Living with the villain pacing in my mind.


"He's talking to you again, isn't he Professa'."

Jonathan blinked and looked up from the page he had been on for the past half an hour due to the fact he had been distracted by the voice in his head, the Scarecrow.

It was common knowledge around Arkham of Jonathan Crane's split personality and many knew how dangerous he could get if it got out.

Jonathan sighed and took his glasses off, looking over at Harley.

"He's… just restless."

"How come?"

"Since Halloween…" Jonathan took a breath before shrugging. "He's been angry. Bat- Bruce Wayne humiliated us on live television he's been so angry, it's hard to ignore him."

"But you have been able to, you've been able to keep it down, keep him down Professa!"

"I suppose… but something bothers me… something else…"

"What, Professa?"

"Alex Sartorious. Doctor Alexander Sartorious," Jonathan shook his head. "One of my test subjects, pyrophobic, he disappeared before Halloween, never knew what happened to him… but… I can't help think…"

"You think he's still alive?" Harley shook her head. "Professa, no offence, but your toxin… it killed a lot of people, in controlled conditions do ya really think someone would've survived?"

"Scarecrow enjoyed torturing him," Jonathan whispered. "Said he liked to watch him try and rationalise it, being a man of science himself, trying to remember that what he was seeing wasn't real, but he would give in all the same. Scarecrow wanted to put real fire inside there see what that would do."

Harley watched him, she realised he was shaking, like the memory haunted him, scared him for reasons unknown.

The book slipped from his hand and landed on the floor as he reached up and grabbed his head, shaking slightly.

"Shut up!" he hissed, his fingers scraping against his head. "Shut up! Shut up, you damn psycho! It's because of you, all of this is because of you!"

Harley blinked and quickly grabbed his hands, pulling them away from his scalp so he couldn't pull at his hair or the skin itself.

"Professa! Jonathan! Stop it!" she yelled and held onto his hands tightly, looking into his blue eyes, well one, the other cloudy with blindness. "It's not your fault."

"It's all my fault, Harley…" Jonathan whispered. "If I had been stronger, then the attack… after the attack I would've been able to stop him, then Halloween… maybe… might not have happened…" he pulled his hands away from hers and pointed to his face. "And this would never of happened either."

"It's not your fault, Jonathan."

"Harleen…"

Harley reached up and quickly hugged him, before placing a quick kiss to his forehead. "You'll be alright, Professa!" she cried cheerfully, as she got to her feet and turned, her pigtails swaying as she did. "And if it helps… you're not the only one who fights with the villain inside their mind, the trick is to learn to live with them," she turned back to him and grinned. "I'm gonna go and find, Red. Bye Professa Crane!" she cried waving as she ran off.

Jonathan sat for a while before he smiled. "Goodbye, child."

THE END.


Note: Harley and Scarecrow... always loved them, especially in the animated series :D