HARLEY'S SPACE ADVENTURE PT2

Harley crash-landed on the moon with a thunderous thud, sending a cloud of lunar dust spiraling into the air. The cargo ship slid over the moon's surface for several meters before finally coming to a stop near a cluster of craters. Inside the cockpit, Harley was jolted back into her seat, her helmet hit the controls. She made a grumbling sound, rubbed her head, and tried to understand what had just happened.

The HUD before her eyes displayed the damage report, indicating minor problems in the systems. Harley sighed, shaking her head. "Aw, man! That's gonna leave a mark. Eh, whatever! Nothing a little Bat-repair can't fix." She looked around, "Well, that wasn't exactly smooth," she muttered, glancing at the cracked screen of the control panel. "But hey, I'm here! Hehehe!"

As she unfastened her seatbelt and felt herself gently rise due to the reduced gravity, Harley's excitement surged back. She was on the moon—a place she had always fantasized about visiting. Despite the bumpy landing, the view in front of her was absolutely stunning. The wide, empty terrain extended in all directions, illuminated by a gentle, silvery glow. The Earth appeared in the sky, a far-off blue sphere that looked almost unreal.

"Wheee! This is so much fun!" Harley shouted, her voice echoing inside her helmet. She jumped a few more times, loving the feeling of weightlessness. It was like being in a dream, where anything was possible.

After a few minutes of happy jumping, Harley thought about the can of spray paint she had hidden in her utility belt. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she pulled it out. The thought of leaving her mark on the moon was too exciting to pass up. She floated over to a big, flat rock and shook the can hard.

"Time to make some art!" Harley said, pushing down on the spray can's button.

A jet of red paint sprayed out, but instead of adhering to the rock, it dispersed into tiny droplets that drifted away in the low gravity. Harley frowned, confused by the lack of impact. She tried again, this time holding the can closer to the rock. The same thing happened—the paint simply wouldn't stick.

"Huh? What's going on?" Harely muttered, tilting her head in frustration. She waved her hand in front of the spray, watching as the red mist floated off into the air, slowly evaporating into nothingness. "Come on, work with me here!"

She tried a few more times, but each attempt ended in failure. The paint seemed to vanish before it could make contact with the surface. After several minutes of fruitless effort, Harley finally gave up, tossing the can over her shoulder in annoyance.

"Stupid moon," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Can't even do a little graffiti out here. What a rip-off."

Harley kicked a small rock, watching it roll away. She sighed, feeling a little disappointed. This wasn't what she had dreamed of for her grand space journey. She had imagined herself making a spectacular creation visible from Earth, something that would make her famous. But instead, she was dealing with a paint can that wouldn't work and a moon that wasn't helping at all.

"I wanted to brag to Diana and all... Sigh!"

She took a deep breath and gazed at the Earth, feeling a bit lonely. Despite her love for the excitement of new experiences, she couldn't help but long for the lively hustle and bustle of Gotham, with its busy streets and diverse people. Out here, everything was too silent, too vacant. "Well, at least I got to see the moon up close... Wait! I'm on the moon!" Harley muttered, trying to find a silver lining. She glanced around, her gaze landing on a distant crater.

"Might as well explore a bit more before Batsy comes to drag me back."

Harley began bouncing across the moon's surface, heading towards the crater. As she approached the edge, she noticed something odd—a faint shimmer in the air, like a mirage. Curious, she leaned forward, trying to get a better look. Suddenly, her foot slipped on the loose soil, and she tumbled headfirst into the crater.

She yelped as she rolled down the steep slope, finally coming to a stop at the bottom. Groaning, Harley sat up and brushed the dust off her suit. "Ugh, nice one, Harley. Real graceful."

As she stood up, her eyes widened in surprise. The shimmer she had seen from above was now much clearer. It was a strange, transparent barrier that seemed to pulsate with energy. Harley reached out to touch it, but as soon as her fingers made contact, she felt a jolt of electricity that made her yelp and pull back.

"What the heck is this thing?" Harley wondered aloud, rubbing her hand. She peered at the barrier, trying to figure out what it was and why it was there. It looked somewhat like the transmitter from the Batcave.

Suddenly, her suit's oxygen alarm began to beep, snapping her out of her thoughts. Harley glanced at the readout on her wrist, her heart skipping a beat. She had less than ten minutes of air left. "Oh, crap!" She gasped, her pulse quickening. She looked around frantically, realizing that she was a long way from the cargo ship. The excitement and curiosity that had fueled her earlier began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of panic when she remembered that she crash-landed on the moon with no means of escape.

Harley took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Her mind raced through possible solutions, but none seemed feasible. She thought of contacting Bruce, but she knew that he would probably just lecture her for taking his spaceship. She scrambled to her feet and started climbing back up the crater's slope, her movements clumsy in the low gravity. The beeping grew louder and more urgent, a constant reminder that her time was running out.

"Come on, come on!" Harley muttered, her breath coming in short gasps. She finally reached the top and began bouncing back towards the ship, pushing herself to move faster. "I might be able to fix it or maybe find another suit or something..." But the moon's surface was vast and the ship was way too far away. Each jump took her closer, but not fast enough. Harley's heart pounded in her chest as she checked the oxygen gauge again—five minutes left.

"Don't panic, Harley," she told herself, though her voice wavered. "You got this. Just... keep moving."

She exerted more effort, feeling the strain in her legs. The ship was nearing, yet her oxygen was running out. Only three minutes remained.

Harley's eyesight started to fade, with shadowy dots appearing around the edges of her vision. She felt dizzy, her breaths becoming quick and weak. The boat was almost within reach, but her body was beginning to fail.

"Come on, Quinn... you can do this..." she murmured, her voice almost inaudible. She stumbled forward, nearly falling over. Her limbs felt heavy and numb. "Just... a little... further..."

With one last desperate leap, Harley reached the ship. She collapsed before it, her body trembling. With one final burst of energy, she launched herself towards the ship, her fingers grazing the edge of the open hatch. She grabbed hold and pulled herself inside, slamming the door shut behind her. The cabin pressurized with a hiss, and Harley ripped off her helmet, gasping for air.

She collapsed onto the floor, her chest heaving as she sucked in lungfuls of precious oxygen. For a few moments, she just lay there, her heart pounding as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Dang! That was close. Luckily, this compartment was not damaged too badly by my landing," She muttered, noticing that the ship's system showed some problems but nothing critical. She managed to activate the backup generator and re-pressurize the cabin. Feeling relieved, Harley lay down on the cold metal floor, with her eyes closed. "That... was way too close," She mumbled, her voice shaky.

After a few minutes, Harley managed to sit up, leaning against the wall as she caught her breath. She looked around the cargo bay, feeling a mixture of relief and embarrassment. This was supposed to be her big adventure, but instead, she had nearly gotten herself killed.

"Man, Batsy will never let me hear the end of this if he finds out what happened," She sighed, shaking her head.

Harley stood up, stretching her sore muscles. Then she tried to fly the ship again, but the thrusters refused to ignite. Her heart sank as she realized that the ship was stuck on the moon's surface. She flopped down in the pilot seat and hung her head, feeling defeated.

"Great job, Harley."

She activated the comms...

"So, was that fun?" Bruce's voice echoed in Harley's helmet, sounding stern but also slightly amused.

"Um... yeah! Totally fun! Best trip ever!" Harley replied, forcing a cheerful tone. She tried to sound enthusiastic, but she knew Bruce could see right through her. "Hehe... Please save me. I don't want to die on the moon." She cried silently, giving up all pretenses.

"Will you listen to me from now on?" Bruce asked, raising his eyebrows.

Harley nodded eagerly, hoping Bruce couldn't see her rolling her eyes. "Sure thing, Batsy! Cross my heart!"

After that, Bruce saved her and sent her back to Earth. Thus, her grand journey ended in failure, but Harley learned a valuable lesson — even when you're in space, Batman is always watching over you and the moon isn't a good place for graffiti.