The Flightless

Harley Quinn

"Where will you go now?"

"I miss my family," I say. "I need to catch up with them. Thanks for your help."

I part him with an embrace.

A small child answers the door I knock on, but not mine. No, this girl is about five years younger than my daughter.

Her mother calls from the kitchen. "Who is it, Zoe?"

"Tell her it's the Cardinal."

"Cardinal?" Susie runs into my arms. "Oh my god. They said you died! That's what they were supposed to say, anyways. I can't believe you're here."

"I have to catch up with my daughter, but I wanted to give you this." I hand her the device from Wayne Enterprises. "Can you make sure Floyd gets this? This thing can remove the bomb from his head."

"Oh," she says. "We're divorced, Sara. He only comes around to pick up Zoe, but I'll see what I can do."

Last I saw them, they were so in love. Lawton would've done anything to make it work with the love of his life. Sorrow reintroduces itself to me.

"Why?"

"I just couldn't do it anymore," Susie confesses. "I couldn't stand by while he— while he did bad things for a living."

I understand that thought process very well. How many hours did I toil over Oswald's criminal life? Unlike Susie, I gave into my dark desires and joined in with him.

"I'm sorry, Susie. I'll come and visit, okay? We can have play dates."

"Sure, Sara. I'd like that. Nice outfit, by the way."

I find myself in bittersweet excitement as I approach my brother's apartment door. My knock raps softly on the wood. My heart and stomach flutter in my body. Will any of my family be happy to see me? Will Dinah be happy to see me?

Barbara Kean answers the door with a gun in her hand.

I raise my arms in innocence. "Barbara?"

"Sara?" She weeps, visibly shaken. "Sara!"

Lee comes to the door, too. "You're back. I knew you'd make it."

I nod, feeling my own tears spewing over my eyes. "I did. I'm here to stay."

The two women— my sisters wrap me in their arms. The three of us cry together, but for many different reasons, I'll come to learn.

"Come in, please. Let me get Dinah. Dinah, baby! I've got a surprise for you."

Lee squeezes my hand as my child, my eleven-year-old child walks out from the hallway. She's dressed in penguin pajamas. Her pitch-black hair is neatly braided down her shoulders. Her hazel eyes grow wide upon seeing me, as does her smile.

"Mom?"

What sweet sound. What blessed day. I'm brought to tears once more. My daughter runs straight into my arms. I sweep her up in my embrace, planting multiple kisses on her head and face.

"I missed you. Oh, how I've missed you! I'm so sorry I left you, sweetheart. I promise I will never do it again. I'm so sorry."

My sweet child wipes the tears from my cheek. "It's okay, Mom. Lee and Auntie Barb told me you were a hero. I have all of your news stories recorded! I'll show you. I keep them by my bedside. Baba—

"That's Barbara Lee," Lee clarifies.

"Baba and I watch them every single day. When I grow up, I'm going to be a hero, just like you!"