"I'm devoted to destruction, a full dosage of detrimental dysfunction" - Sucker For Pain

I looked like a wreck. The stairs had led down into some kind of offices, which I had run through despite all of the shouting in Italian around me. Crazy girl in a hospital uniform and pink and blue dyed hair. I hadn't drawn my gun, even though I had wanted to, even when a man tried to stop me and chat me up. Now I was on the street, on yet another cobble road, except this time people were bustling and shoving past me in their journey to some unknown destination.

I had been waiting in the shadows of an alleyway for an hour, looking out for someone who could get me to the place I wanted to go. Ricci's Tailor Shop. A woman strutted past, chest puffed out, billowing blue coat, black fishnet tights, white high heels and bright red lips. The whole package. I ducked into the crowd and started to follow her, trying to look as inconspicuous as I could. She was walking fast, long legs splaying out in front of her, drawing the looks of men nearby. I rushed to keep up with her, pushing through the mask of people. She stopped, and turned into a shop. Perfect. I followed her in, the gentle ring of the door bell ringing out as I entered. It was a clothes shop, with racks and racks of colourful garments . And there she was, by the counter, chatting in Italian to an elderly woman. I moved over to the side of the shop and hid my face behind a rack, pretending to check things out. They were talking more animatedly now, the woman waving her hands around like she was complaining about something. Serious, boring and rude people. I lifted my handgun out of my pocket and hid it behind my back and marched over to the pair of them, then calmly placed my gun against the back of the woman's neck. She stopped, and so did the old woman behind the counter.

"Do you speak English?" I prodded her with the gun.

"Y-yes" Her voice was high and very feminine.

"And you also speak Italian." I said it as a statement and she shivered.

"Yes. I also speak Italian." 

"Are you a local?" 

"I grew up here." With a flick of my wrist I turned the gun to face the old lady and shot her. The woman let out a loud scream and I returned it to the back of her neck.

"Shut the fuck up." She whimpered and stopped. "Do you know where Ricci's tailorshop is?" She was silent, still staring at the blood spattered on the wall. "If you don't know where it is, you're going to end up dead like that old bag because the only use I have for you is to get me there." 

"I...I know where that is. I can get you there." She promised, her body shaking. 

"Good. Let's go." I pulled the gun away from her neck and then replaced it. "Oh, and if you scream or try to run or do anything like that, you're dead. If you get me to Ricci's, you live. Simple." She nodded. 

"Give me your coat." She raised her hands slowly and took it off. I grabbed it and put it on, so that it was covering me. 

I dropped the gun and pressed it against the small of her back, it completely hidden by the open coat. I pushed her forward and we walked out of the door and into the crowd. We moved fast, my eyes flitting around to see if anyone was suspicious of us. No one cared, everyone was moving too fast to pay any real attention to us. 

We walked for about half an hour before I recognised the street.

"It's down there. The blue door." She pointed and I nodded.

"Thanks." Then I shot her. The gunshot rang out and she collapsed to the ground, thrashing, holding the wound in her gut. She would be dead soon. People started to converge and I ducked back and away, dropping the coat to the ground as I went.

In a second I was by the familiar blue door. I knocked hard with my fist, willing it to open. He opened it tentatively, the chain still in it's lock.

"Open the fucking door." I pressed the gun against his head and touched the trigger. His eyes opened wide, and unlocked the chain and let me in. The place looked just as it had before. He closed the door behind me and put his hands up into the air.

"Where is the Joker?" I aimed the gun at him and moved back a few steps.

"He left! He put the cloth to your mouth and took you away. I have no idea where!" I sighed. Great. "But..." I looked at him "But he looked like he didn't want to do it. He looked like how I looked at my late wife. He was in love with you. No man let's go of a woman he loves." I scoffed and ignored the pulling of my heart. 

"Well he obviously did." I cocked the gun up to the ceiling and tilted my head in thought. No man let's go of a woman he loves. 

"You obviously have some very...important customers, Ricci. Tell me who they are." He grimaced but didn't say anything. "I don't think you understand. Tell me, or you die." I tilted the gun back at his head.

"Uh, drug lords, killers, under the radar people, hitmen, policemen, corrupt policemen." I twirled the gun. Drug lords.

"Drug lords. Who. When are they meeting you?"

"Only one. The biggest one in America."

"Call him." He laughed.

"No one calls him. He calls you."

"He calls you personally?" He shifted uncomfortably.

"We are on very good terms. I have served his family for years. We are friends." 

"Good. Then you have his number, old man. Don't lie to me. Call him."

I stared at him, challenging him. He gave in and brought out a cellphone from his pocket.

"I will not speak. You only. This is not on me." 

I nodded. "Ring the number and pass me the phone." He jabbed in a few numbers then passed the phone to me. I brought it up to my ear and listened to it ring.

"Hello, Ricci. I thought my suit would be ready next week, not this week. You are quick."

"This..this isn't Ricci." I talked sweet and low. "This is Harley. You know me?" There was a pause on the line.

"You are the Joker's. Goodby-"

"Wait. The Joker...the Joker left me. I want to be yours. You know, I like a powerful man. With me, you would be the most powerful man. More powerful than the Joker." 

"I don't like messing with the Joker..."

"Oh, babe, are you scared? The Joker was never scared..."

"I'm not scared. Shut up, bitch."

"Ooh, getting touchy, huh? Meet me here in an hour. I'll be waiting." I hung up and passed the phone back to Ricci, who's mouth was wide open in shock. 

"What? Give me something to wear. I better look good for this date."

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