Hi Guys, I'm finally getting into the swing of things and I believe my writing is improving. That or I'm just enjoying myself again. I want to thank everyone who is keeping up to date with this story and for you guys I'll try and upload as often as possible. Obviously, reviews (positive and negative) are appreciated and will motivate me to work faster and hopefully produce better quality work for you.

Thanks again

TheSoundwave1234

Harley had been to Arkham before, multiple times. As a doctor she had the power to save, that's what she loved about the job, power. More specifically, the power to rescue the deranged and the dangerous from the darkest descent of all, insanity. That was what probably drew Harley to the Joker in the first place. It definitely wasn't his looks: those red lips, yellow teeth, and that twisted smile. No, it was the look in his eyes. That animal vision that darted and shook, back and forth. Always staring – staring straight through you. So she opened Pandora's Box. All it took was a couple of weeks before Joker was inside her mind, and only a few days before she opened his cell. The story about an abusive father resonated with Harley and his belief in her to 'do great things' led her into his clutches. She was helpless really, powerless. As when the Joker has eyes for you, it's only a matter of time before he has you…

They were here. A few more footsteps and three painted thugs ran into the cell blocks, fully armed with an assortment of weapons. Body armour, assault rifles, knives? These were Joker's crew. Not the typical volunteers from Blackgate, these animals were just as twisted as the devil himself. They just lacked independence, or brains for that matter. She recognised their names instantly. She was supposed to take them to the Gardens for Joker's 'special treatment', the V.I.P.s on Harley's cursed party list.

She dropped the gun quickly and scrubbed her eyes with her hair. She wanted the mess to at least appear intentional. With difficulty, Harley moulded her face into a smirk and pulled her hair back, boldly striding up to the bars as if this was all a part of Joker's theatre.

"So boys," her voice shook. "What's a girl gotta do to break out of this joint?"

Harley's pulse pounded. She had dropped her accent. Her confident, brash façade had fallen and they had noticed. She smiled wider and hoped for the best as they glanced at each other nervously. It was a painful thirty seconds before one spoke up:

"You said meet you in intensive treatment, what happened?"

Joker hadn't abandoned her. Did he send them to get her? He does still love me, Harley had to stop herself from leaping for joy. Maybe she was being silly. Leaving Joker? That was a joke in itself, Harley thought, I'll tell him that later… actually, maybe not. It took a moment and was harder than expected, but she managed to rekindle what was left of her desire to be needed, to be loved.

But that flame grew no more the size of a spark, and was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

The gun!

"Over there, boys!" Harley gestured out towards the key card. "Let me out and maybe my hubby won't kill ya!"

Even though, the words were her own, they burned in her throat. Like a stripped virgin she felt reborn, free and for the first time in years… ashamed. Biting back tears, she grabbed the gun and stuffed it up her skirt, as the thugs retrieved the card.

"Did the Bat get you Quinn?" One called

"What do you think, idiot?"

"Hey, you two shut up and let me concentrate. Harley, how does this work?"

Harley's patience was long gone but dared not show it, not until she was set free. She instructed the thug and after two minutes of explaining the difference between vertical and horizontal, she was released. The card was swiped and the bars peeled back with a loud clang. The old Harley Quinn would have skipped and jumped in circles at the sheer, giddy pleasure of breaking the rules. Now though, she felt sluggish and heavy. She crept forward slowly, waiting for his face to appear on the monitor again, yelling, calling, screaming her name. She took small steps, each one softer than the last, afraid of waking up the screen… of hearing his voice. Harley remembered that she had an audience and tried correcting herself to her usual manner, but she found her fault too late.

"Are you alright, Harley? You don't look so good…"

Though he spoke words of consideration, there was malice behind them. Even when Joker was at his most 'compassionate' she knew, she was only ever a bad day away from becoming his dog's meat. These men had nothing human left and couldn't help but drool at the thought of Harley's fall from grace.

His question had caught her off-guard and her pulse quickened. But, with a quiet, yet deep breath she came to a realisation. This wasn't Joker's stage anymore, it was hers and her audience had better learn to deal with it.

"Back off, Markus!" she barked, building confidence, "or else Mummy's gonna spank you so hard, Terry over there is going to have to change your diaper!"

There was a moment of silence before they threw their heads back and burst into laughter. Their wrinkled faces contorted in amusement, cracking the dried paint and spraying the air with saliva. They laughed and they laughed. Over and over. Their red lips, their yellow teeth, their sickening giggles and squeals. It wasn't long before all Harley could hear was his laughter, his hot breath on her neck and his bony, grip on her shoulders. She began to sweat and shake, even if they didn't know about Joker's desire to abandon her they would still take her back to him. Can't go back, she thought, I can't go back! Her breath quickened and she failed at trying to fake a smile.

Instead she reached up her skirt, her fingers tickling her cold, soft flesh in a restrained search. Finally, she pulled out the gun. For years, her world, her life had been Joker's stage, Joker's performance.

However, those days were over. It was time for Harley to step into the spot light and take control of the theatre. Not Quinn, not Harleen, but something else entirely. That's what she wanted and that's exactly what she was going to get. And now, Harley thought it was a good time to reshuffle her audience.

They were still laughing, louder and louder, so much so that they barely noticed her outstretched arm. There were nine rounds in the magazine; Harley spent all of them on three men. With each recoil and flash of the muzzle she lost sight of Joker's crew and only saw him. His smile faded with every pull of the trigger… Harley's finger continued twitching long after the gun was empty.

After the thunder of the gunshots dispersed, the room was deadly quiet. Empty and cold. She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Even the gun seemed to sigh, as smoke crawled out of the barrel.

"What have I done?" She whimpered to the silence.

Harley had always had her problems. Whether it was her failing gymnastics career or a psychotic obsession with a clown lover, it always resulted in the same outcome. Violence and pain. Deep inside Harley, there was a part of her that decided to leave the Joker that night. Buried beneath the rubble of a broken home and a crumbled sense of morality, it hid. A spark that wished to be set free. However, the years had done terrible things to Harley. It had let him get inside her mind, her heart, her soul and now… she was lost. She had just murdered part of Joker's crew and yet the madness drew her to him, stronger than ever. Those eyes, that animal vision, it consumes you.

Harleen smiled for joy, Harley shuddered and cried. Harleen stood and left, Harley moaned and wept. Her sobs filled the corridors as she shuffled through them, lost in a labyrinth darker than her own mind. She tried drying her eyes as she found solitude in a wrecked office down the hall.

Not wanting to move, she huddled under a desk. No matter her fear, or the voice that screamed her to run, she was compelled to go to the Gardens. To feel the weight of his gaze, to see those eyes again, and to rip them out of his skull. She was angry and afraid, The Mad Hatter waited for her in the dark forest and she shouldn't keep him waiting.

Ten minutes passed before Harley set off, determined to go further into Arkham, to trek through Wonderland and find herself deep down the rabbit hole.

After all, Harley had one big choice to make…