Descent

Chapter 33

Off in the far corner of the dining hall Pam, Edward, and Ozzie sat huddled together. They had their heads together plotting. Of course Ozzie hadn't wanted to help. He had no use for the Clown Prince of Crime, so why hook him up with the beautiful young doctor.

It took some persuading but Pam had finally convinced him. Saying that he may have had a running feud with the Joker but that didn't mean the doc had to suffer. Ozzie reluctantly agreed.

No matter the differences between the two crime bosses, Harleen's happiness was important to them all. She treated them well and she deserved the same curiosity.

"What is it about her?" He asked Pam and Riddles.

Ozzie's question cause Edward to think long and hard. After all they were hardened killers and yet they were playing matchmaker for their therapist. If some of their contemporizes saw them now they would be a laughing stock.

Of course the doc wasn't just any old therapist. She cared about them. Most times it was Dr. Quinzel who saved them from Dr. Arkham. She had this sixth sense when it came to their wellbeing.

"I think it's because she doesn't judge us." Edward stated.

"Nope. It's her darkness." Pam corrected.

Both Ozzie and Riddles shot her an odd look. Dr. Quinzel was anything but dark. She was always so sweet, bringing them things, making sure they were treated like human beings. Going so far as to rush over to check on them even on her days off.

"You off your meds again, Pammy?" Eddie scoffed. "She's got about as much darkness in her as smiles has light in him."

Pam shook her head sending the vines that lived in her hair into disarray. "No, it's because she wears her scars like wings."

Both Ozzie and Edward didn't have a clue as to what Pam was going on about. But they were sure it was some trumped up feminist mumbo jumbo. Girl power and all that crap. Neither could understand such behavior from Pam, she was a loner. Not much for joining groups, least of all a group that didn't champion plants.

Not one for theatrics that weren't his own Ozzie waved her on, "What are you going on about, Weeds?"

Pam ground her teeth, trying not to throat punch him. She hated when he called her Weeds as much as he hated when people called him Penguin.

"Rumor has it our doc was once used to pay off the Lupinacchi's."

A look of horror crossed Edward's face. Mario had taken his high school sweetheart and raped her. When Edward had confronted him, Mario had one of his men knock him out.

As soon as Edward came to he had known something was wrong. The lights turned on and he realized he was tied to a chair. Mario forced Edward to watch as Evelyn was once more raped and beaten. Edward swore never to be that helpless again.

Everything he had ever worked for was tossed away in one smooth motion by Don Lupinacchi. Turning Edward Nygam into the Riddler.

"Eddie. Hey, where'd you go?" Ozzie was shaking his shoulder.

"If that's true..." Edward couldn't even catch his breath.

"Pennywise will go bat shit crazy. He won't leave a single member of their family alive." Pam spoke in an awed whisper at the chaos she was imagining.

Ozzie could feel his own trepidation rising. If any of this was true Pam was understating what would happen. The Joker wouldn't just kill Mario and his goon squad. He would torture them to the brink of madness. For once he was thankful that chuckles would be gunning for someone else.

"So what do you suggest?" Edward glanced between them. "We aren't going to be able to keep something like that hidden from the Joker."

The clearing of a throat had them all looking up. They each have an oh fucklook on their faces and the Joker can't help but let out his deep rolling laugh.

"What are you three biddies plotting?" He sat next to Pam.

"Oh, a little of this and a little of that." She answered with a smirk firmly in place.

"Care to let an old friend in on the fun?" He cuffed Edward on the back and the man just swayed with the impact. "It has gotten so boring here recently."

"We...ah...no sorry there isn't room for your particular brand of crazy." Ozzie said around the lump in his throat.

"I see. Do you agree with these two, Pam?" The Joker sent her an award winning smile.

She was sure it was the one he used when he wanted Harleen to melt. Pam was also sure that it probably worked on more than one occasion. Though she wasn't going to let it work on her.

Instead she was just going to tell him what he wanted to know and get it over with. Cause in the end you were either with the Joker or against him. Pam knew that to stand against him in this would spell the end for all of them.

"Listen, what do you plan to do with the doc?"

The Joker growled, "Not this again." He eyed all three of them in turn. "She is mine and that's that. What I do or don't do with her isn't your business."

He was getting agitated. Harleen was his to deal with.

Oh how we dealt with her today.Not wanting them to see his struggle he ran his hand through his hair instead of gripping it. Trying for all he was worth to stop the darkness from taking hold of him.

"Chuckles, you can't go around spewing crap like that, when you haven't kept her safe."

Pam gasped. Leave it to Ozzie to let the cat out of the bag, and with so little tact.

"What he means is..."

But Edward cut Pam off. "We know what they did to her. For what its worth I'm sorry."

His blue-gray gaze danced around the table, landing on each of their faces. The Joker was judging their honesty. All he saw there was sympathy for his little doll. Evidently she didn't just mean something to him. Harleen had weaseled her way into the black hearts of three other ruthless criminals.

Leaning back he placed his hands on the table. It was to keep the shaking to a minimum. His hands had a way of trembling when he was gearing up to fly into a rage.

"You know what?"

Oh he knew what they thought they knew. But there was no way he was going to let them get off without saying it. Harley had to live it so why should they get away without acknowledging it. She deserved for them to realize how strong she was.

"About Mario and Jimmy." Edward answered.

There was a flash of something in Riddles eyes that the Joker couldn't place. Sympathy or empathy.

He moved to the seat next to Riddles. "And what would you know of it?"

"Evelyn." Pam hissed in the Joker's direction.

The Joker rocked back in his seat. He had heard all about the girl who's suicide had pushed Riddles over the edge. So they have been doing this to women longer than the Joker thought. Well, now they were all going to pay.

He ran a hand through his hair and it stuck up at odd angles. "I see."

That was as close to I'm sorry as the Joker had ever come. Feelings were not something he did. Only Jason had all those feels about every fucking thing under the sun.

He clapped Edward on the back. "Looks like we have something in common after all."

Ozzie leaned forward, "We all want blood for what has been done to the doc."

A wide smile lit his face, "So what are we going to do about what they did to my doll?"

They knew that look. It meant that the Joker already had a plan. All he needed were a few others to go along with it.

Pam whistled at the sight, "You got a plan Pennywise?"

"Oh yeah, I got a plan."