Money Chase
Part 1
    Harleen walked down the dirty streets of Gotham avoiding the syringes and 
sharp shards of glass covering the ground as she walked.  The street was not 
busy that morning but it was surrounded by many different things.  A woman 
sat on the steps of a tenement, talking to herself as well as occasionally 
screaming in anger for something she didn't do years ago.  On the other side 
of the road, a drunk walked in circles yelling about a mob that had beat him 
down last night.  Mobs and mentally disabled people were more common in 
Gotham than the Batman action figures that had become popular last Christmas. 
 Harley was surprised that he was only rushed down and beaten instead of 
killed.  

    A group of seven men sat down on the corner rolling dice and taking bets 
against another man.  The man was skinny, wore glasses and had a really dumb 
looking smile as the dice rollers steadily took his money away from him.  It 
was very obvious that the man was a tourist as his "I love Gotham" shirt was 
now filled with sweat.  Not even his smile could hide the fear his sweat had 
revealed.

    As Harley walked by, she looked down to see one of the rollers grabbing 
her new red dress.  "Hey baby!  Do you come here often?"  Before he could say 
a word, he laid unconscious in the sidewalk from Harley's almost invisible 
kick.  Picking up the money he was about to lay down for the game, she gave a 
smile and said, "Play on without him."  Afraid of saying a word, the men 
quickly went back to robbing the foolish sucker they picked out.

    Finally reaching the joke shop which many thought had been completely 
vacant.  Even in the rubble of the old shop, Harley's beauty and expensive 
clothes surpassed it.  Walking into the other room, she noticed a lot of the 
people Joker had hired relaxing by the TV. She even laughed when she 
remembered how much they objected when Joker told them to wear clown uniforms 
for work.  To her is was a complete riot.  If there was anyone she strongly 
cared for more than anything, it was unquestionable the Joker.

    Finally reaching the other room, she noticed Joker counting the money 
with current accuracy.  Harley ran his errands for him since his face was 
known mostly everywhere.  Harley had been known as a criminal before, but her 
time in the slammer was up.  No one knew she had still been living with the 
Joker.  No one would understand either, she thought.

    Reaching into the purse, she pulled out a platinum necklace.  "You like?" 
she said in her loud voice.

    "Why are you interrupting me when I'm counting my money?" he answered 
coldly.  She expected it since his last meeting with the bat cost him to lose 
money instead of gain it.

    "Sorry, Mistah J," she said calmly.  "I was just showin' ya.. you know.  
Besides, don't let what happened stress you out.  You got all this money.  I 
just wanted to show you my necklace."

    He got up and smiled.  Then, after a long time of holding, flipping, and 
studying the necklace, he dropped it in mid air.  Harley quickly picked it up 
before it even hit the ground.  "Fine, be an ass," she said sharply.  

    "I'll do that," the Joker cried out as he picked up his cigar and smoked 
it.  "Why don't you go do something useful and, ahhh... I don't know ... you 
find out."  He sat down and looked back at the green piles of paper as he 
laid.  "Damn, now I lost count."  It was silent for a while.  The silence 
ached Harley until she heard the Joker laugh after she left the room.  It 
made her feel way better.

    A few minutes later, Joker jumped out of his room holding a newspaper.  
"This is the big break!  We're about to break into some real money..."  
Looking at Harley, he said in a light tone.  "You're coming too.  Get your 
costume."

    Harley was very flattered that she was coming along, but then she 
remembered.  "I can't go out there ... that will bring back my old 
reputation, puddin'... I've been walking around for about half a year now.  
It has a feel of freedom, ya know?"

    Shaking his head, he pulled her old costume out of the closet and handed 
it to her.  "Here," he said.  "Go on and hurry up.  Your very important for 
my sanity."

    Finally, she nodded back.  "Your right," she said happily.  "Where are we 
going?"

    "You'll see," he said with pride.  "Come on, hurry up."  She went into 
the next room and got dressed.  Finally, she thought, I can go back.  Walking 
out of the room, she was clothed head to toe in red and black spandex.  "OK, 
Mistah J... let's go."

    The black van drove off from the back of the forgotten store.  Excitement 
arose as Harley tried to guess where they were going.

***

    Bruce sat happily in his seat as he thought about how happily his life 
was turning around.  It was really changing for the better for once outside 
of his financial AND nightlife.  He had taken Dick's advice to not be so grim 
and to take life as he comes.  He had actually found happiness in the storm 
that he waged against.  The last time he was Batman was 8 months ago when he 
successful stopped the Joker from robbing one of the biggest banks in Gotham. 
 Joker got away, but Harley was there wailing as the cops took her away.  
Even Bruce had to laugh at the hilarious things she said as she was taken 
away.  Her screaming and carrying out like a baby was pretty hilarious.

    He even got over the death of Nightwing.  Instead of feeling sorry about 
it, he just decided to take the words that Dick told him and apply it to real 
life.  When remembering how Nightwing looked the night of his murder, Bruce 
decides he should lift more weights and run more miles.  He learned how to 
cope with his anger.  Whether it was how Alfred looked when age finally 
caught up with him 5 years ago or how Bruce was struggling in the hospital 
for a little while, Bruce always pushes it out of his head.  It was now the 
person he was, not the person he was pretending to be.  He was finally happy.

    Hearing a knock on the door, Bruce quickly got up to answer.  A tingling 
feeling took over him.  It was fear.  He actually feared something.  He was 
becoming more human everyday.

    "Who is it?"  He asked, being cautious to open the door.  

    Bruce jumped back as he saw bullets shoot through the fragile door.  
Kicking it down, the Joker himself walked in.  "Who is it?  Who is it?  It's 
me, your old friend, who else?"  Hugging him closely, Harley walked in with a 
dreamlike eyes.

    "Please leave me alone.  I've never messed with you in my life."

    "Cut the BS," Joker yelled as he puffed away on his cigar.  "We both know 
your Batman.  I know it, you know it-"

    "-I didn't know it!" Harley screamed unexpectedly in a 'dumb blonde' type 
voice.

    "Well, now you know," Joker shouted, covering his ears.  "But don't 
worry," Joker    said, calming down.  "You identity's safe with us.  We'll 
just ransack the place and take some things."  Opening the front door, Joker 
waved for the others to make there move.  Walking in the house, the thugs 
quickly threw over everything that look not very valuable and picked up 
everything that was.  "I like these suits" he exclaimed as he took them out 
of the closet.

    "Too bad they're too big for you, huh?" Bruce joked.

    "Laugh all you want," the clown smiled back.  "Tie him to the chair."

    After a while, Bruce was connected to the chair with a heavy piece of 
rope.  "What do you want from me?"  Bruce said angrily.  "I haven't been 
Batman in almost a year."

    "That's the point!"  The joker yelled.  "Do you know how boring it is 
now?  I lost what keeps me going.  I've lost what really matters to me ... if 
you survive this, come back as Batman.  Come back and try to catch me.  You 
are my greatest enemy ... are you tired of fighting or what?"

    "It doesn't really matter to me," Bruce said.  "If I die here, the police 
will take care of you."  

    "Ha, they can't do anything.. I haven't been to Arkham in years."

    "If you're so good, why did you leave Harley behind?"  Bruce grinned.

    Silence fell between the two.  Was the romance failing?  Was money 
becoming more important than themselves together?  

    "Burn the place down."  Joker finally said.  The left the giant mansion 
and left off on another mission, counting the money they won from the episode 
they faced.

    As the last one out closed the door, it seemed that the fire got louder 
and higher.    Bruce tried to think of how he would escape.  Would he die 
like Nightwing to the hands of Joker?  Or would he suffer from a disability 
for the rest of his life like Barbara?  He didn't even have to think of these 
questions.  The only priority was to escape.  Knowing his strength, he pulled 
his arms as far apart from the rope as he could.  Grabbing onto the loops, he 
tried to untie the complicated knots.  It was no use ... for now.  He had 
been in many situations like this as Batman, but it seemed the nonchalant 
attitude of the Bat was what he needed to escape.

    Feeling the smoke get thicker, he pulled the chair to the floor.  It was 
a very strong chair and it didn't break.  At least, he thought, the smoke 
wasn't bothering him anymore.  He dangled and flicked at the rope, and he 
felt it rip a little.  He overestimated the rope.  He chucked to himself when 
he found out all he had to do was lift the rope over the chair.  Did the 
Joker himself know Bruce would be so eager to escape the rope that he would 
make the situation more difficult than it was?  He couldn't help but asked 
himself.  

    Slowly walking to avoid the fire, Bruce coughed at he got closer and 
closer to the door.  The ceiling started to collapse, but he didn't care.  He 
was almost out.  Then, he noticed something.  The Batman suit laid on the 
floor.  Bruce suggested that the Joker had the intentions of giving Bruce one 
more chance.  Bruce picked up the suit which almost burnt in the debris of 
the falling ceiling.  Then, he turned to the door.  It was broken down.  He 
was so close.  Then, looking up, as if in slow motion, he saw the ceiling 
above him fall down.  He managed to whisper, "basterd".

    The sounds of the debris falling on the floor where heard outside of the 
inferno.        




    The last night had been long and tiring.  Harley raised from the morning 
sheets covering the bed, pulling her robe on as she scratched her neck.  Her 
yawns broke out spontaneously.  The essence of last night's strong perfume 
still lingered around in it's almost pure form.  After a few seconds 
scratching her head, Harley smiled as she noticed her environment ... home.

    Turning her head to look at Joker's pale face embedded in a pillow, she 
sighed as she found he was nowhere to be found.  After thinking about laying 
down for a while, she shook her head.  Harley grabbed the romote, surfing 
rapidly through the channels watching them fly up in frames.  She finally 
came to the news, which still hadn't slowed down on the whole Bruce Wayne 
story.  They still had no suspects, his body wasn't found (which wasn't 
surprising to her), and the recordings of the burnt mansion's aftermath 
littered the screen.  Somehow she was neither bored nor felt sensation as she 
looked at the screen, she just didn't care.

    Stretching her arms as she stood up, she slowly walked up to the nearby 
dresser.  It was now covered with money, jewelry, and much more than it had 
been two months ago.  At first, they filled Harley with delight to tangle 
them in her delicate hands.  It still had that effect, but Harley had more on 
her mind as well.  

    The door opened as Joker walked in, mumbling under his breath as he 
looked angrily at the floor hidden beneath the mammoth pile of objects.  He 
sat himself on the bed, covering his eyes with his right hand as his head 
tilted downward.  

    "What's wrong, muffin'?"  Harley said, massaging his shoulders a bit.

    He looked at her with his angered eyes, trying not to yell.  "I'm just 
tired, that's all.  When you work, you get tired."  Remembering something, he 
pulled a ring out of his pocket.  "Here you go."

    "Um, hey ... thanks," her boredom was read all across her face.  The 
money, food, and little extras were getting them by.  The Batman and his 
legacy had been out of their hair lately.  Yet, even with all these benefits, 
she found nothing satisfying anymore.  

    She felt a cold shiver as Joker pulled away from her touch.

    "Not now, don't you see I'm busy?" he groaned.  The hostility was getting 
worse day by day.  The TV no longer played a background as Joker shot the 
screen out, looking at the paper held up in his hand.  Usually it would have 
been comical, yet this time it was serious.  Smiling at the paper with eyes 
looking musingly at it, Joker finally folded it up.  "Well, that's that."  
Looking at Harley sigh as she looked at the TV blow smoke through the room, 
he chuckled sincerely.  Taking his hand, he did a nice little loving punch to 
her jaw.  "Don't be so upset, kiddo ... it's all just business, OK?"  She 
couldn't help but smile as he walked outside the door.  Even though it felt 
pretty good, the feelings of being unwanted still shined inside of her.
*****

    The night was filled with the usually sirens running through the streets 
and rain shot from the dark sky.  As the car rode through the wet lights 
shining through the car window, Harley rested her hand on her shoulders.  
Joker snuck a few hugs and kisses in as Harley couldn't help but giggle at 
the successful attempts.  Even so, she still continued to sink deep into her 
fragile arms, looking at the world drowning outside the window.

    A red light quickly flashed on Harley's eyes as the car turned into the 
parking lot.  A strange sensation flew into her as they reached the 
destination.  Pulling over her motley hood, she looked intrigued.  The 
greasepaint ran smoothly on her face as she applied red lipstick on her soft 
lips.  The costume filled her with great confidence a lot with the Joker 
finally paying attention to her instead of ignoring her.

    Standing in the shade of the nearby building, Harley laughed as she now 
became a center of attention.  She became a new person, playing a dunce.  
Then, escaping the mood she was in, she felt like asking, "What was on that 
paper earlier?" but it was not very important to her.

    "We're going to have fun tonight," he said, tickling her chin.  "Tonight 
it will just be you and me, I promise."

    "Really, Mistah J?"  Her smile stretched on her face as she looked him in 
his eyes.

    "Of course," he said in a mild manner, pointing to the museum in front of 
them.  "We'll get that jewel we've had our eyes on for a while ... believe 
me, it will be great.  We've had your eyes on it for a while, haven't we 
dear?"

    Smiling, she hugged him as he patted her on the back.  "Let's go," she 
grinned.  Her slick tampering caused the door to open with no problem at all. 
 Taking a yo-yo out of her pocket, she quickly hit the camera on the side of 
the wall, causing it to smash to the ground.  Sighing with boredom, she 
looked at the Joker with honorable pleasure. "Here ya go, puddin'."  As she 
was awarded with a friendly tug on the ear, she felt Joker's hostile shell 
lifting off. 

    Walking around the wide museum, they finally came across what they were 
looking for.  Red lights surrounded the priceless treasure, waiting to catch 
an unfortunate thieve.  Using graceful movements, Harley finally got to the 
plump aged gold, taking it into her hands.

    The alarm triggered.

    Trying to run out, Harley noticed a camera she missed, one that brought 
her skills live to the security room.  

    "Damn!" she exclaimed as she found herself surrounded by guards.  
Throwing the jewel at Joker's command, Harley felt her heart drop as Joker 
grabbed it and ran off.  Her heart almost broke as Joker handed a fake 
salute.  

    Before the guards could follow him, they were all kicked down, lying 
unconscious on the floor by a still loyal Harley.  Running down the hallway, 
she tried to look for him as she came closer to the door.  When she opened 
the door, her mouth gaped as she saw the car drive off at an amazing speed.  
She stood in the rain, losing all though and feeling all betrayal.  She was 
left alone.

    The police followed closely behind her, firing rapidly.  Dodging the 
fire, she cut corners as her mind raced to find the right direction.  As if 
in seconds, she found herself running through the rain.  Passing vehicles 
screeched as her breath drowned out all sound.  Only the lightposts shed 
light through the dead street.  She moved like fire on her strong legs, 
escaping the scene.

    Climbing to the top of a tenement, she looked as the police car's sirens 
echoed in Gotham.  Lying down, she blew another breath in relief.  The rain 
dropping on her shoulders calmed her down.  Jumping from one roof to another, 
she continued the run.

    Opening the doors of the dark abandoned store, she dropped on the floor.  
She felt so tired, so ready to relax.  Pulling her suit off, she sort of felt 
more sad when she put her nightgown on.  Even though she admired the opulent 
gown, she couldn't feel better.  Her hair flowed down her peach like neck.  

    Her mood was put on hold by the two whispering voices in her bedroom.  
    Harley opened the door slowly taken a peek inside.  She was surprised to 
find another woman sitting on the bed, dressed in a motley clad suit quite 
identical to Harley.  She showed it off to Joker, who looked with the same 
nonchalant look that he use to give Harley.  Harley's heart dropped as her 
mind went over the words.  Use to...depression came over her.  Leaning 
against the wall outside the room, she thought it best not to burst in.  She 
meant to keep it that way, to hide herself until she left.  At least Harleen 
wanted it that way...not to burst in, not to make a scene.  

    Then again, the wild side started kicking in.

    Opening the door, she smirked a sly smile at the newcomer.  There were no 
fake greetings or hellos.  Just a few words.

    "Who's the tramp?"

    The Joker's glance turned away, trying to avoid the situation.

    The new girl laid an evil grin at Harley.  She started looking her up and 
down as she found a new spot on the bed facing her.  "Hmmm...no wonder why 
the fire died ... there was none in the first place."

    Harley quirked an eyebrow at her as her teeth let out a frown.  "Why 
don't you just get out... I have to attend a little talk."

    Sighing with rolling eyes, the intruding woman laid slouching on the bed. 
 "I'm more important than you, so maybe I should stay."

    "Can it, sister," Harley said, knocking the girl unconscious with a gun 
connected to a boxing glove.  Harley walked slowly to the Joker with a sly 
slime.  Sitting down on the bed, her sly smile turned into an angry sneer.  
"I hope your having fun."

    "Harley," he said, grabbing her chin with a playful smile, "believe me, 
I'm only having fun."

    "With someone else," she said, her hand shaking angrily on the bed.

    He shook his finger in her face.  "Awwww, come on ... who do I have love 
with?  Who's laughs with me as I have people fall to their deaths with smiles 
on their faces?"

    Harley's eyes drifted down at the girl on the floor.  With sad eyes, she 
picked herself up and walked out.  Then, she looked at all the money in the 
room.  It was the only thing they actually had to share together.  Other than 
that, she was used only when she was wanted, and that time didn't come often.

    She walked into the living room and turned on the TV. It was the news.  
More on the case.  Old Bruce was finally announced dead after finding his 
body.  The debris from the mansion was all over the screen.  Harley looked 
blankly at the images.  This time, a feeling of disappointment entered her 
mind, the last feeling she thought she'd get from a day like this.  The times 
she enjoyed most with the Joker was being chased by Batman.  They would 
slaughter groups with numerous weapons from guns and knifes to bombs and 
gases and then wait for him to catch them himself.  The Joker drove her to 
insanity just as she thought Batman probably kept the Joker going.

    The Joker walked out of the room, rubbing his chin.

    "So where's the other girl?" Harley said, looking around.  

    "I... kicked her out."

    "Good," she said, lying her arm across the top of the couch, "Leave."  
She didn't want him to leave, but she didn't want to seem weak.  Her heart 
was broken and the last thing she would want was to be pushed to the side 
like always.

    Walking up to her, he lightly ruffled her cheek with a smile.  "I love 
you ... that's the difference.  I was only talking to her ... nothing else."

    He started to kiss her neck.

    "She was wearing my extra suit ... and you left me out there alone."  
Harley came up with every excuse she could, trying to not give in to her 
urges.  As he kissed more longer on her neck, she felt herself split into two 
forces: the exasperated and the frail.  Refusing to not give in, she threw 
him to the floor where the hyenas jumped over him, mauling at his clothes 
playfully.

    "I hope you enjoy that stupid priceless jewel," she screamed, "because I 
don't even want it.  I never get what I want anyway ... what I really want."  
She placed her hands on her curved hips.

    "Hey ... Harl ..." Joker called struggling from the floor.  

    "What?"  Harley looked at him as he tried to pull himself from off the 
floor.

    "They listen to you more ... call them off."

    "Let me think," Harley said with a smirk.  Pretending to think for a sec, 
her face quickly plastered a dark red smile over the greasepaint.  "No."  
Taking her foot, she pushed him in.
                                        
    She sat in her chair watching his suit ripping in the jackal's mouths.  
Sighing, she decided to call them off.  Whistling over to them, she pulled 
out a steak and threw it on the floor.  Grabbing the couch with quivering 
fingers, Joker slowly pulled himself up.  "Tha ... thanks," he said, looking 
at Harley in his shredded suit.

    Pushing her anger down, she walked up to him.  She looked in his eyes and 
pointed to their room.  "Let's go and clean you up."

    Smiling, he looked into her eyes.  "Really?"  He scratched his head as he 
looked into her eyes.  "You know, that's ... pretty nice of you..."  He went 
for a kiss, but the bitch came out again.  "Don't press your luck."  Lifting 
him out, she lifted him to the bed.

    The Joker smiled as she lifted him up.  "Hmm ... that's pretty decent of 
you ... deserves a little extra, don't you think?"  He pulled up a stack of 
money from the floor.

    "I don't want money," she said, rubbing his chin. "I want people 
screaming for their lives!  I want us to take over Gotham every night!  I 
want us to be together..."  She rubbed her slender fingers on him.  Her 
beautiful figure laid lustfully by him.  She knew she was wrong.  She knew 
she shouldn't have given in so easily.  The same thing would probably happen 
over and over again.  "And this time, we won't have anyone to stop us from 
what we want..." She looked at him over her domino mask.  

    Joker looked up to her, feeling sorry that he even ignored Harley.  He 
looked her over with envious eyes.  Putting his hands on her hips, he smiled. 
 "I like that idea."  He kissed her with a very deep kiss.  "I like this 
moment."

END