Jealousy

Chapter 4

"Well, this is very exciting news," said Dr. Bryan, smiling as the guards brought the Joker into his office. "Dr. Leland tells me you've managed to retrieve some of your memories of your life before your accident."

"Yeah, that's right, Doc," replied Joker, smiling. "But it's pretty heavy stuff. I hope it doesn't shock you too much – wouldn't wanna be responsible for breaking your mind or anything like that. Already done that once," he chuckled.

"I'm sure I'll be able to cope," he said. "You may leave us," he said, nodding at the guards.

"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Joker," he said, picking up his pencil.

"I remember this guy, friend of mine, maybe, I don't know. Anyway, he's got this doll, real pretty little thing, who just completely adores him, absolutely nuts about him. Would give him the stars and the moon if he asked for them, just to see him smile. And to tell the truth, this guy was pretty nuts about her too. Yeah, he didn't show it as much, and he'd be lying if he said the doll didn't annoy the hell outta him with her constant need for attention. But all the same...if she asked him for the stars and the moon, he'd try and get 'em for her. It might be a crazy thing to do, but he'd try anyway, y'know...people do crazy things when they're in love. Anyway, this doll goes to see a doctor pretty regularly – a shrink, because people think she's gotta be nuts to be so in love with a guy like that. People think it's crazy and wrong, just like they think all the things they can't understand are crazy and wrong, and they wanna stop it. But this guy ain't worried, 'cause he knows his doll loves only him. But the shrink and the world keep trying and trying to change her, and I guess even the strongest person can't hold out against that kinda pressure forever. Because finally it works. This guy discovers there's been some hanky-panky going on between his doll and the shrink. Well, I guess you could feel bad for him, being betrayed like that, but he ain't the kinda guy who sits around feeling sorry for himself. So what do you think he does, Doc?"

Dr. Bryan's face had grown white as Joker continued his story, the slow realization beginning to dawn on him and filling him with horror. "No...no...it's not...it's not like that at all," he whispered. "It's not what you think..."

"He finds the doll and the shrink and he goudges their eyes out with a pencil," muttered Joker. "And then he cuts their tongues out so they can't scream, and then he breaks their legs so they can't run away, and then he slowly peels the flesh from their bodies, Y'see, I might not have mentioned this guy was a homicidal lunatic," he said, rising from his chair. "Sorry, I guess that's kinda important to the story, isn't it? Silly me – I should know how to set up a joke by now."

"Joker, I promise you...nothing happened..."

"That's what Harley said," he growled. "You're both so annoyingly predictable – of course you wouldn't admit to it. Because you know what I do to people who betray me. You should have thought about that before you touched her, Doc. She's my property. The Joker's Harley Quinn. And did you really think you could get away with using my property? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"There's nothing to find out!" exclaimed Dr. Bryan. "I kissed her and..."

"I don't want details, thanks, Doc," interrupted Joker, grinning. "Hope you enjoyed it though. Hope you really think it's worth all this. And I'll tell you right now, I know Harley's a real feisty little minx in the bedroom, but she ain't gonna be worth all this."

He seized him around the throat, holding him down on the desk and grabbing the pencil from his hand. He brought it close to his face, smiling and murmuring, "Start with the right or left? Right or left? Hmm...tough decision. What do you think, Doc?"

"Joker, please..."

"Eenie, meenie, miney moe, which eye is the first to go?" murmured Joker, dancing the pencil between his eyes. "Right or left, I just don't know - this eye is the first to go!"

"Mr. J!" shrieked Harley, throwing open the door. She analyzed the scene in an instant and rushed over to him, trying to pull him away from Dr. Bryan. "No, Mr. J, stop! Let him go! He ain't done nothing! Let him..."

Joker struck her a blow across the face, knocking her to the ground. She looked up, stunned and winded, into his furious eyes. "You filthy little slut!" he hissed. "Don't you dare tell me what to do, you cheap little whore!"

Harley nodded, tears flowing down her face. "Yeah, I deserve that, Mr. J. I deserve the insults and the violence and everything. You wanna punish someone, you punish me. You wanna torture and mutilate someone, you torture and mutilate me. I deserve it. It's my fault, all of it. I lied to you, y'see."

He stared at her. "You...lied to me?" he repeated.

"Yeah. To you, to myself, to...everyone. See I always told you that I was your Harley girl, yours and yours alone, forever and ever. But I...I...I shouldn't have promised you forever. Nobody should ever do that – nobody can ever see that far ahead. And the truth is...the truth is...I...I...I ain't in love with you anymore, Mr. J."

Joker gaped at her. Then he turned back to Dr. Bryan. "What have you done to her, you bastard?!"

"It ain't him," murmured Harley. "I told you, he ain't got nothing to do with it. He ain't the first."

Joker whirled around. "What do you mean, he ain't the first?"

Harley gulped. "You caught me with him, but he wasn't the first man I betrayed you with. Dr. Bryan's completely innocent in all this. I seduced him, just like I did the others before him. I should have been up-front with you about it, I should have told you I didn't love you and that our relationship was over and that I wanted to end it but...I didn't want to hurt you. But now I have to, or you'll hurt people who don't deserve it. I do deserve it, Mr. J. I was weak. I was cowardly. I had a character, an act called Harley Quinn, and I had to keep it up. So I lied. I pretended to be your Harley girl, but I haven't been for a long time now. I'm finally brave enough to tell you the truth."

Joker stared at her. "You're lying," he breathed. "You're lying! Stop lying, Harley, or so help me I'll break every bone in your body!"

"I ain't lying, Mr. J," she breathed, gazing at him tenderly. "Not this time."

He was shaking in fury as he approached her. "You..." he gasped. "You..."

He hit her hard, knocking her to the ground again, and then began beating her. The commotion had alerted the guards, who rushed in and pulled Joker away from her. "Harley, I'll kill you, you lying little whore!" he screamed at her. "You hear me?! You're dead!"

Harley struggled to her feet, tears dripping down her face. "You ok, Johnny?" she whispered, turning to him.

He nodded. "Harley..."

"No, it was the only way," she interrupted. "If I told him the truth, he would have hurt you. Better that he only hates me. Better that I'm the only one to face his wrath. I'm used to it."

"Harley, you cannot sacrifice your happiness with him for me..." began Dr. Bryan.

She looked at him. "What was I supposed to do? Let him kill you? Couldn't be responsible for that, Johnny. Not the death of a nice guy like you."

"Harley..."

But she left the room without another word.