To say that hearing Jonathon Crane hum in the morning was the most surreal experience Nirvana has ever had would be an understatement. Waking up in the hot cell to a voice humming next to her room had at first angered her. He couldn't even have the common decency to let her sleep in, now that they were neighbors? She was about to curse at him but instead she listened to the tune he hummed. It didn't seem like anything particularly unique, but she also couldn't place the tune either. She turned in her head on an uncomfortable bed and sighed to which she could almost feel Jonathon perk up.

"Good morning neighbor, how did you sleep?" He asked, his tone bitter and sarcastic. Nirvana didn't respond, merely looked at the ceiling of the cell. There were marks from past residents that littered the walls, carved in with desperate nails. Tally marks and the rambling of the insane. But she had fallen asleep reading these etchings. She sighed again before Jonathon followed the sound of her feet padding across the cement floor. The sound of scratching on thick black hair. He took an odd comfort in the sounds, as the night had been quiet save for screams. The sound of her yawning and stretching were welcomed.

"I'm interested in seeing who they get to analyze us," Nirvana finally broke her silence, sitting on the hard floor and pulling her legs up, stretching her tired and stiff muscles. She heard Jonathon tsk with an annoyed tone.

"Knowing them, probably Jeremiah." She could feel the roll of his eyes despite the concrete wall between them. Nirvana actually laughed at the idea.

"What I wouldn't give to see that man evaluate you," she voiced, and Jonathon could swear he could see the smile that graced her lips. He huffed in response, but felt the smile stay. However Nirvana was snapped out of the thought when she added, "Oh god, do you think they gave him your job?" There was silence for a moment. Jeremiah Arkham, who was just as deranged Crane, was a hopeless psychological nightmare. Jonathon could be heard stepping along the floor of his cell but he answered.

"The place will likely go ablaze with him in charge," he cooed and Nirvana couldn't tell if he was happy or upset by this idea. She had paused for a moment while pondering this over and while she did, she continued to listen to him shuffle next door, bare feet padding along the concrete. It was so strange to now be aware of everything HE was doing, instead of the other way around. She began stretching again, the both of them staying in silence as he seemed to be pacing in his cell.

He heard her taking deep inhales and release them slowly, and he sat frustrated at the circumstances. He was restless, bored, understimulated. He supposed that this was his bad karma cashing in. Atleast he had gotten some conversation from the otherwise stoic Nirvana. They sat in silence for a long time before Crane went to speak but he was cut off by her voice instead. "So tell me about that girl from your hometown," she asked, there was a curious tone to her voice but also a firmness behind it. All she heard in response was a soft sigh. She moved over to the wall, looking at it as if she was trying to see him through it. "We can trade. I'll answer a question too," she offered, her voice making him turn his eyes to the wall. "Whatever you want," she confirmed. To be completely fair with herself, she would be driven mad if she didn't talk to someone. And if it was him, so be it. She heard him breath through his nose, a deep exhale. Was that relief she heard in that sound?

"Her name was Sherry, we were in the same grade," Jonathon explained softly, "My whole life, she was the only one who ever showed me anything like kindness." Nirvana pulled up her legs as she listened to him, orange eyes staring at the wall where she believed he was. "She was the type, blonde hair, pretty, cheerleader, valedictorian. Everyone loved her. She started dating this guy named Bo who was a football player. Stupid. Bully to guys like me. But I didn't think he was a bad person. Just an idiot. And he saw her talking to me and being my friend and he hated it. Hated me. But that's not really anything new. A lot of people didn't like me," she could feel him tense his shoulders for a second. She tried to imagine the things he said. She could see a tall jock, broad shoulders and a small petite girl with blonde pin straight locks. Fingers went to her own hair and played with an end absent-mindedly. She imagined him running a hair through stark black hair as well, blue eyes staring at the ground. "He told me that she wanted me to come to this party with them. The whole class was going to be there. I had never gotten invited to something like that before so I went. It was mistake."

"He tricked you?"

"No one was there. When I got there, a man jumped out in a mask with a knife. And he chased me. I was screaming, and I was crying. And finally when he was on top of me, I just shut down and was ready for death." There was silence between them, no words being exchanged for a moment.

"It was Bo in the mask," Nirvana filled in for him to which she heard him become angry.

"She was laughing with him when he finally got off of me," his laughter filled both cells in with a chill aura rinsing over her. She stayed quiet after this point for a while, thinking of everything he had said. She knew by the way he walked and talked that he had been the subject of bullying, probably all his life. Between family and classmates, she was sure he dealt with a lot. And a large part of her didn't give a damn about that. She was happy he suffered. She was thrilled to death that he suffered. However the small, still very human part of her spoke.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Jonathon."

Silence followed her words but soon he added, "Don't be. It was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It opened my eyes and taught me everything I needed to know. Plus, they paid for it in the end," he spoke with an air of pleasure to his voice. She was about to ask further to what he meant, he continued, "You said you were too busy for love, I'm curious. You haven't had a relationship your entire life?"

She sighed, though surprised that he didn't ask about the serum, the hallucinations, but she also knew this question was coming. "No." She answered shortly then added quickly, "I worked through high school, I worked through college, and then I invested my entire life to this asylum. And then I was a prisoner in an abandoned wing of the asylum. And then I was straped to a chair for 7 months," she finished with a sarcastic tone, to which he only responded with silence.

"So there wasn't anybody?" He asked, curiosity lacing his voice.

"There were people, who came and went because they didn't want what I wanted. I could tell when I met someone that they wouldn't support all I wanted in my life. Men who were over protective when I started helping the prison with group sessions. People who believed I was too ambitious, not down to earth enough," Nirvana spoke quietly, "I was just too much." She could hear him tutting in the cell next to her. He was disappointed. She lowered her eyes to the floor in silence.

"If any one had half a brain, they would realize it should be them they have to worry about, not you." Nirvana smiled quietly. "I had told Detective Gordon that any man who tried to hold you would be in for a fight," at this admission, she looked back up at the wall. She tried to imagine him sitting on the bed, looking at the wall as well where she was sitting on the floor, and for a moment she could actually see him clear as day, right there in front of her eyes. This man who used to be her friend, her partner in a world where it always seemed like everyone was against her. His blue eyes would catch hers and raven strands would have fallen into his face. His pale skin, his full lips, his thin hands, and tall body. However when the soft thump of footsteps approached, it closed up the illusion, and soon it was only the wall yet again. Her door opened and a stream of artificial light spewed into the grey concrete floor.

"Miss Nelson," a voice called.

"It's Doctor," she corrected quickly, voice snapping as she did so. The voice made no move to correct itself as it continued. Both of the doctors trapped in their cells grimaced with quiet hatred. Jeremiah Arkham stood a shadow in the harsh white light. At that moment, all she could see was the tips of dark ginger hair, and the glint of large circular glasses.

"Come with me, its time for evaluation," the voice spoke with an air of disinterest to his voice. She stood up from the ground, long black hair tied up in a knot, ajd she saw him take her in in one sweeping glance, and her toxic neon eyes stared at him before walking ahead next to a guard. She could feel glacier eyes stare at her through the door, but she kept her eyes ahead.

"Be nice, Jeremiah, she has a real bad bite to her," Jonathon spoke casually.

"That's Dr. Arkham to you, Mr. Crane," the doctor spoke as he followed Nirvana.

"Yeah Mr. Crane, you must be respectful to the doctor," Nirvana spoke warmly over her shoulder but acid dripped on each word. She continued to follow the guards down to the therapy rooms.

...

"Nirvana, why did you kill those people?" Jeremiah asked calmly, but they had been at this for hours. The same questions being repeated, but different tactics used. Yet, Nirvana simply remained silent. She didn't care who or what Jeremiah Arkham thought he was, but she didn't care for his demeaning attitude towards her. Especially since she believed he belonged in a cell, just like she did. He was... Off. He had always been off too. When Nirvana would speak to him, he would calculate her every word. Looking for more, reading in between the lines, dissecting her. That was his job, granted. But he didn't have to be so damn obvious about it. Orange eyes looked at him boredly, before moving back to stare at the glass. She didn't have to talk to him, he could threaten her freedoms and her rights. But those kind of things were temporary in a place like Arkham anyway. She believed her and Jonathon the only people who didn't take away people's liberties as a way to get answers. Though Crane had kidnapped people... Maybe it was only her after all. She sighed in boredom, and she felt Jeremiah's irritability spike but he quickly pulled his face into the same stoic look he had been wearing since they had sat down. "Fine, Miss Nirvana. We'll just take you back to your room now."

Nirvana stood up, the security guard grabbing her under her elbow. It was a firm hold, but a gentle touch. It wasn't trying to be forceful, just respectfully doing his job. Nirvana smirked at Jeremiah but turned when the security guard pulled her in the direction of the door. "And bring Mr. Crane here." The guard nodded and opened the door and escorted Nirvana out of the room. She followed him quietly, her face falling as she looked at the floor in contemplation. She didn't like the way Jeremiah spoke to her, and she felt like with Crane, it would only get worse. She felt the guard's looming presence stand over her, uncomfortably close to her. She didn't recognize him, he must have been a new hire after she went missing. Maybe that meant she could talk to him.

"Can I ask you something?" Her voice was calm, and in a way, held a bit of warmth as she spoke to him. She felt him tense, but his own deep voice answered her.

"Yes."

"Why do the guards have a problem with Crane?"

"Because they liked you," the answer was so simple, it made her lip turned up just a bit, a smile touching her features. She shook her head.

"If that is true, you must tell them to not hurt him. Leave Crane to me."

"I'll try."

The walk to her cell was quiet from that point, and when he opened her cell door, she gifted him a soft look. He only stared before she stepped into the dark room and he shut the door. She went and sat on her bed as she heard him open Crane's cell and the sound of the tall lanky man walk out of his room. When he walked past, she caught a quick glance of bright blue eyes before he was gone just as fast. Nirvana sat to herself as only distant grunts and scream of inmates away from where she was. She wasn't sure of her other neighbors beside Jon. She was sure that she would find out soon enough.

...

She had been staring at the door for a long time, not really moving. She only breathed, silent in her own thoughts. She must have been dazed for awhile, because she only was pulled out of it when she saw Crane walk past again. Blue eyes only subtly turned her then, and she saw the same guard behind him. Her eyes still stared outward, hearing Jon's cell door open and shut before seeing the guard once again. A hand came up and put something in drop-off box of her cell door. A pair of brown eyes looked at her in the darkness, her orange eyes studying the guard in silence. He then moved off, and she heard his footsteps as he moved away. She looked curious as she moved over to the drop box and pulled it open and grabbed what was inside. It was a green box, it was thin, but long and heavy as she pulled it into her room. She looked at it suspiciously, but opened it nonetheless. What's the worst that could happen? It exploded? That might not be the worst option she had right then. However, when she opened it, there was three things inside. One was a medium sized vial, about the height and width of a roll of quaters with a cork stopper on the top. And inside of it... Her face grimaced as she looked the tube filled with brown spit. There were also hints of other questionable things inside of it, small pieces of soiled, chewed red meat and god knows what else. But in the light that peeked through the door, you saw it. Hints of orange, vibrant neon orange. You placed the vial down and looked at the next object. It was a sewing needle. It was wrapped in a small plastic bag, with packs of alcohol wipes inside with it. She had a feeling that she was going to need to do something horribly gross, but she moved on to the third item, not wanting to think about the next step.

It was a flat plastic disk, with a pattern of all varities of green mixed together in a seemingly random way. She tilted her head as she inspected it. The disk was the thickness of a deck of cards and about as wide as a 2 liter soda bottle of soda. She saw a small switch and she flicked it upwards and suddenly the disk morphed into a perfect sphere. And that random mesh of colors was anything but, because when the sphere morphed in her hand, a question mark was designed into the entirety of it. Nirvana inspected it, turning the orb in her hand before she sees another switch. And another. And then another? Was this a puzzle box... Puzzle ball? She went through and flipped one switch at a time, listening to mechanisms click within the ball before finding one that opened a compartment with a quiet snap. She looked inside the compartment and saw a small dial. Turning it, another compartment slid open. However the new dial didn't open anything. She closed it and the compartment before it and looked around the switches and began the process all over again.

Nirvana would never consider herself a genius, but she would say that she merely thinks different than others. Puzzles, mazes, crosswords were all hobbies of hers before she was put in her box. She would have to thank Edward for this interesting way to pass the time. She was about a quarter way through the puzzle when a new compartment opened, it wasn't just one dial, but a dial and a small twist knob. She looked at with a studying gaze. She twist the knob and suddenly the entire ball's compartments snapped shut. She sighed with some irritation, but mostly because the idea of starting over was always a tedious thought. But she did. She didn't realize how long she had been working on it till she heard the shuffle of orderlie feet along the metal floor. She didn't look up from the puzzle, as she had gotten half way through it by that point. She wished she had some music by that point. Instead she got her equivalent of what nails on a chalkboard would be at that moment.

"Are you awake?" Jon's voice drifted through the wall. She simply hummed in response, putting down the puzzle to make sure she didn't make a wrong move because she was listening to him instead of focusing. "Why are you awake?"

"Thinking," she stated simply, turning her focus back to the vial and the bag with the sewing needle in it.

"What about?"

She grabbed the vial and very gently pulled out the cork, making sure to wiggle it back and forth so it didn't make a loud popping noise. She decided on whether or not she should make conversation with him. But it seemed her mind had already made it's decision. "Fear." She unrolled the plastic bag and pulled out the needle. She placed the sharp point against the tender skin between her forearm and bicep.

"Is that so? What about it?"

She bit her lip as she slid the sharp edge across her skin, going deep but not extremely so. A thin line of blood rose up in a messy line. "Just... Everything." She spoke honestly, laying the needle down and sticking her finger inside of the vial. She had to hold back the urge to vomit, the coppery smell of blood, the foreign scent of spit, and just the overall gross factor of this was almost too much for her. Almost. She coated her finger in the thick spit and ran it over the open wound of her arm. There was a burning sting at first, but it cooled quickly. She wiped her finger on the ground before shoving the cork back into the vial carefully. She took a deep breath and relaxed against her bed. She closed her eyes as the topic hung in the air. "I can't get a lot of these things to stop playing in my head. Sometimes I still hear the thunder, feel the fire, while I sleep. But it's not scary anymore."

"That's a shame," Crane spoke gently, "What is life without fear?"

"Peace," Nirvana hummed softly. She took a deep breath and moved to pick up the needle. She opened an alcohol wipe and cleaned the needle thoroughly before placing it back in it's bag. She moved the puzzle to be under the bed and hidden away as best she could, before climbing into bed.

"Boring," Jon retorted, but Nirvana didn't answer, simply sighed as her body became lit with panic and goosebumps raised on her arms. She felt her eyes fog over with visions. "Bedtime so early, doctor?" His voice sounded far away.

"Yes, I've had enough talk and excitement for one day," Nirvana spoke calmly. She could feel his suspicion through the wall, "Jeremiah is exhausting."

"He truly is," Jon sighed in annoyance. Her heartbeat kicked up rapidly and she saw her shadows crowd the corners of her vision. The hand seemed to be elated to be there, fingers twirling in greeting. She wished she knew exactly what these visions were supposed to mean. Why sid her mind create these voices and shapes to find solice in? Was it pure spite? To bring her closure and show Crane she was stronger this his mixture. Was it a creation of fear? She needed to find something friendly in the mean darkness? Both? She breathed deeply as she felt the ice pull her downward, and she merely looked up at her morphing ceiling, seeing the plaster change into dark storm clouds, but she felt the pressure of being underwater push down on her chest. This diluted and corrupt version of the serum seemed confused. However, a voice came to her mind, speaking softly.

"I didn't raise my little girl to be a goddamned junkie."

She took a quiet, but deep breath. 'I'm sorry, daddy. I don't want to be'. The words didn't leave her lips, but they were heavy in her thoughts.

"I'm disgusted. You're a monster, baby."

'This is all I have left'.

"You aren't my daughter."

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She stayed completely silent but her head nodded against the pillow. 'Not anymore'. Suddenly she was pulled into the deep, gone from the world and into the next.