"Jonny! Jonny! Jooonnny!," Harley Quinn pounded on his door.
Scarecrow threw opened the door, "What the hell- oh its you. What do you want?"
"I need ta make spaghetti,"
"What are you talking about," he examined her bruised eye, "Did the Joker finally knock you senseless?"
"No. Look," she held up a beat up looking VHS tape.
"The Lady and The Tramp... I still don't get it,"
Harley sighed, "You've never seen this? The dogs are eatin' spaghetti and then they both pick up the same noodle er something and they are both eating it," she began to explain with lots of hand gestures, "Then they get into the middle and they kiss. So I figured if it can make two dogs kiss then it can stop Mistah J from being angry with me,"
Harley Quinn had spent the entire day inside the room where Joker left her. Where his told her to stay. She watched every movie she had swiped from the apartment, which included, The Lady and The Tramp, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. When the movies ended her lips finally stopped bleeding, freeing her to do other things besides sit and press a bloody wad of toilet paper against them. She fixed her hair, several times until she settled on her trademark pigtails. Harley fixed Lyle's hair as well. And sense the doll she found in an abandoned apartment did not have much hair, it was very difficult. After that managed to consume most of her time, she began thinking of ways to make up with Mr. J. It was now nightfall and she thought of a plan, hoping her best friend Jonny could help her out. But the plan was not a good one.
"That is... a really stupid idea. I mean no offense. No I do mean to offend you, you deserve it after that dumb idea," Scarecrow said.
"Oh," Harley looked downward, "Well can I come in anyways? I need someone ta talk to,"
"Why not," the Scarecrow shrugged and let her in.
The small room was already a mess. If Harley had not been so concerned with she and Mr. J's fight she would have asked Jonny why he was being so uncharacteristically messy.
"I'm gonna hafta make it fast cause I ain't supposed ta leave my room," she explained as she sat down on a folding chair placed randomly in the room.
"Well that's good cause I don't know how long I would be able to stand you for anyway," Scarecrow lit a cigarette and plopped down on an old, stained recliner across from her, "Tell Dr. Crane all your problems," he said releasing a mouthful of smoke.
"I don't know where ta start...I guess with Batman. What do you think if him?"
"I love em'. Anyone who releases a concentrated dose of fear gas in my face is a friend of mine," he replied sarcastically with the cigarette in his mouth.
"Really?"
"No, that was called sarcasm Harley. Of course I hate him. He's just as bad as you and me, if not worse... even the cops think so," he took a drag, "And when it comes right down to it; there's nothing special about him,"
"That's what I told Mistah J," Harley agreed.
"And you were right Quinn. I suppose we should know though, after all, we've both worked with our fair share of crazies," he shrugged, "That's all Batman is, crazy. I'm gonna bet on post dramatic stress disorder... or something."
"Yeah, try tellin' Mistah J that," she gently touched her swollen eye.
"Well of course he's not gonna get it Harley, he's as crazy as the Bat. Probably suffers from the same thing. They're perfect for each other,"
"I told you not ta call him crazy... he's not," she defended Mr. J.
"Really?" Scarecrow asked, "I must not have been paying attention. So what kind of fantasy world are you living in that you believe the Joker is sane?"
"I'm not livin' in a fantasy world," Harley crossed her arms, "Mistah J is... quirky,"
Scarecrow laughed, "Quirky? Are you kidding? Murder; yeah that's real quirky,"
"Think whatevah ya want, but he ain't crazy, I know that,"
The Scarecrow sat forward, crushing his cigarette on the floor, "Why do you defend him like that? I mean you know what's gonna happen when he gets sick of you right?"
"He's not gonna get sick of me," Harley Quinn protested.
"Sure he will, you're his bitch now but it won't be long before he finds someone new. And then...," he ran his finger across his throat.
"I dunno why you'd tell me that. Especially cause it ain't true! And by the way; I prefer to be called the Clown Princess of Crime and not bitch. Sense when did you start cussin' anyway Jonathan Crane?"
"Jonny doesn't swear. I'm the Scarecrow," he explained slowly as if to a child.
Harley raised her eyebrows, "Scarecrow?"
"Yes,"
"Jonathan told me ya went away," she said in a more serious tone.
"Yeah I know, Jonathan tends to lie to preserve his dignity. He cares way to much about it," he scoffed, "As if he's got any left,"
Harley Quinn nodded, "Okay... I should, um, I should go... now before Mistah J comes home," she began heading for the door.
The Scarecrow was instantly in front of her, "Why are you suddenly in such a hurry Harley Quinn? Did Jonny say some not so nice things about me when you were his therapist?"
Harley stared into the icy blue eyes before her. They were definitely Jonathan Crane's, wide and unmistakably blue, yet something was different. She could not quite place it, maybe they were lighter in color. Or maybe it was the pin-prick pupils that she found so chilling. She was not sure why they had suddenly shrunk in size, whether he was high or this was just part of the Scarecrow. Harley had never met him before.
"No, he didn't talk about you," she uttered just above a whisper.
Harley took a few steps backward hoping that she could still make an escape. The Scarecrow followed. She took several more steps and he continued on. Then suddenly she bumped into the wall.
Scarecrow, unfazed by Harley second escape attempt continued to talk, "Really? Well, I'll have to explain then; I am everything that your good friend Jonathan Crane wants to be and can't. I'm more spontaneous, I don't care what people think, I know how to have fun..."
"S-so you're kinda like Mistah J?" she glanced around him towards the closed door.
"No, I still have Jonathan's intellect... Which sorry, that's exactly what your boyfriend lacks. I tend to enjoy chaos and fear but I don't act without thinking. That's what the Joker does. I refuse to let myself get killed or thumped on by a guy in a bat suit,"
"I thought you said Jonny cared to much about his dignity, sounds like you care," Harley pointed out, slightly offended by the remarks about Mr. J.
"No. I just have common sense. The thing about Jonny is that he lets it control him. Power, that is. See he's all about image, looking important, being important... he always wants to have power over someone. So much so, that when he was a doctor in Arkham, that still wasn't enough. That's why he let me take the wheel for a little bit," he leaned in close, "Because I take what I want,"
"And what's that Scarecrow?"
"Anything Jonathan Crane wants," he replied, "But won't admit to wanting it,"
He paused for a moment, blue eyes watching Harley Quinn, who did her best not to tremble in his presence. She knew she was perfectly capable of handling herself, but something about seeing Jonny this way frightened her. It was his voice, but he wasn't talking, it was his body so near to her's but it was Scarecrow at the same time. The confusion and fear of what he would do next was becoming to much for her nerves, her hands began to shake. Scarecrow noticed and smiled slightly.
He seemed to grow closer, "Wanna know something Jonny Crane wants and will never admit to?" the Scarecrow placed his hands on the wall, on either side of Harley's head, "Maybe it's the lack of meds or no sleep or something, but for whatever reason; Jonny's taken quite a liking to you,"
"I really outa go," Harley choked out, trying to push his arm away.
The Scarecrow roughly grabbed her arm and pinned it to the wall, "He finds himself thinking about you," he continued, "Of course he'd never tell you that because his thoughts aren't those of a well respected Arkham Asylum doctor, no," he took her other arm and then slid them both down the wall and to her sides, "Why don't we do Jonny a favour," Scarecrow's face so close their lips almost brushed.
Clearly to close for Harley, she kneed him hard in the stomach, causing him to let go. She scurried to the door, desperatly trying to think of a way to save herself. She was nearly there when Scarcrow caught her once again, he pushed her into the recliner.
"You could have just said no," he looked down on her from her laying position, "Its probably just as well the more I think about it. Lord knows how may STDs Sideshow Bob's probably given ya in the past month. I know something we can do that's much more fun,"
He fumbled in one of his large sweatshirt pockets while holding Harley down with his knee. He pushed his sleeve up revealing the toxin he'd strapped safely to his right arm. Scarecrow placed the canister close to her face as he continued searching for his mask.
Harley's lips began to bleed again where the Joker had cut her, "Jonny please, please don't do this," she begged, warm blood running into her mouth.
"No, its Scarecrow," he pulled out the burlap mask and slid it over his face.
Suddenly the door opened, slamming into the other side of the wall. Joker was home.
There he was, like a knight in shining armor come to rescue his beloved clown princess. Relief flooded Harley, but only for a moment. She realized she was not supposed to leave their room as he began to approach her. Her joy to see him and hope he was here to rescue her faded.
"Hello boss," Scarecrow sneered from beneath his mask.
Joker ignored him, dark eyes locked on Harley Quinn, "Harley Harley Harley Quinn," he sang.
The clown shoved Scarecrow out of the way as if he were not a threat at all.
"Ya know it's funny how I tell you to stay in a certain place and yet you always end up, uh, some-where else," he licked his lips.
Harley noticed most of the paint had been smeared off them, leaving red stained and scared lips behind.
"And usually I find ya with your little playmate Jonny Crane here," Joker cocked his head to one side, "And Harley darling, it can only happen sooo many ti-imesss before I start to get maaad,"
Harley Quinn shrunk back into the chair, sucking on her bloody bottom lip.
"Hey Joker," Scarecrow broke the silence.
"What-uh," he rolled his eyes, frustrated.
Joker turned around to look at the Scarecrow, only to be met with a long spray of fear gas directly in his painted face. Harley gasped loudly behind the two, obviously in fear for Mr. J's safety.
For a long moment he didn't do much of anything. He just stood there, mouth agape, staring confused at the Scarecrow. And then he started to react. It was not as chaotic as he had expected from the Clown Prince of Crime, which disappointed the Scarecrow somewhat. Still, it was satisfying. Especially after having to work for that clown, being forced to invent a lethal laughing gas and deal with his annoying girlfriend's problems.
Technically though, it was more of Jonny's burden than his own... well, he still had to hear it.
Joker turned and glanced at Harley for a second before stumbling into a wall. He slid down it, back against it's cold, gray surface and onto the floor. His eyes widened, exaggerated by black makeup as he looked around the room. He scanned the room frantically for some time before landing back on Harley and then on Scarecrow. His mouth moved in an attempt to form words but his efforts seemed fruitless. With that his eyes rolled backwards and his head lolled back, hitting the wall behind him.
Mwahahaha cliffhanger!!!!!!
I hope I did Scarecrow well. (Gaaah that's sounds wrong... and yet sooo right.) It was tough and almost like creating a completely other character because of what little screen time the Scarecrow had in Batman Begins. (Jonathan's one character, Scarecrow's another) At first I had no idea how to write him. But I am satisfied.
I saw something that rendered me speechless recently. I'm trying not to get my hopes up in case it's not real but I'm pretty damn excited anyway. I saw a trailer for a movie called Arkham, set 10 years after the Dark Knight and in short sounds like the Joker/Harley "Mad Love" story. Again, no clue what it really is, but here is the website which of course has the trailer: http://www .arkham-themovie. com/ It made my head go boom to say the least.