"Alright, all the paperwork has been filed and the background check came back."
Saul the landlord says as he handed me my apartment key.
"Remember, I already have to deal with the tweekers and other shit birds in this place so don't give me any more problems or you're gonna be back out on your ass!"
I simply nodded and smiled before taking the key.
"Thank you sir. I'll try my best to keep things quiet and to myself."
Saul was owner and landlord to several buildings within the projects of Gotham. He was an older guy who was a bit on the heavy side, beady eyes with square lense glasses, wore the most God awful Hawaiian Shirts, and walked around like he constantly had to take a shit. But as someone just living in Gotham, he could be a hell of a lot worse. I had managed to finally save up enough money the last couple of years so that I could actually have a place of my own when I had gotten back to Gotham rather than stay in the shelter.
On top of that I had actually managed to get a job at an Auto Body Shop on Miagani Island just over the bridge. The apartment that I lived in wasn't the Ritz, but I had a pretty good view of the Skyline and the bridge itself. However this place could still use a visit from the exterminator and Carpenter. It felt like with every step that I took the squeaking floorboards would cave in any second and it wasn't because of termites or anything like that surprisingly but just that the building itself was that old. When I ventured into the kitchen I saw a tiny cockroach crawling around the drain in the sink. Naturally I turned the water on and drowned it before it could make an escape.
After the first few hours of being in my new apartment I had finally gotten everything where I wanted it. I didn't put my TV in gaming system in my room just so that way I had an excuse to actually use my living room and not be one of those people that lives out of their bedroom. Also since it was still the weekend, I had some time to kill before I started work Monday morning. So I decided to finally get into watching and Anime that is popping the fuck off right now, and that would be Jujutsu Kaisen. It was interesting to see that rather than just be your ordinary protagonist who never gives up and wants to protect everyone, Itadori wanted to help people find a proper death on some 300 and Leonidas shit.
I managed to get to the episode where Gojo pops up at the exchange event and was like;
"Surprise, he's not dead after all!"
On another note I couldn't help but think of Gojo as the crossbreed between Daredevil from Season one of the Netflix series and Kakashi from Naruto just in appearance alone.
As the sun had begun to set I started to get hungry so I decided to step out for a few to go get some Chinese Food. When I stepped out the front door I was immediately hit with a wave of the smog of the city. The scent of exhaust wafting through the air as sirens echoed off in the distance. The usual even traffic filled with people honking at one another as they flipped the bird and cursed to the person in front or behind them. On my way back I had my General Tsao's with Egg rolls and rice with Duck Sauce in hand when someone had walked up behind me and pressed a knife to my back.
"Give me everything you got kid, now!!!"
He barked as I turned around.
"Don't fucking move!!"
"First of all I'm not a kid, I'm 32 years old. Second of all had you simply asked for a bit of cash I would have been more than willing to just give you whatever I had in my wallet."
He tried to swing at me with his knife and somehow I was able to catch his arm and stop him.
My food got stepped on in the process as we struggled against one another. After a couple minutes of him punching me in the liver and trying to push the tip of his blade into my face I had enough. I went in for a headbutt and smashed his nose before wrapping my arms around his waist, picked him up and slammed his ass into the ground. But in the midst of me doing so I hadn't noticed the sharp pain in my side until I stopped to realize the fucker just stabbed me. It didn't look to deep but I was still leaking like a mother fucker.
"And thirdly...."
I huffed as I went into my wallet and shoved a fifty the the guys pocket. He looked at me with surprise in his eyes as I slumped against the wall.
"You can eat a dick."
Some one that passed us by and saw this had immediately called the cops but spun the story and said that we were still trying to kill each other. When the cops got there and saw the both of us in the states we were in they had a talking to with the person that called. The paramedics stitched me up on the spot as the guy who stabbed me got the cuffs slapped on him and carried away and recommended that I hitch a ride with them but I refused and took my smashed Chinese Food home, even though my heart wasn't there. Then again I had often wondered over the years where it had gone in the first place.
Once I had gotten back I tossed my food on the counter with my keys and stripped myself of my now bloody clothes.
"Urgh! Fuckin hell!"
I grunted as I slowly peeled my blood soaked shirt off of me. The water was ice fucking cold which helped numb the pain a bit, but as you could already imagine it wasn't that enjoyable.
When I looked myself over in the mirror I was more pale than Robert Pattinson in Twilight. I also started to feel a bit sleepy after losing so much blood.
'Welcome Back To Gotham Damien!'
I thought before throwing on my black Naruto T-shirt which depicted him slurping happily on a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen.
From there I continued to binge JJK as I dumped my Chinese onto a plate and ran it through the microwave for a few minutes. I got past the part where Todo asked Itadori what his type was, Mahito's snake ass manipulating Junpei, setting his mother up to be killed and then proceeding to set Itadori up for the whole thing in the process. I didn't even stop after I saw Itadori and Nanami jumped his ass in unison. Once night had fallen on Gotham once again I made sure to double check the locks on my doors before I went off to bed. Even though I wasn't counting on getting any sleep tonight as I normally don't get your standard 8 hours.
I sighed in defeat as insomnia had won yet again and so I rolled over on to my chest and scrolled through social media. But then I heard my window break. Immediately I jumped up and ran to my bedroom door as I peered down the hallway. I knew someone was out there because I heard the floorboards creaking. I wasn't about to let some jackass steal my shit after I only just got back into to town today. So I wrenched the door open and was immediately smacked in the face with the tip of a baseball.
"Argh!! What the fu.."
Was I all I managed to get out before I was smacked upside the head and knocked unconscious. It was still dark when I had woken up, though I hadn't known how much time had passed. All I knew was that someone was eating the rest of my rice with Duck Sauce.
"The fuck?"
I muttered.
"Oh goodie your awake! I was afraid that I had hit ya a bit to hard there."
Even as I tried to blink my eyes the rest of way open my vision was still blurry. Which meant that I probably had a concussion.
"What's Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls doing in my apartment?"
I asked as the lady let out a fake gasp.
"I am not a Powerpuff Girl mista!"
I simply shrugged as I rolled my head from side to side.
"Could have fooled me with that voice of yours. But who are you really?"
I was forced to regret what I said as I was then kicked over in the chair that I was tied to.
"Jesus lady take it easy would you?!"
I then felt the weight of an oh so familiar object be pressed against my chest.
"Easy isn't exactly one of my strong suits, now call me a Powerpuff Girl again I dare ya!"
I didn't call her a Powerpuff Girl, but instead started humming the theme song.
The woman growled and then started stepping on my boys.
"What am I again?!"
She yelled as she pressed down harder.
"Owowowowowowow, okay okay okay!! Not a Powerpuff Girl now please Hakuna my Tatas!!"
I begged her profusely until she started laughing like a maniac.
"Ya know what? Your kinda cute! The name is Harley, Harley Quinn!"
As if on cue my vision was no longer blurry as my eyes widened in shock to see just who it was that was standing over me.
"What's ya name?"
Harley asked.
"Damien Hoechlin."
I replied as I took a breath while wincing at the pain from where I had been stabbed.
"Kinda like Tyler Hoechlin from Teen Wolf right?"
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
"Not saying the show wasn't good, but it's a remake of the movie with Michael J Fox."
Harley just notched an eyebrow and looked at me like I was dumb.
"Thanks for statin the obvious."
She replied before continuing to eat my food.
"The fuck did I do to piss Joker off?"
I asked.
"I couldn't have done anything cause I just got back into town less than 24 hours ago."
I then noticed as she tensed up at the mention of the Clown Prince of Crime.
"I don't wanna talk about him."
"I'm not a therapist, but I do have a bachelor's degree in psychology."
Harley then responded to that by flipping me the bird.
"I have a master's so suck it!"
She replied.
"Then what do you want to talk about the weather?"
I asked.
"Trust me when I say that I can tell when someone is wearing to much make up to cover a black eye."
Her lip trembled as a single tear fell down her face as her eyes were wide with shock just as mine were a moment ago.
"How did you..."
"I grew up watching my mom doing the same thing. It's not something one can easily forget once they've seen it."
This whole time she was tense, even before I had mentioned Joker. But after I said this she seemed to be relaxed enough to where she felt like untying me.
"Cheers."
"I'll be goin now, sorry for..ya know."
Harley held her hand and gestured towards everything in the vicinity.
"I'm not going to press you anymore seeing as how your going through some shit. But next time you want to swing by, just knock. Also how the fuck did you even make it up the fire escape? The ladder is like 15 feet off the ground."
Harley gave a cheeky smile as she swung her bat over her shoulder.
"I was in gymnastics from Middle School up until I hit college."
She smiled proudly as I went into the kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee.
"I would actually make you something to eat but I have yet to buy groceries."
I say as I held up a second cup.
"Want some?"
"Sure, why not."
We ended talking well into the last few minutes before the sun peaked over the horizon.
I did my best to refrain from asking her about how she got that black eye she was so intent on hiding and asked her about what she liked to do for fun instead. Harley was just as crazy as everyone said she was. Her responses were things like blowing shit up, smashing heads together with her bat or her sorely missed mallet Beatrice, high speed chases with police, and so on. She gave me shit for being a total geek but then I noticed a certain charm hanging off the end of her bat.
"Winter rap up winter rap uuuup, for tomorrow spring is here!"
I sang and then she realized what I had.
And that was she was also a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
"Out of all the songs, you choose that one?! It's so fuckin annoying!"
"Oh I'm not allowed to sing my "favorite" musical number from MLP but I'm supposed to be okay with people shipping Spike and Rarity? Spike is a baby dragon, a baby dragon!"
Harley held up her hands in surrender.
"Hey I didn't write the script I just watch the show."
She said in defense.
"Also don't you dare talk shit about the great and fabulous Rarity!"
I shook my head as I took a sip of coffee.
"Fluttershy could beat her ass any day of the week."
Harley then held up a finger as I lightbulb went on in her head.
"Not unless..."
I put my mug down and pointed at her.
"Don't you dare say Rainbow Dashie and her sonic rainboom bullshit!"
Harley simply smiled and giggled.
"Hehehe I didn't, but you did."
She then let out a yawn and a cat like stretch before she got up from her seat and bent over until she was able to touch her toes.
"Whatcha lookin at huh?"
She asked while imitating the little girl from Exorcist with how far backwards she was able to bend.
"I'm not looking at anything."
I said with my head turned away.
"Are you saying that I have a flat ass?"
She continued to gaslight me as I shook my head, still keeping my gaze turned away.
"I said nothing of the sort, you must be imagining things."
Harley then shrugged before deciding to sprawl out on the couch.
"I'm gonna catch a few z's if ya don't mind."
I then got up without saying a word. Went through one of my boxes, and grabbed out my Rogue X-Men blanket with matching pillow.
"Here, you can use these if you want. Even though this isn't a hotel I can go and get us some breakfast if you're planning on sticking around that long."
Harley then gave me a blank expression as she tilted her head to the side.
"Why are ya bein so nice to me? I broke in to pad, knocked ya out..."
I then made the blah blah blah gesture with my hand and cut her off.
"You also ate my porridge, sat in my chair, and now your about to sleep on my couch."
I said as I scratched the back of my head.
"I hope you can forgive me for assuming, but I already figured that your current situation had something to do with "him". Even though I haven't been through exactly what you've been through, I can understand what it's like trying to please someone that's never going to be proud of you or treat you as something more than the dirt beneath their boot heel. So please, stay as long as you like."
I then turned away and went towards my bedroom.
"Sleep tight Goldilocks."
3rd POV.....
As Damien and Harley tried their best to go to sleep. Both had problems sleeping, be it for similar or different reasons all together. Either way the two of them ended up falling asleep but only for a short time. Damien woke up and began his morning workout as Harley turned on the TV and started scrolling through Netflix in search of Looney Toons.
Damien POV.....
"Hey Harley how did you sleep?"
I asked as I watched Wylie Coyote get his face flattened by an anvil.
"Eh, alright I guess."
She shrugged.
As I watch Wylie's head regain it's natural shape, it gave me an idea for breakfast.
"Don't go anywhere unless you want homemade pancakes!"
She perked up like a kid on Christmas when I mentioned breakfast.
"Can I get strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips?!"
"I don't see why not, and what kind of host would I be if I wasn't able to grant such a trivial request to my first ever guest?"
Harley then jumped up with her fists raised in the air.
"Yahtzee!!!"
She screamed in delight as I couldn't help but chuckle at how childish she was.
"Hang tight, I'll be back in a few."
Once I made it downstairs I hopped in my 71 Chevy Monte Carlo and sped off as quickly as I could without trying to catch attention from Gotham's Finest.
It had taken me a whole hour to drive to the store, find the necessary ingredients along with a few other things, head to the check out, and proceed back to my car. Even though people gave me a mix of weird and disgusted looks when I did this I didn't care. But for me to carry my groceries out to my car, I snagged one of the carts meant for the handicapped, went through my playlist and started playing a song from Halo as I pretended to be Sierra 117 himself riding into battle on a Ghost.
Feeding into the fantasy, I also pretended that the car backing out that almost hit me was a Banshee on a Kamikaze run as my car was the Pillar of Autumn. Once I came back into reality I hopped in and went back to my place. To be honest I was half expecting Harley to not be there when I got back.
"Who wants pancakes?"
I asked ad I found her asleep on the couch, peacefully snoozing away. I set the groceries on the counter before walking over to the couch, fluffed the pillow and tucked the blanket around her before continuing on to make breakfast.
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Hey there everyone, I hope you all enjoyed Part 1 of Second Chances. Sorry if this chapter was a bit short for some of you. I honestly didn't know how long I should make the first chapter to begin with.
But as I just said I hope you enjoyed and that I see you all in Part 2. Please don't forget to like, comment, follow, and share with your friends and followers as well as on any and all social media!!!