Protect Me From What I Want

I’d been staying in Bruce’s penthouse for a week now with no sign or mention from The Joker. Even if any talk of him was seldom, I still wasn’t able to be at complete ease and every little thing made me paranoid. For Christ’s sake, I was jumping at shadows. Bruce and Alfred still weren’t totally comfortable with the idea of me staying in that penthouse, but nonetheless, they were extremely helpful and caring. Admittedly, I had become somewhat of a recluse and only spoke to anyone when spoke to. I never left the apartment and spent the majority of my time sitting in the armchair which looked over Gotham City. I refused to eat or drink, or do anything for that matter.

The snow continued to never cease and instead blanketed Gotham inch by inch. It had to be at least six inches by now and Gotham had begun to worry that it would never stop. In fact, it had become a bigger concern than The Joker recently, which was completely preposterous. At first the snow was a delight to everyone, but like a lot of other things do, it had just become another monotonous bore. Just a big blur that wouldn’t go away. Another obstacle that they had to endure and somehow get around for them to be able to do what they wanted to do. It was safe to say that the novelty value of this weather was now completely gone and I’d give anything for it to go away. Although, the snow did seem to blend nicely with the newly decorated streets for the holiday season. Christmas was approaching closer and people had started to lighten up the streets with lights, tinsel and other festive decorations.

“Can I get you anything, Miss Quinzel?” Alfred asked, seeming to appear from nowhere. Slightly startled, I turned away from the window to look at Alfred. He was hunched forward slightly awaiting my answer. Alfred has been ever so thoughtful, during the time I had been staying here. Not an hour passed without him fussing around me. It was an ill-deserved treatment in my opinion. Alfred should have been anything but caring towards me.

I shook my head, turning down his offer. He sighed with concern, obviously worried about my state of health. “Miss, may I recommend that you eat something? You’ve done nothing but mope around in that chair for the past week now. You have nothing to fear; you’re in safe hands now.”

His words were comforting and I knew he was right. Timidly, I played with my toes and thought over his words. “Where is he?”

“Who, Miss?”

“Bruce. Where’s Bruce?” I clarified.

“He’s at Wayne Enterprises, Miss. Is there something you want from him?”

“No. I was just curious, that’s all,” I replied simply. Alfred was about to step away until I called for him again. “Alfred...where does Bruce go every night?” Since the beginning of the week, I’d hardly seen or spoken to Bruce considering his appearance in the apartment was seldom. I knew he worked at Wayne Enterprises during the day, but by night, he’d disappear without a warning. I never thought to intrude into his personal life with questions on his whereabouts, so I left well enough alone. However, I thought that Alfred may have some answers.

“Whatever do you mean?” Alfred asked confused.

“At night, I hear Bruce leave the apartment and I’m almost certain that he doesn’t return till a stupidly early hour in the morning.”

“It’s not my place to say. What Bruce does in his spare time is his business and he never bothers me to tell all about his rendezvous. He might just have some more work to do in the Wayne towers, Miss,” he answered very vaguely. “Now, sitting in this chair with your own troubled thoughts isn’t healthy, Miss. Distract yourself with some television, while I make you something to eat,” Alfred ordered as he turned on the TV sitting in the corner of the room.

I didn’t have a clue with what channel or what programme was currently on, but I watched nevertheless. There was someone talking about the drastic weather continuation and listing some of the possible causes. Global warming was one of the main causes apparently. I rolled my eyes. Everyone seemed to blame any natural disaster or climate change on global warming. Global warming was just a change in temperature that was bound to happen, whether people like to think that it’s preventable by executing silly precautions. Change happens all the time and people just have to learn to adapt to the changes, no matter how scary the thought may be.

When Alfred returned holding a plate with some kind of sandwich on it, I grudgingly took it from him. For a moment, I just stared at it. I hadn’t eaten for awhile and I’m sure my stomach had begun eating itself and reduced to nothing. Nevertheless, I brought the sandwich up to take a bite extremely slowly. However, I placed the sandwich back on the plate when the programme I was watching suddenly came to an end and was replaced with Gotham Tonight’s Mike Engel.

“We interrupt this programme with an urgent broadcast concerning all of Gotham,” he started, looking worried. The plush filming studio instantly snapped to a home recording of sorts. The setting was extremely dark and it was hard to see anything. I didn’t have to see anything to know exactly who it was.

“Alfred!” I screamed overdramatically. Almost instantaneously after, Alfred was now by my side staring intently at the screen, holding the similar fear in his eyes.

“Ah tah tah, la la,” I heard a familiar voice sing tonelessly. There was a shuffling noise before the lights in that room snapped on and the set immediately became familiar. It was the long corridor in The Joker’s house. “Ah, there we go,” he finished singing before clearing his throat. He turned the camera around to face him and he began walking along the corridor with a skip in his step. “Harley...I don’t want a lot for Christmas. There’s just one thing I need. I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you,” he joked and it was even more intimidating when he spoke the words in all seriousness and not singing. “How could you hurt me like that, after everything I’ve done for you? That’s not funny, Harls. But do you want to see something that is funny?” he asked with a choked giggle. “Your friend Ivy decided to pay me a little visit not long ago, in search for you obviously. Want to see the outcome?”

Oh, God. I already knew the story before he even told it.

The Joker opened the door, which used to belong to the both of us when I resided there. As soon as the light flickered on, Poison Ivy’s body lay frozenly still on the purple quilts of the bed. The scene looked like that of a fairytales. Pamela was Sleeping Beauty in both looks and position. My heart almost broke at the sight of her. Her hair was untamed and her delicate, pale body looked bruised and battered. Next to her full, pouty, red lips were dotted lines extending from the corners into a smile. Only faintly could I read the writing above the dotted line, which read ‘cut along the dotted line’. Below her neck The Joker had also written ‘Merry Christmas!’ in large writing.

”If you want to see your friend alive, I’d make my way to Sprang Bridge at midnight if I were you. If you fail to show, not only does your little friend never see the light of day again, but also the people of Gotham will slowly begin to drop like flies. It’s the same ending if any cops show up on the scene. I have a detonator in my pocket. Wanna see what it’ll do? I’ll show you if you don’t appear. You’ve been warned. Gotham, you all know who to blame when all you Gothamites begin to suffer...one last thing before I go, Merry Christmas!”

I stared paralysed at the screen for a few seconds, The Joker’s fresh speech still sinking into my brain. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Bruce’s voice behind me. “I’m not letting you go back to him,” he assured. I hadn’t even noticed him standing there until just now, so I jumped from my seat in shock.

“Bruce, I have to! You heard what he just said. You have no idea how bad this can get,” I whimpered as Bruce engulfed me into a comforting caress.

“Trust me, I do. But I can’t let you go. I don’t want you to suffer anymore than you need to.”

“And I don’t want hundreds of others to suffer because of me! I don’t want the blood of Gotham’s citizens staining my hands for the rest of my life, Bruce! People are going to die and I don’t want to be known as the person who caused all the deaths. I don’t want to be hated more so than I already am.”

“You won’t be the one being blamed for these deaths! The Joker will be! Just- ”

“No, Bruce! I’ve made up my mind and I know I’ve got to find him. I can’t let him kill my best friend.”

Bruce stared at me with sorrow in his eyes. He knew it was like selling me to the devil, but my mind was made and it was going to be pretty unpreventable at this point. I knew what I had to do and that was to live in misery for the rest of my life with The Joker until one of us kills each other. The deathly silence was a clear sign that I had won the argument and Bruce was now unwillingly allowing me to return to The Joker. For some reason, a sudden spark of pure determination and bravery ran through me and I no longer felt as if I had to be afraid of returning to him. This was my only option and with taking it, I knew I’d be able to enjoy the benefits of feeling truly glorified by saving the life of my best friend and all of Gotham’s citizens.