It was already the fourth act by the time Harley started to feel the beginnings of anticipation. She watched Hecate and the witches chant and torture Macbeth. Her thoughts became confused and muffled as she mulled over how very like the Thane of Cawdor she had been; content in her drawl life. But at the whisper of a mysterious visitor, someone that seemed to promise her more than she had ever dreamed, she began to fall. Kidnapping, killing and now plotting murder. No; murders. At the end of fourth act, she slipped down from the ceiling loft and into the women's dressing room.

There, she found Alison alone and struggling to get the gown on over the harness. Foolishly, she had insisted on not wearing the costume itself for practicing her suicide scene; because of this, she was only now discovering that the harness designed to keep her from actually dying when she jumped from the castle wall wouldn't fit under the gown Harley had made.

"Oh my god, where have you been? What am I supposed to do? Your stupid dress is too small for this harness! And I'm supposed to be on in 15 minutes"

Harley stared indifferently at the actress. Everything had suddenly clicked into place. Yes, she would be able to do what the Joker had instructed her to do, and not get too much blood on her hands.

"You don't need the harness-we can place the fall pads underneath you. It'll be more realistic that way

"You mean like in the first rehearsals?"

Harley thought for a moment before answering,

"Yes, just like in rehearsal"

"Ok, fine. Just make sure the techs know-I don't want to fall on the ground"

"Of course-that would be horrible"

Alison stared at Harley strangely before shaking herself, and taking off the dress and harness, then redonning the gown. Both girls turned towards the door as a tech in black peered in,

"Your cue's in five, Alison"

"I know that"

The tech ducked back out. Harley was surprised that they actually had personal cues-usually they just setup the two way radio. But then she looked over at Alison's desk-her radio was unplugged, with her ipod charging from that socket instead.

"Are you going to plug in your cue radio?"

"Are you gonna go set up the padding?"

Harley stared blankly for a moment-it wasn't her job to set up the pads-that was tech's work. But then again, if an actual tech did it, they'd set it up correctly. Which wasn't at all what Harley wanted. Alison rolled her eyes with annoyance,

"Oh, and extra pillows would be nice. My left arm got a little bruised in the last rehearsal"

"Right, oh, and Alison?"

"What?"

"Break a leg"

Harley winked at her, and with that walked out.

She didn't tell the tech crew about the change in plans. Redgie was tech leader, and would undoubtedly not allow Alison to fall without a harness. In all truth, what she'd told Alison would be perfectly safe. But certain variables would make it highly un-recommended. Harley planned on exploiting all those variables to their furthest degree of disaster. So, she quickly went to work setting up the pads and pillows. Normally, an old box king-size box spring was placed in the center. The whole thing was topped off with a glowing, neon X that only the actor directly above could see. Harley set up the gymnast pads, and the pillows, but not on top of the mattress. Instead, she rigged a sheet stretched across four chairs and carefully placed a few pillows and the glowing X on top. Alison would fall right through the sheet, and onto the floor.

She stepped back and looked at her handiwork. It looked exactly like the regular set up, the sheet was even the same stained, off-white as the mattress. Part of Harley told her that this probably enough, the Joker didn't really expect Harley to kill in cold blood. But the rest of her said this set up was clever, but wouldn't do the job. Alison would most likely survive the fall.

Just then, Harley heard the Siward give his last line before scene five;

"The time approaches
That will with due decision make us know
What we shall say we have and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate,
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:
Towards which advance the war"

Harley felt panic grip her; techs and actors would soon be swarming the spot, but the trap still wasn't set. She heard a board creak, then she had it,

"Of course! All these boards are removable for the trap doors"

She quickly darted under the sheet, pulled out the four floor boards beneath the sheet and crawled back out. As she brushed the dust off her knees, Redgie walked over,

"What's going on?"

Thinking quickly, Harley provided an answer,

"Alison just wanted some extra precautions. So, I set up the fall pads for her. Is that okay?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but why didn't you just have the techs do it? You should be up there with her, hooking up that harness"

Harley repressed an eyebrow twitch when he told her how to do her job, but simply replied,

"I didn't want to bug you guys-you're all so busy. Besides, I've already got her all set up with the harness"

He sighed, seeming satisfied with her story.

"Alright. But don't worry about breaking it down-I'll have my crew take care of that. You should be back in the dressing rooms after this scene, helping Macbeth and Young Siward with their blood packs"

"Of course"

Harley turned and left then. It was all she could do to control her anger. How could she have ever thought so much of Redgie, much less love him? He was such a pompous little prick, with 'his crew' and telling her what she ought to be doing. Just like he'd been telling her how to live her life for the last year. As Harley returned to her spot in the loft, she checked the handgun again. It still had three bullets.

The next thirty-seven minutes were the most surreal thing Harley had ever experienced, but at the same time, life had never felt more solid, more tangible.