Daria brushed her bangs back from her eyes as she gave herself one last brief look in the mirror. To say she looked like hell would be a little cruel but partially true. Her eyes were half open but not from her usual boredom instead from exhaustion. After having the nightmare she couldn't get back to sleep for long time all the while she kept getting this eerie feeling that someone was watching her. Daria yawned loudly, stretching her arms high over her head before slowly dragging herself out into the hall with the rest of her class.

Everyone was still buzzing from the day before. Other then Tommy Sherman most of them had never known anybody who had died and they all agreed…it was pretty intense. Daria threw her back against the hallway wall within seconds Jane materialized beside her.

"Hard night?"

"Of course not," she said, "I love lying in bed wide awake with the images of twitching corpses preventing me from even closing my eyes."

"I thought you liked twitching corpses." As Jane spoke Daria's eyes fell a little and she let her head fall onto her friend's shoulder.

"Looks like you're doing better now." Jane commented pushing Daria off of her. Slowly making their way forward with the rest of the cattle the two headed down the stairs.

The class entered the lobby to find Miss Lee ranting into her cell phone, "Well we ARE one chaperon short now! As the administrator of Lawndale High I cannot have this! Yes…yes…SPLENDID!" She flipped it shut and muttered, "Bitch." She seemed to notice her students for the first time at that moment.

"Oh hello students! Today we will be taking a tour of Wayne enterprises; it took a lot string pulling to get that scheduled again, and the world famous Gotham museum of fine arts and finally Gotham University!" Daria and Jane looked at each other as the principal talked.

The first stop was Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne came down and apologized, "I'm so sorry about yesterday. We're getting new security added to the building so something like that can never happen again. Well then shall we finally take a look around?" he said, smiling. As he turned to face the crowd his eyes seemed to lock on Daria for just a moment. Their eyes connected and something inside Daria seemed to get zapped. She returned his stare, her eyes unwavering as he broke the stare almost as quickly as it has been established. Still in that second something had happened. Daria narrowed her eyes but shook it off.

After that they went through the day without incident. The tour was dull and without enthusiasm. The museum was filled with art work that Daria knew Jane could do better. Still they trudged along with the group, aside from a quip here or there not much was said between the two girls. As the afternoon began to drift into evening they arrived at their final destination for the day: Gotham University. Standing outside the group was being lectured on conduct while Daria and Jane hung at the back of the group.

"Didn't your mom tell you to go visit the U?"

"Yeah…" Daria said flatly, "Want to not go in?"

"Ooh the sleep depravation is making you rebellious." Jane commented. Still the two inched away from the group until they were around the block.

"Where to?" Jane asked.

"Away from here." Daria responded blandly and began walking with Jane following. They walked in silence for a long time.

"Daria, you okay?" Jane asked, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. She had gotten back to the hotel before Daria had and waited anxiously in the lobby for her. Daria had been at the police station for two hours getting interviewed and interviewed again. The police found it rather odd that she would "just so happen" to be carrying an oxygen mask. So again and again they questioned her and again and again they were met with a biting wit that made them flinch. When she had finally made it back she hadn't felt like talking and went straight to bed for the evening.

Daria looked up at her friend and Jane and her continued to walk listening to the sounds of the city waking up for the night.

"Yeah…" Daria said finally, "But Jane, do you ever get the feeling your being followed?"

"Followed?" Jane asked.

"Yeah like by say a girl in white face paint and a crappy wig carrying a giant mallet?"

"Now that you mention it..." Jane said turning around and looking at a woman in a trench coat with her back against a light pole, peaking over her shoulder at them with her mallet, clutched in both hands.

"Naw…" Jane said flatly, "You're paranoid."

"You're probably right. You feel like an evening run?" Daria asked.

"I'm up to it but I don't think I've ever seen you even jog." Jane said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well." Sighed Daria, "There's a first for everything." She slipped the other strap of her backpack around her arm, securing it in place. She adjusted her glasses and looked around.

"How about…now." She said with no enthusiasm but the teen took off with Jane ahead of her. The girls running away, not seeing any particular destination but they decided it was best to just get away.

"That bitch!" Harley thought angrily, biting her lip. That little nothing is not good enough for my Puddin'!" She raised the mallet over her head and chased after them like a cat and mouse from an old cartoon. As she ran the wig flew off revealing the red and black jester cap.

"Get back here!" she shouted.

"No thank you!" returned Daria as they sharply turned down an ally.

"Why you!" Harley Quinn hissed pursuing.

Jane saw the chain-link fence before Daria did. She let herself run into it, her fingers slipping through the links as she shook it futilely. Daria reached it a second later, panting quietly.

"Are we going to die?" She asked.

"Yeah, probably." Jane said with a shrug.

"Hmm," Daria said slowly, "I can honestly say this is not how I pictured my own death."

"Really? Giant hammer wielding psychopath was at the top of my list." Jane retorted.

Harley stood blocking the entry to the ally, the mallet was gripped in one gloved hand, the trench-coat was open revealing the skin tight red and black leotard like costume. She laughed evilly, "I finally got you!" she said walking up with deliberate and slow movements. She raised the mallet over her head, her face disappearing into shadow as she hissed, "Nobody's taking my Puddin' away from me!"

"Daria," Jane said, "Give the woman back her pudding."

"Wasn't me." Daria pressed her back against the fence hard, "I didn't take any pudding."

Just as Harley began to swing the mallet down a black shape dropped from seemingly nowhere. The mallet clattered to the ground at Daria's feet. She stared down at the large weapon for a second before returning her eyes to the ensuing struggle. The shadow rose tall as Harley struggled to get away. He reached for her and her foot connected with his jaw sending him spinning. Harley jumped to her feet. She wiped blood away from her lip.

"Stay outta this Bats!" she squeaked, "It doesn't concern you!" He rebounded swinging for her only to be punched in the stomach. Before even registering the pain his foot was in the air and Harley was flying into the wall of the building opposite of him. She hit hard falling to the ground. She glared up at him. Her eyes darted from him to Daria. She reached into the pocket of the trench coat still hanging loosely from her small frame and pulled out a large prop like gun.

Daria and Jane didn't even have time for a remake before Harley pulled the trigger. A plastic arrow with the scroll "BANG" written on it shot out of the gun, hitting beside Daria's head.

"NO!" roared the deep voice of the caped crusader. His large hands shot out grabbing both Daria and Jane in one movement and pulling them under his cape as a loud BOOM echoed through the ally. Daria momentarily wondered if Tom would think this was cool or feel some level of jealousy as another man crouched over his current and ex protecting them, sheltering them. After less then a second of thought she knew he would think it was cool. This would definitely be a story for the future. That is if she made it back to Lawndale in one piece. After a very long few moments in one graceful movement Batman had returned the girls to their feet and recessed into his own cape. His eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"She got away."

"At least we can take solace in the fact that you caught that guy who killed all those people yesterday." Even without seeing his eyes she could feel the glare. Daria stared up at him. Nobody spoke for a few moments as the two sized each other up.

"Damn!" Jane said loudly." Daria and Batman turned to her, "I forgot my camera in the hotel room." She explained, "Damn, damn, damn!" This seemed to break the intense stare slash bland stare off as Batman directed a serious look at both girls for a moment before looking at Daria.

"It would appear you have become a target here."

"What was your first hint?" She retorted blandly. He acted as if he had not been interrupted.

"The police report that your information is on has been hacked. Also I've spotted several of the Joker's henchmen lurking around and with Harley's out burst I am now convinced the Joker may have formed a fixation on you when you survived his attack."

"I feel so special."

"I will do what I can to protect…URGH!" he grunted as his head jerked back and he crumpled to the floor revealing a smaller man holding a gun high the butt of it red with a splatter of blood. Looking down at the unconscious hero the girls could see where the weapon had struck.

"He was saying what?" Jane managed to mutter, her eyes were wide and fixated on the ghoulishly grinning man.

"You know," he said shaking his head, "If you want something done right you've got to do it yourself." He cackled, "And look what I've got here! Taking out two bats with one stone." He laughed madly again. Both girls felt the tug inside them, the need to tell him that wasn't funny but their judgment overrode that. He stopped laughing and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Oh now what was it that I was talking about?" he paused, "AH YES!" he said assuredly, "I just remembered!" with that blue smoke shot out of the flower on his lapel. The girls coughed. Jane covered her mouth with both hands as Daria attempting to get at her bag before it was too late. She felt a strong bony hand grab her wrist.

"Ah, ah!" he taunted, "Not this time." Daria coughed her insides scratchy and hard. Jane joined in the chorus of coughing and heaving as the two feel against one another on the ground. Before the darkness set in Daria managed to mutter, "You owe me two toppings…Jane…" The Joker laughed over them staring at the unconscious forms on the ground. He had plans for them…

TO BE CONTINUED….

A/N: GUUUUUYS! I've checked the stats and over a hundred of you have read this chapter and yet i've only gotten one review TTTT PLEASE COME ON! CAN I AT LEAST GET A "write more" OR "yay." OR EVEN "cool" PLEEEAAASE (I know I'm a review whore. I've made peace with that.)