Joker, Jonny, Selina and Pam finally reached a spiral staircase, which they could only assume that Harley had taken. They where all deadly silent.
One word from Pam and the Joker would likely shoot her, Selina was still battling with her urge to call Batman, and Frost just wanted to get in, get Harley and get the hell out.
But naturally, the Joker had other plans. He held his gun firmly in his hand, indicating the rest of them to do the same.
J raced up the staircase, not stopping until he reached the top. And once he did, he got an odd feeling. The corridor in front of him was long, so long in fact that you couldn't see the end. The only source of light was the moon, which was streaking through long rectangular windows.
"Something ain't right." He said, looking around.
"No shit Sherlock." Pam retorted.
Joker shot her a glare. "Keep testing me Pammy, I dare you." She held up her hands as surrender and smirked.
"Err.. Boss, you should see this." Jonny caught a glimpse of something wooden, the long object had hints of blood all over it. He picked it up carefully. With the moonlight casting through the windows and projecting onto it, they could all clearly see what it was. A Baseball bat.
Joker snatched it from his hand and held it up to the light, fresh blood ran down form the top of the bat to the base. The thick red liquid ran onto his hand.
He didn't even flinch.
Selina walked over and gently tried to take the bat from him, his eyes had that unpredictable spark that she'd seen so many times before. She wanted it out of his reach just in case he flipped out. But he had a iron grip on it.
Selina sighed and reached out again. "Joker, it's Harley's bat, not her blood."
"She's right boss, I saw the bodies downstairs." Frost said shuddering at the mental image.
Joker laughed darkly. "My resourceful little Harlequin."
"She wouldn't of left it voluntarily, she has a sick attachment to the damn thing." Selina retorted.
"Yeah, she has sick attachments to most things." Pam said, narrowing her eyes at the Joker.
He winked at Pam. "Oh she's sick alright, especially in the bedro-"
Pam pulled out the knife she had concealed inside her out fit. "One more word and I'll cut your tongue out. I swear it."
Joker laughed. But he stopped when he's eyes caught a glistening moonlit puddle on the floor, close to where Jonny found the bat. He crouched down to his knees and dabbed his index finger in the shallow liquid.
"What is it boss?" Frost asked, getting down to his level.
"Not sure.." Joker placed his finger in his mouth and shuddered. "Fuck! That's disgusting!" He said, trying to scrape the taste off his tongue using his grill. "Why do I keep putting things in my mouth today."
Joker heard Pam and Selina snigger. He glared at them, realising how his words must of sounded to such immature minds. "Don't you even dare." He warned.
Ivy swallowed her laughter and walked over to him, she dipped her finger in the small pool of transparent liquid. "Move out the way clown, I have more experience in this field." She sniffed it before rubbing her finger over her gums. She couldn't deny that the taste sent a cold shiver down her spine.
"Chloroform." She said, turning towards the Joker.
————————————————————
Harley's eyes slowly blinked open. She head a killer headache and her vision was still blurry from her involuntary sleep. While her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she soon realised that she was laying on her back.
Harley attempted to bring her right hand up to rub her eyes, but as she went to move her hand, she heard the distinctive sound of chains clinking against the metal slab which she was now apparently laying on.
Panic set in immediately. She raised her head looked at her right hand. Her wrist was shackled by rusty iron cuffs, a short chain was connected between her wrist and the slab.
Looking to her left hand side she saw the same.
Harley threw her head back onto the slab and closed her eyes, hoping to god that this was just a terrible nightmare. She wiggled her left foot and felt the restriction of another chain.
"Argh!" She yelled, fighting against her restraints. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the room, along with her continuous cries of frustration.
She stooped when she heard a door creak open. "Who is it? Who's there?"
"Hello Harleen..." A sinister voice echoed through the room.
Harley heard footsteps approach her, she turned her head towards the direction and immediately recognized the man emerging from the shadows.. "Crane." She whispered.
"The one and only." He said, stepping closer. Crane leaned over her body and brought his hand up to stroke her face. "Well, don't you look different." He muttered.
"Don't touch me!" She snapped, trying to bite at his hand.
He laughed darkly. "Still feisty I see."
"What do you want from me?" She whispered, a stray tear ran down her cheek.
"I just want to have a little catch up Harleen, it's been so long since we last saw each other. The last time I saw you, you where playing the 'victim' in a rather revealing red dress." He said, looming over her.
Harley reluctantly looked up into his face, he looked exactly the same as the day she'd met him. But even more unhinged.
"And the last time I saw you, you ran for your life." She let out strained laughter. "I'm flattered Crane, really I am, but I'm not really into the whole bondage thing... Actually that's a lie. I just don't like it when it involves succumb like you." She laughed. If she was going to die, she wanted to go out with dignity, not a blubbering wreck strapped to a table.
"Your jokes won't help you here Harleen.."
"I ain't joking Craney." She smiled. Then sighed. "Urgh! Now I've got BDSM on my mind.. So if you would be so kind as to untie me so I can go home and make those dreams a reality, I'd be very grateful." Harley winked.
"I'm afraid not Harleen, besides you won't recognise your home by the time I'm finished with you."
His words rattled through her head. What did he mean?
"Why are you calling me Harleen? I'm not her anymore. " Harley said, gritting her teeth at the name.
"Oh but Harleen you are. The Joker may have changed you physically, but the little goody-two-shoes Doctor is still in there somewhere. And I'm going to get her out. I'm going to bring her back." Crane explained.
"Why?" She asked, her whole body trembled at the thought of her being Dr. Quinzel again.
"Why? Oh my dear Harleen... They told me you had some intelligence. But then again, you did run off with a madman." He looked at her, confusion riddled all over her pale little face.
He began pacing around the table. "Y'know, I had intended on killing you and sending your dead body to the Joker, but, plans change, and after seeing what you have become, what he made you... I came up with the most delicious idea... Instead of killing you.. I'll only kill part of you. The part that the Joker created. Your his greatest joke Harleen, and we both know that he's nothing without his jokes." Crane drummed his fingers along the metal slab, taunting her. "For the first time, he's actually made me laugh. The fact that he manipulated his own psychiatrist to fall in love with him, just so he could escape Arkham. I have to hand it to the lunatic, he did do a good job."
"He didn't manipulate me!" She cried.
"I think all that chemical exposure has made you delusional Harleen. How can you not see it? You where a means to an end. You still are. He used you to escape, he only took you with him so that he could have a bit of fun. But then you latched onto him, like a leech. And now he just continues with the joke, just so he can deliver the killer punchline when he gets bored of you."
"That's not true." She yelled. "He loves me."
"Does he? Has he ever said it to you?" Crane smiled when he saw a tear roll down her cheek, that was the answer he was looking for. "It's okay Harleen, I'll help you see, I'll help you understand." He said, brushing a stand of blonde hair out of her face. "But you'll need to look like your old self before we get started."
"No! No! You can't do this!" Harley shouted, kicking out her arms and legs, but her energy was wasted, the chains still held her firmly in place.
"I can. And I will. You made it so easy for me Harleen, walking right into the palm of my hand. Making it so much easier for me to crush you." He motioned his hand balling into a tight fist. " I am wondering though.. What was your plan huh? Hunt me down all on your lonesome, and kill me?" He chuckled. "So predictable."
"I'm not alone, my friends... They'll find me." She cried.
"Oh I'm counting on it dear. My little henchmen will give them the run around first and when they do eventually find you.. You won't be the Harley Quinn that they remember, you'll be the Harleen Quinzel that they don't."
"The Joker will kill you for this! He'll find you and kill you!" Harley tried to buck her head upwards, hoping to hit him but he was too far away. "It doesn't matter if I leave here as Harley or Harleen, you'll be a dead man either way. Just except your fate Crane, fear of dying is completely justified, seeing as your death will most likely be slow and painful."
"I'm not afraid of your narcissistic boyfriend. He tried to kill me once before and failed, what makes you think he'll succeed this time?" Crane retorted.
"Because despite what you think, the Joker is the most powerful criminal Gotham has ever seen." Harley spat. "And if your not afraid of him then why are you going after me and not him. Why not cut out the middle man and just kill him?"
"You are the middle man Harleen, and I am going to cut you out." He growled, picking up a pair old scissors, which where laying on an only surgical tray next to the slab. "Mmmm... Now where should I start?"
"Lay one finger on me and I swear to god-"
Crane ignored her empty threats and grabbed her blue tinted pigtail. He yanked it to the side harshly. Harley cried out.
"Don't be scared Harleen, I'll be gentle." He pulled out both of her hairbands and let her hair fall over the sides of the table. "How do you feel about a little trim?"
"I'll kill you for this!"
Harley's screams echoed through the halls, the sharp cries reaching almost every corner of the Club.
And the Joker heard it...