Fear of Demons

The Assignment

Well, this is a tentative start for my second story here. This will be much longer than the first, but I won't have time to update it until after my last exam on the 15th. This is set in an alternate universe from the movie, but it uses similar concepts. Crane is one of the main characters, but the plot does not focus solely on him.

Genre: Drama, angst, horror.

Synopsis: Things are going well for Alexandra until she gets involved with disturbing characters at Arkham Asylum, including the elusive Dr. Crane.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that are licensed to DC Comics. I only own original characters & plot.


"Hello, Dr. Ali. Can you please hold for Dr. Davidson?" a voice articulated from the small black cell phone. Alexandra quietly sighed.

Well, at least the service here is good, she thought. The voice sounded as if its' owner were right next to her. "Of course," she replied, somewhat reluctantly. She had been hoping that her day off from Mount Angels Hospital in Gotham could be spent in relative calm, shopping for her new house and for herself. Four and a half hours of uninterrupted bliss had past before her cell phone had given its' methodical, polite ring, reminding her of her many responsibilities. It had taken her almost two minutes to balance the countless shopping bags on her arms so that she could reach into her handbag to answer it. She had taken her time, hoping that whoever was calling would give up, but apparently her period of solitude for the day was over. There was silence at the other end for a few seconds before the senior manager of the Obstetrician and Gynecology Unit came on the line. As usual, his voice was enthusiastic, something of which Alexandra had become wary in her three months in Gotham, when she had started working at the hospital. Dr. Davidson always sounded excited, even when the news was less than good.

"Sorry to bother you on your day off, Alex, but I really need your assistance here. Something's come up. You're not too busy, are you?" The question was rhetorical, she knew, a mere courtesy.

"Umm...no, not really," she answered, hoping she didn't sound as unwilling as she felt. Her day of peace was over; she could hear it in his voice.

"Good," he said warmly, as if her reply was as eager as his tone. "You know about that nasty virus that's been going around, right? The one that was in the news because apparently it was genetically engineered? I understand you're familiar with it."

"Yeah, we did a bit of research on it at the lab. It's not fatal, but we linked it to possible infertility in women, probably due to, umm, secondary infection, but that's only in severe cases. I thought that we had the vaccines all ready to go." A military research facility was rumoured to have accidentally released the virus, but they denied it. Alex guessed that they were guilty by the way they generously offered to pay for the manufacture of the vaccines. She thought that they were lucky the virus was not deadly and no epidemic had broken out.

"We do, but you know we're still trying to eradicate it completely, especially in female cases. Your report said that women were to be given a higher priority due to the whole infertility business."

"Yes, I remember. I went to St. Patrick's and County General last week and they've contained their cases. I'm certain that batches of the vaccine have been sent out to all of the other hospitals and health centres, so, you know, everyone should have adequate access…….." she trailed off, unsure of what was the problem but nevertheless feeling that it was something that she was not going to like.

"Well, that's it. There's been a report of a case at Arkham Asylum; that's considered unusual because they have strict health measures and patients don't come and go as often as in the hospitals," he explained.

"But I thought someone from the hospital was assigned to go there," she intervened, realizing what he was about to ask. She dreaded the thought of spending another week writing elaborate medical reports.

"Yes, Dr. Lehmann, but he's been called out of town on urgent business. He's been gone since Thursday and won't be back until next week; the case was reported this morning. The asylum's director requested that someone be sent over today. He doesn't want it to spread to the other inmates, particularly the females. Can you make it there at least this evening? You'll need to organize yourself with the director about taking blood samples and so on."

"Sure," Alex replied. What a way to spend a Saturday afternoon: in Gotham's notorious asylum for the insane. Judging from the headlines she saw each morning over her coffee, Gotham had a lot of insane people.

"Great. You don't have to carry anything; they've got a fully equipped lab with the necessary supplies," he informed her.

"How lovely," she replied dryly. Davidson laughed at the sound of her voice.

"Well, you'll have fun, I'm sure. Getting to socialize with Crane is always interesting; you'll have stories to tell. Oh damn, I've got to prep for surgery. Talk to you later," he said hurriedly, and hung up before she had a chance to question him further.

Alexandra tried to recollect the vague descriptions she had heard about the asylum. All that she had gotten from Loralai was that it was Gotham's Haunted House and that the director was an insufferable, arrogant bastard. Well, that sounds like Crane, whoever he is, she thought wryly. Oh, she was definitely going to have fun. She took a yearning look at the bookstore she was about to enter before her phone had rung, then turned back and started walking to her car.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Dr. Jonathan Crane carefully locked the door to his laboratory on the first floor of Arkham Asylum. He briskly walked down the hallway, annoyed that the practical work he had been planning to complete today would have to be postponed. One of the female inmates had contracted the virus that those idiots in the military had released, and now he had to isolate the damned thing before it spread. The last thing he needed was for a medical emergency to be declared in the asylum; attention was not something for which he craved, especially with his current line of research. Lehmann had once again demonstrated his incompetence by leaving the city without even informing him; he had missed his appointment on Thursday to evaluate the patients and he had not even the decency to send a replacement. Crane had himself called Thursday afternoon and inquired about the absence of Lehmann. He was told another doctor would be assigned, but Friday had come and gone and only now, when he had reported an outbreak of the virus, had they deigned to send someone.

He reached the corner and turned, intent on going to his office. He would have time to obtain the medical files of all the female patients and then he would have a late lunch, as he was sure that whoever they had sent would undoubtedly arrive late. Apparently the doctors at Mount Angels were skilled in the art of procrastination, and Crane decided that he would dispense some advice on the topic of efficiency to the doctor who was due to arrive. It was already 2:30 p.m. and he had gotten confirmation from Dr. Davidson an hour ago that someone was coming. He stopped short as he noticed a girl at the far end of the hall, walking in the direction of his office that was just around the corner and looking at the doors as she went. He started to walk towards her, irritated. Obviously she was from the high school group that had taken a tour earlier that day. He disliked having people wonder around in the asylum unnecessarily, particularly air- headed teenagers. It was fortunate that he was able to make himself unavailable during most these tours; he loathed answering the mindless questions that were directed to him by Gotham's upcoming generation of adults. This one was probably from junior high, he guessed, noticing her slight build.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he began firmly as he came up behind her, "you're not allowed to wander around this area unsupervised. This is an asylum, not a museum." At the sound of his voice the girl turned around, surprised. He found himself looking down into a pair of eyes that were as light as his own, but emerald instead of frosty blue, and framed by a fringe of black lashes. She wasn't as juvenile as he'd initially thought; from the youthful look of her face he estimated her age to be somewhere in her late teens. She frowned slightly and looked confused.

"Oh," said a lucid, contralto voice marked with a slight British accent, "actually, I was looking for the director. The receptionist said his office was up here. I'm from Mount Angels Hospital," she added.

"I'm the director," Crane said, a bit puzzled; he'd requested a doctor, not a candy striper. "And you are?"

"I'm Dr. Alexandra Ali," she extended a slim hand. "I'm here to help contain the virus outbreak that you reported."

Crane stared at her, dumbfounded, wondering if the management at the hospital had decided to play a joke on him. She could be no older than seventeen. He stood silent, momentarily at a loss for words.

After a few seconds Alexandra dropped her hand, feeling awkward. She looked off to the side and then back at his unreceptive face. She offered him a tentative smile. "I was told by Dr. Davidson that you were expecting me," she said hesitantly. People were often surprised by her appearance, but not to the extent that they gawked at her as if she was an alien. She became aware of his scrutiny and remembered that she was not formally dressed. She was wearing a skirt that fell below her knees, calf- length boots, a knitted shirt over a camisole top and a beret over her hair. With the exception of the cream camisole top, everything was black. She was aware she probably looked like a goth-inspired teen, and felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Yes, I requested a gynaecologist, in light of the nature of the situation," he said finally, recovering somewhat from his preliminary shock. He did not return her smile.

"I am a gynaecologist," she told him, keeping her tone neutral. Already she was tired and she wasn't in the mood to deal with temperamental doctors, especially one who supervised an asylum. He obviously doesn't know anything about first impressions, she thought, observing his impassive countenance.

He gave a short, dry laugh that sounded more like a scoff. "I didn't expect that he would send an intern; I'm afraid that this requires a doctor with some sort of experience. This is a serious matter, you understand," he said superiorly.

Not afraid to mince words, are you? she thought sarcastically. She was glad that she had an advance warning about him. Loralai had been right; he was most definitely a jackass of the highest order. However, she wasn't in a fighting mood today so she would settle for pacifism.

"Well, I'm not an intern, but if you like, I can try to get a senior doctor to come instead. It's rather sudden, though, so you may have to wait until tomorrow for a full examination of each patient." She maintained the impartial quality of her words. "In the meantime," she continued as she reached into her black bag, "I'll see if I can call and arrange to have your patient moved to the hospital to prevent the infection from spreading."

Crane looked at her, uncertain of how he should respond. If he waited for another doctor it would not only imply that he didn't regard the matter with the urgency he proclaimed, it would mean prolonging the entire disaster, which he wanted to avoid as it would postpone his work even further. If he allowed her to do the evaluation, it would seem as if he had made a pointless objection. Either way, he surmised, he came across as being an idiot. He sighed to himself. He had no choice but to concede; time was of the utmost importance to him and he hated to waste it.

Alexandra had her cell phone in her hand and was about to press the button to speed dial the hospital when she heard Crane clear his throat. She raised her head to look at him.

"Actually, that won't be necessary," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "Any more delays will disrupt the other patients' therapy sessions. That's something I try hard to avoid. You can begin the evaluation by taking the blood samples. If you require any assistance for the analysis I'll have someone come over from County General."

Well, why didn't you call them in the first place, dumbass? she thought, annoyed."Alright, then," was all she said. She didn't bother to tell him that presently County General had a shortage of doctors. She was certain that she could complete the analysis by herself. If she needed help for whatever reason, she'd just ask Davidson.

"I was just about to get the patients' medical records from my office. It's this way." He gestured to the end of the hall and began walking. She followed him, wondering how she would manage to cope with his blatant conceit.


A/N: Short chapter, I know. This is just an introduction, really. The next chapter brings more mystery and suspense, including murder. Alex will try to control her anger at Crane, who for some reason does his best to irritate her.

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.

FalconHorror.