79 sparksChapter 3: All I Hear Are The Sobs (It Drives Me Crazy)
Trigger warning for implied, hypothetical violence/murder (nothing graphic).
Dr. Harleen Quinzel had received, as her first assignment ever, the Joker. It was... Terrifying, honestly. But it was exciting at the same time.
If she could get into the Joker's head, figure out what makes him tick, she'd unlock some of the greatest puzzles of the mind ever encountered. If she could survive him, she could survive anyone.
And if she figured out what drove him off the deep end, maybe she could figure out how to stop herself from doing so. Cut the little tendrils she saw in herself before they really had a chance to sprout. She just needed to learn how to get to the root of it all.
So she dressed prim and proper in her business suit, did her hair all professional-like, and slipped on fake glasses -- they made her look more mature. Her heels went click-clack as she walked down the halls of the Asylum, mouth a straight line, the picture of a serious psychiatrist.
She just had one little stop to make before she could really get to work. Harleen approached one of the cells, smiling softly. "Heya, Professor. Heya, Corvin." She whispered to the resting figures.
Professor Jonathan Crane sat up slowly, eyes widening. "Child, is that really you?"
Corvin didn't wait for a confirmation, slipping through the bars to pounce on her. Harleen laughed, hugging the demon before pushing him back into the cell. "Yeah, it's really me, Professor."
"You... Look so grown up." He smiled, coming closer to her. "I can hardly recognize you, Harleen. In a good way, I mean."
"I know, Professor." She smiled wider. "Listen, I'm not allowed to be assigned ta ya- to you, because I was your student, but Doctor Leland said I could sit in on some of her sessions with you, if you want."
"I would like that, Child." Professor Crane nodded, smiling softly. "Please tell me it isn't true that you were assigned to the Joker, of all patients?"
"I'll be safe, I promise." Harleen assured him, but he still looked worried. "Dontcha worry, Professah. He starts somethin', I'll give 'im da boot, ya know?"
"I'm sure you will, Ms Quinzel." The Professor paused for a moment, turning towards Corvin, nodding in that way that meant the demon had said something to him. "Yes, yes, excellent point. Doctor Quinzel." His face twisted in worry as he turned back to Harleen. "Ah wan' ya ta tahk ta me if ya feel tha least bit as if he's tryin' ta manipulate ya, alrigh'? Fear experiments aside, ah was a damn good therapist."
"Of course." Harleen agreed easily. He was less careful about his accent slipping than when she'd last seen him, which honestly may have been a good thing. "I have to get going if I don't want to be late on my first day. Have a good day, Professor Crane."
"And you, Doctor Quinzel." Professor Crane nodded goodbye, watching her walk off, her professional mask back on. "If that clown touches a hair on her head..."
Later that night, laying in bed, Harleen couldn't stop thinking about her first meeting with the feared Clown Prince Of Crime. The things he'd done, what he said, they were utterly horrifying.
They were as well inconsistent. His stories didn't match up, they were lies. He met a person in one he had supposedly killed in a story set years previously. He was making things up, and no one knew why.
More than that, something was wrong with him. He'd gone utterly blank at one point, not responding for an hour, at which point he'd just continued his sentence as if no time had passed at all.
He was confusing, horrifying, and many of her colleagues refused to be within the same room as him. She was utterly, completely, entirely hooked.
Weeks passed, and Harleen made a fascinating discovery; Joker lied about his past. To her, he spewed a tale of his wondrous father he sought to emulate, apparently incapable of seeing how abusively he was treated throughout childhood.
To some, an unhealthy fascination with the circus led to him killing a ringleader to take his place. Others heard how he'd been born looking as he does now, and his parents had locked him away in disgust, his only companion the voices in his head.
A different beginning for every person he talked to. Were they all entirely lies? Was there truth hidden in them? Could he even remember what the truth of the matter was?
That last question seemed most important. His blackouts were happening more frequently, each time they increased his meds, and he almost seemed to be getting sick. When Joker started refusing the food in the cafeteria, cracking jokes about feeding on, well... Horrible things, she demanded a blood test.
If he'd ever been a normal human, he certainly wasn't anymore. In a few days, she managed to discontinue his meds and start him on a unique regimen of supplements that would've killed a regular man. He needed things that were deadly to anyone else, just to survive.
And that gave her the idea for a new type of med. She walked into the session room, pills clinking in their little bottle, one month (almost to the day) since their first meeting.
"Heya, Harley!" Joker adored nicknames, and hers was Harley Quinn. He leaned forward in his chair, exaggerated surprise on his face. "You're still here? Thought you would've ran for the hills by now."
"Good morning, Mister J." Harleen had been pleased to discover that he reacted with both surprise and slightly heightened cooperation after she'd returned his pet name. "I have something for you."
"Is it a puppy?" Joker grinned, sharp and cruel. "I do so love to 'play' with puppies."
"I could 'accidentally' leave one in your cell." Harleen challenged. After she'd caught him saving a rat one of the other inmates had tried to drown, she'd realized how many of his crimes resulted in increased wellbeing for wildlife. He'd probably literally play with a puppy if he found it, give it treats, and attack anyone that tried to take it away.
Joker sputtered, deflating a little. "That won' be necessary, Doc. I'd hate ta hafta move cells while they, heh, cleaned up da mess."
"Uh-huh." Harleen rolled her eyes, smiling a little. Once you realized he really was only joking, it was kinda funny to see the lengths he'd go to keep his reputation intact. She put the pill bottle between them on the table. "It's not a puppy, but I don't think anyone would bat an eye if you called it Fido."
Joker hastily covered up a laugh, then stared at the bottle. Was it her imagination, or did he look betrayed? His grin grew stressed, fake. "Doc, I thought ya said I didn' hafta take my meds anymore? I don' like it when people lie ta me, Harley."
"These are new meds, based on your DNA." Harleen assured him. "They might work better. And if they don't, I'll take you off them immediately, I promise."
Joker just kept staring at the bottle, grin falling into a frown. It was the sort of facial expression a normal human wouldn't have been able to make, too wide and too sharp.
"If you don't want to take them, you don't have to." Harleen said quietly. "I just think it might help with your mood swings, and the memory issues."
His eyes snapped up, holding her gaze. After a few quiet seconds, he grinned, breaking into laughter. "Oh, Harley Quinn, wherever did ya come from? You see too clearly for a place like dis. I think I'll actually be a lil' sad when you leave."
Another thing she'd noticed was that Joker's accent seemed to change, somewhat randomly, somewhat with his mood. He'd been recorded talking in his sleep a few times, and his accent still changed even then. No one knew why, apparently not even Joker himself.
"Don't you worry, Mister J," Harleen winked. "I'm not leaving anytime soon."
He stopped laughing, looking at her curiously. He sighed. "Ya know what da sad ting is, Harls? I think that might be true."
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Comments carried over from AO3 (6)
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Not much of a Joker-and-Harley fan, but I enjoy this setting! Truly brings those Animated series vibes with the way they're talking, and I'm always fond of seeing the headcanon that Harley was Jonathan's best student. That never gets old, and I think it adds a lot to their dynamic! :)
Thanks! I loved that scene in the animated series where Jonathan was raving like a lunatic as he gets dragged down the hall, only to switch to civil and friendly long enough to return Harley's cheerful greeting.
I wasn't much of a Harley/Joker fan until I started reading fanfics where they were pretty much platonic soulmates, and now I'm hooked on the idea. Good Person Joker is my favorite non-canon interpretation of him.
"Good evening, child". They were ADORABLE XD
That scene cracked me up, and honestly what convinced me too that they knew each other beforehand, as teacher-and-student ^^
Oh that's great! I've definitely seen some pretty interesting non-threatening versions of him (including some from old canons) or even a healthy Joker/Harley.
If you want a semi-canon good bond for them, the Lego Batman movie is a blessing. It's super fun and made by fans who used bunch of references, Harley/Joker as a cute platonic couple is fantastic in this universe!
I'm glad you like it! Platonic Joker/Harley is surprisingly fun to write. Though, if I didn't ship Batjokes and Ivyquinn so much, I'd ship healthy Joker/Harley in a heartbeat.
Jonathan was a psychology teacher, Harley was a psychology student, it just makes so much sense that they knew each other. And their friendship is always so adorable and fluffy!
Awww, look at that lovely former-teacher and favorite-student reunion! Surely Jonathan wasn't expecting to meet her again in *these* conditions, but... that was enjoyable! And for sure it melted his heart, somewhere under all the layers of burlap and fake coldness ;)
Also, I love Corvin, I think bonding Jon with a demon is a great idea. You bring it there very well, you were right to use your concept in this story too! It makes Jonathan more interesting, honestly :)
Thanks! And IKR? I love fics where Jonathan has a demon. I honestly can't see him without it now, it ironically humanizes him. And Corvin came out so much cuter than I meant, lol.
Corvin is very cute indeed!
And I get why this headcanon is so popular... after all, you could say Jon sort of *is* a demon, to an extent. I mean, in canon he transformed into the Scarebeast, a monster-version of him, even if he was unaware of this second personality. He truly is a sort of Dr Jekyll / mister Hyde. Gotta love that scary, old professor XD
It's like, technically I should hate him, but he's such a an interesting character! And I love Scarebeast so much. Though, is it true that in canon, Scarebeast is a cannibal? (I really hate that kind of stuff)
You preach to a choir there, Jonathan is on my all-time top 5 favorite DC characters ;)
Well I won't recommend you read the Scarebeast issues, then. To his sort of 'defense', Jon was actually manipulated and turned into the beast against his will (by a doctor working under Penguin's orders. Creepy stuff honestly). I always have a problem with how edgy some canons get, but let's not consider it cannibalism (yuk, disgusted noise upon writing that word) since he technically turned into a *monster*, he was no longer human when he attacked, bit and killed people under his Scarebeast form.
Sorry, you probably wanted other references than this specific arc of his... But he pretty much was the victim in the whole deal!
I've recently taken to reading the comics. While there are some very interesting plotlines, I really hate how graphic some of them are. I especially hate how psychologically disturbing some of them are. I've read over a dozen by now, and there's only like two I'd be willing to reread, despite liking a lot of the plots.
I find the idea of Jonathan getting turned into a beast without knowing/against his will really interesting, but I don't like the bit about killing/biting people. Same problem I have with my love for werewolves, now that I think about it.
I fully get you! Both for the werewolves thing and the not-liking some disturbed storylines.
I'm not sure what fics of mine you read, but there is a deep-rooted hatred for the reboot in every single one of them XD. Plus for unecessary edgy arcs, that honeslty tend to ruin characters (Like Riddler. Current canon!Riddler is definitely ruined for me, while he was wonderful in the previous continuity)
If you want good Scarecrow stories, there's definitely the comics that prolong the Animated Series, in which among others he cries when Robin!Dick brings up his former love for teaching. It's beautiful ^^
I know it's a classic, but Long Halloween never gets old. Scarecrow doesn't have a main role in it, but his appearances are striking and he is buddy with Mad Hatter. Scarecrow: Year One may be relatively recent, it's a great story line (the ending is utterly disappointing, but his backstory-telling is nice, and the aesthetic very neat). Among others ^^
I didn't read it, but I saw parts of that one storyline where Scarecrow tries to return to teaching and becomes hyper protective over a student. I like the idea that (fear experiments aside) Jonathan's actually a really good teacher.
Is Long Holloween the one where Scarecrow, Penguin, and Mad Hatter get tricked into what's basically a haunted house by Batman?
And is the whole Mad Hatter/Scarecrow/Riddler Dork Squad friendship canon?
Good teacher Jon for the win <3
That's the first issue of Batman: The Dark Knight Annual, with the three of them in the haunted house. Not too much plot, some traumatic childhood memories discussed, good designs and a spooky halloween ambiance (because it indeed occurs on Halloween). It's relatively good, even if I believe it could have been much better with proper humor (I mean, three villains locked in a haunted house? that sounds like the beginning of a joke!), and instead it comes off dark and gloomy. Typical New 52.
Long Halloween on the other hand, is a story by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that focuses on Batman, Harvey (pre-Two Face) and a mysterious killer whose first murder occurs on Halloween. It's a noir detective genre, with heavy investigation plot and every major rogue making at least an appearance during the full year over which Bruce, Harvey and Jim Gordon try to catch that killer. It's a long story, but truly one of the best comic books you can read without having to check for references first. Even people who don't like DC much but enjoy detective stories can have a great time with this one. And Scarecrow rides a horse at some point: that's super badass, but I admit he isn't the main focus XD
Feeling like that'll be a disappointment but... no, the Dork Squad isn't canon. Jonathan and Jervis often work together so it's safe to assume they're friends at least in the main continuity, Jonathan and Edward worked together too (though a lot less), and that's about it. While the Sirens are a canon trio (even if Catwoman being friend with Harley and Ivy comes up later in the main continuity, while Harl and Pamela were buddies even back then in the Animated series), the Dork Squad isn't.
But given how fast writers create alternate universes, I don't doubt they might be buddies somewhere XD
Now I kinda want to read Long Holloween. As well, I love the Harvey-Bruce friendship. Adds depth to the whole Twoface storyline.
That was a great story!
Joker and Harley's bond is definitely touching there, glad they found each other :)
I wasn't thinking you'd make her fall into acid in this verse, but that was a well-written scene, and it's nice to see Joker rushing to help her out.
And awww, the energy in that drawing is lovely! Harley looks mischievous, adorable and up to no good! Plus it's cool that you mixed her post-reboot looks with her original outfit. Good job!
Original Harley will always be my favorite, but I just fell in love with the dyed hair thing. It took me just under and hour and a half to draw all her different outfits, lol.
I wasn't going to have her fall into the acid, but I thought it would explain her similar abilities to Joker in the previous fics. Though she was affected much less, thanks to Joker pulling her out (which was such a fun scene to write, showing how much he's bonded to her at this point).
These are good aesthetic choices!
And it's cool to make them share the dive-into-acid but in a sort of 'positive' way, for once. Nice idea :)
It's supposed to be a positive version of Harleen going to a life of crime, after all, so I thought it would be fun to turn a moment that's traditionally one of the most abusive (Joker tries to turn Harley into a copy, thinking she probably won't survive, and she goes along with it) into something more good-natured.
That's a great point of view you bring up, and I love this bond for your characters!
Oh and, the accents coming and going depending on how they want to "appear" is a nice touch :)
Also, regarding the canon events: to be fair, even if I'm not a Joker fan, I dislike the "pushing Harley into acid" reboot story. Initially, she simply joined him out of love (that was not positive though, as he *indeed* was abusive), I think there was no need to change their early partnership by making Joker dump her into a van of acid. I stick with her first origin story in my verses because I prefer it, but I must say it was pleasant there, to read a reboot-inspired villain origin for her that has a positive side! Very refreshing ^^
Original Harley will always be my favorite, and I haven't really seen many other versions of outside of fanfics, but my sister is OBSESSED with Harley. I've heard pretty much everything related to reboot Harley. I still prefer the concept of Harley just being hyper athletic/strong on her own merits, rather than mutated.
And, honestly, what are the chances that she'd be able to survive just like he did? It feels a bit like they were trying to basically make her female Joker, rather than Harley Quinn. But it was still fun to play with the concept, and lets me explain her fourth-wall breaking abilities.
Yeah I agree. She's better as her own character rather than basing her abilities out of chemicals. Same for Pamela, same for Jervis to some extent. I much prefer when they're skilled people who worked hard, rather than mutants with sort of supernatural strength / abilities.
And still fun to read about the concept ^^
I like the version where Poison Ivy starts off as a regular person, but then becomes a plant mutant for some reason or other. I only recently found out about Mad Hatter's connection to chemicals and utterly despise it (I really hate drug addiction storylines). I like the version of Jervis whose main strength are his mind-controlling cards, his technology skills, and his ability to seem weaker than he is.
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I love how this all tied together! And the bits about why their accents change were really insightful into who they are.
Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I love writing accents, especially to show mental states, even though I'm not the best at it.
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