Captain America: Gotham City

Chapter 1: Meet Harley Quinn

It felt odd, being out of costume, but a gal can't go walking down the rough streets in Gotham wearing a skin tight bodysuit without getting attention now, can she? Harley mused as she walked down the dingy streets. She has a slight bounce in her step, her coloured pigtails swinging back and forth as she went. The red and black skater dress she was wearing, with stockings and suspender belt probably wasn't much better, but at least it left a little something to the imagination. She just hopes she doesn't have to run anywhere tonight, she had busted a new rocks shop the other night and had fallen in love with the big leather boots style, but they were pretty heavy. Harley smiles as her mind wonders over the events of the last week. First she had escaped Arkham Asylum when there had been a big bust up between Killer Croc and one of the other goons, the place was in turmoil, and Ol' Bat Butt was far too busy trying to catch the more destructive inmates to worry about chasing her down these days. That's probably why he hadn't disturbed her little shopping trip, even the cops had everything on hold trying to track down the other escapees. Batsy will probably catch up with her soon, she thought, unless she keeps her head down.

At least now she had done her basic shopping as orange jumpsuits really weren't her style after all, she could stay on the straight and narrow, plus with Mistah J still missing there wasn't much in the way of distractions or temptation. Everybody said he was dead, but she knew better, deep in her heart she knew he would come back for her, eventually, his Harls, her Puddin. She brushes the thought from her mind, she had stuff to do, no time to be moping about now. Harley pulls a long, cascading list from her cleavage, giggling a little as it tumbles, unrolling to stretch out behind her, caught on the breeze, revealing the big childish writing scrawled in crayon.

Step one: Spring Clean

During her last stint on the outside Harley had found her own place, in Uptown. She rented it out to help get some honest money coming in, which was always nice to come back to after time on the inside. She climbs the stairs to her apartment on the top floor, collecting her hidden spare key. She kept it hidden inside the mouth of her grotesque clown door knocker, pausing in the doorway as she gazed over her cold empty apartment. It was home, but it certainly didn't feel very welcoming. She missed her babies, the two hyenas hadn't been here to welcome her home ever since she gave them up to the zoo. There was however a new hanging basket swaying slightly in her balcony window, ivy crawling up its chains, and other vines draped, stretching to the floor. Harley spots a note slipped in amongst the leaves.

See you soon, Harls

Penned in feminine, swirling handwriting, and a lipstick kiss on the back. She guesses Red would visit her soon enough. It would be good to have a friend around.

Harley, sweeping a smile onto her face jumps straight into cleaning up her apartment. Dust motes twirling in the dim moonlight as she drifts back and forth. Sweeping this, polishing that, and throwing the odd bits and pieces into a bin bag in the center of her old wood floor. There wasn't much in furnishings. A dusty old armchair next to the large, wrought iron window, a tattered old rag rug she'd made from mistah J's old, ruined suits, a upcycled coffee table that had once been a old suitcase, and a mattress on the floor, heaped in black, red, purple, green and orange pillows and blankets. Sure it was a little bohemian, a bit upside down and thrown together, but it had character.

Dark clouds and thunder rumble in the distance, it wouldn't be long till it rains, and rains hard. Grabbing the bin bag, Harley ties it up and starts running down the stairs, praying she'd be able to beat the rain to the dumpsters out back. She ran down the stairs at speed, getting dizzy as she spirals around and around and around. "UMPH!" Groaning as she jumps down the last six steps before dashing round the corner to the door. Bugger she thought. Big, fat raindrops were already hitting the street, sparkling in the lamp light. It was beautiful, she always enjoyed the peace of rain, and the energy of rolling thunder since she was a child, but she prefers to enjoy it from the warmth of indoors. A huge flash of lightning lights up the street, making her jump. This wasn't going to be fun. Sighing deeply she pushes the door open, lugging her bin bag after her. Shuddering as the first cold droplets slid over the curve of her cheeks, she sped round the corner to the alleyway, heaving her bag up and into the dumpster as quick as she could, which wasn't really that fast on account of her huge shoes. But at least they were puddle proof she thought. Another flash of lightning struck at the end of the alley, making her scream and duck, the light so bright she was temporarily blind.

Slowly she began to make out shapes from the dingy night, a spot of light still in the center of her vision. To her shock there was now a man laying on the ground, cut and bleeding with a huge metal disk circling and clattering to the floor near his feet. He didn't appear to be moving however. "Shit, shit, shit, shit." Harley repeats as she dashes over, crouching by his head and bending forward to listen for a breath. Zilch, Nada, Crap well Harls she thought to herself, time to earn that Dr. Title... now what's that song again, "Aha!" She starts to compress his chest in time with breathlessly singing Nellie the elephant, before parting his lips and blowing air into his lungs and repeating again, "C'mon dude, breeeath!" She pleads as she methodically pumps away. She might've worked with the biggest sociopath the world has ever known but she did value life, oddly enough, "Pucker up, Sunshine!" She mumbles as again she presses her lips to his, but still no response. Here she was, soaked through in her brand new, and only clothes, and he couldn't even be arsed to breath, "Ok. One more chance, buddy!" She warns, yet no sign of life. Pissed off, cold, wet and frustrated she did all she could think was left to do, *SLAP* "WAKE UP ASSHOLE!".

Suddenly the man sat bolt upright, taking a huge gasp of air and grabbing at Harley's dress, his eyes wild and confused for a moment before the pupils constricted, his grip loosens and he slumps back to the floor, but at least breathing this time. Harley still crouching down just stares at him in shock, his chest now peacefully rising and falling in the rain, his hand resting heavy in her lap. She thought of just leaving him there in the alley, she had done her part after all. Maybe she could call an ambulance for him, "Hmm.. nahh." She said to herself. Last thing she wanted was cops sniffing around wanting to know why some guy just appeared in an alleyway, seemingly out of a strike of lightning. It was then that Harley notices that the bright spot of light that had been clouding her vision earlier was still there,  except now it was behind her. Turning slowly to look over her shoulder she watches as this white light warps and swirls like a tight ball of ink on water, fading into the dark at the edges with an otherworldly tingle seeping out into the night. Her hairs stood on end. Whatever it was she didn't want to be around it any longer, clearly it was causing enough trouble. Turning back to this mysterious man at her feet she made up her mind. She couldn't just leave the guy here, but she also couldn't call medics who would in turn call the cops. There was only one option left, take him to hers.

Thirty minutes and only one flight of stairs out of three later she was starting to regret her decision. She had already tried to piggy back, push and pull him up by various limbs. Hopefully he wouldn't have too bad a headache in the morning, or any memory of this. In the end she had tied his metal disk to his back and dragged him up.

Two hours later and she had finally got him to her door, pulling him in by the ankles and into the living room, "Urgg." Harley groans, pulling at her sodden dress, she'd have to change out of this at some point, but into what, this dress was all she owned right now. Well that could wait, seeing as she had a passed out soggy guy sprawled out on her living room rug. Better tend to him first really. She kicks off her boots, before pulling off his, placing both in the corner of the room. Then she pulls off his mask. She studies his peaceful face for a moment, admiring his strong jawline, and his damp messy hair. Giggling she combs her fingers through his tangles to spike the hair on end. Still smirking she moved onto his top, pulling it up and over his head and tossing it into the soggy pile.

"Hellooo pectorals!" She whispers tracing a finger from his shoulder, down over his chest, slowly over each well sculpted muscles of his six pack, and down to the edge of his belt, running a finger under the rim. Her eyebrow raised, wondering what treasures lay hidden still. Gently she unfastens his belt and carefully undid his button, savouring the suspense as she pulls the zip down, biting her lip and pushing a stray strand of hair from her face. Carefully she pulls his trousers down, slowly revealing the tight boxers and the bulge they cover. Oh my she thought, a lewd smile spreading across her lips. Before she gets too distracted she pulls him up onto the mattress, and covers him with the various stuffed toys, pillows and blankets, saving only one of each for herself. Finally she let her own drenched dress drop to the floor, hung everything on a makeshift washing line of string tied from a door handle to a kitchen cupboard handle. Harley curls up onto the old armchair and wraps herself up into a blanket burrito and settles in for what was left of the night, soft sounds of the rain pattering against the window.