There is sign. I know that the sign is there because I put it there. I was told to put it up because the television is out of order. The nice big crack would usually have shouted this, but they asked me to put up the sign.

One by one I watched them sit on the couch and pick up the remote. The send off into rage varies but not by too much. The average is about five seconds. Harley is usually first. She steps on the remote and would have continued to bounce if I hadn't intervened. I was told that these patients had been doctors, lawyers and scientists from various fields. Yet, this one sign must have been either invisible or written in another language.

Gotham's finest. No. Arkham's. I will save this city from their disease. Only a matter of time. I will smile at them, treat them the way ethics command. I will save them and Gotham. I will purge this place of all the dark. I promised her I promised her I promised her.

"Joy of joys, Joan. The Joker gets out of EI today. That's going to be a fun walk. They want me to check his stats. Chen backed out." Dr. Cassidy. She was never late for her moan of the day. Joan hated tense mornings like these.

"That's just one of them. Aaron Cash is walking his favorite down to his new cell."

The color drained from her colleague's face. That would also be a very intense, worry some, horrible, emotional and physically draining task for everyone. Plus those cannibal comments were all kinds of creepy and disturbing.

"Are you ready, Doc?" Joan's armed escort had arrived just on time. She smiled and prepared to leave. It was going to be one of those days.

"Where are you headed?"

"Kellermen transferred Jonathan Crane back to me. We have our session in a few minutes."

"Oooh. I don't know who is creepier. Joker or that one." Cassidy and Joan both walked out of the office.

"That's not the word I would use to describe them. May your escort with the Joker be a complete disaster."

"May Crane stab you the face with your pen." Both ladies mocked a bow towards each other before taking off in separate directions.

The boys who worked one of the various security console rooms found it quite odd that the cameras were showing very strange images.

"That's the Warden's room." One said. The image flickered and faded for just a moment. The man next to him played with the feed and then things got curious.

"That's not the Warden." They leaned in close on the monitor. The man at the computer typed at rapid speed.

"This is an old video file. Someone is hacking the camera."

Then it dawned on them who had just been allowed to update their system after it crashed.

"Get Leland to check on him. If he's not in his cell we may have a problem."

"May?"

All the monitors went dead. There was a problem. Both men attacked their radios. Which were also useless.

Joan on the other hand was having her own issues. Not long after she started her trek down the hall and into the wing where Crane had been held she felt a sensation. A sharp, painful one at the side of her temple. Something struck her with such force she lost the air in her lungs. She collapsed.

"Help me." A hoarse voice rasped in her ear.

Joan's eyes widened and her body became tense. She couldn't breathe. She could feel warm liquid trickle down the side of her temple. Vision fading and static. The shadow of a creature stood before her.

"Help me cleanse Gotham."

Joan had something she wanted to say about that. She tried to speak, form words, push him away but the pain in her head, took hold of her. She couldn't fight it any longer. The darkness consumed her vision.

"I don't want to play poker. I like trivia pursuit!" Edward crossed him arms and glared at the group who dared to gather before him. Jervis decided to make more friends without him.

"You cheat at trivia games." Pamela Isley said airily. She checked her nails in boredom and planned how she would pay Harley back for this suggestion.

"He cheats at everything." Jervis added. He made everyone cups of tea. They were warming up to him. Only took three years of awkward silence.

"Oh come on! We could play monopoly." Everyone save Jervis groaned. Harley kept her smile on her face despite her friends.

"Harley, we never finish the game because we all end up strangling each other." Pamela said.

"No one is playing anything. Get back to your cells. Jervis you're coming with Briggs." Jervis was jerked to his feet by this "Briggs" fellow and led away without a word.

"Hey! We were good this week! We get an hour of rec!" Harley had considered tossing some of those cups of hot tea.

"This is a lock down. You will have your activity time again soon." Several guards pushed the Rogues to the corridor leading to their cells.

"I hope it's not Mistah J! I haven't been able to spend any time with him." Harley swooned as she walked. Pamela rolled her eyes.

"If it is him, I hope he has the decency to get stuck in a ditch for a week. I need a vacation from him."

"Reeed!"

"I hate him. That's never going to change."

"You do deserve better." Edward said, he was feeling brave and hoped it would not cost him anything.

"Like Edward said." Pamela Isley agreed! He felt a surge of something. Progress! Maybe there was a method to Jervis's sudden madness at wanting to befriend these people.

While the Rogues strolled along to their cells, Joan was facing the cold darkness. Small space. Can't move or feel body. Legs. Immobile. It'll be okay okay okay okay.

She was pulled to dim light and met her ex director.

"This will protect you." Joan eyes had let her down. She knew this place. The morgue. Jeremiah placed both hands on her head. This would be fine.

"Jeremiah, you're-" He pulled his hands back quick as a flash and pushed her back in the dark.

"Sleep now."

He danced around to the music of his mind. Change! He found his new partner! Though, she wasn't his first choice. Aaron Cash wasn't going to win any beauty contests.

His dance ended sooner than he had planned. Aaron Cash grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him into the arms of one of his men. Jeremiah was soon sedated and led back to his cell.

"Take him back to his room. I want every inch of this asylum searched. You will find Leland!"

"What's the meaning of this!" Jeremiah demanded. His voice cold and full of fire.

"We're just taking you back to the office. We're going back over the plans. You know, save Gotham right?" The man holding his left arm said.

"Yeah, Doc. We're just regrouping." The said man to his right.

"Yes, yes. We must be prepared." Jeremiah accepted this.

Just another night at Arkham Asylum.

yeah it's rushed but this will be a story arc told in two more parts-mac is being evil. Post next bits soon.
cheers

X