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Arkham City - Chapter 1

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Another crystallized droplet leafed out from the celestial overhanging, drifting down from its halcyon refuge until it passed into the putrid atmosphere of Arkham city. Drifting down, down and down until a blast of sulfur-scented embers roared from a chimney and instantly incinerated its existence. The dwarfed conflagration had spawned from the industrial-sized chimneys that continuously toked out pollutants, fire and billowing, black smoke; they belonged to the steel mill of the city. From the seemingly barren streets, criminals, thugs, murderers and rapists loomed around every corner as they waited for a potential victim. Almost every criminal in the city belonged to a "pack", staking territory out like a rival wolf tribes. Three main groups dominated the city – fighting for their right to claim the city as theirs.

The first group belonged to the infamous Cobblepot, more famously known as the Penguin. The man had a wretched attitude and an even more rancid history. Once Arkham asylum had been sold for profit, and Arkham City was erected, the Penguin and his crew held up in the museum of the city. Cobblepot spent minutes, hours and days watching as his group members clobbered and slaughtered one another to achieve ultimatum in his crew. If you lived, you moved up – lost and you were considered fish bait for his shark, Tiny. The Penguin continued on, uncaring of anyone other than himself, elevating himself to the point of almost narcissism. However, no matter how much the Penguin continued to second-handedly murder his crew or achieve a self-nominated position of a god, "The Bat" still was active opposition. Batman had infiltrated the museum, rescued Mister Fries, and ruthlessly taken out his best men with his high-tech gadgets and supreme combat skills. It had infuriated him, and more importantly humiliated him – leaving him on display in his own building of collections.

The second group belonged to Two-Face, formally known as Harvey Dent and his prize-winning handsome looks. After half of his complexion had been distinguished with disfiguring and macabre scars, he had become obsessed with duality, favoring to leave the lives of people in the hands of his weighted coin – one side replicated his grotesque looks. After Two-Face had finally gotten his hands on the wretched Catwoman and claimed back what she had squandered away from Hugo's vault, his victory was short-lived. Humiliating the woman had not been enough, searing her swarthy skin from her ossified skeleton was what would make his blood settle back to a simmer. Her legs had been noosed above the corrosive bath, and yet his act of vengeance was severed as Batman glided down from the ceiling and flipped the odds against the former Harvey Dent. The swooning Catwoman draped herself over her savior as Two-Face became her replacement above the hazardous concoction. For once, the coin had not jeopardized the fates.

The final group of cronies belonged to the Clown himself and his deranged harlequin princess; Harley Quinn. The thugs in his group were privileged, given access to high-powered artillery and ammunition that were graciously given to them by Hugo Strange himself. All the thugs had to do was be wary of Batman and spill his blood while the ailment-stricken Joker and his Harley were able to escape and find a doctor capable of finding a cure for the "J". Unfortunately, no miracle doctors could conjure up a cure for the Joker, and he was forced to use Batman as a last resort. Playing his illness to his benefit he injected Batman with a sample of his blood, knowing that it would serve as a catalyst to The Bat and force him to locate a cure once his blood mingled with the biohazardous sample. Once Batman had regained consciousness from the grizzly procedure and been informed of the protocols that would save both of them, he had fled in a timely manner, leaving the Joker and Harley to thread out their time and cajole their men with the false hopes that the Joker had suddenly been remedied using Clayface as a stand-in. As the color fled from the Joker's skin, his emerald spiced hair thinned, his face grew gaunt and his health degenerated, Harley's heart weighed her down both mentally and psychologically dulling her wits and murderous demeanor.

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It had been years previous to the predicament where the Joker's body lied in infirmed ruins, years when Harley Quinn was Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel. The blonde woman had gotten through the majority of both undergraduate and received a psychiatric internship at Gotham City's medical school based strictly on her charm and feminine attributes, while also receiving superior grades. She also rode on a scholarship that was awarded to her due to her dedicated gymnastic skills.

Harleen had been in her office, quietly sipping on some herbal tea. Her onyx-framed glasses settling softly on her tiny nose, sliding up her face only when she sipped from her mug. She sighed restlessly, fixing her golden hair into a tightly arranged bun on the top of her perfectly groomed scalp. Her ivory lab-coat was far longer than her barely modest, raven black skirt she frequently sported at work. Her top was modest enough, a scarlet blouse with a woman's black tie dangling gently around her slender neck. She picked up a file that had long been forgotten on her desk and opened the cream hued folder. A photograph of a rather muscular man was paper-clipped to the interior of the folder. His body flourished with pink scars, peppering what seemed to be his entire body. Her celadon eyes scrolled down to his name, Zsasz. She studied the photograph a long time before exhaling deeply.

"Fascinating." A faint Brooklyn accent drizzled from her word as she draped one, obsidian, heeled foot onto her desk and daintily crossed her other leg over her opposing knee. The door suddenly swung open wildly and three of the head doctors bustled in, collecting their files, papers and various other miscellanea. Harleen rose from her reclining position as a doctor shot her a look of grievance. "What's all the commotion about?" She strolled over to the hustling doctors. Hugo Strange, a very prominent psychiatrist, abruptly turned to her and spoke in his velvet voice.

"We are going to study the patients in Arkham asylum." He paused shortly and mulled for a moment before he shot her another look from behind what seemed opaque spectacles. "You are coming with us too. It will provide you with excellent experience and allow you to view more…well we'll just say more fascinating patients." He gave Harleen a wry smile before dismissing her as he passed by her. Another doctor handed her several stacks of files and a briefcase and hustled her out the door.

The Gotham City police escorted Harleen and the other doctors to Arkham Asylum. Among the two officers that were in the car, police commissioner Jim Gordon was present. His face sagged with years of stress and age, his salt and pepper mustache only adding a geriatric quality. Harleen shifted slightly, peering out through the windshield as they came to a halt at the gates in front of the asylum. An officer clad in white waved to the officer driving and they wheeled through and proceeded to the parking lot. As the officers and doctors exited the car Harleen paused momentarily as she watched a salacious looking woman being towed into the building by two very large officials – she displayed little resistance.

"Come on boys, you can perform a pat-down if you really want me to prove I have nothing to hide in these super tight clothes…" her voice was akin to a purr and her eyes glowed like scintillating shards of malachite. She trailed her spectacular eyes over to Harleen and gave her an almost seductive grin as the guards roughly shoved her past the doctors.

Before Harleen had time to say anything, one of the doctors leaned over to her. "That's Selina Kyle, better known as Catwoman. She's a jewel thief; we're not quite sure why she is here for psychiatric evaluation to be honest. It was at Hugo's request, er Dr. Strange's request." Harleen continued to study her, Sleina's hips sashaying as she sauntered in front of the two guards. "Rumor has it that she's extremely talented in combat skills, she's even sided with Batman before on certain occasions." The doctor nodded sagely as if to affirm these tell-tale tales.

The officers, Jim Gordon, Harleen and the other doctors approached the front desk, Harleen's heels making their trepidation a cacophony in the barren, titled halls. Hugo turned on his heel and folded his hands behind his back, an almost creepy smile adorning his face as he started to speak in a pleased voice. "Remember, we are here to help these patients, we are guests here, not intruders. Let's be sure we show them as much respect as we would except to receive." As he turned back around, the guard pressed a button and a horrid, droning noise pierced the air as the wrought iron gate was opened from a guard on the opposing side.

Harleen followed behind the doctor she interned for, Dr. Joan Leland, as they passed a cell with an inmate that was huddled in the shadows of the cell. He cradled what appeared to be a decrepit hat, mumbling gibberish about white rabbits and Alice, tears trickling down his face all the while. The doctor hurried Harleen along before she was noticed. They continued to pass various cells, each one confiscating a lunatic more erratic than the last. At last they ceased their search in front of a cell that held a lanky man with a twisted grin. His eyes glowed devilishly and there appeared to be question marks chiseled into the tiled walls.

"Riddle me this!" His exclamation was so sudden that Harleen flinched slightly. The man's grin widened even more when he saw her reaction. "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? Answer my riddle and maybe I'll let you talk to me." The doctor glared at Harleen, scolding her silently as she shook her head.
"This is Edward Nigma. He's obsessed with riddles and puzzles and is narcissistic enough to think his intellect surpasses anyone else." Harleen peered in at Edward, tilting her head to the side slightly, his stone-cold grin still plastered on his lips as their eyes met momentarily. "Miss Quinzel! You are listening to me?!" The doctor strictly demanded her attention, though she continued to focus on Edward.

"Footsteps." The doctor's face bloomed with cinnabar pigment as her frustration mounted before she saw Edward's face drop with disappointment and adopt a moue, soured apparently by Harleen's comment. Suddenly the doctor brightened and signaled down the hall at guard to hurry over with the keys to grant her access.

"Ha! That's why you're my intern, you are absolutely brilliant at times. Good work Miss Qunizel. Would you like to sit in on our session with Mr. Nigma?" Harleen leered at the back of the doctor, her cheeks burning with scarlet as she directly insulted her intellect. She balled her dainty hands into fists behind her back, but only gave her a feminine smile.

"No thank you doctor. I think I will observe the other patients here and analyze them." Without waiting for a reply she quickly volte-faced the doctor, keeping a stiff upper lip as she stormed off down the hall. She gritted her teeth, irritation veiling over her face as she continued to tear down the hall, not even sparing a glance at the lunatics that raved at her from their cells – she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and emotions until a whistle pierced the burdensome atmosphere. Harleen halted momentarily and scrutinized the proximal area to locate where the sound spawned from.

When none of the inmates seemed to be the source of the noise, she sluggishly started to move again. When the jaunty tune was bugled once more she whipped around to stare at one inmate in particular. The man was very thin, his legs seemingly stilts and his arms almost disproportionate. He was dressed in a very expensive looking, indigo, crushed velvet suit. He adorned a canary yellow flower on the jacket, and an emerald green bow-tie around his neck. His onyx, leather shoes advanced a solitary step as she gained better access to view his facial features. His crown was topped with magnificent jade locks that curled suavely around the frame of his face which was ivory in hue. His eyes were glistening pools, coal-black rings encircling them and giving them an almost sunken look. His smile, was haunting, yet sickly charming. His perfectly straight, enameled arch glistened sharply against his cherry red lips. Branching off the corners of his mouth, grotesque scars were carved into a foul curve that seemed to imitate a grin.

He leaned against the side of his room, staring into those cerulean chilled eyes of Harleen. She glanced away momentarily, only to have her eyes practically gravitate back to him. He seemed to be perfectly sedated: calm. He stuck his hands in his pockets and crossed one leg over the other casually as he braced the majority of his mass against the barricade and gave her a twisted grin. Harleen could feel her cheeks once again start to flare with heat and she quickly hurried back to the cell that held Dr. Leland and the Mr. Nigma. She stole one last glance at the man behind the glass who continued to stare at her until she was completely out of his line of sight.

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The Joker had been quite bored, being locked away again this damn cell – granting him time to contemplate and dwell, nothing more. He had caught word that the doctors, specifically psychologists and psychiatrists, were visiting their establishment today. Those morons didn't know how to take a joke! He stared at his reflection, his facial features grinning back with a grizzly expression. "My my, aren't we a handsome fellow? Keep on smilin' handsome!" He laughed whole-heartedly as he turned on his heel and began to bounce softly between his toes and heels of his finely polished shoes.

As he began to rock, he pursed his contorted lips and started to whistle out a jocund tune. When the invariable notes escaped he noticed a blonde doctor he did not recognize. Not like that stiff bitch that insisted that his history of his traumatic past was nothing more than a white lie, which is exactly what it was. On several accounts he would have strangled her with his cuffs, though they captivated him in a straightjacket instead – making mobility only a fantasy. The blonde looked around wildly as he momentarily ceased his whistling. Once she started to shuffle along once more he whistled a sharp and abrasive sound.

This time the tiny female whipped around and practically raped him with her eyes – that guy in the mirror would have been jealous. Her actions made his smile curl into something that was a mix between murderous amusement and disgust. Her gawking was making him feel like some circus freak, oh wait a second. Haha! Why so serious? He sauntered over to the wall and lounged against it in a lackadaisical demeanor, continuing to bare down on her with his own look of fascination. He was quite virgin to the emotions of a young woman anymore these days, though he spotted the crimson stain on her cheeks. As soon as her cheeks were swollen with a blush, he could feel a spark ignite deep within him. His cruel smile only widened as she bustled off elsewhere.

Perfect. She was going to be perfect. Fresh meat, malleable, naive, putty in his god damned hands! The mere way she looked at him distinguished and differentiated her from any other doc he had observed. Softly, he started to giggle, a tiny sound deep in his throat. It soon became a crescendo of hysterical and maniacal laughter as he pounded his fist against the wall. He was barley able to contain his ecstasy as his sat in the gloom of his cell, that grin almost glowing as he plotted anew.
Soooo, lately I've been a little obsessed with Batman and the Harley Quinn and Joker gag. I decided to write a fanfic with them and how they came about to be partners in crime, lovers and whatever the hell you can classify them as. I wrote this in the spare time I had when I was without the internet and cell phone. I will cotninue to write and keep stacking up drawings until I am able to get my desktop working again and fix my laptop. Sorry for those of you that don't read my stories, or that hate Batman. Anyways. enjoy. It's bound to be packed with love, drama, action, gore, sex, violence, and everything else you can think of when you think of Gotham.

I also tried to incorporate all the portrayals of the Joker from the movies, to the anime to the video game. The main plot of the story (the intro) is based on the latest Batman game that was introduced for the Xbox-360 and PS3. Anyways, if you like Harley and Joker as much as I do, support this fanfic damnit, xD.

Characters and settings and story history - (c) DC comics

Writing - (c) :iconxtinglex:
© 2012 - 2024 xTinglex
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