Disclaimer - This chapter contains violence and abuse both physical and mental. You have been warned.

Chapter 3 – Anger

"Harrlleeeyyy! Get your ass in here!"

Harley ran down the stairs to see what J was yelling about. It was very early on Sunday, the day of the Gotham Stadium caper and Joker had been very on edge all week long. As she expected, he didn't remember their conversation in the limo the night of his party but had woken the following morning ornery and very hung over. Since then he had flipped between denial, elation and acting out in equal measure. His moods were hard to keep up with on a regular basis, but this Batman situation made it virtually impossible. Harley never knew when he would be lying in wait with some horrible new prank to torture her with and it was making her paranoid. Calls congratulating J still came in on a regular basis at which time he'd be giddy and proud of the accomplishment until realization set in afterward. That's when his moods turned dark. He had been spending more and more time alone, actually going so far as to lock himself in his office or lab so he couldn't be disturbed. What he did during that time she had no idea but he rarely emerged the same happy clown he usually was.

She had managed to get a 90-day supply of both Paliperidone and Xanax and attempted to get J to take them but he reacted violently, throwing the bottles at her head and backhanding her. He adamantly refused to take the medication and told her in no uncertain terms that if she brought it up again she would pay for it severely. She was doing her best to keep both of their spirits up by being as happy and accommodating as possible but she was beginning to think that her upbeat demeanor was doing more harm than good and just pissing him off further.

"Morning Mistah J!" she sing-songed. He glared at her.

"It's about God damn time. I need you to do inventory before I have the henchmen load all of this into the vans and you're nowhere to be found! Do you have any idea how important today is?" Her eyes widened as he screamed at her.

"Of course I do Mistah J, but it's only six AM. I was just in the kitchen making your coffee and breakfast. Which is ready by the way, if you care." She replied with her hands on her hips.

He was beginning to wear on her. He had been very verbally abusive all week and it was becoming increasingly difficult to be sunny and bubbly. He stalked over to her.

"Don't get flip with me missy!" He growled. He grabbed one of her pigtails and tugged violently yanking her head to the side. "Do I look like I have the patience to listen to your gob today?"

"Oowwww! Mistah J, I'm sorry! I'll start the inventory right now. Just, ouch, quit it."

He released her and she rubbed the painful spot on her scalp. She picked up a spiral notebook and began logging in every bomb, detonator, tool and uniform they'd be using today as J went upstairs to eat. He entered the kitchen to find a fresh mug of coffee and a plate of slightly overdone scrambled eggs, buttered toast that had obviously been burnt and scraped and crispy bacon. He sighed.

"At least she managed to get the bacon right." He sat at the table and thought about the upcoming job as he ate.

This is it! Today is the day my Batsy comes back to me! Everything needs to be absolutely perfect down to the smallest details. I want him to know how much I've missed him since he's been gone. A big, flashy, public and televised gag with a huge body count is just the thing to show him my love. It's funny really, it feels kind of like a first date. I'm a bundle of nerves and have butterflies in my stomach. I'm sure he feels the same way. I can't wait to see the look on his face, all grim determination, set jaw and narrowed eyes. I'm sure he's missed me too. What's Batman without the Joker after all? I'm not public enemy number one for nothing. He needs me as much as I need him. That's why he hasn't killed me. Not only that, but he's saved my life a dozen or so times. That's how I know he loves me too. He always saves me. My knight in black shining armor. I'm just bursting with anticipation! Today is going to feel like an eternity but it will be worth the wait!

He finished his breakfast and headed back to the lab where Harley was quietly finishing the inventory. She knew why he was on edge, frankly she was too. If Bats doesn't show up tonight J may just fall apart at the seams and she'd be the one forced to pick up the pieces. It felt odd, but she prayed that Batsy was ok and showed up to foil Joker's latest gag, even if it meant another trip back to Arkham.

"So, where are we at Harley?" She glanced up at him and forced a smile onto her face.

"Almost done, Puddin. You can send the boys in whenever you're ready."

"And you know your part in all this?"

"Yessir. For both the setup and halftime. I won't let you down Pud."

"You better not. If you screw up Batsy's homecoming, it'll be your last screw up ever!"

Joker paced the lair in the hours leading up to the first stages of the job. The tension was palpable and Harley was grateful when they finally piled into the vans and headed for the stadium. The set up for this job was going to be the hard part. Yesterday the henchmen either kidnapped or killed the usual maintenance employees that worked the stadium and stole their uniforms, keys, ID tags and the vans used to move tools and supplies in and out of it. Those vans were now packed full of explosives. Their first priority, besides clearing security, was rigging the bombs. There were 350 sections in the stadium and a bomb would be placed beneath a random seat in each section. They needed to discreetly rig 350 bombs in two and a half hours before the second part of the plan could commence. That would happen at during the halftime show.

It was chilly but the clouds had cleared off which was fortunate. If the game got rained out Joker would lose his damn mind. He had put far too much into this joke of his for them to call the game due to weather. The crew toiled in the stands, carefully writing down the seat numbers each bomb was rigged to in each individual section and gave the list to Harley to prepare for halftime. For the second phase of the scheme the henchmen needed to be ready to rush the television control room and overtake the broadcast just before the halftime show began. Joker needed to be sure Batsy showed up tonight and anytime he televised a gag, Batsy came running. He supposed he just couldn't help himself. Yet another testament to the nature of their relationship.

The Gotham Knights were playing the Metropolis Tigers tonight. By kickoff the stadium was packed full of beer swilling, hot dog gobbling, painted faced sports fanatics. Joker almost couldn't stand the anticipation but did his best to hide his level of unadulterated excitement from the men. Enjoying one's work was one thing but he didn't want to seem too overeager.

The first half of the game seemed to take forever. Every time the refs threw a flag or one of the teams called a time out Joker wanted to rip his hair out. Harley sat beside him in one of the private boxes dressed in a black and yellow cheerleader outfit writing alpha-numerical numbers on little white ping pong balls and dropping them in a large bucket.

"Get on with it already!"

She thought at first he was talking to her until she looked up from her work to see that another penalty flag had been thrown. J hated sports to begin with and this must have been agonizing for him. He was already dressed in his costume for tonight's festivities. He was wearing black pleated pants, a black and white striped referee's shirt, a whistle and had a white NFL cap pulled down over his verdant tresses. He ran his hands down his face in frustration as he waited for the play to continue.

"There's only fifteen minutes left in the quarter Puddin. It won't be long now."

He turned and shot her a look that warned her to keep her mouth shut or there would be serious consequences. She went back to her work and tried to keep quiet as J paced and grumbled.

"Fifteen minutes in the NFL can take an hour Harls! God I hate this ridiculous game. How do people find this entertaining? There's almost never any blood! Now hockey, boxing, MMA… those are sports I can get into. Lots of blood and violence, that's the kinds of sports I like. International soccer too, come to think of it. Plenty of fights in the crowds at those games. Come on, come on! Hurry it up you worthless gorillas!" He yelled at the players on the field. Finally, the quarter drew into the last five minutes. "Come on Harley, grab the balls and let's get into position."

She followed him down towards the field. When security tried to stop them Joker dosed them with a spray can of Smilex he had in his back pocket. Joe, one of their henchmen, was waiting for them with a large bingo cage. Harley poured the ping pong balls inside of it as they waited for the signal. Finally, it came. A picture of Joker's face popped up on the Jumbo Tron screens around the stadium. Joker grabbed a microphone and walked onto the field, Harley pushing the full bingo cage behind him.

"Good evening sports nuts! It's your old pal Joker, here to entertain you during the halftime festivities!" Their henchmen were stationed at each of the exits with assault rifles to stop anyone from leaving the stadium. "Now before you all go running off, I should warn you that the stadium is rigged with three hundred and fifty individual bombs. There is one in each and every section throughout the arena. If anyone attempts to leave, I press this little button here and everyone goes kaboom! Oh and to Gotham's finest, if you so much as step foot in this stadium I'll take the whole damn building down!"

He held up the master detonator. Then he turned to face one of the cameras.

"Now folks, we're going to play a little game tonight. Let me explain the rules. My lovely assistant Harley is going to draw one of these little balls. The object of the game is to not have your number called, because if she draws your seat number…. BOOM! But on the flip side that means the rest of you in that section are safe! Now, I'm going to have Harley draw one seat number every ten minutes until Batman shows up to save you all." He looked directly into the camera. "That's right Batman, I know you're out there and if you want to save hundreds of lives, you had better make it snappy!" He plastered a huge smile across his face. "Shall we begin?"

He nodded to Harley who turned the crank on the bingo cage for a few seconds until the balls were thoroughly mixed up, opened the door and picked out one ping pong ball. She handed it to Joker. He looked at the ball and pulled out a large detonator that was fixed with a dial. He turned the dial to the appropriate seat number and prepared.

"So our first unlucky football enthusiast is…. Section 204 Row F Seat 12. Awww, sorry chum but I guess it's just not your lucky day."

He pressed the button and a blonde college freshman exploded into bloody chunks. Blood and body tissue rained upon the fans surrounding the young man. Several were severely injured by shrapnel and lay on the ground moaning in pain. Joker howled with laughter.

"Now while we wait to pull the next number how about we turn on the old kiss cam!"

The camera focused on a younger couple who were clinging onto each other for dear life. The camera hovered over them and their images popped up on all of the screens as music played through the stadium speakers.

"Come on now. You can kiss or you can die. It's up to you, folks." The terrified couple obeyed Joker's order and very quickly pressed their lips together. "You call that a kiss? That was just pathetic. Think of it this way, this may just be the last kiss you ever share, so how about making it count!"

He cackled as the couple clung to each other and kissed as if they'd never see one another again. The following nine minutes were similarly spent until Joker looked at his watch.

"Okay Harley-girl, time to draw the next number!"

He blew up the second unlucky football fan and began getting impatient. He dropped the microphone to his side and hissed at Harley.

"Where the hell is he? He never takes this long!" She didn't want to state the obvious but had little choice.

"Puddin, I don't think he's coming." He glared daggers at her.

"Shut up Harley! Of course he's coming! He's just fashionably late!" He shouted. Joker paced as the countdown began again.

Shortly after the third football junkie was blown sky high a shadow fell over Joker and Harley. Above them, gliding from the roof of the stadium were Batman and Robin.

"Ha ha ha ha! See! I told you he'd come Harley! I knew he was still alive! I just knew it!" He chortled in in glee as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "Batsy, long time no see! I knew you couldn't resist me! Welcome to my little game!"

Batman and Robin landed several feet away from Joker. Batman narrowed his eyes at him before speaking in a deep gravelly baritone.

"We're calling a time out on your game Joker. You've been disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct."

Joker stopped and stared at Batman in confusion.

"Did you just quip?" He turned and looked at his henchwench, his brows drawing together. "He just quipped, didn't he?" Harley nodded.

"Yeah, he sure did Puddin."

"Batman doesn't quip. Batman swoops in from the sky and silently beats me to a bloody pulp! You're not my bat! YOU'RE. NOT. MY. BAT!" He screamed furiously as he ripped off his cap and threw it violently on the ground.

Joker launched himself at the Bat-fake as Robin went for Harley. She grabbed her mallet from under the bingo cage and brandished it at the child.

"C'mon Bird-boy, bring it already. Afraid to get beaten down by a girl?" Robin punched one gloved hand into his opposite palm and smiled.

"I will thoroughly enjoy the look on your face when you realize you've had your ass handed to you by a twelve-year-old."

"Fat chance Boy Blunder!" She discreetly rubbed her heels together releasing the spring mechanisms built into the bottom of her shoes. She bounced herself up and over Batsy's sidekick. "You gotta catch me first!"

Joker and the fake Batman circled one another.

"So, which one are you anyway? Azrael, Red Hood?" He pulled two stiletto daggers from inside of his sleeves and lunged at the imposter in the bat suit. Bat-fake executed a perfect side somersault in the air and landed on his feet out of the Joker's reach. "I'd know those moves anywhere. Nightwing! Where is he? Where is MY bat? Why did he send you, a mere boy, to do a man's job? Frankly I'm insulted he'd send the second stringers after me. ME! THE JOKER!" He bellowed.

"Frankly Joker, he doesn't think you're worth his time anymore. He's grown tired of you and your pathetic jokes."

Joker growled loudly in the back of his throat and pounced on Nightwing. He brought one of the daggers down across his bicep cutting through the suit and slicing into the flesh. Nightwing winced and sucked air in painfully through his teeth. He rounded on Joker landing a solid blow to his jaw.

Harley was throwing Robin off. She was a wildcard. She knew how to distract her enemies, especially this kid. He had an ego like J's but unlike J he had a giant stick up his ass. She saw the fault in his character and used it to her advantage. She hopped about on her spring shoes.

"Boingy. Boingy. Boingy." She said with each hop.

"You don't have to make that noise you know!" Robin shouted. Harley smiled sweetly at him.

"I don't have ta, but I'm gonna! Boingy!"

Robin, for all his normal control, was obviously frustrated with the Harlequin and it made him sloppy. She bounced over his head and managed to whack him with her mallet in his right shoulder, his dominant shoulder, hard.

"Tag, you're it!"

"Damn you woman! Stop all your ridiculous bouncing and face me!"

"Na-uh Bat Brat! I'm still having fun!" Robin unsheathed his katana and held it across his body as he yelled over to Nightwing.

"Batman, can I kill her?"

Nightwing vaulted backwards away from the Joker just in time to avoid being slashed a second time by the razor sharp daggers.

"We don't kill Robin!"

"But she's annoying!"

"Robin!" The boy wonder huffed out a frustrated breath and re-sheathed his sword.

"Fine!"

Joker stopped fighting and stood facing Nightwing in the bat costume.

"I've had enough of this. You're not my Bat and you're just no fun." He pulled out another detonator that appeared to have a timer on it. "So here's the deal Wingnut. This here is a Mexican standoff. You have ten minutes to disable the bombs, clear the stadium or deactivate the timing device I rigged to blow this joint sky high or you can chase after me and Harley. I'll let you decide what it's gonna be." He pressed the button starting the countdown. Nightwing yelled across the field to his sidekick.

"Robin! Leave her and start evacuating everybody! I'll work on shutting down the bombs!"

Joker stood just watching the two of them for a minute in disbelief before turning, grabbing Harley roughly by her wrist and dragging her out of the stadium to one of the stolen vans. He didn't wait for any of the henchmen, but turned the key in the ignition and sped back to the lair in Chinatown. Harley could tell he was absolutely seething with rage. He stormed into the Ha-hacienda and up to his office. The room was one of the largest in the place and it allowed him a bigger area to pace when he was angry. Harley foolishly followed him.

"I can't believe it! The nerve of that two-bit Bat-fake! He thought he was good enough to face me? ME? I'm the God damn Joker for chrissakes! I can't believe the audacity of that little turd! And how dare he say Batsy's grown tired of me? I'm the reason Batman gets dressed up in tights and goes out there every night!" He shouted angrily. Harley knew better than to open her mouth but she just couldn't stop herself.

"Puddin, whenever you're involved Batsy always comes himself. I really don't think he sent them. I think they came after you because they had no other choice or have the blood of an entire stadium on their hands. I know this is hard for you but I think you need to face the fact that B-man's really dead this time."

He froze in place, his shoulders tensing, his body strung tight and shaking with rage. He spun around to glower at her. His desk stood between them. He growled savagely, grabbed the edge of the desk and flipped it in the air. Harley flinched as it landed upside down with a loud thud at her feet.

"What did you say to me Harley?"

Oh fuck, I am really screwed.

"P-puddin, it's for your own good, really. The sooner you come to terms with Batsy's death th-"

He dove at her over the upturned desk, grabbing her throat and squeezing to cut off the insolence pouring out of that willful mouth of hers. His eyes had shrunken to bloodshot pinpoints and the vein in his forehead was visibly bulging as he choked her. Just as the black spots began to cloud her vision he let go and began throwing punches as he screamed and belittled her.

"Who the hell do you think you are to tell the Joker what the hell to do? I've tolerated you for years now, and why? You're useless! Worthless! Pathetic!"

He landed several devastating blows to her face and she could already feel both of her eyes swelling shut. She tried covering her face with her arms to protect herself. He pinned them above her head with one large hand and pulled one of his daggers with the other. He passed the blade in front of her face menacingly before bringing the point of it in front of one of Harley's baby blue eyes. She could feel the metal brushing against her eyelashes. She tried very hard to keep still but she was sobbing in pain and humiliation which made it very difficult to not move.

"Harley you are a miserable excuse for a sidekick, you were a woefully inadequate doctor for the whole six months you held a license, you're a weak, dim-witted, feather brained waste of space! You're not even very good in bed! I should pluck those big blue eyes right out of that empty head of yours and feed them to the hyenas!" He withdrew the dagger and stared down into her face. "Harley, you have exactly five minutes to gather your things and get the hell out of here or I will finally rid myself of you permanently!"

He stood and stared down at her with disgust as she whined and blubbered.

"M-m-mistah J. Don't d-do t-this. I l-love you and-"

"Four minutes and thirty seconds." He growled.

She knew he really meant it this time. If she didn't get the hell out of here, he would really kill her. She rolled over and weakly pushed herself up onto her knees. She stumbled as she tried to stand and had to grab onto the wall for support.

"Four minutes."

She scurried to the bedroom and blindly threw clothes, toiletries and some random belongings into a large duffel bag. He yelled up the stairs from the second floor.

"One and a half minutes!"

She located her purse, threw one of her framed pictures of her and Mr. J into it grabbed her coat and ran down the stairs. She stopped on the second floor landing to look at him through her rapidly swelling eyes.

"M-mistah J?" she squeaked.

"Thirty seconds, Harley. Now get out!" She stared at him with tears streaming down her cheeks and snot dripping from her nose silently pleading with him not to do this. "I said get out Harley. GET THE HELL OUT!"

She turned and ran out the door slamming it behind her. She collapsed onto her knees in the cold Gotham air, bawling. Hot, fat tears fell from her damaged eyes and she struggled to get her breath. Her whole body ached from the beating but her heart hurt even more. She felt empty inside and she released a keening wail as she heard him inside of her head telling her what a pathetic, useless waste of space she was. When she was finally capable, she went to the only place she knew to go. The door slowly swung open. Ivy stood staring at her best friend in shock.

"Oh no. Oh Harley, not again?" Harley burst into tears and found herself unable to speak as Ivy wrapped her arms around her. "Harley why do you keep letting him do this to you?" Harley shook her head in response. "Come in out of the cold and let me see to your wounds." She led Harley into her brownstone with her arm draped around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay Harls. Ivy is going to take care of you now."

A/N - Yes this chapter is cruel. Harley certainly doesn't deserve it but we're dealing with the topic of grief which is very psychologically complex. There is also quite a bit more going on here as will be revealed in future chapters. Grief can make people do things they would never 'normally' do. Add to that the fact that we're dealing with a murderous, batshit crazy psychopath and the results are going to multiplied tenfold.