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As the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.
Harley sat on the sofa, holding a gun, and stared intently at the street outside.
A few hours ago, she noticed that the mob who had been lingering near her apartment had suddenly retreated and disappeared.
So, she returned to safety very quickly.
She thought that Allen would return soon, but he hadn't shown up at all, which made Harley start to worry.
Worry that he might be in danger out there… and worry that maybe he'd just left and wasn't coming back.
'Where could he have gone?'
Beyond worry, there was also an inexplicable sense of loss.
Suddenly, the sound of an approaching vehicle echoed in the distance.
Not long after, a car screeched to a halt outside her door.
"You're back."
She jumped off the sofa.
"Yeah, I went to bring some stuff."
Allen stepped out of the car and casually waved his hand before opening the rear door.
The back was packed tightly with all sorts of things.
Food, drinks, clothes… everything needed.
Harley didn't pay much attention to the items.
She simply followed Allen to help carry them inside and then shut the door behind them.
She had fixed the hole in the door, or rather patched it with a piece of wood and some nails.
"Where did you go? Were you in any danger?" Harley couldn't help but ask.
Allen chuckled and pulled a bat mask from the bag beside him, tossing it to Harley.
"Just went out for a bit, and found a place to practice driving. First time behind the wheel, felt pretty good. I also grabbed this stuff on the way back,"
"You're giving this to me? Is this a Bat mask?" Harley was surprised, though she didn't overthink it.
"Wait, you didn't know how to drive before?"
"Never had the chance," Allen replied casually.
"What did you... do out there?" Harley asked cautiously.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat first." Allen smiled.
Harley hadn't meant to interrogate him, but the way he answered told her clearly, that there wasn't much point in asking more.
So, she went to prepare food while Allen organized the items he'd brought back.
After dinner, the night quickly fell.
Allen and Harley washed up and headed to the bedroom to rest.
Just like the night before, Allen slept instantly, and Harley joined him on the bed just like before.
This time, Harley didn't overthink it. She quickly fell asleep in Allen's arms when he naturally cuddled with her.
In the days that followed, Allen would occasionally head out to practice driving and collect more supplies.
When he wasn't out, he'd chat with Harley, or casually kill a few thugs who tried to approach or break in.
Gradually, word spread through the streets.
The mob realized that the place wasn't easy to mess with, and no one dared to get too close anymore.
Gotham's power structure in the meanwhile, had begun to stabilize.
It was the quiet before the storm.
Roughly speaking, there were four major factions now.
The first were the terrorists led by Bane.
The second were the civilians hiding in their homes, praying for survival.
The third were the remnants of the police force, led by Commissioner Gordon, along with a few justice-minded individuals trying to save Gotham.
And the fourth, those with real power, were the gangs, divided into different camps: the Penguin, Falcone, and so on.
Allen can also be counted as part of the fourth.
At the very least, many people in Gotham had heard of a powerful man who wasn't afraid to kill, living here with a girl. He was also known for his reckless driving.
It wasn't quite a restricted area, but most people either took a detour or kept their weapons hidden when passing by.
The sunlight flickered softly.
Harley sat sideways on the sofa, holding a gun as she stared outside through the door. A sofa was placed as a barricade just in case.
Allen lazily rested his head on her lap.
Out of boredom, he reached up and casually touched Harley's hands, and even hair.
At first, Harley had been shy and uncomfortable.
But over time, she realized that Allen didn't seem to have any sexual intentions, he was just bored...
"What are you going to do after Gotham returns to normal?" Allen asked lazily.
"Go back to college," Harley answered after thinking for a moment.
"If this hadn't happened, I'd already be back in class."
Gotham University.
Sophomore year. Psychology major.
"College life... did you enjoy it?" Allen asked suddenly.
"It was nice," Harley replied.
"Classes, studying, resting… it's kind of boring, but fulfilling. After I graduate, I plan to intern at Arkham. But... that kind of life probably doesn't suit you, right?"
"True…"
Allene nodded his head, then turned to look at the door.
Harley followed his gaze, and her eyes sharpened.
"Who's there?!"
Harley suddenly shouted; gun raised.
"I'm looking for that bastard!" came a sharp, annoyed voice.
Allen's interest perked up.
He rolled off her lap and looked toward the door.
In the sunlight, Barbara, wearing a bat-suit, stood outside.
Her appearance surprised Harley a little.
After all, Batman was a well-known figure in Gotham.
But the one in front of her clearly wasn't Batman, it was a woman.
That reminded Harley of the bat mask Allen had given her that day.
'Is it her's?' she wondered.
"Oh, you looking for me?" Allen asked with a grin, resting his arms along the back of the sofa.
"Let me in," Barbara said through clenched teeth.
"You can put down the gun," Allen said to Harley.
She lowered it, and Barbara walked past the second sofa they used as a barricade and into the apartment.
Allen turned and looked at Barbara with interest.
"Coming to see me in broad daylight... did you miss me?"
"Ugh, like hell I did!" Barbara spat.
Yep. This bastard was just as irritating as ever, the moment he opened his mouth.
"I already have Harley to cuddle with at night. Even if you came looking for me because you missed me, it's no use." Allen grinned and patted Harley's thigh.
Harley didn't say anything, but her eyes definitely sparkled a little brighter.
'I'm not angry. I'm not angry. I'm not angry...'
Barbara repeated the phrase in her head like a mantra.
Once she calmed herself down, she spoke up.
"Are you planning to keep living like this?"
"Three months. That's all we have. In three months, the nuclear reactor in Bane's hands will explode. If you don't want to die, you can help us stop him… Help us find the reactor."
"Nuclear reactor explosion, huh? Sounds scary, but I'm not afraid of dying," Allen replied with a smile.
A city blowing up? He'd already lived through the Big Bang of the Marvel Universe.
He was still here, wasn't he?
"You might not be afraid of death, but what about her?" Barbara glanced at Harley.
"She's still young. Are you really going to let her die with you?"
Allen smiled, looked at Harley, then turned back to Barbara and spoke.
"So, what if I do? What does that have to do with you?"