Going Back Doesn't Have to be Hard

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley Quinn read her text message from Pamela half a dozen times, before deciding that the only thing to do was to see her former lover in person. Of course that meant that she would have to return to her world.

There was no way she was going back alone this time.

She picked up her PINpoint. First a message to Amelia. Hey gorgeous. I have to take a day trip to my world. Would appreciate an assist. You game? Harls

Then after a moment of thought, she sends another message, this time to Majima. Hey Mistah M. I got some goons that might need a heavy hand to deal with. You also get to hang out with two beautiful women. You game? Harls

While she waited for both people to return her message, Harley got changed into her old outfit. The skin tight jeans, that barely covered her legs. The ripped T-shirt that just covered her bra. The leather jacket.

Everything felt familiar. Harley pulled out her bat, swung it a few times. She put her new slingshot in her pocket. She holstered her gun at her side. And finally, she slung her brand new fire sword into a holster at her back.

Harley Quinn was ready for Gotham. And whatever awaited her there.

Comments

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Harley's message arrives in time to save Majima from another battle with insomnia. He rolls from his bed (aka, the bare floor of his empty apartment) and fetches the buzzing PINpoint from his coat pocket.

"Not like I'm gonna sleep anyway..." he mutters as he types a response.

count me in. could use to blow off some steam. what're the coords, girl?

[sweetcandygirl]

Come to my Nexus apartment. I invited over another friend of mine. We are all going on this trip together

Harley provides the PINpoint coordinates to her apartment for him.

[gorogorogoro_chan]

k. there in a jiff. just gonna get freshened up.

Majima rifles through the meager contents of his wardrobe and pulls out an old dress shirt and suit. Navy blue. Not really his color, but it'll have to do. At least he won't feel as overdressed as he would in the tux.

He hefts his sheathed tantō in one hand before tucking it in under the back of his belt. Thus equipped, he activates the coordinates and pops into existence in Harley's apartment.

Immediately, he's bent at the waist, hands on his knees trying to breathe through the unique PINpoint sensation. "Hot damn, I ain't even close to bein' okay with this shit."

[sweetcandygirl]

The click-clack of Harley's heeled boots are heard approaching Majima. It is those distinctive boots that will be the first thing he sees, when he adjusts to his surroundings.

When he looks up to Harley, he will scan up her fishnet tights, followed by her very distinctive choice of clothes.

"Ya okay there, Mistah M?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"I'll be okay," Majima says as he straightens up. His wince turns into a lopsided smile when he gets a good look at Harley. "Well, that's a fine ensemble for bustin' heads if I ever saw one ...

"Heh, didn't even realize ya had that much ink. Yanno, Yuki and the other girls were all goin' on about it after you left."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley laughs. "Oh sweetie. Most of it is just black marker, that I draw on myself. Customize into something different each time."

"Real ink don't stay in my skin." Harley grins.

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Whaddaya mean 'doesn't stay'? Don't tell me yer some kinda secret alien," he says as he starts to properly take in the contents of her apartment. He feels a self-conscious twinge when he realizes his shoes are definitely on, but quashes it when he remembers a) American barbarians and b) Harley definitely is wearing shoes.

[sweetcandygirl]

The apartment is a cozy two-story layout, with the bedroom on a loft area. Harley's style is cozy, with a twist on the modern furniture. He might notice that attached to her ceiling is a complete gymnastic mount, complete with aerial silks and other gymnastic equipment.

"Not an alien. But I heal really really really fast."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Fast enough to ruin a tattoo? How the hell'd you get blessed with that?" Majima makes no effort to hide his continued perusal of Harley's apartment. It's safe to assume that he would immediately start snooping if left to his own devices.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley does not mind him snooping around her place. There is nothing she has to hide from him. And she is wearing the really good weapons right now.

"From Red. My best friend."

"If we get out of Gotham safely, you will meet her today."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Is she the other 'beautiful lady' ya mentioned?" He turns his attention back to Harley's unique load-out, laying a hand on her bat and giving a look that says may I?

[sweetcandygirl]

"No. That is Amelia. Because I need to make sure we can get out of Gotham safely first before even trying to reach Red."

Harley grins when he touches her bat. She holds it out to him. The bat is reinforced wood. It has the words Good Night written on its length in bright red letters. There is also several scribblings all over it. And some signatures.

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima takes the bat in hand and examines it reverentially before gripping the handle and giving it a smooth swing. "I love a good baseball bat. Ya ask me, it's one of the best weapons ever made. Simple, but it gets the job done."

He cocks his head at the signatures as he hands it back. "Looks like this baby's got a few stories to tell."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia's in the middle of a fairly productive afternoon of magical research and practice when her phone alerts her to a message. Her face flushes a deep pink as she reads Harley's message. She may never get used to being called things like that.

Of course. What should I bring with me? Do I need to dress like I'm from Earth?

Both valuable pieces of information to have before she makes her way to Harley's apartment. For now, she'll gather up her books from the bench they've been laid out on in the park by the library and make her way back to the inn. A reply probably isn't long out, but the rogue can get ready faster if she's on her way before it comes.

[sweetcandygirl]

Just make sure you are ready for anything my world will throw at you. I have invited another friend of mine to come along. We are at my apartment

[rogueinladysclothing]

Oh? Guess that means the full arsenal, in her case.

Everything I've got, then. I'll be there soon.

The jog to the inn isn't too long, but it does give her time to wonder who else Harley invited. Guess she'll have to wait to find out when she arrives, because there's plenty to do in her room. Hair pin out and hidden beneath the floorboards under her bed. A quick change of clothes into something less conspicuously pretty (chocolate browns with minor gold embroidery under her most worn in corset should do the trick). All weapons checked to make sure they're in proper order and then strapped into place on her person. Then it's a simple matter of PINpointing over to Harley's place after braiding her hair.

She looks like a walking Renaissance arsenal when she knocks on Harley's door: Rapier on her left hip, gausche along her back, daggers everywhere on her belt and in her boots, and her slingshot tucked into a holster on her right hip. But she seems completely at ease when Harley answers the door and even has a small grin for her friend.

"I think I'm ready for anything."

[sweetcandygirl]

Amelia looks like a walking Renaissance arsenal, and Harley looks like a Gi-Joe Barbie Doll. So Harley smiles at seeing her friend waiting there. Obviously prepared for anything to happen.

"Amelia! Welcome! Majima, she is here." Harley calls out to the other person, who is waiting in the living room.

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima turns his attention to the door, his face shifting to a smile when he recognizes the new arrival. So this was the 'Amelia' she mentioned! "Hey, Amelia-han, fancy seein' you here! Small multiverse!"

Naturally, he blurts this all out in Japanese without a second thought.

[rogueinladysclothing]

The Japanese doesn't bother Amelia at all. In fact, she offers her reply in the same language. "It's nice to see you again, Majima. Joining us on our adventure to Earth?"

The nice part about her magical translating ring? It works both ways. Majima spoke in Japanese? Then that's what she'll answer in, no effort or linguistic knowledge required. It's the language he must want to hear if that's what he spoke, after all.

Turning back to Harley, she can't help but smile a little more - and speak to the other woman in English. "So, what's the goal of today's trip?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"Sweet. We all have our own backup language. In case we need to talk in secret." Harley claps, excited. Speaking in Japanese herself.

Then to explain the situation, she switches to English too. "I got a text alert from my Suicide Squad team. They got a distress call from the Amazon. From Red. Her paradise is being poisoned... by some of Joker's gang."

"He is using all his tactics to find me. So I need to stop him from hurting Red. And so we are going to Gotham. And then to the Amazon."

"I will make the rest up as we go along." Harley is not the best planner.

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima all but does a double-take when Amelia answers in perfect Japanese. What's with all these polyglots? He's starting to feel like a serious underachiever.

"Wait ... we're goin' to the Amazon? Like, the river? Ya pullin' my leg, sweetheart?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

In contrast to Majima focusing on the where, Amelia focuses on the who of it. Her lips draw into a thin line and she crosses her arms in front of her chest. The lack of an AV field where they're going is going to be very helpful for the kinds of thoughts the rogue is having right now.

"Let's not waste any time," she cuts in. "If we're not going to plan, then I'd like to get to the part where we do things. We can discuss everything else on the way."

Plans would be good and make Amelia feel a lot better about where they're going, but they're very secondary to the need to hurt the person who hurt Harley so much and who now threatens her best friend. That temper's going to get the better of her at this rate.

[sweetcandygirl]

"We have to go down the river, to go into the forest, Majima." She nods at him.

Harley uses her PINpoint to open a portal. "Okay, gang... we are going to be appearing in an alleyway in Gotham. Be prepared."

After guiding both Amelia and Majima through the PINpoint, the trio end up in a dingy alleyway, covered in graffiti. The alley smells like booze, piss and cigarette smoke. There is the sounds of a city all around them.

Gotham is a very packed city. There is action and noise all around them, even though it is night right now. There seems to be a smoky sky above them.

Harley swings her bat at her side, tilting her head, tuning herself back to the city that she used to live in. "Fuck. I hate this place."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima decides to drop any Amazon-related protests for the time being. He's holding out hope that that part of the plan was just a joke. He definitely isn't dressed for a jungle excursion.

This part of the plan, though. This concrete jungle suits him just fine. "Ah! Smells like home! Now I see why Sotenbori wasn't any big leap for ya."

[rogueinladysclothing]

The sights and smells aren't exactly pleasant, but it's the noise that gets Amelia. She covers her ears with her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath to focus herself. She closes her eyes, trying to differentiate all the background noise from everything else. Close voices from distant ones. The slamming of a car door from that of a building door. The sounds of life from the inanimate. It's so different from everything she's used to even in the Nexus.

This isn't any worse (or better) than New York City, she reminds herself, but it's been a hell of a long time since she was there. This will take some getting used to.

Forcing another few breaths into her lungs, Amelia forces herself to stand up straight and open her eyes again as she lowers her hands to her sides. They're shaking a little, but she'll manage.

"Which way?" she asks, turning to Harley. "And how far do we have to go?"