The Great Big Book of Bat Family One-Shots (Written by Requests)

I'll Get Inside Your Head (Joker x Harley)

Hello everyone! It's been a while, but my inspirational phase has returned!  I've never written a Joker x Harley fic before, but I've already created my own take on the story of how Harleen Quinzel became "Harley Quinn". I want to make a story about Joker and Harley, and I need a vote. Based on this one-shot, comment below as to whether I should write a book. Thanks!

Dr. Harleen Quinzel stormed through the dim halls of the asylum, her pale hands balled into fists. She finally had enough of his sick, manipulative games. 

For the past six months, Harleen had been conducting a psychodynamic study on the Clown Prince of Crime himself. In fact, she begged for the assignment the day she was transferred to Arkham Asylum for her doctoral internship. She was fascinated with the criminally insane, mostly for personal reasons she didn't discuss with anyone else. 

Gotham City was home to some of the most bizarre and mentally disturbed criminals in the world. The high crime rate, poor standard of living, and history of corruption made the city a breeding ground for cognitive and behavioral disorders. Arkham Asylum, although extremely outdated and poorly equipped to treat its inmate population, was one of the last sanatoriums in the country. It was the perfect playground for any young psychologist eager to prove themselves by going toe-to-toe with the worst of the worst. 

Determined to reach the top of her field, Harleen wanted to be the first psychiatrist to infiltrate the Joker's mind. For years, not a single doctor had been able to determine his past, his motives, or even his psychological ailment. He was a compulsive liar, that much was certain. He toyed with the other doctors and fed them conflicting pieces of information so that no one could isolate a specific symptom or incident responsible for his condition. Harleen knew this ahead of time, as she had studied every available case note in his file. She knew what tricks he'd pull and truly thought she was ready to face him.

Their sessions started as she expected. He wouldn't answer any questions and chose to fill the time by making one horrifying joke after another. She refused to take the bait, so he decided to intimidate her instead. He'd recount every gruesome detail about the ways he killed his victims or tried to scare her with threats and sudden movements. Still, Harleen stood firm. After all, what harm could he do in a restraining chair with armed guards stationed outside the door? Really, there was nothing he could throw at her that she wasn't prepared for.

Or so she thought.

His latest trick was one she didn't expect. Three months ago, she met with him for another session, only for him to ask how her sister liked the new dress Harleen got her for Christmas. He even knew the color. Harleen was deeply disturbed, knowing she didn't tell anyone at the asylum about her family, or anyone else who could have been in contact with Joker. The only explanation was that he somehow got one of his lackeys to stalk her, which was even more unsettling. The revelation threw Harleen off her game, which was exactly what Joker was looking for. When she demanded to know where he got his information, he simply laughed in her face. He told her that since she wanted to know more about him, it was only fair that he got to know more about her.

This led Harleen into a three-month-long descent into paranoia and dread. With every new session, Joker revealed more invasive information about her, watching and laughing as each revelation caused her mental state to deteriorate even further. He was looking for a way to break her just as she was hoping to do to him. 

After the things he said during their last session, she couldn't take it anymore. She went home that night and locked herself in her apartment for the next week. But his voice kept repeating in her ears like an echo, tearing away at her mind. It got so bad that she swallowed a handful of sleeping pills, praying a deep sleep would silence the whispers inside her head...possibly forever. If it weren't for her damned gag reflex, she would have succeeded. When she finally returned to work, Warden Sharp saw how pale and exhausted she looked. Every passing shadow and loud noise made her jump out of her skin. He had her immediately reassigned to a different patient. Today was her last interview with the Joker.