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 24
(Harleen's POV)
Batman and Bat-Shard got to Joker's new warehouse. A dirty run down warehouse near a canyon it was surrounded by goons, each armed with a pipe or AK-47.
"Looks like Joker isn't taking any chances this time Harley…" Batman said darkly
"I know…he's not going to get away with this…but I can't help but feel that he's already done what he needs to do. Bruce…what if he's killed Bill already?" Bat-Shard asked with fear for her friend
"We can't think like that…Bill is smart, he'll have thought of a way to buy time. Hell he helped you re-forge yourself to who you are now." Batman reassured his love.
The two swooped upon the goons; Batman hung one goon with an AK-47 upside down upon a protruding light, Bat-Shard snuck behind two goons and struck them with her tonfa they were knocked out but the sound attracted the goon around the corner. 'Crap!' Bat-Shard thought to herself as she snuck through a window into an empty room.
"Hey! There are guys down! Repeat guys down! The Bat's here!" he alerted the others.
(Bills POV)
Joker wiped his hands to get rid of a red substance staining his gloves. He then heard his goon shouting bout Batman. "Oh look at that…here to save you…now you: be a good boy and stay there…in fact you can just hang around! Ha-ha-ha!" Joker cackled as he left Bill in the shadows dripping with red down his face.
(Bruce's POV)
"Stay down!" Batman shouted to a downed goon.
"Batman, over here!" a goon struck a pipe down at him before being tackled by Bat-Shard.
"Thanks for the save." Batman acknowledged her
"Anytime; I'll sneak to the rooftop see if Bill is there." Bat-Shard said zipping up on her grapple line as Batman nodded.
"Ah…Batman!" Joker said smiling
"Joker; release the boy!" Batman demanded while trying to keep Joker knowing about his connection to Bill.
"Oh drop the pleasantries will you? I know you and Bill know who each other are…Bruce Wayne!" Joker knew who Batman was! "Oh yes…I know, he was so helpful. He told me all about Crane's Fear Toxin and his Armour…he very thorough." Joker taunted unaware about Bat-Shard in the rafters.
"What does that prove Joker…so you know the face behind the mask; but that doesn't mean you know how to use it." Batman tried to stall for time.
"Oh but it does Batman…Bill is gone…and I know who you are, you've lost!" Joker smiled victoriously as he showed Bill's immobile body in a crucifix style still dripping red, as Joker laughed Batman struck forward.
The two fought; they were each other's opposites: darkness and light, laughter and tragedy, James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes. The two fought punching each other with all their force, Bat-Shard slipped down and attempted to free Bill and get him out of there. As she unlocked Bill's left hand it grabbed at her throat! His voice laughed as she saw his face…scarred with Joker's infamous smile, his face was painted white, his eyes were blackened and his hair was dyed a toxic green. "Bill…no…please…it's me." Bat-Shard pleaded for her breath, but Bill had little to no life left in his eyes.
"Ha-Ha! It's too late Bat-Brains…" Joker said tying up Batman with a special bolas "Bill is mine…his mind is broken and I know the secrets of his armour!" while pointing towards Bill then brandishing a gun to Bill. "Go on Billy-Boy…finish it!" throwing the gun to Bill with him catching it. "Kill the Bitch first!" he ordered
"No!" Batman roared
"Bill…" Bat-Shard struggled to breathe.
"Do, it!" Joker said pointing a gun at Batman's head.
…there was a shot…blood fell to the floor…
"No!" Batman roared
"Ha-Ha-Ha! Good job Billy-Boy!" Joker laughed then his laughter faded "Now then…end the Bat!" Joker pointed to Batman's head "What?" Joker said in confusion
Bill fell to the floor and Bat-Shard had the gun and fired it at Joker! He flew back clutching his heart coughing blood. Bat-Shard was crying and as she did she spoke "You know Joker…there's something you told me a long time ago…"
"What…how did you…" Joker gasped for life
"You always take punches from folks who just don't get the joke!" Bat-Shard revealed her identity to Joker…
"Harley?!" he coughed and spluttered struggling to laugh "Ha-ha! You finally got a winning punch line!" Joker's last words…he dies from his wounds as Harley runs over to Bruce.
Ash she unties him she cries into his arms as he cradles her "I'm sorry…I'm sorry."
*hours later*
Bruce and Harley arrived back at the Manor…Bill is taken to the hospital, his situation is critical…no-one knows how he'll turn out; he lost a large amount of blood…it's grim but still plausible he'll pull through. Joker's corpse was taken from the warehouse; not paraded by the
"Harley…Harley what happened? Bruce…" Ivy asked
Harley looked away from her friend to the floor, she then ran to her room not giving an explanation.
Bruce tried to explain "Bill…*sigh* it's not good…not bad but not good either…Harley…she…" he began to explain
(Harleen's POV)
Harley hit her bed and cried into her pillow, "God, what have I done…what did I do?!" she spoke into her pillow and heard it muffled. She thought back to the moment: she exposed her identity to Joker and the shot that ended his life.
*Flashback*
The sound of the shot reverberates through her mind and she saw herself fire the gun. Bruce tied up in the bolas and Bill shooting himself to save her.
"You know Joker…there's something you told me a long time ago…" Harley's flashback spoke
"What…how did you…" Joker's ghost gasped for life
"You always take punches from folks who just don't get the joke!" her past-self revealed her identity.
"Harley? Ha-ha! You finally got a winning punch line!" and the Joker dies on the floor.
*End Flashback*
'Oh…please…please let this all turn out alright…' she pleaded with any and all spiritual forces that maybe listening 'Please let Bill be okay…please let me and Bruce get out of this…'
She overheard the rain coming down outside and as the rain came down; Harley began to cry into her pillow.
(Bruce's POV)
Bruce looked outside the window to think 'God…how did it get so bad so fast? First Harley going rogue, then Jason, now this…' Bruce stayed by waiting at the window, Bruce then heard a knock.
"Master Bruce…?" Alfred asked opening the door.
"Oh…it's you Alfred." Bruce said with a sad tone in his voice. "I thought you were…never mind…"
"You thought I was Miss Harley." Alfred answered "Master Bruce; about what you said earlier…"
"No Alfred…now is not the right time…" Bruce stopped his guardian
"When is the right time, Master Bruce? I know what Miss Harley did…and by how she reacted, she deeply regrets it."
"I don't know Alfred…it's just…I can understand why she did it: Joker abused her, belittled her, hospitalised her…warped her…I could never forgive him for what he's done…but that poetic justice that Harley did…I don't know…" Bruce answered
"Here is a question Master Bruce: would you do the same thing, if you found the person who warped you?" Alfred asked with a questioning fatherly tone
Bruce looked down then back at the window seeing the rain coming down thinking about Harley.
(Barbara's POV)
Barbara was sitting with Dick, she was crying with either tears of joy, fear or sadness. She held on hand on her paralyzed legs and her other hand holding Dick.
"Barbara, are you okay?" Tim asked kindly
Barbara sniffed and looked at the young ward. "Yes…no…I don't know…God; it's just gone from strength to strength hasn't it?"
"I can guess what you mean…here don't cry. Look Joker's dead! I get that, the guy that tormented us for so long. The most psychotic serial killing murderer is dead, the man that: killed Jason, tortured Harley and…" Dick stopped there and placed his hand on Barbara's legs he looked at Barbara and she laid her head on his chest.
"I'm sorry for Bill and Ivy…they've gotten the worst of it all." Tim explained
"Oh God, Ivy; she's suffering worse than any of us." Barbara wiped her tears away from her eyes
(Ivy's POV)
Ivy was sitting down in the Bat-Cave she was looking at the special sphere again…only it had turned into an embryo. 'Bill…did you really betray Harley…did you tell Joker anything? You said you'd fix everything…' Ivy began to cry onto the floor.
"Miss Ivy?" Sonia asked "Are you alright?"
"Sonia…erm…*sniff*" Ivy wipes her tears "No…I'm…I'm not okay. Joker, he…he: stole my boyfriend, broke his mind and forced himself to commit suicide to protect my best friend…"
"And your baby? Yes Miss Ivy…I know." Sonia gave her answer "But you need to talk to your friends, you need them as much as they need you…Miss Harley needs you right now." Trying to be as kind as she could be.
"Did Alfred help you with that?" Ivy smiled looking at Sonia
"My father may have done. But for now, I believe that you should go to Miss Harley." Sonia smiled and allowed Ivy to leave.
"Keep an eye on her…she likes the company. But if you harm her…" Ivy asked Sonia and then quickly threatened her.
"I promise to be kind and not harm your child, Miss Ivy." Sonia bowed as Ivy went upstairs. "A child…made from the genetics of a poisonous woman and a madman…and somehow it's beautiful." She said placing her hand next to the glass seeing the embryo grow.
(Harleen's POV)
Harley was still in her room; still in shock of killing the man who made her into Harley Quinn, but in some weird, symbolic, cathartic way she was free. She almost revelled in the freedom of the Joker, she was the one who stole her life as a respectable woman of society…but she did lose the man who she cared for during her criminal career…she had her hyenas, her laughs, her one close ending with Bruce when she almost killed him with the death of a thousand smiles. How can she leave off those years when she had her madness called fun? Ivy came into the room ready to console her friend.
*a few days later*
Bruce and Dick went over to the hospital where Bill was staying; Ivy was keeping her sight on her plants and her growing child, Tim and Sonia were playing on a video game, Alfred was with Barbara in consolation and trying to get past what transpired in the days previously.
Harley was in the kitchen she was making whatever came from the cookbook, simple recipes and easy ones…anything to keep her busy. She seemed more down then usual the past few days.
"Miss Harley…I know that you want to keep busy, but you must not hold onto the past. You must move on." Sonia entered after playing her game with Tim.
"It's not that easy Sonia…I'm angry…" Harley explained not turning around
"Angry at whom?" Sonia asked
"Joker…Crane…Waller…Talia…You!" she said turning at the last name staring at Sonia with hatred.
Sonia backed up slightly as she saw Harley holding the knife she was cutting vegetables with, even though she was introduced into the Manor, she wasn't fully trusted by Harley…mostly of what transpired during the abduction then again with the brewed tea fiasco. "Miss Harley…I understand that you are upset. But…" Sonia backed up; even a trained assassin knew to be afraid of a scorn woman.
"No. No "buts" my life has been a rollercoaster ever since my one eighty change to becoming a hero!" Harley said pointing the knife at Sonia's neck. "I've had: psychotic breakdowns, nightmares, kidnappings, crazed transformations, ninja attacks, my boyfriend was raped and my Arkham friend is now hospitalised because of the monster who turned me into psychotic villain, crippled Barbara, killed the second Robin and forced a bloodied smile on Gotham!" she slammed the knife into to wooden butchers block. "I just wanted everything to be just one thing…just one…" she began to cry as her hands started to shake.
"And…what was this one thing?" Sonia asked
"*sniff* To…to be with Batman, to be his special girl…his partner…to be his Batwoman…and what has he got? Hmm? A murderous harlequin, with a broken mind and a destructive past!" Harley exposed her thoughts to the forfeited of life assassin. "Now…I don't know what to do…"
"Miss Harley…I didn't know you then. But I know you now. You have saved your love multiple times, you have been through hell and back…you've proven yourself that you have changed. You took a chance and you've come out with your result. Master Bruce is yours…only yours. And I know that I'm no saint, but you've got more chance of a normal life than I could." Sonia spoke kindly.
"*stifled laugh* I…I guess I need some more help…who can console a psychiatrist? *laugh then sigh* Alfred's gonna have words with me about the block." Harley said pulling the knife out.
"Given the circumstances, I think my father will forgive you." Sonia smiled.
(Bruce's POV)
"God, damn! This can't be happening!" Dick said grabbing his head as they approached the manor
"It's happened Dick…there's nothing we can do." Bruce answered as they opened the door
The Bat-Family came to the door and as they expected the news Dick went off to the indoor gym to train.
"What happened, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked
"*sigh* Bill…his wound was too deep, he's dead." Bruce spoke solemnly
"No…no…no. You're lying…you…you've got to be…" Ivy said dumbfounded but Bruce shook his head then Ivy ran to the Gardens to cry.
(No-one's POV)
Deathstroke looked upon his contracts he was going to kill: political targets, other mercenaries even the Suicide Squad. "You know it's rude to sneak around someone's home." He said aiming for a handgun. The Rogue moved slowly so that he wouldn't be killed. "So you're that new person who's been after my attention…What do you want?" The Rogue showed a picture of Ra's to the famed mercenary. "Ah…so…What is he to you…?" Deathstroke asked
(No-ones POV)
Inside the hospital where Bill was staying, a figure was strapped to the bed with all manner of tubes keeping him stable. The figure remains asleep with its heart-rate beeping slowly and steadily, its eyes closed but heard the door open. Out came Amanda Waller who went to the figure.
"You've caused me a lot of strife…but now, we can get to work." She said to the figure.
The End of: The Harlequin And The Bat
I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as I have writing it.
Please leave reviews for these stories they really help.
And thank you to all the people who have reviewed and followed my story thus far.
A new story coming soon: The Scars Left Behind.
Thank you