Professor Fear III

Chapter 56

Harley was giddily skipping around a desolate high street of Gotham. Those who were around seemed to be asleep or dead - Harley couldn't tell and didn't have the interest to check. A part of her was concerned about the long term effects on the city and the people. She wondered if Mr J thought the same. After all, his whole gig was based on his interaction and theatrics for an audience. No audience meant no meaning.  The deep orange cloud seemed to be at it's thickest. Harley couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of herself most of the time.

"What's caught your mind, sugar?" Harley hadn't realised she'd stopped skipping whilst thinking of all those existential points of analysis. After a slow inhale, Harley spun on her foot in a cartoon ballerina inspired twist and skipped towards the Joker. She never gave him a warning as to when she'd fling herself into his arms but he always caught her perfectly each time.
"Nothin' Mr J," She smiled, hidden by the gas mask. "Where we headed anyways?"

"City Hall!" Joker announced, dropping Harley whilst doing so.
She glanced to the end of the street where City Hall stood tall in its worthless social construct of proposed glory.

Before their significantly not-so scenic city walk, Harley had swapped her dress for a waist-wrapping fuchsia playsuit which was more loosely bound at her chest, perhaps fashioned for more full hourglass figures - Harley's mind fluttered to Poison Ivy. She smiled and could definitely feel her rhythmic steps perking up merely at the delightful thoughts of Pam.
The temperature in Gotham had definitely increased since the gas cloud. She'd been bare faced ever since the penthouse with Daria and Ivy and spent an hour or so of that morning doing her face up with products she'd found in a few makeup shops with Mr J. They hadn't stayed long and she'd not been able to think about what she was taking. For the first time in a while, Harley supported a variation of her usual eyeshadow. Currently they were green and blue. She'd decided to go bold with an icy-silver highlight which she imagined on a clear un-fear-toxin-cloudy day, the sun would reflect off of and dazzle people into to doing her every wish.

Well... a gal can dream. Harley giggled to herself.

Joker sighed at the front doors of the City Hall. "What a dump! I think this building needs a makeover, whaddayah say Harls?" He checked his jacket for explosives. Harley expected there was more in a van nearby which Joker's boys could bring 'round.

"Sure Mista J," she shrugged, uninvested.

The two walked into the foyer of the building. A girl was sitting on the steps, pointing and flexing her toes and muttering to herself like she was dozily practicing ballet. She wore a gas mask.
Harley decided to do her social bunny thing and go talk to her. She jauntily stuck out her hand to shake or take.
"Hiya! I'm Harley Q-"

"Quinn! Get over here!"

"Nygmaa?" Harley whipped her head around, scanning for green garments. He was in a doorframe to the right of the staircase. Beside him, judging by the outfit, was The Mad Hatter. As Harley was heading towards them, Joker joined her, holding her waist.

"Well, well!" Joker cheered, "You boys are lucky I didn't have all my explosives with me, I was going to make the city hall take quite the fall!"

The Mad Hatter chuckled. Often his laughs, cries and shouts sounded forced and practised. This laugh was deep, musical and prolonged for a moment too long. "I see you speak your greetings with a rhyme, dear Joker, how delightful." He tipped his hat towards Joker and then Harley. "Good-day Miss Quinn,"
"Blow the place up? Jervis and I just spent 23hours making it our own contraption," His furrowed brows then lifted, he looked at the Joker with a smug grin. "Guess who's on the next floor up choking on his own breath."
"Is it good ol' batsy?" Joker too seemed to be swooning at the idea.
"Yes!" Jervis shouted, punctuating with another deep-set giggle and cutting off Edward from taking credit for the same response.

"Oh boys, It's like its my birthday!" Joker went skipping for the steps.
"When is your birthday?" Edward asked, then looked to Harley to supply the answer. She shrugged, blushing at the lack of knowing.
"How should I know!" The Joker laughed, dancing up the stairs and briefly copying the girl's ballet-inspired movements on the steps. "Let's say it's today!"
"Third door on the right!" Edward called after him.
"Why are you down here if the bat is upstairs?" Harley asked before trying to handstand against the wall.
"Waiting, waiting, waiting," Jervis used his hand to imitate a clock hand ticking, "for the bat to fall into delusion and bouts of confusion,"
"He's been exposed to the toxin." Edward demystified. Harley had come down from her hand stand and tried a cartwheel and handspring before deciding the floor was too smooth. Her boots held a lot of weight in them too.

"Joker can't blow this place up! I will not have my labour and creativity be trivialized," Edward addressed no one in his statement.
"I think he should do the GCPD," Harley was laying on the floor now. "They're always trying to stop us from having fun!"

"Yes, perfect, go do that," Edward crossed his arms, defensive. This lasted only seconds before his shoulders fell.
"Have you seen Ivy lately?"

Harley sat up and spun herself to face the two men. "Not for a day or so... or so, I hope it ends up like this and we all bump into each other again."
"Let's try to get the word out and all meet at a chosen location."
"Ooh yes!" Harley clapped at the idea. She missed Ivy and wondered how Daria was. Edward worried about Ivy and missed Jonathan as well. He wouldn't dare say it aloud but, perhaps socialising and time with friends was what he needed. The past few days of playing with people had been a delight.