Interlude: Harley's New Friend

"Please, just let my son go!" The man pleaded, he loosened the grip on the suitcase in his right hand. "I have the money like you asked. Just..."

"Just give us the kid Harley, you're only making it worse for yourself." Power Girl floated down from her position in the air, she landed and cracked her knuckles.

Terra clenched her fists, and they began to radiate a white, yellowish hue.

Both Harley and Ivy looked toward each other before grinning maliciously, they let out a hearty villainous laugh.

"I wouldn't be so rude to us when we have all the cards," Ivy said.

"Yeah Ms, 'I'm proud of my boob job so I might as well show it off.'" Harley pressed her hips back and leaned forward, extending out an accusatory finger. "We all know those are fake! Unlike mine, heheah!"

"Wow they're evil and rude," Terra noted. Fascinated by this new tidbit of information.

"And wrong..." Power Girl murmured under her breath with red glowing eyes.

Terra felt a nervous drop of sweat form upon noticing Powergirl's reaction.

"Don't take another step!" Harley shot out a hand, "You make any sudden movements and the boys dead. Either Ives here crushes his neck with her grass powers." The little vines grew and twisted around the boy's tied down body. "Or..." She reached a hand into her spandex pants and pulled out a red and black painted pistol. "I'll do it myself." The barrel of the gun set a few feet away from the kid's head.

Power Girl's red eyes died down, "You're not gonna kill the kid, you don't do that."

A click was heard, signaling that the gun's safety was clicked off.

"Okay, okay! I have the money," The man stepped forward, but was blocked off by Power Girl's outstretched arm.

"Listen, you two are surrounded by police." Power Girl gestured to the multiple police cruisers and officers that were circled around them. "And you know I can disarm both of you in seconds. The only thing stopping me from taking you two down now is the..."

"Is the kid right?" Ivy raised her brow.

"Mhm," Harley nodded. "Because she knows that even with the speed of a bullet, she can't get to us before it's too late."

Power Girl sighed, "Yeah... So I guess we have **** but to give you what you want... But... Can I just ask why? Why put this innocent child's life in danger?"

"Heheheheheh...." Harley looked down to the ground and chuckled sadistically. She shifted her head up slightly, her eyes still shrowded in the shadow caused by her blond hair and the setting sun's lighting.

"Clearly, she doesn't know who we are." Ivy retorted, her face covered in her own shrowd of shadow.

"We're the most villainous duo of criminals you've ever been graced to see. We'll rip apart friendships and destroy happy relationships without a second thought... And why you might ask? Because, why not! BAHAHAHAHA" Harley's voice was that of uncritically evil pleasure.

Even with Harley's gun pointed right at him, the tied down boy didn't seem nervous. In fact, with the way he looked at Harley, it could be argued that he felt comfortable around her, perhaps even safe, regardless of the current situation.

"This is low, even for you!" Terra spat.

"Like we care what you think." Ivy rolled her eyes, with crossed arms.

"All we want is money, money! MONEY!"

"Give us the cash, or the boy gets it."

"From now on, we'll be living a life of luxury!" Harley taunted, as she shook her gun for added effect. For a brief moment, she looked into the boy's eyes and gave him a warm smile. Before turning to Ivy and nodding. "Anyway! Enough is enough." Both of the criminals stepped away from the captive boy, though Harley kept her gun trained to the position he was seated.

"Yes, give us the money, bla bla bla, you've heard it all." Ivy sighed, finally feeling tired of repeating the same spiel.

Everyone was still nervous due to the severity of the situation, one wrong move, and an innocent life might end up being lost. Though, amid the chaos, while the female villains moved closer to the man with the suitcase, she noticed an opportunity begin to arise.

But let's back up a bit...

How did this happen?

And also, what is going on?

- Two days earlier -

"Three croissants just for you!" Harley graced the young couple standing in line with an elegant twirl on her heels. She slid the plate of warm baked pastries on the countertop where it landed right before them. "And it was baked by our evergrowing love of the french!"

"Please," Pamela rolled her eyes at Harley's flamboyance. "It was made by an ex-Arkham psychiatrist who has never even watched a French film in her life."

The teenagers stood and stared at her with uncertainty. Both were surely made weary by Pamela's retort.

"That means you can leave."

"And come back anytime!" Harley added from behind her friend.

The boy of the couple extended a hesitant hand to pick up their plate, and after giving the two one lingering look, they made a quick exit, mumbling a faint "Thank you," As they left.

"Alright, well-"

"What's up with you?" Harley frowned, "We can't get customers with this attitude you have!"

"I'm tired. I'm sick of this pastry smell. It's a scorching wasteland out here. Must I go on?"

Harley gave her friend the raised brow and crossed her arms. "I'm ready ta' go too, but like- I ain't letting that stop me from making that cash."

"Excuse me for not obsessing over dollar bills." Pamela removed her green cap and began peeling off her clear latex gloves.

"You wanna'h get fertilizer the'h legal way, ya'h gotta earn it ta legal way."

"Kay, I'll earn some more tomorrow, the suns going down, let's back this shit up."

The next few minutes went by quickly, with the two young women working on packing up the food-truck for the next day. Harley focused on cleaning the dishes to the point where she reached a rhythmic swing, not realizing how much she has gotten done or how much more is left to be washed.

Pamela was sitting through the process of counting up the money they've made for the day, and logging down the numbers on their list of weekly revenue. Both of the women were so intensely into their respective tasks; they failed to prepare themselves for a sudden flash of purple light to envelop the truck they were working in.

"The fuck was that?" Pamela blinked, her attention shifted away from her counting to search for the cause of the sudden burst of light.

"I.. Uh... Check this out Ives," Harley had trouble mumbling out her sentence in her state of confusion. "I think I gave birth?"

"What?"

Pamela was right behind Harley. Her emerald eyes were set on the object of her friend's attention.

There it was...

Or there he was...

A boy who looked to be no older than five laying butt first in the deep bin Harley was using to hold the dirty dishware.

He blinked.

Pamela blinked.

And Harley didn't blink, but she probably should have seeing that a deal of water had splashed all across her shirt and face.

"It's a boy," She whispered.

"Yeah I can see that," Pamela noted, "But how the fuck did he get here?"

"Hey! Watch what you say in front of him he's a kid!"

"Sorry, how the heck did he get here?"

"Oh..." Harley paused and mulled over the question for a few seconds before coming to an answer. "I dunno."

"Great, so we just kidnapped someone without even trying. There goes our undercover streak as honest working women." Rolling her eyes, Pamela turned back to the cash register, to continue counting. "We better store away this money before Batman shows up."

"No! We didn't do anything!" Harley left the boy, who looked to be dazed, to follow Pamela. "If anyone asks, we'll say he just teleported in and... And that's it, really."

"Would anyone believe that?"

"I.. I.. I mean they should!"

"Ughhhmmmm," The boy groaned, and both women turned back to the sink, "Hhmm? I... Whuh.... AhhhHH!" His legs started to flail, and the kid began to freak out with swinging limbs, causing water and a few dishes to fly out into the air.

"Hey hey hey! It's okay calm down," Harley stepped towards the stressed child, with her palms outstretched in an attempt to come off as comforting. "We didn't kidnap you, you're gonna be okay."

"If anything, he kidnapped us by putting us in a hard to explain situation. I mean, who are the cops gonna believe? A scared child, or two women with criminal records?"

Harley took another step towards the boy, and his eyes widened then turned a light shade of pink before he vanished in a bright flash of purple energy.

"Aww he's gone..." Harley pouted.

"Good, he's gone." Pamela said.

But then there was another purple spark, and the boy fell onto the counter, knocking whatever happened to be stationed there onto the floor.

He shook his head his small head, part of his dark hair falling into his face. And the moment Harley turned back around to spot him, he freaked out again and vanished in a purple flash. This time though, the bright purple spark stayed as a miniature orb that seemed to almost glitch out; it flickered and sputtered around the cramped food-truck interior. It bounced about the place, creating dents and knocking over tools and dished in its wake.

Eventually, the light ball collided with the food-trucks gated down window, and it exploded into a flash, dropping the boy onto the floor.

"Oh shit!" Harley gasped.

"Hey Harls, watch the language."

"Ohh crap!"

"Oooowww..." The kid had his hands on his head, and he let out a soft groan.

"Aww, you hurt yourself?" Harley, move in close and bent her knees. "Let me-"

*Zzzzpoof*

The kid vanished into a ball of purple light that flickered and sputtered across the floor.

*Zzz* *Zzzzz* *ZzpPPpppp* *Ppooozzzzppp*

He collapsed behind Harley.

She turned around, "Let me-"

*Poooof*

He appeared back beside the sink.

"Let-"

*Zzzzpop*

"Me-"

*Pppzpzzopooof*

That continued to go on for a solid ten minutes, during which Harley kept making attempts after attempts to snag the child, with each flash and warp causing her efforts to become more and more frantic. It reached a point where she was leaping and making full-on sprints around the make-shift kitchen just to catch the boy.

Finding the situation both humorous and a waste of time, Palmela chose to ignore the interruption and continue on with her tasks. Fixing tableware, realigning the pots and pans onto their hooks, whipping down the countertops, she even considered finishing Harley's dish duties for her. But after glancing at the time, she chose to just save it for the morning.

With the end-of-day work mostly finished, Palmela had the truck's backdoors open intending to head out when Harley came up to her gasping and strangely out of breath for a woman as athletic as her.

"That kid... Won't stand still... FOR TWO SECONDS!" Harley's large chest heaved in and out with each gasp of air. "I was gonna give him an ice pack cause... L.. Look at him! He's all bruised up."

"Oh wow, that sucks." The bland, emotionless response Pamela gave Harley didn't enlist a positive emotion out of the blond. "But it's getting late, and I don't care. So let's go."

"Fine whatever," Harley spat, she couldn't care less at this point.

They both locked the food-trucks rear door. Leaving the boy inside, he stared at them in silence, even as the door swung shut, leaving him alone in the darkness. Both women went home to their apartment for the night.

- The next morning -

"Goodmorning world!" Harley said with a smile, "Who's ready to dive into our delicious, round, curvy, moist, warm, luscious, creamy, and beautiful bagels!?"

Pausing in silence and receiving no reply, Pamela chose to speak, even though what Harley said didn't really deserve a response.

"You realize no one's here?"

"Yet!" Harley added with a raised finger, "And besides, that's what I'm gonna say once we open up ta gated window to the world."

"Ehh," Pamela shrugged, "There's nothing wrong with practicing I guess." She straightened out her buttoned-up dress shirt, the light green material, glowed against the soft morning light that peered through the chilly early-day air.

Harley patted town her black dress pants. Her own outfit mimicked Pamela's; they both had their food-trucks logo placed atop the breast pocket. It was a cartoon drawing they designed, of a donut with a cute sunflower blossoming from the middle.

Having fished out the key, Pamela unlocked the truck's rear door and opened it wide.

Both women were instantly taken aback by the sight of the same boy from last night.

The kid froze like a deer caught in...

Something.

His jet-black hair was a complete mess, and his little head turned to face the two women who were staring back stuck in the same frozen shock.

Right then, his body began to glow purple, and just as fast, he was enveloped in the same orb of light as before. It flicked in and out of sight, dashing about the room before it exploded in the corner where the kid scurried to hide behind a cabinet.

"Aww he... Wait..." Harley's sweet voice stopped dead as she eyed something on the floor near the corner he was hiding.

Some things.

A large assortment of emptied and crumpled up discarded brown bags.

"Did that faggot eat all our fucking pretzels!?"

"Uhh-" Pamela began to speak.

"Nononono!" Both of the woman's attention immediately switched to the kid. "Nonoiii didn't... I.. I... There's... I'm sorrwy!"

"SO YOU CAN TALK!" Harley shouted, "WHO ARE YOU? WHY CAN YOU POOF AROUND? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"

"I.. I.. Umm..." His large blue eyes stared up, Harley with fear from her outburst. He looked down and shut his eyes, a flash of purplish light covered him, and it flickered away, zooming between Pamela and Harley, it left the food-truck and vanished.

The two women watched behind them in a prolonged bout of silence. Nothing was said or heard besides the early morning chitters of the waking birds and swaying wind.

"Well..." Pamela broke the silence and clapped her hands together. "It's almost eight, you ready for that speech?"

"Yeah.. Yeah..." Harley Responded absently, her light blue eyes trailed down the road.

Hoping into the truck, Pamela responded. "Good, cause need to set this shit up." Her foot stepped on something that caused a light crunch beneath her feet. Checking blow he heel, she saw the dust of a broken pretzel. "And apparently we're going to need another order of pretzels."

"Here you girls go!" Harley flashed the customers a white smile while handing them their bag of donuts. "Have a fantastic day!"

She waved after them as they departed with their food. But her swaying hand was **** to stop when Pamela grasped onto her arm.

"What?"

"Now that we have a break in the crowd, you need to deal with that mess." The red-haired woman stuck her thumb out to indicate the toppled over waste bin, and the scatter of trash that was spread around it.

"I don't see any..." Harley's original sentence was cut short upon taking a look at Pamela's expression, "Okay, fine, I see ta trash, but why do I gotta take care of it?"

"Because we agreed you would." Pamela sighed.

"I don't remember playing rock paper scissors over this!"

"Because you didn't, we.. We... We never did. I mean I offered to, but you said 'Oh it's no big deal, I'll do it!'" Pamela parroted Harley's voice before switching to her own natural pitch. "And you never fucking did."

"Ughhhh, FINNNNNNNEEE!" Harley arched her chest up and slumped her head back as she groaned towards the ceiling. "I'll fucking do it okay?"

She gathered up the trash, and stepped out the truck, with the black bag hung over her shoulder. Walking down the street, she began munching on an open bag of pretzels with her spare hand. She whistled as she strode along, and eventually made it down an alley that housed a large trash container.

Harley swung the back over her shoulders with ease and tossed it up and into the container, where it landed in the sea of similar bags of unwanted waste. She spun around dramatically, brushing her palms together all the while to remove dust.

That's when Harley's keen ears detected a faint shuffling from behind her. She slowed to a stop and steadied her breathing to a slight rhythm.

The movement was soft but had some weight to it.

Couldn't have been an animal, too slow for that.

There was a light tap.

It was a person... But not a bulky individual. No, it had to be someone light on their feet, or someone small.

Harley twisted her head, just an inch to her left, but it was enough to peek through the corner of her eye without making it obvious.

It was a kid.

It was that kid.

He was hiding behind the trash container, with most of his body concealed. Only the top of his head was peeking out; his large eyes locked directly on Harley's figure.

Without moving from her spot, Harley very cautiously brought a hand into her pant's pocket. Shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath, her ample chest pressed against the tightness of her dress shirt. She licked her lips and spun around with hand outstretched, holding up her half-eaten bag of pretzels.

"You want some?" She tilted her head and smiled down at the boy.

He froze, his eyes stretched wide upon realizing he had been spotted.

Noticing his skin begin to glow with a purplish hue, Harley quickly added. "If you don't, I'll just leave, but I'd love to share some with ya'h."

"So you like pretzels huh? That's cool, I like them too." Harley exited the convenience store, having just bought the kid a large family-sized bag of mini pretzels. "That's why I got a little upset at you before, I didn't really mean to spook ya'h."

No response was given on the boy's part, except the silent crunching sound he was making as he feasted on the snack he was gifted. Harley continued down the street and walked with a tune-filled hum, she had her arms crossed behind her back and kept a keen eye on him through her purified vision.

"So buddy!" She spun around upon spotting the food-truck a short way ahead and began to walk backwards. "You wanna talk about how ya'h just appeared in our lil' van back there?"

"Mmmmm I.. Mmm Mmmm," He took another bite, his face brightened up with each crunch. The boy swallowed and licked his salty lips. "I can jump around!" He was loud and came off as very happy with himself. "Like whoosh! Ziiiip and POP!"

"Wow you're awesome!" Harley slowed her pace, "But like... How do ya'h do it?"

The brightness in his face suddenly died down, and he lowered his bag down. "I don't know... I... I'm not really that good at it."

Feeling a pang of guilt for somehow causing the kid to feel so somber, she attempted to lighting his spirits. "Whaaaat!? Did you not see yourself this morning? Or even last night? I couldn't catch you! And I'm fast!"

"Like Flash fast?" His big eyes bored an adorable beam of innocence into Harley's soul.

"Yeah like.. Like Flash fast. But I bet you could get to places faster than he ever would!"

"No way."

"Yes way! Hey," She stopped moving backward and drew close to him. Leaning down on her knees to reach the same hight level as him, she pointed out a finger. "You see that truck? Ya'h think you can zap yourself over there?"

"I don't think so..."

"Ya'h did it before, you can do it again!"

"Umm..."

"Can you try for me?" She gave him a reassuring smile.

He looked at her face for a few seconds, then gulped. A serious look shifted onto his small features, and he reached out to grab Harley's arm.

Now Harley was about to ask what he was holding onto her for. But that's when she noticed that both of them began to start glowing, and just before she could make a sound. She found herself in the air, several feet above the food truck.

Oh, now she's falling.

Towards the ground.

Shit.

She noticed the kid was in the air with her, and without putting much of any thought into it, she grabbed onto him midair and maneuvered him so that she would impact the ground first.

Pamela had been working double duty for the past forty minutes; how long it takes a regular person to toss away a bag of trash is usually doesn't tend to be much more than ten. But Harley is far from an average person, that's something she'd know more than most.

So really, all things considered, she should have been smart enough to realize sending Harley out was basically giving the girl an hour break from the constant lunch rush of hungry customers. Pamela was literal inches away from saying 'Fuck it,' and throwing caution in the wind to summon a supply of plants to assist her in dealing with the constant barrage of hungry people after hungry people.

But being undercover meant no public use of powers, which also meant she's stuck by herself for the time being.

Because it's not like Harley would just fall out of the-

*THUNK*