There was a time, when walking the streets of Gotham at night was a risk worthy of only the suicidal, the well armed, the reckless or the desperate. Now you could see families and kids out enjoying the summer nights, people choosing to walk instead of scurry home, and beat cops stopping not to arrest some thug but to just talk with members of the community they served and were apart of. It wasn’t completely safe, but there was hope and a sense that things were getting better.
“Or perhaps the criminals were just run underground by the freaks….like me.” One woman thought sourly as she trudged home, people instinctively clearing a path for her, sensing her desire to remain undisturbed. Her blond hair pulled back, as she wore a heavy coat over her uniform. She shoved a hand in her pocket feeling the sparse tips she’d made tonight and wondered, not for the first time, if she’d make rent.
As she headed home, the populace thinned, as she neared one of the ‘Old Guard’ neighborhoods. A place that existed seemingly to remind people of what Gotham could become again if they dropped their guard. She turned climbing the stairs to her apartment building and stopped, letting out a sigh. “All right, come out and tell me what you want.” She frowned and turned, folding her arms over her chest as a figure detached itself from the shadows and approached. Her annoyance shifting to genuine surprise “Oh….it’s you.” She made her way down the apartment steps, as she stood before her stalker “I figured it’d be one of your boys.”
The gold eyes of the other woman’s were just visible through her mask. Her mask, unlike many of the more traditional kitsune masks, had a sleeker muzzle that mostly went down instead of protruding out. The mask was mostly black with red streaks under the eyes and down the ‘muzzle’ as well as a hint of gold in the ears. Though the blond woman new from personal experience those collars could be changed on the fly by some means she didn’t full understand. The other woman’s outfit was mostly apractical black combat affair, with a few streaks of red along the limbs for theatrics.
“Hello Harley” the other woman began, her hands well clear of her weapon, though again, Quinn new from personal experience that the other woman didn’t need the weapon to be dangerous. “How are you getting along?”
Quinn snorted and held open her coat, showing off the waitress uniform “Living the dream.” She shrugged “Still better than….before.” she felt a flush of anger as she thought about it, the life she was living when ‘Fox’ first showed up. At the time it’d seemed so wonderful. Harley and her puddin had been “romping” with Batman for awhile when this new player had joined. She could recall the joy she felt when she worked out the Fox and the Bat were an item. It just fit her worldview at the time. These were no longer just “romps”, they were double dates. The boys running off to talk, while she and her new Galpal engaged in their own “discussions”. Hell she’d even seen her skills improving after a few rounds with Fox, and that’s how ‘Girlfriends’ worked right, they inspire you to be better.
Then, finally, reality broke through her mental barriers.
“So…” Harley focused on the present as she spoke. “What really brings you by?”
‘Fox’ gave off a definite sense of smiling “Actually, I have a job for you. It requires some travel, but it’ll be all reasonable expenses paid, makes use of you’re degree and might allow you to help some people.”
THAT she hadn’t expected “You want ME to help other people…..Fox you feeling okay?”
“I think…” she began “there may be aspects of a toxic relationship somewhere in this group I’m sending you to…but I need an outside opinion…
Harley nodded, chuckling “And who better to find that out than someone whose been through one.”
*****
Shinobu turned the stove down “I’ll get it!” she called and all but skipped to the door. Keitaro was back! Sure he now split his time between his preparations for school and his….’Second’ job, but he was back and that was the important thing.
The Young girl reached the front door and opened it to find a professionally dressed blonde woman standing before her, hefting a few bags and smiling. “Oh! You must be the new tenant…Umm…”
“Harleen Quinzel.” The woman replied as she bowed a little awkwardly “Can I come in?” Her Japanese was clearly in need of some work but she was doing well enough to be understood.
“Oh of course.” Shinobu pulled back as the other woman entered,then shut the door. “Keitaro’s putting the final touches on your room so…” she stopped as the other woman set her bags down to hold up a hand.
“My room can wait.” Harley said, those eyes seemingly alit “Now, YOU must be Shinobu and that…” she made a big production of sniffing the air “Smells delicious, so why don’t I give you a hand and you can teach me a little traditional cooking and tell me more about the other residents, Keitaro only really had time to talk about you
“Awoo….how’d you…?” the blonde laughed and gestured at the apron Shinobu wore and the ladle held in her other hand “…oh…” Shinobu said quietly “Ummm sure.” She began leading the way to the kitchen, her face flushing a little red when it finally sunk in that of all the tenants here, Keitaro had only really talked about HER. “I mean they’re all good people but…a little eccentric…”
“Really?” Quinn’s smile was wide “Tell me more.”
*******
Again I don’t know if this could really work, but I LIKE the idea of the league sending someone in to observe the residents and their interactions, and since it also provides a paying job for a former supervillain trying to go straight (and keeps her FAR away from the Joker) it made a sort of sense to me.
I do want Harley to eventually report on TWO toxic relationships. Keitaro’s and Naru’s, along with Naru’s and Kitsune’s. The idea being that Naru’s insecurities cause her to take and take with Kitsune with barely any give, while with Keitaro they cause violent expressions of jealousy.
Thoughts?