hyde's turn." And she saw Jekyll transform into Hyde.

(Bruce's POV)

"Shard we have to stop him, now!" Batman said seeing his friend turn into an enemy.

Bat-Shard did a double take on her fiancé, she didn't want to hurt Bill but at the same time she didn't want to be destroyed by Hyde. "I-I don't know if I can." Shard answered

Hyde roared "Grab, Bats. Grab Rogue. Stop pain!" Hyde rushed towards to Batman and Bat-Shard but they dodged them and crushed into his former store. The store fell down on top of him and seemingly crushing him.

"Bill…" Shard whispered as she saw her friend seemingly crushed by his old life.

"He's not dead yet. He's survived worse." Batman was wary.

The Rogue saw Hyde punching through the rubble and roared out in pain "ARGH! Hyde break…Hyde break…" Hyde saw the rubble he saw a small gadget and started to slow down; he then saw the Rogue "Hyde. Catch. Rogue!" Hyde roared throwing the gadget away grabbing at the Rogue. But were inches away and felt his back being pressed upon ploughing him downwards.

The Rogue used what appeared to be an electric stun gun and pressed it against his neck as the voltage jerked through Hyde roared and Bat-Shard raced over to stop him. "Let go of him!" as he released the pressure Hyde shrunk down to Jekyll and was unconscious for a spell. The Rogue went to unlock the latches on Jekyll's helmet but left them alone and left the helmet alone. Bat-Shard tried to wake him but was taken aback by Batman. "What if he's…?"

"The mask." Batman said pulling Jekyll onto a sitting position "Oracle, we…we've got cargo coming back to the cave."

Ivy's voice came through "Bill?" she asked

"Bloom? Where's Oracle?" Batman asked

"She's out…I'll prep the cave." Nightbloom answered

"Thanks Red." Shard answered as the unconscious Jekyll, Batman and Bat-Shard entered the Batmobile.

(Waller's POV)

She slammed her fist onto the computer "Damn! That damn Rogue is more trouble than he's worth! And with the tracker destroyed I can't follow Hyde!"

(Harleen's POV)

*hours later*

'Thank god no reporters or paparazzi followed us. Bill needs help.' Harley thought as he lay on the table unconscious. "Why did the Rogue aim for his helmet?" she asked

"Because of what's hidden inside Harl." Ivy spoke solemnly holding her boyfriend's hand.

"What's hidden inside Red?" Harley asked

"*groan*…Where…where am I?" Bill groaned

"Somewhere safe." Ivy spoke softly

"Well; you're awake." Bruce spoke

"Remind me: never wear insulating clothes around electrics." Bill joked and groaned

"Why…?" Ivy spoke "Why go after The Rogue?"

"*sigh* it's good to see you too Ivy. Oof!" Bill was jumped upon by Venus

"Attack hug!" Venus smiled hugging her genetic donor/father

"*groan* hey baby girl." Bill groaned getting up "I told Harley and Bruce: she wants him for the Squad."

"Dad…why do you wear that helmet?" Venus asked politely.

"Venus…" Ivy frowned from her daughter's question knowing the answer.

"Because it keeps me from scaring you." Bill answered "Ivy take Venus out of here…I don't want her to see this."

Ivy nodded and ushered their kid into the next room. "That bad huh?" she gave a saddened smile

"Bill?" Harley asked

"From what I'm about to show you…must never leave this room." Bill spoke in all seriousness

"Of course. Sure." Bruce and Harley answered

Bill aimed for the latches on his helmet and slowly unlocked them. He never stopped looking at the engaged couple. He removed the helmet and what Bruce and Harley saw…opened their eyes to a sight they couldn't un-see.

To be continued

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