A change of venue

[ha_in_havoc]

It was time to move. Eddie was out of Arkham and, no doubt, working to hunt down his favorite doctor. The clever little bastard was bound to find the hideout sooner or later. The Joker would rather it be sooner and be able to plan, than have later be a surprise...so he stepped up the timetable himself

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[notatvcharacter]

Luke has settled with only minor fuss into the role of captive doctor. He's not happy about the whole mess, but he's practical enough to know that until he's found, or sees an opening for escape (or is killed -- always, he knows, a distinct possibility) he's stuck being dragged around by the lunatic. And that's all there is to it.

It was interesting to learn that Harley was taken too, and the Joker's stated reasons (or lack thereof) why. And the possible real reasons. Very interesting. Talking to the girl herself, and watching the two of them interact, has the possibility of being the same.

"Dr. Quinzel," he greets her, as he's nudged into the van, and sits. At the Joker's remark, his attention shifts. "Do you even -- have you ever had a license?"

Not that he's nervous, of course. Or has any kind of fear of machinery controlled by people who aren't him. Not at all.

[icd10f60pt7]

That's exactly what she thinks he should do, but. Whatever Luke wants. "I'm fine." And she's certainly not going to say otherwise. "What now?"

[ha_in_havoc]

He sits the walkie on the dash so he can see and hear if it goes off again. Luke's phone is in his hands being turned over and over to burn off nervous energy while he waits for something to happen.

"No injuries, doctor McCoy. Just..ah..a little rough on the ribs."
The clown shrugs and tosses the phone a few times, catching it with the same hand.

"Now's the hard part. Waiting. It'll be over soon and we can get to a nice. new. place. where we'll get you both set up."
There's a tension to his voice. He's only half there for this conversation. His mind's back at the park and he wishes he was there to see it. He just knows he couldn't get away right now. Not from Batman. Maybe not even from Eddie. He's too slowed up.

[notatvcharacter]

Luke sees his phone in Johnny's hands, and his stomach sinks. He has a feeling, a sneaking suspicion he can't place the source of, that this is worse than he suspected before. (If he had solid recollection of the texts Eddie made before, instead of them being lost in those little holes he swears the nitrous ate in his brain, it wouldn't help at all.)

"Is that so?"

He can't think of anything else to say. No wisecracks. He calls back on psychiatric autopilot, instead.

[icd10f60pt7]

Part of her wishes the doors of this van did open from the inside. Wonders how far they could get if they tried to run, with the Joker this slowed up. And part of her doesn't even want to think about it.

So she just keeps watching Luke, eyeing him. Trying very hard to evaluate this situation.

"It won't fail? Your plan or trap or whatever you've set up? No room for error?"

[ha_in_havoc]

The clown reels around to glare into the back when Harley questions his plan. He doesn't need this kind of doubt from her.

"It won't fail. No matter what happens, anyway, we're fine."
That's why they're away from the park. That's why they're hidden and ready to get moving again at a moment's notice. Long enough with radio silence and he's going to get them moving, anyway.

He taps his fingers on the phone, then there's finally noise over the radio and he takes it up, stepping just outside the door of the van to talk.

[notatvcharacter]

McCoy braces for violence when Harley opens her mouth, but he ends up pleasantly surprised. For now. He's quiet until the Joker leaves the van. Then...

"You're damn lucky," he says sharply to his fellow captive, keeping his voice low. "Are you trying to piss him off?" There's concern on his face, though. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt. (Or, if that's impossible, he wants it at least kept to the bare minimum.)

[icd10f60pt7]

She looks at him for a moment, and shrugs. "Maybe." Maybe she is. Violence is still a reaction, isn't it? Violence is still attention, of a sort. Attention on her and off of Luke couldn't be a terrible thing, she thinks. "Maybe I am. What of it?"

[ha_in_havoc]

The clown stays outside the van, pacing. It keeps him calm and even for what he has to say and what needs doing. A few instructions, some waiting, then a phone call.

Outside, he raises his voice a little at a phone with no one on the other end.
"Piiick up, Eddie!"

Then there's the frustration of texting. Sheesh.

[notatvcharacter]

Luke grimaces, when he hears the shouting outside. Damn. It's Eddie, something to do with... he hopes to Hell the boy is smart enough to get out of this one.

But he doesn't let that bad news deter him from a good lecture. He shakes his head at Harley. "'less you're trying to get yourself killed, hurting his pride ain't a good plan."

[icd10f60pt7]

"Tell me what's better, then. Most of the time I don't even want to be here anymore. So tell me what's better." Because she sure as hell can't see it at the moment. "He's going to kill everyone that Eddie knows."

And then what? And then who?

"

[notatvcharacter]

"Usually, I'd be congratulating you. Right now..." he steals a glance out the window, checking that Johnny's still occupied, "right now, the first concern is staying alive. You can't run if you're dead. He's got some reason for grabbing you and bringing you along. Figure it out. Use it."

It's not really good advice to give someone with her disorder, no. But if it keeps her alive, the rest can be dealt with later. Right?

"He said that? About Eddie?" Damn it.

[icd10f60pt7]

"He probably wants to kill everyone I know too." She says this fairly lightly, considering the topic. "Eddie knows a lot more people, though."

Because that's the important thing, right? "Use it how?"

[ha_in_havoc]

From the sound of it, the clown finally got Eddie on the line. That or he's talking to himself. He leans against the van and the occasional word can be made out.

"...should move....cut short....."
There's a pause for Eddie's rambling.
"He'd survive!" is said loudly and with more passion than the rest of the talk so far.

[notatvcharacter]

Another glance out of the van, at that outburst -- no two guesses who Johnny's talking about there.

Then back to Harley. He shakes his head, at her question. He doesn't know enough about her, about why she's here, to make properly educated guesses. "However you can."

[icd10f60pt7]

Harley gives him a look, and then glances back out the window. "What if I can't?"