Batman's spade-like hand curls around her throat and she's back against the wall once more. Her eyes are wide with shock, but she still has the same smirk on her face. Her fringe clings to her forehead.
"What do you mean, you know where she is?" He growls. Harley places her gloved hands around Batman's wrist and removes it from her neck, slipping out of his grip and spinning away from him, playfully. She scoots her bottom across the bonnet of the Batmobile and opens up the passenger door.
"I'm tryna help ya B'man. That's not how you're s'posed to treat a lady."
She winks at him before getting back in. With an exasperated breath, Batman follows suit. Once inside, he slips back on his black leather gloves and starts the engine.
"So, where is she, Harley?" Satisfied that she is at least alive, Selina knows how to look after herself. She's probably already got a plan to escape, years of experience in double-crossing men will do that to you. Harley's non-matching shoes are on the dashboard once more, her fingers jab at some buttons above her, absently.
"Well, she said she was gonna help Mistah J to get this beacon thingy..."
"Wait, Joker's got her?" The wheels of the Batmobile screech as Batman spins it around and begins driving back the way that they came. The Joker isn't known for his patience or kindness. Selina may be a master of manipulation, but the Joker is unpredictable and not swayed by the charms of women. He can change his mind at the drop of a hat for seemingly no reason; he could kill her at any time. Batman frowns under his cowl. He swears he sees a flash of light come behind them, perhaps it is a reflection of the moonlight on an apartment window.
"Where is he, Harley? Where is she!?" His hand reaches over behind her head again, jerking her head back harshly by her hair. His eyes stay on the road the entire time, his demeanour still calm.
"Oh Bats, I love it when you treat me rough.." She giggles, licking at her red painted lips. Her lipstick is smudged onto her chin a little and Batman can't help but smirk, recalling what has just happened.
"He's keepin' her down at the warehouse, near the docks."
Suddenly, driving seems foolish. He tugs a lever between them and the Batmobile springs to life. Large panels fold open around them, revealing large chrome wings and jet engines. With a jolt, the wheels lift off the ground and retreat back into the undercarriage of the vehicle. The seats behind them fold flat and the interior of the car grows smaller, making room for a small tail for the plane and another powerful set of engines. Everything clicks into place, indicating that the vehicle has finished transforming, and the jet wrenches forward into the black night sky.
Now gliding above the city, Batman's eyes scan over the skyline for the familiar sight of the Gotham Harbour. On the left, the orange painted crane that lifts shipping containers towers over any buildings in its vicinity. He turns the jet and heads towards it. Harley has her face and hands pressed against the glass, peering down at the city below.
"Hey, this is pretty cool..." she coos, breath misting the window around her face, "Ooh, that's the place where me and Ivy stole that diamond!" She prods at the class. Batman's attention lies solely on finding Selina. He sees the warehouse in question, through one of the windows he can just make out a dull light. The Batwing surges towards it at top speed.
"What did you say she was helping him with? A beacon?"
Less than a kilometre away, Batman heaves on a paddle to his left causing the Batwing to head face down towards certain death on the streets below. Harley grips at her chair with panic, her bunches falling forward over her face. Just seconds before impact, he shifts the paddle back up and the jet levels out.
"Jeez Bats. Yeah, a beacon. I dunno what it did exactly, just that it emitted some kinda signal."
Flying less than a metre above the road, and headed straight towards the side of a building, Batman presses another button above his head. Harley quickly hugs her knees in case of another terrifying experience. But, as quickly as it became the Batwing, the vehicle drops out its wheels, retracts its wings, and then they are driving again. Just in time to reach the back gates of the large seaside warehouse.
Batman jumps out of the Batmobile, eager to see that his friend is safe. Closer to the water, there is salt in the air and the wind is harsher. It stings as it whips against their bare skin and makes it impossible to listen out for an ambush. Despite the wind, the whole boatyard seems silent and unmoving, unnaturally dark. The crane towers above them, blocking out the moonlight. Nervous, Batman lifts his wristwatch to his lips and signals for Alfred.
"Alfred, I need your backup. I'm at the..."
With alarming force, something hits the back of his head. His vision turns black, his ears ring louder than the wind. He feels a heat spread over his neck and shoulders. He drops to his knees. The heat drips out from underneath his cowl and onto his sleeve. Blood.
Another smack. This time it knocks him completely to the ground. The waterlogged mud seeps through his suit, he feels the damp against his skin. He's shaking, his head thumps with pain.
He can make out a muffled Alfred through his cowl.
"Master Bruce? Master Bruce are you alright?"
He's unable to reply. He opens his mouth but only a groan comes out. His vision an ever-darkening blur, he can only just make out one red and one black shoe step into his eye line. He reaches for them weakly with one arm, but unconsciousness envelops him. The Batman lies inanimate in the dirt.