It Still Counts

Oh , the last fey days were just perfect . Anya couldn't deny the smile that she had after finally seeing what was in those folders .Can you guess ? Oh , you'll never find out . It was Edwards personal diary ! Oh , Anya thought there might be some secret plans to kill the Batman , to hell with it , even have a secret tea party with the Mad Hatter but no, this was so much better . The flow of information was imprinted in her memory for eternity . She had so many things to use as blackmail . Although the big mouthed brat couldn't contain his glee so he told everybody about the detectives real name . She literally face-palmed when she heard about that . But what can you do ? Some just don't know the meaning of the word 'secret' !

It was a Thursday and it would be the first 'group session' Anya would umm , host . Yeah , that would be the most appropriate word because she couldn't say the word 'treat' or 'help' . Those were meaningless clichés that everybody used without actually knowing what they meant . Those were eradicated from Anya's vocabulary a long time ago .

She already was inside the asylum . Needless to say , Bruce Wayne was making so many efforts to maintain the asylum on a working level , pumping so many money and technology in it that it was already brand new , every single facility having so many machines and medicine and drugs and guards etcetera . Everything that you thought an asylum needed , you would find it there . The multi-billionaire said that this was his way of guarding the city , keeping the criminals out of the streets but Anya knew better . She knew who Bruce really was : a certain black caped crusader , a vigilante that has one main rule . She felt surprised when she realized that she was the only one who knew this . Anya felt ashamed of herself because she needed almost a week to realize the truth , but the others just resumed to the ideal of ripping the mask from Batman's face . She found it stupid . Why not think ahead of things ? Why leave it all to destiny ? Why ? Why ? Why ?

Well , lets not make a big deal out of others ideals . Any was already a step ahead . For example , she knew that Two-face was planning to escape this hell hole with Catwoman and Poison Ivy . She didn't need to hear their conversation or question them , their body language was all she ever needed . To others they may have had a great poker face , but Anya could see behind all those layers . She wasn't going to be a snitch and ruin the fun . She anticipated the chaos that would follow . Anya was like a hyperactive child who needed her candy when it all resumed to chaos. Oh , and the Joker was going out of Solitary Confinement today . That meant he could join the fun when the therapy begun . Joy ! Something told Anya that she would have to contain her anger when she would be around the clown . His jokes were drawing her mad , not like she wasn't mad from the beginning but those in particular were eating her already stressed neurons .

This asylum held so many secrets and dark plans . It was intoxicating . Well , to tell the truth the detective actually liked this place .

Anya wondered about Dr. Colby's reaction to all of this . Yes , the detective found those actions mundane and meant to fill the background of an ordinary day but that was because she lived with this since she was a teenager . She was certain that to others this would be life threatening . Literally . The female couldn't wait to torment the other doctor . She felt a need to show her who she was dealing with . Surprisingly , the little encounter she had with Joker from which she was saved by Anya wasn't enough to find respect and protection within the detective . Well , about that , nobody should find comfort when they were talking about Anya . She was dangerous . Only criminals could handle her wits and mood swings because she resembled them so well . Furthermore , she could become as deadly as Killer Croc or Zsasz when threatened . And that was bad .

Speaking of criminals , the detective found the tapes that survived the rebellion on her desk this morning with a note attached to them . Research is the first virtue that you need so you can see the unmasked truth – BW . She wasn't going to turn down such exquisite gift from 'the benefactor' . Well Batsy had a sense of humor . Give one criminal the key to see what laid beneath those curtains that the rogues had to hide who they really were . Since all were so inclined to see the Bat fall , Anya found no new information in most of those interviews . Honestly , she had to plug her ears when she listened to the Harlequin . Her voice was so high pitched that she could break glass is she ever wanted to . But since she only fulfilled Jokers desires and dirty work , Anya just classified her as a criminal in love with a psychopath . Yes , those were terms that only doctors used , and she despised them , but it was either that or make some short literature about those two , so she choose the first one .

Next was the oh so famous Edward Nigma . Ah , she never laughed that much in years . The riddle that he said in the first interview was so predictable , poor doc . She must have known that yes , the normal answer was a human being but a criminal can twist even the most simple meaning . Damn the overconfident genius was getting to her more and more ! His stupid kiss was to blame . How she didn't see it coming ? It wasn't like she had fallen in love with the murderer , she had to do much more when she had a mission undercover back in Romania . She went undercover as a dealer's wife . Call that unexpected . By now she was used with everything that the human mind could come up with but she just couldn't get used to the Riddlers antics .

She stopped her internal monologue and looked at the time . If there was a good time to leave for the group therapy , now would be that time . She lifted herself from the chair and left the office , not forgetting to place the passwords on all the locks . She made sure to change them on a weekly basis . She didn't want others messing with her stuff .

She had to pass through half of the island to get where she needed to . The glances that the guards were giving her screamed murder . She just smiled and stuck out her tongue at them . How they tried to be intimidating . She wondered if the others felt as confident and happy as her when she looked in the eyes of those so called guards . After the 'rebellion' there was a new mass of guards , mostly children who Anya thought didn't even have the age of 25 . Teenagers to protect murderers . Hilarious I tell you !

Anya quickly stepped inside the Intensive Treatment building and made her way towards the group therapy room . The warden tried to apply this method to the other patients as well , but they were too uncooperative . The detective and Dr. Colby were in charge of the M ward . Maximum Security . 'Security my ass , those guards are so young and almost half of them are already bribed to turn a blind eye when the time comes ' Anya thought

The room by its definition wasn't so large but it was big enough to leave a decent amount of space for all of them and Croc and Bane . Okay , that may be a little large . The walls were a dirty white color . Major parts of the room were padded . Inside the room Anya found the doctor already sat at her desk , two guards by her side , sniper guns in their hands .

"Shoot to kill permission denied boys ." Anya spoke , smirking at the guards , who just glared in return and decided to load their guns .She saw the doctor try not to flinch . She smiled . 'So the goodie two shoes is already a bit scared ? Good .' She thought .

"Miss , you may call me Angel . I will be in charge with this session . As for you , don't challenge the other inmates . The intervention you had Monday is still disturbing . Oh , and you don't have a personal desk . That privilege is only for the staff . You may have a chair but I doubt one of the rogues will borrow you one of them ." She said , smirking as if she killed me with one hit .

"But who said I will ask for one ? I just take . Watch and learn ." And as Anya spoke , the glass door that separated the room from the hall opened and the rogues entered the room , each having at least one guard with a gun trained on him/her . Anya grabbed one of the chairs as she initially wanted to . She took it far from the doctor , turned it so that the back of the chair faced the inmates , and sat on it , each leg dangling by one side of the chair .

She saw that every one of the criminals had a pair of handcuffs on , but she also saw that secretly , half of the guards gave each of their inmates that they were supposed to watch over a key . As each was seated and the guards leaved the room , Anya couldn't help but say .

"So my theory was correct ." The inmates that quickly realized that she saw the whole ordeal , just smirked , having no regrets . Among those were Joker , The Riddler , Scarecrow , Bane , Two-face , Catwoman , Poison Ivy , Mad Hatter , The Ratcather and Maxie Zeus . Killer Croc didn't need that , and that is simple . He could rip his cuffs apart .

"Miss , what have I said ?"The good doc spoke , slowly massaging her temples .

"Hello , First Amendment ? Right of free speech . I never said I will comply to what you said ." Anya spoke , winking at the already frustrated doctor .

"But this isn't what you are here for ."

"Well , she is surely more fun then you –ah , doc ." The Joker spoke .

"Thank you !" Any said , her tone victorious . She did a small mock bow to wards The Joker. He laughed his creepy laugh .

"Never mind , lets continue this . And you " the doctor said , pointing to Anya "Shut your mouth and just observe !" Of course she felt superior . For once in a life time , Angel could boss someone around . Anya smirked , stuck her tongue out at the female in white and glared . That was a creepy picture , even for a new staff member like her , who studied all the crimes of maniacs in college . The doctor was perplexed .

"Maybe you should join them …" Angel said to no one , her sentence only for herself . To bad , it reached everybody's ears . How can you keep a secret in a room full of people ? Don't say it . Unsurprisingly , Colby never heard of that .

"How is it that everyone thinks that I should be here next to the inmates ? Am I really that transparent ?" Anya said , not with true curiosity , just rhetorically asking .

"Well , if you feel at ease in an asylum , you probably belong in it . Tell me detective, are you at ease ?" The Riddler spoke , his voice confident , as if he knew something that the other didn't .

"Maybe . But Edward , are you ?" Anya replied , her supply of smart comebacks full and ready to use . She was going to have so much fun !

"Did you forget Anya ? I ask the riddles ." Nigma spoke . He chuckled . Why was he so happy and relaxed when talking to her ? HE couldn't say now , but he still had that proposition to make . Well , tonight she will know , and he will deliver the message , in his own way .

"Stop it !" Colby yelled . The guards jumped a millimeter and firmly grasped their guns , suddenly awake and alert to all that was happening . "Stop acting as if this is not something to help you . This is time is used to make you get to know each other , to socialize , to .."

"Tell me Doc , how long has passed since you graduated ?" Anya asked , looking straight ahead , her tone demanding .

"Well .. I … It- … Its none of your business !"

"Just answer a question without hiding for once in your life . " The detective said , her tone icy . She glared towards the doctor , who now was half raised from her chair , her eyes almost hypnotized by the doctors words .

"Well , it .. it was 10 years ago ." She said , fully raised , standing nest to her desk , on the far from the other female , whose demeanor changed from casualty to threatening .

"Doc .." Anya repeated , her tone irritated , the icy edge never disappearing .

"Well actually .. 3 years ." She said , seemingly embarrassed by this information .

"See ? It didn't hurt . Now go back to what you wanted to say . It's obvious that you have no experience at handling high security inmates You have nothing to back you up . No internship , no experience, nothing . I can not help but wonder . Where you asked to take this job just like half of the current staff ? Through connection ? Hmm ?" Anya spoke .

The doctor looked dumbfounded . Never in her life has she experienced such humiliation . How could a nobody , a creature who didn't have even one ounce of knowledge as she did , who happened to shoot a job here , a female whose habits seem so odd , how could she even dream of doing that to her ?

"How ? How dare you insult me ? I made my way here through hard work . And how the hell do you know anything about me ? HOW !" The doctor screamed .

Silence . Not even the inmates spoke . Not that they were scared . They wanted to see the outcome . How could the detective twist the other more , torment her , bring her to her knees ? They wanted to see . They respected the female . Of course appearances were deceiving , but this woman spoke her mind , no fears , no regrets . Anya wasn't like the others . No . She was so different , so twisted , deceiving , evil . Yes evil . The look in her eyes was so dark , they wondered how the doctor hadn't fainted already .

"Please make her cry …" Jervis said softly so that no other that his colleagues could hear him . The rest agreed . This was like a perfect movie and they wanted it to end gloriously . But , another person heard too . And she smiled .

"Your wish is my command ." She replied , and Tech heard her . Everybody heard her beside the hysteric doctor , whose movements seemed frantic and mad . She wasn't moving . Her eyes went back and forth from the female who sat on the chair , without a care in the world , to her desk . She looked at her work that laid on the desk . She wanted to squish the other , make her feel just like she felt .

The detective raised from her comfortable position and with small steps made her way towards the doctor . "You want to know how ? You want to know why ? Because you are all the same . It's almost a stereotype and you seem so glad to fulfill it . I find no pain in twisting you and want to know why ? Because you will always ask for more" Another step . "No , not directly , but your eyes say another story ." Another step "You cling to this modern cliché and you find the need to be up to the expectations . No matter what happens . What does it matter that you killed an innocent man who was falsely accused ? You have a reputation now . " Any said mimicking her words like a well practiced actress . Another step " And when you find poor souls that actually are trying to help their incapacitated family members , that's when you strike . You suck their money out , pretending to help the needy humans . But all you do is cheat , bribe and deceive" Another step "So , you see , that's why I hate you . Because you don't do anything right . I don't have the expectation to raise this broken down system , but at least you could use some dignity !" And the last step . She looked deeply in Angel's eyes , like a cobra ready to strike . "Oh , and I don't mind it . I participated in worst , even caused terrible things . Yes , I should be in here , but guess what ? I'm not . And I don't accept such talk from a lousy , stupid , nosy brat who thinks that if they have a job here , they own the world . Want to know something ? I happen to have something similar to what you do . Only that I get my money from doing something totally different that playing poker with others and flirting with the janitor on every coffee break . So next time you have the guts to say anything similar to this , think twice , because the second time , I will do something regretful . And I have no mercy nor a piece of dignity in fulfilling my promises . Get out of my way !" Anya said , pushing the doctor .

She slowly slipped and ran for the door . Angel didn't want to stay there anymore . She felt like dying , wanting to hide in the darkest creak of the world . She was too proud to cry in front of her . But everyone saw her tears and her scared to death face .

After she leaved , Anya whistled sharply at the guards who still looked at the door . They got the idea fast and left the room , leaving her alone with an auditory filled with murderers and criminals . Just like home .

"I swear not even Crane's gas would do a better job . Ah , I feel proud ." Anya said , her smile full of excitement .Seeing that the desk was empty , she thrown the papers on the floor , sat in the chair and plopped her feet on the desk itself

"My my , where did you learn that ?" No one but Joker asked .

"Want to learn ?"Anya said , full of sarcasm . "You know , I don't think I can only tutor one person at a time . It gets booooring ." She said smirking .

"We'll keep it a secret " Joker said , winking at the detective

"Ah–ta-ta ! Watch it clown , or I'll tell Harley !" Anya responded . The Joker didn't say a word afterwards . Seemingly , the girl was a soft subject

"So , what do you want to do ?" She said . "There are .." She quickly looked at the papers on the ground "Paper coloring , a .. section in which you have to say more about yourself , hmm , and .. And , blast it I can't see that far !" Any said , pretending to be sad about it .

"Why don't you tell us about you ? Tell me detective , what do you fear ?" Crane said

"Dropt it , Scarecrow . It gets old . Too old . For the record , I don't have a fear in the world . Happy ?" She said .

"Everyone is scared of something ."

"Well , I killed my boogie–men a longtime ago . So , not sorry to disappoint but I am the first world wide example of a fearless human ." Any said , winking at the Doc ."Anything else ?"

"Anya , may I test you with a riddle ?" Riddler asked .

"No !" Said all the inmates in unison .

"He's killing you with them , huh ?"Anya said

"You have no idea . 24/7 ! It seems as if he never misses even one opportunity to bore us to death" Two-face replied .

"No I don't ." Edward replied , acting like a spoiled child

"Yes you did . I have proof . Even I am bored . I know every single one so shush it , darling." Anya said , batting her eyelashes at him .

"You two digging each other ?" asked Deadshot

"Nah , but it's the only way I can get him to shut up . He's always silent afterwards ." Anya smirked . And what a brilliant idea the mercenary gave her . "And thanks for the idea , now I am really going to make him squirm . "

"You wouldn't dare " Edward said , his eyes gleaming . What a challenge the women was . He found himself entwined to her , to know , and watch and see what she had prepared for him . It was psychotic , but he needed it .

"You will see , you will see"

A buzzing noise startled the calm conversation . It was probably the end of their 'therapy' and Anya could wait for them to leave faster . She had a plan to prepare and put into practice .

She was going to have a blast with this one . Riddler was the last one to leave and Anya winked at him . He left , but she was sure he was still thinking about what she said . After all , Anya always kept her promises .

"A blast I tell you ." She laughed . And now to go on with the plan .

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Yes finally !

Another chapter.

R&R my friends . Honestly , I need it !

And tell me everything , suggestions , opinions . Everything ! I want to know if anyone likes this ! :D