Meanwhile, after Floyd left Laurence's house, a shaken Councilor Laurence immediately called his wife.
The call connected quickly, and amid her hurried gasps she managed to ask, "What, have the Wraith's people already found you?"
"Yes," Laurence said urgently, "I barely made it out alive. Haino must be brought back to Gotham from Central City right now. Gotham has mental health facilities too. She can live there and get the help she needs. I need her here, damn it. If I don't let her see Axel soon I might go crazy before she does."
After speaking, Laurence didn't wait to hear his wife's response, he simply hung up. His call was an order, not a question.
He then made a series of other calls. Even though it was around three in the morning, the mental hospital in Central City sprang into action.
Not long after, Harley Quinn, who had been fast asleep, was jolted awake by her ringing phone.
Half asleep, Harley glanced at the caller ID, fumbled for her glasses, and put them on. She answered groggily, "Dr. Richard, what's wrong? Has another patient escaped?"
"No," Dr. Richard replied calmly, "Harley, our patient Haino needs to be transferred urgently, and by procedure at least one psychologist must monitor her in the transport vehicle. You are technically an assistant, but I believe you are capable of observing her on your own. Would you like the opportunity? You would accompany Haino to Arkham Asylum in Gotham and observe her there for about two weeks to complete her psychological handover file. Then I can finally check off your application for professional psychological counselor certification."
"Really?" Harley's face lit up instantly. She had been interning at the Central City Mental Hospital for two years and had never managed to secure formal counselor certification. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time and now it had finally arrived.
But… Gotham?
The name alone made her swallow hard. That city sounded unbelievably dangerous. The Sky Rail collapsed, the Wayne building collapsed, and even a hero like Doctor Fate had died there. Just the thought of working in Gotham made Harley nervous.
But the more nervous she became, the more a strange surge of excitement grew inside her. Gotham was dangerous, but Arkham Asylum itself was just a mental institution, right? The Wraith would not attack a hospital, right?
With that thought, Harley nodded quickly.
"I understand. I'll go change now. I can accompany Haino for the transfer anytime."
"Then thank you, Miss Harley. I wish you a smooth trip," Dr. Richard said pleasantly before hanging up.
After the call ended, he wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "Good thing the hospital has someone as eager as Harley, otherwise I'd have to go to Arkham myself. Any doctor with more than ten years of experience knows that Arkham is only called an asylum. In reality it is a cesspit that caters to the wealthy and powerful. If I went there, I doubt I would write a single paper."
Satisfied, Dr. Richard finally relaxed and lay back down.
At the same time, Harley Quinn put on her white coat, grabbed Haino's psychological file, and with the caregivers headed to Haino's private room. When she saw Haino through the window, half of Harley's excitement drained away.
Haino was secretly using drugs. Harley knew only mild bipolar disorder could even be called a mental illness in her. The real issues — her drug use and violent behavior — were not illnesses at all, just the result of Haino's domineering personality.
Still, if working with Haino could get Harley her full certification, then it was worth it. Once certified, she could send her resume to other, more prestigious institutions and study any psychological condition she wanted.
With that in mind, Harley forced what she thought was a brilliant smile. For some reason, the caregivers seeing her smile shivered.
Early the next morning at Downton Manor.
Selina's hair tickled Axel's nose, waking him with a yawn.
"Ugh," Axel stretched as he looked around the room.
He sniffed and frowned. "That's odd. Selina, didn't your aunt leave? Why does it still smell strongly of blood?"
"Shut up, you jerk," Selina growled as she gave Axel a playful kick. Axel chuckled, rubbed his eyes, and headed toward the bathroom for a shower.
Not long after, in the manor's courtyard.
Axel, teasing the panda he had taken in the day before, spoke to Floyd, who was wrapped in bandages and clearly the source of the lingering smell.
"So that's why you took leave? You went up against twenty‑two Talons in one night and came back all cut up. That reason is more than enough. Rest for a few days, it'll give Gotham's elite some breathing room."
Axel patted Floyd's shoulder, but Floyd glared toward a window of the manor. Through the curtains he seemed to see someone sleeping soundly. He exhaled deeply and then asked Axel, "Axel, why is Bruce that strong? I fought with a broadsword and defeated twenty‑two Talons, but Bruce killed nearly three times that many. If the Talons hadn't stopped appearing after midnight, he might have reached a hundred kills. Damn rich man, he's richer than me and works harder than me. How is anyone supposed to live like that?"
Axel grinned. He laughed, then put an arm around Floyd's shoulders and said, "Here's how it is. Among all mortal martial artists, Bruce easily ranks in the top five. And he got there without ever intending to kill. Bruce, even without desire to kill, still ranks that high. So imagine just how powerful he would be if he chose to."
"Of course I know about Shiva," Floyd said with a shrug as he stepped out of Axel's embrace. "Everyone in the assassin world knows her reputation for seeking out martial artists to test skill and strength. Her fights define superiority and life or death. We've never heard of her losing. But she rarely seeks out assassins, especially someone like me who uses guns, hehe."
As he spoke, Floyd pointed to a bright McLaren parked in the distance.
"Axel," he said, "let me borrow that car. I need to take my daughter to school. I was worried how I'd manage taking care of four‑year‑old Zoe, but Wayne Noble Primary actually has a preschool program. It's really convenient."
"Uh…" Axel paused, surprised. "Didn't I already give you a Phantom to use yesterday? Why the McLaren today?"
"No choice," Floyd said with a grin. "Kids don't like the Phantom's color. They want something bright, with cartoon stickers if possible."
"Ah," Axel replied with understanding, then told Alfred to hand the McLaren keys to Floyd.
After Floyd left with his daughter, Axel petted the panda and said to Alfred, "Same as usual. Look after the house. I'm going out for a bit and will be back before dinner."
"Rest assured, Master, no one can destroy everything you now possess, no one," Alfred said solemnly.
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