Work Text:
When Harvey stepped into the 2nd Street Bank, he was surprised to see Bruce Wayne, considering he knew Bruce didn’t bank there. For his part, Bruce was just glad he had decided to stake out the bank instead of Gemini Jewelers.
“Harvey!” he said with a winning smile. All around them, customers and bank tellers shook with terror while Two Face’s gang waved guns. One gangster thought to point a gun towards Bruce and Harvey pushed the barrel away with a scowl that sent the man scrambling away.
“Bruce? Since when do you bank here?”
“Ohhhh, since about… this morning?” said Bruce. He shrugged sheepishly. “Taylor here has been so accommodating, truly.” He patted the quaking assistant on the shoulder. Actually, Bruce had been a right monster, playing up the eccentric playboy billionaire persona to loiter about the bank since breakfast just waiting for Harvey. Taylor had earned the generous tip he’d get, and the joy of the Bruce Wayne story he could tell. The smile Bruce offered Harvey was sincere when he said, “It is so good to see you, Harvey. What’s it been? Six months since you left Arkham?”
“Something like that,” said Harvey. He shooed Taylor off, regarding Bruce carefully. “Were you… Did you know I’d be here?”
“Second Street Bank? On 2nd Street? On Tuesday the 22nd? Harv,” said Bruce. Fondness bled through his tone and he waved a hand in the air. “I’m surprised Batman himself isn’t here waiting for you. We haven’t talked in so long! You didn’t leave a number or a forwarding address when you left Arkham.”
“We’ve been a bit busy,” growled Two Face. He held the Coin up and Bruce regarded it critically.
“You probably flipped the Coin to decide if you were going to rob this place, right?” he said and Two Face nodded. “But did you flip the Coin to decide if you wanted to escape today?”
“What are you talking about?” Two Face said. “Hey. Hey, what are you talking about?”
“Harvey, you were doing really well at Arkham and I miss you. You flipped a Coin to come in here, why don’t we flip to see if you go back this time?” said Bruce. Two Face was trying to snarl but Harvey’s face was slack with shock.
“Bruce, we hate it in Arkham,” Harvey whispered.
The Coin only came into play when Harvey and Two Face were divided on an issue. Harvey wasn’t exactly sold on robbing banks, but he and Two Face were united on their hate of the asylum. Maybe Dr. Leland had made a few good sessions for them, but it was the sense of confinement that grated Harvey. There was nothing but time in Arkham, it felt endless and uniform there. Six months of dodging the Bat and GCPD hadn’t felt monotonous at least.
“I’ll visit you every week,” Bruce promised. “Every day if you want. I’ll see you so much you get sick of me.”
“That’s not how it works!” Two Face said.
Harvey regarded the Coin for a moment. He held it up to Bruce, studying him carefully. “Good… We’ll go back.”
Two Face snarled, “No!” but Harvey had already flipped the Coin. It spun in the air and he caught it, smacking in onto the back of his hand. Good.
Two Face snarled. “I want to punch you in the face,” he said and Harvey winced.
“I don’t want to punch you, Bruce,” said Harvey and they seemed to freeze with tension.
Bruce regarded him amicably enough. “If you must, you must,” he said with a shrug.
The Coin sang in the air for a second time. Two Face snatched it out of the air and regarded it smugly. Bad.
“I’m sorry,” Harvey said just before—
Bruce blinked awake. His head pulsed in pain. Harvey had always had a mean right hook, but Two Face’s left hook was downright vicious.
Harvey had been handcuffed by one of the security guards, and was sitting peacefully beside Bruce on the floor. The gang had cleared out, presumably escaping, but Bruce knew most of the gangsters that ran with Harvey and they were all rather dumb muscle. Scooping them up without Harvey to lead them would be a simple matter, probably wrapped up tonight.
Harvey’s half of the face was animated with worry, while Two Face seemed to have retreated to sulk, the burned side of his face sullen.
“You okay, Bruce?” said Harvey and Bruce laughed. Getting through one Rogue takedown without a punch would have felt too strange.
“I’m just fine, Harv.”