Chapter 2: Planted in Twice Dead Soil
"R…Red?" My voice stuttered into the burn phone. I knew she would never speak first out of fear of giving away her number to anyone.
"Harley…is that you?" I heard Pammy's voice husk with concern. "What's wrong? Never mind. What did he do and where are you?" I could hear the anger in her words and I flinched even though I knew who the harshness in her voice was for. I winced at the movement since my body ached all over.
"I messed up again Red." I heard her huff and knew she was going to tell me I didn't do anything wrong, but before she could go into a lecture I beat her to the punch. "I'm in crime alley by the old movie house." I sniffed as holding the phone to my ear was causing my arm to hurt. "It hurts real bad Red. I think he… I think I'm really hurt this time."
Instantly I could feel the energy on her end turn from anger to a sorta panicky worried. "Stay put. I'll be right there." I sniffled an okay and hung up.
I hated this feeling, feeling helpless, but here I was, joints too swollen to walk for more than a few feet, muscles too bruised to support my lithe form and eyes, lip and nose too broken and puffy to rely on any sense save touch and hearing. Arms clutching myself, I let out a ragged agonized breath as my bruised arms screamed less than my screaming ribs. I have never been beaten this badly before. Sure there was that time My Puddin' threw me out the window, but the fall hurt me. I'm sure Mister J. didn't realize how far up we were. I don't know if I screwed up enough to be beaten this bad, but I should have known better than to tell Puddin' that one of his jokes was a bit stale.
It wasn't his fault. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I was just trying to help him. I mean, the giggle gas just seemed to be old material. I just suggested to him to change up his calling card to keep things fresh. Maybe change the concoction to make them cry. "You Know Mistah' J.? Like them old crying clowns they did on black felt?"
"Fresh material? Fresh Material!?" He shouted at me. He slapped me so hard across the face that my grease paint came off and my suddenly rosy cheek peeked through the marred white covering. I tried blubbering out an apology, but my innocent comment mocked him to his core as he picked up one of his brick stuffed chickens and beat me with it between kicks. "And it's black velvet you stupid useless excuse for a henchwoman!" He kept springing insult after insult on me. To be honest my cries were loud enough to block them out after that, and I was too busy curled into a ball with my hands protecting my neck from the strikes and kicks.
After he threw me out and told never to come back I limped along while the numbness allowed me to soldier forward before it faded and the pain finally grounded me. After I called Red I wondered if I could have said it differently, instead of fucking up… like I always do.
I tried to think of it, but I just hurt too fucking much to do anything but selfishly wallow in my pain and wait for Red to come find me. I couldn't even muster the guilt for hurting my poor Puddin's feelings. "I hope her new hideout is close…" I whimper, barely coherent sounding through my swollen nose and busted lip. I whined as I loll my head against the wall as the overloaded tendons in my neck stretched.
Sometime later I heard a car slow in the distance and the sound of a door opening. Suddenly I heard my phone going off and I jumped slightly in surprise and sucked air like a beached fish at the pain. I heard rushing foot steps towards me and relaxed a little as I saw flashes of red flowing out of the trench coat cloaked figure stepping into the street light I was hiding just out of reach of. "He.. here Red" I weakly sputtered.
She shown a flash light in my direction and even through my blurred vision I saw her beautiful face contort into horror at my appearance. Her green eyes were wide, her hand came up to the 'O' that her full lips formed. "Oh Harley…"
"Don't like the new look?" My voice hoarse, I tried to smile but gave up when Pammy wrinkled her nose at what I was sure was the nasty look of my swollen lips trying to move. I gave up and just slumped as Poison Ivy, one of the most lethal women in Gotham rushed over to me as I slumped over saying it was going to be okay.