It started, for Doctor Liam Greene at least, with a notice left on his desk early July 15, a Wednesday. He was one of the head doctors at Arkham Asylum, home to some of the most dangerous psychopathic criminals around the Gotham City area.
The notice had been typed out on a computer, with an ink signature at the bottom of the page. It read;
...
Dear Faculty and Staff,
I would like to inform you of a new arrival at the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. She arrived Tuesday evening, July 14th.
She is who you may all recognize as what civilians were nicknaming 'The Mommy Murderer', the villain who has been terrorizing this city by killing many mothers in the area on mass attacks.
Her real name, however, is Charlene Clark.
I would implore you to look at her records on the database, so you know exactly what you shall be dealing with during her stay here in Arkham.
She has been placed in solitary confinement until further notice, due to her unstable persona. She will be carefully monitored at all times.
The doctor who shall be her head therapist when she is free of solitary confinement is Doctor Liam Greene.
In other news, there are twenty new guards to replace the ones who had to be let go last week. As you may know, those guards were being bribed by many of the more dangerous criminals, and were found to not be able to handle this job. I would like you all to go and introduce yourselves to the new guards as soon as possible, so as they can recognize the doctors in case of a break-out scheme.
Thank you all.
Doctor Jeremiah Arkham
Head of Arkham Asylum
...
Doctor Greene closed his eyes in frustration. He was always chosen to do the newest criminals, those too dangerous and unreadable to put into group session immediately. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, being the doctor of the Riddler as well.
He sat at his desk, and opened the Asylum's database to get a background check on Miss. Charlene Clark.
...
Charlene Bridget Marie Clark, her file read.
Age: 24
Birth Day: April 23, 1984
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 121
Blood Type: O
Natural Hair Color: Pale Blonde
Current Hair Color: N/A
Eye Color: Grey
Mother's Name: Michelle Polare-Clark (Unknown)
Father's Name: Terrance Clark, Jr. (Deceased)
Sibling: Gregory Clark – 19 (Alive)
Psychological Standing: Unstable
Known Disorders: N/A
Confined: Solitary
Patient Code: 72069
Solitary Confinement Cell #: 12E
General Holding Cell #: 86J
Reason for Admittance:
Manically and brutally murdered a count of five women for reasons undiscovered. Shows no remorse for her deeds, but does admit to the crimes.
Victims:
Janet White, 48: Several knife wounds on many parts of the body.
Karen Hayden, 52: Hung by her own scarf outside her own home.
Leslie Talia, 46: Beaten to death by hand.
Pauline Simmons, 50: Gun shot to the heart and to the back of the skull.
Gwen Lima, 47: Broken neck, appears to be by hand.
Personal Life before Admittance:
Little is known about Charlene Clark's early years, childhood, or adolescence. Her brother, Gregory Clark, refused to give any information on Charlene's personal life when approached. Neighbors of Charlene were also asked, but she was found to be an extremely private woman, never actually speaking to any of her neighbors.
Charlene was born at Justice Hospital a premature child by two and a half weeks due to stress-induced labor. She went to Kengling Elementary, Kengling Middle School, and Gotham High School throughout her years as a student. She graduated salutatorian at Gotham High. (All information found from hospital records, old school records and report cards. Report cards found in School Forms folder)
Charlene went to Darren University, but dropped out after two years. Her Major was Chemistry and she did not have a Minor. Reasons for dropping out of college are unknown.
Charlene used to work at a small Gotham college, Keegan Community College, as a lab assistant. She continued to do so through her murderous exploits, though her work records showed she called in absent more frequently than previously.
In court, she pleaded guilty of all five of the killings, and she openly admitted that she did so intentionally. She was convicted of murder, but was also considered criminally insane. Due to this, she is here in Arkham Asylum.
...
Liam was relatively unaffected by the manner of killing Charlene had used. He had dealt with criminals who had done much worse.
Though he did wonder how a girl who seemed to be small in stature would be able to pull of killing these women, especially Leslie Talia and Gwen Lima. A woman usually was found to use guns or knives for all of their killings, but Charlene was able to break a person's neck and beat somebody to deal with her bare hands, which was usually only seen in male murders.
After reading Charlene's personal life, he was somewhat shocked. Most of the people in Arkham had terrible childhoods, never finishing high school or even grade school, and never even starting college. But here was this woman, who had everything going for her, and she threw it all away in murder.
Liam shook his head to himself. He never did understand these people, how they could throw everything away like that.
'But that's the reason you're a doctor here, Liam.' He said to himself. 'Because you want to understand them.'
With that thought, he picked up the printed copy of her records, his clipboard and pen, and the taser he always brought with him to therapy, and walked out his door to start his morning therapy with Victor Zasz
...
It was whispered all around Arkham. Everyone knew, though the staff had tried their hardest to keep it from getting out too quickly. The 'Mommy Murderer' was finally in Arkham.
It probably started with the Joker, who always had outside references on news. The inmates were not allowed to watch the news, due to the insane joy they got when they heard about themselves. All the inmates, when they broke out of Arkham, loved to try and one-up each other, trying to stay the main story longer than another person.
Until Jeremiah Arkham found out, of course. Now all they are allowed to watch are educational documentaries from the discovery channel and the history channel, anything non-violent.
The standing record is three weeks by the Joker, who frequently bragged about it at the lunch table.
"So, ah, has anyone watched the news lately?" the Joker asked gleefully at lunch.
Edward Nygma, also known as the Riddler, narrowed his eyes at the Joker. "No." he said scornfully, taking a bite of whatever he was eating. "And neither have you."
The Joker giggled madly. "Oh, Eddie, of course I have. And, ah, I'd like to inform you of who's the main story!"
"Don't call me 'Eddie'." Edward snapped. "But let me take a guess at this, is it you?"
"Wrong guess, Ed-ward." The Joker said. "Come now, you're the 'Riddler', aren't you? This one should be easy for a smart guy like yourself!"
"Well if it's not you…" Nygma mused to himself. "It has to be somebody new, hm? Who is he?"
"It's not a 'he'." The Joker giggled. "It's a pretty, young one this time. Crazy as a loon! Crazy as… well… me!"
"A woman?" Edward asked, slightly surprised. There weren't many women who got into Arkham. "That's interesting."
Jervis Tetch, who sat next at the table next to the duo, spoke up. "Re-eally, now? A new woman prisoner? There hasn't been a new woman prisoner since those two murderous prostitutes." He mused. "But if there's a new woman here, why haven't any of us seen her?"
The Joker grinned in remembrance of the old duo of prostitutes that had been transferred around a month ago, then answered Jervis' question. "The chick's a nut. She's in solitary for now cause they're afraid she'd hurt us." He said, and started to laugh. "Because a little, ah, blonde chick could definitely hurt one of us."
He raised his hand to all the hardened criminals that were seated all around the cafeteria. From Victor Zsasz, who killed women on a daily basis, to Killer Croc, who could snap a neck with two fingers, to himself, the Joker, who couldn't care less who he killed, as long as it was entertaining.
Riddler laughed at that. "Very true." He said, and glanced sideways at the Joker. "So, out of curiosity, what exactly did the girl do?"
The Joker smiled and laughed again. "She killed five women; she's called the 'Mommy Murderer'. Psh, if she wants to stay in the crime business, she'd better, ah, drop that name and come up with something, ah, better." He joked, and giggled again and took a sip of his water.
The Riddler rolled his eyes at the joke. "Yes, yes. That's fine and all, but how long is she going to be in solitary confinement?" he pressed, curious about the new inmate, as everyone was.
Joker shrugged. "Nobody, ah, knows." He answered, and then looked around the cafeteria. "Speaking of nutcases with idiotic crime names, where's Icabod?"
Edward looked up, and rolled his eyes at the Joker's nickname for Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow. "He isn't back yet; he broke out around three months ago." He said. "He's apparently on the 'down low' for now, he's Batman's prime target at the moment."
The Joker grinned. "Oh, Batsy." He said, shaking his head. "Doesn't he have a life besides, ah, chasing us around? He's like a jealous ex-girlfriend." Joker giggled at his own joke, but it was drowned out by the siren that signaled the end of lunch and the start of recreational time. The three stood, and started walking out to the courtyard.
...
Charlene was quiet. She was always quiet. She had never been much of a talker; she liked to keep to herself.
That's why solitary confinement didn't affect her. She actually very much enjoyed the silence, being by herself didn't bother her in the least.
Though, in reality, she knew that she wasn't actually by herself. There were two cameras in two of the corners of her small, metal room. Both were covered in protective plastics to keep the current inmate from smashing them.
Charlene's mouth curved upwards in what you may classify as a 'smile'.
'As if there is anything to destroy those cameras with,' she thought to herself, glancing at the cameras, quite sure she was being watched. 'Every thing is wielded to the floor.'
It was true; everything that would be strong enough to break a camera was unmovable. There weren't even many pieces of furniture in the bare room. There was a small, metal bed with a limp mattress on top, which was tied down, along with sheets, a lumpy, grey blanket, and a lone pillow. There was also a tiny room to her left, with a grimy toilet, a small sink, and a small shower. Only in solitary confinement were showers not supervised, though the water was automatically shut off and drained after every five minutes to avoid suicides.
Charlene didn't mind this lifestyle in Arkham; in fact, she knew she would enjoy these weeks more than any of her time in Arkham after she was put into the general population. She didn't have to deal with any other people, being too over-friendly and prying into her personal life, and this suited her.
She was fed here meals a day, the food was sent in by dumbwaiter, and then the waste was sent back by dumbwaiter. No human contact, no awkward small-talk. Again, this suited Charlene.
She had been in her cell a day and a half, after all the testing they insisted was necessary, but, surprisingly, was not bored in the least. Though she hadn't done anything but lay on her bed and stare at the ceiling, she was quite fine. She thought about life, how she killed those women, how she got caught. She smiled to herself as she let herself sink into the memory of her last killing. Quite frankly, it was her favorite of the five.
...
'No, please!' a woman's voice pleaded for mercy. Her voice cracked from the effort of speaking with two hands wringing her neck. There was no answer from the one the woman was pleading to for mercy. Her face was covered in shadow down to her mouth, which remained without emotion as she choked the woman from behind. They were in a small park; it was abandoned for now because it was after dark. No Gotham civilians were stupid enough to walk around the park at night. If you did, it was basically an invitation to be raped and murdered. That's why Charlene had led the woman there, in an act of being followed by a criminal.
'Please,' the woman tried again, 'I have children!' At those words, the hands that gripped her neck became tighter, and Charlene, who had remained silent, spoke.
'I do believe I shall be doing those children a favor.' She whispered, moving her hands from the woman's neck to her head. The woman, whose name had been Gwen, struggled even more fiercely against the iron-grip hands that were now on either side of her head.
'I'll see you in hell.' Charlene said casually, and, in one quick movement, twisted the woman's head to the side, breaking her neck with a sharp 'snap!'. The woman sighed in pain, and then fell dead at Charlene's feet. Charlene turned from the body, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
...
Charlene's lips curved up in a half smile as she thought about the rush of killing somebody, the satisfaction. Then, the memory turned less enjoyable as she thought about her capture. By Batman.
...
As she walked towards the street to catch a cab, Charlene heard something behind her, like the flutter of a type of leathery wings. She turned to look at the now-far away body of Gwen Lima. A dark figure was crouching over it, appearing to be checking the woman's pulse. It didn't seem to notice how Gwen's neck had been posed at an unnatural angle, until he tried to check her neck's pulse.
At that point, he looked up to see Charlene staring at him.
She didn't panic. She didn't even try to run. She decided to play innocent, mess with his mind a bit, though she knew he'd figure her out in a matter of minutes. Still, she'd rather not run and be obvious.
When Charlene looked up at where Batman was supposed to be crouching, he was gone. Charlene closed her eyes, then turned around to look up at the Dark Knight, she wasn't surprised at all.
"Hello, Batman." She said quietly, her voice not unfriendly, but it had a cold edge to it. Her grey eyes were rock hard.
"There's a dead woman over there." He said, is voice a low growl. He said nothing more, but the silence suggested that there was a question hidden in that sentence.
"I know." Charlene said blatantly.
"If you know, then why didn't you do anything about it?" he asked, his voice becoming more irritated.
"Well, seeing that we live in Gotham, it's not exactly a rare sight, now is it?" Charlene said smartly, her voice never leaving the low tone that she always used.
Batman narrowed his eyes through his mask at her. "No, not exactly." He agreed, but stuck to the subject. "But if you see a dead person in a park, a normal person would at least scream and call the police, wouldn't she?" He pointed out, trying to convict her of the crime.
"Not in Gotham, Batman. Not in Gotham." Charlene disagreed. "In Gotham, when you see a dead body, you pretend that it wasn't there, and you don't attract attention to yourself. The killer may still be around."
Batman closed his eyes in irritation at the woman. "So, you expect me to believe that you just happened to walk past her body, which has been left in plain sight and is still warm, and not be involved in killing her." He asked scornfully, but was extremely surprised when she shook her head.
"No. I killed her." Charlene said blatantly.
Batman blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I killed her." Charlene said again, her voice still cold and casual. "I never said I didn't."
...
After that, Charlene willingly went with Batman. She openly admitted to all five of the killings that she had been accused of; she even seemed to be gloating a little when she was speaking of them.
Charlene frowned to herself slightly; there was something about her encounter with Batman that she didn't like. He acted very cocky. Though, Charlene thought to herself, he has a right to be, really.
Charlene pursed her lips, trying to figure it out. But she cut off all thoughts on the matter.
'He's just another pawn in the game that we call life.' she thought coldly, and rolled on her side to stare at the metal wall. Her eyes closed.
'Please, I have children…' Was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into a deep sleep.
...
This is set after the events of both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins. Just to clarify.
Review! I wanna know what you thought! :D
Jess
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Batman Begins/The Dark Knight. Nor anything at all to do with DC Comics. I merely own Charlene and her family.