"'m tired, Puddin'!"
"I know, Harley girl! Will you keep a lid on it? My head is throbbing…"
"Your head is throbbing? What about mine, you clown? Where's my coin?"
"Well, maybe you used it to buy a soda at the vending machine."
"That's weak. Even for you."
"SHUT UP! I HAVE A HEADACHE!"
Dr. Leland sighed. Due to a problem with Arkham Asylum's already poor air filtration system, the inmates were all being herded into the rec-room at precisely 11:25. Pm.
The friendly atmosphere was deteriorating faster than the filtration systems and all of the rogues hadn't even arrived yet.
The door opened suddenly and Jervis Tetch strode in. The Mad Hatter looked ready to scream 'off with your head!' at any passerby and scowled blackly at Leland and the rest as he curled on the couch.
Next to arrive was Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, carrying a sleeping Riddler in his arms.
Harley turned her attention away from her 'Puddin' to coo at them. "Awwwww…."
Jonathan scowled, shifting Edward Nygma. "For your information, this man could sleep through a nuclear war. And I wasn't going to just leave him there…"
Harley blinked, blue eyes wide. "Ya mean ya really couldn't wake him up?"
The Master of Fear sighed, shaking his head at Eddie's limp form. "No. I tried everything too. Calling his name, pulling off the blankets, tickling, told every riddle I know…nothing." He turned to Leland. "Why are we here, anyway?"
Dr. Leland sighed again, rubbing her temples. "We are going to be evacuating. Reallocating because of a damaged part in the air filtration system."
She sounded like she'd explained it several times.
"'Reallocated'?" Jonathan asked. "To where?" Blackgate was full and Jonathan knew full well that a road-trip with the rogues would want to be avoided at all costs.
"An old hotel they've been renovating near here." Leland answered, again sounding as though this was the hundredth time she'd said it.
The Scarecrow nodded. "Interesting…"
"What's interesting?"
Rolling his eyes, Jonathan looked down at the man in his arms. "Oh, sure. Now, you wake up."
Eddie blinked. "Yeah…I…" looking down, he yelped as he saw how far up he was. "Where am I?"
Jonathan smirked. "The rec-room. We're going to be reallocated to an old hotel near here until they can fix the ventilation system."
Eddie yawned, shifting against Jonathan and closing his eyes again. "Oh…"
The Scarecrow shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm not carrying you everywhere. Down." He let go of Eddie, but the Riddler stubbornly clung on. "No…"
Jonathan shook his head again, squirming. "Eddie, please…down." Scowling, the Prince of Puzzles let go and stumbled to regain his footing. Steadying him, Jonathan smirked. "Good boy."
Eddie scowled but smiled again as Jonathan rolled his eyes. The door opened a second time and Pamela Isley was ushered in, looking decidedly unhappy at being woken up so late. Or early, depending on how you thought about it. Jonathan sighed and turned to Eddie. "That's the last of us. Looks like we'll be leaving soon."
As if on cue, Dr. Leland clapped her hands.
"Alright everyone…everyone? Over here. Thank you. Now, I need you all to follow in an orderly fashion…"
Jonathan sighed, shaking his head. That was never going to happen.
As the inmates stampeded forward, he managed to catch the Riddler's arm and pull him over. "Come on." he said, letting himself get swept forward by the crowd. "I have a feeling this is going to be interesting."