A/N: Reviews, positive or negative, will be greatly appreciated!

Chapter One

Monday; the day Dr. Jonathan Crane abhorred most. Monday to Dr. Crane meant putting a stopper in his personal experimental research and putting on the dreary façade of a highly-regarded psychiatrist caught in the monotonous shuffle of a common work day. Above all, he dreaded having to restrain himself from showing his pleasure in his patient's nervous breakdowns rather than their recoveries; a task most draining. Yet this particular Monday was different. Due to the new round of interns starting, naturally many of his most loathsome colleagues had decided to take "personal time" and use excuses of illness to avoid the annoyance. Dr. Crane enjoyed that this thinned the crowd outside of the building; no eyes examined him as he strolled up the winding walkway, no mindless chatter cluttered his concentration. He felt a tinge of serenity as he listened to the pebbles scattering beneath his feet, the deadened leaves rustling in the wind, and the crows cawing from the wires above. As he climbed the grey stone steps of Arkham Asylum he took a deep breath, admiring the heavy fog and grey sky of the early morning. This weather always seemed to lighten his mood; he felt that this type of weather lowered "normal" people's mental dispositions and moods, and he relished the thought of cheerful idiots being brought down to his level and to feel the ache of boredom and apathy, even if just for one day. He approached the security booth, slipped his hand inside the breast pocket of his jacket for his pass card, and slid it under the glass window.

"Mornin' Doctor Crane." mumbled the guard in his subtle southern drawl.

"Good Morning Cash, you're looking rather down today." said Crane with a cool smirk. His voice was smooth and his speech was extremely articulate.

"I've had better mornings. The day ain't even started yet and we've already had three brawls in the main cell block at the penitentiary" complained Aaron Cash

"Ah, well, nothing like a little bloodshed to brighten the day." Crane said sarcastically to hide his amusement, "Terrible weather isn't it?"

"It sure doesn't help. You enjoy those interns Crane; they look like they ain't gonna be much help either!"

"Oh, I'm sure I will." he muttered to himself, wearing the same cool smirk as he pushed open the heavy double wooden doors and entered the Asylum.

As he made his way down the dilapidated main corridor of the Medical Facility his improved mood was cut short by the unwelcoming sight of Joan Leland lecturing to the sad new faces; apparently the most loathsome of them all decided her presence was too important to be missed. This meant that his usual hobby of seeing whom he can push to the limit and how to do it (he was quite fascinated with the limits of the mind) would be impossible. What could he possibly achieve with the prying, watchful eyes of Joan Leland working alongside him? He shuddered at the thought, and therefore he no longer had any interest in the shabby looking beings standing in front of him. As he attempted to avoid the attention of the group he felt the pang of irritation as Leland's voice reached his ears, filling minds with useless drivel. "…it is essential to abstain from divulging any personal information to patients, as well as establishing any kind of relationship other than professional…" she persisted in her thick accent, the echo carrying it throughout the entire corridor now. Crane quickened his pace, staring at the doors ahead determined to avoid eye contact with anyone; this was challenged by his desire to roll his eyes at the nonsense that was being preached.

"…safety is a priority for all persons in this building at any given time. Let it be known that any mistreatment of a patient shall not be tolerat-Jonathan! There you are! It's about time, I thought maybe you had taken the day off. Where have you been? It's not a flattering habit to be coming to work late, you know? I think you should introduce yourself to our new pupils."

He came to a halt; his stomach lurched at the audacious patronization from someone he considered incompetent. He turned to face her, his voice shaking with the difficulty of restraint as he said, "I prefer Dr. Crane, Dr. Leland. I'm sure you of all people can appreciate the value of professionalism? Or do your new pupils need to remind you of what you said not 20 seconds ago?" his voice now calm and uncomfortably monotone, "Either way I don't see how it is any of your concern."

"Perhaps not. But may I ask what it is you mean by my pupil's? You do realize we are inconveniently understaffed today?" She spoke with the inflection of a nagging school teacher. He winced at her incapability to grasp his meaning and drew a deep breath as he said "Well, certainly that is none of my concern." He said as the right corner of his mouth curled in disgust, "And you are aware of the fact that we are here to conduct research that needs to be attended to? Now if you'll excuse me, I intend to do just that."

He turned again without giving Dr. Leland a chance to say anything more, walking even more quickly fueled by the agitation from her ignorance. His blood boiled at the notion of someone so conforming and naive doubting his ethic. As he went for the door he knocked into the shoulder of a young blonde intern with nearly enough force to remove her glasses. She scoffed indignantly at his rudeness, yet he paid no mind. The encounter had left him with an unyielding need to focus on his personal work.

But first he needed something from his office…