Author's Note: A shit week of having my bag, wallet, and phone stolen, is made slightly better by writing about some of my favourite fictional people. Joker should come around again (not in a scene from the movie) soon. I apologise if this is dialogue heavy from the movie? It feels wrong and out of pace just to skip it, thoughts? As always please read and review, your time and thoughts are appreciated. More subtle, and not so subtle, changes in this chapter, mostly due to the changes I have made in Harley's history.
Chapter Thirty Six.
Harley was getting bored, which had hardly ever led to a pleasant outcome for those around her. She debated back and forth in her head on whether or not she should just start cracking skulls, she dismissed the idea. She would need a distraction to get to Flag, where she would need to disarm him of his weapons and his device that would activate the explosive in her neck. If Amanda Waller was involved, Harley knew she would also be likely to have one of the devices, so keeping him as a hostage would be the only chance she would have of keeping her head attached until she got to Joker.
Humming, Harley shook the thoughts from her head, that would have to be her backup plan. The crunching of gravel and glass under the heavy booted feet of the men around her was the only sound breaking the grim atmosphere, allowing Harley to catch the beginning of a conversation of Flag and Floyd ahead of her.
"Hey, Deadshot" Called Flag quietly, speeding up slightly to walk along the abandoned pavement beside the man. "I've been thinking, we don't come together, and no one's walking out of here alive" He said, his tone serious as he glanced at the man. Harley looked around quickly, no one else seemed to be paying attention to the duo, too intent on the surrounding streets.
"Mm" Floyd acknowledged, nodding his head slightly "And?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. "These people respect you, you got influence" Flag continued. Harley held back a snort, divide and conquer, she supposed. Trying to get Floyd on board with him was an expected tactic. "Yeah. What's your play right now?" Floyd asked. Harley giggled at that, wondering if he was playing dumb or if he just hadn't put the pieces together yet.
"You're a man of your word right?" Flag asked in return, causing Floyd to huff out a sarcastic laugh. "I want my mission, and you want your life and your kid back. You help me keep this Mardi Gras parade in line, I'll hook you up" Flag stated, a glint in his eye. Harley raised an eyebrow, she hadn't been made any special offers. Why did Flag want Floyd on side so badly? He had enough control as it was with his team and his charming explosive device.
"Waller is the puppet master, you aint got shit to hook me up with" Floyd dismissed. Harley frowned up at the sky once again, flipping off the night sky above her. She considered flashing the space above her, to get a gauge on how closely they were watching her. She needed to know if she could risk texting Joker or if she needed to be under better cover from above.
"I got plenty of my own strings to pull" Flag started to reply, before being cut off by Harley laughing loudly from her position behind them. "You have to pull your own string pretty often, Boss Man?" Harley mocked, as both men turned to look at her. Surprise flickered across Floyd's face, annoyance and concern showed plainly on Flags. "Big guy like you, is it really a string? I do hear those things about steroids" She continued, winking broadly before dropping back.
Flag reddened in anger before shaking his head and turning back to Floyd, who winked back at Harley as she hopped further in the street, growing tired of their conversation, she needed better distractions to keep her wild mind busy. Harley skipped aside to walk in time with Digger, who glanced at her sideways. "Want to play a game?" Harley asked, smiling madly at the man. Digger snorted "I ain't having any part of your crazy games, I've seen the shit you and your fella get up to" He replied quickly.
Harley laughed and nodded, before swooping down and picking up a handful of pebbles. Tossing one up and down casually she looked at Digger "It's fun. Well for me it's fun" She replied, before pelting one of the small stones at the back of one of the soldiers ahead of them. The soldier in question spun around instantly, gun raised, quickly followed by two more of the soldiers.
Harley hid the hand with stones by her side as she faked a loud gasp, pointing at Digger "Digger why would you do that!" She chided "Sorry boys, he gets bored" She called to the soldiers, sharp smile in place as the men kept their guns on a gaping Digger for another moment before all but the man who had been pelted with the stone began turning back around.
"What the hell!" Digger questioned, his voice a slightly higher pitch than usual. "You shouldn't have thrown anything" Harley chided "It's rude" She added, shaking her head at him. "Cut the shit kangaroo boy" One of the guard's sneered, adjusting his gun and turning back around.
"You're crazy!" Digger exclaimed, though no real animosity entered his tone. Harley grinned again "Come on, this is tame. Play with me" Harley taunted slightly. Digger stared at her "Come on, a hundred points if you can hit the head. Fifty for the limbs, ten for the torso" Harley pushed.
Digger glanced at her sideways, before he could answer Harley raised her hand and threw another stone at the same guard, it hit the back of his helmeted head with a thunk. As he spun around, Harley pointed at Digger, eyes wide in false innocence. The guard swore loudly, gaining attention from the rest of the group. With his gun pointed at Digger, eyes glinting angrily he stomped towards the pair.
"Enough of this shit, you-" He growled, pointing at Digger with his weapon "Up ahead, you're walking where I can keep an eye on you". Digger sputtered for a moment as Harley leaned towards him "A hundred points to me" She whispered to him, beaming. Digger threw his hands in the air, powering ahead followed closely by the guard as he muttered loudly "Insane fucking sheila's everywhere. Didn't even get a shot!" Harley heard the Australian man grumbling. Harley continued up the street alone, eyes darting over the surrounding area.
Harley caught sight of the remnants of a plane sticking out of the middle of the street, like some kind of macabre statue. Stepping over the deep gouges and crumbling pieces of the road that had been left in the wake of the evident plane crash, Harley caught up to the rest of the group.
"Take a knee!" She heard Flag call from ahead of the group, the soldiers around him followed his instructions quickly, kneeling beside the man as Floyd leaned down to hear him speak. Harley smiled with humour at the sight and popped a hip, listening to him regardless.
The skyline ahead of the group showed the mostly dark city skyline, one of the buildings appeared to be surrounded by a glowing orange mist, as though on fire without the flames. "Our body's at the top of that building" He said, pointing to the glowing tower. Harley snorted, of course it was the glowing building, it wouldn't be any fun if it wasn't.
"We get up there, pull them out of the vault they're hiding in, helos extract us off the roof" He explained simply, gaining nods from the soldiers around him. "It's miller time" He added, gaze set on the buildings ahead. "Flag who's up there?" Floyd asked, glancing at the man. "It's none of your concern" Flag answered gruffly. "Do you know who's up there?" Floyd pushed. "Nope" Flag replied, straightening from his crouched position.
A display in the shattered window of a storefront caught her eye; an overly expensive golden lamp lay shattered amongst the glittering glass, it's thin white shade in pieces. The sight drew her into her memories abruptly, drowning out the voices of the men around her.
The large library owned by the, soon to be, deceased drug dealer whom had drawn Jokers attention lay in shambles around them. The velvet draped walls torn and frayed, books lay everywhere, their pages ripped across the room like a literary snow storm, chairs and small wooden tables knocked all over the room.
Harley picked up a golden lamp with a beautiful white shade and hurled it through the air, it shattered against the wall beside Joker's head "Don't you threaten to leave me behind! You need me!" Harley had screeched. She knew Joker had been making false threats in his anger at her interruption of his dealings with the mob boss, but the words drew her into a frenzy.
"Need you?" Joker laughed maniacally. "I, I am a idea. I am a state of mind. You were not part of my plan" Joker spoke, his voice rasping as he twirled a finger beside his head. Harley laughed "You need me, you're just too scared to admit it" Harley had retorted.
A low agonised moan drew Harleys attention, she glanced at the pitiful, bloody man tied to a chair (the only one which remained standing at this point) and glared. "Don't interrupt the adults!" She called, irritated as she raised her gun and blew a hole clean through the man's forehead.
"Scared" Joker mocked her words as he made his way closer to her, ignoring the dead man. Pressing himself against the still raised gun, positioning it directly over his heart. "Do it, do it, I dare you. Come on, come on, come on, come on" He chanted, eyes locked with Harleys, fervent in his black humour. Harley rolled her eyes and threw the gun to the side, yanking him by his shoulders down to her level to press a harsh kiss against his lips.
"You're as crazy as me, not as fearless" She mocked, she could feel how mad her eyes must appear in the golden lighting. Joker cackled "I'm smarter than you" He hissed, before shoving her harshly into the wall, pressing his body against hers quickly. "Scared?" He taunted "Never" She replied harshly.
The fight had been followed by passionate, violent, frantic sex, Harley remembered as she came back into the present time. She knew she had been right, one of the voices in her mind laughed in agreement. He might have planned to use and her and throw her away, but oh he needed her now. He loved her, even though many, sometimes Joker himself included, thought him beyond emotions such as those. "'Cause I'm the Doctor after all" Harley said aloud, laughing loudly at her own words, though her heart panged at the thought of what would have happened had Joker really used her and left her after she had broken him free from Arkham Asylum.
"Harley, you coming?" She heard Floyd call from ahead. Harley blinked, pushing the memory of the hurt she had felt at Jokers rejection, however brief it may have been, and painted a smile back on her face. Swinging her bat back onto her shoulders she flashed her teeth at Floyd and skipped up the street to catch up with the group.
Studying the people around her for a moment, her attention focused on Killer Croc. Picking her way over the street, which was littered with plastic water bottles that seemed to have erupted from an overturned truck, now smoking on the side of the road. Standing beside Killer Croc, she nudged him slightly with her arm, causing him to flicker a glance to her.
"Why do you eat people?" She asked, vague memories of her former self dancing around such questions flickered through her head. "It gives me their power" He growled in response. Harley considered this answer for a moment, allowing her interaction with Killer Croc' to fill her mind, distracting the voices in her head whispering dark things of a world without Joker.
Twirling ahead of Killer Croc' Harley walked backwards, so she could face the beastly man. "Would you like to eat me?" She pushed, smiling widely at him. "Oh hell no" He huffed, unflinching at her close proximity. Harley pouted "Aw, why not?" She asked as she spun yet again to walk by his side. This was much more fun than what she remembered of their therapy sessions.
"I don't want your crazy" He answered, Harley heard the huff of a laugh from Floyd behind her. Harley rolled her eyes, offended he wouldn't want to eat her, she would taste good, she was sure. "Says the guy who lives in a sewer" She retorted. "At least I know it's a sewer" He growled.
Harley let out an exaggerated 'Oh' in understanding. "I get it, because this is like a sewer too. Only with nice shops and restaurants, right?" Harley asked, motioning to the surrounding stores with her bat. "You hate mankind much?" She said sarcastically.
"Quin! Hurry it up!" Flag called from ahead, annoyance all over his face. Harley glared for a moment, her fury at being kept from Joker concentrated on the man. "Oh and let me guess what your issue is. Mommy didn't take you to Chuck E. Cheese for your sixth birthday, big ol' mommy issues? I can recommend a good therapist" Harley taunted spitefully, grinning widely as she stepped closer to the man, who glared in response.
"Why?" Diablo asked, stepping up beside Harley as Flag sneered at her and turned to walk ahead. Harley rolled her eyes, swinging her bat onto her shoulders. "Because I'm bored. I need a victim, a mind to pry apart and spit into" Harley replied, her face bored as she spat the words at him, finishing with a shark toothed grin that was reminiscent of Jokers own twisted smile.
"You just leave it mate, she's a rabbit hole; don't fall in" Digger chimed in as he passed by, clapping a hand to Diablos back briefly. Harley spun around and caught sight of Katana, walking alone through the street.
"And here's another one now" Harley all but purred, swaying over to the woman, circling her new prey. "Japanese, female, mid twenties, five foot five, good health, athletic" Harley deduced slowly, pointing her bat at the masked woman "And an only child with deep seeded father issues. Daddy wanted a son, so she has to hide behind a mask" Harley concluded, picking on features, true or otherwise, that she knew would garner the biggest reaction.
Katana stopped in place, slowly lifting a hand to remove the white half-mask from her face, giving a clearer view of her surprisingly normal face. "I am not hiding" Katana spoke in clear English, emphasizing her words. Harley grinned as the two remained in place, bodies an inch away from each other. The easiest way to get into people's heads was to push them, and Katana gave easily, a little disappointingly easy.
"Now that was gangster" Harley told the woman, maintaining eye contact as she studied her. Harley became aware of Floyd as he stepped up beside her, grabbing the bat behind her neck he twirled her around and lead her forward, Harley walked along side him with an eye roll.
"Harley, want to stop acting like a drunken stripper?" He stated more than asked. Harley rolled her eyes once again, he was as dim as the rest of them. "You want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Harley retorted.
Floyd stopped and turned to face her, shifting his weight to stare at her. "Because I smell a rat" Harley stage whispered, mockingly sniffing the air around him with a dark grin. "If they don't blow our heads off, we'll have to fight our way out of this city. I need you to play nice with the other children" He answered, Harley swayed side to side slightly as she listened to his words, watching his face soften slightly.
He was an interesting man, annoying, but Harley was good with annoying. "And quietly return to my cage" Harley smiled, speaking quietly. "Sure, okay. Hey that's okay, sellout, I get it. I know how the World works, okay?" Harley said swinging her bat around to gesture at the man in front of her, to which Floyd grabbed the end of the bat holding it in place. "And when it comes to the heart, everyone for themselves, right?" Harley finished, flashing her teeth at him as she yanked the bat out of his hand with surprising strength.
A hint of bitterness entered Harley's mind as she swung the bat back into place across her shoulders, walking off with a slow sway. Love is selfish, a voice in Harley's mind cackled, and Harley was one selfish woman when it came to loving Joker, she would set the World alight, including herself, for him. He will set the World on fire to get her back, Harley mused, though his love showed entirely different from Harleys, the end result in tampering with either of them would be the same. Harley laughed aloud, not entirely sure why as she watched her shadow sway in front of her.