Author's Note: I'm sure there will be comments about the cell being described wrong but the first cell is not the one from the movie. I feel like there should be a story as to why Harley got the kind of cell that she did, so I'm going to add that in. Let me know what you think of the guard's, I'll try keep Griggs in character but I think a lot of the prison time before the movie will be of my own workings, with plenty of interesting scenes. Also there will be at least one part of Joker's P.O.V later and depending on that reaction maybe more.
Chapter Twenty Five.
Harley kept her eyes closed as she came into consciousness, she could feel the van slowing down, the sound of gravel crunching under the tires accompanied the quiet voices of the men talking. "She'll be knocked out for another few hours, enough time to get her in" One of the men said confidently. Harley repressed the smirk she felt coming, the straps held her body firmly in place as the van came to a halt.
With her eyes still shut, Harley waited until the harness holding her to the van was removed by a pair of gloved hands before snapping her eyes open and lunging forward, a surprised grunt met Harleys ears as she collided her shoulder with the face of a surprised man. The group of men descended on her as she fought wildly, laughing loudly as she kicked out with shackled feet and bit at any exposed flesh that came close to her.
"She should still be out cold, what the hell kind of dosage did you give her Johns?!" A gruff voice yelled as finally two men got a solid grip on Harley and stilled her movements. "I gave her double! These freaks burn through the shit" Johns replied, breathing heavily as he attempted to stem the bleeding from his nose, where he had forcefully knocked his face against his helmet.
"Whatever. Get her out of the van, we don't have time to tranq' her again" The man who seemed to be the leader said, pulling the van doors open and shoving Harley out into the watery greyish sunlight. The group wasted no time in surrounding Harley, her upper arms still in a firm grip as they lead her down a cracked grey path.
"So where's our little vacation spot?" Harley asked, her tone again light as though the fight had never happened. No one answered her so she took her time taking in the surrounding area. The air was thick and sticky, smelling heavily of damp earth and rust. The paved road they walked along was the only solid ground in sight, a heavy concrete wall blocked the area behind her from view.
The area was covered in dense swampland, murky brown water was heavily populated by thick green algae with occasional decrepit trees spotting the area. "You know I'm real good at design, I think I could really redecorate here" Harley piped up, met by a snort from one of the men, who said no more after a solid elbow to the side from another guard.
Ahead of them lay a sprawling concrete building. The building was shaped like a 'V' and rose imposingly against the bleak landscape. The dull grey building had very few windows, all of which were heavily barred, and was surrounded by patrolling guardsmen who carried large guns. A barred gate provided another wall from society, a large fading sign on the gate read 'Belle Reve'. The lead guard stopped at a buzzer and spoke into it quietly, announcing his presence as he looked up into a security camera.
The gate screeched open slowly as the man stepped back and began to lead the group forward once again. The only sound was of footsteps as Harley was shepherded toward a large steel door, which was abruptly flung open and revealed a man. The man was dressed in all black, a kevlar vest was strapped to his and read 'Alpha 01'. A black baseball cap covered most of his short dark brown hair, a well maintained goatee and moustache adorned his face. The man was pale, with small eyes, Harley laughed at the sight of him, picturing the ways she would torment him.
"I'm the Senior Security Officer here. You can call me Griggs, crazy" He introduced, Harley flashed her teeth at the man, leaning forward, she was quickly jerked back into place. "Don't get to close too her" One of the men with blood dried around his wrist cuff said gruffly. "I bite" Harley said, winking boldly at Griggs, who smirked and turned around, leading the group into the dim hallway behind him.
The entire building was grey. The walls appeared damp, made of thick slabs of solid grey concrete and steel, the floor was cracked and dirty, a deeper shade of grey than the rest. Lights flickered bleakly above, with heavily locked doors dotting the grim hallway. "I like what you've done with the place" Harley chirped, feeling as though her damp and dirty appearance matched the interior perfectly.
Harley was led to a steel door, where Griggs stopped, halting the rest of the group. "Your en suite" He said with a sarcastic grin. Harley was shoved in by two of the men, the room smelled of mould and damp concrete. A row of grey shower heads hung from a cracked grey tiled wall. The off white floor dipped into a small drain in the center of the room, the showers were barely separated from the room by a dirty frosted half wall divider, which looked to be made of a thick plastic.
The door slammed closed behind Harley as the men stood on either side of the door, guns raised. One of the men stepped forward and unstrapped the straight jacket from Harley, and quickly undid the shackles before stepping back into position. The other man reached out to his side, where a small plastic hook held held an orange jumpsuit and a thin white singlet, along with a threadbare towel that might once have been white. "Shower and change, no funny business" a guard said, throwing the items to Harley.
Harley caught the outfit and rolled her eyes, throwing it across the divider. "I should be telling you that, naughty boys. Are you looking for a show?" Harley asked, sugary sweet venom seeping through the musty air. Harley thought of Joker, and what he would do to these guards, as she undressed. A large smile on her face as she stood behind the divider and slid the ruined outfit from her body.
With a twist of the shower knob a stream of cold water gushed along Harleys body, despite the temperature she sighed and picked up a bottle of pale yellow soap. Lathering her hair and body Harley twisted and arched teasingly, watching from the side of her vision as the guards made half hearted attempts to stick to their rigorous training and not look at her teasing show. Harley laughed as she rinsed off, she enjoyed the cold, the chill reminded her of Joker; surrounding her in a comforting fog.
Harley remained lost in her mind as she dried and dressed; she missed her Puddin'. She pouted to herself, she hoped he would find her soon. She could guess from the swampland surrounding Belle Reve that she had not been meant to see, that she was somewhere in Louisiana. No one was smarter than her Mister J though, and she knew that between the two of them plotting, they would be reunited soon. Her thoughts of Joker dulled the ache in her heart that came with his absence, it was as though her physical body was twisting to get back to Joker, and the world of madness she belonged in.
The men shackled her hands and feet once again, and turned to the door, keying in a code and opening the door. The group of men outside had not moved as they got back into position surrounding Harley and making their way down the hallway, footsteps echoing strangely in the silent hall. Harley hummed a child's nursery rhyme slowly, laughing at the men who squared their shoulders at the creepy sound.
After heading to an elevator and travelling what seemed like down, Griggs stopped at a thick metal door, heavily bolted to the door with a small slot in the door covered by a sliding metal plate. Griggs unlocked various locks on the door before heaving the door open "Home sweet home" He mocked, motioning at the men to push Harley in the cell, where her restraints were removed quickly before men exited speedily and the door was slammed closed, the sounds of the locks fastening resonating through the room.
Harley glanced around the space; yet another shelf bed was covered by a thin plastic mattress, a small steel toilet without a seat sat in another corner, with an impossibly shall sink beside it. Walking around the small space Harley inspected every inch of the solid concrete walls and matching floor. All of the meager furniture was welded in place, with no possible items to be pulled off and made into weapons.
Lying on the mattress Harley kicked her legs into the air until only her upper back remained on the mattress, stretching and arching her body. Time was lost in space as Harley practiced what few acrobatic and gymnastic moves she could, before the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway from outside Harleys cell.
Moving on to her knees Harley slid from the bed and to the cell door, pressing her hands on either side of the slot on the door. The footsteps stopped outside Harleys door and the slot opened after a moment of hesitation. The young face of a guard jerked back slightly at the sight of Harley so close to the door. A beaming smile was on Harley's face as she studied the man. "Hi, I'm Harley. You coming to visit me?" She questioned pressing her forehead to the top of the opened slot in the door.
The man swallowed visibly before clearing his throat "Uh no, M-Ma'am. I'm here to deliver your meal" He said, holding a bowl of a greyish substance with the texture of oatmeal. A small plastic spoon accompanied the slop called food. Harley tilted her head "Don't you want to visit me? It's awful lonely in here. I'll play nice" She murmured, widening her smile. The guard glanced along the hall quickly before taking a small step closer pushing the bowl through the gap, which Harley grabbed quickly. "I'm not supposed to, I have rounds to do" He said.
Harley stuck her index finger into the bowl of what seemed to be oatmeal and sucked it slowly from her finger, watching the man's face flush. "But I could come back?" He said, his voice raising to a question at the end of his sentence. "You promise?" Harley said. The man nodded quickly, his head bobbing, blue eyes wide. "Good boy, we'll have fun" Harley added, stepping back. The man took one last glance at Harley before closing the slot and walking away.
Harley laughed loudly and bitterly, placing the slop down on the shelf of a bed. It was her luck that they would send some gullible newbie to her cell, he would be easy to tear apart. Maybe she would use him a little while longer, she considered, sticking a spoon of tasteless mush into her mouth with a frown. She ate quickly, shoveling the food in without tasting it. She wanted to be back in her kitchen with Joker so badly she felt a pang in her chest.
Days passed before the same young guard from the first day showed up again. Harley sidled forward toward the door as the slot opened and his anxious face appeared. "Harley?" He called, as she stepped into view "Are you gonna play with me today?" She asked, reaching a hand through the door and running it down his stubbled cheek.
Lust replaced the concern in his eyes as he slowly unlocked the door, stepping into the room and locking the door behind him. He stood hesitantly in front of the door as Harley moved closer to him. With a small laugh Harley took his hand, tugging him forward, his eyes were dazed, locked on Harley as she tugged him further into the room. "What's your name?" Harley questioned, her voice low.
"Jake Kipper" He responded, eyes low as he took in Harley's body. "Kippy" Harley sung, lacing her arms around Jake's neck. He exhaled sharply at the contact, and stepped forward closer to her. "Let's play a game Kippy" Harley said, watching him closely, a manic smile on her face. Jake nodded quickly, leaning forward. Harley ran her hands down from his neck to his belt, causing a breath of air to leave him as he closed his eyes.
Abruptly Harley snatched the gun from it's Holster on his belt, raising it to Jake. The man's eyes flew open and morphed into terror "Fuck" He swore, glancing at the exit. "I'll tell you what Kippy, our game is going to be a little test. We're going to test my aim" Harley laughed, spinning quickly she raised a hand to cover her eyes. "You have three seconds to get out the door before I start firing" Harley called. Without hesitation Jake ran for the door. "One…" Harley sung listening to the man scramble for his keys.
With a twirl Harley turned back around, hand still over her eyes and fired. Jakes hands flew to his throat, as blood began spurting from his neck. His knees gave out as Harley laughed "Oops, I must be terrible at counting. I'm a little impatient" She said, unloading another bullet between his eyes. Dropping the gun Harley moved forward and tugged the pens from his pocket. Checking his remaining pocket Harley found a packet of cigarettes and a lighter "These things will kill you, you know" Harley chided the body, with a mock serious expression on her face.
With a hop over the now lifeless body, Harley sat on the shelf bed and tugged the orange jumpsuit from her body, leaving her in white underwear and a white singlet. Twisting the pens open Harley tugged the spring free from the plastic and straightened it with her teeth. Running the flame of the lighter over the metal, Harley lowered it to her thighs and began carving her designs, revelling in her work, the sting was reminiscent of Joker tattooing her for the first time.
Satisfied with her work Harley flicked her teeth out as a small amount of blood trickled down her thigh. Using her jumpsuit to wipe away the blood; Harley pulled the ink free from the pen, breaking off the plastic tip with her teeth she poured the ink into the marks, rubbing it in as she sung loudly. Quickly dampening the sleeve of her jumpsuit from the trickling stream of the sink, Harley sat back down and wiped the excess ink from her skin. Gazing down at her new tattoos she beamed. Etched onto her skin was a scrawl of girlish handwriting reading "I 'heart' Puddin', a couple of her signature Harlequin diamonds, and the words 'I'll wait forever'. Marking a single line for the week she had been kept apart from her world.
Harley tucked the pieces of pen underneath her mattress before tugging her jumpsuit on, tying the sleeves together around her hips. Lying back on the bed Harley thought of Jokers tattooing. He was much better than her, every design she asked for he provided wonderfully. He had even allowed her to pick out one of his tattoos; to which she had requested he tattoo her Harlequin diamond on his side. Joker had laughed wildly but had done as she suggested. A small tattoo, it was printed onto his side, just below his waist. His side, where Harley belonged.
Smiling at her reminiscing, Harley ran a hand over her thigh, they could try separate Harley from Joker but he would come for her. Or she would kill everyone and escape, another voice in her mind spoke up. Harley laughed at the thought, listening as quick footsteps echoed down the hall. "The cavalry is here, Kippy" Harley sung, swinging her feet from the bed and standing. Making her way forward Harley picked up the gun and held it behind her back.
The slot on the door swung open with a protesting squeak, and a pair of dark eyes appeared. The man glanced at Harley before flickering down to the body on the floor. Swear words fell from his lips as he raised his radio to his lips and spoke frantically into the receiver. A crackling followed by muffled words came soon after. Harley beamed and stepped closer "Don't move" He commanded gruffly. Harley pouted, "Don't you want to play with me too?" Harley asked, bouncing forward. The man shook his head "You're a psycho, lady. Worse than that boyfriend of yours" He argued.
Harley whipped the gun forward with glare and fired through the slot "That wasn't nice" She growled, listening to the heavy sound of the man's body dropping lifelessly to the floor. Popping the clip, Harley checked her ammo, it was empty. Rolling her eyes she threw the gun on top of Jake's body "You didn't refill the clip, Kippy. And they call me crazy" She said aloud.
Heavy sounds of booted feet running down the hallway echoed into her room, a deep voice swore, seemingly at the sight of the dead guard outside her door, before the locks to her room clicked open. The door swung open and a group of guards entered with raised guns. With a glance at the ground a voice Harley recognized as Griggs' swore once again "Kipper". "You know these thick walls really do muffle sound" Harley said. "Why the Hell is Kipper in your cell, crazy?" Griggs asked, motioning towards the man with a foot.
Harley rolled her eyes "I don't think he is" She decided, beaming smile in place, her eyes ice cold. One of the other guards stepped forward "He's right there Quinn, why the Hell is he in here?" He asked, his voice frustrated. "I don't see him" Harley sung, enjoying the way a vein on his forehead bulged as she spoke.
"With me, Crazy. Ames get the bodies out of here. Lincoln, follow me, guard her" Griggs commanded, cuffing Harley's hands behind her and shackling her feet. The men jumped into action as Harley was lead down the dim hallway to yet another thick metal door. Griggs unlocked it and shoved Harley inside. "You have blood on you, undress" He said, a smirk on his face as the other man locked the door and moved forward to uncuff Harley.
"Back against the wall" Ames instructed, stepping back and raising his gun. Harley laughed at the men, venom in her voice. Stripping slowly Harley sighed "Sure you won't come play me, Griggsy?" Harley asked, images of pounding his head into the grey tiled floor filling her eyes. Griggs shook his head with a chuckle, his eyes never leaving Harley as she remained in her white singlet and underwear.
Standing against the wall, Harley turned to face the guards. Griggs picked up a large hose, and pointed it at Harley. "Can't have you killing my men, hotness" He said, turning the nozzle of the hose. A blast of ice cold water hit Harley, stinging her skin.
With a gasp Harley began laughing, her voice spluttering as she attempted to spit the water from her mouth, her eyes closed tightly.
Harley sank into her mind, picturing Joker and his glorious laugh. Harley hadn't thought she could love his smile more, before he had told her the true story of how his silver grin had come to be. In the very late night, Harley and Joker had tumbled into bed after a long night at the club. Kissing roughly, Harley had run her teeth along his teeth, darting her tongue back before he could bite her.
Resting her head on his lap Harley had gazed up at him, admiring the most beautiful man she had ever met. "What's the real story of how you got your grill, Puddin'?" Harley had asked, watching Joker's eyes flicker across the ceiling as he rolled his head slightly. "Hmm?" He had said, attention snapping to Harley. "Batman is to thank for this one, my Harlequin. So self-righteous. I killed the annoyance that was Robin, he smashed my teeth in. Oooh he wanted to kill me" Joker had said, laughing loudly. Harley had pressed kissed to his mouth "I like the silver teeth Mister J" She had informed him, beaming at him.
Harley began to think of the story he had told her of how he had killed Robin, when she was pushed from her thoughts by the sudden absence of water. Painting her beaming smile on, Harley suppressed the shivers that threatened to take over her pale skin, places flushed pink from the force of the water. Spitting a mouthful of water through her teeth at Griggs she laughed as it spurted down his pant legs. "You're mental, sweetheart" He said, eyes low on the soaked singlet Harley wore.
Harley snatched a towel from the floor, though it was slightly damp she dried herself slowly, making a show of it. She knew that soon enough Griggs would give in and approach her; all men who looked at her like he did, would eventually. When that time came she would make a real show of painting the walls with his blood, the place could use a little colour.
Without putting the jumpsuit back on, Harley was re-cuffed and lead back to her cell. Once Ames had lead her in and uncuffed her, he backed out of the cell, never turning his back on her; with Griggs' aiming his gun at her. Ames threw a jumpsuit at her, identical to her last one, before leaving and locking the door. Harley dressed in the jumpsuit, feeling the cheap material on her stinging skin. She didn't mind the cold, and pain was laughable, but it gave her a place to hide her weapons, should the opportunity to obtain any arise.
Lying back onto her poor excuse of a bed, Harley glanced around the now empty cell, where the body had been cleared away. Closing her eyes, Harley began her usual humming, the sound mimicking the funhouse tune in her head; her mind may be psychotic, but it was her second favourite place to be.