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.
Chapter 18
(Harley's POV)
*March Thirty First*
Time for looking at dresses were getting hectic; Harley was making her own dress from scratch, she had planned the designs of it ever since she tried to make that video to audition to be Batman's new sidekick. "Oh god…I can't think of anything!" Harley stressed as she tried to envision her wedding dress. She had designed almost regal or ladies in waiting dresses for Ivy and Barbara since she wanted them to be her bride's maids and a wonderful dress for Venus since she was the flower girl.
Barbara's was a beautiful light blue dress that seemed to literally cascade into an ocean; Ivy's and Venus's dresses were forest green to complement their flora heritage and was motived with embroidered flowers and vines. "It's about three weeks until my big day and I'm already turning into a Bridezilla!" Harley groaned she looked at the empty mannequin and sighed.
"Miss Quinzel?" An employee called out to his boss as she turned to surprise him. "Erm…Miss Ivy is here."
"Thanks Ryan…sorry I'm just stressed." Harley sighed again.
"Understandable, I've seen three of my family members get majorly stressed out with all the prep work." Ryan gave his relief and left to let Ivy in the room.
The two friends looked at each other and Ivy hugged Harley with one arm as she leaned into her. "Tough work trying to find the right design?" Ivy asked
"Yeah Red; I just don't know what'll do justice with Bruce." Harley explained pointing at her previous designs.
Ivy smiled and looked at Harley's eyes "Harley, Bruce loves you. He'd love you if you dressed in your old attire." Ivy indicated her old costume as Harley Quinn
"That'll never happen…I doubt that Bruce would want his future wife being dressed as a psychotic clown." Harley grinned slightly. She got up and picked up her old drawing of her and Bruce being married as Batman and, a by then unknown, Bat-Shard. "That's it…" Harley whispered
"Something tells me you've settled on something that may be quite crazy but a whole lot of fun." Ivy smiled
(Bruce's POV)
Dick, Tim and Bruce were sorting out the seating arrangements and invitations as Alfred and Sonia were making tea. "So what make you think that Harley will agree to this?" Dick asked looking at where he would be sat: with Barbara and her father.
"Consider yourself lucky, I was thinking about putting you with Tim after what you and Barbara were up to the other week." Bruce gave a direct answer
"La-la-la; don't need to hear this!" Tim said holding his ears with his hands, trying to keep his mind free from any adult thoughts regarding Barbara and Dick.
"I agree, you three have been working all week with this. Miss Harley should be part of this, don't you think Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as Sonia placed down three different tea cups.
"I know Alfred but Harley insisted that she handle the dresses while I worked the seating arrangements." Bruce explained as he imbibed the tea.
"Such confidence in you Master Bruce." Sonia commented "She obviously has good judgement in this matter."
Bruce nodded and answered "she most certainly does." Just then the phone rang "I'll get that, you two sit down for a minute." Bruce walked over to the phone and answered it. "Bruce Wayne…"
"A: bat themed wedding!" Harley's voice excitedly called down the phone
"Harley? A bat themed wedding; isn't that a bit of a red flag?" Bruce asked expressing his concern
"Think about it: no-one has ever had this sort of thing before. We'd be in motived styles of dress ware…I mean obviously: Ivy, Venus and Barbara's dresses remain the same but…what do you think?" Harley enthused then calmed down. She heard nothing but silence; in an attempt to break it she called to her fiancé "Bruce…*sigh* okay, I get it…I'm sorry. It's just I hoped to make something memorable, I drew something a long time ago and just got caught up with it."
"Harley…you're absolutely mad." Bruce said without a smile. But then he smiled "But that is why I love you."
"So…you like it? You really do?" Harley asked with hope
"Yeah…just try not to make it too obvious on who's underneath the veil." Bruce reassured her
"Squeal! Thank you, thank you, thank you Bruce; I promise I'll be subtle!" Harley promised as she hung up. Bruce smiled and put the phone down on its holster.
"So…a: bat themed wedding? Original." Dick commented
"Anything you want to say Dick?" Bruce asked sternly
"No…well one thing…I'm not wearing anything Red, Green and Yellow at the reception!" Dick joked as Tim laughed off his chair.
(Bill's POV)
Bill walked down to Gotham's Botanical Gardens cloaked once again in his large overcoat waiting to meet someone other than Ivy. He sat down by an empty seated chess match "This seat taken?" he asked the patron opposite. The overcoat dressed figure allowed him to sit there. "You're taking a big risk meeting here."
"You're taking an even bigger risk Bill." The figure spoke. It was Johnathan Crane; he took the queen side rook. "Remember that guard you crippled?"
"What about him?" Bill answered moving a pawn.
"He's gotten treatment…black market treatment. Someone fixed him back up and he's now working at Arkham again…still he's still got the shakes after what happened to him." Crane answered taking the pawn with a bishop.
"So a paranoid prison beater is working in the Asylum again; this isn't news." Bill answered taking the Knight with his pawn.
"He said he wouldn't walk again. Someone with enough medical knowledge has made the impossible possible." Crane warned Bill.
"Tommy Elliot?" Bill asked and Crane nodded as he took Bill's king side bishop "I thought he was in there with you."
"The thing about Arkham: there's always a back door to someone who looks hard enough." Crane answered indicating himself and certain others.
Bill waited till the observers of the Orchids went past them to speak. "So…who sprung Tommy?" Bill asked quietly
"Word on the grapevine says it was two very beautiful women. That's all they're saying. I'm sorry." Crane apologised as he lead up for a checkmate. Bill examined the playing field; there was literally no escape for his king. Bill toppled his king in defeat he looked at Crane and extended his hand. Crane accepted it and shook it. "Sometimes there is no way out." Bill nodded as Crane left back for Arkham.
Bill sighed and looked over to the flowers opposite him; he sighed and gazed at them one at a time: Marigolds, Poppies and Rue flowers. "You know there is a symbolism for each of those." Bill turned to see Ivy behind him in street attire.
"Really…remind me again?" Bill asked kindly
"Marigolds mean pain and grief. Poppies have multiple meanings…but those ones mean: eternal sleep, oblivion or imagination." Ivy said with a heavy heart as she placed her hand on Bill's shoulder.
"And the last ones: the Rue flowers?" Bill asked putting his hand on hers, turning his head towards her.
"They mean: regret, sorrow or repentance." Ivy answered looking down on her boyfriend.
Bill sighed and looked to the ground "Looks like fate has something planned for me."
"I thought you didn't believe in fate?" Ivy asked as Bill got up from his chair.
"I don't…but there are too many red flags to ignore." Bill mentioned as they walked through the garden.
They spent hours through the garden, eating at the café, talking about Harley and Bruce's wedding, other symbolic meanings behind the flowers and finally: sitting under the oak tree near the centre of the park a leaf fell to the ground and Bill picked it up. Ivy cuddled next to him "An oak leaf…it means strength. You'll be fine Bill…" she tried to comfort him
Bill twirled the leaf between his fingers and looked towards the Bird's-foot trefoil…Bill remembered what they symbolised: revenge and what he's lived with and who desires revenge on him. He sighed then looked at Ivy. "Dependence, endurance, faithfulness…"
"You remembered my flower…" Ivy smiled
"Always." Bill said moving his mask upwards and leaned in to kiss Ivy. They maintained it until a bouquet of flowers dropped on them. "What the…?" Bill wondered
"Looks like someone's got an admirer." Ivy said playfully
"Yeah but I'm taken." Bill said as they examined the bouquet "Any ideas on these…?"
"Yeah…but it's late. You've got to get back." Ivy said with regret.
"Yeah…But it's been the best day off yet." Bill smiled as he pulled the mask back down, hugged Ivy and left for the Squad.
*Back at the Suicide Squad HQ*
Bill arrived back at the HQ; Floyd and Slade were working on their equipment and working in the gym. Copperhead was getting her practice in; Frost was nowhere to be seen. "Yo. Has anyone seen Frost?" Bill called out.
"Nah…she said something about finding a toy…didn't bother asking." Floyd answered
'Finding a toy…' Bill thought "Fine…never mind." Answering Deadshot; Bill entered his workshop and twirled the oak leaf in his fingers looking longingly at it. "You know it's rude to sneak into someone's room Louise."
Frost emerged from Bill's closet and wrapped her arms around him "Can't blame a girl for trying…honey." She playfully spoke.
"I've got someone already." Bill remained committed to Ivy putting the oak leaf down gently.
"I know…this Ivy woman…unusual tastes in women." Frost slipped her arms away from him
"And you've got bad tastes in men." Bill retorted meaning himself.
"Can't help it you're different" Louise smiled "What say I spend the night here and play twenty questions?" Bill didn't answer "Spoilsport." And Frost left.
"She's crazy…" Bill said to himself but then heard Waller call them for another mission "but Waller's insane."
(No-one's POV)
A blonde haired girl was strapped to a table she was crying, struggling to free herself as she saw several shadowed figurines in the corner. A man came from the shadows with his assistant with several medical tools by their side. "Now my dear…just relax there's nothing to be afraid of." The girl pleaded for her life through the mouth gag.
"It seems that she doesn't like being here father." The assistant who, from her voice, was female.
"Yes my dear…" he answered her and he carefully activated the anaesthetic device. "But she doesn't have to worry anymore. She'll be art." He sneered as the girl fell to sleep, but fighting to stay conscious.
(Harley's POV)
Harley put the final stitches on her dress. "There, finished." It was perfect: the bat motif was subtle but noticeable; the train was styled with ivy stems, the lace on her arms were like spider webs with snow and the veil like velvet snow. Harley imagined the dress on her person: walking down the aisle dancing to her and Bruce's song and finally becoming man and wife. "Come the twenty third, it'll all be worth it." She carefully stroked the dress.
Harley drove back to the mansion with a wonderful sigh. She was welcomed by Alfred "Ah, Miss Harley; glad to see that you're alright. Master Bruce was getting quite worried."
"He shouldn't it's going to be wonderful." Harley answered with a smile.
(No-one's POV)
*hours passed*
The two mysterious persons had finished there dark deed. "So my dear daughter…who is next for the collection?" he asked removing his gloves from his hands.
"I'm glad you asked father. I've been sitting on this for quite some time. Her." The girl assistant said, passing her father a photograph.
He examined it and his glasses covered eyes lit up "My, my, my…such a rare beauty. Such radiant hair, those porcelain features she may need a touch up…no, why ruin such an exotic creature. She's perfect." The father said.
"Good; because I know how to find her." The assistant smiled as she was handed back the photograph. She looked at the new mannequin, the same blonde hair as the girl but the figure was dressed in a baby blue southern belle dress complete with umbrella.
To be continued
I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as I have writing it.
Please leave reviews and favourites for these stories they really help.
And thank you to all the people who have reviewed and followed my story thus far.
The next chapter coming up soon.
Thank you