Chapter 159: Chapter 157: Harley Quinn
"If there were only a dozen of them, we could still launch a frontal assault. But a hundred? We need to think of another plan," Dick said with a deep frown, sinking into thought.
"What plan? Nightwing, the great hero. You're the one who called us here, yet you don't even have an action plan? Why don't we just follow my idea—blow up the Batcave. That way, at least half of them would be buried alive," Jason said sarcastically, his tone full of frustration and impatience.
"Bruce and Alfred might still be alive. Doing that could kill them," Dick shouted angrily.
"Then what do you suggest? Kill them? For all we know, they're already dead," Jason snapped back with a twisted expression.
"Shut up, Jason!" Dick finally lost control of the anger he'd been holding back.
"You want me to shut up? Then prove you've got what it takes to make me," Jason sneered, gripping his dagger tightly, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
Dick clenched his jaw, drew his escrima sticks, and took a fighting stance.
Jason didn't back down either. He raised his dagger in front of him, and the tension between them crackled, growing unbearable in seconds.
"Enough, both of you! Are you planning to fight each other before taking down the enemy? Is this what Bruce taught you?" Oliver shouted, his face grim.
"Sorry, Oliver. I lost my temper," Dick replied, guilt written all over his face as he slowly lowered his weapons.
"Hmph," Jason scoffed and turned his head aside, putting his dagger away as well.
Oliver sighed deeply. He understood all too well the tangled history between the various Robins. No one here was truly wrong. The blame, if any, rested on Bruce—the father who raised them.
"I think you all need to see this," Barbara interrupted, not at all concerned with their emotional turmoil. She was focused on her job.
Everyone turned to the screen she was displaying.
On it was a handsome man accompanied by two beautiful women, leaving a mansion.
"I only found information on the red-haired woman. She's a student who's been missing for several months. As for the other two, there's absolutely no data on them in this world," Barbara quickly briefed them.
"Is he the leader of those Batmen?" Tim asked with curiosity.
"We'll know once we catch him," Jason said firmly.
"Then let's move," Dick ordered without hesitation.
"Barbara, we're coming over," Oliver said as the team quickly prepared and headed out, leaving Barbara behind.
Left alone, Barbara touched her legs, a wave of helplessness and sadness surging in her heart.
Suddenly, one of the people on the screen looked straight at her and smiled faintly.
A chill ran down Barbara's spine instantly.
It's a trap!
She was just about to grab her phone to call them back when a black cloth was suddenly pressed over her mouth and nose.
Barbara passed out in an instant.
Elsewhere, Dick and the others followed Kino's group in two cars.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Jason asked impatiently, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel repeatedly.
"Until there are fewer people around. We can't make a move in public," Dick replied in a serious tone, eyes locked on the vehicle ahead.
"Why not? This is Gotham—this kind of thing is normal here," Jason grumbled with a frown.
"Not today. Whatever their purpose, those Batmen are actively fighting crime. Gotham is unusually quiet right now. Any action from us would attract too much attention," Dick explained calmly.
"Then why are we even fighting them? Seems to me like Gotham's better off with them around. No Joker, no gangs, no robberies," Jason muttered, clearly disgruntled.
"…Jason, I'm sorry. I wasn't in Gotham back then. Maybe if I had stayed, things would've been different," Dick said, his voice full of remorse, eyes downcast with guilt.
Jason was stunned by the unexpected apology from his older brother.
"...You couldn't have changed anything. It was all Batman's fault," Jason finally said, though deep down, he knew the truth. He didn't really hate Dick or Tim. What he felt was a mix of bitterness and jealousy.
He was bitter because his big brother hadn't avenged him.
He was jealous because after he died, someone else replaced him.
"Bruce... he misses you, you know," Tim said softly while tinkering with his laptop.
Oliver sighed again. They were all good kids. He couldn't help but wonder—was Bruce's no-kill rule really the right thing?
"Whatever else Bruce got wrong, at least he had good taste in who he adopted," he muttered.
Venom, hearing everything, relayed it to Pamela.
"No wonder that Jason is so full of rage. Anyone else would've gone insane long ago," Pamela said with a sympathetic expression.
"Kino, when are we making our move?" she asked.
"After we finish walking this street," Kino replied.
He and Pamela, accompanied by Venom, entered a clothing store—and were surprised to see someone unexpected.
Wearing brightly colored, extravagant clothes—
It was Harley Quinn.
Pamela's fiery red hair immediately caught Harley's attention.
"Oh, I love your hair! It's so red—like a rose!" Harley exclaimed as she rushed up to Pamela with stars in her eyes, completely ignoring Kino and Venom. She extended her hand with zero hesitation.
"I'm Harley Quinn. But you can call me Harley—or Harley Quinn. Whatever you like," she said, beaming with enthusiasm.
Pamela was a bit taken aback but still smiled and shook her hand.
"I'm Pamela Lillian Isley," she replied politely.
"Such a beautiful name! Can I call you Red?" Harley tilted her head with a hopeful grin.
"Uh… sure," Pamela answered, surprised at how friendly Harley was right off the bat. She'd read comics in the Marvel world and knew they'd eventually become close, but she hadn't expected Harley to be this forward from their very first meeting.
Still, it didn't feel off-putting. In fact, Harley was kind of… fun.
Kino and Venom exchanged a glance and decided not to interfere. Instead, they wandered off to look through some clothes.
Though Gotham was chaotic, its fashion sense was certainly cutting-edge.
Meanwhile, Harley chatted away with Pamela like they were old friends—her gestures animated, her voice lively.
"Red, you know what? One time, I jumped off a skyscraper for him. Isn't that totally insane?" Harley burst out laughing, her eyes filled with manic excitement.
"And then I robbed a bank for him! Fought Batman! I wasn't afraid of anything!" she continued with glee, treating those dangerous memories like treasured moments.
Pamela listened quietly, her eyes softening with sympathy.
To Harley, these insane adventures were acts of love. But to Pamela, they were signs of heartbreak—of exploitation, abandonment, and deep emotional wounds.
And yet Harley still called it love.
That kind of desperate, self-sacrificing love that burned like a moth diving into flame.
Pamela sighed softly.
This wild, chaotic woman—Harley Quinn—wasn't as carefree as she looked.
Underneath it all, she was just a fragile soul longing to be loved.
Quote of the Chapter:"Sometimes, the loudest laughter hides the deepest scars."
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