Wheeling For Healing

May 06, 2015:

Harlequin (not Harley Quinn) and the Gotham Girls put on a match for charity and FOIL a crime!

Gotham

Characters

NPCs: The Chancer (emitted by The Joker)

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

It is a lovely night in Gotham. A starlit sky overhead on a warm night. It is also the third annual Wheeling For Healing event, a fundraiser by the Gotham Girls roller derby team to raise funds and awareness for the local women's shelter. All proceeds go to the shelter and the Gotham Girls do their best to fill the house with everyone they can, the bigger the wallets the better.

As Harley makes sure her laces are secure and her pads are settled in just the right places, she looks around at the crowd. A reporter comes over to her to talk before the match gets started, sticking a microphone in her face. "Harlequin! Tell us, what are your thoughts on this evening and do you think the Girls will be able to beat the Metropolis Mavericks tonight?"

Harley smiles, winking. She grabs the mike and smiles for the cameras. "I think there are a lot of women out there that can benefit from tonight, but sadly, most of the women that could are just too scared to ask for the help. That is what we really need ta work on. All the money in the world can't help people that are not letting it be known they need help. As to the Mavericks? Yeah, but that don't matter tonight. It's all about the charity tonight!" She roars at the crowd, some of them roaring back.


Babs… is extending her horizons. It's about time she gets out of her Ivory Tower more often but some may be shocked to find she's headed to a Roller Derby. Or perhaps, once they knew it was supporting a local womens charity, they might not. Regardless the wheelchair bound redhead is seated, in front row seats, in her chair listening as Harlequin 'revs up' the crowd.

Too reserved to roar back, Babs does applaud and nod at Harley's words.


Wheeling For Healing. It's a good name and a good group, one that Janet's supported before. Not least because, let's face it: roller derby is kind of cool. It's not her scene, exactly, but it's a good place to be seen and it's good, almost-clean fun. She nods her own agreement to Harley's words from where she sits next to Barbara, leaning over to murmur to her: "Good sentiments. Dressing up like a villain, though… I guess it's all part of the showmanship."


The two teams get on the rink and start warming up, both sets of women ramping up the crowd. The program for tonight goes into detail of all the players. The team captain for the Gotham Girls, Harlequin, was apparently a battered woman herself but has since grown stronger and won't let someone hurt her like that again. At least not unless they pay for the privilege. Well, that might be a joke or a little too much detail about her private life.

Harley still has the microphone. "I wanna take this oppertunity ta thank each and every one of ya for showing up here tonight. Yer admission goes to a great cause, as does the proceeds for any merchandise yer buyin'. Afta the game, ya can take photos with yer favorite goil for just a small fee, which is also goin' ta the Wheelin' for Healin' charity. Now, I know yer all here ta see us rough each utha up, so without further ado…. " Harley throws the mike back to the reporter as the whistle blows.

The derby girls start to circle the rink, speeding up and getting into the groove.


"I agree, Janet." Babs is watching the blonde, a small frown on her face. "Very realistic, too." Shaking herself, Babs tries to immerse herself into the spirit being created, glancing around at the already very enthusiastic crowd. "Well, they seem to know how to please crowd. Thank you for inviting me… "


"Believe it or not, the valedictorian in my year does roller derby now. She also works for the CDC, but it's the roller derby I always remember." Janet's mouth crooks up at the corner and she applauds with the rest to Harley's words, settling a little more comfortably in her not-terribly-comfortable chair. "And of course. You don't get out in the world nearly enough, Barbara. What do you do all closeted up all day? It's safe, I know, but not all that exciting." Though given why she's in the wheelchair, maybe Babs has had enough excitement.


The derby starts, the usual amount of pushing and shoving and body checking going on as the two teams try to get their Jammers in the lead. The Gotham Girls captain is not a Jammer. In spite of her small size, she is a blocker, and a rather spirited one at that. She laughs heartily as she hips one of the Mavericks into the wall, reaching behind her for the Girls jammer to give her a boost by flinging her foreward. The crowd goes wild.

In the crowd, people walk up and down the stairs, yelling out offers of merchandise. "Programs! Get yer programs!" "Red Hots! Get 'em while their hot!" "T-shirts!" "Sodies!" "Beer!" And all of the proceeds are for a good cause, so the money is flowing.


Babs laughs as Janet shares that nugget of information "From what I can see, it seems to be all the rage, so it doesn't surprise me." Wincing slightly as Harley hip checks and the other girl goes flying, Babs chuckles "Far more gritty in real life. The televised matches don't seem half so rough."

Signalling for one the sellers, Babs shrugs at Janet "It's all for a good cause right?" She'll buy Charlie a shirt at least. "As to what I do each day, do you know how much work goes into dehacking a website or computer system, or recover data from a corrupted system?" She laughs again "It might not be exciting to some but to me…"


"…not too dissimilar to working out a plea deal or ensuring one of my prosecutors comes up with every eventuality when it comes to a case. So fair enough. It must make you a bit of a detective." Her lips quirk up a little. Janet knows how much Babs had wanted to join the GCPD back in the day. She buys a drink and a hat, putting the latter on. It looks a bit more natural on her now that she's wearing a Harvard sweatshirt and blue jeans instead of her customary suit.


The match continues, the crowd growing wild. Harlequin stops at one point to kiss a fan that is holding out a $100 bill for the charity. A large fishbowl, big enough that it could house a great white like it was a goldfish, fills with money as people continue to donate. The donations only make the derby girls work all the harder for the audience.

During one of the rounds, when Harlequin is taking a break, she stands on the bench in her skates, microphone in hand again. "This'll be the third year in a row that some of the top Gotham businesses have agreed to match all donations dollar for dollar! So lets see if we can't bankrupt those fat cats, people! Let's see just how deep their pockets are!!"


"Yes… it does" Babs buys a hat, two T-Shirts (one in her size and one for an obviously much smaller person) and a program, as well as making a sizeable donation of her own, discreetly. Babs doesn't think about what she wanted to do before, not anymore "It's good work and I enjoy and… I don't have to be out a lot."

Harley's challenge to the crowd gets a laugh "The young lady certainly knows where to hit people" her green eyes dance "So…. how is being the DA, Janet? All you expected it to be?"


"I'm glad," Janet muses. Though the seeming agoraphobia of her friend weighs on her mind often. It's understandable, but…

She laughs too at the call-out, pulling out her wallet. There's a check already signed and made out in there, and she chunks it in with the rest of the donations. To the question, she glances over to Babs again with a shake of her head. "Hard to describe," she admits. "I love it. It's ludicrous sometimes, and dangerous and insane, and being a politician is a real pain sometimes. But it can be amazingly rewarding." When you're not being chased by Furies, anyway. She spares Barbara any mention of the story, having no idea that the woman knows every bit of it.


There's rumble through the croud and without warning someone bursts through onto the roller rink, sliding between the competitors as if by sheer luck. When he stands up everyone can see he's got a jumpsuit on with a couple of playing cards. And a mask. And a baton. He grins. "Hello Gotham! It's your friendly neighborhood Chancer here! I heard there was a lovely charity event taking place tonight and, well… I figured maybe you folks could make a donation to a very worthy cause." Beat. "Me."


Harley Quinn, aka Harlequin of the Gotham Girls, is hooting and hollering, her blonde hair bobbing as she wriggles and dances on her roller skates on the bench. She hops down and the little blonde hoists a team member onto her shoulders. She's a strong little thing.

Initially, when the rumbling starts and the man that looks like some bastard child between the Riddler and the Joker comes in, the crowd eats it up as part of the act. Only those that see the clenching of Harley's jaw have the clue that this is not just to make pockets a little looser.


Babs smiles as Janet makes her donation, it is why they came this evening, after all. "That's what I would hope to hear you say, Janet." Babs stills as the man in the jumpsuit appears on the rink.

Harley's not the only person who knows this isn't part of the show, The Chancer is recorded in Oracles databases.

"What do you think, Janet? Part of the show?" Babs tries for nonchalant.


"You know," Janet muses, her eyes narrowing over the rims of her glasses as she observes 'The Chancer', "he looks like part of the show. But he doesn't sound like part of the show, and unless those girls are really good actresses…" She's tense, about ready to rise as her eyes fall on Harlequin. That girl will know one way or the other.

"I'll get you out of here," she mutters through her teeth. "If this isn't planned."


As the girls roll back, most to a halt, one slides by the Chancer… who batons her in the face, sending her down with a broken nose. "Now that's gotta hurt." He grins as he attatches clamps of some kind to the bowl. "I hear the fat cats are matching donations." He teases the crowd. "So this oughta be good. And it's all to a worthy cause, folks I assure you. I mean, who could be more worthy than me?"


When Chancer hits one of the Mavericks, the look on Harley's face grows icy with anger. She lets the woman on her shoulders slide down to the floor as she grabs a candy cane colored baseball bat and starts slowly skating over to the man with an air of malice. She places the end of the bat against his chest. "The irony of you hitting a woman to get to the cash that is being donated to a battered women's shelter is not lost on me. But it ain't funny. Even the Joker wouldn't make a joke like that. So drop the bowl."


Babs hands tighten on the arms of her chair as the Chancer hits the woman, her jaw clenched. People might think she was worried for herself, but the way her green eyes flash? She's angry. "Definitely not part of the show Janet. Can you call for backup?" the redhead murmurs.

Watching Harley, with the bat… "This might be about to get messy."


Janet's almost launching out of her seat when she sees the woman go down. The derby is one thing, but this…

"On it," she mutters. They might notice her going for her phone — not that they're paying the closest attention to her — so Janet clutches her keys instead. In particular, she clutches the little item that looks like a garage door clicker. The red light on it flashes three times and goes out. It's a panic button for the GCPD. They ought to be able to home in on their location and be here in minutes. Hopefully very, very few of them.


"Awwwwwww…" Chancer grins as the skylight shatters and a crane starts to lower. Clearly how he means to make off with the money now that the clamps are installed. "Is the team captain upset? Is the Chancer being a big meany? Tell ya what? Why don't I push my luck?" He glances around the crowd before his eyes light on Babs. He grins and begins moving toward her, quite quickly. "Why don't we pick on the disabled now too… How about it sweetie? Wanna go for a ride with the Chancer?" A fairly fit looking man punches at him. Chancer effortlessly dodges him and smashes his kneecap.


Harley snarls, her jaw clenched tight. This, the whole roller derby thing, this is one of the few things that Harley has or does that is not connected in some way to the Joker. As such, this is something she holds very, very dear. To have it treated in such a fashion…

The captain of the Gotham Girls swings back with the bat and then uses it with full force against the large fish bowl, shattering it into a shower of glass and bills that rains onto the floor. THe Chancer will have a harder time getting the money out through the roof. That dealt with, she skates over to the edge of the rink. "Yer gonna be the one that's disabled if ya lay a finger on that girl's head, buddy."


It's been many years since Babs was called a girl but that doesn't really register for the redhead. As the Chancer moves towards her, Babs operates a button on the underedge of her chair. The Bat Family is notified that she's in danger, her location being transmitted to their communicators. She doubts they'll get here in time, but it's a contingency.

A tight look on her face, Babs glances at Janet and then back the Chancer and Harley.


And Janet…

Stands up, interposing herself between her friend and the Chancer. Her keys are splayed between her fingers like a woman on her way to her car in the middle of the night. Her eyes narrow slightly and she gives a little shake of her head. "Listen to the lady," she says, "and take a hike. The cops are on their way; don't make this worse for yourself." Her gaze, blue-eyed and cold, locks onto the Chancer and she takes a small step forward. She's no amazing martial artist. She's not a vigilante. But no one — no one — is going to lay a hand on Barbara Gordon.


The Chancer looks, well, confident. "A finger? Oh it'll be a lot more than a finger… Oh hey! I know you! You're the DA." He looks her up and down. "I thought you'd be taller. But you're better than that K-Mart Harley over there. Now… I'd ask ya nicely to get out of my way but… nice isn't really my thing soooooo…" Chancer lunges suddenly, swinging his baton right for Janet's hip.


Harley did *not* want to reveal herself as being her actual self. She was having fun being the 'K-Mart Harley'. But this Chancer is threatening something that has become near and dear to her heart. So when he goes to take a swing at the DA, Harley does something that only some drug assisted, psycho, acrobatic clown girl from Hell could manage, backflips and handsprings in roller skates with a sure-footedness on the wheels that just isn't natural. Her bat blocks the swing to Janet's hip only just in time. Icy blue eyes glare angrily at Chancer. "Considerin' yer outfit, I don't think yer in a position ta call anyone a K-mart version of anythin'


"Janet, no…." Babs tries to stop her friend stepping in front of her. The guise of helpless cripple grates on her, but this is the lot she has chosen for herself. As the baton swings, Babs winces in anticipation and then eyes widen as K-Mart Harley performs a Harley Quinn move.


She'd have been prepared to take it, though she'd have been even more prepared to fight back. But Harlequin — no, Harley — does it for her. She's had the woman in the courtroom before, and what was initially just an uncomfortable likeness is, up close, an unmistakable positive.

"Quinn!" Janet's clearly shocked. Not at this being Harley, no; more the fact that Harley just stopped someone from clubbing her. But the next step is definitely: "Come on, Babs. We're getting out of here." She steps backward quickly, though she's keeping herself interposed between Chancer and Barbara. Just enough to grab her purse with one hand and reach into it with the other. "I've got your back — come on!" Because Babs is probably more agile in her wheelchair than Janet will be pushing her.


The Chancer tumbles forward as Harely clocks him and rolls to his feet. He's often lucky like that though the back of his head hurts like hell. Seems like it glanced off his skull at an angle. "You've not…" He wobbles a bit as he hears sirens. "You've not… heard the last of the Chancer… K-Mart Clown." He still hasn't cottoned onto the fact that that's Harley. He does seem to be about to make a run for it though. And he'll get away barring any interference.


Harley stays only long enough to watch as the Chancer makes his getaway. The money has been saved, and the media is having a heyday with this as they film and photograph everything. Knowing that her ruse has once again been ruined, like all of her disguises eventually are, Harley makes a break for it herself instead of sticking around for the cops, roller skating off into the night. She's keeping the outfit though, cause the kneesocks are just too cute to lose.

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