I do not own any of the characters described in this story in any way, shape, or form.
"We the jury, find the defendant…not guilty, by reason of insanity."
I don't think anyone could have known how great an impact those two little words would have on Gotham City. None of the people in the courtroom could have known. Not Judge Faden, or Rachel Dawes, not even Harvey Dent. It was impossible for them to comprehend how the words not guilty would lead to one of the darkest periods in Gotham's history.
So now I find myself here, at Axis Chemicals. Poor Karlo is dead at my feet, and Tetch and I are being forced to watch as the Joker is lowered into a vat of toxic chemicals. Still, I can't help but think back to those words.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Jonathan Crane, I'm a doctor. A psychiatrist to be more precise. I have always been very good at what I do. I've never had any problem helping people with serious mental health issues if I so chose too.
But during my developmental years certain circumstances that were beyond my control would spawn a second consciousness. I loath to say he's a split personality because what we have together is so much more complicated than that. But needless to say, my other has had a somewhat adverse effect on my practice of medicine. The desire he instilled in me during my youth, this overwhelming desire to analyze and understand fear, would lead to my current situation.
But much has happened between that final day in court and now. So I'll start my story on that frigid December day in downtown Gotham.