In The Web Of Gotham

Psychology

Spider-Man went swinging through the Gotham Skyline, still waiting for Nightwing to turn up any information on Wilson Fisk. In the meantime though, Spider-Man had decided to head home and work on his own investigations into the Scare that's gone missing yet still being distributed into the general public.

Peter deduced that there's clearly still a chain of command, people that were under Crane's payroll and command. So people had to still be moving his drugs around while he works on setting up a new warehouse to store everything. He didn't realize that his sister had a guest over until after he climbed through the window. A familiar woman that he had met on the subway a little earlier that very week. Short blond hair in a bob, blue eyes and a Brooklyn accent with a bubbly disposition.

Selina had Harleen Quinzel in the apartment, so he tried to hide himself onto the ceiling so he wouldn't be spotted by the psychologist. Trying to silently crawl along the ceiling to hide, but that was very quickly broken when-

"I help Batty with psych evals, I can hear a pin drop. You're not very subtle, pally. Good effort though, webs," Harleen complimented, looking up directly into Spider-Man's masked face.

"You can ditch the mask too, Peter. Harls knows about you, I told her. You can trust her, she's good people," Selina calmed as Peter dropped from the ceiling, carefully pulling his mask off.

"Well well, Mr. Detective Peter Parker is the quippy whippy Spidey too? Almost makes too much sense," Harleen said as Peter sat at his desk.

"So is it a girls night already? Wednesday came pretty quick," Peter quipped as he booted up his computer and pulled up the Batcomputer system.... before realizing that he probably shouldn't before pulling the base operating system back up. Batman said the information was for Peter's eyes and his eyes alone. He was taking that to heart.

He pulled up his sister's underground connections and tried to plan out some more jobs for Selina for later in the week, sending out digital feelers to try and grab someone's interests.

"So you're working with Batman now, I hear. Have you gotten anywhere with your ultimate challenge?" Harley asked. Peaking Peter's interests with the question, as Batman never gave him any challenge....or did he?

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, turning in his chair towards Harley with a perplexed look on his face.

"Ever since his third Robin, anybody who he wants to work with or train or anything like that. He puts a challenge in front of them, aside from the gadgets, the toys, the training, anything. His ultimate challenge before he treats anyone as an equal, you need to figure out....who," Harley asked with a sly chuckle to her voice.

"Who.....like what, who Batman is under the cowl? That's possible to figure out?" Peter asked in surprise, Harley giving a nod.

"Yep, we all have our ways of figuring out who Batsy is. I figured it out through my knowledge of Psychology and the fact that I used to get up close and personal with the Bat for a good amount of years. Then once I broke away from the Joker, I started doing my own research. I got close to other people until I realized that one person I met gave context to the little pieces I learned about Batman. Then I figured it out, and Batman treated me like an equal....an ally," Harley explained, which hit Peter like a rolling bolt of thunder. Harley Quinn was one of Batman's allies...and she's one of Selina's friends....one of Catwoman's friends.

Peter filed that to the back of his mind, but for now he wanted to focus on the topic at hand. Apparently Batman's been testing him...and he's been failing badly. Maybe this should be what he focuses on in the meantime. Forget the Scare case for now. He needs to figure out who the face of Batman is.

"I don't....suppose you can give me a hint about who Batman is, can you?" Peter asked with a cheeky grin. Harley matched his grin with a smile of her own.

"If I gave you a hint, that wouldn't make it a fair test would it? The fact that you know the test exists now is a good start. Now think of everything that you've done with Batman, done for Batman and take that into consideration with the test in mind. You'll get your answer, and Batman will cut your reins," Harley said. Peter clicked his tongue a little begrudgingly between his grin. He was expecting that answer.

"Right...at least tell me what I'm getting myself into if I tackle this like a detective tackling a case. Is it possible, or am I going into a massive puzzle with pieces missing from the board?" Peter asked, causing Harley to give a full on belly laugh. Her laughter was near contagious, as Selina giggled a little and Peter even let out a few awkward laughs.

"Oh I like you. It's possible, but it'll be massively difficult. You think the World's greatest detective isn't going to make his test difficult against another detective?! That's hilarious, now that's funny. Funnier than anything Joker said," Harley said, catching her breath between fits of laughter.

"R...right...that makes a lot of sense," Peter said chuckling a little bit more.

"You can do it, kiddo. I believe in you, you got a good head on your shoulders and I think that Batman knows that too. Although since he knows you have a good head on your shoulders, he's going to make that test near impossible for you in particular. Only two people ever figured out who Batman was on principle alone, and he's made it where people can't just guesswork it anymore," Harley said, ruffling Peter's hair like he was another little kid. Peter shook his head afterwards and straightened his hair back out.

"So. Dr. Quinzel, what are you actually doing here?" Peter asked.

"Please, call me Harley. Dr. Quinzel just....it doesn't fit me anymore. Plus, you're a friend. Friends get to call me Harley. Oh, and I help Kitty here try and schedule out her heists," She said.

"Are you the one who sends Selina those files that I use to help inform her break-in plans?" Peter asked, glancing over to Selina who was hiding a little dossier of information into her desk.

"Ahhh I see now. Well thank you for making my job so much easier than it should reasonably be," Peter said with a smirk.

"Always willing to help a Siren," Harley winked as she got up and walked out of the apartment.

"Siren?" Peter asked Selina in confusion.

"Harley calls our friend group the Gotham City Sirens. So....I guess you're one of the Sirens too," Selina giggled.

"Spider-Siren.... interesting," Peter chuckled.