Chapter six: touchdown

Harmony's POV:

I woke from a nightmare, or rather a memory from the past, memory of my dearly departed husband. What I first saw when my eyes opened confused me and for a second I thought I was still dreaming. The Batman was perched on the building next to me, and it felt like he was watching me. I jumped out of my bed to get a closer look but his silouhette was gone. Maybe I was just imagining it, and if I wasn't, he obviously wasn't watching me. Though I did owe that guy a thank you, for saving my life the other day.

There was no way I was going to get back to sleep. Not with the fear of having another nightmare and the insomnia I'd so certainly developed. He couldn't just go could he? I moved on why couldn't Harold, for fucks sake he was dead.

With nothing left to do I resulted on turning my small monitor sized tv on, the channel specifically set to the news station.

"A seven police car pile up in east Gotham tonight, and the lives of two officers taken all becuase of the Batman? Stay tuned for this breaking news," the perky blond caught my attention. Batman was out tonight, could it just be a coincidence that he had stopped by the roof next to me, or maybe I was just hallucinating. The broken framed picture of the photo I took mocked me from across the room. Batman couldn't possibly be intrested in me. He was probably just checking on me, if even that. Of course I didn't mind him watching me, it made me feel safer. What bothered me is the reason why he was watching, or how long he'd been doing it.

"Tonight a daring chase woke the sleeping streets of Gotham's east end, all but resulting in two casualties. The chase was between an unidentified black Lincoln navigator, Batman, and eight squad cars of the GCPD. The unidentified vehicle was using a military issued rocket launcher which destroyed one of the eight police cars, now two men are dead and Gotham is back on its toes, watching out for the danger that not everyone can protect us from."

After the reporter finished they cut back to the newsroom to cover another one of the exciting crime stories that happen every second. I checked the clock, 4:33 it had only been two minutes.

The next few hours were spent watching Grey's Anatomy reruns and shifting in and out of sleep, never actually closing my eyes long enough for them to yank open again. I got up at 9:00 and turned off the tv, I'd better get to work now. I put on some comfy sweatpants on and a t shirt, maybe I could get some shut eye at work. Not bothering to take a shower or do my hair, I left the house makeup less and hair in a bun, like usual.

When I arrived there no one had hardly come to work, becuase it was Sunday. I'd taken the days Saturday and Wednesday off, where most others took off the weekend. Daisy even had the whole weekend off. Sundays happened to be my favorite day at work.

I loved my coworkers and my job but sometimes I just needed a break. Just as I laid my head down on my desk, someone tapped on my shoulder. It was Barry, or Jerry, I don't remember, but he had a dissapointed scowl on his face.

"Don wants you in his office," he grumbled. I nodded and streched my limbs. I was getting some work today, that sounded nice. Hopefully it wasn't papers or writing, I'd like to get out and do something.

Don was sitting at his chair rubbing his head anxiously.

"Oh Harmony, I was hoping you were here, I need someone to go and take pictures of the Gotham football game tonight, and also the city's Christmas tree reveal on Friday," he announced. Don? Giving me a heads up on a job? Usually he was so swamped he hardly had the time to inform me let alone a week before.

"Is everything alright?"

He shook his head "nothing is alright, my wife is upset for no good reason and now I'm losing material for the paper, unless Batman suddenly becomes a celebrity we've got nothing, that's all anyone wants to hear about, Batman," Don had an immeadiant look of regret on face, "I'm sorry I don't even know why I told you that, it's just the bosses want something to light a fire on celebrity news, or they might get rid of the whole department".

"Everyone will lose there jobs, will they not?"

"I don't know it's up to them," he sighed. I'd never seen my boss so upset before, but I couldn't comfort him, if anything I was the one who needed it.

"I hope something happens with celebrity media, I really don't have a fail safe plan for losing my job."

"Me too."

Awkwardly I left the room holding my new press pass for the football game. This was more my style, football. No dresses, no sexy billionares, and absolutely no high heels. Besides football games were exciting, I remember when my dad used to watch it day in and day out. Harold hated football, and I was reminded constantly of what a waste it was, all because Harold was a baseball kind of guy.

Daisy waved at me from my desk, she wasn't supposed to be here today? In her mouth was a lollipop, shaped like a heart to be exact. When I closed the space between us she shoved another one in my face.

"Lollipop?"

"No thanks," I declined imagining how childish I'd look. 

"C'mon it's shaped like a heart for the love you and Bruce Wayne share." I rolled my eyes and opened my drawer to find some new film strips and SD cards.

"I'm not in love with him, we've only been on like two dates."

"So he called you back then? This is a good sign!" She squealed.

"It's not any sign, he's probably fucking some girl right now," I said nonchantly, but inside I pondered the idea, and how much it would actually bother me.

"Yeah right, just so you know if you two really do hook up I'm expecting a nice Christmas present."

I packed a bag of a few different cameras and lenses, then swung it around my neck.

"We won't, so you'll get some socks or something."

"Socks? At least get me a thong," she complained sarcastically. Little did she know I probably would get her socks.

"Go home Daisy, it's Sunday, besides I'm leaving early to the Gotham football game, maybe I'll get some nice shots of the players." Daisy pulled the lollipop out of her mouth and gave me a wide eyed glare.

"Buff men in tight pants, count me in." Shit, I loved Daisy and all but today was my day, away from her insanity. Now I might even have to sacrifice taking pictures in peace.

"I-I've only got one press pass."

"Don't sweat it, I'll ask Don," she started walking.

I put my hand on her shoulder "he's upset right now I wouldn't bother him!"

"Is there a reason you don't want me to get a press pass?" She raised an eyebrow. I felt like a deer in headlights, on one hand I really wanted to be alone, on the other I wanted to keep our friendship.

"No, it's just, I,...Uhm..."

"Don't strain yourself girlfriend, I won't come if that's what you want, everyone needs a break from my awesomeness, besides I know."  As much as it pained me to be so rude I was relieved she understood.

"Thanks Daisy."

"Don't worry about it, you do owe me a day out though," she remarked. I gave her a thumbs up in response.

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All throughout the day I had been taking pictures left and right. I'd filled up an entire SIM card full of photos, which only ment more work for me later having to seperate which ones I was going to use for the media. The worst part was that the football game had only just started a few minutes ago. It was the first quarter and the game still had 5 minutes left on the clock. Note that it was also freezing cold outside and late. More than anything I hated getting home after dark, even if the walk from my car to my apartment was but a few feet.

Out of nowhere I spotted a brown oval shaped object headed towards me, at lightning speed. The collision was inevitable, if it wasn't for a strong hand cutting straight through my vision and grabbing the ball straight out of the air.

"Are you stalking me?" I distraughtly asked a smiling Bruce. He had an expression of achievement plastered on his perfect face.

"Sadly no, I was walking over here when I saw that ball heading for you," he admitted.

"Quick reflexes, I'm impressed."

"Oh you would be, there's more than meets the eye with Bruce Wayne," he said in third person. I shook my head in disbelief and turned down to pick the camera off the ground that I'd dropped in the excitement. Much to my dismay my two hundred dollar lens had been cracked.

"Fuck, the glass cracked when I dropped it," I muttered tapping the lens with dissapointment. Bruce took the camera away from me to inspect it.

"It doesn't look that bad, how much does it cost?"

"Two hundred, just for the lens," I sighed. Bruce almost laughed but instead managed to only chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"I can pay for the lens, no problem." Oh that's right he's a billionare.

"Well maybe you can but two hundred dollars for me is literately my life savings." Okay so that may have been an exaggeration, but what was the harm in making him feel even worse for being so rich.

"Touchdown Gotham City!" The speakers rose. I looked back at the game quickly, shit I just missed taking pictures of the touchdown.

"Crap, I should have taken a pic of that," I said to myself.

"Maybe you just need some help with that," Bruce whispered putting the camera in front of us and facing the cracked lens toward our faces. Not this again, I smiled as best I could in the split second it took to take the picture. Bruce turned the camera back around and started to really burst into tears with laughter.

"Is it that bad."

"S-see for yourself," he managed to blurt. I snatched the camera off him and saw my closed eye, and wrinkled nose expression. How did I even make such a weird face, I looked like I stepped right out of a Japanese cartoon.

"Well that's getting deleted later."

"Oh no I will personally make sure you don't delete that, I need leverage," he said calmer.

"Leverage for what?"

"This- " he put a hand behind my head, pushing his fingers through my mess of a hair and pushing his lips to mine. The kiss was much longer than our first and deeply more passionate. For the first time since I married Harold I felt love starting to creep back inside me, and it felt so fucking good.

"Hellooooo, Gotham," a raspy voice interrupted our kiss. At the sound of it Bruce's eyes widened and he slightly shoved me away, crushing the moments feelings. I knew the voice too, and when I looked up to the jumbotron shadowing the statium, I saw the torn and broken look of the Joker. He wasn't just on one screen though, he was on all of them. I swear I even spotted his face on peoples phones.

"It's your favorite clown speaking, so everyone shut up!" The Joker ordered. He smiled at the video camera and moved away for a second only to bring back a man in a rolling office chair. He had dark back hair, out of place to which obviously used to be slicked back, and a dark slick black suit.

"This is my dear old friend Roman Sionis, or should I say my dear old test subject, and since I'm so nice I'll be televising my first attempt with my new happy juice, not fats or preservatives!" He rung. The Joker grabbed a vile of thick green liquid from off camera and shoved the bottle into Romans silent mouth. Roman choked the liquid down coughing on it and spitting a large quantity of it out.

"Ohh, Roman didn't your mommy every teach you table manners, spit into a napkin darling," the Joker patted him on the back.

Subconsciously I grabbed onto Bruce's hand and squeezed it, unable to tear my eyes from the horror that was on screen. Suddenly Roman began to bleed from his eyes and nose, wailing in tremendous pain, but something else even more disturbing was happening, Roman was begining to smile, and his wails were turning into laughter. The poison kept on effecting him until he was bug eyed and had an impossibly fake smile to the tops of his cheeks.

"Woah, what a success, I can't wait to see a brand new city, full of smiling faces," the Joker ended laughing as he switched off the camera.

My head felt numb, and my knees weak, but somehow I kept my body up straight. The statium reacted violently, people screaming and running to the nearest exit. When was he going to attack, why would he do this to so many innocent people. I imagined Harold being force fed the 'happy juice' and it pushed me over the edge, causing me to fall forward.