14016/Har D Hank Har

Har D Hank Har
Date of Scene:	01 February 2023
Location:	Sheldon Park - Bleake Island
Synopsis:	Hank tries to be subtle while undercover, but Harley is there. Guess how it goes.
Cast of Characters:	Hank Hall, Harley Quinn

---

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank Hall hated Gotham. With a passion. Sure, he would hear various tales from some of the Titans about good times spent there. But in reality, he thought it was just rose colored glasses. The city smelled, its people were nasty, and it didn't export much other than psychotic super criminals.

So when he was told that he had to follow-up on a lead for the undercover case he had been on a few months ago, that the crew had left Metropolis and re-established themselves in Gotham, he asked if there were anyone else who could do it. Not that he wanted to shy away from work or fighting criminals - it was literally both of his jobs - but he just did not want to go undercover again so soon. Especially not in GOTHAM of all places. But he was the only one of the crew whose cover had survived the break-up of the gang, and the only one who had been close enough to the brothers to stand a chance of getting back in with them.

And so here he was, strolling the neighborhood at night where the intel said they had their base of operations, hoping to run into some kind of encounter that can draw their attention out. Tony, his cover guy, would not have had the resources to find them, so walking in the door would have been suspicious. But having them find him? That would have been just serendipity.

Or so he hoped.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Gotham. The city of dreams! If your dreams consist of dark and stormy nights, noir tales, death and ..., of course ..., the psychotic super criminals!

You know, like a certain clown princess of crime that word in the street is that she's reformed! If a super criminal ever reforms and turns to the side of good. Yet Wonder Woman and even many of the Titans had vouched for her. She even had as much as been allowed to go into the Titans Tower all the way to the lobby! A personal conquest.

So why was she here in the middle of the night? Wandering down the streets. A ledger under one arm even if those bright ponytails, shorty shorts and t-shirt give away just who exactly she is.

A knock on a door.

"Hello, have you got time to talk about ....."

The door is slammed back in her face.

Oh no, is Harley Quinn a door to door saleswoman now?! How the mighty have fallen....

"Listen, I know you fuckas have taken this building so we gonna talk whether you want to or not!"

And then she kicks the door down. Maybe she isn't a door to door saleswoman after all....

Hank Hall has posed:
The sight of Harley Quinn is not what Hank was hoping for on his little jaunt to Gotham, although he sighs and realizes that of course it would be his luck that he would run into her. He had heard enough tales of her exploits to know that where Harley went, chaos was sure to follow.

The right move would have been to cross the street, go the other way, and completely avoid what was about to unfold. It was probably also the right thing to do given what his job was, and his role in Gotham. But that also meant hewing close to the line that would lead him to possibly another few weeks undercover. And so despite all common sense speaking to the contrary, Hank makes his way towards the door that Harley has just kicked down, peering inside as she moves in. He is not _quite_ ready to run in after her yet, but he is mighty curious about what is going on.

With any luck, she will have beaten him to the brothers and she will take them all out herself, and he can go back to his nice bed in Titans Tower before tomorrow morning.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Listen, I got word from Tony...."

Fucking. Tony.

"That you guys are back in town and up to no good ...., so ..., thought you might want to ..." Oh no, Harley back to a life of crime? Is she going to suggest a PARTNERSHIP?! Must be for sure ... ".. visit the Harley Hole sometime." wait, is this turning sexual? "Because you guys have been henching for ..., oh I dunno how long..." She has moved to the middle of the room now, no one else in sight. ".. but then again, I heard ya guys have gone sorta solo so not suwah I can count you as henches anymoouh..." she taps on her lips, thoughtful.

"But anyway, the Harley Hole! It's heah in Gotham, for henches that want to leave this life! With my help of course and ...." blablabla...

What matters is that a guy is starting to sneak behind Harley with a KNIFE. Ready to stab! No honor among thieves apparently.

Hank Hall has posed:
If Hank spent more time in Gotham, this would probably make more sense to him. Although does Harley ever make sense even to the people that DO know her well? He scans the crowd that she is addressing, trying to determine if any of them are affiliated with his target. Unfortunately not, at least as far as he can tell. So not only a dead-end, but one that is derailing him from his op.

Then he sees the knife. He should probably let it go. There were robust debates about just how reformed Harley was, and he didn't have a horse in that race but the skeptics seemed to have a stronger argument as near as he could tell. And certainly, this was not his fight. By all accounts, she should be fine. And he was _certainly_ not here to get involved in a Harley turf war.

But. Hank had certain ideals. And if there was any chance that Harley was more than a crook, he couldn't stand there and watch a guy shank her. He leaps out from the doorframe and leans over to drive his shoulder hard into the guy to send him off target.

If only _he_ had been the one in danger, he could have done this as Hawk. But no, this is regular old Hank Hall, leaping into the fray with at least one psychotic combatants, and who knows what else.

If this didn't kill him, Dawn certainly would.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Listen, I don't like to be talkin' ta empty air, sooooo.... Someone betta come out to talk to me or I am going to start kickin' down doors..." Harley has even placed her hands on her hips for emphasis. Raaaa, so angry! No one respects a clown princess anymore.

Or maybe they do because they are trying to STAB HER IN THE BACK!

At least until a tackle out of nowhere comes and takes the assailant out, the man not expecting the attack from that angle and being caught off balance, meaning he topples over to the floor with a uff, the knife clattering to the floor.

Right in front of Harley.

"Holy shit!" she exclaims, turning her head to look at Hank the Tackler. "Wheah did you come out of? A NFL draft?!" she points, "Oh man, they really are gettin' to hire some good goons now and ..., hey, you evah heard of the Harley Hole?"

Again with the Harley Hole?!

But that's when chaos erupts and they start being rushed by a crew of thugs!

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank has to give her this much - Harley has a style all her own. He has to admire her spirit for at least a moment before he is in mid shove.

Once the man has moved to the ground and been disarmed, he looks up at her and meets her gaze. "Nah, I washed out with an injury before my senior year," he responds casually, even as the goons start to digest what just happens.

Hank probably should have not have taken the time to do a victory lap, but it does give the crew time to orient to an attack. He spins around to face the oncoming group, assuming that Harley is going to do the same.

And he suddenly realizes that he has not taken on a fight like this without someone whose every move he could anticipate in a long time. Let alone someone so wholly unpredictable...

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Oh yea...." Harley squints those baby blue eyes as she takes better note of Hank in the sorta dark hallways of the place they got into, "You are a bit too old to be in a draft now." Ow, right in the feels. Is that how Harley pays him for tackling her would-be stabber? With a STAB of her own. "You know, it doesn't mean you need to turn into a life of crime and ..."

Pause. Enemies rushing in. Time to turn to face 'em!

Which Harley does. Back to back with Hank! Because she figures out quickly he isn't with -them-, "Okay, Washout. Time ta kick ass."

And said ass-kicking starts with one of the goons that had just bum rushed at Harley to be tossed over her, so Hank can see the man flying with a scream to hit a wall. Seems like the clown princess has some tricks of her own!

Hank Hall has posed:
"Hey, I could totally be in the prime of my career right now!" Could he really though? Probably not. Hank will try to let his ego recover. He _almost_ opens his mouth in automatic defense before realizing it would blow his cover. "Find me something else that pays me lucratively with no education, and I'll turn my back on crime forever." What he does do is turn his back on Harley.

He settles back against Harley as she looks away from him, and tries to get some sense of how exactly she is going to move. There is an art form to managing multiple enemies with only one partner, and the basic requirement is never letting someone through to their back. Which is easier when you know where their back is.

He looks up as a man goes flying. Maybe she is a bit more than she seems, he realizes, as he leans back to evade a fist and deliver an uppercut of his own. "Where'd you learn to throw a man like that?" he asks as he delivers a solid kick to the knee of another attacker.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"You don't really talk like a thug." Harley points out back at Hank. "Sorta makes me wondah why you awhe heah! And bein' attacked by these guys too!" but before she can inquire further on who Hank really is besides being nicknamed Washout they are being assaulted from all sides! So he's safe. For now.

And trying to figure out how Harley is going to move? That's a work of frustration. It looks like she's going right? But then she moves left. An easy block to a punch? But then she cartwheels out of the way. (With a foot hitting the man right in the kisser and sending him to sleep with the angels).

Chaos. Mayhem. It's where she seems to thrive in. And then she laughs. That lilting laugh of hers.

"I grew up in Gotham!" She tells Hank in response, "You either toss or get tossed around." street rules. Though there seems to be a lot of gymnastics involved there. Professional? Maybe a washout like Hank!

It's all fine and dandy while the bad guys are going at them with knives or clubs. But then a door is kicked down and a man with a machine gun comes out, levelling it at the duo. "Time to eat lead, bitch."

Harley's eyes go wide and then she speaks quickly. "Toss me!" what exactly is she asking Hank to do?

Hank Hall has posed:
The surprise of the moment has, in fact, rendered Hank out of character. This might be why he rarely is given undercover assignments. He is not very good at acting convincing, and perhaps talking about his scholarships was not a great way to appear uneducated. Harley is smarter than she looks. "Uh, pretty sure because I took out Stabbo over there," he says, nodding backwards to indicate the unconscious assailant. Not that she can see the nod, of course.

He is distracted quickly by the way in which Harley moves. In an appreciation of the form and combat style way, _not_ in the way that her ass looks doing that in the shorty shorts. But he does make a mental note to buy Dawn a pair of shorty shorts when he gets a chance. Just sayin'.

"Well, I'm not much of a tosser!" he exclaims. John Constantine had called him that once, but he was pretty sure it meant something else entirely. "Or a tossee. I just kind of..." He lets the toss chatter go to focus on the fight. He is quick for his size and is well trained, but Hank is no Hawk, and he is just a man. And while he is _very_ much in danger now, and although he was relatively disguised with dyed hair, the last thing he needs is to let Harley Quinn, of all people, see him turn into Hawk.

Until he looks up and sees the machine gun man come in. He opens his mouth, deciding that he can't worry about his secret identity if he's dead, but then Harley gives him the order. He reacts on instinct, so used to partner combat. He whirls, grabbing Harley and then flinging her at the man in one fluid motion. "Go get 'em, Gimli!"

Harley Quinn has posed:
"That's not Stabbo." Harley says in a sorta offended manner. "That's Roger. He's a good guy, when he ain't tryin' to stab people in the back. Just choosing bad companies!" does Harley know every hench in the city or something?!

Well, regardless on whether she knows them or not she certainly knows her multitasking, dodging and weaving out of the way while delivering a few punches of her own, body all supple and bendy! Yep, definitely gymnastics involved.

"Not QB material, then..." When Hank mentions not being a tosser. Hey, Harley knows her NFL terms at least! "No matter, just DO IT." because guys with machine guns are her weak point. They shoot pointy bullets that can hurt her fragile body. Why couldn't Ivy just give her super stamina to go with her extra strength!? Some friends .....

But then ..., she is in flight. "I am not a dwwaaaaa---!" *BAAAM!* The guy only has time to raise his machine gun before a clownette in flight hits him with both feet in the head. That's gonna hurt!

"Touchdown!"

Hank Hall has posed:
"Why can't I come up with nicknames too?" complains Hank. And then he realizes what he is doing, and is immediately embarrassed. Does Harley just exude an aura of ridiculousness around her? It must be something. He cans the dialogue and focuses on the fighting at hand.

He takes a pause after sending Harley flying at Machine Gun...oh right, no nicknames from him. He watches her fly, since most of the other goons are either beat down or running away from the impending spray of bullets. She does have nice form. As she takes out the guntoting thug, he throws both hands up in the air, fingers pointed. "Score!"

A brief look around shows that there are no more thugs to beat up. Harley has taken out the last of them, those that haven't fled the scene.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Ohhh, yeaaaaaa....." Yes, Harley is doing a little touchdown dance as the machine gun guy goes down. And that seems to take the winds off their sails, the rest of the goons beating it instead of getting beat up! Move those hips, Harley! And damn right she does.

Eventually she does lean down when Machine Gun man groans and she holds him by the scuff of his shirt. "Alright, bud ..., I want to see you and your friends at the Harley Hole tomorrow night. OR ELSE!" threats!

"And good job, Washout. You might have bettah luck as a hero sidekick. You evah tried it?" she asks, back still turned to Hank while she shakes the downed man a few more times before releasing him.

"Or you know, an actual job. Come by the Hole too and we can see what we can get you!" Of course that it all gives Hank enough time to beat it as well if he wants to!

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank gains a newfound appreciation for Harley, and starts to see why she is talked about with such reverence in certain circles. Sure, she is clearly a psychopath, but she is an amusing psychopath at least. He watches her bend over and threaten the man who just tried to plug her full of holes to come to her place of "rehabilitation", and just shakes his head a bit.

He could have used that opportunity to slip away, and probably should have, but it did not occur to him until she turns back to him. "Me? A hero." He waves a hand in front of him. "Pshaw. They are too boring." He nods as she mentions coming to the Hole. "Yeah, ok. I'll do that." Not that he has any intentions of going anywhere near any of Harley's holes, but he doesn't exactly want to insult her by saying that.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Boring?! Nah, they awhe great. At least the ones I hang out with ... You know, Wonder Woman! She ain't boring. In fact, I got her some shorty shorts foh christmas.." This said in a lower tone as if Harley was sharing some big secret, "She loved 'em. We gonna go out to party one of these nights..." she eagerly rubbing her hands together. "And you got the Titans too! I mean, they can be sorta stuck ups too. Not Vorpal though, he's the best."

"And okay!" Her smile brimming with radiance when Hank seems to agree going to the Hole. Those baby blue eyes soooooo happy. "Heah, take this ..." she hands Hank a pamphlet. "It talks a bit moouh about the place, and the idea ... It's still sort of the ruins of an old fairgrounds but it's growin' .."

Door to door saleswoman Harley.

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank can barely contain his laugh as Harley brags about hanging out with the Titans. Definitely a good thing that he didn't given in and HAWK out in front of her. Or behind her as the case may have been. "I can only imagine Wonder Woman in shorts like that," he says, nodding towards Harley's ass.

He accepts the pamphlet and glances at it briefly before stuffing it in his pocket. "I"ll give it thought," he says. "But it sounds like you're doing a good thing with it, so either way, I wish you well."

He glances down at one of the unconscious bodies and nudges it with his foot. "We should probably get out of there before anyone comes asking questions."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Eheh... I will do more than imagine.." Wink wink, nudge nudge. Which is exactly what Harley does with her elbow against Hank. "Anyway, we done heah! Time to split. What's your name, Washout? Or wait, not suwah I wanna know. You can be the forever Washout, eternal sidekick to the one and only Harley Quinn." she opens her arms to the sides. "How does -that- sound?"

And then she starts walking out of the place, one last small kick at the guy she threw against the wall who is still passed out on the floor and out they go. "Ok, man. I wish you luck in yoh pretendin' to be a thug but not really being one. You a cop?" she can sniff them a mile away. "Wait, not suwah I wanna know that either!"

But then she gets closer as they are getting away. "So .., you got tindah? I got this friend that I put on tinder and you are sorta her type, I could hook you up, she's my roomie..."

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank does, in fact, start to open his mouth to answer, with the slightest of hesitations as he tries to remember his cover name. Harley solves that for him by changing her mind. He nods in the affirmative. "Washout it is!" He laughs for a moment. He has to admit, she does have a certain amount of charm.

He looks over the crowd of bodies as they step away, not commenting on Harley's further abuse of the unconscious man. He ponders, again, an answer, and perhaps owning up to who he is. The cop part, at least. Not the Titan part. But then again, Harley saves him. "I wouldn't work really well in a system," he says in response. Which is actually, technically, true. He doesn't work well in the system. He isn't a great cop. But he is an amazing Titan, when he is on.

He nearly trips over himself when Harley mentions her roommate. His thoughts immediately go to wondering what kind of psychopath would choose to room with Harley. Luckily, he has a good response for this one. "Actually, I am in a _very_ committed relationship," he says once he reclaims his poise. "She and I were kind of made for each other, and once I found her, I knew she'd be the one." He realizes he has never actually had a chance to talk to anyone about his feelings for Dawn before. Why is he discussing them with a villain? There is just something about Harley.