random ideas
this chapter will possibly be updated in the future as other/new ideas come to me, provided I bother figuring out how updating chapters rather than just releasing a new chapter works... meh who am I kidding. this is merely going to be the first of, potentially, many chapters like it. anyways onto the idea inspiring the post.
DC universe AU:
Alternative Gotham City Sirens type fic, heavily inspired by the TV show Leverage. Ivy, Harley, Selina, and Barbara Gordon join forces to create an anti-hero/Robinhood type street-level group. Set in a more low-power/'tamed down' version of DC (no alien/demons/god or other off-world origins type threats, nor overly dramatic entanglement with massive shadowy organizations) focused less on metahuman confrontations/action and more on regular people and the Ladies helping them with their problems with other regular people. (Think the Batman Begins/Dark Knight trilogy type world, a very much less metahuman type world, though some would have to exist simply to have a version of Poison Ivy in existence at all, though could possibly make her less metahuman powered and more mad scientist/botanist flavored version. Possibly also more a Gotham TV series type setting, haven't watched much beyond the first couple seasons, and those sporadically, but from what I remember there weren't many metahuman elements in it, if any.)
Barbara is the one that gathers everyone and convinces them to make a go of it together. (Alternatively could be set such that it is a more young adult story, with them being high-schoolers or college students/not yet really "big-time".) In this aspect (and possibly also in how she may have had run-ins with the other three prior to gathering them, as she is the daughter of the police commissioner and each of them have criminal records, or juvie ones if YA story, even if nothing ever stuck) Barbara is similar to Nathan Ford of Leverage. However, in other ways/skill set she is much more of a Hardinson/Tech Specialist (basing off a more Oracle Barbara skill set than batgirl/batwoman type, though no debilitating spinal injury/paralysis), thus having her be a cross over between the Mastermind and Tech/hacker roles, though some ability to handle herself in a fight would be needed too (a common theme for most of the four).
Selina is obviously the Thief role, but also somewhat the Retrieval Specialist/Muscle (though less so than Harley, who is more a bruiser/power type than Selina's agility type) in a "can steal anything, even if that anything is actually an anyOne" type deal. The Stealthy infiltrator type moreso than the overt head-on confrontation type, but still able to handle herself against more powerful opponents due to sheer skill and agility.
Harleen "Harley" (give her a Harley Davidson motorcycle?) Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, or The Harlequin. A bit of a mixed bag, moreso than most of the group at least. Her psychologist training (or studies if pre-college age YA series?) gives her the mind and knowledge to pull off the grifter role, but at the same time her Roller Derby (and likely some kind of a fight club, as most organized sport fighting seem too tame for her, though perhaps a women's rugby team would fit too, though I know too little of the sport to judge by more than reputation) and similar exploits have taught her to both give and take hits. This is before any kind of mention is made of her psychopathic/sociopathic (ex?)boyfriend and his influence/effect on her life/mind is made. (Starting to lean more towards a more YA type setting now, or rather just a younger cast in general. Seeing Harley as possibly either a schizophrenic or D.I.D. [Dissociative Identity Disorder] diagnosis recipient, aka multiple/split personality sufferer, and maybe a degree of Manic Depression/Bipolar. [Even some possible consideration of 'The Joker/Mistah J' being a, possibly Trauma Induced, mental construct and not an actual person. Possibly based on either a traumatic experience with an actual person, whether or not they were the 'real' Joker {if so they're either dead or otherwise never seen 'in person', no repeated escapes from Arkham and etc} or simply an abusive boyfriend, or instead a construct formed from the combination of numerous traumas both real and imagined caused by .. gonna go with her undergoing an experimental drug trial which had horrible side effects, but could be any number of other sources that could lead to the creation.] Basically it boils down to her talking about 'her abusive ex' as either an actual person/ex-boyfriend [though not to comic book level villainy] and/or as allegorical/metaphorical allusion to her mental illness as 'her abusive ex'. Possibly both. *will get more to this later on the Joker section, but this is already gone too far astray from Harley's role on the team*) To get back on track, Harley serves dual roles both as the grifter, able to take on any number of different personalities and characters to con a mark, and as the first line heavy hitter, always ready to drop the act and be the first to rush in to a fight to defend or rescue her friends (also for anyone being abused, children or animals especially) should they find themselves in a pinch. If metahuman series, then slightly increased physical abilities, less from actual metagene enhancing them and more due to a mild but effective healing factor (how else can she take so many heavy hits as often as she does and suffer little to no cumulative or compounding lingering effects) allowing her to go more 'all out' with less worry of the consequences for her body.
Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy. Genius level Botanist (possibly biologist/geneticist as well), as in roughly the same age as the others but already has (a) degree(s)/works as a teaching assistant while being a Grad student. Has developed a rapid growth plant serum by which she "controls" plants... or is a metahuman. This is the tough one. No real direct equivalence to one of the roles on Leverage. Perhaps some degree of Mastermind capability, plants can give her a certain amount of combat ability, though mostly defensive or a 'controll' type ability. Possibly poison (nonlethal), or even a degree of serving as a medic.
*Joker, or: Harley's backstory and direction of character growth*
So for The Joker in this story, as a mental construct, (and this is not something to be directly acknowledged within the story itself, just a clarification of what I am considering now/came up with while writing Harley's section) 'he' will be based on two separate main people. Both of which are intermixed with one another. First, 'The Joker' aspect, is her abusive ex-boyfriend (will say Jason as a name/placeholder) who presented a joking around light hearted mask to the rest of the world but was a monster to her behind closed doors. Second, 'Mistah J' aspect, is her former psychiatrist (thinking actually using Jay as a possible name, says to just call him Mr. Jay rather than Dr.
Moving on, the situation leading to the mental breakdown and construct formation. Harley was offered a paid trial for some new drug by her Psychiatrist, her Boyfriend pressured her into accepting it so he could get the money for it from her. The drug fragmented her mind leading to the creation of what would be colloquially termed 'The theatre troupe' as new personalities formed and built themselves up from the fragments. After the conditions of the trials were leaked and the experiments brought to an end and Harley recieved help she was slowly able to put herself back together again, or at least that is what she was able to convince the doctors of. In reality most of the various *alternate* personalities were consumed by/fused into one primary, The Harlequin, and one 'demon'/secondary, The Joker.
Typically the Harlequin personality acts as a coach/director, a voice in Harley's head guiding her in 'playing her role' whatever that percieved role may be at the moment, and the only time the Harlequin personality takes control is when Harley gets violent at seeing instances of abuse towards children and animals. In any other case of abuse or manipulation she (Harlequin) will scream and yell in Harely's head but not directly take control (except, hypocritically, those instances involving herself/Harley, after all acting, grifting, conning, they're all forms of manipulation, and she is the best/guides Harley in doing them to others so they're treated/used as training/teaching tools if directed at her. Beyond that, Harlequin is a major part of Harley's masochism so anything done to her, that she doesn't manage to see through/counter beforehand [which is hard considering her own skill levels] only amuses/entertains her at the least, or outright turns her on depending on how well the other party successfully pulls one over on her).
The Joker is all the negativity and memories of abuse and all the hallucinations, fever dreams, nightmares, and fears in general that were brought out or caused by the drug, and the even worse if possible detox from the drug after her rescue. The one good thing about the drug and its effects, and later what led to the formation of The Joker, was that it gave Harley the clarity to see and recognize how abusive and manipulative that Jason really was, thus her formerly positive and affectionate feelings for him were rejected and the memories became ones viewed with both distrust and disgust for his actions and motives. These memories of him, and the new sadistic side Dr. Jay showed during the Drug trials, together fused to form the basis of The Joker personality. Consciously she is aware that having said personality is also an embodiment of her own self reproach, guilt, self loathing, and desire to punish herself for letting Jason control her, and also for that part of her that had a perverse enjoyment of actually being controlled and abused. He is also the embodiment of her own sadistic side and her cruelty and bloodlust.
The Character Growth for Harley will center around learning to accept herself. Her relationship with Pamela (Poison Ivy) will help her with that as she comes to realize what a healthy relationship is like, and as they seek to learn and explore 'proper' (i.e. safe) means of embracing Harley's masochist tendencies through bondage and other practices. Further outlets like roller derby, fight clubs, rugby, etc also help serve as outlets, as well as when her activities in the Sirens provide her opportunities to get violent.
Eventually 'The Joker' as a voice/hallucination/mental contruct/etc will fade away (though with a possibility of relapse if/when Harley becomes depressed). She will learn to forgive herself and accept herself and move forward in her life. However, she will embrace the Harlequin as a way of realizing that it is a reflection of her true self at which point (or possibly as the reverse, she realised the preceding because she did the following first) she tries directing a play/captains the roller derby team/leads the team on a mission. She likes freedom, but realizes that the most freedom comes from being in control, not being uncontrolled.
*Endgames*
My vision for Harley's end game is that she will become a grade school drama teacher/counselor, and maybe a coach on the side as well. She could be still with Pamela Isley, but at the same time I can't see her getting things right with her while still trying to get herownself put together and figured out. I think they will have to separate, at least for a time, so she can figure out her own identity without all the supports and frameworks she built for herself during college. If that is how the story goes I would still be tempted to include Isley's coming back into Harley's life as an epilogue or extra chapter if they haven't gotten back together already by the time of Harley's endgame as described above, likely if Pamela had some opportunity to go work in the amazon or Africa or some other remote exotic location and it would be her coming back.
Barbara's end game that I see is either a effectively a semi-solo career (with frequent team ups with others) as a mercenary-private detective/maybe freelance journalist followed by running for some kind of office in middle age as part of settling down and putting down roots (possibly finally doing so with Selina if the story progresses that way, there would be no batman in the story so could possibly see some tension building up between the two of them instead, but that is all speculation). The Other possible route would be to take work as a bureaucrat/government worker to 'work from the inside' as it were, in an effort to make her city better, before eventually deciding to just run for mayor, and maybe later even governor.
Selina's endgame seems obvious to me. Open a security consultancy and auditing firm. Get paid to "try" *cough succeed* at cracking the security of various corporations and building/etc and then suggest improvements to their systems and point out any glaring holes or weaknesses. Do that for a number of years before eventually training a successor or hiring enough other competent persons that the business can continue functioning without her direct/constant involvement, and then 'retire' and open a bar.
Pamela Isley's endgame involves lots of field research and travel followed by numerous new discoveries and developments as she works to provide for the world becoming a better place. Eventually wrapping up in a return, and becoming a professor, possibly with a reunion with Harley. Or lab work before leaving for field work, or for presentation circuit to show off work, or for further schooling. Eventually returning though.
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