The big day. I was woken up at the crack of dawn, thrown into a shower, and then back into my holding cell. Good news was that Molly told me Crane called in sick for the day. Maybe I gave him internal bleeding. I hoped so.

My little fiasco with Crane had spread like wildfire. I had guards come to my door and tell me congratulations and such.

It was around three o'clock when Aaron came to my door and told me it was time to go.

"Oh shit," was all I could manage.

"Stick close kid," he said. "You'll be okay."

"Sure until your gone," I said.

He didn't respond. We had to down to the main floor, to get access to the elevator that took you up to M ward. It was all very high security. Aaron had to put a key in, and then type a password. When he finished, it scanned his fingerprints, retina, and then voice.

The ride up was fast. The elevator seemed to move at super speed.

"Now your not going right to your cell," Aaron said. "Crane left instructions that you were to be brought into the group therapy meeting and introduced."

I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Seriously?" I asked. I hoped it was a joke.

"Unfortunately," he said, sounding disgusted. "But I'm going to stay with you, and make sure you get back to your cell alright."

I sighed with relief. I was happy about Aaron staying with me, but at the same time, I didn't want them to think I was special. Special could easily be misinterpreted as rat.

"Aaron, do you think that's a good idea?" I asked. "Treating me special?"

"We wait with all new inmates," he said, smiling. "Don't worry, you won't look like a rat to them. They know Crane well enough to know when he's up to something."

"Okay," I said. Maybe I could find some allies here. Aaron made it sound like they didn't like Crane either.

"Besides," Aaron said, as we left the lift and entered the hall. After a three of four doors, all of the same routine as the elevator, we entered a larger, main hallway. "They all heard about you kicking the shit out of Crane. Some even applauded."

My cheeks flushed.

"This is where your cell is," he said, pointing to the very first cell, nearest the door. "Your lucky. It stays pretty warm in this one, because of the heater overhead. Otherwise the cells up here are freezing. One of Crane's therapy techniques."

"That's not therapy technique. It's a torture one," I said, disgusted. I was hating Crane more and more by the day,

"Who's the hospital administrator?" I asked. "Can't you go to him, tell them about the inhumane treatment they have up here?"

Aaron laughed, but it was not a happy sound.

"Tried," he said. "Crane always has some excuse."

"My dad could make him change it," I said. "If he knew what were happening, even to me, right now. His whole administration would crumble."

"You could try kid," Aaron said stopping outside a large metal door. "But Crane would find a way to turn your old man against you. Say you were suffering delusions or something. He's a crafty bastard."

I sighed. He was right. My father abandoned me here. I was on my own.

"What do they know about me?" I asked. One last thing, before I went in.

"Knowing this bunch, probably everything," he said. "And one tip of advice, don't try to lie. They will see right through it."

I nodded my head. Go time. Aaron opened the door and we walked in. The room was small, filled with ten or twelve people. Max. And all of them were in black. Crane had my color switched this morning. I was now in white. Oh boy.

I saw, to my disappointment, that all the faces were male, and they were all looking at me.

Aaron whistled, a high pitched, horrible sound. It made me cringe. The room fell completely silent.

"Everybody this is," but Aaron didn't get to finish. A man in the back, piped up,

"Elsbeth Anasztazia Grey. Twenty, daughter of Victor and Camilla Grey. No known mental illnesses."

I had to do my best not to let my mouth hang open. They knew it everything. It was like they had my file.

"Did you really punch Crane in the face?" a short man, with sharp facial features asked me.

"It was self defense," I said.

There was a round of laughing, and I heard one particular laugh, or a cackle more like. Moving through the crowd that had formed around Aaron and myself was none other than the Joker. I felt my blood turn to ice.

"Hello beautiful," he said, moving to stand less than a foot in front of me.

"Back off Joker," Aaron said, putting his hand on the taser that was clipped to his belt.

Now, ah, Aaron, be reasonable," the Joker said, putting his hands out in front of him. "I was just ah, welcoming the little lady."

"I know what you were doing," Aaron said, his voice deep and threatening.

The Joker was staring hard at Aaron when I interrupted them by sticking my hand out to the Joker, in a formal shake.

"Elsbeth Grey," I said.

He looked at my hand, and then to my face. His already destroyed mouth split into a terrifying grin.

"Joker," he said, grasping my hand gently and giving it a few pumps. When I went to pull away, he held fast. His grip became like iron.

"Need something?" I asked. I really wanted to tell him to let the fuck go of my hand, but I didn't want to get on anybodies bad side right away.

He threw his head back and laughed.

"What, ah, are you offering?" he said, with one eyebrow raised.

"What do you want?" I countered. He was testing me.

"I can think of a few things," he replied, with a raunchy leer in place.

"Not interested," I said, ripping my hand from his grasp. "There's no incentive for me."

He looked at me then, and not just my body. I felt his eyes bore into mine. They were even scarier than Crane's.

"Oh, I, ah, am sure I could make it worth your while," he said, his voice never staying the same. It went high and low. He drug certain words out, and others were extra short. But through all that I read the confidence in his voice.

It was my turn to laugh. Men were all the same. Even the crazy ones. They all thought they were Casanova's in the bedroom.

"I'm flattered by your offer, Mr. Joker, but I have to decline," I said, respectfully. Another universal fact about men, they all had terribly large egos, that were incredibly weak. One small jab, and it crumbled. The results could be catastrophic.

"Why's that doll face?" he asked, moving his face closer to mine. I felt Cash stiffen, but I was alright. He was looking for the truth.

I told him the truth.

"You scare me and that just doesn't work for me," I replied.

His smile returned, larger than before. He leaned in, so his mouth was right next to my ear. I could feel his scarred lips.

"We'll ah, just have to change that. Won't we?" he whispered. It made me shiver. He saw it and let out another loud cackle and walked away.