Batman's Most Wanted


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dr. Harleen Quinzel was once a successful psychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. But everything changed when she met The Joker. As the Clown Prince of Crime shared his heartbreaking—yet fake—story of a troubled childhood, Harleen’s heart melted. She soon helped The Joker escape and joined him as a jolly jester with a calling for crime. Now she clowns around Gotham City, and these are…
 HARLEY QUINN’S MADCAP CAPERS!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER 1 The Batman Bust
 The dark warehouse was lit only by the moonbeams streaming in from the skylight above. The thin beams revealed a few of Gotham City’s most wanted criminals sitting around an old conference table.
 The Joker, Killer Croc, and Bane scowled at each other from across the dusty surface. The Joker’s clowns and Bane’s masked goons waited in the shadows.
 Meanwhile, Harley Quinn paced back and forth behind The Joker. She slumped her shoulders and let out a long sigh. “Bo-ring…,” she whined.
 A side door swung open. In walked another one of Gotham City’s Super-Villains—the Penguin. Just like his goons filing in behind him, the short man was dressed in a crisp tuxedo.
 “Good. You’re all here,” the Penguin squawked.
 “I was just about to leave, Pengy,” The Joker said with a grin. “I’m all about having fun!” His smile melted into a frown. “And waiting around for you isn’t exactly a laugh riot, you know.”
 Bane crossed his thick, muscular arms. “Bane waits for no man.”
 Killer Croc simply snarled.
 The Penguin plunked into a chair. “Oh, I think you’ll find that my offer was well worth the wait.”
 He reached into his coat and pulled out a folded blue paper. He spread the page onto the table.
 The Joker raised an eyebrow. “A blueprint?” he asked. “Thinking of adding onto your Iceberg Lounge? And you want our opinions?”
 The Penguin rolled his eyes. “Of course not.” He pointed to the plans. “This blueprint recently came into my possession. It shows a long-forgotten subway tunnel that runs deep under Gotham City.”
 Killer Croc leaned forward with interest.
 “So?” asked Bane. “What of it?”
 “The tunnel goes directly beneath the largest bank in the city,” the Penguin continued. “With Croc’s knowledge of the sewers, Bane’s muscle, and Joker’s gadgets, we can find this tunnel, break into the main vault, and clean out the cash before anyone knows we’re there.” He squawked with laughter. “It’ll be the heist of the century!”
 SKREEEEEEK!
 Harley dragged a metal folding chair across the floor. She set it beside The Joker, casually dusted off the seat, and plopped down. Then she examined the blueprint.
 “Hmm… not bad, not bad,” she said. “But there are just a couple of kooky things about this plan of yours.”
 The Joker waved her away. “Harley, go over there and wait with the other goons.”
 “Yes,” the Penguin added with a sneer. “Quiet now. The adults are talking.”
 Bane and Killer Croc nodded in agreement.
 “What?!” Harley asked as she shot to her feet. She flipped onto the table and put her hands on her hips. “I am no goon! I’m a Super-Villain too!”
 The Joker, the Penguin, Bane, and Killer Croc exchanged puzzled glances. Then they burst into laughter.
 “You?” The Joker asked between chuckles.
 “Yeah, me!” Harley replied. “I’m the Cupid of Crime! The Mistress of Mayhem! Everyone knows only Super-Villains have cool nicknames like that!”
 The group laughed harder.
 
 
 
 
 Harley fumed with anger. “That’s it!” she shouted. “I’ll give you two reasons why I’m just as good of a Super-Villain as any of you! Maybe even better!”
 Harley hopped down and strolled around the table. “Firstly, am I the only one here who knows that bad guy team-ups never work? Everyone always turns on each other the first chance they get!” She patted the satchel that was strung over her shoulder. “Why do you think I brought a bunch of party favors? Just in case.”
 The others quit laughing. They eyed each other suspiciously.
 Harley held up two fingers. “Secondly…,” she said as she walked behind the Penguin, “a real Super-Villain would never come to a big meeting with one of these stuck on him.”
 Harley plucked a small device from the Penguin’s shoulder. She tossed it onto the table.
 CL-CLINK!
 The object was shaped like a bat. A red light blinked in its center.
 The Joker sprang to his feet. “You had a Bat-tracker on you?!” he shouted at the Penguin. “You birdbrain!”
 The Penguin slammed his fist down. “Who are you calling birdbrain, you clown?”
 Killer Croc glanced around nervously.
 Bane cracked his knuckles. “That tracking device will lead Batman right to us.”
 Harley held up three fingers. “And thirdly…,” she continued while the others argued, “I’m a real doctor. Can any of you mugs say that?”
 She smiled and shrugged. “Oh, I guess that was three reasons.”
 Just then, a large shadow darkened the room. Everyone looked up.
 CRASH!
 Batman smashed through the warehouse skylight. His cape spread wide as he landed on the conference table. The seated villains sprang to their feet in surprise.
 Harley chuckled. “Classic Batman entrance.”
 “Lucky me,” Batman said. “Four of my most wanted criminals, all in one place.”
 “Not for long,” the Penguin said, backing away. He turned to his goons. “Get him!”
 “Yes,” The Joker agreed, pointing to his clowns. “Go do what flunkies do best. Keep Bat-boy busy while the bosses get away!”
 Batman backflipped off the table as all the goons rushed in from the shadows. He easily took the first few down with several well-placed kicks.
 “I’m so confused,” Harley said as she stood clear of the battle. “I mean, part of me really wants to join in the fun!” She ducked as one of Bane’s men flew over her head. “On the other hand, that would make Mister