Dr. Spencer Reid held his go bag in one hand, a case file in the other. Hotch, his supervisor, had gone over the situation with him in detail and was now finishing up with a series of dire warnings.

"You can't let your guard down for an instant, Reid. The man is beyond clever--he poisoned a police commissioner with his own liquor and blew up a judge right in front of her protective officers."

Reid nodded. "I understand."

"No, you don't. He murdered a mob goon with an ordinary No. 2 yellow pencil, right in front of the whole gang."

"Ok."

"You don't want to know what he can do with a potato peeler."

"Uh--"

"He has no empathy, no normal human emotions. He's a master manipulator. He killed off his own henchmen!"

"I know."

Hotch fixed Reid with an intense stare. "When I say 'be careful', I mean be on hyper-alert at all times. I want you to come back. We need you."

"I have every intention of coming back. I'll be fine." Reid gave Hotch what he hoped was a reassuring smile, nodded in farewell, and headed out the door.

"You really think you can handle this, pretty boy?" Special Agent Derek Morgan was driving Reid to the BAU's private jet airstrip.

"He's a criminal. He must have a weakness. All I have to do is figure out what it is."

"Yeah, and do it fast. Two lives are at risk. No pressure, though."

Reid gave Morgan a rueful smile. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

He got out of the car and waved goodbye, then ran up the ramp into the plane.

Forty-five minutes later, the jet landed at Gotham International Airport, and the newly appointed Commissioner, Jim Gordon, met him at the gate.

"Thank you for coming, Dr. Reid. I know this is unusual, but--the situation is unusual."

"Yes, that's what makes this so interesting. This is a case unlike any we've ever encountered. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be involved."

Gordon pursed his lips. "Yes, well--we'll see how grateful you feel after you've met the bastard."

They arrived at the MCU and Gordon escorted the young doctor to the interrogation room. As the door swung open, Reid stifled a gasp of surprise. He'd seen some grainy surveillance photos of the Joker's made-up face, but was wholly unprepared for the sight that greeted him as he walked into the room.

"Dr. Spencer Reid--this is the Joker," said Gordon. He softly said, "Good luck," as he walked back out into the hallway. Reid regarded the man sitting handcuffed at the metal table. The smeared makeup gave him a disturbingly mangled appearance which was only accentuated by his yellowed teeth and ragged scars. Reid nodded at him and took a seat himself.

"Hello."

The Joker shifted forward in his chair and smirked. "Why, hello. Doctor."

Reid swallowed before thumbing through the file. "It says here that Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes disappeared two days ago, following Dent's announcement that he is the vigilante known as Batman."

"Mm."

Reid glanced at the garishly painted face. "How did you feel when you heard about that?"

The Joker looked up at the ceiling as though pondering the question, then answered, "I was dismayed."

"Dismayed."

"Certainly. I've been curious about the Batman's true identity ever since I heard about his--exploits on behalf of this city."

"Ok. Then, I would think you would have been pleased to have had the mystery solved."

"Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?" The Joker licked his lips and sat back disinterestedly. He didn't say anything else and the silence in the room became oppressive.

"But...?" Reid prompted. The Joker looked at him as if he'd forgotten he was there.

"Oh, well, you see, I changed my mind. I don't like the idea of the truth behind Batman being revealed after all."

"Why?"

"Because. He's just too much fun."

"Fun."

"Yeah. He's... like my other half. Light and shadow, yin and yang, Tom and Jerry, that sort of thing."

"I see. So--were you angry with Dent for telling the truth?"

"Dent? Oh, no. He's a liar and a schemer, but--I don't hold any grudges against him."

"A liar? What did he lie about?"

"About being Batman. He's not. He was just trying to take the heat off of this fair city. Kind of admirable, really."

"So, your goal is not to punish Harvey Dent?"

"I don't have 'goals', Doctor. I just... do things."

Reid's frown of concentration morphed into a blank expression.

"What does Rachel Dawes have to do with all this?"

The Joker tsk'ed. "I'm not one to gossip, but--she's Harvey's little squeeze."

"Yes, they're in a romantic relationship. Does that bother you?"

"Bother me?"

"Yes, are you, uh, attracted to Rachel?"

"Well, she's a beautiful woman. I do appreciate a beautiful woman when I come across one."

"It says here you attempted to kill her once before, at a party at Bruce Wayne's."

"Oh, now that's just an exaggeration. I was only having a bit of fun with Bats and it... got out of hand. So to speak." The dark eyes twinkled.

"Bats. You call him Bats?"

"Just a little nickname."

Reid paused a moment to gather his thoughts, then pulled out a series of crime scene photographs--Brian, the Batman impersonator, and the two police officers, Dent and Harvey.

"Are you familiar with these people?"

"Umm--yes, yes I am."

"You murdered them."

"So?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Let me explain something to you, Doctor. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, just getting up in the morning is the worst decision you could possibly make. It's not my fault that those people were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"So, you accept no responsibility for your actions?"

"They were victims of chaos." The Joker lowered his voice and fixed Reid with a burning stare. "I'm an agent of chaos."

Disquieted, Reid shuffled the photos back into his folder and cleared his throat.

"Let's get back to Batman--do you feel he's engaged in some sort of on-going battle of wits with you?"

The Joker laughed. "Wits? Bats? Oh, no. He's clever enough, but the wits are... lacking."

"So, you don't regard him as your equal?"

"On the contrary. We have equal and opposite strengths and weaknesses. It's what makes it all so... interesting."

"You still want to know his identity."

"Not particularly. I just don't want the rest of the world to know." The Joker gestured with his cuffed hands and stared at his questioner. "Why did you come here today, Doctor? Do you really think I'm going to tell you where they are?"

"I hope so. Or, at least, I hope you'll tell me how to find them."

The Joker's voice turned to a deep growl.

"Do you really think I went to all that trouble to attract the attention of a little pipsqueak like you?"

"I--"

"This story is for Batman. Get him here and I'll tell him where they are."

"You want his attention."

"Yes."

"Why? Why do you need Batman so much?"

"I--" The anger faded from the Joker's eyes and an almost gentle smile crossed his face. "You think I'm some kind of a monster, don't you?"

"I think you have some severe psychological disorders, possibly schizophrenia, long-term psychosis, bi-polar disorder, PTSD, narcissism--"

The Joker's face was now scrunched into a "what the heck?" expression. "So, you don't think I'm capable of normal human emotions?"

"I think your ability to process stimuli may be compromised, or at the least, drastically altered from the norm."

The Joker licked his lips and leaned forward. "Do you think I'm capable of--falling in love?"

"I don't know."

"I do. And, I am. Put it together, Doc."

Reid stared, puzzled. "You... love... Batman?"

"Now you've got it. Tell Gordon, if he wants to save them, to get Bats in here. Time's running out."

Reid nodded and gathered his things. He stood up, walked to the door and tapped for the guard. He glanced once more at the madman at the table. The Joker raised an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you, Doc."

Reid didn't answer and when the door was opened, he slipped out, feeling as if he'd just arrived back on planet earth after a little side trip into hell.

"So?" Gordon asked. "What did he say?"

"You need to find Batman immediately."

"Why?"

"Whatever else may be going on, one thing is clear--he's willing to reveal his captives' whereabouts to him, and only to him."

"I don't understand."

Reid smiled slightly. "I'm afraid love is never easy to understand, Commissioner. Just get Batman in there. I think he'll cooperate with him."

"Love?" Gordon said to himself as he punched a number into his phone. He congratulated himself on getting the genius doctor to speak with the Joker.

He was obviously a match for the Joker's intelligence.

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