Chapter Forty-Four

(Uptown 777 Grant Wood Road, Time: 9:05 Pm)

Jayden hurriedly closed up his barber shop for the day and headed to the back alley to dispose of the trash.

As he approached the dumpsters, he heard faint groans coming from behind a pile of boxes.

Curious, he moved closer and spotted two figures lying on the ground.

It was none other than Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, both injured and unconscious on the ground, battered and bruised.

Without hesitation, he rushed to their side, checking their pulses to make sure they were still alive.

"Hey, wake up," Jayden said gently, shaking them lightly.

Concerned for their well-being, Jayden lightly patted their cheeks, hoping to wake them up.

When they didn't stir, he realized they needed immediate help. Without hesitation, he carefully lifted them, one by one, and carried them up to his bedroom.

Placing them on his bed, Jayden fetched a first aid kit from his bathroom.

He cleaned their wounds as gently as he could, doing his best to tend to their injuries.

A short while later, Poison Ivy began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around, momentarily confused.

Jayden, sitting by her side, offered her a reassuring smile.

"Hey there, you took quite a fall," he said softly. "You're safe now. I'm Jayden, by the way."

Poison Ivy blinked, still trying to gather her thoughts. "Jayden...," she murmured, her voice slightly weak. "I'm Pamela...What happened?"

Jayden explained how he had found them both injured in the alley and brought them to his room. Poison Ivy seemed relieved but also wary, unsure of what to make of the situation.

Just then, Harley Quinn started to regain consciousness. She blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the room. Spotting Jayden and Poison Ivy, she grinned mischievously.

"Well, ain't dis a cosy setup!" Harley exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of amusement and gratitude. "Ya a real lifesaver, Pal. I'm Harley, in case ya didn't catch dat."

Jayden chuckled at Harley's lively personality. "Nice to see you again, Harley. Just doing what I can to help. You two are welcome to stay here until you're back on your feet."

' Mhh! I should have told Selina that these two are here but she hasn't told me her secret identity yet, and it wouldn't make much sense to tell her or she would know I know she's Catwoman.'

While Jayden was contemplating whether to message Selina about the new situation.

Memories of a previous encounter began to resurface as Harley lay on Jayden's soft bed.

It suddenly clicked in Harley Quinn's mind as she slowly regained consciousness.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at Jayden, a mix of surprise and gratitude filling her expression.

"Wait a minute... I remember you," Harley said, her voice tinged with a hint of recognition. "You're the guy who let me hide in your barber shop when I was running from the feds!"

Jayden's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You remember that? I didn't expect to see you again under these circumstances. Guess I can't say I'm surprised, though, with the way things seem to happen around here."

Harley chuckled weakly, wincing as she shifted her position. "Yeah, life's full of surprises. Thanks for taking care of me... again. I'm Harley, in case I didn't properly introduce myself last time."

Jayden smiled warmly. "No need to thank me, Harley. I'm Jayden, by the way. It's good to see you're doing better, despite the circumstances. And it's not every day I have guests like you in my room."

After Harley relaxed and recognized Jayden, Pamela seemed confused, so Jayden took a moment to explain what had happened. Pamela nodded, trying to process the information.

Realizing the situation called for some immediate relief, Jayden excused himself and quickly fetched some ice packs from his kitchen.

Returning to the room, he settled back down on a chair, with Raven comfortably perched on his lap.

Looking at Harley and Pamela, Jayden's curiosity got the best of him. "So, care to enlighten me on why the two of you ended up unconscious behind my shop?"

Harley sighed, clearly disgruntled. "It was Batman and his cronies," she grumbled. "They just had to spoil our fun. Always poking their pointy ears into everything."

A knowing smile crept across Jayden's face. "Ah, the infamous Caped Crusader and his relentless pursuit of justice. Can't say I'm surprised he got involved. But what were you up to that triggered such a response?"

Harley shrugged, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously. "Just a little mischief, you know. Nothing too serious. We were having a good time, but Batsy couldn't resist crashing the party."

" I see...oh and here, rest them on your necks, this should help with the swelling." Both Ivy and Harley grabbed the ice packs before resting them on their necks.

" Ahhhhhhh~" They both let out a collective sigh of relief. But still every once in a while they would wince from the pangs of pain.

Deep down, Jayden understood the potential consequences of helping Harley and Pamela, but he couldn't turn his back on those in need.

He believed in giving second chances and offering sanctuary to those caught in the crossfire of Gotham's eternal struggle.

As the conversation settled into a momentary lull, Jayden leaned back in his chair, observing Harley and Ivy with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

He could see the pain etched on their faces, both physical and emotional, and he knew they needed time to recover.

"You both need to rest and heal," Jayden stated gently, his eyes flickering with empathy. "I can imagine it will take a few days, perhaps even weeks, for you to fully recover from your injuries. While you're here, you're welcome to stay and find solace."

Harley's eyes softened, her voice tinged with gratitude. "That's really kind of ya, Jayden. But we don't wanna be a burden or getch ya into any trouble. We've caused enough chaos as it is."

Jayden nodded, understanding Harley's concern. "I appreciate your consideration, Harley. But helping those in need is what I strive to do. I believe in second chances and providing support when it's needed."

Just as the words left his lips, Ivy, despite the pain coursing through her body, made a sudden move.

She reached out and grabbed Jayden's collar, pulling him closer with a sense of urgency. Startled, Jayden instinctively used his hand to block the impending kiss.

"Miss Ivy, I appreciate the sentiment, you must be thankful for me helping you, and there's no denying your beauty," Jayden began, his voice gentle yet firm.

"But I must be honest with you. I'm already in a committed relationship. As much as I want to help you and Harley, my heart belongs to someone else."

Ivy's eyes widened, in surprise. That wasn't why she was going to kiss him at all.

" No, that..."

But Jayden sealed her lips with his finger.

"No need to say anything, I know you must be feeling gratitude towards me for helping, but this isent how you should show it...now if you'll excuse me, ladies, I've got some cleaning up to do downstairs...please rest well."

Jayden then left, the two women completely oblivious to the smile Jayden had when leaving, he knew all about Ivy's pheromone kiss trick and he wasn't going to be controlled by it.

'Good thing I made an invisible camera and took a photo of her reaction, if Selina ever reveals her secret I'm totally gonna show her this photo.'

In the meanwhile, Harley was laughing her ass off, despite the pain while Ivy was still sitting there in shock.' This, this was a complete misunderstanding...'