To NYC

[Baby Doll]

                       There were a few things Baby-Doll remembered. Acting in a television show years ago. Her catchphrase ''I didn't mean to.'' Capturing her costars in order to revive her happy memories of acting. Batman cornering her in the Hall of Mirrors. Viewing how she would look as her adult self. Using the weapon in her doll to annihilate any illusion. Baby-Doll's tears after she ran out of bullets. ''I didn't mean to'' after Batman approached her.

                    After prison, Baby-Doll found herself by the side of a road. She was vengeful before. She was vengeful again. Batman was the one she wished to remove from the air. The man responsible for arresting her. She glanced at the empty road.

                    There had to be someone. Baby-Doll also used her acting abilities to manipulate others into believing she was a mere girl. She did resemble a toddler. 

                        Baby-Doll's blonde hair was in high long tresses. Her large eyes were pale blue. She usually wore a violet dress with knee socks and black shoes. Baby-Doll suffered from a disease preventing her from growing up. Although she looked like a toddler, she was actually a 30-year-old woman.
She straightened her dress.

                        Baby-Doll raised her thumb and used it to jab the air. She was going to use others to get to Batman. Acting. Attempted murder. Perhaps her new companions loathed Batman just like she did. Tears formed in Baby-Doll's eyes.

                      It was time to act.

 

[Harley]

"Summon your dead wife? Sorry, but that is not what I can do," Harley said to Caleb as the started the van back up again. "Wait. Salem Witch Trials? I think we know a few folks who might be able to help you..." she replied as she tried to keep her eyes on the road and not look back at everyone.

Then Harley tapped on the brakes as she saw a toddler on the side of the road. "What the..." she muttered as she looked at Arkady and slowly, once again, stopped the van. "Could you please open up the door again, Omega Red?" she asked as the toddler came into view. "Little girl, where is your Mama? Why are you out here all alone?"

[Baby Doll]

                Tears remained in Baby-Doll's eyes after she saw Harley. There was something familiar about her. She forgot about her act. Her eyes widened. Baby-Doll used her usual toddler voice. She blinked twice. 

                Baby-Doll stepped into the vehicle. ''I know who you are. You're Harley Quinn! You were with that clown guy!'' 

                Baby-Doll saw two snapping alligators and smiled. ''Naughty alligators shouldn't snap near women!'' She turned to Harley. She was sheepish. ''Did I mention I was actually 30? I'm Baby-Doll! The star of Love That Baby sitcom! Enemy of Batman!''

               That was when Baby-Doll heard the Sewer King as he ranted about Batman. That evil bat causing him distress and hurting his pretty pets. Yes. Yes.

                Baby-Doll viewed Harley's other friends. Her eyes settled on a vampire. 

                   Baby-Doll heard Caleb as he thanked Harley for knowing a few folks able to aid him with the Salem Witch Trials. She also heard Caleb as he mentioned trying to locate his son trying to end his life. She turned to the Sewer King while he scowled and instructed Caleb to not give Frog any ideas for killing him.

                 ''Where are you going?''

[Caleb Lockwood]

               Caleb frowned and his shoulders slumped after Harley mentioned the inability to summon his deceased wife. A half smile formed. ''Thanks anyway.'' That was when she mentioned the Salem Witch Trials. ''A few folks? Thank you!'' A full smile appeared. His fangs weren't visible.

           That was when Caleb saw a toddler. One eyebrow went up after she recognized Harley and introduced herself as Baby-Doll. *Not actually a toddler?* he thought. He glanced at the Sewer King while the latter yelled about Batman. 

          *We all have enemies. Baby-Doll and the Sewer King have the same enemy? Interesting!* Caleb thought. 

              Again, Caleb thanked Harley for mentioning a few folks able to aid him with the Salem Witch Trials. ''My wife suffered at the stake. My son will suffer for trying to end my life earlier.'' He heard the Sewer King while the latter instructed Frog to not get any ideas. 

             Caleb also heard what Baby-Doll asked. He smiled again. ''We're going to NYC. I'm certain we'll find Batman.'' He saw Baby-Doll's wide eyes and big smile. His frown returned. *I may be a vampire, but that smile causes me to feel uncomfortable!*

             Caleb turned to the Sewer King. ''Do you have any other children?'' He viewed the Sewer King scowling and nodding at the same time. 
Caleb heard him while he said he had twenty or more ungrateful little monsters. That was when he heard the Sewer King ranting about feeding the children, clothing them, disciplining them, etc. He almost forgot about the Sewer King's pretty pets. He glanced at Harley.

            ''Just remember, Harley. I shouldn't be in the sun and I'm not fond of garlic.'' 

            After glancing at the Sewer King, Caleb heard him as he mentioned possibly coming across his other children. 

               ''Harley, keep a close eye on any valuables. I errr showed my children how to pick pockets,'' the Sewer King said.

              ''They took my wife from me during the Salem Witch Trials. They won't kill her again if she returns to me.''


             

[Sewer King]

                           The Sewer King began to glance at Baby-Doll. *How does she recognize Harley?* he thought. He shrugged. *I guess she viewed a newspaper photo of Harley.* His eyes remained on Baby-Doll while she scowled at his alligators. He blinked repeatedly the minute she revealed she was actually a woman.

                          Enemy of Batman? Scowling, the Sewer King began to rant about Batman. He flailed and shouted at the same time. ''That evil bat! He caused me distress. He harmed my pretty pets. Yes. Yes. Yes.''

                         The Sewer King ceased flailing. He heard the vampire while he mentioned his son almost killing him. The Sewer King never forgot about Frog. He turned to him. A scowl formed. ''Don't get any ideas, Frog!'' he said.

                          The Sewer King heard Caleb's question consisting of any other children. His scowl remained while he nodded. ''I had twenty or more children. I clothed them. I fed them. I disciplined them. I taught them a trade.''

                          That was when the Sewer King mentioned his children possibly stealing Harley's valuables. 

                          ''If my children recognize me, they may flee from us. They WILL be with me again. I'll be their father again. Their teacher. Their master.'' The Sewer King laughed as he touched his shirt. 

[Penguin]

             ''Oswald! Don't forget your umbrella!'' Mrs. Cobblepot said with worry in her eyes. The young Oswald frowned and opened his umbrella. He glanced at her smile. Oswald turned and walked down the street. He remembered a downpour drenching his father and killing him. Except it was a sunny day as he wandered the streets of Gotham City with his umbrella above his head.

                After the memory, the adult Oswald Cobblepot frowned and stood by the side of a road. He had just been released from prison. The prison Batman sent him to. He couldn't keep track of all the crimes he committed as the Penguin. 

                 There were two things Penguin desired. Revenge near Batman and transportation. He was exhausted.

[Scarecrow]

                        *I may have wandered, but at least I'm far from Lyle Bolton!* The Master of Fear trembled after he remembered the cruel security chief. At least he wasn't in Arkham Asylum any longer. The Scarecrow ceased trembling. A smile formed on his mask. *I'll get even with Batman for every defeat. I'll show him what true fear is!* 

                           The Scarecrow remembered other inmates. Harley Quinn. He had always been polite near her. She was his fellow rogue. She had also suffered near Lyle Bolton. *What is Harley up to? Perhaps our paths will cross again. Every person in Gotham will experience infinite fear!* he thought.

[Harley]

Harley took a deep breath as the van she was driving, now full to the seams, came to a stop on a very dark New York City street corner. She had heard Baby Doll call her by the last name Quinn, and she flinched. It was one of many aliases she had used with her old boyfriend. A lot of her past was fuzzy thanks to the goons at Weapon X. To be honest, at this moment anyway, she hated them more than Batman or the Dark Knight or whatever that loony vigilante was calling himself nowadays.

"Arkady, I'm gonna need your help," she whispered to Omega Red. "I am not the best den mother or tour guide, and I do not want to appear less than 100 percent together, if you get my meaning," she said as she twirled her fingers near her temple. "But let's get this show on the road."

"OK, peeps, listen up!" she said as she pulled her baseball bat from under the car seat. "First, we see who else wants to join us. Then we see if Batsy wants to come out and play!"

Before the group could move, a small orange globe whizzed past them and exploded. "What the f..." Harley started to say as a glider passed overhead and then blazed out of sight. "Was that the Green Goblin? The Hobgoblin? Some generic goblin? Omega Red, let's get a move on before Spider-Man pops up and spoils the fun!"

[Omega Red]

             Omega Red's eyes widened for a moment after Harley said she needed his aid. He heard her other words. Frowning, he nodded. His eyes were still on Harley as she removed a baseball bat from under a seat. Omega Red heard her while she mentioned Batsy. He glanced back.

             Omega Red thought he saw the Sewer King's small smile. *I already know about the Sewer King hating Batman* he said. Omega Red saw a small orange globe going by and exploding. He blinked with wide eyes. ''WHAT was that?!'' Omega Red heard a few possible answers. ''I don't know which goblin, but he is not going to defeat us!''

            Scowling, Omega Red tensed. Two coils slid out of his wrist openings. They writhed at the same time. They prepared to whip the enemy or wrap themselves around him.

          

[Harley]

"Why would that nut job want to mess with us?" Harley asked Omega Red as she moved closer to him, her bat at the ready. "We ain't exactly Captain America and The Scarlet Witch! They got cutesy once a long time ago..."

The glider passed overhead again, but this time it hovered above the Sewer King and his pets. The rider on the glider lifted his face mask and glared at the assembled villains. "Since when did Gotham send their people here? Is it because that idiot in the bat suit has decided to come here and make a nuisance of himself?"

Norman Osborn was not please with more villains and vigilantes entering what he considered his city. Never mind what The Kingpin thought. He was an egotistical dolt anyway.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, just land that dopey thing so we can talk!" Harley snapped. "Sewer King and his babies don't like this kind of nonsense, Normy! Are you OK, Sewer King?"

[Sewer King]

                    The Sewer King's eyes widened the minute the rider on the glider was above him with his pets. The glider wasn't low enough for his pets to seize with their jaws. *Bat suit? How does that man know about the evil bat?* the Sewer King thought. He glanced at his distressed pets. He crouched by the alligators and wrapped his arms around them.

                      The Sewer King scowled at the man. *I'll protect my pretty pets this time. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.*

                         After turning to Harley, the Sewer King nodded. ''That man won't be okay if he continues to cause my pretty pets distress.''

                         The Sewer King glanced at Baby-Doll as the latter smiled. He blinked twice with one expression of confusion. That was when he viewed her pointing a doll at the man. ''What are you going to do? Throw that toy at the man?'' He saw what looked like a gun in the doll's eye.

[Scarecrow]

                      The Scarecrow wasn't sure how long he wandered. He paused as soon as he saw a group. His eyes widened at the sight of Harley. The Scarecrow continued to smile. ''Harley! My fellow rogue! Long time, no see!''

                       The Scarecrow's eyes settled on a man on a glider. He was afraid he wasn't familiar with him. Afraid? The Master of Fear? Not that kind of afraid. If the man harmed Harley, he was going to experience the actual meaning of fear!

[Caleb Lockwood]

          Caleb's eyes widened as soon as he viewed a man in a horrifying mask. The small eyes. The stitches. The mask didn't exactly bother him. How could a mask frighten a vampire? He was just shocked that the Scarecrow was familiar with Harley. 

     Eyes settled on Baby-Doll and the Sewer King with the man's pet alligators. If the alligators tried anything... He hissed at them and revealed fangs.
The same with Baby-Doll and the weapon in the toy she held. 

[Harley]

((This is nuts!)) Harley thought as she saw Scarecrow had decided to join the party. "Long time no see! How did you get here?," she said as she addressed Scarecrow. "I got kidnapped by a weapons program. It sorta sucked. Then I wound up with the X-Men on a very short leash. And now I'm here with Omega Red and half of Arkham Asylum, looking for Batman!"

((Do not show up, Joker. Do. Not. Show. Up.)) she thought as she turned back to Norman Osborn.

"Normy! Can't people go on vacation, you cranky old crank!" she said as she stayed close to Omega Red. "And as for Batsy, well, he's our problem. You can wander off and go find Bug Boy, or whatever you call your nemesis."

"Arkady," Harley whispered as Osborn seemed to take the measure of all the gathered rogues, "I don't care if he thinks he's God. If he tries to hurt anyone, go to town on his old crabby tuckus."

"Please, I am not going to waste my time going after you," Osborn said as he shook his head. "But Spider-Man is mine. End of discussion. But if you wished to, well, gather in a place of libation and not your van, there is a watering hole near here that serves our lot. The Devil's Due is the name of the establishment. Do not go to Guernica. Wolverine has some sway there, and they might send a hellhound to dispatch you to Hades if his wife gets pissed. I hate that woman."

"Drinks? And food? While we make a plan to get rid of the Bat? Anybody up for that?" Harley said as she mentally breathed a sigh of relief.  

[Scarecrow]

        The Scarecrow was thrilled after he heard Harley's words. His eyes widened behind his mask as he smiled. ''I wandered for some time before I found you,'' he said to Harley. One glance at the other villains. Eyes were wide again. The Scarecrow recognized some from newspaper photos. Baby-Doll. The Sewer King and his pet alligators. He had no idea who the well-dressed man was.

        The Scarecrow's eyes settled on Omega Red. The latter's muscular arms impressed him. Omega Red was a giant compared to the lanky Scarecrow. He was certain the Russian was never bullied. 

       A scowl formed on Scarecrow's mask after he heard about Batman. ''That man dressed as  a flying creature!'' He shuddered as his hands formed fists. ''How I loathe Batman!'' he said. 

      The Scarecrow viewed Harley muttering something near Omega Red. He glanced at Norman. He tilted his head to one side. ''Spider-man?'' One shrug. ''Drinking? Eating? Discussing how to get rid of that thorn in our side? How wonderful!'' he said to Harley. He watched while the happy Sewer King and Baby-Doll nodded.