Make sure to check my Patre.on out if you want to support me and want to read advanced chapters: Patre.on.com/voidness75
[34 Chapters in Advance on Patre.on]
...........
Chapter 165: The Most Gorgeous Of Butterflies
...........
In darkness, there was light. The source of which was a cocoon, seeming to be made of yellow and violet energy.
It was the only bright thing in this vast space until it wasn't anymore. The cocoon crumbled, and its light faded away. Darkness as predicted took the opportunity right away and overwhelmed the space.
And then there was only darkness, but there was sound. Movements could be heard amidst the darkness. Someone was moving in the darkness.
Well, it was more like someone was standing up, slowly but surely getting rid of the cocoon before facing the darkness, letting out a gasp of confusion.
Strangely, that gasp was followed by a giggle of happiness as she spoke, "Light up?"
And that it did, almost like she twisted reality with her words, a yellow bulb suddenly manifested, bringing light back into darkness.
"Hehehe... Hehe, finally!!!" She started jumping around in happiness in her usual style. It was none other than Harley who had just taken full control of the two rings of the emotional spectrum.
She was adorned in an interesting uniform, one similar to that of other lantern corps. The only difference was its colors, a mixture of violet and yellow.
She even allowed herself to fall back to the ground, and rolled around like a ball, "Yahhhhhho!!!"
"Hehe..."
Suddenly, she froze. She heard a voice not too far away from her, and it wasn't Ian's.
It was a familiar voice to her. It felt familiar. Even its tone had some resemblance to her, a touch of insanity shared by the likes of them.
"You... What are you doing here?" Harley questioned, not seeming frightened, but more so surprised.
"Mm, laughing in darkness? All alone... For a very long time." The shadowy figure answered with an even stranger tone.
"Uh? That sounds nice... I do wonder who would put you through such a lovely experience." Harley giggled as she walked closer to the source of the sound, getting a clear look at the man.
Tied to a metallic stake was someone she was very familiar with. He looked a bit messy, but his smile was still very wide if not a bit twisted.
"Who? A friend of course, a very nice friend. We talk a lot, so we must be friends..." The man murmured, seeming to recall some happy memories.
"Really? So for how long were you here?" Harley further wondered.
"A month? A year? Not very long, and he took very good care of me... Anyway, free me from these chains." The man spoke as if it was a matter of course.
"Hmm, sure..." Harley smiled as she focused on the ring of the yellow lanterns, trying to control the energy of fear.
Just like before, it wasn't hard for her at all, almost like she was destined for these certain emotions.
She manifested a sword construct before her, using it to cut off the chains. Harley noted that either the chains were too fragile or her constructs of fear are too strong.
"Haheheh, he's amusing... I want to play with him more." The man didn't seem affected at all by what he had gone through at all.
His focus was more so on tidying up his green tie and clearing the dust off his clothes, his purple suit.
"Yeah, about that... Are you sure you weren't held up in here for like a few years?" Harley strangely questioned, leading the man to size himself up.
"Oh my, It seems I lost myself for a second there... Well, for a few years hehehe." The man giggled, eyeing his extremely long beard and hair.
He wasn't in that sorry of a state, especially considering Ian didn't pay much attention to him, but his magic did, keeping him in an odd state just for this day.
"So you two aren't friends?" Harley questioned.
"Nope, we're definitely friends. We treat each other... Very well." The man nodded repeatedly as if convincing himself.
"I can not believe I'm saying this, but you're actually crazy, Joker." Harley let out a giggle as she circled around the Joker, seeming amused.
The Joker froze in place, eyeing Harley in what appeared to be surprised, then understanding, "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
"Huh? No no no, of course not. I was thinking of something much better, you know, for old times' sake." Harley hastily shook her head, seemingly afraid of him misunderstanding her pure motives.
"Yup, yeah, yes, os..." The Joker nodded repeatedly again with a weird smile, one that soon turned twisted, "You cheating BITCH!! You betrayed ME??! Ahem, excuse my manners, don't know what happened there."
His mood was kind of frightening. His expression was constantly changing as if his mind was very indecisive about what expression he should go with.
"Yup, that was rude," Harley nodded. She didn't seem annoyed though as she continued, "But you're right... I betrayed you, and I'm happy, so happy! Aren't you happy for me?"
"I guess I'm, a little bit? Or perhaps I will be if you take me out of here?" Joker was happy for her or so his words insinuate. He even tried to hug Harley as congratulation, but she jumped back.
"Don't be naughty now, you stink..." Harley reprimanded with a cute pout, drawing a giggle out of Joker. Just no for the reasons one might think.
"A butterfly..." The Joker remarked as if by instinct.
"Butterfly?" Harley wondered, confused.
"He said that you'll one day leave your cocoon, becoming a butterfly, and it happened," Joker remarked, slumping back to the ground.
Nothing was around him but darkness, a prison, and before him was a predator, a carnivore, of his own making. Well, she was of his own making, now, she is a different person entirely.
"Really really!!? Oddly specific, as expected of my darling..." Harley cutely giggled as she eyed the cocoon she just left. It was a bit too specific, way too specific which brought a remark out of the Joker.
"You mind hehe, you thought you'd escape the strings I control, but all you did was tie yourself to another's strings. I sent you to infiltrate Ian's group, but he ended up brainwashing you, lovely isn't it?"
The Joker was having a laugh out of her situation though she wasn't laughing. Instead, she seemed to be fantasizing about something.
"It's lovely, I've been shaped so perfectly, just for him. I... I love it. Why wouldn't I want to hook myself to a better string?"
Harley's usual carefree expression changed. She seemed serious if not a bit sinister as she approached him, crouching before him and eyeing him dead in the eye.
"Why wouldn't I want to stay with someone who treats me... Nicely. I never asked for much. I just want a lovely life, a happy vibrant life, and life is always colorful around him..."
Her expression was a bit dreamy, but it soon turned a bit sour, then teary, "You treated me like shit!! You sent me around like a dog! And I did it all without needing anything in return!!!"
Harley was throwing a tantrum, the likes of which she have never done before, "However, I was still treated like a pig, and I would've stayed a pig for who knows how long if my Darling didn't show me a completely different world."
Her dreamy expression returned, "He was nice to me. He is the loveliest person in life, and life agrees with me.
He laughed at the normal things I do, like counting how many skulls per second he can crush with his power. Strangely, he doesn't laugh at my jokes, like when I suggested blowing up the earth to see what it would look like... I'm in love."
The Joker was silent. He knew it long ago, but Ian somehow found a way into his mind, muddling it... The Joker knew he lost long ago.
Who he was dealing with wasn't Batman, but a monster who can possibly be worse than him.
The moment the Joker tried to play a game with Ian, the latter threw him into the Black Rose. There were no second thoughts or a second chance... His destiny was set in stone long ago.
"Hahahaha hahahahah hahahahahah ahhhh I'm so mad!! I just wanted to play a game! But this!? This isn't a game, you're treating me like a pawn! This... This isn't fair..."
The Joker seemed to have lost, bringing Harley out of her dreamy state, "Right..." She remarked as a yellow knife manifested in her hand. She was shaking, the construction of fear threatening to crumble down.
But slowly but surely, the knife reached the Delirious Joker's abdomen, making his tantrum come to a halt, but she didn't stop there as the knife dove into his stomach.
"You..." The Joker seemed to be in a bit of a shock, but he did nothing to stop her. Her current expression seemed fascinating to him.
Her expression was very odd, crying but laughing at the same time, "I did it. I did it!!"
Harley started jumping around in happiness, her form seeming to be glowing with a mixture of yellow and violet, and a moment later, a yellow bat nailed the Joker on the head.
"Take this! And this!!!" Harley kept hitting and hitting, making a mess out of the entirety of his body... And amidst the horrific act, she cried louder than ever.
Her cries didn't stop even after she stopped hitting the body, or what remained from it.
She crouched down and cried, tears falling onto the dark ground... Until she felt someone pull her towards them, and hug her in silence...