[Gotham]
Harley slipped through the old service tunnel behind the busted soda factory, tapping the brick in just the right pattern before sliding the hidden latch. The steel door clicked open with a familiar groan. She grinned to herself and stepped inside.
The hideout looked almost the same as she remembered. Same brick walls. Same low ceiling with exposed pipes. The difference was that it didn't smell like gunpowder and regret anymore. Somebody had cleaned up. There were two long couches pushed together, actual beds along the far wall, decent lighting, a humming fridge, a tiny kitchen setup with mismatched cabinets, and a massive flat screen bolted to the brick.
It felt less like a crime bunker and more like a chaotic group therapy center.
Leslie Willis lounged across one couch with her boots propped on the armrest, electric blue hair glowing faintly under the lights. Pamela Isley sat cross-legged on the floor near a cluster of potted plants that definitely had not been there before. Caitlin Snow leaned against the counter, sipping something cold enough to frost the glass. Miracle Molly sprawled upside down in a recliner. Helena Bertinelli stood near the wall with arms crossed, watching everything like she expected a sniper to burst through the ceiling.
Harley stepped fully into the room and threw her arms wide.
"Well, if it ain't Sparky, Red, Snow Cone, Techno Bunny, and Crossbow Barbie all under one cozy little roof."
Leslie rolled her eyes but smirked. "You're late, Quinz."
Pamela didn't look up. "You called this emergency level dramatic, Harley. I was in the middle of convincing a hedge fund manager to donate his entire portfolio to rainforest preservation."
Caitlin raised a brow. "I rescheduled my nail appointment for this."
Molly spun the recliner once with her foot. "I paused a brainwave immersion experiment for this. That thing took twelve hours to stabilize."
Helena's gaze narrowed slightly. "You said life-changing."
Harley clutched her chest. "Wow. No hugs. No applause. Not even a tiny bit of 'Harley, you look fabulous tonight.' Oh, my poor heart."
Leslie flicked a spark off her fingertip that fizzed against the ceiling. "Talk before I start charging by the hour."
Harley dropped into the center of the room and kicked her boots off dramatically. She paced once in a slow circle, building tension the way she used to before pulling a trigger on a punchline.
"Okay. So, hypothetical question."
Helena sighed quietly.
Harley ignored it.
"What if I told you there's a place out there where metas aren't hunted like stray cats. Where magic is normal. Where you can blow up half a block in a training session and the government sends you a fruit basket instead of a task force to catch you and later put a bomb in your head. Oh, and you get your personal house for free. As long as you don't do anything naughty or try to steal my man or weirdly look at Maureen because she's blue. I mean, Ivy is green, so you two will get along really well. Wait! That came out wrong on so many levels like a racist thing. You get the gist, right?"
Caitlin lowered her glass slightly. "That sounds fake."
"It ain't fake," Harley shot back quickly. "It's real."
Pamela's eyes finally lifted, green and sharp. "Kahndaq."
Harley grinned widely. "Ding ding ding, Mother Nature wins a gold star."
Leslie let out a low whistle. "You're talking about your boyfriend?"
Harley pointed a finger at her. "Bingo!"
"You do remember that he nearly killed me back then, right?"
"You were tryin' to kill Supes with Metallo and that giant bimbo," Harley countered. "What did you expect, a medal? Besides, you are the one who attacked him first when he went to check on you after throwing Supes out of Earth. You short-circuited after you crashed into that water tank? Rings a bell?"
Helena finally pushed off the wall. "She's got a point."
Leslie looked between them, then clicked her tongue. "Fine. Continue your sales pitch before I change my mind."
Pamela rose to her feet. "Kahndaq is rebuilding entire ecosystems in months. I have felt it, and everyone has seen the news. Deserts are turning green. Water tables are stabilizing. That level of terraforming requires either terrifying magic or serious long-term vision."
Harley's grin softened just a little. "Both. Our vision is to transform Kahndaq into a technomagic nation and transform the entire desert into a beautiful green place. We are already 55% done with Amazon's help and our magic. Then... Let's just say, John has big plans for the future."
Pamela tilted her head. "If I even considered relocating, I would need space. I want a greenhouse that stretches for acres. I want controlled humidity zones and rare species protected from corporate idiots and government flamethrowers."
Harley's smile turned slow and satisfied. "Funny you should say that. Johnny actually wants you running the entire environmental department. Full authority and budget that makes billionaires cry. You'd oversee Magic Mountain, the reserves, the agricultural expansions, all of it."
Pamela blinked once.
"Entire department?" she asked carefully.
"Whole thing," Harley confirmed. "He said, and I quote, 'If Ivy wants the planet greener, give her the tools and get outta the way. And as long as she doesn't break down the cities to raise forests and create plant monsters that could hurt my people, I'm good.'"
That was what Pamela needed to hear.
Her lips curved into a dangerous, pleased smile. "I would require full legal autonomy and zero interference from foreign governments."
"You'd get it," Harley replied without hesitation. "Kahndaq answers to Kahndaq."
Pamela nodded once. "Then I am in."
Leslie sat up straighter. "You just decided like that?"
Pamela looked at her calmly. "I am tired of fighting for scraps in a world that refuses to evolve. If there is a place willing to let nature lead, I will cultivate it."
Harley clapped her hands excitedly. "Yes! Okay. One genius plant queen secured."
She turned toward Caitlin. "Snow Cone, you always wanted to use your power for good, but the government and Waller keep getting in your way, and now they branded you as a villain for escaping their head bombs."
Caitlin looked thoughtful, frost creeping slightly along the rim of her glass.
Harley shrugged casually. "We're planning on establishing a hero gang... like Justice League and JSA. So, what do you say? Wanna give the life of a hero a chance?"
Caitlin's lips twitched upward. "Tempting."
Harley pivoted dramatically toward Miracle Molly. "And as for you, Techno Bunny."
Molly stopped spinning the recliner and flipped upright in one fluid motion.
Harley leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. "You think you can repair a smashed-up Kryptonian ship and make it brand new?"
Silence filled the room.
Molly's eyes went wide. She shot to her feet so fast the chair tipped backward.
"Kryptonian ship?" she breathed, practically vibrating with excitement. "You have alien hardware sitting around and you are just now telling me this information?"
Harley wiggled her brows. "It's in a pretty banged-up situation. Cracked hull, fried systems. Been through a dimensional tantrum. John wants it restored."
Molly pressed both hands to her temples like she was containing an explosion. "Do you understand what that means? That is beyond WayneTech, LexCorp and even my tech. That is centuries ahead of our current materials science."
Leslie leaned forward with a grin. "You're drooling."
"I am inspired," Molly corrected quickly. "That is interstellar architecture with Quantum navigation and Bio-responsive circuitry. If I can gain access to the main database, then..." She paused for a moment before saying. "...Well, dang! Even I can't calculate."
Harley folded her arms smugly. "So that's a yes?"
Molly grabbed Harley by the shoulders. "When do we leave?"
Helena shook her head, though a faint smile touched her mouth. "You're seriously recruiting us for a magical nation run by your boyfriend."
Harley met her gaze evenly. "I'm offering you a place where nobody sticks a bomb in your head and tells you to get out there and fight for us till death. A place where we get to decide who we are."
The room grew quieter after that.
Leslie exhaled slowly. "And what's the catch?"
Harley's expression softened, sincerity cutting through the theatrics. "The catch is simple. You don't hurt innocent people. You don't pull Gotham nonsense over there. You build instead of burn."
Pamela glanced at the others. Caitlin looked intrigued. Molly looked like she had already mentally packed. Helena remained cautious but less rigid than before. Leslie stared at the faint spark dancing across her fingertip.
Finally, Leslie smirked. "Free house, no bombs in my head, and I get to cut loose without Waller breathing down my neck?"
Harley nodded. "Plus decent coffee. I made sure of that one."
Leslie stood up. "Alright, Quinz. I'll visit. And tell your boyfriend not to punch me again because I ain't trying to kill anyone and I haven't committed any crime in the last few months, other than breaking a vending machine or two and an ATM."
Harley beamed proudly. "He likes you already. You tried to kill him once. That's practically a bonding experience."
"I'm pretty sure I didn't try to kill him. He just appeared out of nowhere and..." Leslie flicked her hand as if she was trying to remember something. "...I can't remember. I must've panicked. Anyway, I'll give it a shot."
"Well, it is what it is. So," Harley opened her arms wide open. "You gals ready to give this new life a shot?"
Helena sighed. "I don't have much to do here anyway. So, might as well give it a shot."
Everyone nodded.
"Great. Let's go."
===
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