#Emily Harle | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rainbow-universe · 2 months ago

Text

my shadow (it follows behind) :

love me more (i killed someone for you)

part 1/3

Gotham has lost the Joker. GCPD doesn’t know how he escaped from Arkham Asylum or when. Your team is called in to find him, and figure out what he might be up to, or even if he’s still alive. Criminal Minds x DC Crossover Week Day 7 - Sunday, February 9th Backstory Reveal || Undercover Justice League || Profiling a Rogue/Bat || "Life is a hell of a thing to happen to a person." part of @criminalmindsxdc 's CM x DC crossover week!!

TWs: background character death, mentioned torture and body disposal, guns mentioned but not used

title from an Alec Benjamin song

cross-posted on ao3

wc: 8k+

”You will be forgotten. No one will miss you or mourn you.”

“It’s all over the news have you heard?”

“It’s bad news.”

“Gotham is such a weird place, I’m glad I don’t live there.”

“It’s kind of scary.”

The building was abuzz with whispers as you walked in.

“What’s going on?” you asked upon joining where Derek, JJ and Penelope were huddled around Spencer’s desk.

“Oh my lovely Gothamite! I’m surprised you didn’t hear before us! It’s your hometown! They’re saying the Joker broke out of Arkham again!” Penelope said worriedly.

No, that’s not- Why had no one called you, texted you? You resisted the urge to glance at your phone which you knew was blank of any new notifications.

Derek put his arm around her.

“Time to have some fun.”

“Don’t worry, baby girl, I’ll protect you. And Gotham is over 150 miles away,” Derek comforted her.

“That’s-” you stopped yourself. “He’s out? He’s gone? Has he done anything yet?”

“Gotham news says they looked in his cell early this morning and he wasn’t there, they have no leads on when or how he escaped, or if he had help,” JJ said.

“There’ve been no sightings yet, but the Gotham PD announced they’ve been gearing up for an attack, just in case,” Spencer added.

“They say the Bats have gone to talk to some of the Rogues to see if anybody knows anything. They said they were trying to talk to his girlfriend Harl-”

“Ex,” you interrupted Penelope. “Ex-girlfriend. Harley Quinn. Aka Dr Harleen Quinzel, former psychiatrist. The Joker was one of her patients. Anyways.”

“Yah.”

“You don’t believe Batman is actually real, do you? C’mon, that’s just an urban legend,” Derek said, no way was he real. Derek would need to see him with his own two eyes to believe in the local Gotham Cryptid.

“Considering the Joker considered him his archnemesis and Gotham PD has a ‘Batsignal’, I’d say that one hell of a strong delusion that keeps dragging the Joker back to Arkham if he doesn’t exist,” you said dryly.

“But, c’mon, a man who dresses up as a bat every night? Nuh uh.”

“Don’t forget the rest of the birds and bats!” chirped Penelope.

“The who now?” JJ asked.

“The Gotham Birds and Bats! There’s more than just Batman,” Penelope gushed. Derek loved when she got passionate about things. “There’s Robin too! And others like Nightwing and Spoiler and Batgirl, although she’s not active anymore, and my personal favourite, another hacker extraordinaire, the Oracle!”

“You sure know your Bats and Birds,” you smiled at Penelope.

“Not even Batman can save you now.”

“It’s a hobby of mine, scouring all the message boards and conspiracy theories and fan sites about them, like whether Batman is a vampire or who would be better suited to be Batman: Mark Zuckerberg, Oliver Queen or Bruce Wayne. Definitely Oliver Queen, he had that buffed up makeover a couple years back and Bruce Wayne has way too many kids. And I will not even consider the blasphemous opinion of Zuckerberg, he doesn’t have the face for it. Besides, Brucie Wayne isn’t serious enough to be Batman.” Penelope had her opinions and they were right. She would not be convinced otherwise. But maybe she’d have to drag you into telling her more about the Gotham vigilantes. Certainly there were things you knew that the internet didn’t.

“Did you hear? The Joker’s out of Arkham, apparently that’s the big news today,” Emily said as she joined your group.

“It is troublesome, since the last few times he escaped he mass murdered dozens of people,” Spencer said.

“You’re from Gotham, what do you think of all this?” Emily asked and suddenly all eyes were on you.

“I want to hear you scream.”

You knew it would come eventually but that didn’t mean you were prepared for it, or for five sets of eyes on you at once.

“I think that the guy’s a serial killer and I hope no one else gets hurt because of him,” you said, before making your exit to your desk, which was not far enough away but thankfully they left it there for the moment.

“Uh oh, looks like we have a case.” You heard JJ mutter and followed her gaze up to where Hotch was signaling you with a curl of his fingers.

You followed everyone to the briefing room and sat down.

“Which hurts more? A? Or B?”

“As you may have heard, the Joker’s-“ Hotch was uncomfortable with the fact that he had no other name to call him “-cell at Arkham Asylum was found empty at 2:52 this morning. GCPD have been on the scene but haven’t been able to determine when on how he escaped. None of the local criminals have admitted to knowing possible whereabouts of … the missing criminal.

“We’ve been called in to help, to figure out how he escaped, if he had help and from whom, and profile his possible next moves. Wheels up in 30, we’re driving there and debrief more on the way. Garcia? I want you on the ground with us for this one,” Hotch said.

Penelope’s eyes widened. “Yes sir!” she squeaked.

“Bring the gas masks I gave you, you never know with Gotham,” you added as you followed your team out of the room.

“Wait up, agent,” Hotch called out to you.

“Don’t worry about your pretty little face, there won’t be much left of you after we’re done here.”

You turned to see Hotch looking at you and you took a few steps back towards him. “Yes, sir?”

“You’re familiar with Gotham.” It was a statement as much as it was a question.

“Yes, born and raised, or so I’m told,” you replied lightly, brow furrowed because Hotch knew this.

He nodded. “I want you taking lead on this one, at least for contact with the locals. You’d be familiar with them, correct?”

You nodded.

“Good. And you’re also familiar with …”

“The Bats, Birds and Rogues?” you asked dryly.

“Yes.”

You nodded again. “I am familiar with most of them, and yes, sir, Batman does exist, no matter what Morgan says, and before you say anything about tampered evidence and convictions, when half the justice system is corrupt, having an outside source helps. At least in Gotham specifically.”

Hotch looked considering when he replied, “Commissioner Gordon said that when he called, that Batman was the one to recommend bringing us in.”

You hoped you kept your face as blank as possible without being too suspicious. Bruce!! “Oh wow. That’s a … nice? Surprise?”

“We’ll see.” Hotch waved you on to grab your go bag.

“You will not survive this., You will die here. No one knows you’re here.”

Before arriving, Hotch assigned your vehicle (you, Penelope, JJ and Rossi) to head right to the precinct to meet with Gordon while he, Spencer, Derek and Emily went to Arkham.

You led your teammates inside, winding around desks to Gordon’s office to knock at his door.

It opened to Jim Gordon’s exhaustion lined face. You were struck by how haggard he looked.

“Jim,” you greeted.

“Come on in then.” He gestured the four of you into his office.

“These are agents Jennifer Jareau and David Rossi and our technical specialist Penelope Garcia.”

“JJ, please.”

“Dave is fine.”

“Nice to meet you, sir!”

They shook hands and then Jim sat down and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Thanks for coming out. I know we Gothamites have a reputation for handling our problems internally, but I’m worried we’re out of our depth for this one.”

“Perhaps we’ll start with something small. Something you won’t miss. Work up to the big stuff. Hmm? Let’s start with the fingers.”

“We’re here to help,” JJ said. She could see how exhausted he looked. This would be a difficult case for any city, but in Gotham? They'd already experienced how bad he could be, now they were just bracing for impact.

Jim nodded. “I honestly don’t know when he got out and it pains me to say that. I don’t know what we’re dealing with. Usually he escapes with a big bang and spree killings and a revenge plot against Batman. This time? Silence. It’s unsettling.”

“That’s where we can help, to profile him and see why he might have changed his pattern,” Rossi said.

“Scream as loud as you want, no one can hear you.”

Jim nodded. He stood and began leading you out of his office. “C’mon, this way. I had some officers clear a space for you.” He weaved through the desks to a small corner of the precinct. “I admit I was surprised when Batman was the one to suggest you but he’s usually infuriatingly right about these things so I hope you’re able to help us out here. I don’t want more bodies on my hands.”

“Batman, sir? He …?”

“Recommended I call in the BAU, yes. He and the other Bats are working overtime on this too. Last I heard Batman and Robin were trying to get in with Ivy to talk to Harley- that’s Dr Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy, she’s taken over one of the downtown parks where she lives with Harley Quinn, Dr Harleen Quinzel. They haven’t been seen yet.

“Red Robin and Spoiler were checking with Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, a mafia boss and owner of the Iceberg Lounge, and Harvey Dent, Two-Face. Haven’t heard anything back yet about Dent but they said Cobblepot said nothing, but they don’t think he knows anything.

“Meanwhile, the Signal is patrolling and Orphan and Nightwing are on Red Hood watch, making sure heads don’t roll until we catch the bastard-” Jim cleared his throat, these were FBI professionals who were out of place in Gotham, but as much as he hated to admit it, Batman was probably right that they needed help this time, and it wouldn’t do him any good to go embarrassing the PD in front of them. “The uh, what do you folks call it?”

“Unsub, or unknown subject,” Agent Jareau supplied.

“Unsub, well, in our case we know who he is, we just don’t know where. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.” Jim hoped they’d be able to work fast. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

Jim nodded and left. As he was walking away, he overheard Agent Jareau whisper, “Wow.”

“This sure is a different city,” Agent Rossi remarked.

“Watch who you’re talking to,” you joked.

Jim wasn’t that close to you, but you’d worked a few years at the Blüdhaven field office and you were close with the Wayne’s, so he’d run into you before. You knew the stakes, he hoped the rest of your team adapted quickly. Otherwise, it’d be a hell of a ride.

“Batman has morals. So do I. But they are very, very different.”

The four of you unpack the boxes of case files of the Joker and get to work. Most of these you’ve read before, not from your time at the Blüdhaven branch of the bureau but from having bat access to them, but it was good starting place for your team to understand him.

Hotch, Derek, Spencer and Emily joined you a bit later and you went over what you knew.

“No forced entry, no hidden escape route or tunnel, no windows, and a hell of a lot of security between the cell and the outside world,” Derek said.

“The room looked untouched, no signs of struggle, as if one day he just decided to leave and walked through the walls,” Spencer said.

“They sent me the security footage and there’s nothing there either. No one coming in or out who’s not supposed to,” Penelope added.

“I gotta say it, it looks like an inside job,” Rossi said.

Hotch nodded. “As of now it seems the most likely. The security on that room means sort of an explosion, there’s no evident way out from the inside.”

“Ok, so who are we looking at first? Workers at the asylum, Gotham criminals, other inmates? He wasn’t supposed to have any contact to the outside world so he couldn’t coerce any one to help,” Spencer said.

“Because he’s done it before,” you added.

“So did he do that again?”

“There was nothing that pointed at the presence of a way to communicate with the outside, but it could’ve been so well hidden we couldn’t find it,” Derek said.

“Or magical interference,” Emily offered.

“What I don’t understand is how no one noticed he wasn’t there, he would’ve needed food while he was there, but no one remembered going to his cell. Ever. And there were no food trays anywhere either. So somehow, someone was able to stop sending him food without anyone noticing when.”

“Unless he just escaped, but that still doesn’t explain how no one remembers going to his cell of having things sent there,” JJ said.

“What are you doing here? Who are you?”

You were in the middle of further discussing the case with your team when someone jumped on your back.

“Dick.”

Your team stared in confusion.

You weren’t sure what surprised them more. A grown man jumping on your back to hug you from behind or you not reacting (except to seemingly swear at him).

“Good to see you!” Dick squeezed you tightly before hopping off your back and coming to stand beside you. “I heard you were called in for the case.”

“Yes. Everyone, this is Detective Dick Grayson, a detective from Blüdhaven PD.”

He slung an arm around your shoulder and gave everyone his best and brightest grin. “Nice to meet you.”

“I … know him,” you added as an afterthought.

“You don’t say,” JJ teased.

Emily snickered. Very unsubtly.

“Grayson.”

Dick let you go of you to spin and smile at Gordon.

“Commish! Good to see you.”

“Not your jurisdiction,” Gordon grumped without heat.

“I know, I wanted to help out,” he said.

“Don’t bother the agents, if they’re ok with it you can stay.” He turned to the rest of your team. “If his defense he’s been around for a lot of Joker events so he could have helpful insights. Still no updates or sightings. No one’s seen or heard anything. Spoiler and Red Robin confirmed that Dent doesn’t know anything. Signal hasn't seen anything unusual either. I don’t like it, doesn’t feel right. So far, Ivy hasn’t let anyone in the park yet, so no one’s heard from Quinn yet. I’ll leave you to it, I have to get back to coordinating patrols, let me know if you find anything.”

“Of course,” Hotch said before he walked off. “Detective Grayson-“

“Dick, please, yes I know, I’ve heard all the jokes, but English is weird.” He flashed them a winning smile.

You saw JJ raised her eyebrows at Penelope unsubtly and Penelope widened her eyes right back. You wondered if the silent communication was about your relationship with him, his conventional attractivity or whether they recognized him as a member of the Wayne family.

Hotch paused for a moment. “Dick, how familiar are you with … the current situation?”

“I only know what I’ve heard, the Joker’s escaped and no one knows how or when, or what he’s going to do next.”

“Gordon said you were familiar with him?” Derek asked.

Dick nodded. “He’s been terrorizing people since I was a kid.” He gave an uncomfortable smile.

“Any ideas on what he might do next?” Rossi asked.

“Go after Batman probably, that’s what he usually does. But he plans things out. He likes having a stage and usually hostages. Booby traps as well. Usually something with Joker gas, which is … a deadly laughing gas if too much is inhaled.”

You heard Penelope gasp.

“And bombs. He likes blowing things up.” Dick’s voice had tightened, and you couldn’t help reaching out to grab his hand and squeeze.

“Where do you think he would go first?” Emily asked.

Dick sighed. “I think that depends on what he has planned. And who helped him.”

“You think someone helped him?”

“I don’t know how he would’ve escaped otherwise.” Dick shrugged. “If there was already a safe house hideout in place, it’s someplace new. W- All his known haunts have been checked by the Bats (a guy hears things), and I’m not sure where else he could be hiding with this much pressure to find him. He thrives on chaos and attention and right now? With the city practically in chaos over his disappearance … he’d love it, feed off the fear and panic he’s created doing nothing. I think it’s only a matter of time before he does something, otherwise …” he trailed off.

“Otherwise?” JJ asked.

Dick seemed to remember himself and shook his head, but he still answered. “Otherwise, I’d start to wonder if someone got to him first.”

“I want him dead. Will you help me?”

“You think someone could’ve killed him?” Agent Morgan asked.

Dick hesitated and tried to find his words. His thoughts on the subject were complicated.

“There’s a lot of people who wish he was dead. Not too many that’d have the guts to try and take him out and none that I know of that wouldn’t claim that fame for themselves if they did it. Or even if they knew that he was dead for sure. That no one has …”

“Means no one knows for sure whether he’s dead or not,” Dr Reid finished.

“What about Dr Pamela Isley and Dr Harleen Quinzel? No one seems to be able to get a hold of them, could they have done it?” Agent Rossi asked.

Dick nodded. “It’s definitely a possibility, and one that seems realistic the more time passes without hearing from him or them. They might even have him right now,” he sighed. “I don’t like not knowing.”

“We don’t either, but that’s why we profile, to see what he might be doing, his possible movements, try to predict and anticipate,” Agent Jareau said.

“Anyways, I’m here to help if you’ll have me,” Dick offered, glancing around at you and your team.

“You already have,” Agent Prentiss said.

“But you’re welcome to stay. We appreciate your insight,” Hotch added.

“Of course, put me to work.”

“I should have finished this a long time ago, but it’s better late than never.”

“I need more coffee, anyone else?” JJ stood and looked around the table you were all hunched around, going through files and reports.

There were groans and grumbles of assent.

“I’ll go with you,” you offered. “You shouldn’t be alone in Gotham, especially right now.”

“Ok, perfect, you can take me to the best coffee place in the city then!”

You chuckled. “Sure,” you agreed, grabbing the keys from Derek.

“I assure you, I am no Batman.”

“So how do you know each other?” Emily asked Dick once you’d gone, stretching in her seat, taking a break from pouring over the files.

Dick looked up from his folder and smiled knowingly, without you there, interrogation time had started.

He did that a lot. Smile. Most seemed genuine but Spencer couldn’t be sure. There were many hidden depths to this man that you seemed so comfortable around.

“Well, it was partially through my brother. They went to the same high school and became friends, but it wasn’t until … after, that we really met and kept talking and hanging out and decided to be friends on our own.”

“Aww,” Penelope gushed.

“You’ve lived here all your life, too?” Rossi asked, also taking a break from the eye strain that was reading all these reports.

Dick gave a small laugh. “No actually. Grew up in the circus, travelled around a lot.”

“Ooh! Sounds like fun!” Penelope exclaimed.

“It was.”

Immediately they could all sense that they were approaching personal territory, especially when Dick picked up his folder again. Spencer knew their curiosity was piqued, but they all knew when a person had talked enough about a subject to want it let go.

Spencer watched the detective for a moment longer, noting how his knee hadn’t stopped bouncing since he’d sat down, how his eyebrows furrowed as he read. Detective Grayson had had good input since he’d joined them, he wouldn’t make a half bad profiler, Spencer thought.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you die until we’re finished here. And we still have quite a lot to do with you yet.”

You and JJ had just left the café with your teammates coffees in trays when you pushed JJ behind you, and she bumped into the wall.

“Hey-!” she started, but then noted your defensive stance and reached with her free hand for her gun.

Something dropped from the sky and JJ was pulling her gun out when she realized you weren’t reaching for your own and had relaxed your posture.

She looked at the figure again and realized it was a someone that had dropped down in front of you.

You sighed. “Red.”

They were, in fact, red. Ah, must be one of the vigilantes. That you were clearly familiar with.

“Agent.”

JJ was partly put off by the white lenses covering their eyes. They hid so much expression, and it was kind of creepy to stare into blank white eyes.

“Batman and Robin have so far been unsuccessful with Ivy and Harley-“

Right, the vigilantes trying to talk to the plant wielding meta and the Joker’s ex-girlfriend, a danger in her own right.

“-and it was suggested that you try, that is what you were called in for, profilers. You can try and talk to Ivy, profile her and Harley if you can get in with them.”

“It was suggested,” you mocked. “By whom? You? Bats? Harley and Ivy?”

‘Red’ didn’t answer, just stared you down, mouth twitching occasionally.

You sighed and glanced at JJ, then the coffees that you both were still carrying, miraculously unspilled from when you pushed JJ out of the way. You looked back at the vigilante for a moment. “Fine, but you have to bring the coffees to our team.”

JJ couldn’t be certain, but she thought “Red” might have been glaring at you behind those impenetrable lenses.

“Spoiler.”

JJ wasn’t sure what that meant. You didn’t move. JJ nudged you and you looked at her again.

“Care to explain what’s going on?”

“Oh! Right, JJ, this is Red Robin, Red, my friend, coworker, person, Agent Jennifer Jareau,” you said formally.

“Spoiler! Nice to meet you!”

JJ didn’t think she hid her flinch well enough when another vigilante swept down from the roofs and landed beside Red Robin.

This one was very purple and very bubbly. For some reason, JJ thought they’d get along well with Penelope.

“Spoiler,” you greeted and handed over your tray of coffee. You looked at JJ and motioned she should to the same.

She hesitantly handed it over to Red Robin. How in the world they were going to get them back to the precinct without spilling the drinks, JJ had no idea.

“Don’t spill that coffee now,” you said in a flat voice, quickly grabbing your and JJ’s drinks before the left.

“Pul-ease, we’re not amateurs,” Spoiler laughed before shooting a line (when had she grabbed a grappling hook/gun??) and swinging away, Red Robin following after.

“C’mon then, seems we’re going to the park.”

JJ shook her head. Gotham was so weird.

“Do you have a blowtorch? I want to burn him.”

You arrived at the park and got out of the SUV, JJ behind as you approached- holy shit, Batman and Robin!! (Derek would have a fit if he were here, and Penelope would probably squeal, JJ thought.) Holy shit, giant wall of greenery!! The two vigilantes were standing not in front of a wall, but a veritable fortress of vines and trees and plants. Isley was one powerful meta is this was anything to go by. JJ was going to get whiplash from all the strange Gotham things here.

She stopped beside you, facing the vigilantes.

You introduced you and her formally, but JJ had a feeling it was for her benefit, that they already knew who you were.

“We’ve come to talk to Isley and Quinzel.”

“Hn.”

Big talker.

“Tt. She will not talk to us, why should she talk to you outsiders,” Robin scowled and JJ was horrified at how young he looked and sounded.

Spoiler and Red Robin sounded like young adults as it was, but tall enough that JJ was sure they were adults (hoped so at least). But this one … this one couldn’t’ve been more than … a young teen? This was a child.

“Well, maybe they will dislike us so much that they’ll talk to us,” you said dryly, as if this wasn’t a child in a brightly coloured costume, beside someone who looked more shadow than man.

“Hn,” Batman grunted again, yet somehow a different grunt that had a different meaning if Robin’s deepening scowl was anything to go by. Robin backed off, closer to the other vigilante’s shadows. Gotham was a good fit for Batman with its almost perpetual cloudy weather.

(Maybe Derek was right in a way, maybe Batman wasn’t a man, but a manifestation of … Gotham? Something that crawled out of the polluted waters of Gotham Harbour? That was way too complex and “meta” for JJ, she’d leave the conspiracy theories to Penelope.)

You seemed to take Robin’s movement as a signal to move towards the giant wall of vines and JJ strode after you. She whispered your name.

“Hm?” You spared her a glance.

“Robin is a child!” she hissed.

Your eyebrows creased. “Hm.” You were almost imitating Batman in a manner now.

“Seriously! That is a child in that costume! He could get hurt!”

You turned fully to JJ, face serious, brow creased, and she knew she had your full attention.

“Or maybe Robin is protecting him. Maybe without the suit he’d go out into the world anyways, with anger and vengeance in his heart, but instead without protection. Maybe instead he’d be one of the kids picked up and put in juvie or kidnapped into a child trafficking ring. Maybe he’d be just a kid trying to survive on the streets or get killed by a criminal because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe Robin gives him a purpose and the skills to do things safely and save others. Maybe he would’ve gone out anyway, so Robin protects him.” You shrugged. “Or maybe Robin’s just made from Gotham magic.”

“I want him to pay. For all he’s done, for all the people he’s hurt. … Killed.”

“We’d like to talk to you and Dr Quinn, Dr Isley. We’re agents from the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI. This is my friend JJ, can we talk?”

Nothing. You wondered how long you would have to yell at the wall of green before you gave up.

“Ivy? Harley? We just want to know if you killed him-“

Not that your team had exactly determined that for certain yet.

“-I know it’s probably annoying that we want to talk about a man when you both have your own long lists of heinous crimes but if we can just smooth out the first thing real quick, we can get on to your disastrous acts.”

JJ raised an eyebrow and you threw your hands up in the air dramatically. You were an awkward conversationalist at the best of times and now you were talking to a giant wall of plants. This wasn’t like talking to your normal household plants, ok?

“I’m JJ, we’ve never met,” JJ started, “but we just have some questions for you-” you saw the other SUV pull up out of the corner of your eye, the rest of the team was here “-about the disappearance of the Joker.” JJ winced, you guessed it was because of the fact that there was no record of any other name to call him.

The team stepped out of the vehicle and was ready to join you, when the wall shivered. Vines shot out towards you and JJ. You heard your teammates yell before you was pulled off your feet and enveloped in vines.

“How are we going to dispose of him?”

Pamela dropped the two of you in her parlour (what? Of course she had specific rooms to her plant fortress) and waited for you to get up. You untangled yourself from where you’d wrapped yourself protectively around the blonde agent, and helped her up, staying between her and Pam the whole time. How sweet.

“Ivy.” You nodded in greeting. “Thank you for having us.” Well, at least you had manners.

“Not my idea. Harls wanted to talk to you,” Pam said, bored. She went over to her lounger to lie down. She slid her sunglasses on and observed you from behind them.

You seemed calm, but she could see the tenseness in your shoulders as you murmured with your partner and dissuaded her from grabbing her gun. Smart move, Pam wouldn’t let that stand in her own home.

“Howdy!” Harley jumped in exuberantly from who knows where.

You had to grab the blonde’s hand from reaching for her gun again.

“Harley, it’s good to see you. Thank you for seeing us.”

“Meh,” she shrugged. “Batsy’s no fun when he’s hung up on Mista J. No one is, I didn’t wanna see ‘em. But I was getting’ bored so you came at a great time! C’mon in, sit down!” She waved you both over to a small table in the corner of the room.

Pam watched uninterestedly.

“So,” Harley started when the three of you were seated, “you wanna know if I killed Mista J, huh?”

“Yes, or if you know who killed him, or where he is.”

Pam had to give the blonde some credit, she was completely out of her depth here in Gotham, and in Pam’s domain, but she faced it head on, and with fantastic style no less.

“Oh, hunny bunchkins, Mista J is most, absolutely, certainly dead. Dead he is.”

“He is? You know this for sure? Do you have proof?”

“Of course I do! He’s as dead as Ive’s relationship with Kite-man!” Harley exclaimed, and- ouch? But not really, she was very happy in her relationship with her girlfriend.

“Do you know who killed him?” you asked.

“You may be wondering why I am here. I’ll do you the courtesy of letting you know. I am here to kill you.”

“Do I know who killed him? Of course, I know who killed him! You’re lookin’ at ‘er!”

“You?”

“You killed the Joker?”

“Yeppers, so I know he ain’t comin’ back, that’s for sure. He’s gone-for-good-goners.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone before? Then we wouldn’t have had to come down and bother you like this?”

Ok, yah. Blondie was smarter than stereotypes, sharp, clever. If she was a villain, Harley definitely would consider inviting her to her and Pam's book club.

Harley shrugged. “Didn’t feel like it. None o’ your business anyways who I kill!” She blew the two of you a raspberry.

“Actually, that’s kind of our job,” you said mildly, unphased.

“But you definitely killed him,” she asked again. Harley gave her props for persistence, she was staring down two powerful supervillains, Gotham’s Queenpins, and not giving an inch once she’d found her footing. It was definitely entertaining. Harley made a good choice convincing her girlfriend to bring you two in.

“Tha’s what I said.” Although, it was still annoying to be questioned so much, Harley was starting to get a glint in her eye. “If ya don’t believe me, try ‘n find him. That’s what you’re supposed tuh be able tuh do with your brain powers, isn’t it? That’s why Gordon called ya here, ‘n you haven’t found ‘im yet.” Harley stood up and you yanked your coworker up too.

“We just want to know where he is. Where he was … buried, disposed of, left, or kept, after he was killed, where is he now?” you asked, backing away from your hostesses, herding Blondie behind you.

Harley paused, then gave her biggest, but not wildest, grin. “You’re lookin’ at ‘im! I had Ives turn ‘im into mulch. Compost ‘im. To feed her plants! So he wouldn’t be such a waste of space after he died. ‘Sides, Ives would hardly let him be disposed in an un-eco-friendly manner.” She rolled her eyes.

“Can I have some? My plants need it.”

“I think it’s time for you to go.” Dr Isley stood up and JJ’s hand once again brushed her side where her gun sat against her hip, but the situation and your arm in front of her reminded her to take a deep breath and move on as if everything was fine. As if she wasn’t preparing to be flung back through the wall of plants. And that was best case scenario. But she was a professional, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, although instances with metas were of the rare sort.

“Thank you for your time, you’re right, we’ll go now,” you said with a calmness that JJ had the sense was more from a familiarity of dealing with your hometown criminals than your regular job experience and professionalism.

“Wait here, I won’t be long.”

Hotch prided himself on having a very good poker face. From years as a prosecutor to years in the BAU, it was in his best interest if no one knew what he was thinking at any given moment.

When you and JJ didn’t come back from your coffee run but instead two colourful vigilantes telling him that you’d gone to talk to two dangerous felons, one of them a powerful meta eco-terrorist, the other a wild and temperamental criminal, he was worried. But he put on his stern boss mask and told Dave to stay with Penelope to continue searching possibilities as the rest of them rushed to the remaining SUV.

Detective Grayson led the way to the park with a GCPD officer in a cruiser car, Morgan following close behind.

They all immediately clocked you and JJ standing by the enormous hedge wall, with … ah, that must have been Batman and … Robin? Batman’s sidekick, Robin?

He started walking towards you two, already planning to save the reprimands (worry) for later when he could shed his mask in private.

But then the wall shivered and vines swallowed you, and his stomach dropped, he was right behind Morgan, racing to where you disappeared from.

Before they could get there, Grayson was in front of them, Batman and Robin(?) behind him, looking intimidating and startlingly contrasted from one another.

“Hey man, get out of our way. That wall just stole our agents-”

“I’m sorry, but whatever you try won’t work. Ivy, Dr Isley, took them, that could be a good thing. That means they might be talking to Harley right now, which no one has done today.”

“They’re in there with two dangerous criminals,” Morgan argued. He was almost itching for a fight with how tense he was.

Hotch knew Morgan hated not being able to protect his teammates, even if they could defend themselves. Hotch wondered, in the back of his mind, how Grayson would fare in a physical fight against Morgan. Morgan had the size and height, but the way Grayson moved displayed a dancer-like grace and good reflexes. Somehow, he thought Grayson wouldn’t be knocked down too easily.

Grayson sighed. “Anything you try to do to get in will likely only piss Ivy off, putting your friends in more danger. Believe me, I want to help them, but the best thing to do right now is wait it out. I’m sorry, I won’t let you closer, at least, Batman and Robin won’t. But they wouldn’t explain anything. You should trust your agents, they have a chance to find out if Harley and Ivy know anything. ‘Sides, one of them’s a Gothamite, used to this sort of thing, they’ll be fine.”

Hotch levelled a stern look at Batman and took a moment to make sure his boss mask was in place. “Morgan,” he said quietly but firmly.

The other man scowled but backed up next to him. Reid and Prentiss hovered close behind.

“What can you tell us about them for situations like these?”

Grayson shifted on his feet. “Well, they’re less volatile together. More powerful sure, but … chiller, in a way. Ivy’s whole schtick is ‘ecoterrorism’, she usually just goes after polluters and other threats to nature, she just wants Gotham cleaned up, in a way. Harley … well, you’ve probably heard that she and the Joker used to be a thing. It was an abusive relationship, very … tumultuous and volatile. But since she’s gone out on her own, she’s … calmer? It’s hard to explain to non-Gothamites,” Grayson laughed awkwardly. “But she’s so much better now that she’s not with him. Did she kill him? I don’t know, she could’ve, definitely. Hopefully they’ll get it out of her.”

Gordon joined them then, with a few more officers, and they discussed options. Unfortunately, he agreed with Grayson, trying to get through by force would only aggravate the situation and put you and JJ more at risk. So for now, there was only one option. Wait.

“Do not worry, he will not be found. There will be nothing left for him to find.”

Morgan was muttering about making a run for it, wondering how big of a fire it’d take to burn through the wall, when the plants rustled again. Everyone was immediately on alert, the BAU walking closer as an arch opened in the wall.

There you were.

You and JJ walked in front of Dr’s Isley and Quinzel, looking unharmed. Every officer’s and agent’s hands sitting on their guns, just in case, but you two were in the way. And against a meta as powerful as Isley? Hotch was reluctantly resigned that they were unlikely to win against her with guns, even with the mysterious Batman and Robin there. (And/or other mysterious vigilantes hidden in the shadows.)

“We’re ok,” you assured the team as soon as you were close enough for them to hear, as they’d moved closer to the tunnel to greet you (get you back).

Prentiss was immediately at JJ’s side, as JJ repeated assurances that she too was ok.

Morgan herded you all away from the plant fortress and the two felons.

When you caught Hotch’s eye, he nodded once, and you gave him a small smile in return. He couldn’t deny that seeing you and JJ unharmed and back with them eased a tightness in his chest.

“Thank you for helping me. I appreciate it.”

“Hiya Batsy!” Harley Quinn launched herself at Batman and Emily reached for her gun, preparing for a fight. She paused.

Batman just stood there. Let Harley Quinn wrap herself around him like she was hugging a teddy bear or tree. Or rather, Batman. She was hugging Batman. And he was letting her.

Emily dropped her hand and shook her head, staring in confused horror. She would never understand Gotham.

“Harley.” Batman’s voice was gruff and deep, and it was the first time she’d heard him speak since they’d got there. He’d grunted and spoken quietly to his sidekick (child?!) or just not spoken at all.

“How ya doin’, Batsy? Baby Bat?”

This was directed at Robin and Emily had to stop herself from laughing at the scowl that rivalled Batman’s that appeared on his face. And then she remembered that this was a child, and he should be at home eating snacks or at school, anything that wasn’t facing down criminals double his age. How old was this kid??

“Did you kill the Joker?” Batman growled.

“Aww, you’re no fun!” She jumped off and blew him a raspberry. “All you wanna do is talk about him, him, him!”

Emily was sure her therapist would not be thrilled to learn that a Gotham Rogue was becoming one of her role models in standing up for herself and feminism.

“Did you kill him?” he growled again.

“So what if I did? What are you gonna do about it, huh?” She stuck her hands on her hips.

Emily remembered Poison Ivy was there too when she walked over to her girlfriend (Girlboss) from where she had been leaning against her doorway?

“There’s nothing much you could do if we decided to kill him, Bats,” she said, bored.

“Did you?” he repeated.

“Yah! I did!” Harley exclaimed and threw her arms up in the air. “He’s as good as dead because he is dead! You can call you search dogs, whatever, but you won't find him! He's dissolved into plant food by now! And make sure you call Hood and tell him that Mista J is dead and he ain’t coming back eva’. Come on Ives, let’s go, I think the Knights game is starting soon.”

Faster than Batman could stop them, Ivy wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and covered them in vines, bringing them back into the green fortress.

Emily glanced around. Robin had disappeared, but Commissioner Gordon and Dick were talking to Batman, before he too swung off into Gotham's concrete jungle.

“Hood?” Spencer asked in a muted voice.

“A vigilante. Red Hood. Bat associated. His territory is Crime Alley,” you answered quietly.

“Crime Alley? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Derek snorted.

You gave a wry smile. “Official name is Park Row, but no one calls it that anymore. There were … a lot of people have died there, and it really fell down the ladder, but it’s better with Hood there now. He’s set up a lot of safe spaces, soup kitchens, after-school programs, keeps the kids off the streets and protects the working girls among other things.”

“Why doesn’t he just try and do that legally?”

You laughed. “Because he’s basically a mob boss/gang leader. And he killed a bunch of people, (but he’s been pardoned by the Justice League) not that he does that anymore, but still.”

Emily heard Derek mutter something like “Gotham is so weird” before nudging JJ and calling their teammates at the precinct to update them.

Him and Spencer hovered beside JJ, on the phone with Penelope and Rossi, which she couldn’t judge, because she too was hovering, JJ on one side of her, you on the other. She snuck a glance at you. You were silently observing their conversation, Hotch next to you, quiet as well. Your face was blank, but in a calm, yet emotionally exhausted way. The way you usually got at the end of especially hard cases when you didn’t have time to rest and reset. Emily knew this case hit home especially hard, given that you grew up here, and although you’d never outright stated it, they all predicted that’d you’d had run ins with the Joker before, or at least that he’d affected you or someone close to you. They could tell that you weren't upset to hear Harley confessing to killing him.

The other GCPD officers stood by their patrol cars, waiting on orders from Gordon.

The commissioner and Dick walked up to you and Hotch stepped forward to talk to them.

“Thank you for all your help, it was good to have you.”

Hotch and Gordon shook hands.

“You’ll be handling the rest now that Dr Quinzel has confessed to killing him,” Hotch stated.

Gordon shrugged with a wry smile. “We Gothamites handle our own. No one’s sorry to hear that, ahem, to hear that he’s dead. Frankly, it’s a relief to know for sure.”

Emily noticed JJ shift next to her and bumped her elbow to JJ’s.

“Glad we could help.”

“Some of my officers can help you clean up at the station. And Agent Jareau and-” he looked at you and you nodded.

“We’ll leave statements,” you affirmed.

“Good, thanks. Safe travels back.” They shook hands again, then all of them stepped forward to do the same.

“Thank you for your help as well, Detective Grayson.”

“Glad to be of service,” he smiled.

“I say this with all the respect in the world, but I hope I never have to see you again,” Gordon admitted.

Emily snorted quietly. Spencer nudged her in the ribs.

“We understand. Nice meeting you, good luck with everything.”

“Thank you, you too.”

“How are we going to get him out?”

You went with the team to the precinct where you pulled Hotch aside.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay here a bit longer. There’s people I want to see, to check in on …”

“Of course, no problem. You can get back on your own?”

You nodded. “Yes, don’t worry, thank you.”

“Of course, take your time with your family.”

You hadn’t said family but yah, they were your family. “Thanks, Hotch.”

He nodded and you rejoined your teammates to help clean up.

“I think I’ll take a vacation. It’s been a while since I took time off.”

“I, for one, cannot wait until we get back,” JJ muttered after she and you had finally finished your statements with the Gotham PD officers.

“And I cannot believe you two were alone with Poison Ivy!!” Penelope exclaimed in a hushed voice as she cleared her computer away.

“What were they like?” Emily asked and Spencer looked up from his box to observe your and JJ’s expressions.

JJ hummed. “Surprisingly normal. Like some unsubs we’ve dealt with. Calm, clever, more or less level-headed, perceptive … I believe that she’s sure he’s dead. And I believe that she could’ve killed him, the way she talked about him? There’s trauma there, even without knowing it was an abusive relationship.”

“But…?” Rossi asked.

JJ sighed. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

“And what are you thinking about, pretty boy?” Derek nudged Spencer.

“Something’s puzzling me.”

“Oh no!” Emily joked good naturedly, but … Spencer was sure something was bugging her too.

He rolled his eyes in response. “Supposedly Dr Quinzel killed him, and Dr Isley helped her and used his body for fertilizer, so there’s no evidence, no body left. But there was a too perfect log of food deliveries made to his cell, that no one recalls.”

“And his cell was seemingly untouched,” Rossi muttered.

“There was dust,” Derek remarked.

“Not much, but it was there,” Emily added.

“She could’ve broken him out and killed him, but why hide it? Why make sure the records still show normal activity, so no one suspects anything?”

“So, no one noticed and stopped her? She sounded like she had plans to make it painful for him before he died,” JJ offered.

“But neither she nor Dr Isley seem to favour stealth. They bust in, break things, make some noise, before leaving with what they’ve come for. I read a few reports of their previous attacks. It just doesn’t make sense that they’d hide killing the Joker.”

“What can I say, it’s Gotham. Things here are different,” Derek said, clapping his hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “Either way-“

“It’s not our jurisdiction anymore,” Hotch finished. “We can’t overstay our welcome.”

“But what if he’s still out there?” Spencer urged.

Derek nudged him along towards the door. “Let’s hope he’s not, but Hotch is right, we can’t stay any longer, it’s out of our hands now.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m with JJ, I believe Harley when she said that he’s dead.” Spencer glanced at you, you weren’t making eye contact with anyone, gazing into space, not after the long, exhausting day you’d had. “Whether or not she killed him?” You shrugged. “But I believe he’s dead.”

Spencer was worried that your want of him dead might be influencing you, but he said nothing. He hoped the Joker was dead too.

“You’re staying?” Rossi asked you when you got outside.

You nodded. “There’s some people I wanna see since I’m here,” you said softly.

“Of course, you have to see your family while you’re here!” Penelope said.

“Come back to us though, Penelope might not forgive you if you don’t,” Derek joked.

You laughed. “I’ll come back, don’t worry.”

“Hugs ok?” JJ asked.

You nodded and opened you arms to give her a hug. Penelope was next, then Derek and Emily and even Rossi. You tilted side to side to say bye to Spencer, he wiggled his hands in response. You waved at Hotch and he gave you one of his rare smiles as he waved back.

Spencer got in the SUV after Emily, Penelope behind him.

“I’m so ready to leave,” Penelope whispered, as if Gotham itself could hear her.

“Just a couple hours, baby girl,” Derek said as he got in the driver’s seat.

“I’m glad the case is over,” Emily said.

“I hope it’s over,” Spencer mumbled.

“When do you think they’ll find out?”

You watched the SUVs pull away and then made your way to the Manor. You let yourself in and went straight to the kitchen.

Alfred looked up when you walked in. You held eye contact with him for a moment and he understood what you weren’t saying out loud.

He nodded, agreeing silently. “They’re in the living room. I’ll go with you.”

You nodded and he followed you out.

”Alfred?”

“Yes?”

“I want to kill the Joker. Will you help me?”

“He considered you for a moment. “Yes. I will.”

~~~

part two // part three

thanks for reading!! feel free to rb and leave nice comments <3

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lyssismagical · 5 years ago

Note

Hi! Are you taking Parkner prompts? can you write one where Peter discovers he has to get glasses but is really insecure cause it reminds him of his pre spider bite days so Irondad and Harley reassure him with fluff? thanks!

Peter first got glasses when he moved in with Ben and May. He’d thought the strange blurry vision was just endless tears, the blurriness looked exactly like when he was crying and he had to squint through them to see the world clearly.

He didn’t realize he needed glasses until Ned pointed it out in their English class. His sister had glasses, so he knew how to spot the signs. It wasn’t too hard to tell anyway, Peter kept asking Ned to read the board for him and he was squinting to the point where his eyes were shut.

At first it wasn’t that bad.

He got glasses and he wore them without complaint, and he didn’t mind. It made life easier so there was no point in fighting it.

Until he reached high school.

It wasn’t really a big deal, there was plenty of people with glasses. The difference between him and everyone else was that he was also the biggest nerd. He was on Academic Decathlon, chess club, and robotics, he was kind of a teacher’s pet. Not by choice, just because he was nice and smart.

It got worse when he started getting shoved against the lockers or hit occasional by stray elbows.

May and Ben didn’t have the money for replacement glasses more than once a month, so he was left with cracked lenses, barely held together with tape.

When he got bit by the spider, everything changed. He suddenly didn’t need glasses, he didn’t have asthma, he could stand up for himself and help instead of feel helpless all the time.

He finally felt comfortable in his own skin.

And then, a year and a half later, it was ripped away from him.

He knows it’s not a big deal.

It’s just a pair of glasses. Black square-framed, not as strong of a prescription as he used to have, that he has to wear to see long distance.

But he hates it.

It’s a small thing, a small change, but it reminds of a time where he felt helpless, a time where he wasn’t comfortable being him, a time where his glasses got stepped on when he was shoved into lockers and teased relentlessly.

He hates it.

He doesn’t wear them.

It gives him godawful migraines at school, squinting at the board or taking photos to copy off his phone instead. The worst is leaning over to copy MJ’s notes in Spanish because he can’t possibly see the notes on the projector.

He shoves his glasses case into the bottom of duffel bag when he stays over at Tony’s. Harley’s living at the tower, and the last thing he wants is to wear the glasses in front of the two most important people in his life.

But it only takes a couple hours in the lab before he wants to tear his eyes out. A headache throbs behind his eyes as he squints up at his computer and down at his webshooters, vision foggy and worse than normal.

“You okay there, kid?” Tony asks.

Peter’s too far away to make out the expression on Tony’s face, but he nods anyways. “Just a little tired, is all. I think I might call it an early night, if that’s alright?”

Harley comes up behind him, hands resting on his waist as he presses a kiss to Peter’s cheek. “Let me walk you. You look like you’re one breath away from collapsing.”

He nods and lets Harley lead him out of the lab and to his bedroom.

He’s about to close the door behind him when Harley grabs his arm. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“I’m just tired, Harls. I didn’t sleep well last night, I had that big chem lab due and I stayed up late to finish it. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Yeah, alright. I love you.” Harley kisses him quickly before flashing one of his dorky grins and stepping out of the way of the door.

“Love you too.”

When morning rolls around, Peter’s sick of not being able to see anything. His head still throbs angrily and he tries, despite himself, to blink away the unrelenting blur.

He can hear Harley and Tony in the kitchen already, coffee machine humming and pan sizzling.

So he figures he’ll bite the bullet.

He fishes his glasses out of his duffel and shoves them on, holding back the residual anger that makes him want to snap them.

He almost chickens out when he passes the mirror. He looks like the nerdy kid from before the spiderbite. The kid who had thick glasses and wore braces for all of his seventh year, the kid who got pushed around and teased and floated through middle school with only one friend. The kid who couldn’t run in gym class without needing his inhaler and who couldn’t go more than one class without talking about Star Wars.

Hair mussed from sleep, glasses sitting crookedly on his nose, wearing his old Hello Kitty pajama pants and one of Harley’s hoodies that make him look small and young.

He looks like a child, the one thing he was always trying to prove he wasn’t.

Bite the bullet, get it over with. He tries to convince himself he’d rather have vision and self-consciousness than to stumble through another day blindly.

So he steps out into the hallway and forces one foot in front of the other until he makes it to the kitchen.

He pretends to act nonchalant, moving straight for the fridge so he can try to cool his burning cheeks, waiting for the teasing to come, but when he turns around, he’s met with his boyfriend’s wide-eyed stare, and Tony just lifts an eyebrow at him.

“You need glasses?” Tony asks, taking a sip from his coffee.

“Yeah.”

“You weren’t wearing them yesterday.”

Peter shrugs, looking down at his socked feet, shuffling awkwardly. “I don’t like them.”

“You don’t like them?” Harley repeats incredulously. His eyes are almost comically wide as he shoves a hand through his bedhead, a failed attempt at flattening his wild curls. “Why would you ever try to hide this from me?”

He doesn’t know whether it’s a genuine question or not, if Harley’s really asking him to explain the reasons that’s kept him from wearing his glasses, but before he can even try to explain any of it, Tony speaks up, “Didn’t you used to wear glasses as a kid? May’s shown me a few pictures.”

“We thought the spiderbite cured it, but…” he trails off in confusion, part of him still tense as though waiting for someone to tear them off his face and throw them to the ground. He pushes his glasses up his nose and frowns. “I don’t like feeling like the kid from before.”

Tony nods as though he perfectly understands it all, he turns without a word and disappears down the hallway. A moment later, he reappears, a glasses case in hand.

“I, uh, I don’t really wear them all too much, but I suppose getting older sometimes means it’s necessary,” Tony explains. He opens his case and slides the glasses on. “Reading glasses.”

Warmth floods through Peter’s chest. He’s known glasses are normal, he knows there’s a huge number of people who needs them. But seeing Tony, a superhero, needing glasses, that’s a gamechanger.

The shock has Peter silent in return, gaping wordlessly at Tony like this is groundbreaking news.

“My little sister has glasses too,” Harley says, shrugging. “Long distance. She used to get teased in school for it, but pretty much everyone at school got teased for something.”

“Yeah, me too.” The self-consciousness is finally fading. He’s not particularly confident, but he feels a thousand times better knowing the people who’s opinions matter are perfectly happy with it. “Back before the spider, I used to get bullied a lot. I mean, I can’t really blame them, I was the easiest target. Asthma, glasses, dorky, tiny kid who wouldn’t tattle or fight back. I guess I was happy not having to be that kid anymore.”

Tony’s forehead creases, jaw clenching. He never takes that kind of information well, he looks just about ready to get in the Iron Man suit and murder the kids who used to bully him. “You never deserved to be treated like that, kid, and I swear, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. If anybody gives you trouble, you come to me or Harley and we’ll take care of it.”

Finally, a smile graces Peter’s face and he can feel the blush creeping up his cheeks. “Thank you. I know I’m being kinda irrational about all of this, so thank you. Really. It means a lot.”

Harley grins, arms sliding around Peter’s waist to tug him into a hug and he kisses Peter’s forehead.

Tony pretends to gag, like he always does whenever the boys are within a foot of each other, but he’s still smiling, shaking his head in amusement.

Taglist: @littlemissagrafina @spideygirl2003 @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @pj-hermes-tonystark-obsessed @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester @emo-girl10 @justme--emily {Let me know if you wanna be added or removed}

#lyss writes #lyss answers #parkner #irondad #tony stark #peter parker #harley keener #Irondad and Spiderson #parley #irondad fic

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