The Assistant

Chapter Two – The System

It was like a game really, their breaking. He had a little system to it, just like he had for everything he did, she didn't know it but her whole future here had already been planned out by him.

The system had many stages to it, first stage he frightened them with a little unexpected visit to the Secure Wing, in stage two he overloaded them with more paperwork than their tiny little minds could handle. In stage three he would then invite them to a private therapy session with one of the asylum's more colorful inmates… and as for stage four, well, no one had ever made it to stage four successfully.

The system is so beautiful, it's fool proof if I may say so myself. Jonathan smiled fondly.

You are such a control freak.

Look who's talking. The Scarecrow only chuckled at his response.

Jonathan was snapped from his daydreaming thoughts by the creaking of his office door as it opened to reveal Ms. Matthews, her arms full of manila folders and loose paperwork. He smirked deviously as she struggled to make her way into his office and not lose any stray papers.

"Do you need any help?" he was mocking more than asking, she didn't catch onto that fact of course.

She had only been working as his assistant for a few days now but already he had noticed her overly trusting and naive nature, she was so eager to please as well.

More like overly dumb nature if you ask me Jonny boy, but as for the eager to please part… The Scarecrow let out a deep predatory growl which caused Jonathan to bolt straight up out of his chair.

You can be so hedonistic sometimes. He thought while making his way over to the small brunette, who was too busy wrestling with stacks of paperwork to notice him approach her.

"Oh, thank you." Jessica said in all gratitude as the doctor lifted over half of the stack she was carrying.

"Not at all." Was all he said in distraction, setting the papers down on the nearby table.

She followed his lead, setting her own stack of papers down beside his, once the heavy load was gone she let out a grateful sigh. When she looked up she was surprised to see Dr. Crane staring back at her, his brow furrowed deep in thought as his eyes examined her collar.

"What's the matter?" she questioned with a hint of worry to her soft voice.

Jonathan broke his gaze on her collar and met her eyes. "Ms. Matthews, you're bleeding." He stated plainly devoid of emotion, she only stared back in confusion.

"What?"

"Can't you feel this?" he gently pressed two fingers against where her neck met her clavicle bones, she then looked down in an attempt to see what he was talking about.

Dear god, does she really think she can see her own neck by looking down like that? How absurd!

"What is it?" there was a bit of panic to her voice now, the Scarecrow smiled at this.

"It's not a big deal, just hold still." Jonathan insisted while pulling a handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket, he felt like he was instructing a child. "There, the blood is gone now." He pressed the handkerchief against her throat and gently wiped away the small line of blood. "Just a paper cut, nothing to worry about." He assured while showing her the tiny trace of blood on the once pristine white cloth.

"I hate paper cuts." Was the only response she gave, all the while keeping her eyes focused on the thin red line.

"Well if I were you I would expect to receive so many more of them, what with the job I will be needing you to do." He folded and tucked the handkerchief back inside his jacket in one fluid motion.

"I will be needing all of these documents sorted and properly filed." He gestured to the stack of papers to his left. "As for the manila files I will need you to sort and transcribe all of them into my office computer, do you think you can handle that, Ms. Matthews?"

Now we will see her break. The system never fails. He was laughing almost manically in his mind now.

"Is it Linux or Windows?" her voice ripped him from his inner moment of triumph.

"I'm sorry?" he was confused now.

"The computer, is the operating system Linux or Windows?" her stare on him was blank yet expectant, like a baby bird waiting to be fed by its mother, mouth slightly agape.

I can't help but find her a little creepy when she's like this.

I believe unsettling is the word you are looking for, not creepy… she's far to 'cute' to be creepy.

I don't know, Jonathan, baby dolls are considered 'cute' but they can be downright creepy if you ask the patient in room 512.

I don't have time for these meaningless disagreements!

"It is Linux." And with that he swiftly walked out of his office and shut the door securely behind him.

It was off to his 9 o'clock session, leaving his new assistant to go mad under the strain of too much work. Hopefully when he returned after lunch she would be ready to quit and he would finally be at peace from the Scarecrow and all of his inane thoughts that her presence seemed to cause.

Jonathan stepped off of the elevator and onto the second floor, he was still riding the high he had gotten from his 11 o'clock session in room 731. As it turned out Mr. Selner's fear of rats was a little more serious than the man had first thought, the memory of him on his knees screaming in terror made Jonathan smile.

Nothing like a good case of musophobia to get the day started off right, eh Jonny boy? Jonathan wasn't the only one riding the high at the moment.

He stopped in front of the door to his office, he was ready to see the overwhelmed face of his new assistant when he opened that door.

Now this will be the cherry on the top of this very productive morning.

Speaking of cherry, what do you think of little Miss Matthews… virgin, yes, no, maybe? Jonathan visibly cringed at what the Scarecrow was asking him. Come on Jonathan, I have money riding on this!

Pig.

Prude.

Jonathan grasped the doorknob and gave it a good turn, what he saw on the other side of the door surprised him to say the least.

There she was, sitting in his chair, typing away at his computer without a care in the world. No look of worry or overwhelming crossed her pale and freckled little face, she was just busy, deep in the work he had assigned to her… and she almost looked happy.

Could she actually be enjoying all this paperwork? He was deeply confused, now he was the one resembling a baby bird waiting to be fed.

Suddenly she realized she was not alone in the office, Jessica looked up from her typing and over at the man who stood in the now open doorway.

"Dr. Crane, I didn't expect you to be back this early." She placed her hands in her lap as she spoke, acting as if she had been caught doing something naughty.

"Early?" he questioned her, was she not aware of the time. "Ms. Matthews it's almost 1:30 in the afternoon. You have been working here for over four hours now." His words seemed to shock her and she had to look down at her watch to make sure he was telling the truth.

"Oh, wow… I had no idea. The time just seemed to fly by!" she gave him a small smile before gathering up her remaining paperwork on his desk in front of her.

"Fly by… you mean you were enjoying yourself?" he asked stepping up to his desk, his words came slower than he had intended them to, he couldn't help it, she had dumbfounded him.

"I like doing clerical work; it's almost like a hobby to me." She sent another soft smile his way as she gently brushed past him, he caught a whiff of her scent at that moment and it sent his thoughts reeling.

Is it a perfume of some kind? No, too subtle to be perfume… her shampoo perhaps? Soap? Was it raspberries or flowers?

Why was he so confused all of a sudden?

Now who's the one with the inane thoughts, hmmm doctor?

He ignored the Scarecrows taunts and decided to focus his attention back on little Miss Matthews instead.

God, am I really referring to her as little Miss Matthews now? Damn you Scarecrow! He could hear the Scarecrow's laughter in the background and it annoyed him greatly.

"Is everything alright, Dr. Crane?" came the timid female voice, snapping him back to reality; all he could do was send her a look of utter confusion. "Are you upset because I used your computer without permission? I was worried you would be but you said to transcribe the files-"

"No, no... I'm not upset with you over that." Jonathan sighed wearily, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes as he spoke.

"But you are upset with me?" she muttered lightly, he looked up to see her staring at him like a lost little puppy seeking a pat on the head.

"No." he said simply, placing his glasses back on his face, it was then that he noticed she too was wearing glasses now. How could he have missed this when he first entered the room? "I didn't know you wore glasses." He only realized how idiotic he sounded once the words left his mouth.

"Oh, only when I am reading a lot… astigmatism." She turned from him, placing the remaining files back on the table beside the finished ones; it appeared she was over a third of the way done with all of it.

"Have you taken your lunch yet?" there was a twinge of annoyance to his tone now.

"No, I was waiting for you to tell me to." Her eyes were cast on the carpet again, what was it with this girl? The only time she seemed to look him in the eye was when he was giving her a command.

Something tells me this puppy has already been housebroken, Jonathan. The Scarecrow was purring now.

"Fine, you can go to lunch." He dismissed her with a slight wave of his hand. "But I want the rest of these files finished before the day is out, do you understand?" he tried being a bit firmer with her, curious to see her reaction to his tone.

"Yes, Dr. Crane, I will finish them as soon as I get back." She overly assured him before leaving the office, closing the door behind herself without needing to be told to.

Jonathan let out an audible scoff of disbelief after he heard the door shut behind her.

What the hell? Can a person really be that submissive? I mean she's only what, 23? Was she raised by nuns or Nazis? She looked as if I was going to whip her for using my computer without permission!

This girl was really starting to annoy the hell out of him, he didn't like not being able to figure a person out.

Jonathan, could we please not talk about submissive little girls wanting to be whipped by us… I'm on edge enough as it is!

Is everything about sex with you?

Of course not, there is also fear, and pain, and suffering… but sex just seems to tie everything together so well, wouldn't you agree?

I do not agree, I don't think like you do when it comes to my sexual requirements.

Listen to you, all high and mighty with your 'sexual requirements'… you can't fool me Jonathan, I know you too well.

What are you talking about?

I saw you, staring at her 'hips' and sniffing her hair… oh, and let's not forget about you pointing out the cute little glasses she was wearing. The Scarecrow couldn't help but snicker at the memory.

That's it, you want to play this game, fine by me!

Jonathan angrily made his way over to his desk, he ripped open the second drawer from the floor and removed a small orange tinted pill bottle.

Jonathan, what are you doing? TheScarecrow had stopped laughing.

If you don't want to shut up, then I will make you shut up.

You say you are going to do this Jonathan but you never do, face it, your threats with me are always empty.

Jonathan didn't answer him, he just flicked his thumb upward and popped the white cap from atop the bottle. He stared down into the plastic cylinder at the little green pills that greeted him there.

Now are we going to behave ourself? The Scarecrow was silent.

Jonathan put the cap back on the bottle.

A/n:

I have to admit, I am rather enjoying writing this… I didn't think I would but I am.

Please let me know if you guys are liking the banter between Crane and Scarecrow, I feel like it is kinda over the top but I was going for an almost comic-bookish thing with it… since my first love is really to the Scarecrow from the comics, and then to Cillian of course. LOL!

Anyway, let me know what you all think.

Thanks again.