Chapter Text
The trip to Parris island was not nearly as difficult as their trip from Arkham to Gotham, though the cold was just as bad. Harley sat in the middle, huddled in her coat, her arms wrapped tightly around herself while facing Joker, who was rowing; Crane sat in the rear rowing as well. Large flakes of snow drifted down through the night sky to touch the water where they vanished almost instantly. The only sound was the icy breeze, the faint lapping noise of the paddles in the water, and water moving against the boat as they moved. Harley tried to avoid thinking about all that dark, deep, frigid water that was just beneath her.
Joker smiled at Harley while he rowed, making the maneuver look, easy but Harley knew that rowing took a lot of upper body strength. He tilted his head, gazing at her with a lopsided grin.
“We’ll be there soon pumpkin…”
Harley knew she looked and sounded grumpy, but the cold was getting to her. “Probably won’t be any warmer since the hospital is a decaying corpse and there’s no electricity,” she said, sounding grumpier than she intended, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Maybe it was her nerves and a little fear mixed with the fact she was hungry and the effects of the joint were wearing off–all of which was making her feel a little waspish.
“How about we grab some Chinese takeout on the way back, and when we get home, I’ll make you a hot bubble bath and wash your hair?” Joker said as he rowed. “Give you a good head massage…”
“That…that sounds nice,” she said and gave him a small smile.
“Good.” Joker grinned, happy to see her smile–if only just a little.
From the back of the boat, Crane hissed, “We’re here.”
Joker turned to look over his shoulder. He twisted and leaned a little to the side which gave Harley a view of the upcoming island. She could make out the dark, spooky forms of trees through the hazy snowfall, a forest full of shadows, full of death and fear…
Harley shivered, and this time, it was not from the cold.
*
Parris island was a small island just off the coast from Gotham City. Before the hospital was built on the island, the place had been covered in a thick forest, a forest owned only by the animals that dwelt there…that was until the hospital was built on it in 1852. There apparently had always been stories about the island, about monsters and undead spirits that roamed the woods, starting with the native Indian populations of the area. Those stories were later adopted by Gotham’s early Dutch–and later British–settlers, with each group adding onto the stories with their own folklore and tales.
Joker and Crane brought their boat to the island’s shore. Joker jumped out the moment the boat hit the dirt and sand, helping to pull the boat more firmly onto the shore. The island’s forest was dark, the shadows deep, the only illumination the ambient light coming from the docks and the city. Nature had reclaimed the island once the hospital shut down and people moved on. Harley thought she remembered reading an article at some point while she was in college about an incident regarding the island, sometime around 1964 (she also vaguely remembered seeing something about the incident on the television news when she was younger), that involved some hippies who had called themselves the Children of Melody Makers, or something like that. The group had tried to take over the island with the claim they were going to turn it into a commune. If she remembered correctly, there had been a stand-off between the city police and the hippies that started to get heated after a police officer was hurt. Batman had stepped in and diffused the situation before it escalated further.
After the incident with the Melody Makers, the island had been labeled off limits to anyone by the city…supposedly. As with anything that was off limits, for a while that made the island that much more of a target for teenagers, criminals, and anyone else willing to take a boat out onto the water, but as the years went by the thrill faded until nowadays the island was mostly deserted.
After the three of them had exited the boat, Crane and Joker pulled it up on the shore. Joker nodded, though whether in satisfaction at the position of the boat or because they were finished rowing for a while, Harley didn’t know. Either way, he winked at her and pulled a flashlight from inside his coat.
“Stay close–wouldn’t want any of the local spooks to grab ya.” Joker chuckled and held the flashlight up under his chin as he flicked the light on, his eyes wide. The eerie light from the flashlight had a weird effect on Joker’s face; his bright blue eyes and ghost white skin were made all the more unsettling by the flashlight’s glow.
Harley giggled while Crane gave Joker an amused shake of his head.
Not waiting for a verbal answer, Joker winked again at Harley as he took her hand and led both her and Crane into the snow covered forest.
*
It wasn’t long before Harley realized that their little trio of misbegotten adventurers were following a thin, barely discernible trail through the forest. It was made all the less visible by the thick falling flakes of snow and the heavy undergrowth. The trees, bushes, and tangled vegetation had caught most of the snow, leaving the trail relatively clear of debris. The snow not nearly as deep as Harley thought it should be. Luckily their small group had Joker’s flashlight (the weak light was better than no light, Harley concluded) and it was clear Joker knew where he was going. That made what could have been a difficult trek into the heart of the abandoned island a fairly easy hike.
It wasn’t long before they saw the ruins of a brick building. The building loomed out of the darkness as the trio came closer, reminding Harley of giant corpse resting in its forest graveyard, slowly being worn away by the ravages of time and weather. Harley noted the flakes of snow slowly drifting down, the light making them look like pieces of glitter. The flashlight illuminated the moss, vines, and snow covered bricks of the building that was slowly being reclaimed by the island.
Shining his flashlight over what looked to be the back of the building, Joker slowly moved his light upward to show the remains of a large, round window. As Joker moved the beam of light across the gaping hole, Harley saw hints of a stained glass window that had been shattered at some point. The only thing that remained of the window were the shards of colorful glass sticking out through the collected snow, still embedded in the circular window frame.
“This looks like a church,” Harley commented as she followed Joker’s flashlight beam.
“It is. I believe it was the Elliot family who paid for the hospital’s construction–thus its original name: the Elliot Hospital. They were or are, devout Catholics, not too sure of the religious leanings of the heir to the Elliot fortune,” Joker said softly as he kicked some snow that had collected in an odd little pile, out of the way. “They pumped a lot of money into the Gotham archdiocese and got their name on all sorts of shit! They paid for all the renovations on the Gotham cathedral, as well as all churches throughout the city. They also have their name slapped on hospital wings, gardens, giant fucking crosses, basically displaying their wealth all over Gotham.” Joker chuckled. “They make the Wayne family look like amateurs…Anyway the hospital…when the hospital was built, it was mostly staffed by good old Catholics…”
Joker snickered as the three of them moved to the left and walked around the corner of the building. “I like Catholics, all the rituals and demons–fun stuff! The church here is just one of the side buildings, but we’re headed to the main body of the hospital. If I remember right, there’s the church, and four, maybe five other buildings not including the main body of the hospital. Hell, they even had their own insane asylum on this island for a while, put a real cramp on Arkham’s business, must have driven Daddy Arkham looney! ”
Harley looked impressed by Joker’s knowledge of the place. “You know a lot about this place…”
Joker stopped, almost freezing mid-step, and his hand holding hers went slack. With worry creasing her brow, Harley looked over at him, only to see that his eyes were a little wide, unfocused and with a look of confusion. The confused expression was followed by what she could only describe as a cloud descending over his blue eyes, causing them to have a glazed look that frightened her.
It was clear Joker was seeing something neither she nor Crane could see, and he was scaring her with each beat of her heart.
Crane frowned, coming up beside Harley. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know…” she murmured without glancing at Crane. “Puddin?”
Stepping a little closer, Crane stared into Joker’s eyes. “He’s having an episode…has this happened before?”
She shook her head. “No…I don’t…” Her words dropped off as she bit her bottom lip. “Puddin…”
Joker didn't say anything, nor did he move for several seconds. It wasn’t until Harley reached out and caressed his jaw and chin that he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he’d fallen into.
She glanced at Crane, but he looked just as bewildered as she did.
Continuing to stroke his cheek, Harley looked with concern into Joker’s eyes. “Puddin?”
Blinking, the cloud that had seemed to cover Joker’s eyes began to fade, his gaze clearing. His intense blue eyes suddenly focused on her as if he’d only just noticed she was there.
“You know sweets, you’re right, it's weird. Must have read about it somewhere…” He grinned at her, only to suddenly grasp her face gently with both hands. As he held her face in his hands, Harley could feel the heat from his touch through his gloves as he gazed into her eyes, but before she could say anything, he kissed her.
It was a slow, burning, intense kiss full of promises and reminders of the things they shared, a kiss that communicated more clearly than words how he felt about her. His lips were warm and soft, his tongue just as warm and soft…Harley whimpered, melting into the kiss, her hands coming up to grasp Joker’s wrists as warmth seemed to ooze through her blood, tantalizing and burning her at the same time.
When it didn’t appear that they were going to stop kissing anytime soon, Crane cleared his throat. “If you two are done, it is cold out here.”
Joker pulled away from Harley’s mouth with clear reluctance, catching her with his teeth, followed by another quick kiss, and then stepped back. Harley felt a little dazed as Joker took her hand again. “Come on,” he said cheerfully, turning back to follow the path they were on.
Harley wanted to say something more about what had just happened, but decided against it. Maybe later when they were alone, but right now she was too warmed and rattled by the intensity of his kiss to think clearly.
“Are you sure they’re here?” Crane asked as he looked around, his flashlight illuminating what looked like headstones on the left, scattered and broken among the trees and snow. The place looked sad, lonely, and isolated, Harley thought with a frown. What a horrible place to be buried, where no one would ever visit your grave.
Harley felt Joker tense when Crane questioned him about his gang, his hand tightening around hers. When he’d learned what had happened to his gang after Batman had brought him to Arkham, he’d been angry–very angry, almost going into a rage. But that anger had come and gone in seconds. It was frightening. He’d made contact with someone via a payphone, and had said nothing else about the conversation (he hadn’t even told Harley who he’d spoken with), until after they had settled in at the card factory. The only thing he’d said was that he’d spoken to Ecco. He’d made another phone call a few days later from a payphone nearby, and had returned to tell Harley and Crane about the meeting.
“I know Gabby will be there–he’s been with me since the very beginning–and his girl Duela…” Joker moved a dangling tree branch out of the way for Harley, shaking the snow off it first before handing it off to Crane. Harley waited a few steps ahead for Joker, who took her hand again.
“Ecco’s loyal,” Joker murmured, moving his hand from holding hers to weaving his fingers with Harley’s fingers; it was a simple but tender gesture. They continued to move cautiously along the side of the church. “She’s always been loyal. Should have put her in charge while I was gone…”
At the mention of Ecco’s name again, Harley felt a spike of jealousy, a hot, ugly stab in her chest. She remembered Joker mentioning Ecco before, back at Arkham, and she’d felt that same stab of jealousy at the time, but this felt far more intense, more violent. If someone had asked her if she was a jealous person, Harley would have said no. She was a woman of science, a woman who studied the brain and how it worked! Hell, she was a doctor, she had a god damn MD! Harleen Quinzel was someone who had fought her way through the glass ceiling of psychiatry, but clearly she didn’t know herself as well as she thought. Maybe it was simply because she had never been in love with anyone before…the intensity of her love for Joker felt almost like a disease, like a form of insanity. Her love felt all consuming and her jealousy felt…violent, it was the only word she could think of…
She really should be bothered more by that aspect of herself than she was…Harley frowned, but let the thought go…for now. She might revisit later…
“After that, I’m not sure….” Joker’s tone became low and menacing with anger. “Ecco told me that Clive…one of my most reliable clowns, the one I felt confident leaving in charge…immediately took over. He slaughtered anyone loyal to me that he could get a hold of, took my gang and my territory while I was having my rest in Arkham.” Joker snarled. “And then…AND THEN…” Joker’s voice rose a little, his hand tightening around hers. “...he aligned himself with the Dimitrov Crime family…”
Once again Harley felt a stab of jealousy that Joker had been in contact with Ecco. She hadn’t even met the woman yet, but she hated her wholly because Joker seemed to rely on her, to count on her…
Trying to let go of her jealousy, Harley glanced behind her at Crane to see if he recognized the name Dimitrov, but Crane only shrugged, his expression clearly showing he had no idea who the Dimitrov family was either. She knew the names of Falcone and Maroni. Anyone who lived in Gotham knew those two names, just like everyone knew the names of the Wayne and Elliot families. The Falcone and Maroni families were wealthy, and like the Waynes and Elliots, they gave large donations, funded all sorts of charities, and were involved in Gotham politics, but it was also an open secret that Falcone and Maroni were mobsters. They were mobsters who dealt in drugs, guns, and some said human trafficking. The heads of the two families, plus numerous members of both families had ended up in court too many times to count, but no member of the Falcone or Maroni families had ever been put in jail. Another open secret was that the mob had the DA and the mayor in the palm of their hands.
Harley assumed there must also be several other small crime families in Gotham; it only made sense. She’d heard of one or two of those on the news, like when the Neon Dragons Triad and the Sullivans had a gang war, but she’d never heard the name Dimitrov.
Joker muttered, mostly to himself as he led them around the church, coming out into an open, snow-covered courtyard, or what had once been a courtyard. Though most of the courtyard was covered in snow, the trees were visible, their branches laden with snow, and there were hints of what lay beneath, the occasional vine, the top of a bush, and Harley thought she saw a broken statue.
She wondered what this place must have looked like all those years ago.
From where they stood next to the church, Harley could see the other buildings, all Victorian Gothic, but the hospital was easy to pick out and not just because of its size.
Elliot Hospital, or known to most by its nickname, the Yellow Hospital, was a perfect example of Victorian Gothic.
The hospital appeared to be made up of five sections, two wings on each side, the corners rounded off by circular towers with wickedly pointed roofs. The entrance looked like a tower that had thrust its way free of the snow. Harley shivered and not from the cold. The Yellow Hospital gave off a sinister chill, reminding Harley of a haunted house, a place full of secrets, insanity, and dripping with death. She had no doubt about that heinous things had happened in this place…
“Let’s go, but move carefully. Who knows what’s under the snow,” Joker said as he began to lead the way.
Unlike the path they had followed here, the snow was deeper in this area. Joker and Crane had no problem–both men were tall with long legs–but Harley was having difficulty, the snow nearly to her knees. They had only gone a few steps when Joker suddenly pulled Harley close and surprised her by lifting her off her feet.
“Hey!” Harley yelped in surprise.
Grinning, Joker kissed the tip of her nose. “This’ll be faster–and easier on you.”
Instead of protesting, Harley wrapped her arms around his shoulders with a smile.
*
When they arrived at the front entrance to the hospital, where it looked as if snow had been cleared away, all three of them could see a dim light coming from inside the building. Joker gently set Harley back on her feet and reached into his coat to draw out his gun. Taking his cue from Joker, Crane pulled out his gun as well (the professor had surprised them both when he told them he knew how to shoot). Harley didn’t have a gun, not yet, but she and Joker had talked about him teaching her how to shoot. However, she wasn’t unarmed. Instead of a gun, Harley pulled out a knife, a stiletto switchblade that Joker had given her.
Grinning at them both, Joker gave a silent nod and reached for the door.
*
Despite its age and decay, the door opened silently.
Holding the heavy door open with his hip, Joker stepped partway inside, his gun in one hand, flashlight in the other. He shone his light inside for a moment, then leaned out to glance at Harley and Crane..
“You both wait here.”
Harley started to protest, but Joker leaned over and gave her a quick kiss surprising her into silence.
“I don’t know who’s here or how many. I didn’t tell Ecco about either of you so I don’t want them shooting first then asking questions. Just wait here. I’ll be back–promise,” he murmured gently.
Harley took a deep breath and sighed, nodding her head. “Okay.”
“That’s my girl.” Joker grinned. “Back in a jiffy,” he said with enthusiasm just before he disappeared inside.
Crane stopped the door from slamming shut, bringing it to a slow and soft close.
*
“May I ask you a question?” Crane asked after a minute had passed.
“Ah, sure…” Harley had her arms wrapped around herself, the cold beginning to seep in since they weren’t moving now. She brought her hands to her face, blowing warm air into her hands to warm her face, but to no avail.
“What made you fall in love with him?” Crane, who seemed unaffected by the cold, much like Joker, didn’t ask the question in a flippant way. Rather, his tone indicated that he genuinely wanted to know the answer.
“I don’t know.” Harley frowned in thought and then shrugged. “Just one minute I was his doctor, the next thing I knew I was in love with him.” Her cheeks colored faintly. “He’s charming, smart…funny…and…I don’t know, he saw me…if that makes sense?” It didn’t make sense to her, but at the same time it did make sense.
“I do not mean this in any way to be derogatory, but do you believe he loves you too?” Crane tilted his head slightly.
“Yes,” Harley said immediately.
“No doubt at all that he is using you?” the slender doctor asked.
Harley smiled and shook her head. “No doubt at all.”
“Interesting.” Crane’s brow knitted as he pondered what he had been told.
“Do you think he’s using me?” she asked, genuinely curious about the other psychiatrist’s answer.
“Oddly, no, I don’t,” Crane said with a soft smile as he reached up and pushed his glasses up his nose, which prompted Harley to do the same. “The way he looks at you when you are not looking at him, the way he treats you, speaks to you…it is clear the man cares for you. It’s strange, I admit. I’ve never worked with Joker personally, but I have worked at Arkham long enough to have been there a handful of times when Joker was brought in. In my opinion, Joker is incapable of deeper, more meaningful feelings and connections with people. The man’s mind is chaotic, he sees life as a game. But with you, he has…” Frowning, Crane paused searching for the correct word, but did not find it. “He hasn’t exactly changed, but he is different where you are concerned. I must revise my previous assessment of him, as I believe he loves you as he claims.”
Harley smiled, her blush making her cheeks more rosy than the cold. “Thank you.”
Crane still looked confused, but before he could make any sort of response, the door opened and Joker stuck his head out.
“Come on kiddos, the party’s in here!”
*
Holding Harley’s hand, Joker led her and Crane down a dark hall. In the reception area, parts of the roof were missing, allowing snow inside the building, gathering in strangely shaped piles. Snowflakes drifted through the holes, the moon’s light making them sparkle as they drifted down to the disused floor. Joker guided them down a dark hall where there were a few items littered along the sides, a rusted gurney, a couple of chairs without seats, and a creepy old wooden wheelchair. Harley could easily see a place like this being haunted, if she believed in such things.
Several doors lined both sides of the dark hall, most of which were closed. Those that were open showed offices with abandoned desks, chairs, and file cabinets. Harley assumed most of the hospital patient rooms were upstairs. Joker quickly moved past these rooms without a second look. He led them into what must have been a rec room when the hospital had been in business, or maybe a lounge for visitors? It was a large open room and the walls looked to have once been white, with several walls holding damaged pictures still in their frames, even a few posters that were now only damp shreds of paper clinging to the wall. The remains of several pieces of furniture were scattered around the room; chairs, couches, coffee tables, side tables, all left to rot. In the center of the room were a couple of large metal drums, each with a fire burning inside providing heat and light. Surrounding the drums, drinking beer and chatting were nine extravagantly dressed people.
Harley’s heart was beating fast as she looked over the small group who turned to stare at them. These were the people who were loyal to Joker, part of his gang. There were three women and six men, Harley counted as her eyes wandered over them and wondering which was one Ecco. The three women were different levels of attractive, a cute blonde who could have been Cheryl Ladd’s sister, an exotic brunette, and a redhead who looked like a rocker.
Harley had just stepped closer to Joker when a slender woman, a head taller than Harley and with feathered dark blonde hair, wearing snug bell bottoms jeans, orange vinyl boots, and a large orange fur coat, rushed over and grabbed Harley, practically yanking her out of Joker’s hands and into an embrace.
“You must be Harley!!!” the young woman squealed as she hugged Harley tight enough she was sure one of her ribs was going to pop. “Mister J told me all about you! I’m Ecco!” Ecco giggled, shoving Harley back and held her at arm's length, her hands on her shoulders, speaking a mile a minute. “Oh wow, he said you were gorgeous, but he really under sold you! You're beautiful and you're a doctor?! Just so cool! I’ve been telling him for ages he needs a girlfriend, but does he listen to me? No.” Ecco rolled her eyes. “Though an insane asylum does seem the perfect place for him to meet the perfect girl…” She giggled again and winked at Harley who looked slightly stunned. Her jealousy had felt like a knife to the heart when she realized this gorgeous woman was Ecco, but now her jealousy faded–just a little–with Ecco’s enthusiastic greeting making her feel angry, confused, and awful about herself all at the same time.
Joker chuckled, looking pleased with himself as Ecco released Harley and turned her attention to greeting Crane in the same way she’d greeted Harley.
While Ecco was busy with Crane, Joker took Harley’s hand again and led her over to the others. Two of his people were glaring at her as Joker walked over. One was a short man with a large, reddish nose, and candy apple red Little Lord Fauntleroy haircut. He was dressed in brown corduroy pants, a checkered jacket, and what looked like a dark green captain’s cap. Next to him was one of the three women, this one being the rocker. She was a tall woman with narrow, almost pinched features. She was dressed in a purple fur jacket (Ecco’s had only come down to her waist, but this woman’s fur coat reached her knees), a pair of green and purple plaid slacks, and silver, glitter-covered boots. Similar to the short man standing next to her, the narrow-featured woman had short orange-red hair. It took Harley a minute to figure out who the hair cut reminded her of… then it hit her. It was more of a rocker looking Tennille from the singing duo Captain and Tennille…and when Harley realized these two glaring goons reminded her of the duo Captain and Tennille, she wondered if they sang.
“Harley, this is Gabby and his girlfriend Duela.” Joker gestured toward the two who did not attempt any sort of greeting beyond a head nod.
“Those are the twins Rocco and Henshaw, the twins…” Joker gestured toward two large men, both with shaved heads and wearing black motorcycle jackets with clown patches on the breast, although those were the only characteristics they shared. One was a man with dark brown skin and almost black eyes while the other was white with bright green eyes. The two men waved at her with friendly smiles. Harley smiled back shyly, giving them a wave in return.
“Back there is Punchline…” Joker pointed to a tall young woman with dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She was dressed all in purple and green, colors that Harley knew were Joker’s favorites. She looked to be part Japanese with beautiful hazel eyes–and she did not look happy to meet Harley. The glare she gave Harley was accompanied by a sneer.
Joker paused in his introductions. His gaze narrowed slightly, which caused Punchline to look away. Harley felt Joker tense slightly, but in the next instant the tension was gone as he turned his attention to the last three people. “...and those three are Weasel, Panda, and Mr. Hammer.”
Weasel was a short, ginger-haired guy in a brown jacket, heavy black framed glasses, and a pair of the ugliest olive green pants Harley had ever seen. He was saddled with a face that her college roommate, Brenda Hughes’ big brother would have called “punchable.” That thought made Harley think of the character Ralph Malph from the show Happy Days. Brenda had pointed out one night while they were watching TV in the student lounge that the character of Ralph had a punchable face. Mr. Hammer, on the other hand, was a fairly decent looking guy. He looked like a cross between Lee Majors and Robert Urich while Panda was a dark-skinned man who reminded Harley of the actor Grady Demond Wilson, though this man had vitiligo.
Joker sighed and looked slightly annoyed. “This is it, huh? After all I did for those bozos…” Letting out another sigh Joker reached up to run his fingers through his hair. “Did anyone at least bring some food like I asked?”
“Oh yeah, sure thing Boss!” One of the twin who Harley thought might be Rocco–she wasn’t sure–but as the man turned, she saw that one of the clown patches on his jacket read ROCCO underneath.
Rocco grabbed a couple of bags that had been sitting on a table behind him with several other paper bags. The bags had the Burger Chef logo on them, one of the more popular burger joint chains in Gotham next to McDonald’s and Big Belly Burger. The other twin, Henshaw, grabbed a couple of the bags too and began helping his twin pass out food and drinks.
While the food was being passed out, Harley noticed Gabby waving off one of the sodas that Rocco started to hand him, instead pulling a silver flask out from inside his coat. Panda and Weasel started grabbing chairs and setting them around the two burning drums.
Joker grabbed a chair over for Harley, giving her a smile when he set it down for her. “My lady,” he murmured softly.
Harley’s cheeks reddened as she sat, her blush deepening when Joker brushed his lips against her cheek.
Neither one of them saw the looks of disgust on the faces of Gabby, Duela, or Punchline, all directed at Harley.
“Four cheeseburgers, six fries, two colas and one iced tea!” Rocco hurried over and handed the bags he grabbed to Joker who grinned. “Thank you Rocco, I’m starving!”
Gleefully, Joker pulled out cheeseburgers, handing one to Harley and another to Crane, along with fries and the sodas while he took the iced tea. Despite the cold, the food was still warm and smelled delicious. It had been a while since Harley had a good Burger Chef burger. Her stomach rumbled loudly in response to the fast food.
Ecco chucked as she dug her own burger out from one of the bags. “I feel the same way…I skipped lunch!” She smiled at Harley as she unwrapped her burger and took a huge bite, followed by a moan of pleasure. Harley couldn’t help herself; she wanted to hold on to her jealousy, but it was hard not to like Ecco.
Once everyone was seated with their food and eating, Ecco finished her burger and had started on her fries when she sighed.
“I’m sorry Boss, I feel like I let you down.”
“You didn’t let me down Ecco–Clive did,” Joker growled out the man’s name and then took a bite of his burger.
“I still feel responsible. I’m the one that was dating that sleazebag and brought him into the gang.”
Joker shrugged, taking a sip of his ice tea. “Well, you’re not.”
She nodded, accepting what Joker said, but it was clear from her expression Ecco still blamed herself. “Without you here we couldn’t stop Clive. I think that fucker was working against you the entire time.” Ecco took a breath and said more softly. “I think he was using me to get into the gang in the first place, now that I look back on our relationship. He was too prepared. It was only a couple hours after Batman got you that Clive started thinning out the gang. He set up an ambush for Moppet and his brothers, killing all of them. I’m not sure what happened to the others–Bluebird, Cullen, Vicki, and Dickie, they all just vanished, but we’re pretty sure they’re all dead…” Ecco looked at the others, all of whom looked grim. “He tried to kill us too, Boss…nearly killed Weasel and Panda…”
Mr. Hammer grinned. “Tried…”
Joker chuckled, winking at Mr. Hammer.
Punchline muttered, picking at her burger. “You forgot Stewie.”
“Sorry…yeah, they got Stewie,” Ecco said. “Clive got Cupcake and Sparrow too, hung ‘em off Brown Bridge as a warning. It was a fucking slaughter.”
Joker took a bite of his burger while he listened, but Harley could see the anger in his eyes even though he didn’t show it in any other fashion.
Mr. Hammer looked at everyone. “If it wasn’t for Ecco, he would have taken the rest of us out too.”
Ecco smiled with a slight coloring in her cheeks before she said softly, “Clive got the rest of the guys to his side by promising them a lot of money. He’s got them all thinking they’re gonna get paid big by aligning with the Dimitrov Crime family…the fools,” she muttered before taking a big bite out of her hamburger.
Panda took a sip of his drink and then he asked. “Did ya tell the Boss about the drugs?”
Ecco winced, but Joker looked between Ecco and Panda, his green brows raised up. “Drugs?”
“Clive found a stash of your laughing juice,” Ecco said softly. “He got that fuck Mark Mandrill to help, but they’ve been making all sorts of drugs and selling them on the streets. It’s gotten to the point that Clive’s being called the Candy Man on the streets.”
Joker’s eyes narrowed. His voice was calm, too calm as he repeated. “Candy Man, eh? I bet that little bitch is just loving that.” Joker shook his head and laughed as he took a bite out of his burger. Harley could tell there was no humor in his laugh.
Ecco frowned and was about to say something when Gabby suddenly spoke.
“Boss…should we be talking about this in front of them?” The big-nosed man gestured at Harley and Crane. “You really think it's a good idea to bring a couple of supposed Einsteins on? That one looks a bit young to be hanging out with us…”
The look he gave Crane was that of dislike and distrust, but the look he gave Harley as he gestured toward her bordered on hatred. Harley had expected that she wouldn’t be liked. She wasn't a criminal, they knew nothing about her, and being Joker’s girlfriend wasn’t enough, she understood that, but she was still shocked by the look of pure disgust that Gabby gave her, but then Duela muttered something even worse.
“Didn’t know you were into homely jailbait, Boss.”
Everyone’s head popped up, their eyes wide as silence fell heavily over the group, except for Joker who took a loud drink through his straw without looking up. Next to him, the color had drained from Harley’s face. She felt both anger and shock. She knew Joker had to be at least one, probably two decades older than her, but there was no official registered age for him. The only reason she thought he was older was simply he looked older than her–and he just felt older. Harley wasn’t sure if that made sense, even to her, but she just knew he was quite a bit older than her. There were also the dates and information from his files and recorded sessions with other doctors that dated back at least ten years, but ultimately there was no official age for the Joker. With these thoughts running through her head, Harley glanced at Joker, and for a moment wondered just how old he was. Not that his age or her age mattered, really. They were both adults and Harley knew what she wanted–she wanted Joker. Joker set his drink aside and casually ate a few fries. Everyone exchanged looks, but said nothing. Harley looked over at Duela who sneered at her.
When Joker spoke, everyone except Crane jumped.
“Duela, darling, I’m only going to say this one time, and one time only...” Joker’s voice was like warm honey, sweet, seductive. “...I will not be repeating myself.” Joker’s seductive voice became hard and sharp as a knife blade though he never changed the smooth and charming tone.
His gaze, which had been downcast, suddenly shot up to Duela’s and then to a startled Gabby. Joker’s blue eyes were sharp, deadly, and bright, a mix of madness and controlled rage.
“If you, or anyone else ever questions me about Crane or Harley being part of this gang, then you are going to wish Clive had gotten to you. And more importantly, if anyone ever questions my relationship with Harley…EVER…you will wish that the devil himself would come and fetch you to hell just to save you from me. Harley is my girl...end of discussion.”
Joker turned to Harley and reached out for her hand. She put her hand in his, smiling, her cheeks red as he brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles.
All of the gang members swallowed.
“Now, let’s continue our little discussion, shall we?” Joker smiled, blinking his eyes innocently. Nothing in his expression said he’d just threatened his remaining gang members.
Clearing her throat, Ecco began to fill in Joker about other recent events in Gotham’s underground. The moment Joker’s attention was on Ecco, Harley felt eyes on her. She turned slightly, trying not to be obvious about looking, only to be met by the hateful glares of three people–Gabby, Duela, and Punchline.
Harley looked away quickly, her blood turning to ice.
Great, she thought. Just like at Arkham, she already had enemies.