4053/The Clown Princess of Crime

The Clown Princess of Crime
Date of Scene:	06 November 2020
Location:	April's Apartment
Synopsis:	April, Harley and Spiral go back in time to avert shenanigans. Part 1 is April making sure Old Harley doesn't get in the way. Which she does with her vast knowledge of Harley's fave movies.
Cast of Characters:	Spiral, Harley Quinn, April O'Neil

---

Spiral has posed:
The time vortex fades away, and the three of them are atop a dark rooftop, in a dark city. It's actually the early evening really but the gloom makes it seem later, to those unused to the smog. And as they are in the industrial part of town there probably is a fair bit of smog.

For Spiral's part, she immediately drops down, not wanting to be seen, and crawls over to the edge of the roof, looking around, and seemingly almost as distressed as she was in the apartment just now.

"Two Aprils, far apart, three Spirals as there must be, and two Harleys, close together...". She peers over the edge of the roof, to focus on the green lights of Ace Chemicals in the distance. "Everybody down, none must see us, especially near here, until we know the plan.".

Harley Quinn has posed:
'Woooo, weeeeeee, yAaayaaAYyyy' Yes, that's Harley when she is travelling through the pathways that go through time and space to lead them to ..., here.. This is a very familiar place. Well, Spiral did warn they would be near Ace Chemicals. She lands with a ooof, grimacing, landing on her poor tush and the bells on her head ringing. Hopefully not too loud!

She adjusts the jester's cap on her head and then slides onto her knees. "What ya mean with three spirals?" Hey, important questions here! "How can theah be three?" She makes way to the edge of the roof too, her rather pale head peeking over the edge.

"This is a good spot, barely anyone came up heah." She points over to a side street. "If we go that way we might get lucky." she advises, "Not -that- kinda lucky. Look, just cos I am back in the past and pudd-- I mean the Jokah is close by doesn't mean I am havin' fuckin' thoughts ok?" very wordy.

April O'Neil has posed:
April has her eyes shut through the 'journey' to get here, and she doesn't open them until she hears what sounds like a normal world aruond them, and the two of them talking to each other. Her eyes flash open then when she hears an order to crouch and get down. She hesitates, but obliges and starts to lower down and move after the other two. "Thisisweird, thisisweird, thisisweird." She says whilst crouch-running towrad the back of Harley to peer over her shoulder at the Ace chemical factory in the distance. "Oh god, that place looks like hell personified." She says in a grave-tone before looking to Spiral.

"There's three of you?" She asks. "Least we'll have plenty of helping hands." She says with a little grin toward Harley, dumb jokes are April's speciality.

Spiral has posed:
Spiral looks over at Harley with a frown. "The universe is not sane, there can be multiple temporal existences coexisting at the same time. It... spirals.". And she waves a hand in a circle. "In any case, we must be careful.". And she shakes her head as April, with a frown. Normally hand comments lead to psychotic reactions, but not this time, she has too much on her mind. "They are far away, in Los Angeles.".

Meanwhile, somewhere in Los Angeles, Spiral looks around, momentarily confused. But, nope. She's not going there, and manages to put this knowledge in some corner of her mind. And besides, she has her own problems.

But never mind her. "That is Ace Chemicals, and the Joker is somewhere in there. He will drive out later tonight, down this very road, to Gotham Central Bank on one of his more mundane heists, except this time, it is a trap even he cannot foresee. Presumably Harley is also somewhere in there.".

And she looks over at Harley. "No? You know better than I.".

Harley Quinn has posed:
"The universe is my kinda gal then." Is Harley's prompt response to Spiral, offering her a quick wink. "Sanity is overrated." the request to being careful receives a nod though. "Ya know, I should ask ya sometime what ya weah doin' in LA at this time buuuut, I will leave it foh later." a glance is given over a shoulder at April, grinning wide at her joke about hands. It deserves a dap from Harley, which she does just that.

"Smooth." She says to April, and then her attention is back on Spiral. She frowns. Did she even remember this heist? She isn't too sure.. "What heist was it anyway..? But heh, prolly not important."

"And yea, Gotham is my turf so ..., I am suwah I can help with the way in. Or awhe we gonna spy on people first?"

April O'Neil has posed:
April returns the dap to Harley but looks back to Spiral, suddenly afraid for her life again at this woman's retribution. "I like the hands, by the way..." She mutters that, nervously. "I could probably get tons more work done with some more of my... own." She clears her throat. 'Shutup, Apriiiiiil.' she tells herself.

Her eyes go back over to the Factory where 'the Joker' is supposedly at.

"So what's our move? I'm supposed to find Younger Harley and, distract her, somehow?" She snaps her eyes between the two others. "While you two, uh, beat up the Joker?" April's not used to bein a key part of an active plan like this...

Spiral has posed:
"Batman was trying to beat him up for years as I understand it, so probably not the best approach. And no, we don't want to beat up anybody at all if we can help it. Or we could all descend on young Harley... we have our own one after all, plus the two of us. But I fear it would just damage the time stream further, and then we would not be able to return home. We would be lost in time... and as Mojo has curbed my powers, stuck in time too." Spiral says, one hand going to her chin as she ponders options.

"We should delay the Joker, ideally without him even realising. Which means replacing Harley, most likely, as our best chance. Which means somehow removing Harley from Ace Chemicals.". She eyes Harley Quinn.

"She is easily distracted, no?". It's almost like Spiral is looking right through her, rather than talking ot her even though she's right there! "Maybe she still likes karaoke. Or... can be persuaded to do something other than join the Joker tonight.".

Harley Quinn has posed:
"No moiderizin' Apes, Spiral. And I mean it." Harley says with a warning finger lifted up and looking between the other two girls. "Besides, aftah this we will all be besties. It is known." she concludes.

"And hey no spanky on old, young Harls. I don't want permanent scars on my delicate skin! I could get traumatized and nevah come to the light side." she sagely nods at the two of them. "Oh woahse.., get my legs chopped off. Dibs on high ground by the way ..." this one being only for the Star Wars fans.

ANYWAY, Harley seems of agreement about delaying the Joker. Or at least .., as in agreement as she can be, gulping at the thought of coming face to face with the man again. At this particular time too. She lets out a resigned sigh.

"Well, old Harls was super focused on her puddin'. It all depends on whetha she really has in her mind ta go with Jokah? But ..." and she winks at April, perhaps to reassure her. "If anyone can distract me that's April." *eyebrow waggle*

April O'Neil has posed:
April pulls her phone out of her pocket to check the time and she narrows her eyes. "No signal?" She pauses then. "Oh, crap, this is a phone from 2020. It wouldn't work in 2018?" She looks between the two of them. "Weird... Clock still works though." She states with a smirk as she stuffs the device back in to her pocket. "Okay, so, point me to Younger Harley, I'll... I dunno, butter her up with compliments?" She asks, glancing at Slight Older Harley. "You love compliments, and I'm guessing you didn't get enough of them back then, back... now, right now, where we are now, the... current, time. Yeah."

She looks around then. "I'm a time traveller. April O'Neil. Time Traveller..." She grins lightly.

Focus April. "Okay, so I should ditch the weapons." She states as she lowers down to her denim-encased knees and takes the arrow-quiver of sports equipment off of her torso, setting it aside, then adjusting her hair. "I'm ready. I think..."

Spiral has posed:
Spiral holds up two hands to Harley - the rest are clinging to the rooftop beneath her, or gripping the edge of the roof that she's peering over. "I promised I would not hurt April. And I have kept it. I will even pay for her apartment." she says solemnly.

And then glances over at April. "See. I am nice enough." she says mildly. "Oh, yes! The phones. We will be separated mostly, I have something for that.". She reaches into one of her leg pockets, and draws out three strips of what appears to be plastic, with circuitry embedded in them, and lays one on her neck. The other two, she lays on April's and Harley's neck quickly before they can argue. It's kinda sticky, and pretty much invisible - and now they can all kinda hear what they are saying, if they concentrate on it. Sort of telepathic iphones.

"Mojoverse technology, for some reason Mojo's chief scientist especially focused on communication equipment... we will need it if we are splitting up. I will take them back before we leae." she adds, a bit protective of her Body Shoppe toys.

"Also if you need a disguise I will create an illusion for you, if you wish. And I can teleport you into there without any problem, so we won't have to evade the guards.".

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Damn it, awhe ya sayin' I can't keep my invisible comm worm aftah all this is ovah?" Sad clownette.. And yes, for her this is a telepathic worm and noone will budge her mind about it. But she offers a thumbs up. "And about the weapons. Depends. Can always the angle about.., ya know, tryin' ta be a thug yohself." she lets out a bit of a cackle. Maybe she is imagining April as a thug, bashing things around..

"Teleportation.., still the best powa evah." She says when Spiral speaks about teleporting her in. "But anyway, if ya need help these things seem as if we can communicate so ..., feel free ta ask foh suggestions if it gets dire. But I am sweetie sooooo, I am suwah it will be fine!" she gives April a double thumbs up and gets ready, taking in a breath.

April O'Neil has posed:
April is tying her hair back in to a pony tail that lays down her back behind her shoulderse as she listens to the other two. She smiles at Spiral for pointing out that she's not 'hurting April' which is great news! But her eyes dart back to Harley when the thug-in-training suggestion comes up, she's already got a black leather motorcycle jacket on, she could pull that off... maybe. "I like that idea! Yay, teamwork." She says with a grin before lowering her hands to pick up the weapons bag again. "Okay, I'm ready. Am I being teleported somwhere? Because I need to close my eyes before ya do it, or I might... vomit."

She puts the weapons bag over her shoulder like a backpack and holds on to the strap with her left arm. "This should be fun, I'm actually excited about this. The guys don't often let me be a direct part of their plans..." She says about the Turtles with a grin. They're like 'older brothers protecting their little sister' even though she's older than them, technically.

Spiral has posed:
It actually probably kinda is. Mojoverse and Body Shoppe technology aren't known for being sterile and pleasant after all. It's all nutrient baths, extra arms, glowing eyes, and metal where it shouldn't be.

As for advice from Harley, Spiral just narrows her eyes a bit, thinking. She really doesn't want Harley talking to herself even indirectly... but at least she can cut comms if she wants. She controls her tech closely!

"Alright, lets go. April to Harley, Harley to Joker, and me to bank.". She abruptly hops to her feet, and starts dancing. "What guys?" she asks, curiously, mid dance. "You don't know Elizabeth as well, do you???". Ever suspicious for X-men playmates being involved. "Never mind.". She points at April, and there's a flash of light.

Unlike with Harley she isn't trying to make her puke, so one eyeblink to the next and she's suddenly inside Ace Chemicals, somewhere deep inside the chemical plant, though by a door.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The Ace Chemicals is rather active these days, one of the various hideouts that the Joker gang used during their days of 'fun' and mayhem. It's very dark and gloomy because it's Gotham, along with the hiss and smell of chemicals on large vats about. Really, this could be an Harley factory in the making, just have girls tossed into vats ... But the OG Harley is heard not too far, the teltale high pitched voice, "Sooo, Jackie. Biig mistake comin' heah! Mistah J told me ta ..." the sound of smacking is heard, followed by a short, muffled scream. "... give ya a warm welcome. And also ask what the fuck ya nosin' in heah. Bought by the cops? Woikin' foh Pinguin? Riddlah?!" she tsks.

The room in question has the door semi-closed, her shadow seen within. All devilish jester shapes. She looks scary!

"Though he normally likes bein' heah..., why isn't Mistah J heah?!" She asks to someone. "Huh, I think he was busy?" Some other voice is heard. A mook? "Out doin' a job?" "A JOB?!" Harley says. She is going to the door now at full speed, right to where April is.

April O'Neil has posed:
April has her hair tied back, her black leather jacket, her Harley Davidson shirt on underneath that, a pair of blue jeans with ripped denim knees, and a pair of heeled black boots. She... well, she looks like a cheerleader who's pretending to be a thug, and has wandered in to a place she really doesn't belong.

And nwo she's running face to face in to 2018's much more wild and free Harley Quinn.

They basically run right in to each other too!

April takes a jump-step back, and flashes her eyes open, a look of fright is on her face for about 1.21 gigaseconds, before she replaces it with a 'big smile'!

"Harley Quinn!" April says extra excitedly! "Oh my god, it is you... I'm... I'm your biggest fan!" She practically shakes with squealing excitement for the clownette! "You're my inspiration, my sun and stars!"

Surely this angle will work!

Spiral has posed:
Spiral keeps on dancing meanwhile. "No talking to yourself, even through April." she tells Harley on the Roof with a wagging finger. "You are mad enough already. And I want to get home.". And then she teleports her into Ace Chemicals as well, though a different part of it.

And then she herself vanishes from the roof, to appear, invisible, somewhere in Gotham Central Bank. It would be an irony if Batman kicked her ass for being in here, she thinks.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The puddin' went without HER to God knows where?! This cannot be! The clownette is rushing out like a crazied clown, kicking the door open (thank God she still didn't have Ivy's enhancements) and almost bashing head to head with April. "Ahhhhh! What the heck! Scarin' me ta death!" her eyes go wide as she stares at April looking all thuggish and full of weapons. She has her Smiley though, which is a little bloodied on a corner and she hoists it up.

The Harlequin isn't too used to having fans though, or at least none with the courage to go face to face with her. She's normally the one doing this to Joker. "Heh?" she blinks. "A ..., fan?" she squints her eyes, taking in the woman carefully. "Suwah suwah! I need ta go meet puddin'! He's off on an heist without me!" she is dressed in that harlequin outfit, her expression sharp and those eyes looking even more maddened than the usual Harley. Unhinged.

She is just about to run past before she pauses, squints.. Is she gonna call out April's bluff? Nah. She asks. "So.., ya got a car?"

April O'Neil has posed:
April pre-2020 would've been terrified to be in this position with THE Harley Quinn. Somewhere out there right now is a 20 year old April O'Neil immersed in her college courses, college party-life, and also trying to land that internship at Channel Six News... if she were here right now? She'd be shaking in her boots!

But 2020 April, 22 years old... she's had 8 or so months of getting to know Harley Quinn, at least a slightly older version of her. She realizes here and now that this /does/ make her far more confident around even this version of her, maybe to her detriment really... depending how well she does this.

Her head shakes at the question. "No car, I like to walk, and chase my victims like Jason Vorhes, ya know?" She flashes a grin. "I thought about getting a hockey mask, but... I like the bitches I'm blastin' to think 'Ahhhh, i'm bein' beaten t'death by a hot chick! Ahhhhh!'" She does a silly mocking voice of someone there, just for the lulz.

Her shoulders turn to have her trail after Harley. "I can definitely go with you to help out though, or, hey. Ohmygod!" She reache sout to put a hand on Harley's arm, lightly of course. HUGE EYES. "We could go buy a bunch of water melons and you could teach me how you smash stuff so perfectly goo-y! Like that old comedian, that made people put the plastic up over their heads when he smashed things on stage?" She nods her head a few times, and then takes her hand back to swipe her hair out of her eyes, still smiling.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Fuck yea I do!" Jason Vorhes. Sure, play to her weakness to that guy's movies. They are always a blast. And Jason has such a personality too on those movies. So expressive while doing those kills. The #reformed Harley has spoken of it in detail too! "Nothin' that gets yoh blood goin' like a good ol' pursuit! That's why I prefer ta not use guns. O' course I carry one, suwah. But nothin' like a good whack ta keep 'em down." and she swings her hammer just to demonstrate that! It doesn't go too far from April, but doesn't seem to have been aimed at hitting her.

Yes ... Harley can be .., easily distracted. She has her moments. "And bitch no hockey mask. Ya right, let 'em know who's kickin theah ass." she cackles like an hyena at the thought of it. She is still a bit disappointed about no car being available though. It makes her grumble after a bit. The pudding comes to memory. "I .., there's puddin'... and hey, I hope ya don't know a Jackie?" she squints her eyes again. Jackie though, that'd be the one receiving the 'treatment' inside that room she just exited. The arm touch is a good one, and even one the psychologist Harley would use. But she knows those tricks too! The attempt at proximity. "If I didn't know betta I was thinkin' you weah tryin' ta keep me from puddin'" her face turns dangerous. "And noone keeps me from him!" she announces. To her. To the world! Her voice a touch shrilly. "I will die befoouh I let anyone come between me and Mistah J!" well, the murder attempt may be coming sooner than she expected...

But the anger quick leaves her and she asks. "What watah melons when we can try it with real heads?" It's a good question!

April O'Neil has posed:
April's eyes widen for a second when she seems to lose Harley's attention as it drives back toward her 'Puddin' and where he must be at. She shakes her head rapidly side to side a pair of times. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'm sure he didn't tell you where he was going tonight because he wanted to keep you safe!" She offers back, "Sorry, I over heared you talking before we nearly bumped noggins' coming out of there--" The idea that there's a person in there that Harley just beat up makes April lean over to peer inside that room.

She grimaces and looks back. "I take it you did him precisely as he deserved!" She says with a hesitant laugh. "And ... for serious though. I figure this is the first, and probably the last time we'll ever see each other, yeay? Ya know how you bump in to someone on the street, and maybe share a few words, then legit... /never/ see that person /ever/ again? That's the onlyr eason I'm trying to pitch hang-out ideas with ya." Nervous laughter, adjusting the bag of weapons on her shoulder.

"One chance, one opportunity. Mom's spaghetti, right?" She asks with a grin. She eyes the hammer. "You got the skills, Harley Quinn... I'm hoping to learn from them, that's all. But yeah... if not, I dunno, maybe I'll go home and watch all of the Air Bud movies in sequential order..." Dramatic sigh, a far-away look from the reporter to the horizon... "Love those Air Bud movies..." she mutters.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The man on the room is a bit of heavy side, a knee having been busted (take that Punisher!) and some blood on his face. Nothing -too- bad, just some love taps with her hammer and perhaps a baseball bat. But it's torture for sure, and it seems as if this Harley didn't even bat an eye at obeying an order from puddin', no matter how heinous it was.

"Mistah J wants me ta kill him aftah." Harley announces, tapping on the side of her noggin', "But I have this idea o' lettin' him go and then followin' him ta see where he may lead us. O' course this was ALL beffouh I knew puddin' was out on some job! And .., ya really think he wants me ta be safe?" it makes her baby blue eyes all gushy. "Maybe he does care..." a wistful sigh. "Ya know, sometimes I doubt it." she whispers, almost as if confiding on April. "Sometimes I feel like uh, that he ain't right foh me. But maybe you awhe right!" she beams. Clearly April is a good love counselor!

But if there's one thing that April knows is how to go right to Harley's heart. And that's movies! Cheesy ones!? Maybe! But she loves 'em. Even Eminem. "OooooOO, I see you awhe my kinda gal. And if ya see one o' the Air Buds ya got see 'em all. It's a law."

"What's yoh name?" She asks.

April O'Neil has posed:
There's a great deal of sadness inside of April's heart for what she sees here inside of Harley's. Harley is really hard-up for the Joker's love and affection, and as history has shown... as much as she knows anyway... it never was reciprocated, not in a healthy way anyway.

April has to hide that though, she doesn't have a choice right now. "Mister J is pretty amazing, I can see why you're all about him. I hope to find someone like that someday myself." She says with a sincere smile, a smile for Harley, one rooted in actually caring about this girl in front of her, even if it-- right now --isn't really reciprocated from the Younger Harley.

"February." April says. "My parents were... they really liked drugs. I tell people to just call me Feebs, it's easier that way." February was also the month that Harley and April met, in the interview in Arkham, which is the root of why she chose that month here and now.

"You wanna go watch some movies? We could do that too, smashin' heads might be a bit messy tonight, especially if Mister J is maybe gonna call you and you'll need to rush over to wherever he is afterward? You'll wanna be at your best, clean and ready for mayhem, yeah?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Feeby!" Harley replies with another cackle. "I like it. But don't tell me ya weah born in February too?! Or maybe that's all part o' it too." she rubs at her chin but seems to accept the girl's story well enough.

"And I am suwah ya will, Feebs. Just not Mistah J. He is MINE." yes, she says that with quite the possessive tone to her. Another squint of her eyes. Indeed this Harley is quite the mess of problems. Not that the older one isn't but this one isn't even aware of it, which just makes it worse.

But then there is beam of a smile that promptly goes to her lips at being asked to go watch movies. "Do I?! People nevah ask me! They all look at me all scared.." she shakes her head slowly. A thoughtful look and then she accepts it. "Fine, let's go. Any suggestions? Have ya watched the crow? I love that movie!" even then she already loved the classics!

She looks positively beaming now. Friends aren't exactly a thing for her. There is no Ivy yet, or other friends to start filling the holes in her heart.

April O'Neil has posed:
Some part of April wishes she could reach out to her 2018 self and tell her all of this, to get her to be the one to actually be here and actually try to make friends with Harley sooner, but... she knows that's not possible. It could change things too much, even if it'd be for the better (maybe) in the long run.

"Ohmygod, I love the Crow." She says, and its true, she does, because of 2020 Harley. They'd just watched it not that long ago, Harley introduced her to it in fact. "Settled! We should order some pizza too, yeah?" She asks with a grin as she starts to lead the way, looking over to the eccentricly dressed Quinn.

"You know, Harley, I think if you an' me teamed up, we could put a real dent in the dumbassery inthis town, if ya decide I'm worthy, of course." April can play up her Brooklyn accent too, if she wants, they're both from there after all. Hers used to be /far far thicker/ until she trained herself out of it for television, which all News people do with their accents.

April reaches behind her and pulls out her own bat. "Lookit!" She says, shoving the bat in to Harley's face. "This one's still got the blood on it from the thug I whallopped the other night." She says, following it up with a manic laugh as she waves the bat around in the clownette's face, before lowering it back down again. Cause, hey, Harley needs it back sometimes, right?