hey little sister, what have you done?

[manofmyword]

In the week following the Joker's escape, things are quiet. No sightings or exploits make the news. As far as anyone can tell, he vanished out of his cell overnight and then left town.

He didn't leave town, of course.

At exactly the time they would have had their next session, down to the minute, he breaks into Harleen Quinzel's apartment—politely locking the door again behind him—and settles onto the couch in her living room to wait until she gets home.

It takes a while. Pretty soon, he curls up and goes to sleep.

Comments

[attending_physician]

Naturally, Harleen was one of the first people Warden Sharp and the GCPD wanted to talk to. She told them that she had no idea that he was even thinking about escape. He had been reticent in their last session, but not unusually so; yes, it had been enough for her to call their session short. She didn't believe in forcing patients to communicate, as the Warden well knows.

In the days that followed, the feeling at Arkham settled into relief that Joker's escape had been both silent and bloodless. The fact that they had kept him as long as they did is treated as something of a miracle.

Everyone gradually slides back into the normal routine, even Harleen, so when she comes home tonight and notices a figure sprawled on her couch, she does not immediately realize who it is. (Who it must be.)

She sets her briefcase down, rummaging into the outside pocket before she takes a few cautious steps toward the living room, pepper spray in one hand and cell phone in the other.

She counts to three silently and hits the light switch.



"Oh. There you are."