Mad Love

Chapter 21

Nick's POV:
I groaned as everything around me started to come into focus. Large buildings surrounded me. Street noises and rain were all I could hear. Wait a minute... How did I get here? The last thing I could remember was going to some fundraiser and then seeing batman. After that everything was a blur. I looked above me and screamed, batman was holding me by the shirt. I looked below me, he was dangling me over the side of a building.
"I'm going to ask you one last time." He held me further out so I had no chance of catching the ledge of the building if he dropped me. "Where is the joker?"
"I-I can't..." I stammered out. If the joker found out that I had told batman his location I was a dead man.
"Your going to have to, I don't know how much longer my arms can hold your weight."
"Look, I'm dead either way. The joker finds out and he's gonna kill me, and if I don't tell you you'll kill me."
"What if the joker can't find you."
"W-what do ya mean?"
"Tell me where the joker is and I promise he won't kill you."
"How can ya be so sure?" I watched as batman thought for a minute.
"Trust me. Now where's - the - joker?!" His arm was beginning to loosen its grip. It was now or never. I looked up to see a figure standing on a building above us. It was a female judging by her outline and looked relatively familiar. It was Harley Quinn!
"F-fine! He's at the old chemical factory, it's still operating but he's found a hideout there." I was obviously lying to him but I spoke loud enough for Harley to hear so she might be able to help out.
"Thanks, I appreciate it." He then dropped me and I gasped as I suddenly stopped. I was tied up and hanging by one of batman's grappling hooks on the building I was dropped off of.
"Say hi to officer Gordan for me would ya? And trust me you'll be plenty safe from the joker in Arkham."

Batman's POV:
The chemical factory? That doesn't really sound like joker but then again... He's very unpredictable. Just then a shadow flashed by. I looked around, scanning the rooftops. Just then I was kicked in the face. I tried to find my attacker but they were out of sight.
"Long time no see B-man. Whatcha up to?"
"None of your concern Quinn." I was not in the mood for games.
"Well it should be cuz I overheard ya talkin about my puddin', I had to listen in!" I wonder if the joker was enjoying her odd pet names for him.
"Why should you be concerned for the joker? It's not like he would do the same for you."
"Of course he would! I-"
"Then you don't know the joker at all, he doesn't care about anyone or anything. He has no conscience or sympathy for anything and wouldn't hesitate to kill you even if it was just for fun." I interrupted, she was getting herself into something that she would regret later.
"Well, you obviously don't know him like I do. He's sweet and charming and thinks I'm the best thing since the machine gun. He's told me stuff! Personal stuff that he's never told anyone!"
"Like what? Was it the one about the time his father took him to the zoo? The alcoholic mother? Face it, he's just using you. All he needed was someone easy enough to mold into his image and do all of his dirty work for him. Your meaningless to him.
"Enough talk! Your lying. I've heard it before, I've seen your act. You can try intimidation all ya want but it won't work on me. Mr. J loves me and despises you, that's all there is to it."
"Your a bigger fool than I thought you were, the joker is not a force to be messed with. He can't love! Someone like him will simply use you, treat you like you matter and then throw you away. You need to leave him now before he takes your life and everything else that matters away from you." Harley punched me across the face. The blow knocked me backwards.
"Shut up!" She screamed kicking me in the stomach.
"You need to face it Harley! The joker does not and will never love you, he simply DOESNT CARE!" Harley went for another lunge but I blocked her and kicked her away. She landed on the ground a few feet away, mostly concealed by the darkness around but her hands, torso and part of her face were visible. She was breathing hard and soaked with rain water. She looked up at me with eyes that showed pain and anger and with that darted away. Unfortunately for her the cops had already surrounded the place. She was in handcuffs before she even knew what hit her.
"Man, I was looking all over for this one." Officer Gordan commented, gesturing to Harley. I looked around for the other one that I had tied up and left for the police but the only traces of him was my tangled up grappling hook and a shoe. I turned toward where the police were shoving Harley into a police car. She looked over at me and instead of glaring, smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile, it was a 'I know something that you don't' smile. She was up to something... Something big.