Batman FanFic #1: Harley as an Anti-Hero.

And with the screeching sounds of the fire alarm Harley Quinn dashed out of the burning building chased by The Dark Knight himself.
“You'll never take me Bat!” she screamed as she threw back a red and black pipe bomb.
The explosion gave her the motivation to run faster, her black clothed feet carried her faster and faster. Running and dashing through the back alleys of Gotham. She craned her neck to see if she lost the Bat. No sign of 'em. She turned her face forward and smacked dead into Batman. “Oh damn...” Harley wiggled back a couple of inches and flashed a toothy smile at the Bat.
“Hello again loser.” Harley said.
“Quinn.” Batman grabbed her by the back of the shirt and picked her up. He slapped cuffs on her.
“Hey what's the big idea!” Quinn glared at him with her crystal blue eyes. “I didn't even blow up the damn thing!”
Batman stayed straightfaced. “I need your help Quinn.”
“Me?” Harley laughed. “What for?”
“He's back.” Wayne began slowly. He knew the Joker was a touchy subject for her ever since...
“I've heard.” she spat back. Just the thought of him made her heart turn into a spiraling black hole brimming with hate. “And I don't care.” she lied.
“Even if I offer you the chance to help take him down?”Batman knew this would trigger something in her, Quinn always loves a mission, and with her new hate for the Joker now was better than ever.
She looked up at him, hate and confusion swimming in her eyes.
“And I am sure you miss your little pets...” he carried on. Harley was abnormally attached to the hyenas especially after Joker destroyed the only thing Harley Quinn ever truly loved.
“...My babies...” Harley whispered. “I do miss them.”
“How bout it Quinn?” he said his hand lingering over the cuffs. “No double cross, no arrest, just help me get the Joker.”
She flinched when she heard his name. “Fine, on one condition.”
“What?”
“Deadpool comes with me, no arrest on him either, he hates that bastard clown almost as much as I do.”
“Deal but you stay with me at all times to and from wherever Joker is hiding, got it? No tricks from you two.” Wayne and Quinn shook hands.
“Drive me to my home.” Harley said as he took the bat cuffs off. “I'll get Wade and then we can go.”
As he drove Harley to her dingy home in Gotham he let his mind wonder a bit. Wayne never truly thought Harley was evil. He always presumed she was just vulnerable, but now He could see something changed in Quinn. She also changed dramatically on the outside as well. Her bleach blonde hair was now dyed half deep blood red and half midnight purple. Instead of her pigtails her hair was in a long braid down her back, in the braid were poison flowers (probably a gift from Ivy). She traded in her jester costume for a red and black plaid skirt and a black leather corset. Her dainty hands were covered in tight black gloves, her thin wrists bombarded with bulky watch looking things. A beat up leather backpack hung on her back along with the burdens of her former life with the Joker. Her tiny feet, which seemed to never stop running from the law, were covered in black ballet slipper looking shoes. One thing that didn't really change was her face. It was still sickeningly beautiful. Harley had stopped putting on all the white clown makeup, which made her face so much more young and beautiful looking. She switched her black lipstick for a deep ox blood red, she still wore the diamond shaped mask. The thing that startled Wayne the most was her voice. It was always a high pitched very heavy with a Brooklyn accent but now it was low and raspy. Like the voice of someone who loved too much and too carelessly.
“I'll be back, B-man.” Harley said in her new voice, she got out of the Batmoblie and stomped up the stairs of the seemingly normal house.
Bruce gave himself a minutes to think. He drifted into a dream like phase in his mind, remembering the last time he saw Harley. She was with the joker then, so she had the full blown jester getup on. The Joker was on a mass murder spree, killing basically anything in his path. Harley trailed behind him, looking nervous-regretful. She was cradling something in a black blanket. Batman had seen Robin from the corner of his eye creeping up behind the Joker and Harley. He had a gun pointed at Harley but when he saw what was in Harley's arms he stumbled backward falling into a pool of some strangers blood. Luckily the Joker hadn't heard him fall over the sounds of his own gun. That's when Wayne had decided it was time to strike he swung in by his grapple gun and kicked the Joker in the gut, Joker fell to the blood splattered ground and Bruce remembered Harley running away, clutching the blanket covered treasure to her chest. Joker and him fought on the ground for awhile. A flurry of fists and jabs and snarky comebacks from the Joker. Joker got a hold of his gun and pointed it to Bruce's face. Bruce recalled pushing Joker's hand to the left just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet whirled through the air in the direction Harley ran. It didn't hit Harley it hit the thing she was clutching to her chest. Harley fell to her knees screaming something unheard. Batman remembered how he got up immediately and began running to her while Robin tied up a shocked Joker. When he reached Harley he saw laying in a tiny pool of blood, a pale, blue eyes, black haired, baby girl. He wish he could forget the wide, ghostly, blue eyes draining of life. The heart shaped mouth whispering out pathetic, blood speckled, coughs as it fought for it's young life. When the poor thing stopped coughing and it's young life ended, Harley stood. Her head snapped to the right. “I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU YOU SON OF A BITCH.” she ran full speed toward a tied up, struggling Joker. Robin caught her in a fireman's carry as Harley thrashed and screamed for Joker's death, Bruce bent down and closed the child's eyes, he wrapped the tiny, lifeless body in the black blanket. When he turned back he realized Joker had escaped while Robin was trying to calm a rage filled Harley. When Batman turn back toward the baby, it was gone and so was Harley nothing but a tiny pool of blood left to prove its short existence.
“Deadpool said he'll meet us there.” Harley said as she knocked on the side of the Batmobile . waiting to be let in.
Batman shook his thoughts out of his head and let Harley in the car.
“Hey what's up with you Bat? You look like you saw a ghost or something.” Bruce was still getting chills from her new voice and her saying the word ghost didn't help either.
“Where are we going Quinn?” he said softly.
“Queens, New York.” Harley said.
“Queens? Why?” He glanced at Harley, she meet his eyes.
“Cause that's where scumbag is. Obviously.” she rolled her eyes at him.
“How do you know?” it was a good question.
“Cause, Batsy, as much as I hate to admit it, I know Joker, he's hiding out there till he gets whatever it is he needs to come back here and mess things up. He always goes back there.”
“Where's there?”
“I'll show you.”
They drove in silence for awhile and then Harley asked the million dollar question.
“Why are you hunting down Joker?” she whispered, as if she was scared of the answer.
“Honestly? He's having his goons break out criminals from Arkum and jails all over Gotham and Metropolis. And then he's having people kill the criminals he frees. We don't understand what the hell he is up too. That's why we needed you.” Batman glanced at Harley in the dim light that the Batmobile provided she looked like a child for a split second. A vulnerable, scared child. But Bruce quickly remembered this is Harley Quinn he is thinking about.
“Killing off crooks you say? Sure doesn't sound like the bastard I know.” Harley raised her eyebrows and turned her head to peer out the window. “Say, you have a list of these crooks names? Maybe I can uh, make a connection.”
“Yeah of course, why didn't I think of that.” he pressed a button on the dashboard and three sheets of paper filled with names all over them popped up in front of Harley.
“Cause girls are smarter,” Harley stated with a small laugh and a twinge of a smile.
The car was silent for a few moments.
“So Joker has been breaking all these scumbag bastards out huh?” Harley shook her head.
“You know the criminals? How?” Wayne felt that little adrenaline rush he felt whenever he had a lead.
Harley flinched. “Cause I’m the one that killed 'em all.”
“What!” he sputtered. “You did what! Why?”
“Do you know why those creeps were put in there!” Harley shot back. “Child murders, molesters, child traffickers, child abusers! Those creeps deserve to die they hurt innocent kids dammit!”
“Harleen...” Bruce felt the need to call Harley by her real name. “I understand.”
“No.” She spat. “No you don't. I saw my own daughter die. Do you understand? HER FATHER SHOT HER. She was only three days old. And he shot her. That was my baby. I swore I’d protect every child from now until I die. And if that meant ending the lives of some bastards that do nothing but hurt kids so be it.”
“I'm not going to arrest you Harley. I think it is a very poetic thing you did to avenge your daughter.” Wayne couldn't believe he was justifying killing someone but here he was.
“No, she isn't avenged and she won't be until I blow that disgusting smile clean off that scumbags face.” Quinn let three angry tears slip down her cheek.
The rest of the drive was silent, Bruce didn't want to upset Harley anymore.
When they entered Queens, Wayne opened his mouth to speak but Harley cut him off.
“126 9th avenue.” she said in a very deadpan, no emotion voice.
Wayne turned down several back streets each looking more uninviting then the next. Harley was squirmming in her seat.
“You know Bat, I haven't seen Joker since...” Harley's eyes lowered. “Since my little Jasmine’s death.”
“Is that what you named her?” Bruce felt a still tug at his heart strings, he always cared for Quinn. It was a strange habit.
“Yeah.” Harley was staring out the window. “Jasmine the jester. Catchy huh?” Sighing, Harley looked at Batman. “The name was all my idea, it sounded so beautiful. She had my eyes,” Now Harley was tracing her fingers in the shape of a heart on the dash board.
“I remember.” Bruce said shortly, wanting to put this topic in a box and lock it.
“I will kill him today.” she whispered.
Batman nodded. “Let's do it.”
When they got to Joker's hideout, which was an abandon toy factory, Deadpool was already outside of it, waiting for Harley.
“Pool!” Harley squealed giving him a huge hug. Batman stood awkwardly. “So here's the plan babe, Bat and I are gonna go in the front, you are going to scale the building up to the roof and go in from there okay love?” Harley smiled at Deadpool with such a genuine smile Bruce was actually touched.
Deadpool brought her close and whispered something in her tiny ear. Harley smiled, kissed his cheek, and said “I love you more,”.
Once Deadpool started climbing up the wall, Harley turned to Wayne. “Let's go kill us a bastard!” She declared happily.
Harley used a crowbar looking object she found on the street to pry and break the looks off the front door.
Wayne insisted on going in first, just in case joker's goons were waiting with an machine gun and orders to tear into anyone who entered.
The factory was quite dark, smelled musty and there was an eery glow from the moon shining in the window. The light from the moon was just enough to see the giant Jack in The Box and teddy bear that sat in the far left, in the middle there was a few machines and production belts, to the far right there were doors marked: 'Offices', 'Storage', and 'Stairs'.
“First thing, I need to find my babies.” Harley wandered off toward the doors, while she walked she pulled a shiny, metallic gun out of her leather bag. Wayne decided to scoop out the machines.
Harley opened the door that said “Storage,” in shiny sliver letters. She pressed a button on one of her 'watches' and a flash lights beamed out. She swung the light beam around the room until it landed on not one but two large steal cages. Inside were Bud and Lou, her babies. “Sweeeeeeeties!!” Harley said softly but happily. The hyenas heads shot up, they tried to bark but Harley lifted a gloved finger to her lips and they understood. Harley used another button on one of her watches to send a laser to break the locks on their cages. That's when she realized that her babies had been chained too.
“That son of a bitch...” she mumbled as she laser off the chains.
The minute the chains snapped off Bud and Lou jumped on her licking her face and nuzzling her. “Oh my babies!” she cooed scratching their necks. “I missed you!” She got up onto her feet and grabbed two packaged steaks from her bag. She gave both of them their steak and then said: “Who wants to rip apart the bad man who keep y'all all chained up!”
Bud and Lou barked in agreement.
“Quinn.” Batman said from the doorway. “Let's go.”
Bud growled and snared at Wayne. “Now babies, for tonight he's with me.” Harley smiled at Bruce. “Let's go.”
Wayne leaded the way he opened the doors that said “Stairs,” in a dull, mossy green color. Harley followed close behind by Bud and Lou. “Y'know, Bat, Deadpool is a really nice guy. He is actually a good guy believe it or not.”
“Oh really?” Batman scooped out the first floor they came to, nothing. Harley continued.
“Yeah, he doesn't like when people know that though, he calls us 'anti-heroes'. Isn't that something?” she asked trailed behind him to the next flight of stairs.
“We have been going out at night, sneaking around Gotham and Metropolis to look for creeps. You know rapists, robbers, kidnappers. And we uh been taking care of them.”
Batman craned his neck to look at Quinn, she shrugged. “Not killing 'em, just beating them up enough to scare them straight.”
Batman nodded and opened the second floor door. It lead into a long hallway with two doors of the left wall marked “Storage,” one written in green letters, on in silver. At the end of the right wall was another door marked “Stairs,” in green letters. Batman opened the first door that said “storage,” in silver letters. A single window let in some misty light. Nothing. He closed the door and walked toward the next one. He noticed the green paint was badly chipped. As he stepped inside the room, he reached for his flashlight, the room was pitch black. Harley and the hyenas were right behind him. And Harley said quietly. “I kinda went off on my own with killing those bastards the Joker freed, if Pool knew he might be a little angry with me.”
“Quinn.” Batman said spinning around to her, just as the door slammed shut. “I just realized the Joker... he freed those criminals knowing you'd kill them... he knew I wouldn't understand what he was doing... he knew I’d come to you for help... he knew you would take me here... Harley he's doing this to get you!” Bruce gripped the doorknob and pulled with all his might but it was no use.
Harley groped the walls looking for a light switch. Desperately trying to find it in the darkness, she tripped and fell to her knees, cutting open her delicate skin. “Pool...” she whimpered in the darkness.
Batman found the light and flicked it on. He saw Harley on her knees at the other said of the room, whispering something unheard. In the middle of the room was a TV. It appeared to be busted because white and black fuzz was dancing on screen. But as Batman squinted at it, judging it, a pair of red lips surrounded by a white face and chin popped on. It was smiling.
“Harleeeeey!” Joker's infamous voice rang. “My PooBear!” Harley's head snapped up with such urgency and hate it almost shocked Batman. “You came back to me... oh my sweet... you really have no idea how hard you were to lure back...”
“I'll never come back to your crazy ass you son of a...” Harley yelled ferociously she was trembling as she stood, Wayne rushed to help her up.
“Oh now...now Harley... you have been away for so long...” Harley and Batman were walking over to face the TV now. “Surely you haven't forgotten our love... our crimes... and may I add our sex life wasn't too shabby either.” he let out a sickening laugh.
“Deadpool is a better man than you in his sleep you pig!” Harley spat at the TV.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh... yes... Pool... I heard a lot about him...he has the special little healing relfex huh?” Harley bit her lip and watched the TV intently as the view panned over to a large metal object. It looked like a giant pair of fake teeth, like a toy, the kind you wind up in the back. And surrounding it was blood... shreds of a black and red uniform... and Deadpool's mask.
“I guess that reflex...doesn't really work anymore...” Joker laughed again.
Harley screamed. “Pool! No!” She sobbed into her hands. “I'll kill you Clown!”
“Come and get me darling, I'm not hard to find. You know what room I'm in.”
The TV turned off.
Quinn got up, wiped away her tears. “Come on babies, come on Bat.”
Without a word Batman, Bud and Lou followed a very infuriated Harley Quinn to the 5th floor.
“Quinn...” Bruce said slowly. “How do you know what room he is in?”
“5th floor, eighth office. 58. My lucky number. It was the room we conceived Jasmine in.” her voice was completely unemotional, but even so Batman tried not to let the look of disgust appear on his face.
Harley kicked the door clean off the hinges. And there was the Joker sitting on a large gold and red chair that said King Of Laughter above it in blood red cursive.
“Babies.” Harley nodded. She aimed and fired two shots at the Jokers kneecaps.
“Fuck!” the Joker screamed as the hyenas pulled him off the chair and onto the ground. His kneecaps were bleeding profusely. Harley had the dogs pin each of his arms down and she bandaged his knees.
“No... you bastard.” She whispered as she got on top of the Joker. “I'm not gonna let your evil ass bleed out... Nope. You are gonna suffer. You killed my baby, you killed my lover. You starved my dogs. You are the most...disgusting thing...”
“I didn't mean to hurt Jasmine..” Joker whispered weakly.
“YOU DIDN'T HURT HER YOU KILLED HER!” Harley screamed, pressing her chrome gun to his temple.
“I know.. do you think I wanted to? That was our baby. He..” Joker nodded his head toward Bruce. “He knocked my hand... toward you... the minute I pulled the trigger. He...” Joker coughed feebly. “He knew...you were there...with...with Jasmine...”
“But...” Harley's angry features softened at the weakened Joker. “What about Pool, you killed him.”
“I didn't kill him... he was being clumsy... he fell through a pipe... he landed on the teeth. Besides.. if he found out about your killing spree he would've left you...” Harley bit her lip. “Harley, you were never meant to be good. You're bad. You know that don't you...?” Harley's eyes widened and brimmed with tears. “But hey, you are my good bad little girl. Harley, just think about it, we can have another baby. Hell, Harley we can travel the world, take children from orphanages and raise them, as our own. Our Jesters.”
A tear spilled from her eyes. She raised her black gun, and fired it. At Batman. A net shot out and wrapped around Bruce.
“Dammit Quinn!” he yelled struggling to free himself.
“Oh Mistah J!” Harley said in her Brooklyn accent, she kissed the Joker.
“Oh my Harley!” Joker said against her lips. “Mmmm... how I missed you my bad girl.”
“I missed you my psychopathic clown!” Harley cried kissing his neck.
“Now, my love, get rid of Bats and we can plan our next move.” he whispered in her ear.
Harley nodded and got up.
But Batman was gone.