Harley

Adios Harleen!

The next day at Arkham was a lot more lively, the hallways bustled with guards and doctors alike. My return to the break room was ill-received.

"Did you see his face?" I heard them whisper amongst each other.

I put my coat away and as I tried to listen they spoke even quieter. From what I gathered Mavis was back and he was making serious changes. I didn't really care honestly, I left the break room immediately to see my sweet lil puddin'

As I entered the interview room, Joker didn't turn as he usually did to greet me. I went around the table and a gasp lept out of my throat.

His face was full of cuts, his nose was bloodied, and there were bruises.

"Joker, who did this to you?" I dug around in my white lab coats pockets to pull out a handkerchief and started to wipe the blood away.

He winced slightly under my touch, I took a step back to look at his face once more. He was practically fuming, his brows were furrowed and his finger grazed over his bottom lip.

"Have you seen him?" he asked.

I had no idea who he was talking about so I shook my head. He let out a small laugh before he gestured for me to sit down.

"Mavis, have you seen him?" he asked once again.

I had heard he came back but I hadn't had the luck of seeing him face to face. I came straight to the interview room to see Joker.

"No." I replied, Jokers' usual carefree, child-like demeanor was not present. The man in front of me was serious, deadly, and calculated.

  I reached over to unhandcuff him but he pulled back and discreetly pointed over to the door.

"They're watching." he said.

I was beyond confused, I had never seen the man in such a mood.

"What's wr-

"Doctor Mavis' face is all bruised up and bloody. He has a broken arm and he limping when he walks." Joker said as he raised his eyebrow at me.

"Okay? I don't care." I started to say before everything started to click.

Jokers face exploded into a grin as he watched me come to this disgusting realization.

"Someone let the bat out of the bag." his voice was low and almost eerie.

"He did this to you?" I asked as I stood from my chair.

Joker shrugged "It happens so often I forget, although I do remember him sitting at his desk while the guards had at it. You really did a number on him so he wanted to get even."

He gestured towards his face and the various bruises scattered among his arms.

"They're going to kill me Harleen but I'm sure he's dying to see you." he said nonchalantly.

I busted through the white door and practically sprinted down the hall to Mavis' office. I didn't bother to knock, no, I just barged right on in.

He sat at his desk with two guards at each corner like he was expecting me. When he saw my face there was fear and he was damn right to be scared

His face was disgusting, with medical tape and stitches practically everywhere. The veins in his face had popped and both of his eyes were black and puffy.

"Harleen Quinzel so nice of you to stop by." he said with slurred speech.

As I walked closer his guards stopped me and warned me that if I stepped any closer they had every right to use deadly force.

"What the hell is this all about? What did you do to my patient?" I demanded answers from the creep.

"Patient? Oh no Harleen, I'm sure he's more than that." he said as he pulled out a small notepad.

My notepad from sessions with Joker.

"He's not crazy, in fact, he makes perfect sense." he mocked me and my accent.

"Shall I go on? With the research you've provided you've given me ample evidence to sentence your little lover boy to death for the crimes he committed against Gotham and her people." he grimaced with some of his teeth missing and replaced with metal.

"I swear to god if you do anything of the sort I'll do worse than hit you with a bat." I spat and his guards stepped forward to protect the creep.

Mavis rolled back in his chair as to distance himself from me.

"And also Harleen, you're fired, effective immediately. You'll lose everything once they found out you fell in love with a psycho." he said before he waved his hand and looked back down at his notes.

His guards both a lot larger than me picked me up by my arms and tossed me out of his office.

That's when I felt it, on that cold white pristine floor. That feeling I got when I swung my bat or when I watched my grandfather take his last breath.

The beautiful swell of the orchestra was reduced to sour notes, awful and everywhere. The strings of the harp sounded like they had been snapped, the violin was smashed into pieces.

It's always the little girl that men like this take the dreams away from. The little girl who wanted to be a princess was reduced to becoming a warrior because all she wanted was a little protection and respect.

It was always the little girl and little boys that no one cared about in this city. Not even the literal ones, the ones that lived inside all of us adults.

The neglect.

I was so fucking tired of the neglect.

I gathered myself and went to the security office.

"Hi Gary, could you make me a new card mine had gone to hell." I asked Gary to blush a little before he greeted me. He always had a crush on me but would talk shit when I denied his advances.

I told him I was late for the subway and he picked up the pace. Poor guy had no clue what was about to happen to Arkham.

Once I received my new key card I left the building with all of my stuff in a small brown box. This wouldn't be the last time I saw the walls of Arkham Asylum.

It wouldn't be the last time I saw Mavis either.