The Harlequin and the Bat
This is the story sequel to: The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners.
Warning: Violent scenes to come. These stunts are done by highly trained professionals and should not be imitated by anyone. Except those proficient in martial arts training and weapons, even then it shouldn't be imitated.
Chapter 18
*November Third*
The house was loud today, Bruce and Harley were arguing. Bruce was trying to keep her safe but Harley was seeing it as a way for him to control her…
"I don't need twenty four seven protection Bruce, you're being paranoid!" Harley shouted
"I'm being reasonable! You don't know what the League can do? You don't know how dangerous they are!" Bruce tried to reason with her.
Inside the kitchen Dick, Tim and Bill were having their breakfast. It pained Tim to hear Harley and Bruce fight…sure they had their small spats but this one was a biggie.
"Hey don't look worried Tim. Bruce is just concerned for Harley that's all." Dick reassured him
"But…why…why do they have to fight? They love each other…right…?" Tim looked at Dick and Bill, who was rubbing his upper arm.
"*Sigh* I'm no expert on the subject…but I suppose…having fights in a relationship as early as this is a good thing…because if they really care for one another they'll get over this rough patch." Bill explained "If not…then…you know…"Bill solemnly spoke he let on more than he spoke
"Something happened to someone you know like this?" Dick asked
Bill nodded "There was…hmm…there was a kid where I used to live…his parents would fight all the time…they yelled almost all the time…they loved their kid very much but…they couldn't stand each other. They divorced after…the kid became a recluse…he didn't understand why they split…but they told him it wasn't his fault…soon after the kid…took the coward's way out…" Bill solemnly spoke and then looked at Tim. "But it's not going to happen with Bruce and Harley!" Bill quickly reassured Tim
"It's just I don't want to see them unhappy again…Harley means the world to him and Bruce to her…what if they really break up? How can we help Gotham if we can't work together as a team?" Tim began to tear up.
'Way to go Bill!' Dick spoke without speaking
'I just told him the truth!' Bill responded
Harley exited and began to walk towards the door "I'm going out. I'll call when I'm coming back!" she said grabbing her purse and walking out the door.
"Harley, wait! *groan* Why can't she see the danger?" Bruce groaned entering the kitchen. Bill, Dick and Tim remained quiet. They didn't want to put their feet in it.
"Master Bruce, we overheard you're lover's tiff. It'll be quite alright later." Alfred said reassuringly placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder.
"I don't know Alfred…I love her, I don't want to see her hurt. I mean Talia could be after her for all I know, and with that rogue assassin is roaming around who knows if he's after her too?" Bruce sighed.
"Miss Harley knows you love her, she knows the dangers you both go through; she just doesn't want you worrying about her all the time. That's all she's saying." Alfred spoke with years of experience. "And if she truly loves you, as I know she does, she'll come back through those doors reflecting on what has passed and you'll evolve from this experience and trust each other more than you have now."
"*sigh* You've had your fair share haven't you Alfred?" Bruce grinned.
"Once upon a time sir; a short while after I joined Wayne Manor." Alfred answered "Maria LaBelle…a beautiful woman. Still no point in dwelling on the past, you must push forward Master Bruce and learn." Alfred spoke reassuring Bruce
"Okay…thank you Alfred, you always know what to say." Bruce smiled
"Would you like to partake in a spot of Earl Grey?" Alfred returned back to his regular duties
"Please, Alfred." Bruce smiled
(Harleen's POV)
'*Growl* God, I cannot believe him! He thinks I can't take care of myself? He's such…such a…damn I need to find Ivy!' Harley groaned riding on one of Dick's motorbikes after fitting her now normal black hair.
She travelled down where she saw an employee working on a new bouquet for some customers. "Thank you, come again." she waved goodbye putting money in the till. "Miss Harley? We didn't expect you today; I'll go and get Madam Ivy."
"Thanks Lupe." Harley memorised every employee who worked for her and Ivy, they made a promise to know who worked for them as not to fall into the villain stereotype again.
Lupe smiled and called to her employer; Ivy emerged from her backroom and asked "Harley? What's happened?" sounding concerned
"Can we talk about it in the backroom?" Harley asked
"Sure. Mark, keep an eye on things." Ivy asked
"Of course, don't worry about it." Mark smiled and he got on with his work with the others members of staff.
In the backroom, Harley was explaining to Ivy what happened during the morning, Ivy was listening intently to each word "Well, I'm not the expert on this subject…seeing as I kill every man I kiss…but I do know that Bruce really cares for you. Do you remember that time you went on your sabbatical, Bruce went all over Gotham looking for you. No normal man would've risked everything for one of us, but Bruce and Bill risked their lives for you, under risk of 'Suicide Squad' Waller." Ivy explained with Harley listening.
Harley began to speak in a low voice "But I didn't want to be the damsel in distress. Bruce has saved me so many times: back in the old days, Penguin, Crane's fear toxin…I just don't want to be a burden to him."
"Well, what if this time you need to heed Bruce? I've heard of someone in the Underworld called Talia who Bruce dated for a time but then subsequently broke up because of her father." Ivy explained
"But I don't care about the women Bruce has dated in the past. What we have now…it's special…and I ruined it by being stubborn…God I'm a mess!" Harley beat herself up
"Well this is a good sign." Ivy smiled
"What's a good sign?" Harley sniffed
"You, admitting that you were stubborn; when the love of your life was trying to help you. But you've realised it and now you've gotten wiser from it." Ivy replied
"*small laugh* Have you been talking to Alfred again?" Harley smiled wiping her tears away.
"Well I and he have been talking while we were working in the garden." Ivy smiled hugging her friend.
"I better get going…" Harley said getting up.
"why where are you going?" Ivy asked
"I'm going to Bruce and I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." Harley said calmly, Ivy looked shocked "The imaginative side involving a feather duster and his tie!" Harley grinned mischievously, with Ivy following suit.
"You're turning into a right minx you know that!" Ivy said pointing her finger at her.
"See you back at the house." Harley smiled as she was going to the motorbike she borrowed from Dick.
(Bruce's POV)
Dick and Tim were training in the Bat-cave using various methods of equipment and techniques. Bill was working on a new type of exploding Batarang and Shard-Star. The preliminary sketches were sound but the actual design might be difficult: if the user was moving around erratically or being thrown around the throwing devices could explode on the user.
"That's twelve to nine, Tim…not bad, you're improving." Dick said getting his adoptive brother up.
"I guess that makes us even from the ice cream thing; right?" Tim asked
"Yeah…we're square." Dick smiled then felt something not quite right. "You feel that?" he whispered
"That "whoosh"? Yeah…suit up?" Tim replied
"No time. Grab a weapon." Dick moved slowly towards the hanging arsenal for his batons
"I got you." Tim replied grabbing his staff.
Bill didn't know what was going on and he was the first casualty, *Thud!* Bill's head slammed into the table by an unknown hand and a kunai (a throwing knife used in ninja media) flew into Dick's direction. Dick deflected it way from his face to the floor. There was an alarm that sounded and Bruce went into action wearing one of the special suits Bill made for him.
"Show yourself! Now!" Dick called out to the shadows still in arms.
Three figures appeared members of the League of Assassins! A woman and two men; the woman spoke: "We have come for the Bat."
"Not likely!" Dick said proudly
"Take them out. But don't kill them; Mistress will not be happy if we do." The woman said calmly
"Mistress…? You mean Talia?" Dick demanded
"Maybe…maybe not…it is none of your concern." The female assassin spoke. "Occupy them."
"You invade my home looking for me? Here I am!" Bruce said knocking out one of the assassins by diving on top of him.
The fight ensued as several more assassins appeared. Assassins maybe killers but they know honour, they attacked Dick and Tim with weapons while Bruce dealt with an unarmed opponent.
Dick fought an assassin with a short sword; each blow was edging close to Dick's torso edging him closer to death; luckily the years he spent as an acrobat made him on equal footing with the assassin. Tim dealt with a larger overpowering assassin who was using a staff as well, with the training Tim and Dick were doing the two were getting on to exhaustion but they stood their ground. One assassin looked over at Bill's unconscious body and laughed…that is until Bill grabbed his hand and twisted it around and the assassin screamed.
"That's…not…nice!" Bill spoke slowly getting up, still holding the assassins arm. "And neither is…THIS!" Bill said breaking the Assassin's arm, and as he screamed the others attacked Bill defended using his cast and strength but got hit again. After taking about fifteen hits from assassin fists Bill was knocked out.
"Bill! *groan*" Tim got hit and knocked out then left alone.
"Tim! Bruce, behind you!" Dick said defending against four different assassins but got a paralyzing dart in his neck.
"No! *roar*!" Bruce fought against different assassins but ultimately lost his consciousness; the assassins captured Bruce and tied him up.
"Excellent, now we can…oof!" the female assassin fell to the ground with a thud, because she got landed on by the Rouge Assassin.
"Who the…?" an assassin questioned before the assassin attacked them defending Bruce and the others.
"Get him!" the assassins attacked but the Rogue used his black cloak to strike them then unveiling a pair of tonfa, Bill was becoming more conscious and saw what the Rogue was doing: taking on up to twelve assassins! Bill stayed down because he knew in his current state he wouldn't stand long against the assassins. He over saw the Rogue taking each one and knocking them down, he saw each tonfa hit upon each one causing them to bleed. The female assassin threw a bolas at the Rogue but he grabbed them and threw her over the Bat-Cave ledge rendering her unconscious. The Rogue was knocked unconscious by a staff strike to his head.
The assassins recovered sluggishly and grabbed Bruce, "Mistress did not mention this? Where is Sonia?"
'Sonia? The female assassin?' Bill thought
"Leave her, she has lost her honour." A male assassin commanded and disappeared with Bruce.
"*Groan*…Bruce…damn it…!" Bill said falling unconscious
(Harleen's POV)
Harley went inside the manor with hope to reconcile with her boyfriend and hope that he's not angry.
"Bruce? Alfred? Bill…where is everyone?" Harley asked then fell saddened
"Miss Harley! Thank goodness you're alright!" Alfred felt reassured
"Of course I'm alright, what's happened?" Harley was now worried
"The League of Assassins! They came, assaulted Masters Dick, Tim and Bill and abducted Master Bruce!" Alfred explained
"The League of…! Oh God! Bruce!" Harley ran downstairs into the Bat-cave and saw Tim, Dick and Bill recuperating. The Rogue and female assassin were tied up in respective chairs.
"Who are…? You? You were part of this?" Harley grabbed the Rogue by his collar scruff "Where's Bruce? Tell me!" the Rogue didn't speak but he did shake his head indicating he wasn't part of this, he looked at the female assassin, this prompted Harley to go over to the female assassin. "I'll ask again…" Harley said holding back her anger then unleashing a slap across the assassin's face "Where…is…Bruce?"
"I will not speak!" the assassin groaned "The Bat belongs to our Mistress!"
"I'll ask again…" Harley said raising her hand.
"Miss Harley, stop!" Alfred stopped Harley from slapping the girl. "She will not speak…maybe alternate methods could work?" Alfred suggested
"What methods?" Harley looked at the father figure upset
"How about Ivy? She gets lips moving!" Dick called out
"Hey; that's my girlfriend you're insinuating!" Bill said holding an icepack to his head pointing at the former boy wonder.
"And she's my best friend! I'm not going to use my best friend for interrogation purposes!" Harley shouted
"Maybe she is worthless like all of you! My Mistress is worth more than any of you combined multiplied several times over!" the assassin insulted
"Shut it…Sonia! You're not in any position to make threats!" Bill groaned looking to the floor
"I'll go get Ivy." Harley said darkly, she went over then punched Sonia in the stomach "Bitch!" then went over to the telephone.
'Sonia…that's the name of…' Alfred thought "Excuse me…Miss Sonia…what was your mother's name?" Alfred asked
"My mother's…why do you want to know that?" Sonia asked
"Just humour him!" Bill groaned
"My mother…was Maria LaBelle!" Sonia answered
"Maria…" Alfred gasped
"What is it? Why are you asking about my mother?" Sonia inquired
"Because I courted Maria LaBelle when we were younger, she left years ago…she said she had a daughter…Sonia!" Alfred explained
"You mean…" Sonia looked at the old man his eyes and hers looked exactly the same
"Oh for God's sake!" Bill groaned
"Why are you groaning?" Tim asked holding his ice pack on his leg.
"Because she's my daughter!" Alfred explained
"Soap-Opera ending anyone?" Bill said sarcastically
(Bruce's POV)
Bruce lay unconscious strapped to a chair, as he groaned a figure emerged from the shadows, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and sudden bright light. He heard the figure say three words:
"Hello my love…"
To be continued
I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as I have writing it.
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And thank you to all the people who have reviewed and followed my story thus far.
The next chapter coming up soon.
Thank you
Additional notes: I apologise for the sappy Soap-Opera introduction of the character: Sonia. But there was no other way I could do it.