Breaking Point

Chapter 8

Harley's nerves tingled.

Every breath she took was shaky.

Every step she took felt too loud.

Every move she made felt wrong.

Every time she blinked, she felt scared that someone had seen her.

Every time she swung her bat, Harley was sure someone heard the impact it made against the guards' skulls.

But no one else ever came. No one else ever saw her.

Harley dropped again from the rafters onto the cold ground, landing with the click of the heels she was wearing. The guard standing ten feet in front of her neglected to notice the slight sound amidst the silence of the bank's third floor. Harley crept up to him, like a predator hunting it's prey. Harley got within swinging distance and raised her bat.

'Nighty night, Mistah,' Harley thought as she swung, the bat connecting with the guards head. She watched as he crumpled to the ground, dropping his gun. That was the fifth guard Harley had killed tonight. She was on a roll.

Harley climbed back up to the rafters and continued to scout out her prey while Joker waited impatiently outside.

Joker growled, stomping his shoe against the concrete. Joker had sent Harley inside to kill all of the guards posted inside the bank, while Joker and his men dealt with the ones outside.

Joker was growing restless, but decided to wait just a tad bit longer for his blonde, ass-kicking Harlequin. Fortunately enough for Harley's physical state and Jokers anger, Harley appeared from a window two stories up.

"Finally!" Joker hissed. Harley slunk her way down the side of the building, landing gracefully alongside the Joker. Draping her arms around the Jokers neck, Harley noticed, for the first time, multiple bruises and scratches adorning her arms from climbing and fighting. The bite on her neck began to pulse annoyingly.

"What took you so goddamn long?!" Joker asked, turning his head to gaze coldly at Harley, his anger unmistakably present. Harley shivered.
"I was makin' sure all of the guards were finished off properly and wouldn't wake up, puddin'," Harley replied, sounding pleased with her response, hoping not to egg the Joker on.

Joker growled under his breath, shaking off Harley's arms, moving toward his men. Joker spoke some hushed words to Blazer, and Harley knew that they were about her because Blazer's fiery eyes flickered to hers then back to the other men crowding around Joker. Joker pulled away from Blazer and began to address groups of men, with Blazer walking towards Harley. Harley's temperature started to heat up as Blazer neared, the ice from the Joker melting off her skin.

"Boss says I've got to take you with me to go to the top floor. Our mission is to loot the gold safe at the end of the hallway in the far back of the uppermost platform. You alright with that?" Harley smiled, hoping Blazer wouldn't bring up what he'd seen earlier in the hideout, and looked her arm into his.
"Lead the way, sugar!"

Joker watched as Blazer, a few goons, and most importantly, Harley made their way back inside the bank, to the highest story of the building. This mission was for two reasons: 1) to obtain more money for the hideout and for the Joker himself, and 2) to test Harley. Joker had only had Harley in his grasp at the cove for about a week, he knew he had to evaluate her to see if she could withstand coming events. She was merely an asset to Jokers evil cause.

Joker and the rest of the goons made their way inside to the bank of the first floor, where Joker sent half of the goons up to the second landing. Joker prowled among the numerous cases of diamonds and jewels. Above him, his workers were planting bombs on the outside of the bank's primary money safe. Joker slammed his fist into the case of gold chains next to him, loving the splintering pain across his knuckles. Grabbing handfuls of necklaces, Joker threw them into a bag.