firestarter. the ballad of harleen quinzel and jelani wolfe.

mother, may I sleep with danger?

A PRELUDE to the madness.

𝖌𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖒 𝖈𝖎𝖙𝖞

     The night graces the sky once more with its deep hues of purple and blue. Stars dance across the sky like speckles of glitter. The air was cool. Not too hot and not too cold. It was the perfect "after the storm" weather. Harley couldn't ask for a better night.

"This is Dave with 106.5 Dawn FM. The time is now nine thirty-eight and the monsters are slowly creeping out of the shadows. The only question I have left for all you listeners out there is, do you know where your children are?"

     Farrah for sure didn't know where her daughter was. As she stared at the strangers beneath her, she prayed her daughter was somewhere safe and away from the madness that roamed the streets of Gotham at night. But Farrah could sense something was wrong. She felt the same fire in her chest that she'd always felt once Harley was out of her sight.

"Oh Harley, what have you done?"

**

     "Harley, wait!" Joie pleaded while throwing the car in park. It was too late. Harley had already threw herself out of the car before it came to a complete stop. Rage filled her body as her eyes landed on Natasha Majors. This was the woman she came to see. "Oh, Natashaaa." she sang with a smile. Her bright smile distracted everyone from the wooden bat she twirled around in her hands. A sudden CRACK! snapped them back into reality.

     Natasha staggers backwards in shock. She touched her wet face and was met with bloody hands. Joie stood there in disbelief. "Oh shit Harley what the fuck have you done?" she spoke softly and glanced around at the crowd that formed around them.

     "Harley, stop!" Joie screams at her, but Harley is all over Natasha, pounding at her face and chest. She wants to murder her. It wouldn't be the first time she's almost killed one of Jelani's sidepieces. It angered her knowing that Jelani slept with yet another woman and paraded the woman around town for everyone to see.

     Harley punched Natasha hard with her gold brass knuckles, splitting the skin on her cheekbone. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms scooped Harley into the air. That didn't stop her from grabbing a fistful of Natasha's freshly sewn in wefts. Natasha winced in pain. She could barely see through the blood covering her face, but she could smell her man's signature cologne. "Jelani! Make her stop!"

     Jelani smiled as bystanders frantically ran away. Joie pulled Harley's hands away from Natasha's hair. The poor woman was crying out for help. Joie couldn't stand back and watch anymore. Harley smiled once she saw the blood on her hands. "Next time I won't be so nice bitch!"

𝖜𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖔𝖋𝖙𝖘 - 𝖏𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖎'𝖘 𝖆𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙

   "I swallowed that anger when it was a fire-seed and forgot to drink something cool, and so it grew in my belly until it came out as hot as any dragon has ever flamed... on the person I loved most. I'll never forget his eyes, how that fire burnt him to ash. He loved my sparks of passion, the way I sizzled even in the rain, but that inferno was more than his heart could manage."

   Harley stared at her reflection against the large window in front her. Where did I go wrong? Her thoughts ran rapid. How could Jelani do this to me..again?

   It's simple. The women couldn't get enough of Jelani. He loved the attention. It gave him power.

POWER.

   Jelani was Gotham City's biggest, baddest, and boldest criminal. He was a thief, a con man if you will. He'd committed more crimes than anyone could ever imagine. Was he ever caught? Yes. Plenty of times. But as I said, he was a con man. He knew his way around things. He had a team who helped him escape from prison. Even the hard-to-escape prison upstate, Bonham Correctional Facility.

   Harley was like a toy. Jelani would play with her when HE wanted to. And when he got bored, he would go out and buy another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

Until his room was filled with toys. Except Harley was his favorite toy. She was special, one of a kind. Hard to duplicate. He protected her, placing her on a shelf higher than anyone has even been.

"You hear me talkin' to you?!"

"I hear you Jelani." She lied. She quickly tuned him out once she got home. She was tired of the lies, all the late night phone calls, random women popping up at his apartment, and mysterious pieces of lingerie floating around his car and apartment.

   "I would move Heaven and Earth for you, my love." Jelani uttered. His voice, low and rough. Stress was evident on his face. His bushy eyebrows wrinkled with frustration. His eyes were red and low as he tried to depict Harley's tearful face. He could tell she was stressed too. It was evident on her face. But was she gonna leave him? No.

   He had a hold on her. Harley was wrapped right around his finger. She'd kill for him. Hell, even die for him just to show Jelani that she would forever be his ride or die.