Chapter 9: Daddy Acceptance
~We Are High, I'm in Love. We Are High. Small town American Light.~
~High, Zella Day - Kicker~
~~~~~~~~Zara's Dream~~~~~~~~
"C'mere' Hunnie!" Harley said as she knelt down to Zara and picked her up in her arms. She was wearing matching pjs and fluffy slippers, with her hair tied up in large pink hair curlers. She gave some kisses on her soft cheek and fed her a bottle in the kitchen. Suddenly the door swooped open, and The Joker came in, wearing his signature purple leather trench coat and a neon green and more purple suit under. "Hey Puddin'! Little Zara just finished playin'!" She said as she threw the finished bottle into the sink and carried Zara back into her arms. "Did you bring her outside today Harls?" He asked, putting some peculiar objects away in the cupboards.
"Well, yeah... I mean..." Harley trailed off and The Joker stomped his way to her. "You know you're not supposed to bring her out Harls!" He looks down on her. Zara curled up more closer into Harley as The Joker moved closer. "Ya know, babies ain't suppose to stay indoors forever! They need to be out there every once in a while!" She defended herself. The Joker turned away in frustration. "Ya could've been caught, or even worse, Zara taken from us." He said, his voice low and dangerous. Harley opened her mouth to sat something, but closed back again once more, not responding to what The Joker said.
The Joker sharply turned around and looked at Harley and Zara. "But I won't let anyone take my Baby Princess away from me." The Joker said, Harley passing Zara gently into The Joker's arms. "Not. One. Single. Soul." He said with his silver grill and tattoos shining in the light. Zara huddled into his chest, falling asleep as he petted her head.
Zara woke up kinda sweaty, and out of breath for some reason. She checked her ipod and it displayed her clock; 10:30 AM , Friday. "Thank Goodness!" She muttered to herself and slammed her face back into her pillow. She remembered it was a day off for school today. Getting back into the sleep cycle once more, The Joker bursted through her bedroom door; bare chested and sweatpants. His black tattoos on his chest illuminated from the sunlight spilling out of her windows. "Wake up Zara! Big day today!" He said shaking her violently. "Wake me up from 12:00 to 4:30." She muffled into her pillow. The Joker just pushed her off her bed and she fell, taking the comforter with her. With a thump, The Joker heard an 'ow' followed by a hand that shot in the air beside the bed. The Joker quickly walked over to the side of the bed and lifted Zara up. Her long blonde hair covering her face. "Get ready." He said and left the room. "What time is it?" Zara questioned herself. She checked her ipod that read 1:00 PM. 'I wonder what The Joker meant by 'Big Day' today.' Zara thought to herself. "Whatever." Mumbled Zara as she headed off to get ready. After she did all her bathroom business, She chose the same outfit she wore the night before and went downstairs.
"Hey Zara." All of The Joker's men (Oliver, David, Jay and John) greeted her all simultaneously. "Hey?" Her tone a little questioning. She brushed it off and David slid her breakfast on the table as she sat down. "Thanks." She said and dived in, gulping down every single bite in her meal.
"So how's being the Joker's daughter?" Asked Jay. "I'm not the Joker's daughter." She annoyingly said. "What about Harley Quinn's Daughter?" Asked John. "No. I'm not her daughter either." She rolled her eyes, completely denying the fact. "If you're not their daughter, then why are you still with them?" Asked Oliver sipping his cup of coffee. "I," she stopped. Zara didn't know why she's still staying with them. Some part of her told her it was fear, but the other was acceptance. Nobody wanted her back at the orphanage, or foster home, buy now someone wants her. "I don't really know, actually. Well... maybe I do, but- it's complicated. I don't think you guys would understand." She said as she quickly stood up, finishing her plate and walking out of the kitchen. "It's okay Zara. I mean, we are just trying to help you, you know." David suggested. She stopped in her tracks at the very tip of the exit. The rest of the group agreed. She can hear the Determination in his voice and a wave a guilt started to build up in Zara. "Thanks, but I think I gotta get myself figured out first." And left to her room. She finished with getting ready and headed outside the door, waiting beside the Joker's Purple Lamborghini.
She unlocked her ipod and scrolled through her music. She stopped midway before the Joker came busting out of the house with some weapons in his hands. He was wearing the same outfit she always sees him with, but instead of a white blouse, he wears a dark red, almost deep maroon colour instead. Meanwhile, some guns, some knives, some rectangular objects and round objects with a tab on them. He laid them on the hood of the car and Zara walked over to what he was doing. "What are you doing?" She asked cautiously. "Here. Take this." He ordered her harshly. He sorted out some knives for her that looked similar to the weapons she used the night before, and the same gun. The Joker was also stuffing his leather trench coat with guns, knives and what looked like bombs to Zara. She did the same, so the Joker wouldn't be mad if she just stood there, mindless. As the hood became empty, he ordered her to get In the car. She did what she was told and buckled her seatbelt. "So where are we going?" She asked with a little less demand in her tone, but still holding her ground. Her palms began to sweat with anxious feelings. He completely ignored her and she gave up at that point. 'If he's not talking, then she won't be talking.' She thought. He started the car and the engine roared so loudly, that it echoed to the alleyway three blocks from there. He started to speed up while driving, taking dangerous and hidden paths through the street of Gotham.
The ride took an hour and a half till they got there, which was a big abandoned metal factory. It was surround by countless signs of 'No Trespassing' and electric fences. They parked and stepped put of the car. This part of Gotham seemed gloomier and much colder. "Follow me." He said and she did as she was told. They went through a hole through the fence, which Zara slightly cut her arm while going through. As they illegally entered the property, the Joker wiped of his gun and shot at the lock. Zara's ears started to ring slightly, as she was standing close to when he opened fire. He kicked down the door and the long hallway was dark and had a very dimmed light in the center of the ceiling. Zara quickly grabbed the Joker's arm as they descended down the dimmed lit way. Her heart rate was increasing like a race car, and she could hear it through her ears, echoing with every step they take, every beat. They come across the light and it flickers above them, giving them a illuminated look in the dark.
Then out of nowhere something, or someone, kicked the wind out of Zara and carried her through the dark halls. She lost grip of the Joker's arm that she didn't even think it was him. Struggling and yelling, trying to escape, she screamed at the top of her lungs for someone to rescue her. "Get her to be quiet!" A voice said. The person who was holding her over their should threw her into the air and she slammed hard into a wall. Her head and body aching from the impact, she screamed again; but to no use. Her body ached, her head spinning, her vision blurred, suddenly, a very strong force slammed her head on the hard tiled floor and she was instantly knocked out.
Suddenly she woke up, tied up and bleeding. Her forehead and back of her head felt like it was bleeding, her forearm had a huge open scar and there was some kind of rope that was tied around her mouth. Her eyes flickered in the bright light that she got used to overtime. She tried to struggle and slip her wrists out of the tight ropes, but failed miserably. "No! No! No!" She muttered. "Help me! Someone! Anyone! Joker! Harley! Help!" She screamed out in the empty room.
Out of nowhere, two big and buff men came into the room. "No, please! Don't hurt me! I've never done anything to you!" She said, backing up till she hit the wall behind her. "You might have not, but your 'daddy' has. He killed my brother over an overdue deal. He took someone I love away from me, and now, I'm gonna do the same thing to him." One of them said and the other nodded. "You don't understand! I'm not his daughter!" She reclaimed nervously. "Then why were yelling for him to save you?" The bald buff man asked sarcastically. She didn't answer but looked down on the floor. She didn't know what to say. One of the man then grabbed her jaw and slowly stuck a knife into her skin. "Joker! Harley! Daddy! Mommy!" Her screams fill the room, and the tears start to fall onto her cheeks. "Dip her." The man beside him said. He let go of her and the scar reached from her neck to collarbone. The blood dripped down her shirt and into hr blonde hair. Both men grabbed her and dragged her weak body towards a toxic waste barrel filled with water. Without warning they dumped her head in the water and both men held her neck down there, forcing it to stay down.
Shaking and struggling to get air, she squirmed and her screams were muffled by the water, bubbling to the surface. Just as almost she was about to lose hope and let go, her head was pulled out and she finally got a chance to breathe in the air. Zara fell to the ground and she started coughing and wheezing, trying to regain some air back into her lungs. In the background, the screams, gunshots and thuds were blocked out in Zara's ears, not knowing what is happening in the moment.
She finally regained air and stop her head from spinning for a few minutes. Someone then cut her restraints off of her body. The Joker then held her up her shoulders and checked on her wet face and bleeding neck. "You're fine." He muttered. "No, I'm not." She sobbed into his chest. She attacked The Joker in a hug and dug her face into his chest. "You rescued me, why?" She muffled into his chest. "Because you're my daughter." Was all he said in a dangerously low voice. She felt his arms wrap around her shortly, pulling her closer to him. She quickly calmed down and let go. "Let's go." She said and walked out the door. The Joker followed her and he lead her to the car. As they got into the car, Zara leaned on the window and fell asleep the entire ride.
The car suddenly went to a halt, and the door opened, with Zara then being picked up. She was to exhausted to wake up and see what was happening. Voices sounded distorted and she was then dropped down and then shortly after picked up again and well, Zara doesn't remember anything next after that. Except for two pecks on her forehead.