Green Room
"How do you lose your signature gun so often Jay?" Edward leaned over the edge of the couch to watch the clown prince of crime trying to reach his arm further under the couch .
The man looks up his green hair flopping over and covering his eyes, "I swear I left it on the coffee table! One of you bozos must of knocked it over!"
"Bozos? That's the best you have?" Jonathan Cran drawls from his spot on the couch next to Nygma. He's got a piece of black and white fabric he’s stitching together, “I expected more from you. Not even an insulting joke? Just Bozos?”
The clown opens his mouth to reply but a crashing noise interrupts his attempt. Harley Quinn comes crashing into the side room they were getting ready in, toppling over a box of decorative hats that had been left out near the doorway. Pushing herself up she huff, "Hatty! Get someone to move these stupid props! I'm trying to skate here!"
She pushes herself to her feet and dust off the fancy red, white, and black dress she's wearing. Harley had spent days agonizing over her Queen of Hearts outfit. She insisted that it had to look perfect and she looks huffy at having gotten dust on it. Her annoyance only seems to get worse at the sight of Joker on the ground his purple and green waist coat already becoming covered in dust, "Mr. Jay you're getting your coat dirty."
"He lost his pistol," Edward happily informs her.
Joker punches him firmly in the arm, "Shut up Riddles!"
"Seriously! This is like the third time this month you've lost it," she stomps over to them while calling over her shoulder, "Rocco, Happy, Larry! Mr. Jay lost his pistol again!"
The sounds of groans echo from outside the door and then the dropping of a heavy box. Joker groans glaring at Harley, “you didn’t have to get the boys involved Harls. I can find it, it was just on that table.”
The doors opens again and a large man in a black abd white checkered shirt and clown make up painted on his face peaks into the room. Rocco smiles at them and looks right at the blonde girl, "no problem Missus Q, well look around to see if we can find it."
"You don't have to, I can find it," Joker argues.
“We got ten minutes till we have to be on the go Boss and last time you ‘could find it by yourself’ it took nearly an hour and you turned the fun house upside down.” The henchman snorts at the affronted look that crosses Joker face then grabs the box of hats off the floor before stepping back out.
“You know they were my henchmen first Harley,” the clown glowers but the intensity of the glare is lessened by the two rabbit ears on his headband.
“Don’t be jealous Mr. Jay. It’s a bad look on you,” Harley snorts and then tries to reach under the couch as well, “aren’t you supposed to be on the way to the botanical gardens already Johnny?”
“Supposed to be,” the scrawny man shakes his head, “Harvey already managed to rip his costume and Jervis is too busy sett’n up to fix it. I sent Autumn ahead to set up.”
Edward stands up grabbing his bag, “I’ve got head out in three minutes if you finish by then Query or Echo can give you a ride. With how they drive you’ll be there in no time.”
“I appreciate it Edward. I’ll try to hurry,” he looks up and smiles at red head as he slips from the room with an extravagant bow and a flourish of his hat.
A large scaled hand catches the door before it closes and the nine foot tall croc man ducks his head to enter the room. He takes in the sight of the two clowns laying on the floor, groping under the couch Jonathan was sitting on, “uh, Professor what’s go’n on?”
“Joker lost his pistol.”
“Again?”
Joker glares at them, “I don’t lose it that often!”
“You do. Here lemme help you,” he grabs one end of the couch and lifts it with one hand. It reveals absolutely nothing under it so he drops the couch and it bangs against the ground harshly.
Jonathan, still sitting on the couch, raises an eyebrow at him, “really Waylone was that necessary?”
The large man sits beside him and laughs as the couch buckled under his weight, “they need to leave soon might as well send them searching elsewhere.”
“One can only hope,” Crane finishes up the last stitch on the coat, “seems everyone is running behind.”
Beside them the two clowns have descended into bickering back and forth, “It’s not here!”
“I left it on the table Harley! It’s a gun it can’t have gotten up and walked off!”
“Well maybe you didn’t leave it on table, maybe you left it somewhere else! If you’re head wasn’t attached ‘ta your body you’d leave that lying around everywhere too!”
“Maybe if you weren’t always nagging me I could focus on my belongings!”
“Who are you calling a nag!“
“You! You naggy, naggy, nag!”
“They’re toddlers,” a soft voice from behind the couch scares Waylone hard enough to make him jump.
Turning he can see the small frame of Victor Zsasz, having snuck into the room at some point and been unnoticed. “Sweet Jesus Vic, how the hell did ya even get in ‘ere?”
“Through the door,” he turns to the two on the floor whistling, “goof troop, your mutts are being unruly and harassing some of the henchman. I suggest you go stop them before someone hurts them”
Harley gasps running out of the room, “my babies!”
“Oh no,” Joker scrambles to his feet almost toppling over himself in his rush to get to the door. Then he collides head on into Harvey Dent as he tries to enter the room, “Harvey! Your in my way!”
“There you are!” The scarred man glares at him. His voice is rough and scratchy as Two-Face speaks, “hey dumbass you left your pistol in my gun case.”
“What no I didn’t,” Joker snatches the gun from his hands.
Harvey’s voice is softer as he takes over, “no you did. Remember you were commenting on how our custom duel pieces were really nice looking and you were asking who made them so that you could get yours repaired.”
He squints for a moment in thought before his eyes widen cartoonishly, “oh yeah! I do remember that! Well any way thanks Tweedledum and Tweedledee!”
“Piss off,” Two-Face growls and Joker ducks under his arm leaving the room laughing.
Croc looks at Jonathan shaking his head, “you didn’t even flinch. Like a damn statue.”
“It’s only Zsasz, Waylone, nothing to be afraid of,” the scrawny man looks up at Harvey, “your coats finished.”
“Oh thanks Professor Crane. Sorry about making you patch it up. Got too close to some of Pam’s roses,” Harvey laughs taking the jacket back.
Two-Face cuts in, “college boy here was busy drooling over the Poison Plant with tits to notice where he was going.”
Harvey blushes, “I wasn’t drooling over her! Pam wanted to make sure her costume looked good. That was it.”
“Whatever lets you sleep at night,” Two-Face scoffs.
The door opens once again and Pamela and Jervis step into the room together. Two-Face laughs, “speak of the devil and she’ll appear.”
“Why Two-Face do you think of me so highly to call me the devil?” She laughs as Two-Face glares at her.
Harvey on the other hand smiles at her, “we think really highly of you Pam. Who couldn’t?”
She smiles back at him and Jervis nervously claps his hands together, “we’re a little behind schedule but quite honestly it’s not as bad as we usually are. Now cards for each of you.”
He holds out a deck of playing cards, each glinting in the light. They each take a card and Zsasz tilts it side to side, “does it work?”
“Yes but these are dormant and set to a separate frequency so there’s no chance of me accidentally turning them on,” Jervis assures him, “it’s perfectly safe.”
He nods and slips it behind his ear, “I’ll see you there.”
“Try not to let the Bat freak break too many of your bones,” calls out Two-Face as Zsasz walks out.
“Big words from you little man,” Croc snorts placing the card behind his own ear, “see you there slow pokes.”
From outside the door a loud female voice calls in, “Professor C, we’re heading out. If your coming, come now.”
“That’s my cue gentleman,” he grabs his card and then the set of rabbit ears made for him with trepidation, “good luck Jervis. Stay strong.”
“Thank you March Hare! You be strong as well.”
Harvey grabs his card, “see you guys, stay safe and remember, never talk to the police!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it Harvey,” she waves goodbye to the man even as Two-Face flips her off.
Then it was just Pamela and Jervis. Jervis adjust his hat and straightens his coat, the out fit is new and fitted but hes wearing it out from the constant fidgeting. Pamela smiles at him, “you alright Hatter?”
“Oh, um yes I’m perfectly alright Rose.” He smiles up at her but he’s patting his leg nervously and rocking back and forth. When Pamela simply watches him he sighs and shrinks under her view, “I’m just nervous.”
“We all get stage fright Jervis,” Pamela smiles, “it’s not your first rodeo, you know that.”
“Well yes, but this is different.”
“How so? If anything I thought you’d be extra excited, we’re truly bringing Wonderland to life.”
“Yes we are but, we’ll I’m used to playing second fiddle you understand? I work with the others not, in charge of them.” He looks down at the last card in his hand, “all the attention will be on me. The rest of your are just playing mindless puppets today.”
Pamela carefully takes the card so she can avoid touching Jervis’ gloved hands, “you’ll do great Hatter. Breath in. Breath out. Good. Now chin up, big smile, and walk with pride. We’re Rogues and they should all be looking at us. We’re made for the spotlight.”
He smiles at her a little sadly, “sometimes I don’t feel like a very good Rogue. You all are so much more impressive than me.”
She stares at him in surprise, “you invented mind control Jervis. You very nearly beheaded Batman your first time preforming. You are just as much a Rogue as the rest of us.” She slides the card behind her ear, “say it to me.”
“Say it?” He looks at her confused.
“Say, ‘I’m just as much of a Rogue as the rest of you,’” she insists.
“I’m just as much of a Rogue as the rest of you,” Jervis repeats back and smiles at her, “thank you Pamela. Despite what everyone says, you’re very kind.”
“Never say that again. I have a reputation to up hold and there’s no need to thank me. Now let’s go. The star of the show can’t be late,” she heads out of the room and he follows behind her, head held high.
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