Roman was standing near the bullhead as he heard someone drop next of him. He just casually lit another cigar as he turned to look as he had expected her back for some time. "Took you long enough to get back here Neo." he said as he smirked walking up to her twirling his Melodic Cudgel around his finger as the girl simply smiled at him as with a blink of her eyes they changed colors and form.
"So… I hope you have made yourself useful tonight." Roman said as he walked into the bullhead with Neo following happily behind him. She had at least a fun night. That bald guy with all those scars on his body was fun to kill, especially since he did try to put up a fight. Yes, she had amused herself a lot but that did come at the expense of the mission Roman had set her out on, to find new allies to claim the criminal underworld of Gotham.
In truth Roman had grown bored with Vale over time. A Dust robbery here and a swindle there… it just grew a bit too mundane for him. One day, after they had assassinated and stolen some fancy pants car and smashed it into a wall, that Roman claimed came out of nowhere they were busy watching the Vale news. Whilst the news once more glorified him which fed his monstrous ego, it did report something more interesting.
Reporting on news outside of Remnant they confirmed that the Batman had in fact passed on. Or in a better way of speaking blew himself, his butler and his home up effectively removing himself from the chessboard. Roman knew of Gotham as an earlier report had notified that the greatest criminal from that place called the Joker had passed away a year earlier… and with his nemesis gone now, Roman smelled a chance.
It didn't take long for the two criminals to secure a Bullhead for the two of them, loading it with only the most needed of supplies… that were crates filled with Dust and weaponry that Roman deemed needed to bring Gotham to its knees. He was always up for expanding territory… but this also had something a bit more personal to it. Even after his death, people still referred to Joker as being the superior criminal master mind over everyone else.
That, of course, Roman couldn't stand anymore. Who was still alive and kicking? Who had full control over the criminal underworld of Vale? Who had evaded capture more times than a mouse in mousetrap? And who was exactly five feet under the ground pushing up daisies? Roman just needed to prove to the world that he was the best criminal master mind… and he knew now also where to prove it. With the Bat gone… Gotham was ready to be harvested.
"Well…" Roman said as he sat down on the captain seat of the bullhead. "Did you find anyone worth to help us out around here?" he asked as Neo put a finger to her lip as if to mimic she was thinking before shaking her head. "You… you killed someone didn't you?" Roman said next as he also sighed alongside that. He knew of her more murderous streak and her more sadistic side to inflict pain on others. Neo nodded her head excitedly as she confirmed his suspicions.
"Neo, as much as I appreciate your killing streak… I think I need to explain that we need allies in order to take over a city and if you kill said allies… well who is going to help us take over this cesspool?" he asked as Neo just gave him a confused look before he tossed his cigar on the ground again. "Never mind, I got at least in touch with a former colleague's partner. She was a bit out of style and perhaps slightly out of the game but when you push the right buttons you can get anyone back into it." he said as Neo now looked curious as to who he meant.
Taking out his scroll he looked through pictures, most of which were of him and Neo… and even more of that of only himself but finally he found a picture of Harley from her prime days. "Here… she doesn't look like that anymore. She ditched the jester look. Shame, I really liked that. It gave her a bit of a themed caper sense." Roman said as she grinned as Neo looked at the picture before her eyes changed color and she looked at him with a mad expression.
"Wow there little sprout, I only got back in touch with her… as in recruited her for the mission. If you think more things went down you're out of your mind." he said as Neo sat down staring intensely at Roman but when she noted that he didn't flinch or blink she knew he told the truth. "You know girls aren't my style at all, though that red color was sort of nice on her." Roman said as Neo shook her head and stared again at him.
"Oh yeah, more explaining time." Roman said as he sat back in his chair and pocketed his scroll away. "She's got info on everyone in this city crime involved, ranging from small time criminals to the big mafia bosses and gangsters." Roman explained as he smirked as Neo didn't look all that impressed but he still continued. "Having worked also under ghastly grinning face has toughened her up. She knows to hang in there."
Seeing Neo was still not impressed Roman sighed and got up from his chair. "What I meant is that we had one of those huntresses in training around here. You know how much one of those can pack a punch on regular none aura and semblance humans that walk around here. Still, she did hold out much longer than I had thought. I thought the first punch would have knocked her out." he said as by now Neo gave a silent nod finally understanding what he saw in the girl… but still not completely on board.
"Oh come on, what does it take you to get convinced this is a good idea? An ice cream?" Roman asked as Neo grinned at him and nodded causing him to sigh and face palm. "Why did I ask that?" he asked to himself as he shook his head and looked back at his accomplice. "We just need her help for now as much as she needs our help. She wants to get back into being a villain and we want this place for ourselves. She gets what she wants, we get what we want and we shake hands and go our ways at the end of the day." Roman said in a final bid to convince Neo.
As much as Neo didn't like to bring a stranger into their plans she knew that someone who had some understanding of how Gotham worked could be useful as she finally shrugged and gave a nod to give her approval for the plan. "Excellent. She did just leave with her new weapon to get used to it. In the mean time we got a list of possible threats or underlings to study." Roman said as he took out a list that Harley had left for him.
Harley's knowledge of Gotham's criminal underground was immense. In fact, Roman had a hard time believing she could store all that knowledge away as she had replied to him that she was smarter then she looked. Well, he had to give her that one at least. Roman decided it was best to start off with a criminal that wasn't associated with someone that could be a higher power in the city, a lower thug but yet powerful enough to remain on his own two feet.
"Let's see here… Great White Shark!" Roman announced as Neo just gave him a strange look as he just as much shrugged. "I guess even animals can be criminals around here as well. I hope they're at least not in league with the White Fang..." he said as he just shook his head. "You won't see me working along with those animals. Not in long shot." he said as he continued his look over the list and shook his head.
"Killermoth, Killercroc, Firefly? WHAT IS THIS, A ZOO?!" Roman cried out as he scanned through the list as he was tempted to just call Harley and already say everything off before he realized… that they might be just adopted criminal names. As it was as Harley did leave the name of one such criminal… under Firefly. "Garfield Lynns huh?" Roman said as he smiled before folding the list back up and looked at Neo who gave him a big grin. "Time to pay this mister Lynns a visit."
Harley was making her way back to her living space as she was whistling happy. Today had been a very good day for her. Finding herself back, having a first fight in some time, getting a new weapon that also functioned as a gun, back to cause mayhem and destruction in the city… yeah, things were looking up again. Still, in the back of her head there was the annoying screeching sound of her old self claiming they didn't need to do this again.
Harley's brain had always been a pretty big amusement park. A giant rollercoaster and several other rides all nicely tucked away inside her head. But after the Joker died, her old self started to re-emerge. It was however slowly and Harley kept pushing her back to remain in full control but knew well enough that she wasn't going to be able to keep that up for much longer. It's why she thought she needed Mr. J back in those days.
But during that Halloween night she lost her only chance of ever having one and gave up hope. Allowing her old self to get back in control she just wailed inside her own head wanting to find a way to get fun again. It only meant that Harley just lost herself even more to depression then before even as Selina did do her best to keep Harley cheerful and help her in her new life. Trying out her old job, Harley got fired because after a while old tendencies would kick in for sort of trying to smash her patients' heads in with differing objects.
It wasn't her fault that she wanted to bludgeon patients in for telling their small irritating sicknesses. The very final drop for her was that one guy that told her he was afraid of clowns. Who could in his right mind be afraid of clowns? Harley had decided that being a shrink again was just something that could never really be what she wanted again. So she next tried out as an amusement character. If she could have some face paint everything could be better right?
As it turned out when she started chasing kids for making fun of her, it didn't. Harley just decided that working wasn't going to work out for her anyway and resorted to leave Selina to getting in the money and goods they needed to survive and the homework for herself. That didn't work out most of the time as well mostly but at least Selina remained supportive and tried to help her out during most of the hard parts.
It reminded Harley again of Selina as she strolled up to the apartment complex after having smashed a few people in their face with her new hammer. What was she going to tell her? That she met some random guy that wanted her criminal part and she had decided to throw herself in with him not knowing what she got herself in? She probably had to try and put it better for her friend. Life hadn't been easy for her as well.
Harley knew very well that Selina had a slight crush on B-man and whilst she still hated his guts and didn't mind he had gone up in smoke and fire… she could understand the sadness and emptiness that Selina felt inside of her. That part when your significant other was gone and you knew there was nothing in the world you could do to bring him back… she understood very well, maybe even better than anyone else. It's why they had grown a lot closer over the past time.
Selina hadn't given up her path of crime. In fact she was still very busy and right at it when Harley met her again. Of course, Harley didn't mind that Selina kept true to her old ways. It was just too hard to let go of something you had been doing for quite a while. But even worse, Selina nearly didn't know any better. This had nearly always been her life. From her teen years up to where she was now, theft and burglaries were always part of this cat's life.
Harley knew that she could lose her hair but never her streaks. It was how Selina was and she had accepted it. She only wondered… would she accept Harley as she was right now? She had been supportive of her all the way but with this step… Harley pushed the thoughts from her head as she headed up the staircase to the apartment and sighed. This was going to be hard apple to chew through… an apple made out of concrete.
She slowly went up the stairs as lead filled her shoes as she neared the apartment door. Maybe she was lucky and Selina was still busy at work. Maybe pulling off some big caper or something… as she opened the door and the smell of fish welcomed her… she knew she was out of luck. Still, she tried her best to sneak in softly closing the door behind her as she snuck in and tried to get into her room. Still not spotted, I can make this, I can do this… "Hello Harley…"
Harley froze up right away as she slowly turned to look at the woman dressed in black leather sitting across the table she tried to sneak past by. "You're home early!" Harley said cheerfully as she smiled hiding now the hammer behind her back hoping that she didn't at least see that already. Of course, the make-up and the outfit were giving away enough by now. Selina just sighed and shook her head. "So… decided to give into the madness again?" she asked as Harley looked down knowing she would get a scolding.
"It's just… all this normal life…" Harley said as she looked at Selina as she smiled at her. "I mean… it's boring… it's driven me completely bonkers… in the other way speaking." she said with a slight laugh before noting that Selina wasn't laughing. "I mean, it just wasn't me… it was maybe me once some time ago… but I think that this is who I am right now, a criminal. We can't make it nicer then it isn't." she said as she now sat down across from Selina who looked at Harley and shook her head.
"I should be angry..." Selina said as Harley was starting to expect an anger outburst… but it still didn't happen. "I knew somewhere that this would happen." she said softly as she looked at Harley with sad eyes making Harley's stomach turn inside out. "Maybe I was just once more foolishly hoping. What with Bat… Bruce gone… I thought perhaps I could make things different on my terms and my way. But I just knew this would eventually happen. I just didn't know when."
It wasn't completely fair Harley thought. She just as much had given into her old habits and traits. Just cause she used them to make a living out of the two of them and she just did it for fun… well… there was something to say about it but stealing was still stealing, Harley thought as she frowned wanting to point out to Selina that she was just as much in the wrong here, just that her wrong was a different kind of wrong than hers.
"Look… kitty…" Harley began as Selina held up her hand. "I already heard what happened. They already questioned Oswald already and the report of your car accident with the commissioner. When you get back you really needed to just go all out there don't you?" she asked with a slight smile as she sighed again. "I'm sorry… perhaps I should be happy for you, but I just… can't. I just feel this as a personal loss to myself again."
There was a silence between the two as Harley didn't know what to say or what to do and Selina just didn't want to further drill a guilty feeling into Harley. Finally after some time Harley finally managed a small smile and then threw the hammer onto the table nearly breaking it in two as well through the sheer force she used. "Well… if it makes anything at least better… this thing just really is much better than my old bat." she said trying her best to make light of things.
Selina looked at the hammer interested right away. It was a diversion from Harley, that she knew but by now she would take anything to at least stop thinking about it for a moment. Studying the hammer carefully, Selina noted that this wasn't like any weapon she had ever seen before. Certainly her crazy roommate couldn't have made it herself. She was crafty and skilled in… certain places. This wasn't one of her skills.
"Who gave it to you?" she finally asked as Harley still smiled glad that they could at least change the subject a bit. "The guy I took along for a ride in Gotham tonight." she said as this finally led the cat burglar somewhere. Was this some kind of Joker impersonator, someone that just wanted to make use again of Harley for his own interests? Well, he had nerves that she had to admit as she got up from her chair and walked over to Harley.
"What did he do?" she asked as she stared rather intensely as Harley felt like a very small girl all of a sudden. That moment only lasted a fleeting second as she realized… she didn't need to take Catwoman's crap… ehm… Selina's crap. She was a grown woman who knew what choices she could make. That was what she was and that was what she had to just accept and live with… at least that was what Harley thought again as the opposite was more so the truth of the matter here.
"Look kitty, I understand your concern but nothing happened. Didn't get pulled any strings, didn't fall in love, didn't get dumped in a vat of acid or get tubes of venom stuck in my brain… nothing's wrong with me. I just wanted to have fun again!" Harley said as she grabbed the hammer from the table and next kicked her feet up the table as Selina sighed and then shook her head. "Well, I guess I will have to welcome Harley Quinn back home then."
For Harley… it was kind of weird to have said that as it just reinforced how much abuse she went through and how much she had promised to herself that would never happen again. Just let Torchwick try and she would snap his hat in two and crush his cane into a pulp… or do that the other way around. She did understand Catwoman's worries in this case. She understood them all too well for her own good.
Just thinking about it was already something Harley didn't enjoy to do anymore. The countless times he slapped her just because she said something… the times he kicked her for making a joke… that one time he pulled a gun at whilst claiming he loved her and for that she had to die… a hearts topper he called it. Shivering, she quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind and smiled again. Never again will I be abused, not in this lifetime at least.
Selina had honestly hoped that she didn't need to say that. It would have been a big step for her friend. A true letting go of Joker, something that Ivy had always wanted for her. Even if she and Red weren't on the best of terms she still cared very much so about her that she had tried to steer Harley on the right path and as far away from Joker thinking. In the very beginning that was very hard but after time she finally began to forget him.
In truth she was more afraid that Harley was now going to relapse, falling back into a cantankerous habit of adoring a mass murdering psychopath and calling him her Puddin'. If the guy she was running around with had known to press those buttons she just had to make sure. "So… you're sure. This is all your own free will?" she asked curiously as she just had to know that last bit to know that everything was fine… or at least as fine as things could be for now.
"Yeah, don't get your cat tail in a knot." Harley said as she got up as well holding her hammer in one hand as she looked at Catwoman. "Look, the guy I'm running with… he's not my type. Probably, I will never really find my type anyway since he's burned to a crisp and what remained of him is buried six feet into the ground." she said as she turned to look away from her roommate. That last part came out a bit harsher as it was something Harley really didn't want to be reminded of again.
"Alright, I just needed to know." Selina said with a slight smile as she finally nodded to Harley. It was at least good to know that it wasn't a relapse… or a relapse that made no sense but then again, this was Harley she was talking about. Finally Harley dropped her weapon and hugged her tightly as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry… I know you didn't want this…" she said softly as Catwoman just hugged her back with a slight smile.
"I know you didn't do it on purpose and I knew this would eventually happen." she said as she softly patted Harley on her back hoping to calm her down before she would start her waterworks and make this all even more emotional than was needed. "I'm just glad you're not falling into another pit that we can't save you from… and keep repeatedly falling into it to make things worse." she said with a slight grin.
"HEY! I wanted to have a moment." Harley said as she laughed softly, tears softly flowing from her cheeks as she hugged Catwoman only tighter. She was very happy she at least understood the case and that she wasn't mad… or at least not mad right now. "Thanks kitty, happy to know you still got my back." Harley said as Selina smirked. "Well, if I didn't have it, who was going to save it again?" she teased again as Harley giggled. Things would turn out alright after all…
The night was slowly coming to an end. Most of the night life of Gotham had already died out as in only a few more hours the first sign of daybreak would be visible. To say the first sunrays would hit Gotham would be a blatant lie. The sun seldom was seen in the city. Mostly being shielded and blotted out by the giant buildings reaching for the sky, it was hidden behind a veil of toxic clouds and fumes of several companies.
The worst one, Ace Chemicals had funnily enough been blown apart last Halloween when Scarecrow attempted to use it to create his ultimate fear bomb. Still, enough other companies remained to fill the night sky even now with poisonous gas that would make the stars disappear behind a black screen. The only light that was truly visible in Gotham were the neon colors of many signs that invited you for many different things, from entertainment to sports event and strip clubs.
Even then Gotham had enough dark streets and corners in which the lower sections of the city gathered for the more unsavory business. Usually these criminals still waited for those fancy pants stupid enough to set foot in these streets and conduct their 'business' with them. Such things were slowly starting to die out as more and more criminals heard of a creature that was known to send their victims into a state of complete panic.
Still, enough others still remained carving out new territories. Slowly the gang war once more started to pick up between the gangsters of Gotham as Penguin and Two-Face once more started to vie over who was truly the boss of the city. Both had lost a lot after the final night but they had wasted all their sources to get back on the top… and now were looking for a way to permanently stay there. Recruiting went all over and other faces they deemed below them were taken in to work for them.
And in those shadows a new threat arose for these criminals. For the death of the bat had left a much bigger threat in its wake. The first of the uprising gangsters had been taken out by him as left over henchmen from Black Mask could tell you… he was named the Red Hood… and this night he was out again as the banging of guns was audible through the street, one of the many famous dark streets of Gotham that was now heavily being contested.
Shots were fired between several criminals as their gang leader Ricky "Loose Lips" Leblanc shouted at them to keep firing at this stupid idiot who had dared to take them on in a fight. The Red Hood however only quipped back that if Loose Lips was really that loose he would just do him a favor… and rip his lips off for him. The firing went on and on but slowly the amount of goons that Ricky could count on started to dwindle as he looked in panic at what his next move should be.
"Alright freak, if you want a stand-off, I'm your man!" Ricky shouted as Red Hood smirked to himself under his helmet. 'Too easy.' he thought to himself as he got up and brought his twin pistols up. "Black Mask made the same mistake as you did." he said calmly as he eyed the criminal as he grinned under his mask now. Ricky was hardly worth the effort but it would get another criminal off the street once there was a bullet inside that brain of his.
"Like I care, Black Mask had what was coming to him for years. I just have to make a living!" Ricky replied as he held a machine gun in his hands and pointed it at Red Hood. He was in fact scared for his life. The other thugs he had taken under him had already fled or were dead. Ricky lamented just all of his bad luck. First the Batman dropping in several times on him, then his freaking kids stopping him… and now this guy that thought he was doing the city a favor by killing everyone inside it.
With Batman's death, Ricky had seen his chance to rise through the ranks of being a small time crook to a gang leader himself. He just needed the supports from lower life thugs, the guns he still knew Penguin stored around town and a way to get those distributed around town. It had taken him a while but he finally got that operation up… tonight. Right at the moment they started loading this lunatic with what looked like a red helmet on his face dropped in and started shooting at them. If he wanted these guns… he had something coming at him.
Still he had just taken out a large portion of his goons again. No worries, he could just as easily replace those and he would punish those that had ran away and left him alone to deal with this. Even though he had a superior weapon, the Red Hood didn't move an inch. It was as if he wanted Ricky to start shooting at him. "You can make a very good living in hell as well… just ask Joker." Red Hood said as he now pointed one of his guns at Ricky.
At that same moment the criminal opened fire on the vigilante as the next thing that happened only took a few seconds. As the bullets soared past the Red Hood he pointed his gun right at Loose Lips and out from it came a long rope with a hook on it. As it shot forward, the hook embedded itself in the gun wielding criminal as he gritted his lips. Only a flesh wound, nothing to worry about. That was when the gun started to pull in the rope and the Red Hood came rushing towards him.
Before Ricky could throw the gun away and get ready for close combat the first punch in his face was already dealt as the vigilante hit him with the blunt side of his pistol. The next punch came to his side as finally Ricky had thrown his gun to the ground and hit the Red Hood right on his helmet. His hand ached and felt like it had it a metal wall as he tried to punch him now in his stomach. The crazy murdering "hero" was faster and evaded his punch and instead kicked Loose Lips in his gut.
"I already told you that Black Mask stood no chance. Why did you think you did?" Red Hood asked as he next kicked his opponent against his head as Ricky fell down, the whole world spinning around his eyes as he tried to focus again. Trying to get his grip on something he wanted to climb up but again the Hood was faster and kicked him down again. "I'll tell you why. Because you got shit for brains!" he proclaimed as he pointed his gun now right into Ricky's face.
"Please, there's no need for this. I got guns. You saw them. I can give them to you. You never have to run out of ammo. You can get whatever you need and when you need it!" Ricky began as the Red Hood sighed and shook his head, again with the pleading. Let these criminals do whatever they like and they will never show regret but put a gun to their head and they will not know how quick they need to lick your heels.
"You know, you can take your begs and your cries for mercy and shove them up your ass!" Red Hood said as he next shot Ricky right between his eyes. Looking down he saw the criminal stare in disbelief at him as if he couldn't believe he just shot him down. That was the expression he would die with tonight as well as the Red Hood lifted the helmet from his face to strike his hair back and sigh. "Stupid idiot." Jason Todd said as he smirked to himself.
He looked over the helmet as his thought wandered to that last night… that night he had tried to kill his former mentor and father… Bruce. He had in return only sought to give him what he had missed for so many years… compassion and warmth… it reminded him of the good times… and it reminded him where his true anger and hatred lied. Not with Batman but every other scumbag of Gotham that needed to be taught a lesson. With Batman gone though… he felt he needed to make things right.
And he didn't put Black Mask down or he heard something that was of great interest to him. Harley Quinn had apparently returned from her retirement. He had personally hoped for that already. That clown bitch was part of the problem of who he had become… she knew what he had become… She had assisted the Joker into sufficiently breaking him. True, she hadn't put him through any torture but still, she knew of it and had never even once tried to speak up for him.
Putting his helmet back on a smile formed on his face. That clown was the only remnant of Joker that was still alive outside of him. But he was already a force that wasn't bothering to go down a criminal route… he was instead looking to exterminate each and every last one of them. But with Quinn hopping around town again and possibly with accomplices they were the first on his hit list to take out. He was smiling… because killing her would be the closest thing that he could call… revenge.
Harley had left the apartment as she had tossed a few times in her thrown over bed before deciding… she didn't want to sleep in that anymore. The realization came a bit late perhaps but Harley was actually rather pooped from all that had happened and her little talk with Catwoman hadn't done her any favors. Still, as she had left she made sure to keep very silent as to not wake up her kitten. She deserved that rest above anyone else.
It was nearing four in the morning as Harley had decided that she could at least use one good drink before she would crash down again in her bed. With a mind filled with alcohol and her problems pushed far enough away again it would do miracles for her. Finding a bar that was open at this time would have been hard if it weren't for the fact that it was Gotham and nearly every bar in the city would be open for 24 hours a day.
Making her way through the slowly awakening city from its night life she hit the very first bar she could find that just so happened to be a small club called The Last Chance café. She usually drank here with Selina a drink after she celebrated certain thefts. A bit of trying to get Harley in a better mood that usually ended with Harley being drunk and starting a bar fight with the two having to retreat again.
Right now, Harley was in that same mood again as she wanted nothing more than to get drunk, get some unneeded but fun destruction out of the way and hop back into bed with a happy smile until next night would hit her again. As she walked in she saw the bar was completely empty outside of the bartender who smirked seeing Harley getting in. "Sorry miss Quinzel, folks left early tonight so no reason to start picking a fight."
"You can just start calling me Harley. Miss Quinzel took a train to out of here and isn't bound to return anytime soon." Harley said with a smile as the bartender shook his head. She had literally nearly punched his head in for calling her Harley… and now she insisted on being called that again. Well, the girl was insane after all, he didn't mind it and if she was going to pay for a difference instead of cause chaos he was all too happy to oblige.
"So… Senior…" Harley said as she smiled sitting at the bar as she held out her hand. "One time the usual please." she said as he nodded and went to work on her drink as she looked around with a sigh. There was absolutely no one she could pick a fight with before hitting the sack as she looked at the tender again. "How's your kid doing?" she asked as the bartender only looked up and sighed not wanting to talk about it.
As luck… or bad luck would have it for him he didn't need to. Another person came in as evidenced by the tinkling bell as Harley could hear she was sitting next of her. She could feel the long hair of the other person sticking into her side… it felt amazingly soft though. "Yo, bartender, one sunrise with a parasol please." she heard a familiar voice say… as she slowly turned to look at who sat next to her and stared in the big smirking face of Yang. "Hi there, nice to run into you again of all people."