She was still sore from being thrown off the roof weeks ago, but Leland had been certain that she'd been fine to patrol. Apparently she'd been a little overhasty. Two-face's sudden appearance was a little startling, but she couldn't say she didn't appreciate it.
"Very gentlemanly of you," she said, using the mugger's distraction to land two sharp blows to his chest.
"Oh, yes," Two-Face said with mock sincerity. "I'm always ready to assist a lady in peril."
He grinned up at her roguishly, simultaneously snapping the mugger's wrist back with appalling ease. The man howled in pain and mumbled something, possibly a plea for mercy, but Two-Face was already on his feet and striding towards Leland.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the man whom Leland had seized by the lapels of his filthy jacket. She shrugged and loosed the mugger, allowing Two-Face the final punch. The unfortunate criminals now lied in a crumpled heap in the middle of the street: perfect quarry for the GPD.
"Well, that was fun," Two-Face said cheerily. "Mind if I join you for the rest of the evening?"
"I'd hate to interrupt any important mischief you're in the middle of," Leland said, crossing her arms. Two-face probably couldn't see her raising an eyebrow, but she figured it was probably conveyed in her tone. A thought occured to her, and she narrowed her eyes.
"Also, I hear Harvey has plans to make an honest bat out of Bruce. Are you going to interfere?"
"First of all, the only 'mischief' I'm in the middle of is saving your ass, Joan," he smirked.
"Secondly, those are Bruce's plans; Dent just said 'yes'. Semantics, I suppose, but you should nonetheless be aware that your partner knows very well what he's getting himself into." Two-Face paused to adjust the collar on his jacket, trying his best to stave off the late autumn wind.
"More importantly, he's not the only one who agreed to it." Two-Face raised his left hand and pulled the sleeve of his jacket down to expose a large and rather pretty diamond ring.
"He will be so irritated when you pawn that the next time you're angry," Leland said, but she was smiling as she said it. She glanced up at the rooftops above them, and realized she should probably get back to work.
"I'd love to banter with you, but I'm supposed to be on patrol. I'm assuming Bruce is as well, since he's not with you."
Two-Face winced when Leland glared at him in response.
"Oh, no, it's not about Bruce. He's not shirking his duties or anything. It's just that, well, I wanted to ask if you might, um... letmefightcrimewithyou," he let out in a rush. At her startled look he turned away and began to pace slightly.
"I know what you're thinking - this is just another attempt to get into your pants. But I promise, it's not about that. It's not about revenge or sex or blood lust or any of the things that used to matter to me. I just... I want to do something, Joan. I want to be useful. Harvey has his job and his son and I have... Bruce. And that's about it. And I thought I might put my formidable knowledge of the criminal mind to good use. So," he halted in his steps and warily turned to face her. "What do you think?"
It definitely wasn't what Leland had been expecting. She crossed her arms, tilting her head as she looked at Two-face. She'd been about as close to him as it was possible to be to someone; hell, she'd been inside his head. But she still hadn't been expecting this.
"And that's all you want out of this?" Leland asked skeptically. "Something to do with your free time?"
"Yeah," Two-Face answered softly, but that was by no means the only reason, and he knew it.
"Yeah, that's exactly- Listen, I... I've done some bad things. God knows I've done terrible, awful, unforgivable things." He chuckled nervously, humorlessly, well aware he was making a very poor case for himself.
"But that's not all I can or want to be. Something's changed, and there's no going back. I came back not being able to bear the thought of hurting the people I - you and Bruce, Joan. So yeah, I want to help, not only because I'm bored, but because I could do something for... for the people I love."
He gazed at her thoughtfully, wondering how she would take the implied declaration. He didn't crave her like he used to, didn't want to possess or dominate her in any way. But that didn't mean he didn't love her, in his own way.
Bruce wouldn't like it. When he eventually found out, she'd no doubt be treated to a long, angry lecture that would result in both of them stomping away to their respective corners of the Manor. But Two-face had come to her, not to Bruce, and Leland figured that made it her decision.
And she liked fighting next to Two-face. She enjoyed his company, exasperating as he could be.
"How does Harvey feel about this?" Leland asked. "I'm not putting him in danger if he doesn't want it."
"I think he'll live," Two-Face said with the easy confidence of someone who already knew they were getting their way.
"It'll sure as hell beat sitting at home every night, worrying himself to death over Bruce. And hey, maybe this could be just what we need. I'd have a regular time to take over and Harvey could handle the rest, the work and daytime stuff."
Two-Face grinned and cracked his knuckles, already itching to get to work. There were few things he enjoyed more than fighting alongside Joan.
Leland sighed. This was probably a bad idea. This had a dozen different ways it could end badly.
"If you do all right tonight, I'll think about it," Leland said. Without another word, she pulled out the grappling gun and fired it to the rooftop of the building above them. She let the line pull her along with it until she stood above Two-face.
Two-Face grinned up at her, already jogging over to the fire escape.
"Yes, ma'am."
He would worry later about the risks he was taking, and Bruce's inevitable anger. But for now it felt like an old, familiar dance, a remnant of the 'predator and prey' game they had so often shared.
Two-Face was standing on the rooftop in a matter of minutes, heart pounding with excitement.
Leland was waiting for him, perched on the ledge, Gotham spread out below them. Despite herself, she felt excited. Alive. This was the start of something interesting, she could feel it.
"This should come in handy," she said, tossing Two-face a spare grappling gun. She turned to face him, the moon hanging in the sky over her shoulder. "And Two-face? What you said about wanting to help the people you love? Well...I protect the people I love. So if you get yourself killed, I'm going to be angry. Now come on." She smiled.
"Very gentlemanly of you," she said, using the mugger's distraction to land two sharp blows to his chest.
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He grinned up at her roguishly, simultaneously snapping the mugger's wrist back with appalling ease. The man howled in pain and mumbled something, possibly a plea for mercy, but Two-Face was already on his feet and striding towards Leland.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the man whom Leland had seized by the lapels of his filthy jacket. She shrugged and loosed the mugger, allowing Two-Face the final punch. The unfortunate criminals now lied in a crumpled heap in the middle of the street: perfect quarry for the GPD.
"Well, that was fun," Two-Face said cheerily. "Mind if I join you for the rest of the evening?"
Reply
A thought occured to her, and she narrowed her eyes.
"Also, I hear Harvey has plans to make an honest bat out of Bruce. Are you going to interfere?"
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"Secondly, those are Bruce's plans; Dent just said 'yes'. Semantics, I suppose, but you should nonetheless be aware that your partner knows very well what he's getting himself into." Two-Face paused to adjust the collar on his jacket, trying his best to stave off the late autumn wind.
"More importantly, he's not the only one who agreed to it." Two-Face raised his left hand and pulled the sleeve of his jacket down to expose a large and rather pretty diamond ring.
Reply
"I'd love to banter with you, but I'm supposed to be on patrol. I'm assuming Bruce is as well, since he's not with you."
Reply
Two-Face winced when Leland glared at him in response.
"Oh, no, it's not about Bruce. He's not shirking his duties or anything. It's just that, well, I wanted to ask if you might, um... letmefightcrimewithyou," he let out in a rush. At her startled look he turned away and began to pace slightly.
"I know what you're thinking - this is just another attempt to get into your pants. But I promise, it's not about that. It's not about revenge or sex or blood lust or any of the things that used to matter to me. I just... I want to do something, Joan. I want to be useful. Harvey has his job and his son and I have... Bruce. And that's about it. And I thought I might put my formidable knowledge of the criminal mind to good use. So," he halted in his steps and warily turned to face her. "What do you think?"
Reply
"And that's all you want out of this?" Leland asked skeptically. "Something to do with your free time?"
Reply
"Yeah, that's exactly- Listen, I... I've done some bad things. God knows I've done terrible, awful, unforgivable things." He chuckled nervously, humorlessly, well aware he was making a very poor case for himself.
"But that's not all I can or want to be. Something's changed, and there's no going back. I came back not being able to bear the thought of hurting the people I - you and Bruce, Joan. So yeah, I want to help, not only because I'm bored, but because I could do something for... for the people I love."
He gazed at her thoughtfully, wondering how she would take the implied declaration. He didn't crave her like he used to, didn't want to possess or dominate her in any way. But that didn't mean he didn't love her, in his own way.
Reply
And she liked fighting next to Two-face. She enjoyed his company, exasperating as he could be.
"How does Harvey feel about this?" Leland asked. "I'm not putting him in danger if he doesn't want it."
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"It'll sure as hell beat sitting at home every night, worrying himself to death over Bruce. And hey, maybe this could be just what we need. I'd have a regular time to take over and Harvey could handle the rest, the work and daytime stuff."
Two-Face grinned and cracked his knuckles, already itching to get to work. There were few things he enjoyed more than fighting alongside Joan.
Reply
"If you do all right tonight, I'll think about it," Leland said. Without another word, she pulled out the grappling gun and fired it to the rooftop of the building above them. She let the line pull her along with it until she stood above Two-face.
"So try to keep up."
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"Yes, ma'am."
He would worry later about the risks he was taking, and Bruce's inevitable anger. But for now it felt like an old, familiar dance, a remnant of the 'predator and prey' game they had so often shared.
Two-Face was standing on the rooftop in a matter of minutes, heart pounding with excitement.
This is more like it.
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"This should come in handy," she said, tossing Two-face a spare grappling gun. She turned to face him, the moon hanging in the sky over her shoulder. "And Two-face? What you said about wanting to help the people you love? Well...I protect the people I love. So if you get yourself killed, I'm going to be angry. Now come on." She smiled.
"We've got work to do."
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