The Gotham Queen

Chapter 35

I'm on cloud nine as I walk out of his temporary cell and wait for him. I'm so lost in my bliss that I don't hear the footsteps behind me until it's too late. I'm shoved to the floor as I hear a door slam closed behind me.

Standing up to my feet quickly, I turn around to come face to face with my father. He looks so angry that I'm pretty sure he's going to make it me or him because he really looks like he wants to kill me. I can hear Joker banging on the metal door as he yells my name, which causes Ivy and, surprisingly, Riddler to shout my name, too.

"What do you think you are doing, Harleen?! Isn't ruining my life and job not enough for you?! No! You have to go and be a disgrace by fucking the stupid clown, too!!" My father yells at me and I chuckle as I shake my head.

"You know what, dad? It's Harley Fucking Quinn!! I took the abuse over and over for years! The more I took it, the more I broke, and the more I broke, the more I lost my mind!! I'm over being afraid of you, and I'm done with letting you control my life!!" I shout at my dad, and my father lunges at me. I dodge him and take off down the hall.

My father gives chase, and I kick my shoes away so I can run faster. I run right past Riddler, then Ivy as I try to keep ahead of my father. I need a game plan because I can't take my father on in a physical fight. I need an advantage of some kind, but I have no idea where to start looking for that.

I manage to make it all the way around the second floor as I make it back to Joker's cell. I haven't figured out how I'm going to deal with my father, and I rack my brain to try and figure it out. I go to run past Joker again, but my father grabs my arm.

I turn and punch him as hard as I can, but it doesn't faze him at all. He throws me to the ground, and I yelp as I hit my head off the floor. He quickly grabs me by the hair and yanks me back off the floor, and I bite my tongue hard to keep from crying out.

"Go fuck a duck, asshole." I snap at him, spitting in his face. I will not cower from him ever again, and I'll die standing up to him. He slowly wipes his face off, before sneering at me. He drags me over to the stairs next to the cell Joker is in and throws me down them.

I groan as I land at the bottom of the stairs, my head bleeding as I try to clear my vision. I had hit my head at least four times on the way down, and that hurt like a bitch. My legs and arms hurt, and my ribs feel sore. I use the railing to help myself stand, and I look up at my father with a smile on my face.

"Wow, dad. Great way to show that you really love your daughter, right? Just throw her down the fucking stairs!!" I scream up at him before laughing. "You know what? You should get the 'Best Father in the World' trophy." I tell him sarcastically before laughing more. I laugh at my own joke as my father sneers down at me. I think I have a concussion, but I'm not too worried about it as I laugh at my own sick joke.

When my dad gets close enough to me, I cartwheel backwards and kick him in the face. He stumbles back just enough for me to run up the stairs, ignoring the pain in my body. If only I had a bat, or a knife, or even a pen, I could take him down. I just need something.

When I make it to the top, my father chasing behind me, I turn the corner. I take one step before my father pistol whips me in the back of the head, and I stumble to the side as I catch myself on the door to Joker's cell. He's managed to get the little slot in the door open, and he's yelling at my father through it.

Joker's yelling at my father to use the gun on him as I look up to see the barrel pointed at me. I'm not even fazed by it as I stand up, leaning against the wall until my heads clear. I stare down my father and his gun and chuckle a little.

"Do it!" I shout as I walk to the center of the hall and spin in place, my arms open wide. "I'm standing right here!! So, do it!" I burst out laughing as I spin in circles, finally losing whatever sanity I have left. Though they can't see what's happening, I'm sure Ivy and Riddler can piece the puzzle together from Joker's yelling and my taunting. I'm surprised no one's come to check out what all the noise is.