"No! That's not how it was!"
Harley sprang up from the ground and staggered to her feet, her eyes wide with crazed obstinacy. She forced down the agony churning inside her and scraped together one last defiant defense.
"This was just Puddin’'s test! He just wanted proof that I loved him, just proof!"
Her back went rigid, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms. She was like a lioness provoked beyond endurance, ready to defend her territory to the death.
"I chose this! I was willing to endure the pain he caused to prove my love for him!"
Perhaps because Harley's emotions had become so intense, the surrounding scene rapidly dissolved. "Harleen Two" and "Joker" vanished, and a new location appeared.
Cold metal pipes crisscrossed overhead. Murky green chemicals churned slowly in an enormous vat, giving off an eerie glow. A pungent, sour stench hung in the air. Every corner held a memory etched into her soul.
This time, it was the Ace Chemical Plant, the place where she had transformed from Harleen Quinzel into Harley Quinn, where all the madness and obsession had begun.
"Wow," "Harleen" marveled. "You're even more talented than I imagined."
Indeed, this time, it was no longer "Harleen" guiding the scene change, but Harley herself. After watching just twice, Harley had figured out how to control the illusions and put it to use in her emotional outburst.
Harley ignored "Harleen's" amazement. Her gaze remained fixed on the steel framework nearby. The sharpness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a soft, adoring glow. A sweet smile even curled her lips, as though she had returned to the moment that had made her throw caution to the wind.
The young Harleen Quinzel gazed at Joker as he stood above the