Dr. Arkham was speaking loudly and pompously for the sake of the security cameras. "And through this gate is the Maximum Security wing, where the dangerous criminals, such as Jonathan Crane, Carmine Falcone, and our newest guest, the 'Joker', take residence." "Might we take a look, Doctor?" Harley also spoke loudly, as she looked around, taking mental note of fire, security cameras and microphones. "Oh, I don't know, Miss... it's very dangerous-" "I'm sure I will be safe with you, Doctor Arkham." "Of course you will be dear," He smiled and opened the gate with his security pass, then layed it on the table. They walked through it and down the hallway. He showed her a door. "This is Carmine Falcone's cell. He's rather unstable." Falcone cried out from inside the cell,"Scarecrow! NOOO get him away from me! Aaaah!" Harley and Dr. Arkham moved on. "This is Jonathan Crane, formerly a doctor here at Arkham Asylum. He's been avoiding apprehension under the psudemonium 'scarecrow'." Crane looked out at Harley. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Harley took a step back. If he blew her cover... "No, I don't believe so. I'm Harleen Quinzel with the Gotham Times." "Harleen Quinzel," he stared at her; she stared back. "Hmm, must have mistaken you for someone else, my apologies." Dr. Arkham escorted Harley to the last cell. "This cell is occupied by The Joker. He is a very interesting subject." Harley stepped up to the door. Sure enough, the Joker sat on the cot in his orange jumpsuit. He glanced up at Harley and Dr. Arkham. "Good Morning, Doctor. It it already time for my 'medication'?" Dr. Arkham checked his watch. "Not quite. You'll have to wait a few more hours." The joker nodded, smacking his lips. "I see you have a guest, doc. Are you showing the lady around your little Zoo?" Harley couldn't take her eyes off him; she couldn't believe it was actually him. She was so close to him, she could almost reach out and touch him. "And who might you be, beautiful?" Maybe he'd recognize her name. "I'm Harleen Quinzel, Mr. Joker, with the Gotham Times." "Harleen... Quinzel," Suddenly, she realized HE may blow her cover. She held her breath, waiting for it to happen... "That's a lovely name for a lovely woman. You look nervous; it's the scars, isn't it?" She relaxed. "No, Mr. Joker, it's not the scars-" "Wanna know how I got 'em?" Dr. Arkham decided to intercede then. "Miss Quinzel, we need to move on, there's still so much for me to show you." He led her away and out of the high security wing. They were going down another hallway, Dr. Arkham seemingly rattling on and on about different aspects of Arkham Asylum and not really paying attention to her. She fell back, pretending to look at a bulletin board on the wall. As soon as the doctor was out of site, she hurried back to the high security wing. She picked up the security pass he left on the table and opened the gate, walking swiftly toward the Joker's cell. ~I'll ask again... won't you come and join the dance?~ She replied out loud reflexively, "I'm a lousy dancer." "Is that so?" The Joker quipped out from his cell. "That's good, because I stink at dancing too. Welcome back, beautiful." Once again, she was struck by how close she was to him. She reached up to touch the glass, wanting to touch him, forgetting all about the security pass in her hand. "I suppose you're only here to get the 'inside scoop' on me, though. Oh, how you people try to use me!" "No, that... that's not it at all," she lowered her voice. "I'm not really a reporter-" "Then what are you doing here? Come to see the 'freak'? Because I'm all over the news... at least, I hope I am." "I'm here to bust you out." He looked at her incredulously, then looked at the door handle. "Well, then, by all means, work your magic, Harleen Quinzel. I hope you can get me through security." She held up the security pass Dr. Arkham left behind. "I think we'll manage." She quickly used it to unlock his cell. ~Leaving so soon? But we were just BEGINNING our fun!~ "Come on, let's go," she grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the gate. "Hey, Quinn, let me out! Please!" Crane beat on his cell door. She sighed and scanned the card to let him out too. "Thanks!" he said, and ran ahead of them. "Crane, wait... hey!" She cried out to him, growling in aggravation. "Oh-ho, I see you know some of the guys in here better than you let on, missy!" The Joker said. "Better than even you know right now," she murmured. They quickly followed Crane out the security gate, but instead of going down the hallway where he went, Harley led Joker to the nearby fire exit. Before she opened the door, however, he stopped her hand and pulled the fire alarm, then pushed her out the cacophony of alarms was almost unbearable, but it got them across the yard and to the main gate unnoticed. They crouched down and waited, and as soon as the gate was open to let the fire trucks in, Harley grabbed his hand and pulled him outside into the Gotham streets. They ran as fast as they could until she had to stop. ~I'll see you both again, soon enough, don't worry, my friends.~ "Well, Harleen Quinzel, I thank you for helping me out of there, but i have anarchy to create so-" The Joker took a theatrical bow and started walking off. "WAIT, you can't just GO! I've been waiting too long to-" "To what? Meet me in person? Well, like I said, thank you, beautiful. Maybe we'll meet again some day," he replied with a laugh and started walking again. She gritted her teeth. "Jack, stop." He froze in his tracks and turned his head to look back at her. "What did you call me?" She reached up and pulled the wig and glasses off, revealing her blonde hair and blue eyes, then peeled off the thin, rubbery makeup to reveal her scars. "It's me. Please, don't leave me." He looked at her, or rather glared, as she walked closer to him. He took a step back. "Jack is dead now. It's Joker!" He smiled wickedly. "But I took your advice. I smile more now, Pooh! I'm always smiling! Oh, but you didn't like my new smile, so YOU left ME... and now I will leave you." "No! Please! Don't leave! I can explain-" "Go right ahead, then! Explain." "I didn't leave because of you... I left because of ME! I didn't want you to have to look at THIS," she pointed to her scarred face,"every day for the rest of our lives! And... and when you did that... I couldn't handle it! I needed to be alone... to understand WHY you would do something like that to yourself! I always wanted to come back, and when I did, you were gone. I'm sorry! I want you, and I need you." "You want me, and you NEED me? There isn't anything else there?" he licked his lips. "I... I love you." He raised his eyebrows. "And I'm supposed to believe that.. how? You left Me, remember... how can you prove to me that you really do love me?" She took a step back. How indeed? "I'll do anything." "You see, I can't be with someone who isn't at least almost as fun as I am! Prove to me, and to all of Gotham, that we belong together; that nothing will stand between you and me." With that, he walked off, leaving Harley shellshocked, hailing a taxi and Pulling the poor cabbie out of the driver's seat, stealing his car and saying,"Excuse me, I wanna drive!" The guy yelled out, and started running after the taxi, but gave up really fast. He saw Harley, and ran up to her. "Did you SEE that? Oh, lady, ya gotta help me out! My boss is gonna kill me!" She sighed and reached into her handbag, pulling out a handgun and aiming it at him. "No, I am."
=BLAM!=
She didn't care who saw; actually, she hoped lots of people saw. She stowed the gun back into her purse and pulled out a permanent marker and lipstick, using them to draw the Joker's face over the dead man's. Then, she ripped open his shirt and started writing:
He's my Clown Prince of Crime, I'm his Queen of Hearts.
Nothing will keep us apart... Nothing and Nobody.
3 Harley Quinn
She stood up and calmly walked away from the scene, barely noticing the screams as they erupted.