Harley Quinn has made her choice.
The Joker's plan is still in motion, thanks to her, and he knows now that he can't let her slip away. He can't have her questioning him any longer. Harley has chosen the Joker, but every choice has a clear right and wrong? Are they blurred? Or did she truly make the right decision?
Still hurting from a fresh stab wound and a bullet to the stomach, Dick and Damian are grounded. In Robin's place, Batgirl accompanies Batman out on patrol, and what they find could be a clue to the Joker's plan. But yet again, one thing keeps getting in the way. Harley Quinn is the key.
Harley groaned and rolled over as she slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly aware that there was someone else in the bed with her, Harley sat bolt upright in a panic before she realized there were no scars on the man's back. It was the Joker. After her breathing settled, she glanced around the room.
The bed had just been set in the middle of the room and, over the gold frame, Harley could see the antique dresser and vanity. A couch with silk pillows was placed precariously behind the door. Someone knocked.
Joker sat up dazedly and blinked a few times, staring at the door. His green curls stuck up from his high forehead in a tangled mess. The knock came again, and he yawned, tugging a deep violet robe off of the bedpost and pulling it on. He wiped a sleeve over his face, leaving streaks of white makeup on the fabric as he opened the door. "What is it?" he said a bit irritably, leaning against the door frame. Harley leaned over to try and see who it was. The man had taken his clown mask off and was twirling it in his hands.
"Boss," he started confidently. "You told us to come tell you when we have any news on an escapee from Arkham." The man glanced back and saw Harley. He smiled. Harley rolled her eyes as she pulled the Pima cotton covers closer around herself, bunching the blankets in her hands. Harley saw Joker's hand tighten on the door handle.
"Don't be too cocky, son," Joker growled. "Not before I've had my coffee. Spit it out."
"Man-Bat's been sighted down by the docks. They think he's roosting by the storage units." The man leaned against the doorframe and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Terrific," Joker spat, and then grinned. He slammed the door so fast that the man didn't have time to move, and it caught his arm. When he cried out, the Joker pulled the door open again, let him fall to the hallway floor, and then closed it gently as he turned to Harley. "Good morning. Or evening, as it seems. Sleep well?" He smiled. His green eyes shone brightly, and some of his pale face was exposed where he'd wiped the makeup with his sleeve. He almost seemed… human.
"You know I did Puddin," Harley giggled with a smile, running her fingers through her hair to try and keep the bed head out of her face.
"Of course," he said distractedly, his smile seemingly permanently plastered across his face. Joker walked to the dresser and sifted through the heaping pile of sparkling jewelry. "Good, I have a job for you."
"Oh?" she mused, stretching her arms above her head lazily. He shot her a handsome smile and then strolled to the window, twirling a gold pocket watch in his hands.
"Man-Bat could be useful to our plan. Go and invite him to tea, would you?" Joker giggled darkly, his silhouette outlined by the city lights of Gotham through the window.
"If that's what you want," Harley said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Her bare feet rested on the cool floor. "But I feel like I'm just wasting my time. You'll just kill him anyway. Why are you waiting?"
"Flat out murdering people is no fun! Where's the flair!? There has to be a production- a show. It's so much more fun that way, ask anyone. Ask Batman! The flash, the costumes, and the cool toys are all for show. For a wow factor," Joker cried, looking at her earnestly. "And if we kill them outright, the Bat will know what we're up to. We want to be discreet about the plan for a while. It's not a show if there's no mystery," he insisted.
"If you say so Puddin."
"Do you have a location yet?" Batman demanded, pressing his comm.
"I'm trying Batman, Damian won't get out of the damn chair." Dick replied.
"I called dibs!" Damian snapped.
"God I'm going to kill Jason for teaching you dibs…"
"You encouraged it, Grayson."
"You little-"
"Stop!" Batman shouted. Batgirl skidded to a halt. "No not you!" he snapped at her, and then pressed his comm. "You two are going to have to work together! Come on!"
Dick and Damian mumbled apologies.
"Now do you know where Man-Bat is? That is the only escapee that we have a remote idea of a location on, but we have to move fast!" Batman snapped.
"No we don't know where he is," Dick cried. "We're working on it! The computer is- OW! Damian!"
"I didn't do it!" Damian shouted.
"Unless it is something about finding Man-Bat, I don't want to hear about it," Batman ordered them.
"He elbowed me right where I got stabbed!" Dick protested, and Batman heard the computer ping. "Oh! Got it. He's-"
"-he's in the storage area at the docks," Damian interrupted.
"Got it." Batman flipped the comm off before the argument he knew was coming. "Ready?" He turned to Batgirl.
"Try to keep up, old man," she grinned, waiting on his orders.
"Then let's go," he said dryly, running toward the north end of the roof and pulling out his grapple. Batgirl followed suit and did a flip off of the side of the building before firing her grappling hook. She let out a whoop as they swung to the next rooftop.
"Come on, Dark Knight, lighten up," she laughed, letting him lead the way. He didn't bother to respond as his boots hit the roof. Batgirl followed, easily keeping pace with Batman. "Hey. Everyone kept asking how… Nightwing and Robin were, but nobody asked you. Are you okay after everything that happened?" she asked.
"Of course," Batman muttered.
"Are you lying?" She cut right through his response, their capes whipping over the ledge of the building as they dove off of it. Batgirl charged the cape and it stiffened to glide down beside Batman where he'd landed silently on the pavement. He ran forward impatiently. "So you're lying," Batgirl pressed, running beside him. "It's okay to say that it scared you. Or hurt you, or just pissed you off. I just want you to know that I'm here to help."
"I am not lying, and I don't need help," he snapped.
"I know you don't," she sighed in resignation.
"Then stop asking."
"Yes, sir," Batgirl said sadly as they came to a stop on the docks. She wordlessly pointed to several squat, rusted buildings, their sides lined with storage units. Batman started toward them and she followed. He silently crept forward, flicking on his heat vision to find any signs of life. Batgirl did the same, scanning the area. "There," she whispered, pointing. There were two blurry heat signatures on the opposite side of the building closest to them, and they appeared to be standing outside an open unit. Batman flicked the heat vision off and wound his way through the units toward it.
"We have visual on two people," Batgirl pressed her comm, updating Dick and Damian at the Batcave. "Advancing."
"Careful," Dick advised.
Batgirl followed Batman toward the people by the unit.
"...so I need to know soon," a woman was saying. Batman stopped and Batgirl peered around the corner, her heart sinking, as Man-Bat replied.
"I need to think on this."
"Well, while you do that," Harley Quinn said, "I think I'll say hello to some old friends." She turned to face Batman and Batgirl. Batgirl's fists clenched, and without thinking, she charged. Batman caught her by the cape.
"I like the new look," he addressed Harley Q uinn. Batgirl could hear the controlled rage in his voice.
"Thanks! I felt like a change." Harley beamed as Man-Bat shuffled away. She had done away with her old jester costume. Her hood and white makeup were gone. Instead her blonde hair was pulled up into high pigtails and the makeup around her eyes was nearly as dark as her mask. Her white collar was gone, and the corset she was wearing left the scars on her shoulders and arms from her fall prominent. While the top of it and the straps were still black and red, the bottom of the corset, cinched closed with black straps over most of her abdomen, was only red. Her gloves and pants were still the contrasting black and scarlet, but a belt had been added with a wide buckle and a holster. Contrasting diamonds were imprinted above her thigh high boots. "Mistah J and I went shopping," she giggled.
"I noticed that. Let us help you, Harleen," Batman said calmly, and Batgirl glared at him. Bruce returned her glare, as if to say Give her a chance.
For Dick's sake, Batgirl thought, and stood at ease.
"Hmm," Harley pretended to think about it. "Sorry, but that's not part of the plan."
"Was Dick part of the plan?!" Batgirl demanded. The smile slid from Harley's face for a second before she plastered it back on.
"I think someone's a little jealous. When was the last time you got some?"
Batgirl felt Batman let go of her cape, and she launched herself at Harley. The memories of Dick screaming and crying in pain and heartbreak the night before fueled her rage. Her fist connected with Harley's chest and sent her sprawling on the ground. Before she could get to her feet, Batgirl was straddling Harley's waist and throwing furious punches at her face. She tried to dodge what she could, but the heavy gloves hurt like hell when they made contact.
"You- destroyed- him- you- bitch-!" Batgirl shouted with every blow.
"Batgirl!" Batman cried, yanking her off of Harley. She shoved him away.
"Get off of me! She deserves what she gave him! Don't worry, I'll only beat her within an inch of her life. She won't lose it. Go after Man-Bat!" Batgirl snapped. Batman tried to protest, but Harley Quinn tackled Batgirl angrily. The two of them tumbled to the ground as Batman rushed in the direction that Man-Bat had gone. The two women leapt to their feet.
Already anticipating it, Harley Quinn dodged when Batgirl threw the batarang. Rotating around as the blade flew past her shoulder, she pulled out her cork gun. Holding it outstretched in her left hand, her stance wide, she glared Batgirl down. "You just brought a knife to a gunfight," Harley Quinn taunted as Batgirl reached for another batarang.
"I know," Batgirl snapped, throwing the batarang and already starting to run at her. Harley relaxed her left hand and sunk into a crouch. Her left hand was releasing before the batarang hit the gun as she pulled back her right fist for momentum.
Batgirl blocked her right hook with her elbow, and Harley spun down under Batgirl's, grabbing her side. Batgirl turned, reaching for her, but she planted her hands on Batgirl's shoulders and vaulted over her. Harley ducked under her punch before bending back to handspring away from her leg sweep. Batgirl stepped into the movement, and Harley barely had time to deflect the next blow with her wrist. Batgirl's next blow Harley caught, wrapping her arm around Batgirl's. She pulled Batgirl in and tried to knee her in the stomach, but Batgirl pushed her knee aside, spinning Harley away so her arm was twisted behind her back as Batgirl switched the grip.
"Am I sensing some pent up frustration?" Harley teased, slightly out of breath.
"Shut up!" Batgirl threw her to the ground and stood above her, her shoulders practically shaking with anger. "You'll pay for what you've done," she threatened.
"I know, I know. I'll rot in hell and all that." Harley rolled her eyes. She turned over onto her stomach and rested on her elbows. "Too bad you weren't as much fun to play with," she mused.
"Shut up," Batgirl warned her again. "You've lost."
"Oh please," Harley scoffed. "You lost by the second move." Batgirl stopped for a moment, confused. Her eyes widened as she realized and looked down at her side. The blue light blinked on the small circle attached to her suit as the taser like shock coursed through her body. She collapsed to the ground, her eyes fluttering as she fell unconscious. Harley sat up and stared at her.
"I got some new toys," she explained, even though Batgirl couldn't hear her. Batman snatched Harley up by her shoulders and hauled her to her feet. She had to admit, his sudden materialization from the darkness had spooked her. "Sorry B-man, but aren't you already taken?" she mocked, her feet dangling above the ground.
"I'm not going to say 'I trusted you,' because I doubt that means a damn thing to you." He snapped gruffly. This close, she could see the pale blue of Batman's eyes. Bruce's eyes. "But he trusted you. I know he's naive and quick to fall in love, but he was happy with you. And I had to spend last night listening to him, in his delirium after being stabbed, scream and cry for hours over you. You broke him, Harley. I hope you're happy with yourself. Whatever you and the Joker accomplished because of it, I hope it's well worth it. Because you stabbed the one man who could save you in the back. There's no getting out now. No getting away from the Joker. He was your ticket, and you yanked his heart out of his chest."
Harley looked down, away from him. "I know there is no getting out of this. I made my decision."
"You chose wrong," Batman growled, forcing her to look at him. "Joker will kill you. And Dick will blame himself for the rest of his life because he 'didn't catch you'. His words. Your death will kill him."
Harley locked eyes with him. "Then I think we can both agree he needs to get over me."
Batman opened his mouth to respond, but tilted his head to the side as he listened to his comm.
"Father-" Damian panted into the comm. "He heard her and lost it again I tried to- he's still on the meds and I didn't want to hurt him- I told you not to give him the same medication it made him delirious-" Batman turned to look Harley in the eyes, his eyes darkened coldly.
"If he's having another episode, sedate him again, Robin."
"I think I should get out of here," Harley said quietly.
"Don't worry, I'll be taking you to prison," Batman growled.
"I won't be going anywhere." Batman cried out as he was hit on the back of the head. Harley was dropped to her feet as he collapsed, unconscious. "Thanks," she muttered.
"Don't mention it," Catwoman hissed. She bent down to move Batman's cape from where it had fallen across his face. She ran a gloved hand across his jaw. "And I mean it."
"Relax kitty cat," Harley sighed, walking away as Catwoman trailed after her in a huff. "We're all making sacrifices here."
Catwoman grabbed her arm. "Are they worth it?" Harley paused but wouldn't meet her eyes. She tore her arm away and kept walking.