Obsessed with Harley

Chapter 01: No Choice

Scott Bardell was walking a patrol around the interior of the Gotham Fidelity Bank when the gunmen kicked open the door and started shooting. The majority of the bullets were aimed at the ceiling, more to intimidate and gain everyone's immediate attention rather than inflict harm.

His training and instincts made Scott consider reaching for the handgun holstered at his side, but when he realized there were fourteen men with automatic rifles rushing into the bank, he knew he'd never be able to take them all before they gunned him down. Fighting was not an option, so he did the only thing he could. Scott raised his hands and surrendered.

The gunmen coming into the bank wore all different styles of clothes and jackets, but one thing was common among them, aside from their high powered weapons, was the Halloween masks of clowns covering their faces. Scott had lived in Gotham long enough to know who gave orders to an army of clowns, the Joker.

"Greetings, everyone!" shouted a crazed voice from the front doors.

Scott looked and saw a tall and almost impossibly slender man marching into the bank. Wearing a purple suit with an oversized yellow flower attached to the lapel, the Joker's bright green hair, deathly pale skin, and vivid red lipstick made him garishly colorful. However, the machine gun he carried loosely in one hand made certain no one commented negatively about it.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal," the Joker announced. "In fact, I'll just take everything you have!"

The Joker burst out laughing, amused at own statement.

Scott had stopped paying attention to the clown as his entire focus instantly centered on the person skipping in behind the Joker. Her attitude was casual to the point of being playful, and it was only amplified by the bubble gum she was chewing. The slender woman was dressed in a skin tight jester outfit. The top of the outfit was red on the left with the opposing side black, but the pants were reversed in their color arrangement, creating a checkerboard split in her color scheme. The lower half of her blonde pigtails were dyed with one being red and the other black. Although her face was extremely pale, it seemed to be intensified by the black mask surrounding her icy blue eyes.

She moved among the gunmen with the lithe grace of a dancer. Coming up beside Joker, she placed her shoulder against his chest and melted up against him, a delighted smile on her face. She didn't seem concerned about the heist going on as all of her attention and affection was centered on the Joker.

Scott had heard the stories about the psychologist Harleen Quinzel, how she'd been manipulated by the Joker until she'd lost her grip on sanity. Renamed Harley Quinn, she'd taken to being the Joker's sidekick, and the two had been inseparable ever since, aside from when they were incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.

Scott wondered briefly why Harley even bothered wearing a mask since everyone, law enforcement and criminal alike, knew who she was behind it. He considered it might be simply because it went with the outfit, but he honestly didn't know.

Joker and Harley had been arrested less and less of late due to Batman's disappearance. The mysterious vigilante who'd previously fought crime in Gotham hadn't been seen in almost a year. Many theories existed as to what had happened to the masked hero, but whatever the reason, no one had seen him, and crime was getting steadily worse, which explained why Scott was currently staring down the barrel of a machine gun.

Having collected all the money in the bank, Joker and Harley headed for the exit, the goons trailing behind while keeping their guns on the people inside the bank.

"My deepest thanks for a pleasant and profitable visit," Joker said to everyone. He pulled a spherical device from his pocket. Pressing the button on the top, Joker rolled the device across the floor toward the feet of the civilians. "It's been a gas."