Harley Quinn X Nightwing: Our Story, Yours Truly

Chapter 18: "Harley's Hearbeat: Our Love Story Unfolds Part 2"

(Flashback, Harley POV)

I was there when Mistah J got a phone call that made his eyes gleam like a razor's edge. He listened for a moment...

"Ha.ha.ha, the pièce de résistance. Batman's protégé has taken the bait. Now, let's orchestrate a little spectacle. We'll kill him in front of Batman, and watch as the Dark Knight's world unravels... The beauty of chaos, lies not in the act itself, but in the ripple effect it creates, Crane. And this... this will be the stone that shatters the pond. I'm bringing Batman down to our level. Ha.ha.ha"

Mistah J's words are crawlin' under my skin like a swarm of ants! He's talkin' about killin' Nightwing. My Harleen-voice is screamin' at me, beggin' me to stop him, but my loyalty's got me tangled in a web of love and lunacy. I feel like I'm bein' torn in two, my mind a mess of contradictions. Part of me wants to run, to help, but another part... another part wants to join in, to dance in the flames, to be the one holdin' the match."

"You have to saved him! You can't let him die!"

"Why not? If that pleases Mistah J, I'm not going to stop him."

"If he dies, you'll regret it! Just this once Harley listen to me!"

"No way!"

"Can you please look for him first?"

"Okok I will look for him if ya stop naggin'."

Here I am in Crane's lab, the worst place to be. Flickering fluorescent tubes casting an eerie blue glow, creepy specimens in jars filled with strange, floating creatures that seem to be staring at me... it's like a bad horror movie in here.

So, I'm sneaking in to find Nightwing, and I stumble upon this... dramatic flourish ...this masterpiece. A cage with a half-dead hero in it. I mean, what's a villain's lair without a hero to torture, right?

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Harley, why are you being so chatty?" Well, let me tell you, dear readers, it's because I'm trying to distract myself from the fact that Nightwing's looking all weak and adorable in that cage, awww. I mean, I'm a professional, but even I have my weaknesses.

"Okay, okay, focus, Harley. So, I approach the cage, trying not to wrinkle my nose at the smell of disinfectant and... whatever else Crane's been cooking up in here. The air's thick with it, making my eyes water. And Nightwing looks up at me with those puppy-dog eyes, his face pale and clammy. Sighs. Yeah, I'm in trouble."

"Hey, hero, how's life hangin'...literally?"

He lets out a weak smirk, "Never imagine that I could see you one last time. Here to watch me die, heh..? Can you grant a dying man his last wish?"

"What's your last wish, hero?"

"Leave Joker, you deserve better."

Even at this time, he is worried about me? My mind goes silent, but then Harleen's voice starts ringing in my head again. "See, Harley, this is what I meant. He cares for you, even at this time."

I feel a sting in my eyes, and my voice cracks. "Shut up, shut up, shut up... You're not supposed to say things like that, not now, not ever! You're supposed to be the hero, not the martyr!"

Harleen's voice whispered in my mind, and for once, I listened. The ache in my heart was too much to bear. I did the unthinkable - I saved him. Oh, Mistah J's gonna be furious, but I couldn't abandon Nightwing to the darkness.

"Sorry, hero, but I'm not granting your last wish. We're busting out of here!" And so, we escaped Crane's twisted lair, with Nightwing leading us to safety in the clock tower.

The space was practical and efficient, equipped with a TV, a computer for hacking, a punching bag, and God knows what else is hidden here.

"You're safe now, I'm outta here..."
But before I could make my grand exit, he pulled a classic rom-com move - grasping my hand, those piercing eyes pleading for me to stay. And, okay, fine...I was curious to see where this little detour would lead. A girl's gotta keep things interesting, right? I seated on the floor, leaning against the wall, beside Nightwing.

He presses some button on his wrist, and suddenly we're serenaded with 'When a Man Loves a Woman'..."This is for you..." His voice barely above a whisper.

Seriously, he's half-dead and he's getting all sappy on me. I glared at him and he gives me this puppy-dog longing look.

As we listened to the song, I knew exactly what Nightwing was trying to say... or rather, be all mushy and adorable. I wanted to melt into it, to let him sweep me off my feet...but no...I can't let that happen...

I tried to sound convincing. 'I'm not fallin' for you. I only have eyes for Mistah J, so stop lookin' at me with those puppy-dog eyes..." But...I know I was already wobbling. What's with his last wish...

"Why did you save me?" He asked.

My mind raced - What's behind those piercing eyes? But I played it cool, sayin', "Believe it or not, it wasn't my idea. It's Harleen. She said I will regret if I don't save you. And that heartache is so hard to bear..."

He gazed at me with those darn puppy-dog eyes again and said, "I'm in your debt, Harley. And I always pay my debts."

My heart skipped a beat - was he flirtin' with me? Usually I'm the one doing the flirts. Harleen's emotions were gettin' the better of me; he was just so hard to resist... "Can I take off your mask?" Yeah, I know, I know, it's a bold move, but I just had to...was expecting him to say 'No' to kill the mood. But..."

"He said 'Yes'!" Oh great, now we're sharing a secret...I felt a rush of heat...why would he let me see his face...but I couldn't wait to see the face behind the mask too...as I proceed to remove his mask..I asked "why?"

"'I'm Dick Grayson. I wanted you to see the real me. (I should have done this before I left Gotham back then...)"

Harleen squealed in my head, and there he was, finally face to face.

That look on his face, a deep longing, as if searching for someone... My hands moved on their own, stroking his face, drinking in the sight of him. I couldn't distinguish between Harleen's feelings and my own anymore... For the first time, I felt drawn to someone other than Mistah J. And, as I said before, he was impossible to resist... I couldn't help but kiss him; it felt like the most natural thing to do."

Our lips locked in a sensually intense kiss, time standing still. I knew I shouldn't be kissing anyone but my Puddin', but I've always been a bad girl. If I stayed any longer, I might actually fall for Dickie... and that couldn't happen. I made a quick exit, almost forgetting that Batman was on his way to pick up Dickie. Oops.

I stole one last glance at him...and he wore that heartbreaking puppy-dog look again. My heart ached to stay longer, but I knew I couldn't. I shouldn't. So I left, torn between my loyalty and my feelings.

From that day on, I reveled in our thrilling game of cat and mouse, with Nightwing hot on my heels across Gotham. I thought I was always one step ahead, outsmarting him at every turn. But now, I realize he was letting me escape all along... ain't he just the sweetest? His gentle gesture makes my heart flutter even more.

Not to mention, Ivy, Selina, and I became the infamous Gotham Sirens - at least, that's what the Gotham gossip columns dubbed us. It was like one big, wild sleepover, minus the sleeping... and the sanity.

Until Batman caught up with me, and I ended up in Belle Reve Penitentiary. And, as they say, the rest is history - you've seen it all in the movies: Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad (2021).