"This is it? Doesn't look like much" Lin spoke up after the group of four had been standing in silence in front of the big club with flashing lights, big and muscly bouncers guarding the brick covered wall that had spray painted words in green and purple on it, booming music of different kinds and an intimidatingly long line that snaked from the set of black double doors to where Lin could barely see the end. She however had no intentions of standing in that line until she may or may not be denied entry, no, she was going to do the very rude act of cutting line or getting one of the bouncers attention.
"Lin you can't do that-" Lisa, a tall, muscular woman with hair as white as newly fallen snow, protested in a shrill voice. Her face was twisted into one of annoyance and her blue eyes glaring down at her.
"'course I can, don't be silly" Lin smirked at her taller friend before tossing a wink at the other girl in their small group. Anna;a petite brunette girl that had recently graduated from college and had come home to her hometown to be with her dying mother.
Lin puffed up her hair, adjusted her dress and strode up to the closest bouncer with a smirk on her red-painted lips. Her sneaker clad feet slapped against the ground before she stopped just in front of the red rope that forced people to stay in line, not that that would stop Lin in any way.
She ignored Lisa's protests and crossed her arms in front of her stomach to press together her already ample chest and hopefully sway the bouncer to do as she wished. "Hello there", Lin whispered and looked up at him through her lashes.
The bouncer turned around to face her before his eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "H-hey", he stuttered and pulled his collar.
"My friends and I wanted to know if we could y'know get into the club a little early." Lin smiled. "It's very cold out here and the line is so long", she pouted before biting her lip and shifting on her feet.
"I don't know." The guard responded and bit his thin lip with a thoughtful expression. "Boss doesn't like it when we break his rules"
"Joker cares about the queues? I'm sorry but I don't think the clown minds letting in the pretty girls before the groupies. So do us a favor and I'll go talk to the boss if he's got any problems" Lin leaned forward and placed a manicured hand on his muscled arm. "He doesn't have to know"
"Just get in" The bouncer sighed and lifted the heavy, red rope from the metal poles it was attached to before waving for them to enter the club, unknowingly changing Lin's whole life.
"Thanks, big guy" Lin smirks before slinking past him and into the crowded club that was already dulling her senses and spinning her head in ways she doesn't want it to.
The girls stepped inside the club and was immediately blinded by the strobe lights that flashed in different colors, their ears ringed with the loud, vibrating music that made their hearts beat faster and bodies vibrate from the heavy bass. People were all around them, crowding them and bombarding their noses with smells of sweat, cheap perfume and alcohol of different kinds. Lin wrinkled her nose and pushed past the people in front of her, not gentle by any means. A few of them protested but their objections fell on deaf ears.
The trio moved to the bar, two of them looking for drinks and Lin watching out for them. Lin, the leader, went up to the bar and ordered two shots of whatever it was that the other girls liked to poison their senses with; she on the other hand would never drink unless she was feeling safe with them. The bartender, a young woman with dark brown hair and glowing dark skin smiled at her before nodding and reaching behind her to grab some of the many bottles behind her. Lin winked at the woman and sat down in one of the empty seats.
"What's your name" Lin grinned, placing a hand under her chin and leaning back in the seat.
"Michaela" The dark-skinned woman responded with her back turned to Lin, her body swaying to the music and fingers tapping against the shelf as she poured alcohol into the small glasses. "What about you, stranger?", her voice was light and tinkling as she playfully shot the cliché question back.
"Anna" Lin lied effortlessly before smirking at the pretty woman in front of her. "Michaela is a beautiful name. When do you get off?"
"My ma' gave me tha' name, of course it's beautiful" Michaela replied back, her tongue wetting her lips as she slid the done drinks over to where Lin sat, her fingest touching hers for a second before leaning back up to clean some glasses. "I don' usually tell people when I get off, Anna, but you look pretty enough to make an exception. Three AM" The braided woman winked at Lin before taking an order from an older, sweaty man sitting next to her.
"I'll see you at three AM then." Lin grabbed the drinks and turned to where her friends were already dancing together with the crowd to the current music booming out of the expensive speakers.
Lisa was currently snuggled up to a man and a woman, skin to skin and not a part of them not touching the other. Anna was dancing alone but was the center of attention for many of the other dancers who tried to get up close to her but returned disappointed when the woman rejected their offer and continued her solo dancing. Lin chuckled at her friends and reached out to give one of the shots to Lisa, who grabbed it and sent her a thankful smile, and then giving the last shot to Anna who grabbed it without looking at her before downing it in one gulp.
Lin went back to the bar and sat down in that same chair but the bartender was nowhere to be seen, probably on a break or switching spots with someone else. She sighed and leaned her head on her hand, thoughts drifting to what the bouncer had said. The Joker owned the bar but so far she hadn't seen hair nor hide of the infamous criminal, or any of his more obvious goons. So far no signs of him being there tonight but she wouldn't bet on it, the man was unpredictable and could be watching over them from the VIP part that was shielded off with a golden, pearly drape that gave the rest of them just glimpses of what went on there. She couldn't see any toxic-green hair or pale, tattooed skin hiding there, though. Her skin tingled when she thought about him, a man that was supposed to be so scary grown men pissed their pants at the thought of him and a story parents tell their children to keep them safe. But he was just that, a man, and men could be manipulated and controlled, weak and feeling.
A hand drifting over the back off her dress brought her out of her thoughts and a dark scowl marred her beautiful face. It was the man besides her, drinking out of a red solo cup and stank off age old alcohol, sweat and piss. His clothes were torn, dirty and stained, his face wrinkly and teeth rotten from years old addiction. Lin glared at him and pushed his hand away from her, scratching the skin there. The hand came back and Lin pushed it away once more, the cool facade beginning to melt away and rage coat her face.
The hand returned again and this time it cupped her breast, making Lin fly to her feet and swinging at him, delivering a heavy, strong and aggressive punch straight to his nose. The man fell off his chair, blood pooling from his broken nose and whimpers falling from his thin lips. Lin spat at him with a smug look on her face, the sound of people singing and dancing all around her. No one even noticed her defending herself, this being a regular occurance at the club.
She ordered another round of drinks, making sure that none of them were drugged or otherwise spiked by the now male bartender before making her way to her friends, strangers stepping away from her like she was on fire. Her heart didn't even skip a beat as she punched the man and the smug smirk still hadn't left her face, nor had the skip in her steps faded.
Lin gave the drinks to her friends, once again Lisa dancing with several partners and Anna dancing on her own; the latter not acknowledging her when given the drink and Lisa only glimpsing this time. The dark haired woman glared at them, swearing to never deliver drinks to them again before turning around to walk back to the bar, not wanting to dance or be around people.
"Boss wants to see you." A black clad man with sunglasses, looking every bit the security guard or goon she assumed him to be, told her, placing a hand on her arm and stearing her away from the crowd.
"Your boss should come get me himself if he's so eager to see me" Lin snarled and ripped her arm away from him. She hated being manhandled or called upon like an animal, surely the Joker himself wasn't above getting people he wanted. "Don't you dare grab me again", she threatened the man when he attempted to grab her arm again.
"Will you come willingly?" He replied nervously, hands sweaty.
"Sure" Lin shrugged her shoulders and walked ahead of the guard. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the man, it was just that she would have preferred it if he got her himself. Would have been more dramatic than sending one of his insignificant goons. "Lead the way, arm-grabber"
The man grunted but showed her the way to the VIP section of the club, past the dancers in glass tubes that had chains falling down from the top, and into the golden part. Lin briefly glanced around at the booths, notorious criminals holding meetings, the many security guards and even police officers, before her eyes snapped to the pale, green-haired man dressed in a purple dress shirt that had the front unbuttoned and showing his pale, toned and defined chest. His eyes were an electric blue eyes that stared right at her, amused and calculated.
"Here she is, boss" The man said before walking away with shaky steps and out to the club again.
Lin grinned at the man, the gun hidden under her dress burning and begging to be used. She walked closer without permission, him still not having spoken and his only response being a head tilt and a clutch of his cane, before sliding into the seat opposite of him. She stared right at him, unwavering in her glance.
"Hi there." The pale man growled, his voice low, smooth and slightly hoarse.
"Hey." She responded and fell back against the back of her seat, edging her dress up the length of her thigh. "You called?", Lin smiled and arched a dark eyebrow.
The man nodded. "Yes", he said, leaning forward. "I did, didn't I?", Joker giggled and moved around his cane in his hand. "I did call"
"Why?"
"What you did was...brave. I liked that." Joker grinned at her before snapping his tattooed hand to cover his mouth. His eyes were squinted and full of mirth. "You didn't like that bad man touching you? No, of course you didn't."
"He was disgusting." Lin spat and fingered the strap holding her gun. "What? Are you mad I punched one of your men?"
He cackled at that, throwing his head back and slamming a hand down on the table. "You've got fire. I like fire." He dropped the hand from his mouth and stared at her. "Did it feel good to hurt him?"
"Of course", she smoothly replied, winking at the man. "He touched me, only fair I return the favor"
"Yes, yes. Only fair." Joker chuckled before his face turned serious. "You don't seem scared", he stated.
"'Cuz I'm not." Lin shot back, releasing the gun from its hold and grabbing it with one hand. "Why would I be? Are you going to hurt me, Joker?" She tilted her head and laughed.
He briefly giggled before pulling out a white gun from one of the holsters over his shirt. Lin reacted at the movement and brought out her plain black one and pointed it right at his head, just as he did her. The two stared at each other, silent and hands steady before the two laughed and dropped the guns on the table. The two fell back in their seats, laughing before Lin leaned forward, grabbed his drink and downed it in one go.
"You'll do just fine, darlin'"
And that's how Lin met the infamous Joker and that was only the start of their story together. Much later the pair met Harley Quinn or Harleen Quinzel as she was called at the time during a stunt in Arkham Asylum, the two had been brought in by their favorite friend in costume, Batman. The young doctor fell in love with the pair and shortly after breaking them out she joined them in their crazy lives.
Chickenscrawl letters on a neon green sign spelled out 'Madhouse'. A little crooked and with a cheap shadow, it looked like just the establishment the four friends looked for, with knock-off liqour, strobe lights and sleazy bouncers.