A/N: So, Katherine is, I think, quickly turning into a much braver (or much more stupid) person that I originally made her, but this time, I really wanted to put some emphasis on the relationships she is slowly building with the patients in Arkham as she figures out her own affinity towards them.

To the kind guest who left a review on my story, no, sadly, Katherine loves Killer Croc, but only as a very close friend, she will however not fall in love with him, she is destined for someone else, though, sadly, it will take some time before they both acknowledge their feelings.

So, let's continue onward!

Shadows over Gotham

Chapter 7.

Sitting in my office, I glanced at the clock to see how much time did I have before my next session with the Scarecrow, a third one this week. It was 15:45, which meant I had only fifteen more minutes to prepare. Crane was meant to be my last patient for today before I'd be allowed to leave for the weekend, and while I felt kinda sad at the thought of not seeing any of the patients for two days, I really needed to take some rest, but for now I was trying to calm down as I was feeling a little agitated and I didn't want Crane to see. After my session with Killer Croc I was still a bit chilled from being in the damp sewers for so long and so I headed in my warm office in somewhat of a hurry, when suddenly, I rounded the corner only to almost bump into a group of heavily armed guards.

"Are you ok, doctor?" the one in the front and the one I almost ran into asked with concern in his voice. "Of course." I nodded, smiling at him. "Sorry, officer, I wasn't paying much attention." I said, and I glanced behind him, noticing they were currently in a process of moving a patient. "I'll just get out of your way so you can cont…" suddenly my voice has died off as I moved to the side to let them pass, and I saw exactly who they were in charge of. "Oh my god." I said before I was able to stop myself. "You are Victor Zsasz, are you?" I breathed out as I looked at the sight in front of me.

That was the first time I actually saw Victor Zsasz, the famous serial killer, who was currently strapped to one of those upright gurneys they were using here to transport the most dangerous of their patients, but that didn't make him look any less unnerving as he glanced over at me. He wore the classic orange Arkham trousers, but the upper part of his body was naked as he wanted to display the collection of thin tally mark scars cut into his skin, each representing one of his victims. There were many of them.

"Perhaps." he said in that strange, sing-song voice of his, as he tilted his head to the side, looking at me with mildly curious eyes. "It does not really matter, doctor... Jones." he continued and my eyes widened in slight shock. I knew as much as Crane was a dangerous person, it was never a good thing for Zsasz to know anything about you. "And how would you know my name, mr. Zsasz?" I asked him, trying to sound calm.

"Oh, there are talks about you, you know? A lot of interesting rumours coursing through the walls of the Penitentiary. Even the Riddler stopped by to talk to me once." He was watching me intently, as I thought about what he said, his eyes never leaving mine. It was quite unnerving to say the least, but somehow, I managed to form a response, along with a weak smile on my face as I replied: "Well, I hope these are good talks." I wanted to speak to him more, but the guards were eager to move and the one leading the charge has interrupted me impatiently. "I am sorry, doctor, but we really need to get him to his session. There are other prisoners we still have to escort."

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry." I said as I stepped aside and watched as they wheeled the killer towards dr. Whistler's office, and, shaking my head, I continued towards my own. I admired the old woman's bravery to actually take on such an extreme case, but at the same time I was really worried for her safety. While other patients might have been dangerous and highly unpredictable, many of them were actually rather talkable when you knew how to engage them in a conversation, but Victor Zsasz was simply a killer who really loved his job, which always kind of seemed contradictory to me with his claim that he in a way wanted to "help" all these people. In time, I got used to this trait of his, and once I didn't have a reason to fear him, I managed to actually find depths to his character than no one probably discovered before.

Presently though, as I entered my office, I sank down in my chair and breathed a silent: "Wow." in response to the situation I've just been through. I could understand why everybody feared him, true, but at the same time I was utterly thrilled by the encounter, and I couldn't understand why nobody could see how fascinating that man was... however, it was not time to dwell on that, as, breathing slowly, I had to prepare myself for the task ahead.

While the first session, I think, was about both of us sizing the other one up, the second one was about doctor Crane constantly trying to turn my questions on me, making me doubt myself and my efforts in this asylum, and digging up tiny snippets of information that might give away my personal fears. Having a session with him was a truly tiring effort because of the necessity to be always on your guard. The only time when I allowed myself to let it down was when he was talking, for letting him talk, just listening to his voice was a true delight, not mentioning the fact that while some of his outlook on life and people was a little bit too dark, he generally seemed to really know what he was talking about. And as I figured out the Scarecrow really loved to talk, so I gave him plenty of opportunities to do just that. I think I have gained, during the first two sessions, many plus points for being genuinely interested in the discussed topic, which he could of course see, and the fact that I have not, so far, accosted him verbally for his crimes like all the psychiatrist did before certainly helped as well. All in all, I still didn't know what could possibly be in his head concerning me, but at least he couldn't deny that I was trying. So I was hoping that today would go well.

"You know what I don't understand?" I said a few minutes later as I once again found myself face to face with the former psychiatrist. "They don't give you a straightjacket, not even handcuffs, even when they know you're one of Gotham's most dangerous criminals, physically and mentally." I remarked, seeing as he sat on the couch in my office, with his hands crossed over his chest, but otherwise looking quite comfortable. I was sitting in the armchair opposite of him, pretending to be relaxed, but I'm sure he could see how I was feeling from the way I was clutching the panic button in my hand."

"Why, doctor, you're flattering me." he said, grinning. "But you see, I am good at pretending things, when I want, and in this facility, good behavior can get you places... sometimes. They all know I'm dangerous, given the opportunity, but they think without my mask and my toxin I can't possibly cause any harm. Of course, the guards have weapons, and I am no fool, but it is amusing to think how the people in this facility constantly make the same mistakes, and they never seem to learn."

"Not that you would mind of course." I observed, deciding to bring up a certain event that happened before my coming here. "So, before our last session, I had the opportunity to view the recordings from your sessions with doctor Kellerman." I said, watching his expression carefully. "Tell me, was it something about him that made you do what you have done to him, or was there other particular reason?" I was, at this point, trying to, in a somewhat and yet not at all inconspicuous way, discern what exactly was a reason for him being so antagonistic towards his previous doctors, and whether there was a way for me to avoid that. He picked up on that immediately as he looked me over with his ever watchful eyes and smiled.

"Oh, doctor, if you've really watched all of these tapes than you've surely noticed how arrogant that man was. Nothing wets your appetite for causing some permanent brain damage than a man who thinks himself better than you. He should have known better than trying to outsmart me." he said cheerfully, laughing. "To be fair, it's not his fault that he was placed so conveniently at hand, but if he considered himself clever, he should have filed a transfer. My research must go on doctor, you can't exactly blame me for using what resources I have at my disposal, and my doctors are currently the only test subjects I have." he mused, looking completely serious. Then he looked at me and continued. "But you seem somewhat nervous, doctor, I wonder why? Is it me?" he spoke softly now, but I could see the twinkling in his eyes that indicated that he was quite enjoying himself, and I cursed inwardly, for I've let myself get slightly spooked by the casual way he spoke about using someone for a mentally crashing science experiment.

Then, I sighed, and decided to be truthful, at least partially. "No, it's just... I've met mr. Zsasz while I was heading back to my office, he was led by the guards to his session and I kind of bumped into them. It's not an encounter you forget so easily."

"Ah, yes, the man's tragic descent into insanity is a sad tale, but with an intriguing result." the Scarecrow said, speaking with a certain amount of interest for his fellow criminal. "How many Gothamites roll around in bed at night having nightmares about him breaking into their house from a single article read in a newspaper?" he chuckled. "He has a powerful effect on everyone he meets, such and admirable trait." the Scarecrow added, and then he looked at me, and his voice lowered into that professional lull he used to psychoanalyze people. "What about you, doctor? Do you fear what his very personality represent? The unrelenting, inescapable inevitability of death that awaits us all in the end, some sooner than later if mr. Zsasz had his way?"

This conversation was not getting in a way that I wanted, so I decided to cut him off slowly. "He makes my skin crawl because he is creepy, but I agree with you that he is quite fascinating at the same time. As for your enquiry, name one person to me who isn't afraid of death in some way. That's probably one of the things that defines humanity as a whole, and the main reason why we have so many religions around the world. But that is a discussion for a longer time that we don't have." I said, pushing into my voice a sense of finality. "But yes, I have reviewed those session materials carefully and I personally think that doctor Kellerman was an idiot in his attitude towards you. But still…" I added, thinking how to steer the conversation back to some lighter topic. "How did you manage to smuggle the fear toxin in here?" I asked, and I shivered as I saw Crane's lips lift up in a knowing smile.

"Oh, my dear doctor, a magician must keep some of his secrets. I can only say that these people should reconsider the quality of their security more often. It would do them a lot of good."

I stared at him for a few second, and then moved to sit in my chair, where a small recorder sat on the wooden surface of the table. I really didn't like doing this, but Sharp insisted that it was necessary. Lightly, I pressed the button to stop recording our conversation, turned to him, and stated: "So, I see that the Riddler is really not the only one sneaking around at night." It was a huge risk, telling him that, but I was hoping that the fact that I was not trying to incriminate him by saying it on record was enough to make him not threaten my life right away. He stared back at me, trying to guess my intentions, and for those few seconds I think I did manage to catch him slightly of guard, but then he leaned back on the sofa and said: "Well, well, well, so you actually managed to catch the Riddler red-handed, or rather, green-handed, so to speak, and you didn't think to notify the guards? Interesting. And now we're here, you talking to me like a conspirator to my crimes. You should be careful, doctor, before you fall into a world that is not very kind to people who know nothing about it. Unless of course that was your intention all along."

"Actually, I just wanted to know if I was right." I said, shrugging my shoulders as nonchalantly as I could. "You are, after all, clever enough to pull it off." I sighed, shaking my head. I knew I was treading some dangerous waters now, but I was hoping we could set up some understanding between us. Preparing for the session with Crane has given a lot of time to think, and after spending some time with him I personally had to agree with the statements the previous doctors made in his file - that he was not actually insane. He was a brilliant, highly intelligent man, perfectly capable of understanding that what he did was wrong. I was of the opinion that this was a place for him to be, since there was a simple truth that prevented all those selfless doctors from curing him, one that wouldn't be so easy to get rid of, not without a good motivation.

"Look," I said evenly. "I am not going to tell anyone, I never intended to. I am telling you this, because I would like us to work with each other in peace, my peace to be precise. I know that I should be afraid of you, I know that my mind is no match for yours, it would be extremely stupid of me to think otherwise, which is exactly what Kellerman and the other doctors did, but I won't." Scoffing, I rose from my chair and moved back into my previous seat. "I came here with a certain confidence in myself, but I think I can recognize when something is a waste of time, so from now on I will dedicate these session to you in the name of curiosity, because... I have no illusions about the possibility of you getting "cured", no more than I have for the Joker as much as Harley may think otherwise, simply because neither of you want to be cured."

That statement, delivered with a bit more passion that I intended, has earned a thoughtful expression on the Scarecrow's face and a slight nod of appreciation. "Well then," he spoke slowly. "you are certainly wiser than the other doctors in Arkham, indeed."

I smiled slightly when he said that, and I nodded. "All right then, I think we should wrap this up." I said, as I walked back to the recorder and turned it on, feeling, for some reason, a lot better than before. "All right, doctor Crane, I think we will end the session for now. I wish you good night, and I will see you again next week." As I turned off the recorder, for good this time, I went to knock on the door to signal the guards, but then I remembered something else and stopped, turning to Crane. "By the way, I hope you enjoyed that book." I said with a smile.

"That was from you?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes." I said. "You weren't in your cell, so I just put it there. I imagined you must be bored in this place, so I brought you a little something. You do like reading, right?"

The Scarecrow looked at me incredulously and nodded. "Doctor, you're unbelievable." he said, shaking his head, and for the first time in our three sessions, he didn't seem so guarded and calculating, as the smile on his face actually seemed genuine. "With this kind of attitude, you really ought to to be careful, or the warden's going to lock you here with the rest of us soon. By the way," the doctor added. "You may want to keep an eye on your friend, she seems to be getting quite close with the clown. It's not very good to play with fire, for either of you." he said, and with that, we parted ways.

As soon as the Scarecrow left my office, I walked out as well and went to find Harley. We were supposed to have a dinner together tonight, and the Scarecrow's words made me rather worried. I had not have much time to speak with her while I was here at work, but when I did meet her the Joker did seem to be the central topic of our conversations. I understood, he was, after all, quite the fascinating subject to study, just as much as my Scarecrow, so, before that, it didn't worry me so much, but now I was becoming concerned as to what will become of Harley's growing obsession. Anyway, I couldn't find her in her office, her last session was an hour ago, but her things were still there, so I knew she was still at Arkham.

I went out to search the grounds, gradually heading towards the west side of the island, when, once again I met a certain young colleague who I most certainly did not want to see. "Doctor Jones... Katherine, nice to see you again. You're heading home?" he said and smiled brightly at me.

"Not yet, I have to find Harley. What about you? I thought you would be gone by know."

"Oh, I would love to go home." he said, his brows furrowing. "but I still have a session with the Riddler. Those sessions are never good for my nerves, he's always bothering me with his riddles so we can hardly do any work." he complained angrily, and I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help but laugh heartily as I thought fondly of the puzzle loving rogue. "Sorry, but is always going to bother you with riddles until you start answering them. Did he give you that riddle with the mutilated baby?"

"Yes!" he barked angrily. "I mean how can he consider something like that funny?" he asked, and I shook my head. "He's not the Joker, he doesn't need them funny, he just needs them effective. But I think this one is a sort of a test of intelligence. Anyway, speaking of the Joker, have you seen Harley?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Yeah, I think I saw her entering the Penitentiary a while ago. Look, wait, Katherine." he said, stopping me as I turned to leave. "I was wondering, well, if you would be interested in going out for a dinner with me today, just a friendly dinner between two colleagues. What do you say?"

I didn't turn around immediately, taking a deep breath as I processed what he was saying. Was he actually asking me out on a date? Really? Was he kidding me? Not that he wasn't handsome, no, he had a handsome face, black hair, and brown eyes, but his character repulsed me at the very least and I frankly didn't want anything to do with him, especially after he told me about his motivations to be here in Arkham. I was feeling really bad for Edward for having to sit through sessions with that idiot. But still, not wanting to be uncivil, I turned around and smiled. "Why, Ryan, I didn't think, after that argument we had a few days ago, that you wanted to have anything to do with me."

It seemed to take him a few seconds remembering what I was talking about, but when he did, he waved his hand, and smiled earnestly, or at least it seemed. "Oh, that was nothing, don't worry about it. I had a bad day, and I should actually appologize to you, so, I'm very sorry. Does this mean you're accepting?"

"No, actually." I shook my head. "I'm already having a dinner with Harley today, that's why I'm actually going to find her. Perhaps some other time." I said, turning to walk away, but I still managed the quick look of anger that passed through his eyes before he smiled again. "Some other time, then." he said quietly, but I was no longer listening.

I went into the Penitentiary as instructed, but finding Harley was not difficult at all at the end. As I was approaching the area housing the Rogue Gallery, nearing Jonathan Crane's cell I heard a soft giggling and a roaring laughter that could only belong to the Clown Prince of Crime himself. I made my way to the corner and peaked around it carefully, watching the scene unfolding before me. There, in front of the clown's cell, was Harleen Quinzel, smiling and occasionally laughing to some joke he told her. I watched them for a while, as the Joker smiled at her, being all charm, and she seemed as genuinely happy as I haven't seen her in a long time. The unnerving part was that this did not looked like an appropriate relationship between a doctor and a patient. It looked more like a meeting of two secret lovers, judging from the almost adoring looks she was throwing his way. It made me worried, and so I decided it would perhaps be for the best to stop whatever was going on, and so I casually stepped from behind the corner and spoke: "Having fun, are we?" I asked, and she jumped and turned around, looking very much like a guilty child. "Katherine!" she squealed. "You scared the hell out of me." she called out and I laughed slightly, when the Joker suddenly spoke from being her: "Yeah, doc, don't scare my favourite doctor, that's my job. Aaand perhaps Johny-boy's over there. Hey, Johny, how's it going?!" he shouted across the hall, but there was no answer.

"Guess he doesn't want to talk to you." I said calmly, as I looked at the clown inside the cell. Looking at him now, I did realise that someone might consider the clown even handsome, with his long chin and his sharply defined features, those green, almost glowing eyes and the rich, green colour of his hair that fit strangely well with the rest of his appearance, but there was always something, that crazed look in his eyes that never seem to leave... still, when he wasn't currently threatening your life, the wide smile on his face was contagious, and right now his smile was as innocent as it could be, though his eyes were gleaming with mischief. "Nice to meet your, Joker." I smiled back, knowing Harley most certainly already told him who I was, so there was no need for introduction.

"All right, Harley, are you coming?" I asked, turning to my friend, laughing as the Joker bowed, putting his hand on his heart, and then plopping back on his cot comically, realising his fun was probably over.

Harley stopped laughing when I asked my question and checked her watch. "Oh, jeez, sorry, Katherine, I forgot the time. I'll just grab my stuff from the office and we're goin'." I shook my head, chuckling as I spurred her forward slightly, as it was getting late, casting one last look at the Joker who, for now, appeared to be fast asleep in his cell already.