Gotham Rogues Short: Reality Check
Harley laughed as the bloodshed on Gotham's streets had Joker victorious once more. The streets belonged to the clowns. Bodies lay in them, and she was proud of it...until she spotted a little girl next to her mother. Harley's laughter died as the girl reminded her of her baby, Lucy. Suddenly, it wasn't as funny anymore thinking Lucy could have been right there. But Joker wouldn't do that. He loved her.
She pushed the thought aside heading back to the funhouse where her men were with Lucy only to find them knocked out and several Rogues gathered. Ivy wasn't holding Lucy despite being the only person Harley trusted otherwise to take her. Waylon was. The baby cooed playing with the clawed fingers wiggling close to tickle her, but Croc turned to Harley and his expression hardened. The other Rogues like Firefly, Scarecrow, Maxie Zeus, and Mr. Freeze didn't welcome her either. Bane and Mad Hatter were just as serious and Ivy looked tired.
"What...What is going on?" Harley asked, trying to laugh away the awkwardness.
She moved to reach out for her baby but was stunned as Croc held Lucy away with an uncomfortable scowl. He refused to look her in the eye. That stung more. Lucy gave another little noise, making Croc grimace in the tension.
Harley frowned, "Give me my baby, Waylon."
"What do you mean you can't? Red, what is this?" She then looked at Ivy who shook her head.
Ivy replied sternly, "Lucy isn't going back home with you."
"That's my baby! You don't have the right to-!"
"I do," Waylon said. Harley was dumbfounded by the response. "You cannot raise her with that man, Harley. You're going to kill the kid. You think this is what you're going to raise a baby around? Are you kidding me?"
Harley defended, "Excuse me but if I recall, it's my baby. It's my life. Lucy is perfectly fine. And last time I checked, you all aren't exactly fucking great at being model citizens either so what morals are you going on?"
Firefly bit back, "We don't endanger our own kids in our lives. We know what we are and we don't bring them into this, especially not around Joker. Joker is not someone who should have a kid, and Lucy is in danger being around him."
"Now you guys are just blowing out you ass."
Croc finally snapped, "Harley! This isn't a fucking game! That's all you ever treat this as! And now, you're bringing her into this! Joker doesn't care about you or a child and you already don't understand that regarding your situation but the fact that you are now endangering someone else of your own blood in this just to stay with someone who has abused and manipulated you is so fucking daft. It will bleed onto Lucy but you will refuse to see that until it's too late."
"Waylon, I'm not going to ask again," Harley threatened. But she didn't expect Croc to take a step forward with his shadow intimidating her more than she cared to admit. She felt so small in his presence.
"You aren't getting her back until you leave him. That isn't an option. I know we're all criminals here but that man takes crime even beyond what we consider appropriate. You refuse to see it, but we aren't going to stand by and watch you kill your own daughter for him. You care more about impressing a man that knows you are disposable than being a mother, and Lucy isn't going to suffer in that choice. That's too far...even for us."
"So...you're making a decision for me to take her? What is this? An intervention?!" Harley cried.
Mad Hatter then said, "Harley, it's for her safety."
"What the fuck do you know? You don't have kids-!"
Bane stepped closer, "But we aren't blind. You're choosing a monster over her. The only reason these thugs haven't killed her is because they don't know where the payaso stands with this girl. But I guarantee if they knew he doesn't care about anyone other than himself, you won't be coming back to a daughter."
Maxie Zeus who had been silent for the most part even looked at her with something like pity and disgust. He stood between her, Bane and Waylon creating a barrier between them. "Harley...you have to think about what's best for Lucy. You can lie to yourself but the truth is as plain as ever. You are going to get her hurt or worse if you keep straying down this path."
Harley turned to Scarecrow and Ivy frantically, "Please, tell them I can be a good mother! Tell them!"
Dr. Crane even looked doubtful and shook his head, "How can we lie when we've already seen you give up so much in pursuit of Joker? How do we know you won't sacrifice Lucy in the process?"
"I would never...I wouldn't."
"That's not a chance we are willing to take," Bane said quietly, "I'm sorry."
She tried to step forward again but Waylon took another step back like she was the monster. Harley looked at each one of them, the pain in their eyes. She could tell they didn't want to do this...but what was she to do?
Ivy finally said, "Harley, I love you but even you've gone too far with this. I know someone who can take care of Lucy who will reunite you when you are ready...but not a moment before. It has to be this way."
"Red...please! She needs me-"
Croc shouted, "Is this what she needs?! You need her more than she needs you, but you will always put yourself first as you just proved here today."
Bane and Maxie Zeus guarded Waylon as he took Lucy much to Harley's dismay. She reached out to Lucy until vines coiled around her arms and dragged her to kneel. She saw Ivy's face contort with sadness with a few tears telling her she hated what she had to do. The vines didn't disperse until they had all left.
Harley collapsed her hands on the ground and had tears streaming down her face. Her daughter was gone, and she felt like the bad guy. But how dare they make that decision for her...yet was it true she would bring harm to Lucy? She didn't like to think about it. She had to. The Joker will never change. She was a fool to think so.
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