Will You Be My Daddy? ~Joker Fanfiction~

Squad Up (Pt 7)

Maddie sits shaking on the roof, Harley's discarded jacket draped loosely around her shoulders as they wait for their own helicopter to come in. She still can't mentally process what just happened, her mind replaying the events over and over again until the noise of the explosion has dulled her eardrums.

"Mad, Mad!" A echoing voice tries to cut through the radio silence.

Feeling like she's underwater, Madeline slowly looks up, her tears having long dried but her face still pink and puffy from shedding them. She's surprised to see the noble Rick Flag crouched before her, searching her face in obvious concern.

"I called your name like ten times," he says by way of greeting. Maddie says nothing, still hurt and upset.

"Look," Rick sighs, "I'm sorry about your parents, and for the way I've been treating you. You're right, you're just a kid, and the situation you're in isn't your fault."

"As pleased as I am to hear you admit fault, Rick, that doesn't bring them back," Maddie croaks.

"I know I can't do that, but what I can do is try and help you get to a better place. Once this shit is done, I'll talk to Waller and all them and see if we can get you on parole, or in foster care or something," Rick offers with a kind smile.

Maddie can't help it. She laughs, long and hard, giggling and cackling at his expense.

"Oh, Rick, I'm sorry, but what you just said, oh!" She chuckles, wiping a tear. "First off, I'd rather die than go into the hell that is the foster care system, not to mention that apparently I'm 19, not 16 and my dad is just a lying shit. And do you really think Waller is going to let any of that happen? It is in her best interest to paint me as a homicidal maniac that's beyond help so she can keep me under her thumb for use in her nefarious schemes. She's so diabolical, she would do anything to get power over people and keep it. There's no way she'd ever let me go. She'll never let any of us go, even if we somehow managed to work down our sentences."

Rick looks dumbfounded, the poor naive soldier, his faith in the system and his boss completely shattered as he realizes beyond a doubt that she's right. After the way she treated him before all this went down, it isn't hard to believe that she would use anything she could to manipulate others and remain in power.

"But thanks anyway, Ricky. I appreciate the sentiment. Your girlfriend's a real lucky woman," Maddie soothes, giving him a crooked smile.

Just thinking of the way Waller so quickly used June against him has Rick thinking. He walks away from Madeline, contemplating just how his relationship with June actually came about and how it benefits Waller. She has the witch's heart, and therefore June's, so she can easily use her to keep him in line. Was that the plan all along? Was June in on it?

"Confirmed, she's down 1k west," Rick hears a soldier repeat.

"Let's go get her," he resigns. "The mission's not over."

"Nah, it is for me," Floyd argues. "We had a deal!"

"Without Waller, you got nothing," Flag reminds him.

Not knowing what else to do, the Squad all follows Rick back down through the building and to ground level, walking towards where Waller crashed. Maddie is still very out of it and walks with her head down. That is, until-

"Hey guys! I'm back! I missed you all so much," the unmistakeable voice of Harley Quinn coos from nearby.

Shocked, Maddie looks up and sure enough, her mother figure is sitting on a car, right as rain. Madeline runs over to her and squeezes her in a tight hug.

"I thought I lost you," she sobs. "Dad?"

"He saved me," is all Harley replies.

"Oh, here's your jacket," Maddie says as she begins to take it off.

"Nah, you keep it," Harley waves it off. "It looks better on you anyway."

With a little smile, Maddie takes her hand and walks back to the group.

"We're glad you could make it," Floyd greets.

"Hey craziness," Boomerang murmurs, giving them a sympathetic smile.

"Let's get this shit done," Maddie declares, looking to Flag in a clear acquiescence of power.

Rick nods and leads them all to Waller's downed helicopter. The bird is on fire, the bitch they're working for nowhere in sight.

"Shit," Flag mutters as he stalks away from the helo, running his hand through his spiky cropped hair.

Maddie watches him go. Man I wish I could get my hands on those locks. Those tugs would seem like gentle strokes once I was done with him.

"Mad, psst, come take a look at this," Floyd calls from the chopper. Curious, Madeline looks away from Rick and jogs over to the hitman.

He holds out a binder to her, which must have belonged to Waller. She flips through some of the pages, seeing detailed files on all of them, including... Rick Flag?

According to this, Waller had set up Rick with some witch, planning for them to fall in love so she could manipulate them both. And the bad guys they're fighting are this chick's minions! You mean we've been fighting Ricky's girlfriend this whole time. I knew the whole terrorist thing was wrong, but I definitely didn't expect this!

"What is this shit?" She demands. "They've all been lying to us this whole time. We have no chance against this witch and her brother, especially now that she's got her heart back!"

"I think loverboy owes us all an explanation," Deadshot growls, stalking away.

"Oh, shit," Maddie sighs as she follows him. Now I'm gonna have to do some damage control.