Halloween: Trick or Treat

[ha_in_havoc]

The Scarecrow set him free and for that, the Joker is grateful enough to play along with his games. He could just lay low for a couple days and let the law and Batman chase Crane down tonight. Let that nut get himself caught and then make a move. He's been buttered up with presents and provided with a little amusement, though, so he'll help cause a

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[icd10f60pt7]

Harley, Jenny or whatever she's going by these days? She's not a particularly stupid girl. Overly dependant on particular people, to be sure. Her mother, once. Ivy, at the moment. Joker, she would have liked. To a certain extent, Pickman and her doctor at Arkham.

But dependant doesn't make her stupid. When she wanders off in the park, while Pamela is off doing...god only knows what with the flora of the place, it's because she's bored. Because she wants to do...something. Anything. Not necccesarily something bad, she hasn't done anything like that in so long. But something.

Which is not to say that she wants to go off with these people that would very, very much like her to go off with them. She'd honestly rather not. But it isn't as if has much choice. She could fight, and she does fight

[ha_in_havoc]

The Joker takes a break from filling smaller canisters from the larger container of fear gas he was gifted with. In some cases, he's mixing it with the nitrous in the pressurized containers. He stands from his work and, at this point, his hands and clothing carry the taint of fear gas. All of the thugs know to back away from him as they offer Harley over.

"So...ah...did any of you see under her clothes? Nice isn't it?"
He smiles, being friendly and conversational. Just 'guy talk'. At least until one of them smiles and laughs. Before he gets one word out, the clown shoots him in the forehead and drops him. The other guy starts to argue he didn't do anything.
"Get out. Leave us alone

[icd10f60pt7]

There was probably a time in two odd months since the escape that she woke up, looked at the ceiling and wondered if she should just get the hell out of Gotham. Clearly and obviously, that thought was dismissed as utter nonsense. Because she's here, wherever here is.

And Pam is not. Joker is, but Pam is not. She really, really wants to keep on with being angry at him. But that's harder when Pam isn't here. When she doesn't have a dictionary to hit him with or a pen to stab him with. Or even free hands.

A little easier, considering how he got her here, and yet.

She makes an interesting face that's probably meant to be somewhere between a glare and a look of disgust. It misses on...a few counts and lands somewhere around skeptical. "I make it hard to be friends with me. You locked me in an ambulance."

Oh Harley. That was nearly a year ago.

[ha_in_havoc]

Pam is lucky she'll ever be anywhere again. The Joker wants her dead. She's on a very special list. He just has a hands-on attitude towards those he really hates. Harley is working her way onto that list, but things will be more interesting if he can win her back...if he can have her help in taking care of that list.

"The only way any of us were going to get away, babycakes, was to split up. I thought you could handle yourself."
He looks mighty disappointed, in fact. He thought she'd do better.
"Now...you've hurt me. Attacked me. I think we're even. Or...we can be. If you want us to."
He runs one gloved hand through her hair softly, looking as gentle as he's able.
"Do you want to, Harley? Do..ah..do you still want to be friends? We're both free now. We could do some great things together."

[icd10f60pt7]

"I could handle myself. I did." She killed her guard, for one thing.

"I hurt you?" The skeptical look stays, but wavers just a little bit. Because this is confusing. Because Pam isn't here, and Pickman isn't here and she can't exactly call her doctor. Because she does want to be his friend, and she doesn't know what to do at all now. Not at all.

"...what kinds of things?"

[ha_in_havoc]

"So you did. But so much complaining. Tsk."
Yes, she killed her guard and got out of the hospital. That was very well done. But she keeps being upset about it even now? It seems so...petty.

"You turned on me. I thought we were going to be a team."
That Isley woman is a terrible influence, that much is clear. Then there's Pickman trying to violate what's clearly the Joker's...even if he doesn't want it.

"Tonight is going to be the very best Halloween ever. You could have been a part of it but...ah...I don't feel like I can trust you. This won't be where things stop, though, no... Not at all. I'm going to strip Gotham of all its pretty ordered facade. I need someone I can trust to help me. Someone who understands."
He also rather strongly needs a ...well.. left-hand girl. He's not running on all cylinders just yet, and he has a lot of lives to deconstruct. Not to mention an amusement park to get back up into working order.

[icd10f60pt7]

No doubt there's loads of things he can dislike that Isley woman for, if he's that upset about Pickman.

Harley tilts her head, watching him. Thinking about this. "I understand lots of things." And yet. A question. Possibly one she doesn't want the answer to. "Why would you trust me after Halloween?"

[ha_in_havoc]

Oh yes. Loads. They'll have a talk about that eventually.

While he's sure she does understand lots of things, he's not so sure she understands the right things. He'll finally give her a chance, though. He breaks out in a short fit of laughs at the question. His fingers play in her hair then move to stroke her cheek as he fidgets, composing himself to answer.
"Ah...well.. Tonight is too soon. I've got so much to do! So little time! But..ah...when I get back, we're gonna spend some real time together. Get to know each other better! You'd like that, right?"
And then, once they've talked enough, he'll either trust her or kill her.

[icd10f60pt7]

Fingers in her hair, on her cheek...it certainly doesn't hurt his effect over her, does it? She leans into that, her eyes wide and on him. "Yes, I'd...like that." Only the smallest amount of hesitance there. Barely even noticeable.

"Do I have to stay tied up?" And what if he gets caught again? And what if he doesn't come back. And so many other questions she has but doesn't dare actually ask.

[ha_in_havoc]

He's aware of the powers physical affection seems to have over people. It's worth it to get that extra bit of trust out of the girl. She's his. He knew that, but he needed proof. Still needs more.

"Tied up? No no. Of course not! But..ah..you'll be locked in here. And guarded. And if you try to leave....they might shoot you. I'd hate to see that happen. I won't be out too late, punkin. Don't you worry."
Harley's given a patronizing little pat to the cheek and --now that their conversation has been handled-- her hands are cut free. She's in a windowless, cement walled storage room. Does she want to assume she can make it out or that she'll get far once she does?

[icd10f60pt7]

Since she's not feeling particularly brave or stupid at the moment, she really does not want to assume either of those things. She does, however, stretch her wrists out once they're free. "I'm not worried."

Right. Not about that, anyway. "Will you tell me? What it was like, when you're back?" Since now she's all curious, and it's not as if she's about to strike up a conversation with her fanciful guards here.

[ha_in_havoc]

"Good! You shouldn't worry."
He gets up, stretching. It gives away just how much movement and strength are limited on his left side. His scars may be healing nicely and his cognitive abilities may not be at all hindered, but he's not 100% just yet.

The clown smiles when she wants to know details.
"I'll tell you all about it. We'll ah...call it a bedtime story. Maybe there will be enough of my presents from Doctor Crane left for you to play with! .. If you're lucky."

[icd10f60pt7]

The limitations are noted and filed away in her brains for future reference and possible use. Of course. And that's an interesting expression on her face when he mentions Dr Crane, isn't it? Maybe someone doesn't particularly like Dr Crane. Or Dr Stark. Or any of that particular...family. "That would be...nice?"

Something like nice, anyway.

[ha_in_havoc]

It is interesting that she doesn't like Crane. That might be useful later, or at least fun. Right now, though, Crane is useful to the Joker and Harley's opinion of the man means almost less than nothing.

"There's a good girl."

He laughs, the sound of it echoing off the walls as he leaves her behind in her little cell. From outside the door, she may be able to hear him give instructions to a guard.
"If she tries to escape, just cripple her. I don't want her dead."
Not when he's not here to do it.

[icd10f60pt7]

More incentive for her to stay put, really. So that's exactly what she'll do, barring any sort of...interuption in that.

Stay. Put.