By the time somebody pulled Harley back, the Joker clearly had a broken nose and had half-spat out a tooth. The tray was bent along one edge too.
Harley turned and nearly attacked the person holding her, but stopped short when she saw it was Batman holding her arm. Just past him, she saw a deserted coat and muffler on the floor.
Harley stood frozen, breathing hard for a few seconds, and then dropped the tray with a crash. Batman realeased her and backed off, then went around her, bearing down on the concussed Joker.
Harley swayed, feeling sick and shocky, and hardly noticed when Catwoman approached and drew Harley into a hug.
"It's okay, Harl," she said into her ear, "We did it. You did it!"
"That she did," Commissioner Gordon said, a little ruefully, his eyes still watering from pain. "We got them all. All of Joker's crews have been rounded up. So I'd better get back to headquarters and book them. It's getting late and it take me forever to get a bowtie on!"
He winked at Harley and left. Harley asked, "Is anyone hurt?"
"Some of the guards are suffering from the Joker Toxins in their uniform linings, but Batman gave them an innoculation to protect them so they'll recover in no time. I guess Joker had to think that that part of his plan worked at least."
"And what about," she gestured at the decoy catering trays.
"Borrowed from the Wayne household, I believe," Selina said wryly, "Drolma and his crew will be here in half an hour. Cutting it close but we'll make it."
Harley stepped back from Selina and went to the stage. The musicians all stood or sat around it, looking as shocked as Harley felt.
"Are you all okay?"
After a moment's taking stock, Natalia said, "I think so. So…this was all a plan you had? To catch the Joker?"
Harley nodded, "He had it in for the Benefit anyway, and he wanted me to be his inside woman. I couldn't tell anybody in case he smelled a rat, see?"
"Well," Jerry Black said, "We've made it out of a brush with death. I say we drink and be merry, and play some tunes!"
This declaration broke the discomfort around the room, and Natalia said to the bassist, "You dealt that thug a prodigious blow, sirrah!"
The man looked momentarily confused, and then bowed like a conductor at the end of a symphony.
Harley retired backstage, cleaned the makeup off her face sat down in the green room, and began to get down to some committed trembling.
Selina gave her a glass of water and then disappeared for a while. She reappeared in a magnficent sheer blue evening gown, a (fake) snow leopard fur over her shoulder, her neck and ears festooned with diamonds, and her face a mask of worry. Lucius Fox, in a fine old tux, was on her heels.
"Harl, we've got a problem. I think the cops accidentally processed your suit as evidence, and now I can't find it. I've been on to Gordon but who knows how long it'll take for them to get it back!"
"Oh," said Harley, slightly unfocused. She giggled, the mundane nature of this 'problem' seemed pretty goofy after the day so far.
"And," Lucius added, "We can't find Bruce. He's the one supposed to open the show!"
Harley looked up, alarmed. "You want me to do it?"
"Either one of us could obviously," Selina said, "but this show is really yours and Bruce's baby, Harl. I was going to suggest you do it, but…"
"Wait," said Harley, "I think I might be able to do it." She didn't know why she said this, but she stood up, apparently possessed with purpose. She just wished her brain would let her in on the secret!
"But," Selina gestured helplessly at Harley's clothes.
"I can do it, Whiskers," she said earnestly. "Just help with my hair and I'm ready to go!"