Kylo + Quinn: Book 1: Trauma Bound - Chapter 1: The Last Harlequin

Ch. 1.4 - Dreams in Ink

1.4

Wet towels cover the floor of the darkened guest suite. Harley sleeps on her side with the expanse of space in the window behind her. The light from the holopad lightly dances around the room as Jackass reruns play quietly on the holoscreen.

--Jackass? You really went full millennial on us with the old MTV throwbacks, huh? *Yeah...I was torn between that and The Bachelor.* I am a sucker for The Bachelor! *I figured, but I've never seen it and don't know how to reference it properly.* You've never seen it?! *No...something about roses and hot tubs and dating people you'll never stay with.* Such a romantic. *Oh, come on Harley! Reality T.V. is all fake.* A gal can dream, can't she? *Speaking of which...*--

She rolls over with a light whimper and we enter her dreamworld.

She rolls away from an explosion and looks up to see the Ace Chemical factory burning in a mass of colorful fire and explosions.

"You little pain in my ass," echoes behind her.

She rolls over and looks into the darkness, the Joker emerges slowly. Harley exhales, "No..."

He lurches towards her, arm extended. He flashes into Kylo Ren for a step and back into the Joker. She's frozen. Joker picks her up.

As he lifts her, she's suddenly being lifted out of the acid bath. She gasps for air. The Joker looks down at her in his arms, "Question..." Harley looks up at him, fear in her eyes. He continues, "Would you die for me?"

Harley shakes her head, but is forced to say, "Yes."

Joker chuckles and looks sinisterly into her eyes, "Liar." He dunks her into the acid bath again. Harley struggles against the thick burning liquid.

He pulls her up again. She gasps for breath. "You left me in a black hole of rage and confusion. Now tell me..." He reaches for his own face and pulls it off, revealing Kylo's underneath. "You want this?"

Harley hesitates. The Joker slaps his face back on. It's grotesque and weathered, like it had been fermented and stapled onto him for years.

He grabs her face and pulls. She struggles and kicks, breaking loose and falls into the acid bath. She opens her eyes and the acid slowly clears, transforming into dark water.

She pops back up out of the expanse of dark nothingness around her, standing up in the waist-deep water, seeing something pale floating towards her. It's her face, only some tattoos are different. Both "PUDDIN" tattoos are intact on her temples, without the cross-through. The heart tattoo above her cheek is gone. Harley reaches up to feel her own face, she sighs with relief as she feels that it's still there.

The face's eyes open. The water starts to drain. Another harley slowly emerges out of the water, striking a pose. She's donning her classic jester costume from her early Joker days.

"Look at yourself." Echoes around her in the darkness. Was that Kylo's voice?

The other harley cackles at her, water now at their knees.

"You're not a part of this story," Kylo's voice states darkly from behind her.

Harley swivels around to find him standing over her. She takes a step back whispering, "Bullshit."

She backs into other harley's arms. The doppleganger grabs Harley's hair and pulls her head back to look up.

Real Harley is donning the classic outfit now and is looking up into the Joker's masked face, mouth grinning, stapled into a smile.

Joker hisses, "You really thought I wouldn't find you?"

Lightning lights up the sky. Harley struggles to break free from his grasp. She can't move. Kylo has his arm extended, holding her in place. Blackened eyes glistening. She looks back up at Joker.

His eyes dart to her temple where the "PUDDIN" brand had been crossed out, "Tsk tsk tsk. That simply won't do." He slowly brings a knife up to her temple. "You were never that good with a gun..." He digs the knife into it. "How's about we start over with a blank...canvas?"

He peels her face off and tosses it to the ground. Harley is now viewing herself from the perspective of the thrown face. Her body's face starts bleeding, muscles exposed. Blue eyes glassy and vacant.

Joker cackles and addresses Kylo in front of him, "Care to do the honors, my Apprentice?"

Kylo's hand slowly moves down. The zipper on the front of her jester outfit slowly unzips, her skin peeling with it. Harley screams in horror watching herself be skinned alive.

Harley thrashes out of bed, continuing her scream. She lands on the floor with a thud.

She's in a silky black slip with a red Empire insignia on it. At least it's in her signature colors. She had modded some red diamonds onto the hips.

Finn rushes in, gun raised, in full uniform, "Are you ok?" Harley is on the floor, looking disheveled.

She desperately feels at her own face, squishing her cheeks, "I think so...I just..."

She hears Johnny Knoxville scream from getting kicked in the balls repeatedly.

She looks at the holopad and covers for herself, "...can't believe I get to see this in HD."

She points and a line of children are kicking Johnny Knoxville in the nads. Finn looks at the holopad dumbfounded then back at Harley.

He takes his helmet off to get a clearer look in the dark. He points to her face, "You're bleeding." 

She feels at her temple tattoo and winces, surprised by a sharp sting. Both PUDDIN tattoos were more inflamed. Some blood has started to drip from the strikethrough sections. Guess she had been neglecting aftercare.

--Take care of your ink, kids.--

Finn approaches her, "I'll take you to the med bay to get that infection fixed up." He extends a hand to help her up. Harley takes his hand and stands.

She heads to her dresser and fumbles with the dresser buttons. Nothing happens. She smashes it with her fist and the closest drawer pops out, but when it slides open, nothing is there. She mutters, "What the hell?"

Finn notices the dilemma, "Oh! Your clothes were sent to be cleaned."

He walks over to the dresser and presses another button, sending a different drawer sliding out, "They should have a stocked a jacket or something, a-hah." He pulls out a black leather fighter jacket with yet another red Empire emblem on it and hands it to Harley.She puts it on, more-so to cover the mess of tattoos. She's got a couple joker tattoos she hadn't had covered yet.
--HAH! A few?--

Finn searches, "There should be some pants in here somewhere."

Harley shrugs, "Why would I need those?", and pulls on her red and black heeled boots. Finn shrugs and heads toward the door. He pops his helmet back on as they exit.

Harley and Finn walk down the endless hallway. They pass another pair of storm troopers, who turn their heads to look at Harley as they pass. Harley barks at them and cackles when they jump.

She slows down as she passes the room she had first arrived in. The table is now upright now. A man with brown curly hair, wearing a leather jacket, is strapped to the table. He looks beat up. Kylo stands in front of him in full uniform.

Harley pauses and hears the man ask quickly, "So who talks first? Do you talk first or do I talk first?" Harley chuckles. Kylo turns, seeing Harley and force slams the door shut in her face.

Finn turns seeing Harley is a few paces behind. She runs to catch up.

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