[color=ghostwhite][i]Uh oh. It was all going so well, too...[/i]

Dick dispatched the thug ineffectually trying to creep up behind him with a simple jab to the throat that left the man curled up in a quivering ball and sprang towards Harley. He'd been operating outside of Batman's normal guidelines all night, from burning rubber through central Gotham to going into a combat area foregoing prior surveillance, not to mention partnering up with the Joker's former squeeze. All would be forgiven if he got Bruce back though, unless he got Harley killed along the way. That would be too much.

Perhaps he needn't have worried. After all, Harley was certainly no wilting violet unable to protect herself. As he had quipped at the beginning of the night, she was not the damsel in distress, she was the damsel distressing everyone else. Even as he moved to aid her, she displayed just how she'd managed to both stay the joker's main girl and keep control of his goons; short bursts of insane, unmitigated violence.

A thug sailed through the air, clearly propelled by a blow from her bat that must've felt like Bane delivered it. Dick couldn't suppress a small twinge of amusement and... pride? Something like that, anyway, something warm at seeing the clown queen of direct her blows at a three time murderer rather than a member of his extended family.

The other members of joker's gang were stumbling backwards, probably having seem this brand of carnage before from another source, and Dick spotted a golden opportunity. When he and Damian or he and Bruce interrogated suspects or potential informants, they slipped easily into the roles of good cop and bad cop. Bruce was practically the original bad cop and Damian's clear desire to inflict pain on criminals generally made up for his less than imposing stature, especially if they'd seen him fight. And Harley's current persona, faked or not, was the perfect opposite for his own practised routine of good cop, even more so as lethal violence was clearly on her mind in a way it was never on his or any Bat-family member's.

He just had to hope she'd pick up on what he was doing. [i]Shame I can't wink through the mask[/i] he mused, stowing away his clubs and stepping between the men and Harley.

[i][color=dodgerblue]"Now Harley, there's no need to bludgeon out anyone's brains out across the floor. No need to cave in skulls or shatter spines. I'm completely certain we can resolve this without anyone being crippled or maimed, really, I am. In fact, I'm sure these fine men were about to volunteer the information we need to know so that we can leave here while they still have all their teeth. And the use of their legs. "[/color][/i]

He looked over his shoulder at the slightly bemused henchmen and nodded encouragingly.

[i][color=dodgerblue]"Isn't that right guys?"[/color][/i][/color]