"Gee, the earth sure is bright, huh?" asked the Joker, using his hand to shield himself from the sun as he walked next to Harleen in a meadow. "I'm not used to all this sunlight after living for a hundred years in the Underworld."

"I think it's too bright most of the time," agreed Harleen. "Mother controls the sun and the rain to give optimal growth to her plants, and she always errs on the side of the sun, rather than the rain. But I prefer overcast days myself – light spring rain is the secret ingredient in making the season perfect."

"I didn't know that," said Joker. "But then I'm still getting used to the concept of weather – we don't have that in the Underworld."

"Yeah, enough about my job – let's talk about yours," said Harleen. "It must be fascinating, being in charge of death. My job is all about giving life, so I'm really intrigued by the opposite of that."

"I guess opposites do attract," agreed Joker. "Not that we're attracted or anything," he added, hastily. "I know your mother wouldn't approve of anything like that…"

"No, she wouldn't," said Harleen, smiling at him. "But I'm a goddess now, so I don't go around seeking approval from anyone."

"It's a good attitude to take, all right!" chuckled Joker. "Well, I try to take pleasure in my work where I can. It's always fun to greet people when they arrive, and to watch them react when they realize they're dead. There's lots of variation there – a few people accept it with good grace, but most people freak out. I like watching that, usually with a bag of popcorn. And there are all kinds of places they can end up – a lotta people are just stuck wandering around, but the Elysian Fields are nice. That's where the heroes get to go – Bats's decision, not mine, by the way. And Tartarus is always fun to visit, also with a bag of popcorn. That's where the wicked are punished, and I have a very creative mind where that's concerned, believe me."

"I do," said Harleen, nodding. "I'd like to see all that sometime, if you'll let me visit you."

"Really?" asked Joker. "Are you sure? I would have thought seeing so much death would creep people out, especially people who used to be mortal."

"But I'm not a mortal anymore," said Harleen. "So I'll never get to see the Underworld unless you let me visit. It sounds like a fascinating place."

"Well, we got a lotta rivers, so you might like that if you like rain and stuff," said Joker. "Y'know, they're made outta water, sorta. There's one made outta fire, and one that makes you forget stuff, so that's pretty cool. I should let your mom take a bath in that one, so she can forget all that time we spent stuck together in Daddy's stomach!" he laughed. "She might hate me less then."

"I don't care what she thinks, and neither should you," said Harleen. "I don't hate you, and that's all that matters."

"You probably would if you were stuck in a small space with me for a lotta years!" chuckled Joker.

"No, I don't think so," said Harleen. "I think I'd enjoy being anywhere with you for a lotta years. Maybe even forever."

She took his hand, and the flowers underneath their entwined hands began to blossom. "That's…uh…a neat trick," said Joker, slipping his hand out of hers. "The…uh…plants react to your emotions, huh?"

"Yes," said Harleen, nodding. "They feel what I feel."

"Not a trick you could use in the Underworld – nothing grows down there," said Joker. "It's all dark and gloomy and dead. Pretty depressing place, really, and a place I can't imagine someone like you liking very much."

"You seem happy enough there," said Harleen.

"Well, it's a matter of principle for me," retorted Joker. "Bats thinks he can crush my spirit – that's why he put me down there, to do just that, and I'm not going to give him that satisfaction. Anyway, there are upsides to every job, even the seemingly most depressing ones. Like I said, I enjoy greeting the mortals and watching their reactions. Sometimes I film them to watch over and over. Sometimes I offer 'em their lives back if they do an impossible task, which they never can. Sisyphus is still trying!" he chuckled. "It's just fun to play pranks like that on people. I guess that's why they call me the Joker!"

They had left the meadow, and came upon a shepherd guarding his flock. The shepherd noticed Harleen first, and beamed. "Most beautiful and gracious goddess of spring," he said, bowing deeply. "I am honored by your presence…"

"Yeah, likewise, sport!" chuckled Joker. The shepherd noticed him, and paled.

"Oh…gods!" he stammered. "Has death come for me already?"

"Yep, cut off in your prime, pal!" said Joker, beaming at him. "Sucks, huh? Bet you had all kinds of great plans for your life, but now you won't be able to accomplish any of 'em, so the joke's on you! Hope you made the most of the time you had, because it's all run out now! Surprise!"

The shepherd stared at him in horror, and then suddenly clutched at his heart. "Oooh, heart attack, nice!" exclaimed Joker.

"How are you doing that?" asked Harleen.

"I'm not," retorted Joker. "He is," he added, nodding at the shepherd gasping for breath. "Fear of death breaks mortals like that – dreading the thing is actually worse than experiencing it, and then that same dread is usually the thing that kills them. They're a complete joke like that. Well, might as well put him out of his misery," he sighed, heading over to the shepherd and poking him on the forehead. The man fell down dead instantly.

"Wow, that's a really effective power you got there," said Harleen, staring at the body. "Does it work on all living things?"

"I'd show you, but I'm guessing you don't want your flowers murdered by me," said Joker. "But let's just say that if you want lamb for dinner, we are in luck," he added, gazing around the flock.

"I guess that's why mortals are so afraid of you, if you can kill people by touching them," said Harleen. "Who wouldn't be afraid of someone with power like that?"

"Yeah, it's pretty great," agreed Joker. "Lucky you ain't a mortal anymore, huh?" he asked, turning to grin at her. "Or you holding my hand would be a death sentence."

"I'd still do it," replied Harleen, grinning back.

"Like to live dangerously, huh?" chuckled Joker.

"Well, I guess I can, now that I'm immortal," replied Harleen. "There's no danger for me anymore, really."

"Depends on what you mean by danger, toots," replied Joker with a smile.

She smiled back. "So what happens to him now?" she asked, bending down to get a good look at the body. "Is there a waiting room in the Underworld while you're away?"

"Yeah, my most twisted invention yet!" laughed Joker. "It's just a long corridor with blank walls that you can't see the end of. If I'm not there, once you get to the front, it just sends you straight to the back of the line again."

"I can see why people are afraid of that. I've never seen such fear in a mortal's eyes," commented Harleen. "Nobody's ever been afraid of me - I just get worshipped constantly."

"Must be nice," said Joker. "Nobody has ever worshipped me."

"It's fine," sighed Harleen. "You just get sick of it after awhile. I guess that's the curse of immortality – if everything drags on forever, there's no novelty anymore, and you get sick of everything eventually."

"Unless you make your own novelty, kiddo," replied Joker. "That's what I do – I invent all kinds of new games and fun ways to torture the people sent to me. That never gets old, and my natural ingenuity is always thinking up new ways to bring joy into the gloomy old Underworld."

"Like I said, I'd love to visit sometime," said Harleen.

"Yeah, I can maybe arrange that," said Joker, nodding. "As long as you don't tell your mother, or she'd sprout a tree. And as long as you eat before you visit – there's some stupid rule, again made by Bats, that if you eat food in the Underworld, you're stuck there forever. So you don't wanna accidentally do that or anything."

"No," agreed Harleen, with a smile. "I don't."