Two weeks earlier
"Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and everyday he doesn't, people will die... starting tonight. I'm a man of my word..."
"Harlene"
HEHEHAHAHAHA
"Harlene!"
"Oh! Sorry, Natasha. I was miles away..."
Harlene Quinzel snapped back to reality from what seemed like the strangest dream. Ever since the Joker's threat aired that afternoon it was all she could think about. The sun was setting over the skyscrapers, barely noticed by the crowd socializing at the top of Bruce Wayne's penthouse. Everyone was gathered for Harvey Dent's reelection fundraiser. Bruce had given her friend Natasha a personal invitation and told her she could bring a friend if she liked. Natasha had chosen Harlene, desperate to get her out to meet people while she was still in Gotham. Honestly, Harlene could hardly wait until Cirque du Doli and The Moscow Ballet moved on to the next town...
"Come with me Darling. We should say hello to Harvey at least once before the night is over." Natasha said with a thick Russian accent.
"I've never even met the guy, Natasha. How do you know he's not just bribing Bruce to give him all this positive publicity?"
"Because I've met him, Harlene, and he is actually quite an agreeable man. Bruce and I had dinner once with him and miss Dawes. Ah- there they are..."
"Natasha, I really don't-", Natasha took Harlene by the arm and dragged her through the crowd to where Harvey stood. One of his hands was occupied by a champaigne glass recently aquired from Bruce Wayne's butler. He seemed to be frantically searching the crowd for someone.
"Mr. Dent-", Natasha began. But before she could get his attention everyone became focused on the landing pad outside, where the thunderous din of a helicopter faded to a stop as the blades on the top slowed to a halt. Out of the chopper stepped Bruce Wayne, and four of his closest floozies.
"Really, Bruce..." Natasha muttered under her breath.
"Oh yeah, He seems like a great judge of character." teased Harlene, earning her an elbow to the side from Natasha, who was watching Bruce intently.
"I'm sorry that I'm late, I'm glad you all got started without me. Now where is Harvey..." Bruce said with a air of grandeur as his companions helped themselves to some champaigne. "Ah, Harvey Dent, the Man of the Hour. And where is Rachel Dawes?" A slim brunette stepped out of the crowd and joined Harvey, who held out his arm for her to take. While Bruce gave a small speech, Harlene's paranoia crept up on her once again.
"LOOK AT ME"
"Natasha..." Harlene shifted uncomfortably.
"...this is how crazy Batman's made Gotham..."
"Natasha." she was now gripping he friend's shoulder.
"What is it, Darling? I'm trying to listen."
"That thing on the news..."
Mr. Wayne finished his speech and the crowd broke up. Before Natasha could say hello to him he dashed off to the balcony outside, followed closely by Rachel Dawes.
"Oh, Harvey!" Natasha said, taking Harlene by the arm again.
"Natasha," Harvey said with a start as he turned to face her, "so nice to see you again."
She curtsied, sweeping back the long flowing skirt of her black gown. "I do hope your fundraiser goes well tonight. May I introduce you to a friend of mine-"
"I'm sorry Natasha, could you excuse me for just a moment? I seem to have misplaced my date..." Harvey said in a nervous fashion before scurrying off.
"Everyone's behaving so peculiarly today..." Natasha murmured.
"Maybe there's a good reason for that," interjected Harlene,"like, you know, that threat tape that was on the News?"
She must have let her uneasiness show a bit too much. Natasha put her hands on Harlene's shoulders.
"Harlene. You really have nothing to worry about. I know this isn't exactly the..." the older woman glanced to the side for a second,"most secure town in the world. But this is Bruce Wayne's establishment. We are perfectly safe up here."
"I guess..." Harlene conceded as she tucked a blonde spiral curl behind her ear.
But she was still unconvinced. As the night rolled onward the chatter of the partygoers became more and more incoherent. She could feel tension mounting in the air. Bruce was beginning to get uneasy as well. It seemed as though he was checking his cell phone every five minutes for messages. Harlene took to watching him when Natasha had become too drunk to carry on an intelligent conversation with. She reasoned that as long as Bruce wasn't panicking, she didn't need to. But that may not have been such a logical thing to think. What could this playboy billionaire possibly have to panic about?
At eight fifty-three that evening, Bruce Wayne began panicking.
Harlene noticed that he must have received a message after the fiftieth time he checked it, and he didn't seem happy about what it said. He went to his butler (she'd learned earlier that evening that his name was Alfred), and whispered something into his ear. A slight nod from Alfred, and Bruce had disappeared int the elevator nearby. Only minutes later, Harvey Dent was pulled away by an unseen pair of arms, much to Miss Dawes' dismay. Before Harleen could see her full reaction, however, the elevator at the far end of the room made a "ding" sound. Alfred moved toward the elevator doors as they opened, he and Harlene both assuming it was Bruce. It wasn't.
A loud shot cracked through the room, silencing everyone inside.
"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen..."
All eyes turned upon him. He seemed to feed off of their collective shock, striding through the room looking about as if he were an expected guest. He took an orderve from one of the tables and munched on it while his thugs, all clad in haphazard clown masks, moved in on the partygoers. He looked ridiculously menacing, to say the least, in his enormous purple overcoat and faintly green curly strands. Harlene hadn't noticed the makeup until he turned to her side of the room. The Joker.
"We are tonight's entertainment," he offered to the crowd, searching each of their faces," I only have one question. Where. is. Harvey. Dent?" The closer he came to the window-side of the room, the more petrified Harlene became. She was standing at the very front of the crowd, with no one to hide behind. Her heart raced as he moved towards her. It seemed as though he was looking right at her until he stopped two feet in front of her and a dark haired woman at her side. She tried her best to look away. She became so mesmerized that she couldn't help but stare directly at him, not at the scars on his cheeks, but into his dark shining eyes. They weren't looking at her. He took the glass of champaigne the woman next to her was holding, eliciting a small yelp from her. After one drink from it he slammed it down on a nearby table.
Harleen's attitude toward the whole situation quickly shifted. Not quite sure why she suddenly felt this way, she watched him now in fascination as he harassed random guests and helped himself to more orderves. As everyone shook in terror and silence she was worrying that the white dress she had worn didn't look classy enough. She found herself stressing over how ridiculous she'd just decided her hair looked.
Why did you have to curl your hair today? she thought to herself, wishing he would come near her again, You look like freaking Medusa!
One elderly victim seemed to be intoxicated enough to backtalk the Joker.
"We're not intimidated by your thugs!" he exclaimed.
The Joker stopped momentarily, slamming another glass down. "You know, you remind me of my father." He said before shoving his pocketknife against the man's mouth,"I hated my father!"
"Okay, stop." said a voice from the crowd. Rachel Dawes appeared at the front.
He stepped away from the man and left him to his goons, regarding the woman as if she were a buffet table.
"Well hello, Beautiful..." he leered provocatively. Harleen suddenly felt a wave of intense jealousy.
"You must be Harvey's squeeze, Hm?" he walked towards the brunette," And you are beautiful..."
Call me beautiful! She roared in her mind.
The Joker regaled Rachel with a story from his past which absolutely floored Harlene. At least until Miss Dawes saw an opportunity to strike him back.
"A little fight in you," he giggled," I like that-"
"Then you're gonna love me."
Batman seemed to appear from nowhere, knocking the Joker back a good ten feet. Harleen watched in horror as Batman tousled with the Joker and his goons until Miss Dawes was taken hostage and held over the edge of the balcony.
'Let her go." Batman demanded.
"Very poor choice of words" the Joker laughed as he flung her over, followed closely by the caped crusader. He set himself up for that one, Harleen thought to herself. Was she the only one that found that amusing?
"It's been fun everyone, but I really must be going," the Joker announced before dashing back towards the elevator," give Harvey my regards!"
Later that evening the authorities interrogated several people about what their thoughts were on what had taken place. It's a good thing they never asked Harleen, because they may have been disturbed by her answer.
He was amazing...