Inquiries
Harley blinked a few times and stretched her arms above her head and
pointed her toes, giving her muscles a good wake up stretch. Yet something
didn’t feel right, something was different. She opened one eye and found
herself in a barren room. There was nothing but a table, a chair and a huge
glass mirror on one wall. Harley sat up looking around in confusion. She looked
down to see what she had been lying on and it was nothing more then a bench with
a pillow and a blanket.
Pushing the covers off of her she stood up and walked around the room
slowly looking at the walls and the door, curious as to what this place was.
When she started to walk past the mirror she stopped and looked down at herself.
She’d been dressed in a plain white linen nightgown. She grabbed the collar of
the gown and looked down inside of it to see that she still wore her
undergarments. Was it possible that she had been taken back to the Asylum?
She’d never been in this room before.
Looking into the mirror again she started to check her eyes and her
teeth. They seemed alright, and then she couldn’t resist. She stretched her
cheeks down and pushed her nose up making a snorting sound. Then she stuck her
tongue out and crossed her eyes making faces at herself in the mirror.
On the other side of the glass stood two figures. A dark cloaked figure
wearing a cowl and a second figure known as Gothom’s new commissioner.
Commissioner Gordon. Gordon arched a brow watching as the girl made
extraordinarily strange faces and seemed to be amusing herself quite
extensively. He tilted his head as she stuck her face against the glass and slid
it slightly to make another face before placing her lips on the glass and
blowing a raspberry. “This is the girl who attacked you? Joker’s new right
hand assistant?” Gordon looked at Batman, “Your kidding, right?”
“I can’t find any record of her anywhere. Not even her fingerprints
turned up anything. Why would that be.” Batman said still keeping his eyes on
the girl whose figures were now up her nose.
“If there’s no record at all . . . it could mean a number of things.
Someone could have gotten a hold of her records and destroyed them. Her features
could have been changed. But I think it’s more likely someone erased her from
the books completely.”
“Who would have the power and resources to do that.”
“Well, someone who had clearance to do so. A lawyer or medical
professional.” Batman looked at Gordon when he said this. A medical
professional?
“Why would someone do that?” He asked.
Gordon shook his head as they watched the girl start to do what looked
like cheerleading moves with slow cartwheels watching herself in the mirror to
see what she looked like. “I have no idea.”
Answers?
Bruce Wayne sat in the bat cave going through a file box of records and
books that had endless journal entries and notes. Alfred came in carrying a tray
with some coffee and set it on the table nearby. “You seem less aggravated
then you were this morning. Did you find out who the girl is?”
“A guinea pig.” He said under his breath flipping through some pages
of the book he held.
“I beg your pardon?” Alfred said thinking that was a bit of a strange
answer. “She looks quite human to my eyes.”
Bruce held up the book he had been reading through. It was a journal
written in script. “This is Doctor Cranes personal journal.” He said. “No
doubt he’s the one who erased her past history, taking her identity and making
her a non-person.” He shook his head as he looked through the book again,
discussed at several of the entries he’d read. “Experimenting on his
patients in Arkem was one of his favorite past times, that’s a well known
fact. It’s how he developed fear toxin and learned how to manipulate the human
mind so effectively. It seems that . . . ‘Harley’ was a particular favorite
of his. Not only did he test several of his theories as well as use her for
experimentation . . . it seemed she was his personal plaything. Her acute
nymphomania she was diagnosed with making her quite the distraction.”
Alfred grimaced slightly hearing that. “Is there any indication of her
true identity?” He asked wanting to change the subject.
“No. There’s a good chance it’s lost forever too. She doesn’t
even know who she is.” Bruce tossed down the journal and poured some coffee,
picking up the cup and blowing on it slightly.
“So what’s to be done with her now then? Send her back to the
penthouse sweet at Arkum?” He asked. Bruce put down his cup of coffee.
“I don’t know how much good that will do. She survived in Arkem for
years and knows all of the inns and outs. Not to mention her abusers are more
then likely still roaming the halls there. Dr. Crane may have been put away as
an inmate there, but he is loose again and we haven’t been able to track him
down yet. I need some answers from her before deciding what’s to be done with
her.” He said with a sigh.
“I take it that the authorities have not yet been contacted in this
matter?” Alfred said assuming that the choice of how to handle her
arrangements wouldn’t be left up to him if it was.
“Not officially, no. Not yet at least.” Bruce Wayne checked his
watch. “I’ve got to get back to her.” He said standing up and putting on
his coat.
Alfred watched him for a moment before deciding to finally speak his
mind. “I can only hope that you’re staying impartial to this matter, Master
Wayne.” Bruce glanced at him as he straightened his sleeves. “Regardless of
her circumstances, and regardless of her age . . . she is still a criminal. A
very dangerous one at that.”
“I haven’t forgotten that fact Alfred. But she might have information
that we need concerning the Joker.”
Undisclosed Incarceration
Fox stood by the two way mirror watching the young woman inside. It was
hard to believe this little marshmallow of a girl was the huge threat Mr. Wayne
seemed to think she was. The door opened and closed as Bruce walked in.
“Morning Mr. Fox.” He said with a sigh. “Anything happen I should be aware
of?”
Lucius was still in awe of the heavy security that they were using to
keep this girl locked up. “Other then the exceedingly strange activities that
kept her busy through the night? No, not really. She’s perfectly happy and
content with her coloring book.” Bruce looked over seeing Harley lying on the
floor coloring pictures.
“Strange activities?” He asked.
Fox pointed over towards a rather elaborate card stack that she had
managed to create. The structure and design of it was quite odd, and really by
all rules of gravity it shouldn’t have been standing, much less built up that
high. “She used two decks of cards, except the Jokers. She kept those ones and
placed them under her pillow.” Then he pointed over towards the small bed in
the room, “That is the interesting point of her stay here I think.”
“What’s that?”
“She took apart that bed piece by piece flipping the mattress over
before remaking it at least a hundred times. You’d think after the first few
times she’d get tired of it.” He said.
“Obsessive Compulsive. Once she gets started on a task it has to be
done the right way every time, with absolutely no flaws. Creating a new routine
takes dedication and repetition. Remaking her bed a hundred times over would
have been sufficient to add a new task in her life.” Lucius looked at the girl
again.
“Are you certain this girl is who you say she is?” Fox said still a
bit skeptical observing her for quite a while.
“Oh yes. No mistaking.” He saw the way she hummed some song under her
breath as she colored some happy little tune. She had arranged the colors out on
the floor in order from darkest to lightest. All though it seemed she only used
three colors. Black, Red, and Green. They seemed to be her favorites. “Has she
slept at all?”
“No. Not a wink. Since she woke up she’s been moving non stop.
Keeping herself busy one little chore after another. She doesn’t even seem the
smallest bit tired.” Bruce wasn’t a psychologist. He couldn’t even pretend
to know exactly what was wrong with her. He had red her files, and studied on
the conditions that she had been diagnosed with, but there was still a lot of
room for a professional’s interpretation.
Frustration
The Joker sat at his table quietly, not moving with a grim look on his
face under that painted smile. His eyes dark as he starred at the wall, brooding
and thinking as he found himself feeling things he couldn’t explain, things
that weren’t there before. These were new things, apart from the usual
darkness that mulled around in his brain.
“Hey boss, we must have raked in over 50 Million with that heist at the
mall the other . . . .” Without a word or a warning Joker took his gun and
shot the intruder squarely between the eyes instantly killing him, and he fell
to the floor with a thump.
“I said, I don’t want to be disturbed.” He said shaking his head
wondering what part of that could be misunderstood. He was quite clear.
Harley was the main thought on his mind. He kept expecting her to come
pouncing in like some sort of playful kitten chasing after a mouse, or swing
down from the raptors and land on her toes next to him. But she didn’t. It was
extremely quiet in his hideout with Harley gone. He thought that her incessant
cheery upbeat manner wouldn’t be missed. But now, now something was missing,
like a big gaping hole where something once was.
His eyes shifted slightly around the room as his mind continued to reel.
Harley, although at times could be somewhat of a pest, was the one person in the
entire history of mankind to look at him like he was just a person. Not a
murdering psychopath, not as a deformed freak, but as a human being. It was
almost like there were no scars on his face when she was with him. No matter
what he did, he couldn’t scare her or drive her away. She’d always be there;
ready to do whatever was necessary to make him happy. Defend him at the drop of
a pin. And most extraordinarily . . . she was his friend. He didn’t have
friends. He didn’t have family. And he didn’t need them either.
Joker was in a quandary about the entire situation. He wanted her back as
she was as much apart of his life as knives and gasoline, but at the same time,
he was frustrated that he felt weak in the fact that he wanted her back at all.
Everyone else was expendable. He went through thugs, ‘associates’,
civilians, and others like they were nothing. He didn’t lose a moments sleep
over it, or think about it at all. He wasn’t weighed down by guilt in any of
his actions, and certainly didn’t regret anything.
Yet, with Harley, he felt a pull in his chest and a twist in his stomach
that she had been absent from his hideout, and from his bed. He founding himself
wanting to hear her silly little giggles and watch her cling to that idiotic
bear she had painted to resemble his face when she slept. He even missed her
taking two showers a day, because she always wanted to smell clean and fresh all
the time.
“They’ll return her to me . . . or this whole city will watch as it
burns.” He said under his breath. The Batman had no idea what he had done, but
he would soon find out.
Welcome To My Nightmare
Bruce Wayne sat in his office looking over some reports that he had
received about this weeks expenses for the company. His TV was on as he was
watching the stock reports to see how Wayne’s stocks were doing, not to
mention his own private investments.
As he read over one of the requisition forms, he heard someone saying
something in a familiar voice. “I know your there, I know you can hear me . .
.” His eyes shifted up towards the TV as he saw two glowing eyes in the center
of the newscast. “So let me make this perfectly simple so you won’t be
confused.” The rest of the program faded out as a painted face appeared around
the eyes. “You stole something from me, and I want it back . . . and I promise
you, stealing from me will result in reprisals you’ve never dreamed of.”
Alfred opened the door and rushed in, “Sir, there’s something . .
.” Then he stopped seeing that it was on his TV too. Apparently it was being
broadcast all over Gothom. Bruce watched intently finding that once again the
Joker’s wrath would be felt all over the city.
“When it is returned to me, I might consider letting you live. But each
day that goes by and my warning ignored . . . I promise that there will be blood
and devastation as you watch your precious city burn to the ground.” Then he
began to laugh in his trademark psychotic laugh and the image on the screen spun
and flashed out.
Alfred looked at Bruce, “Is it possible that he’s talking about Miss
Harley?” He asked.
“I think there’s no question she is what he’s referring to.”
Bruce said realizing a few things now. “But what use is she really to the
Joker. Everyone else is completely expendable. Those who are talented enough to
break in to alarm systems, vault experts. It doesn’t matter what sort of
skills they have he kills them indiscriminately. Women and children included.”
“Maybe she is something to him that he can’t replace? Valuable in her
own way?” Alfred suggested. “Companions are difficult to find for everyone.
How likely is it that the Joker would find another like him in all the world,
much less having her at all?”
“This isn’t exactly a Romeo and Juliet love tragedy Alfred. It’s
more like Bonnie and Clyde if anything. Both of these individuals are dangerous
on their own. Putting them together would have some devastating
repercussions.” Bruce countered.
“I still find it hard to believe that little girl did everything you
said, Master Wayne. She seems so innocent and sweet.” Alfred sighed, “But I
suppose that all Homicidal maniacs don’t necessarily wear signs.”
“It doesn’t matter what she used to be Alfred. That girl she was
before what ever it was that happened making her who she is now, is long since
dead and forgotten. There may have been a chance to help her and rehabilitate
her when she was first taken into custody . . . but Crane destroyed any chance
of that when he began to use her in his experiments.”
Trouble
Harley had been extremely quiet that day. Just holding on to a teddy bear
she had been given and drawing pictures in her coloring book. Fox had just left
turning the watch over to a security guard. The guard was hardly dedicated to
his job of just watching the girl, it was extremely boring and hardly
interesting at all.
He started to drift his eyes growing heavy and closing. He caught himself
and looked up seeing the girl still coloring. Then his eyes started to close
again. However this time when he opened them he found the girl standing at the
glass starring into it, as if she could see through it, a strange little smile
on her face. It startled the guard so badly that he jumped up out of his chair
causing it to fly back.
Walking towards the glass he waved his hand in front of the girls face,
testing to see if she could see him. Then Harley’s smile widened as she
reached up scraping a metal spring that was wrapped around her hand hard against
the glass putting a deep scratch into the window. Then she jumped up and spun
around kicking it hard with her heel causing the glass to shatter. Before the
guard could call through his radio to alert anyone what was going on, Harley
flipped through the window and kicked him in the chest so hard that he flew back
and hit the wall, smacking his head against it and falling unconsciousHarley walked over to him and
reached down taking the keys off of his belt and his identity card off his
chest. “Silly boy. Your not supposed to be sleeping on the job.” She scolded
picking up his jacket he left on the chair and putting it on. She started to
walk out but something caught her eye. She saw a black marker on the desk and
grinned.
Escaped?
In the dark early hours of the next morning, Batman showed up to look in
on their ‘guest’ and try to question her to get some information about
Jokers whereabouts. However when he arrived he was greeted by the sight of
shattered glass and an unconscious guard laid out against the wall. On his face
was a pair of drawn on spectacles, a silly mustache and the words “Bye Bye”
written on his forehead. Instantly he turned and hurried out the door to see
what he could find out and if he could head her off.
Sure enough, Harley had quietly made her way out of the building, and
slipped out without being stopped. Batman could hardly believe that she had done
so without anyone noticing. She may have worn a security guard’s hat and
jacket, but it was quite obvious that she was wearing a white nightgown
underneath.
Fox watched the security cameras recordings of last night and sighed.
“I think maybe we should fire our security staff and replace them with guards
that aren’t deaf, blind, and dumb.”
“She’s smart. She knew no one watching the camera’s were going to
look that closely. A glance at the screen would have made it seem like one of
the guards doing their rounds as long as she didn’t do anything to draw
attention.”
“And the identity card that she took off the man she assaulted before
leaving would have gotten her through countless doors without setting off an
Alarm. Since the camera’s in her room were on a separate system, it’s no
wonder no one sounded the alarm when she broke through the glass.” Fox said
turning his eyes towards another screen when she appeared on it.
Right before she left out of the main door of the building she stopped
and turned waving at the camera as carefree as a child, before making her exit.
Fox arched his brow seeing this. “Well, she certainly didn’t care weather or
not she was seen.”
“There’s no denying it now. She is definitely the Joker’s
companion.” The Batman said seeing the way she didn’t seem to mind if she
was seen.
Sight Seeing
Harley skipped down the sidewalk sucking on a lollipop she’d lifted
from the candy shop next to the clothing store that she had stolen a change of
cloths from her eyes wondered about marveling at the city around her. She’d
never really been out to see it before, Arkem was on the outskirts of Gothom,
and secluded away from the ‘sane’ citizens of Gothom.
Her hair was pulled up into pigtails on either side of her head, with red
flower bands. There was certainly a lot of tall buildings in Gothom and you got
dizzy looking straight up to the top of them when you were on the ground. The
shirt she wore showed much of her torso, and her pants were quite form fitting,
every once in a while creating a whiplash effect of men walking by.
She sighed a little not knowing her way around the city, or where she was
one way or the other. When she had escaped from Gothom she always followed the
Joker wherever he went without much paying attention to the places their
ventures took them. It wasn’t long until her path led her towards the narrows.
*NOTE TO THE READER*
I keep getting questions and requests in my Reviews for
this story and having no way to answer them, I opened a spot on the AFF message
boards so I can actually answer posts about it. Here’s the link, hope to talk
to you soon!
http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=10641