there is simply nothing worse than knowing how it ends. and i meant everything i said that night- i will come back to life, but only for you

---

It wasn't until you and Jonny had used some basic blueprints of Belle Reve to plan most of the breakout that you got wind of what was going on in Midway.

Blurry, unfocused film on the news showed strange creatures seemingly made of mud and crumbling dirt destroying a good part of the city. Most of the place had to be empty, evacuated by now, but you still got shivers just thinking about it. Hopefully Midway was closed for business, left to those weird things (and quarantined so they wouldn't reach anywhere else).

You, Frost, Sharkey, Fox, and Panda were going through some of that footage on a whim, tossing around conspiracy theories about what was happening there.

"There," You pointed at a dark blur at the corner of the picture. Turning to Jonny, you said, "Can you zoom in on that?"

He did, and both you and Sharkey peered at the picture.

"That's a helicopter," you said definitively after a moment.

"It's a U.S. government helicopter, too," Sharkey added.

"So what?" Panda shrugged. "Of course the feds would want all in on this."

"Check that out," Jonny cut in, tossing a thick file folder on the table in front of him. You gave him a questioning look, but leaned over to read over Panda's shoulder.

The first paper read Task Force X at the top, and the name below that was Amanda Waller.

"The fuck?" Fox mumbled, reading along with you. Panda turned the page, and right there was a whole dossier on Harley, along with her most recent mugshot.

"You knew that was a 'copter," Sharkey said to Jonny.

"I had a good feeling," he shrugged. "I just wanted to see what you thought of it. I know you're ex-Marines, you know what that looks like."

"Hell yes, but what does that have to do with-"

"I'd bet any of you a hundred bucks that that 'copter belongs to Amanda Waller," you interrupted, not looking up from the file.

"Exactly," Jonny said, sitting back in his chair.

"Okay, but why would Waller send this 'Task Force X' to Midway? To deal with those things?" Sharkey countered. "There's what, six people on that team?"

"Seven," you corrected absentmindedly.

"Whatever. Seven people? Against all of them?" Sharkey gestured at the TV. "It'd never work."

"I doubt they're going in alone," Jonny said. "Plus, think of what Van Criss told J- Waller wanted those bombs for seven people. Why would she want them if Harley and the rest are staying at Belle Reve?"

Sharkey pursed his lips. "I guess," he muttered, having reached the same conclusion as you- Harley Quinn and the rest of Task Force X were probably in Midway right now.

"So," Jonny said, clapping his hands. "Who wants to tell the boss about this?"

Nobody volunteered. Instead, everyone (including Jonny) looked over at you.

You sputtered. "What? Me? Why?"

"I don't really feel like risking my life today," Panda shrugged.

Sharkey nodded in agreement. "You are the favorite."

You couldn't argue with that- you pretty much were. Joker didn't kiss anybody else who worked for him (or at least he'd better not be).

"You're all wimps," you pointed at each of them in turn. Jonny just smiled when you looked at him, making a go on gesture with his hands. "Oh, shut up," you muttered.

"Didn't say a word!" he called after you. You could practically hear his shit-eating grin in his voice.

So, to the Joker it was.

"News?" he asked you when you walked in.

"More like speculation, but yeah," you said. "We're thinking that Task Force X is in Midway right now, on Waller's say-so."

"Why?" Joker demanded.

"Hell if I know," you said bluntly. "But if we track helicopter activity in there, we might be able to find them."

Just as you finished, his phone buzzed on his desk. He turned it over to see who was texting him, and upon seeing it, slid it over to you so you could see a text clearly from Harley.

i'm out, puddin! ready for pick up <3

You lifted your gaze back to his. "So," you said, feeling oddly calm, "I should get on that helicopter lead, shouldn't I?"

"Yes," Joker said, almost as an afterthought. He stood and rounded the desk, eyes glued to you like a compass drawn to its true north.

"Find her," he said, voice quiet and low.

"And then it's over."

Joker's hand came to rest on your hip, and the other cupped your cheek, forcing you to look at him. "I made my choice a long time ago."

You believed him, and so you let him tug you into another kiss. This time, it was longer and slower, and it felt as if he was trying to consume you whole. You weren't the least bit afraid of the fact that you'd let him.

—-

look. i know what ur thinking. "dude. another panic! song? we know ur emo, stop subjecting us to your sketchy taste in music." however. i think it's a banger and very pertinent to this arc/the love triangle going on rn.

also, i PROMISE we'll actually see harley again probably sometime next chapter? maybe towards the end of it? idk but this is the last arc, i wanna make it worth it. thank u all again for sticking around. i appreciate u so much, and writing this book wouldn't be half as great without you. <3