A few days later, you were awoken from your slumber by a sudden weight on you. You jerked awake and, to your dismay, Harley was perched on top of you, hands gripping your shoulders and violently shaking you. Even though waking up this way was less than ideal, at least she was on top of you and not Joker. He had been getting better at telling her off lately, though, so even if she had, you were confident that he would put a stop to it.

   "What the fuck?" you said groggily, roughly shoving her off of you. The impact caused her to fall backwards onto her butt.

   Hearing your voice, Joker stirred from next to you. "What's wrong?" he asked just as groggily, clearly not having felt the bed shake as Harley carelessly threw her body around.

   He rubbed his eyes tiredly and, upon seeing her sitting on his bed, ran a hand down his face. "Oh, Christ." Neither of you knew what she wanted, but you both figured it wouldn't be good.

"Oh, stop your whinin'!" She hopped up so that she was on all fours, playfully crawling over to you. On instinct, you tried to back up, only succeeding in scrambling against the headboard. Joker snickered, clearly taking pleasure in this struggle.

She got so close to you that by the time she sat, she was sitting on your feet. "You guys are never gonna believe it! I know where Two-Face is! I really do!"

Suddenly, there was not a bit of fatigue in your body. Your heart immediately began racing, your eyes wide and alert. You looked at Joker in disbelief, and he was returning your gaze. Actually having a lead on Two-Face's location was something that had previously felt like a distant dream. Something you vainly thought about before going to bed, knowing that nothing would come of it. But, now... It was finally happening. Harley was proving to be useful, and freedom was in your grasp.

"Where is he?" Joker asked, already starting to stand.

"If my sources are right, he's actually in one of the abandoned apartments on our street. The one right by the street corner. The small, blue one. Could probably fit three or four families?"

You could feel goosebumps form on your skin. He was close. You thanked God or whoever else was up there that Harley had sniffed him out before he could work his way into the mansion.

Joker growled at his proximity, tearing open the closet and walking inside to find an outfit.

"Are you sure?" you asked, fearful of getting your hopes up only to be met with nothing.

"I'm sure. I went out this morning and got in touch with some of my old criminal friends. Two-Face is kinda chummy with 'em. Not too chummy to where they're friends, per se, but just chummy enough to where he tells them some things on occasion. Anyway, they told me that he's closin' in on us and gave me his address. How sweet of 'em, right?"

You smiled, standing up so you could also get ready. "Yeah, how sweet."

Joker emerged from the closet with a black jacket and matching pants, scowling at Harley. "You went out?"

She frowned in return, guiltily looking away from him. "Yeah."

"Didn't I tell you that nobody goes out without at least one other team member present?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, puddin'."

You could tell that he was about to gloss over the nickname, but you shot him a glare. That reminded him to put you first. "It's J," he snarled.

"Yes, J."

"So, why didn't you bring someone?"

She shrugged, looking like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I don't know. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, I guess."

"Yeah, well, no more spur-of-the-moment things. None!"

She flinched as he raised his voice. "Look, what does it matter?! I'm fine! I came back with information! Crucial information, might I add! I helped ya!"

"The only reason you came back fine is fucking luck! Don't ya see?! If Two-Face or his men saw you all by yourself, you'd be dead! You're just one girl, Harley. You can't take on him and his whole team!"

   You began to feel somewhat sorry for Harley as he screamed at her, especially since her breaking the rules led to something as significant as this. "J, lay off her."

   "No! Do not tell me what to do, (Y/N). She could've gotten herself killed!"

   In spite of yourself, you felt a familiar, green twinge in your chest. You couldn't help but wonder why it mattered so much to him if she lived or died. Sure, she was proving to be helpful, but... This seemed extreme.

   "But she didn't," you said. "We need to take risks in order to get stuff done. If we had gone out with her, who knows if her friends would've been as willing to talk about Two-Face? Just calm down. We can't solve any problem by avoiding risks."

   Irritated at your lack of support, he shook his head and stomped into the bathroom to change. He slammed the door shut behind him, the action causing the mirror on your vanity to rattle slightly.

   You sighed, running a hand through your hair. "Sorry, Harls."

   Despite how much you disliked her, that statement was genuine.

   You were a little shocked when you saw that Harley had tears in her eyes. She was frantically trying to blink them away, but that glossy look was unmistakable. And you were all the more sympathetic when you saw it. You knew how embarrassing it was to be scolded by Joker.

   Moved, you approached her. You grabbed her head and pulled her toward your chest as you embraced her. "I'm sorry," you repeated.

   The contact seemed to break down whatever wall kept her from conveying her emotions. She began to sob, clinging onto you for dear life. "Nothing I do is ever enough for him."

   Your sympathy began to waver. This didn't have anything to do with embarrassment after all; it had everything to do with trying to impress the ex that she was obviously not over. Still, your sympathy wasn't muted out completely. Especially after knowing her story, it was heartbreaking to watch someone give and give and receive nothing in return. Besides, you had to play nice if you ever wanted information like this again. "It's enough. He's just...stressed. It's enough. I promise."

   "It's not enough." She sniffled, pulling apart just enough so that she could stare into your eyes. "I'm not like you. I never was. He can't just be satisfied with me or what I do. There's always something I could be doing better."

   You sighed, pulling her back in. "Well, I'm satisfied with you. I think you did a great thing."

   She giggled through her tears. "Ya think?"

   "I think. And even if J doesn't think it now, he will once he sees how big of a help you were."

   Figuring the hug had been an acceptable length, you gently tried to pry her away from you. But, she was clinging onto you so tightly and gratefully that she didn't budge. You began to grow overstimulated quickly, but you let her have her moment and soothingly stroked her hair.

She didn't move even after Joker emerged from the bathroom, all dressed. He looked at the both of you, eyes narrowed in what looked like disgust.

In a futile attempt to hide Harley from his scrutiny, you raised your hand and blocked her face. Her sobs were still audible, however.

With an unsympathetic roll of his eyes, he walked out of the room and left the two of you to get ready.

After he left, she remained inconsolable for a few more minutes. Then, suddenly, she let go of you, wiped her tears, and started smiling again. It was like she had never been upset at all as she stood up. "Okay, time to get ready!" she chirped, her voice absent of the quiver it had possessed only moments before.

You could feel your expression shift to one of complete and utter surprise. "Okay..."

And with that, she skipped out of the room. You figured you two would never talk about this weird moment of camaraderie you had shared, and you found that you were okay with that arrangement. In all honesty, it seemed out of character for the both of you, and you'd rather not relive the time where you had excused her obsessed behavior because she was showing a little emotion.

As you rooted around in your closet for something to wear, you realized that you sort of admired Harley. It was commendable to be able to have one good cry, then be totally okay after. Or, at the very least, present yourself as being okay. You doubted that you had the will to overcome such strong emotion. It was entirely possible that her ability to just turn off her emotions was concerning, but even if it was, it was indicative of the fact that she was, no doubt, a strong woman.

And that was exactly what your team needed.

___

You loaded your handgun as you and your team walked down the street. The air was quiet, still, and somehow ominously suggesting the presence of conflict. You couldn't believe that everything could potentially end right here, right now. This tension with Two-Face had been so looming that you almost couldn't envision an end to it. But, now you could, and your heart was racing at the idea of finally being free.

Joker had his head tilted toward the sky, eyes closed as he clutched his weaponry. He was breathing slowly, almost as if he were savoring every one. Like he was enjoying the smell of Gotham smog before he would never smell it again.

You knew as well as anyone that there was the potential that this could end poorly. One of you, a few of you, or even all of you might not make it out alive. Everyone knew this, yet it was veiled by a mask of confidence. After all, if anyone saw weakness, then that weakness would spread like wildfire.

Joker had begun lovingly touching your waist and hips as you walked, seemingly memorizing every curve. You accepted his touch, even welcomed it. While it wasn't a cure to your nerves, it did soothe you in ways that you had desperately needed in that moment.

"If something happens to me," he muttered in your ear, "I want you to run. Don't try to fight if ya don't think we'll win. Just run and run and keep on running. I don't care where ya go. Just make it far away from here."

The warning made a shiver run down your spine. Verbalizing the idea of something bad happening made it sound all the more likely. "But—"

"No buts. Promise me."

You let out a nervous exhale. "I promise."

He pressed a tender kiss to the top of your head as a gesture of thanks.

All too soon, the group of you arrived at the apartment Harley had described. The masks of confidence simultaneously broke on all the men, aside from Joker. They were now all trembling, mumbling curses, and sweating profusely. Lennon even had tears in his eyes.

You probably would've managed to keep your composure if the rest of the team had. But, you began to break as you saw them break. Normally, your team was so unshakable in their confidence. So, if they were this worked up... You were all screwed.

The only teammate that seemed to be unaffected was Harley. She twirled her bat around in her hands, surveying the place with interest. This was another moment where you somewhat looked up to her.

As the group of you stood in front of the apartment, the knowledge on how to be criminals suddenly left you in one collective lapse of judgment. You didn't know how to proceed from here.

Stupidly, Sean raised his fist to knock on the door, a polite request to be let in so he could begin slaughtering the place's inhabitants. Harley raised her bat intimidatingly to him, an unspoken gesture to lower his hand.

With an embarrassed smile, he obeyed.

"What are we doing?" Joker asked incredulously, stunned by the idiocy of his own team. "Break in, damn it! We're criminals, not salesmen! We force our way in. We don't knock!"

And with that, he wound back to begin forcefully kicking at the door. But, you had a random, nagging voice at the back of your head warning him not to do it. So, you listened to it.

"Wait," you blurted, gripping his shoulder. "If you can't kick it down in one kick, they're gonna know we're here 'cause of all the banging. We should just...try the knob first."

"'Try the'—" Joker spluttered, in complete disbelief. "Why on Earth would the door be unlocked?"

"It probably isn't. But it's worth a shot. It takes one extra second to check."

He began to chuckle at the absurdity of your request. "I'd do anything for ya, (Y/N), but you must realize how—"

He cut himself off when the door opened with no issue. The apartment was surprisingly silent, and its ominousness poured out and washed over all of you in a cold wave.

Joker could never admit that he was wrong. So, he simply nodded at you.

You all stepped inside, aiming to be quiet so that you could take Two-Face by surprise. You were greeted by a staircase immediately in front of you, as well as a door to your right. You figured the stairs would lead to another door, and so on.

   "Split up," Joker ordered quietly. "(Y/N), Harley, and I have got this floor."

   You were grateful that you didn't have to be alone. Your teammates graced you with a nod of camaraderie before quietly going up the stairs.

   That left you, Harley, and Joker alone. You stared at the door before you, your skin erupting in goosebumps. If Two-Face was in here, then this could very well be your last moment alive. You looked at Joker for some sort of comfort, some sort of motivation to proceed.

   He could see how helpless you were. He grabbed your face in your hands firmly. "My strong girl," he affirmed, kissing your lips gently. "Don't give up on me now, doll, okay? Everything will be okay."

   "Yeah," Harley chimed in from beside you. "I know you can fight! This'll be a breeze."

   You hadn't asked for her opinion, but it still made you feel a bit better. You smiled at her as thanks before kissing Joker's lips again. "Everything will be okay," you echoed.

   He nodded at you, his expression showing nothing but conviction in that belief. You wondered if that conviction was genuine or staged. Regardless, it gave you enough hope to grab the doorknob and pull the door open.

   Much like the front door, this one opened with no trouble. And much like last time, silence greeted the three of you. You could feel your heartbeat in your ears as you surveyed the room from outside it, some invisible barrier blocking you from entering. Somehow, seeing nothing was much more terrifying than seeing Two-Face standing there, ready to strike.

   Harley refused to just let you stand there, paralyzed by your own fear. Instead, she grabbed your hand and pulled you into the room, Joker following suit on his own accord. She looked into your eyes with a sort of stern encouragement. "Start looking," she told you, and something in the tone of her voice made you want to listen.

   Clutching your handgun, you began to wander around the apartment. You opened closets, checked under tables, and even inspected cupboards. You doubted that Two-Face could fold himself into such diminutive shapes, but it couldn't hurt to be thorough. In fact, you had to be thorough. If you weren't, you could've lost your life.

   Joker was glued to your side your entire search. He let his eyes wander across the room a few times, scanning for any unusual movement, but they would always snap back to your form after a few seconds. He was even more paranoid than you; it seemed as if he was worried that the moment his back was turned, you'd be abducted and stored in a place somehow imperceivable to him and Harley.

   After you had finished looking around the living room and kitchen, Harley emerged from the bedroom. Her footsteps had scared you, so you instinctively raised your gun and aimed it at her with trembling hands.

   She raised her own in defense. "Just me!"

   With a relieved sigh, you lowered your gun.

   "Nothin' in the bedroom or the bathroom," she said. "I tell ya what, I almost had a heart attack when pullin' open the shower curtain. Still nothin', though."

   "I wonder if the others have found anything," you mused, grateful that if something were to be found today, it wouldn't have been found by you. Joining a battle somehow seemed less scary than being there from the start and waiting for backup.

   You turned around, having felt your skin prickle with the sensation of being watched. And as you did, your attention was drawn to a window above a torn, vomit-colored sofa.

   In that window, there was a face staring at you. A face that was half-handsome, half-irreparably scarred. The face was grinning, taunting you.

   Overcome with fear, you let out a shrill scream as you blindly shot at the glass. You didn't even really aim; you just relied on your instincts, hoping that the bullet would connect.

   Joker and Harley looked toward the window, each gasping as they saw the grotesque head that you had to behold.

   Based on where the bullet hole was located, it was clear that you had shot over Two-Face's head. With that same grin, the head dropped before any other shots could be fired, and it never rose again.

   Immediately, you broke into tears. You knew you had to pursue him, to redeem yourself from yet another lackluster shot, but the will was drained from your body. You felt utterly defenseless, utterly useless.

   Joker wrapped his arms around you from behind, holding you tight as you wailed. His head whipped around to Harley. "GET HIM!" he bellowed.

   With a nod, she left to do her duty.

   Once she was gone, he turned you so that you were facing away from the window, just in case something were to pop up again. He shook you by the shoulders, attempting to jostle you out of your fear-induced stupor. "Hey, hey. Look at me. Come on, baby. Look at me."

   You did, but it was clear that you weren't really seeing him. Your eyes were glossy, and your mind was continuously reliving the sight of that ghastly expression, that evil man in the window. You had wanted to be the badass villain you knew you could be, but that face... The man responsible for all your worries made you freeze like a deer in highlights. You were so afraid that you couldn't do anything more.

   Joker was at a loss for how to help you. He didn't want to hit you, despite that being the most effective option. So, he just kept shaking you. "Baby, please. Talk to me."

   Finally, you could feel yourself start to gain some autonomy again. Two-Face's expression was still in the back of your mind, but you were now able to focus on your love's face. His kind, compassionate, beautiful face. The utter antithesis of the one that would surely keep you up that night.

   You didn't know what to say to excuse your actions, which just made you cry harder. Not only had you messed up again, but now Harley had to clean up your mess while Joker had to miss all the action and comfort you.

   "I'm sorry!" you sobbed, pressing your palms to your eyes.

   "Oh, Trouble," he cooed, bringing you to him in a tight hug. "Don't apologize. It's okay. You're okay. You saw him before either of us. Ya still helped, right?"

   "Not enough! I just fucking froze! I don't know what happened!"

   "Shh, it's okay. Harley's gonna take care of him, okay? It's not gonna matter. Everything's gonna work out."

   "And if it doesn't?"

   He went quiet for a moment. Then, he said, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

   The guilt you felt was like nothing you'd ever experienced. You had an opportunity to end this all right here, right now, and you failed. Just like you had when Two-Face shot up the Last Laugh, and just like you had when you had spilled Joker's information to Matt. Two times was a coincidence, three times was a pattern. You didn't deserve to be a part of Joker's team, and the only reason you still were was because you happened to be dating him. While convenient, your mercy was entirely undeserved, and you felt terrible for abusing his care for you.

   He held you for a few more minutes, and with each passing one, you worried for Harley's safety. Despite your conflicting feelings regarding her, you didn't wish death on her by any means. At her core, she was a kind, supportive woman with a few annoying quirks. But, who didn't have a few annoying quirks? They most certainly weren't enough to bring any sort of gratification from her death.

   Thankfully, though, Harley eventually came back inside. She didn't look injured; just a little spooked. You could feel your hopes soaring. Maybe she had fixed your mistakes. Maybe she had ended this.

   But as she shook her head, your hopes deflated, and your fear grew. He was still out there, still plotting your demise. And now you knew you were utterly incapable of stopping him.

   "By the time I got out there, he was just gone. Nowhere to be found," she said solemnly. "I know he's hiding somewhere, but I looked all around. Maybe he went into another apartment?" She shrugged. "I don't know. He could be anywhere."

   You could feel Joker's grip on you tighten in frustration. "Shit. Okay, we'll figure something else out. We have to get (Y/N) home. She's...barely hangin' on."

   As you looked at Harley, who was sympathetically looking back at you, you were suddenly overcome with emotion. You wrestled your way out of Joker's grip and instead ran over to her, collapsing into her arms. Her sympathy felt so good. It was probably due to your house being composed of mostly males; you had been craving that girl-to-girl bond you had been deprived of for so long. And now, you were starting to form it with the most unlikely person.

   "I'm so sorry I left everything up to you," you cried. "I should've helped more. You didn't deserve to do that alone."

   Without question, she hugged you back, a comforting hand cradling your head. "Hey, don't you worry, sugar! I always love a good fight."

   You smiled through your tears. When you pulled apart from the hug, Joker was looking at you with surprise. He knew you tolerated Harley, but seeing you seek comfort from her was odd. It was odd for you, too.

   "Come on, dollface. We have to tell the others the bad news," he said, offering his hand to you.

   Still feeling guilty, you took it. You left the room, proceeding up the staircase and informing everyone of what had happened. You repeated the process one more time, and everyone was informed.

   Everyone was disappointed in you, like you had expected. But, at least they had the decency to attempt to veil their discontentment in order to spare your feelings. Or, maybe more accurately, Joker's feelings. You didn't miss the warning glares he had sent their way when they were told the news. Only he could criticize you. Anyone else? Fuck no.

   The walk home was imbued with the feeling of failure. No one spoke. Everyone had their eyes downcast, their shoulders slumped. The perfect window of opportunity, and you had still managed to fuck it up. No one could say anything out loud, but you knew you were being mentally berated by your team.

   But, you still tried to find the silver lining of the situation to keep yourself from going insane. And that silver lining was that you had been right about Harley. She was proving to be extremely useful, and maybe even an emotional center for you. And even though today didn't go as planned, you were hopeful that Two-Face had met his match. It was apparent that that match was not you, but it didn't matter. You just wanted him dead. You didn't care how he died or who did it.

   As you were focusing on what little positives there were to the situation, you couldn't help but notice that Joker seemed a little distant...

   And that was the scariest part of all.