Psychosis: A Batman Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own DC's 'Batman', nor anything pertaining to the comic legends nor its franchise. If I did…
Footsteps alerted the current patients to a visitor. From the rhythm and spacing of said footfalls, many of the residents of Arkham Asylum proceeded on with their daily routines, no longer perturbed by the intruder. A few were curious though, as the Doctor wasn't due for another three days and, even then, she had only ever made four trips to this area of the Eastern Wing. The guards came to a stop outside of an office located at the very end of the hall, one that previously belonged to a current patient of the Asylum.
"There's no way for him to breech the restraints. Two guards will be stationed outside and two will be waiting with Crane. If we have even a slight suspicion of any form of an attempt to escape or harm, we'll be in there within the blink of an eye." The man was not entirely happy with the situation but the woman had friends in places he'd never even heard of.
"Thank you. I appreciate all of this Sir." She shook his hand and knocked on the door. The head of security gave her an odd look but she just patiently waited outside. She entered the room only when she was extended an invitation by one of, if not the most, notorious of criminals Gotham had ever had the misfortune of creating: The Joker.
"It's uh, nice to know that manners still exist." He stated and she smiled at him as he motioned to the seat across from him. "Please, make yourself, uh, comfortable."
"Thank you." She said, noting his body language and the way his eyes would look to the mirror behind her. "My name is Doctor Spencer Blake. It's a pleasure to meet you. I appreciate you taking the time to allow me to." She shook his hand, as if this was just an average man. The Joker smirked at that. He wasn't entirely sure what this woman's angle was just yet. "I need to inform you, before we proceed, that a fellow inmate of yours has been granted a special favour by the other Doctors for being so well-behaved this past month."
"What sort of favour, honey?"
"Doctor Jonathon Crane will be watching for the first part of this session."
"And, uh, why would he want to do that? Huh? What's in it for, uh, him?" His gaze was piercing and, as she predicted, unwavering as she met his eyes and held the contact.
"Doctor Crane wants to watch me face my deepest fear." The Joker raised an eyebrow. "I'm absolutely terrified of clowns and anything I believe is related to them, including the tunes used in ice-cream vans." The deranged man let out a manic laugh, doubling over with mirth.
"Clowns?! Hahahahaha, you're not afraid of me." He declared. "The Scarecrow got the open end of the burlap sack!" He was taken over, once again, with manic glee as he laughed into the mirror, knowing that the man behind it would be building up with rage.
"I am wary of you though, but it was the masks your fellow accomplices wore that got to me. There's nothing funny about a clown." She said, maintaining eye contact.
"No. No there's not." The Joker agreed. The beginning of the session was simply having the Joker give his side of the story, a play-by-play of the events from his perspective. It was only once the Scarecrow was taken back to his cell that the woman started asking the real questions.
"You probably get this a lot, and I don't mean any offense but, how did you get those scars?"
"You want to know how I got these scars? Heh, you know, honey, uh, those are what I call 'Famous Last Words'. Wanna know why Sugar?" He lent over the table and abruptly screamed out his next words. "Because no one survives the story!" She flinched, it'd have been almost impossible not to with the sheer volume alone, but she waited and waited, studied and revised the information she had in her head. The Joker realised soon enough that she had patience and tolerance not yet seen by himself in this environment. "You didn't bring a notepad or a pencil in with you Sugar." He stated, breaking the silence. "Guess you heard all about my magic trick." He smirked again, hoping to see some form of fear in her eyes.
"I did." She simply said. "Is a magic trick behind the scars Mr. Joker?" The Joker's lips twitched and Spencer eyed him cautiously. "You know, I also heard all about the story you gave that night at the fundraiser. I believe it was the night you dropped Miss Dawes out of a skyscraper." Her stare had turned analytical. "You claimed that your mother was the reason behind the scars; that you mutilated yourself in order to bring her some form of reassurance, to make her feel as if she belonged. Do you know what that story, along with your current body language, tells me?" His shoulder relaxed as he leaned back in his chair. "That tells me that your mother was the reason behind the scars but it was her who inflicted them." He began to laugh at that but the Doctor knew better. "Some people call you a sociopath; others: psychopath." The Joker's eyes narrowed, not at all liking the direction this session was going. "You call yourself the Clown Prince of Gotham," she paused for a moment before standing and making her way to the door, "while your mother called you every name under the sun except for the one she gave you. It was a pleasure meeting you, Jack." The Joker pounded the table with his fists as he made to get up but the door was already open and the woman had walked out. He continued his violent outburst long after the Doctor had disappeared, screaming out threats while he kicked and yelled, leaving the room heavily sedated, as well as bruised and bleeding.
"That was a very stupid thing to do Doc."
"Maybe, but he'll replay every single thing that happened in that room."
"While planning your death. He's a complete maniac! For Christ's sake, why are you even bothering with that thing?"
"We're all capable of becoming exactly like him. I want to understand why so that we can prevent it from happening again."
''
Spencer Blake was right about one thing: the Joker dwelled on the session he had, obsessed over the happenings in that room and replayed her words, internalising the memories. He wasn't very impressed with her ability to read body language but he'd give her a break; another chance. She earned that when she stalled the session, saving the personal questions for the Joker until after the Scarecrow had been escorted back to his cell. He smirked as he brought his food to his mouth. Jonathan Crane was absolutely livid come dinner time and the Joker was enjoying it very much.
''
"So, Sugar, what, uh, brings you here? Don't you, uh, have your own crazy to deal with?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently leaving this room unharmed and unaffected by your presence has disrupted routine. Congratulations: you are now my only patient. How do you feel about that?" If that eerie grin wasn't already cut into his face, she was certain it would have stretched as wide when she asked that.
"I'm feeling, uh, a little special. Are they sure they, uh, want to do this?"
"'They'? Wouldn't the better question be if I was sure?"
"No, Sugar; not at all. You want to be here. I don't have any objections if you don't." She tilted her head, that practiced smile ever present on her lips.
"They were very insistent."
"Why did you, uh, hesitate to take me on then Sugar?"
"I find it unfair on behalf of my previous patients." She readjusted herself in her chair. "Enough about my new schedule. It's been three days since our first session. You were angry when you left and I expected to see some of that manifest today. What changed?"
"You're a smart one, Sugar. There, uh, won't be a thing that'll get past you." She waited silently for him to answer her question. "Okay, okay: I was angry." He rolled his eyes and giggled, shrugging his shoulders in a 'what can you do' manner. "You made the Scarecrow angrier though."
"Thriving off of chaos." She stated simply.
"Good, ole' Johnny boy wants to see you screaming in fear, Sugar." He smirked at her. "Whatchya gonna do about it?"
"Was the Doctor's anger the only reason you've decided to give me a chance?" She watched him closely, as always.
"Well, well, well. You really do look beyond what you see."
"I wouldn't have pegged you for a fan of 'The Lion King'. It's good to know you weren't completely robbed of any sort of childhood experiences." Her eyes were calculating and the Joker made a conscious effort not to move a muscle. She was fishing for some sort of insight, some sort of sign, that the Joker had memories of a happy time when he was growing up.
"You were, uh, kind enough to, uh, stall our session Sugar. I, uh, guessed you were owed." He looked at her, a dark hatred passing through his eyes. "I hate being in someone else's debt." She nodded in understanding. Apparently, the infamous Clown may have a conscience of some sort, contrary to popular belief. She made a mental note of this.
''
"You mean to tell me that you went back in there? Not only that, but you're taking him on as your only client?" The man turned back to her. "How stupid are you?!" She rolled her eyes.
"I believe," the older gentleman spoke up from his place by the dining room door, "what Master Bruce is trying to say is, is that he's worried about you and wishes and that you would cease to put yourself in harms way." Bruce Wayne let out a sigh as he held the bridge of his nose. "I will leave the two of you alone now." Alfred announced, taking his cue, sensing it was his time to leave.
"Look," Bruce began, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I know exactly what he is capable of; I've lived what he's capable of. Just, please, leave. Him. Be." His face was serious and his words as stern as they were a desperate plea. "You've always been there for me, through everything. I can't lose you too."
"Bruce, I get it: you think I'll end up like, like, well you know." Bringing up the topic of Rachael was still too soon, she felt. Bruce hadn't had enough time to properly grieve. "All I'm doing is my job: strictly that and nothing else. I have no hidden agendas; no other plans. That's the only reason I'm doing this. If I can, in any way, help to prevent this city creating another chaotic villain, I'm going to try my damnedest. There's nothing you can say or do that's going to change my mind Brucey." Bruce let his hands fall back to his side. He inhaled deeply, knowing that the woman was just too stubborn when she put her mind to it. Holding the bridge of his nose, he conceded.
"Fine. Fine." She shook her head, a small smile on her face as she waited for him to continue. "But," and there it was: the condition, "you wear something from the tech room so communications are always open."
"That's an invasion of privacy." She pointed out. He gave her a deadpanned look. She shrugged. "What?"
"And you'll give me a copy of your schedule." She rolled her eyes but nodded.
"Anything else, Master Wayne?" She said, sarcasm underlying a playful tone.
"Please, if anything goes wrong or you feel like something isn't right: you immediately send us a signal."
"Master Wayne, you got yourself a done deal." He turned her around, pushing her lightly to the doors.
"Now get. Shoo!"
"Goodnight Alfred!" She screamed. "Night, Brucey."
''
Authors Note: So, I've had this just sitting there as well. What do you know? I should clean out folders more often! I tend to gravitate towards chaotic characters and those with issues (favour them is probably a more apt word if I'm being honest) so it may not come as a surprise that I had written a story for the Joker. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this little chapter. There's more in this one, too, so there'll definitely be an update soon enough.