Thankfully it didn't take too much longer for Peter to finally come to his senses. Admittedly it was less him coming to his senses and more that he'd exhausted all other options available to him. After two more weeks of wasted time Kingston finally caved.
Edward Nigma was quickly becoming my favourite and more frustrating patient. He may be the only patient who brought some sort of challenge to my day but he was swiftly approaching my limit. However, I suspected his fluctuating moods had more to do with being caged and bored than anything. I was empathetic to his frustration at Arkham's monotonous drudgery. kindred spirits. The only difference was he was able to lash out as cruelly as he wanted.
On the day Peter finally approached me I'd had the worst session with Edward so far, who seemed to be sulking for no reason. The second I walked through the door he had a murderous glint in his eye that reminded me that, despite how at ease I often found myself around him, he had killed four people in escalatingly brutal and bizarre ways. He was on a warpath, staring at me like prey, determined to break the record for the most belittling snide remarks in one session. I'd ended up cutting the session short after a particularly grating comment about me 'dimming without my clown crush'.
Enjoy having no one to talk to for a full week Edward, I'm sure I'll have an 'emergency' for our next session.
I'd drifted absently towards the nearest source of caffeine, the staff room, when I was greeted to the vision of a ghostly Peter slumped in the corner. He looked dead. All life had been bled from him, he was a phantom blurring into the beige walls of the staff room. I spotted Kayleigh's excessively bleached hair from a mile away and gravitated towards her. It wasn't until I sank with a sigh into a chair next to her that I noticed Peter staring at me with thinly veiled hatred. I turned to Kayleigh hoping she might have some idea where the outright hostility had come from.
"Hey Kayleigh, what's up with Peter?" I said to her in a hush tone so that hopefully Peter wouldn't hear me.
"You seriously haven't heard yet?" She gave me a shocked look, scrutinised my face for a hint of sarcasm.
"Haven't heard what? I was in group sessions all yesterday and I've been dealing with Edward Nigma this morning" I replied indignantly.
"Is he still giving you riddles? Jesus that guy is a nutcase"
I nearly flinched at the sudden sound of her childish giggle echoing around the staff room, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at her lack of subtlety. While I had made the effort to be more social around the asylum, I felt more isolated than ever. I was acutely aware that I was wearing a self imposed mask, exhausting myself with constant paranoid that I may ruin everything if it slipped. Despite all her flaws, Kayleigh was one of the few people I felt at ease around. I identified her oblivious and naive nature from one conversation, having marvelled that someone like this existed in Gotham. She was unashamedly air headed and vapid.
However, it was that oblivious nature that meant I could feel more comfortable around her. I could put aside my mask without fear because I knew Kayleigh was too naive to understand. I chose to look past her gratingly immature attitude and welcomed the simple, uncomplicated friendship we had developed. She was the closest I had come to a 'best friend' in years, as sad as that may sound. Which meant that while I knew she was distracting me from the information I wanted, I didn't mind so much.
"Yeah but honestly I'd prefer the riddles to the psychotic breaks I get from some of the patients, you'll never believe what happened last week with….." I was cut off by Peter's shadow over the table, he was standing directly behind me. I turned in my seat to face him and could see the venom in his eyes.
"Harleen when your break finishes can you please report straight to my office, you can reschedule any appointments you had for this afternoon" His voice was stern and straight to the point. With that he disappeared without even waiting for my reply. My curiosity was now at its peak. I turned back to Kayleigh who was staring at me with an infuriatingly smug knowing look.
"Okay forget my story, yours is going to be a thousand times more interesting I'm sure." I smiled at her, happy to play this teasing dance to get the information.
"Ohhh really it's nothing too important Harley." She predictably didn't answer, instead pulling an innocent face, one eyebrow cocked. We both broke into giggles, mine were nearly genuine.
"Harls I am honestly surprised you didn't hear, but then I guess you were busy. Long story short Kingston is losing his grip on the Asylum. The word around Arkham is that the higher ups are feeling the strain of the Joker's rebellion and they are….. unimpressed".
She pursed her lips together at her final word, a self satisfied smirk branded on her face.
"Long story short? Come on Kayleigh don't skimp out on the details. I want to know everything you know. Got it!" My voice came across a little sharper than I would have liked, but it was fine because she just laughed and thought I was joking around.
"I know exactly why you want to know all the details"
She stared at me with a suddenly grave expression.
This is what happens when you get too friendly with people, they see into you! She must have been how obsessed I was with the Joker.
"And why is that huh?" I tried to sound teasing but it was blatantly strained and defensive.
"It's so obvious you have it out for Kingston. I get why you do, don't worry…I think most people hate him these days. You think he was patronising you, how do you think he treated the orderlies, guards and nurses that work here? I mean it was a pretty shitty thing he did, pushing you to take the Joker case and then ripping you off it. He's messing with your career when it's just starting. For what it's worth, while most of the other psychiatrists will act like it was the right thing, you got the support of pretty much all of us lower staff."
"I didn't realise I was such an issue around here" I replied with a laugh as the relief washed over me. You got lucky Harley, you better be more careful from now on my inner voice cautioned.
" We're just sick of the way things are run around here. It hasn't been that long since ... well since Dr Crane and no one wants to be sucked into another nightmare. See, Kingston's run out of people to stick in with that freak, he's literally tried every option with zero success. And now orderlies and nurses are straight out refusing to go in his cell unless you're reinstated."
"I'm sure they're not rebelling out of some chivalrous need to help poor defenceless me." For once my smug grin could be expressed on the outside, I was grinning ear to ear shamelessly.
"Of course it's self-interest, it's Gotham." Her blunt acceptance was the first sign that Kayleigh understood the city she lived in, "The orderlies and nurses always dreaded dealing with the Joker, it's completely terrifying being the ones who have to drug him, feed him and now well…everyone is refusing to allow Kingston to put his ego above their safety".
"No wonder Peter looks like he's about to murder me"
"You don't know the half of it", Kayleigh glanced around at the staff room, uncharacteristically conscious of her words, "Apparently there is pressure for a mysterious unknown power for Peter to resign. After everything that's happened at Arkham in the last year they want to bring in some new guy from Metropolis with a sterling track record".
I mulled over that revelation. A new director may help improve the asylum but it also ran the risk of affecting my access to the Joker. Despite my mind being occupied with my musing, I effortlessly continued talking about everyday events of Arkham, laughing and mocking patients and staff alike. It was second nature to me now to string along a cheerful conversation while I planned in the back of my mind. Even while I kept up my cheerful and charming act with Kayleigh, I was planning my approach to the Joker.
I practically skipped out the room when my break was up, happily strolling to Kingston's office with the biggest smirk on my face. The defeated face that greeted me when I walked into his office confirmed I was getting the Joker back. I sadistically savoured his bitterness.
"I want you in with the Joker, as soon as possible" Every word was aggressive and forced, as though he was trying to swallow them back down.
"Really? I thought I was off that case….I mean it's been so long." I let myself trail off innocently, my face the perfect picture of confusion designed to skewer Peter's pride.
"Cut the crap Quinzel. Don't pretend like you don't know everything that's been going on. Staging your little rebellion just to get him back."
"Peter, I really am lost. Rebellion?" My childish persona obviously infuriated Peter so I revelled in the opportunity to continue.
"I know you're perfectly aware that now even the nurses and orderlies are questioning me! First it was that pit of vipers on the board. Then that pampered Wayne orphan felt the need to stick his nose in, god fucking knows why. Now even the pathetic, uneducated, Gotham scum that keep our charming patients alive are refusing to do the job they are paid for!"
A few months ago the sound of Peter's whining shrieks would have had me paralyzed with terror. It's hard to imagine that in such a short amount of time the Joker's influence had begun to mould me into something…more. The Joker has been thrown into Arkham nearly six months ago. It has been less than six months since I first started pushing myself to attain some sort of recognition for Peter but now the sight of his shattered ego was what truly filled me with pride.
Craving recognition from someone as bland and predictable as Peter was naive of me, breaking him is so much more intoxicating.
"I can honestly say I'm not involved in any way".
"Even if you didn't start it, you're still the cause" Peter replied aggressively.
"It's not my fault. You wanted me to connect with the Joker so he'd open up and when he started to, you pulled me off the case." I snapped back, my innocent act shattering.
"Are you really blind enough to think this is about you?" He stood up so fast I thought he was going to launch himself across the table at me, but I was proud that I didn't even flinch, "This has nothing to do with you, it was always about the Joker challenging the Asylum and me. You were just his excuse. The Joker is a feral animal trying to mark his territory and you fucking enabled him!"
"For a feral animal, he's certainly outsmarted you. Your problem is that you have to control him. What, did you want to teach the Joker some tricks? Get him to be the poster child for Arkham?" My hollow laugh caused Peter to falter, "Someone as egotistical and blind as you will never understand someone as chaotic and free as the Joker. You can't fix him, he's perfectly broken".
"Oh no we agree on that Quinzel, that freak can never be normal. He can't be treated. All we can do is learn more about psychopaths from him and maybe get Arkham a bit of good PR for once by learning a few of the infamous Jokers secrets"
Peter stalked from behind his desk, his body stiff with anger, but even as he tried to menacingly approach me I refused to cower or shrink in his presence. Whatever intimidation he hoped to achieve by approaching me, however, was ruined by the way his body lurched unnaturally. He was so close to me now I could feel his greasy breath crawling along my skin. The stench of whiskey mixed with excessive coffee to pathetically hide the evidence overwhelmed me.
"Are you fucking drunk Peter?"
It took me a moment to realise that the sharp sound I had heard was Peter's hand colliding with my cheek. Time became a blur. Before my mind could process that Peter had slapped me, it was flooded with the pain of his fists gripping my arm. I tried to pull myself from his grasp but it was futile. He increased the pressure, practically panting into my face as his malicious fury overwhelmed him.
"Let me make one thing clear. This is Gotham Quinzel. In Gotham you can achieve anything with a shockingly low amount of money. Keep your mouth shut, keep your head down, and learn some fucking respect".
This was no empty threat. Peter knew where I lived and I'm sure with the money he had, paying a goon to take a midnight visit to my apartment would be as easy as breathing.
Thankfully I was saved by a flustered orderly who had run in with pure panic etched into his face. He didn't even notice the tension in the room, or the way Peter had shoved me away from him. In fact he barely noticed me at all.
"Sir, we need you right now."
"What's happened?" To give him credit Peter didn't seem phased at all by the orderly's panic. There was no trace of the violent man who had been before me. He was calm, clinical and controlled.
"It's the Joker sir. One of the nurses got to close…It doesn't make sense. He should have been sedated…..it happened so fast. I swear we were following procedure but..." the poor guy was speaking so fast I could barely understand what he was saying, but Peter cut across his babble.
"What exactly did the Joker do?" His voice was like steel, and it was hard not to notice the dirty I told you so look he threw my way.
"One of the nurses was giving him his regular examination. The guys swear they sedated him properly before she went in but when she was leaning over him, he bit her. Like literally took a chunk right out of her neck. She was bleeding everywhere. I've never seen anything like it."
"Animal" Peter muttered under his breath "I want you to go up his dosage and…"
"If you're putting me back on the Joker case, perhaps I should go talk to him." I spoke up interrupting Peter.
I can't show any fear. He wants me to fall back in line and be his little pawn but I refuse to regress into that pathetic compliant little girl!
"There is no way you're seeing him when he's this unstable. He just attacked someone and tore out their throat!" He hissed.
"I'm not suggesting a full session, but he is my patient now. If anyone else was having a violent episode you would send their psychiatrist. Why should this be any different?"
Peter was literally stunned into silence. His hand was balled into a tense fist at his side, vibrating with the rage he had to cage.
"Besides, if he does attack me at least you'll be happy I'm out of the way." And without waiting for a response or any kind of reaction I just left his office, heading straight from the Jokers cell, knowing Peter was in no state to chase me.