Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews! They never fail to make my day. I finished this chapter super fast because it was so fun to write, plus it ties together quite a few loose ends, making the story all neat for part two of the book which is going to be set in Arkham Asylum- which I'm honestly so excited about! I did this chapter in third person again because as tempting as it is to write from the Joker's POV, I like a lot of his thoughts and motives being private as it adds to the mystery and complexity of his character. As always, I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Five- The Great Escape- Part Two: Bath Time

He watched her leave through the door, her hospital gown which was strung together untidily revealed small parts of her back made something stir down deep below him. He may have been a deranged killer, but like any man, he did have his urges.

He was surprised to find he had actually enjoyed her company. Now that the Batman was currently out of the game; he needed a replacement, and Alice had fitted the role beautifully.

Like the Bats, she was insane- face it, anyone who dresses up as a vigilante in a bat costume was completely batshit crazy- and also like the Bats she felt the need to get revenge for all those who had wronged her. She was damn near perfect- to the Joker, only he was capable of faultlessness- and he almost wished he had met her sooner.

But now she was slipping away, to return to the filthy streets of Gotham and their paths would be unlikely to cross again. Unless of course, he did something about it.

And he planned to do something about it.

He prodded his tongue with the needle that lay dormant in his mouth tasting the droplets of blood which seeped out. Under his blanket his foot was twitching wildly, with intense anticipation of what he was planning to do. He hadn't had this much fun since his fatal face-off with Batman. His head was spinning dizzily with exhilaration.

The Joker had watched her rip out her stitched with her teeth like a feral animal, and he had stared in awe. When he explained the plan, she didn't question it for one second- or doubt if it would work. She followed his instructions like one of his goons, but she was different from them- superior. The Joker loathed the pathetic nature of his thugs, and he certainly didn't hate Alice.

She was above his thugs, unlike them she wasn't motivated by money or fear. The only thing which fuelled her was hatred. He'd caught glimpses of it during his stay- when she spoke about the Wayne's, when he mocked her family, and when he revealed the truth about Sionis. But only brief sights of her fury, and he wanted the full show- fireworks and all. The Joker after all, did love explosions.

Alice had insulted him though, or at least attempted too- the Joker didn't have the emotions to get offended. It meant eventually he'd have to punish her, he wasn't willing to let a few snide remarks ruin his reputation for violence. But her penalty could come later, much later. At the moment she was just too fun to play with.

Despite her comments, the Joker knew that deep down within her lurked a soft spot for him, she had practically admitted it. Untying his hand had proved it to be true. The Joker could've gotten Alice to free him from his all of his shackles, but that would've been too easy for him. The Joker couldn't stand getting things handed to him, it spoiled the fun of it. Part of the thrill he had of committing crimes was the risk of getting caught. It added that much more fun to the game. That's all his crimes and killing would ever be to him, one huge game. It was what made him a cut above all the other criminals in Gotham. He didn't have motivation only a release from boredom, all he wanted was chaos.

Alice was addicted to morphine, he was addicted to mayhem, and the Bats was addicted to justice. They all fitted together as a trio of deranged outcasts, all of them unwanted by the city.

One twisted family, the Joker thought lightheadedly.

But a family of three was too big for him, he'd been in a family of three growing up and that hadn't worked out well. The Joker violently pushed the stray thought to the back of his head, he preferred his past to be multiple choice like all the stories of how he got his scars- it ruined everything if he remember the truth. What was the saying- three's a crowd? Two's were the ideal match. Two's were like a pair of Jokers in a deck of cards, two's balanced each other out like Yin and Yang. The Joker would have to get to the issue of three at a later date, currently Batman was out which meant that Alice could join the game. However, temporarily that would be.

His foot continued to twitch impatiently, and his scars appeared redder as he gnawed at them, giddy with excitement. He was like a shark that smelt blood, he knew his prey was near approaching. Call it predator's instinct or luck, but within that next minute his victim entered.

A male Nurse stepped into the room with a bucket of lukewarm water and a yellow sponge. His eyes looked everywhere in the room but the Joker's face, which was watching every movement of the Nurse like a spider on its web- waiting for the best moment to strike. This man was weak both mentally and physically, a scrawny man of only 5 foot 4. He'd be easy pickings.

The Nurse didn't notice the empty bed that lay beside the Joker, Alice had been right- the Joker's presence had made her invisible. It was as if she had never occupied the same room as him.

The Joker's free hand curled into a fist, ready to strike. He was itching to inflict some real pain onto a person; mental torture was only half as much fun.

"Sayyyy," the Joker drawled, rolling out his consonants. "How about you start with my face?"

The male Nurse swallowed, his adam apple bopping down as he neared the Joker's bed. The hospital ward had drawn straws to see who would be cleaning the Joker, the male Nurse hadn't lost but the woman he fancied had. So the male Nurse made the rash decision to nominate himself in a bid to impress her. He instantly regretted his spurt of bravado, but it earned him a light kiss on the cheek so the Nurse followed his decision through, hoping he'd earn more from her later.

The Nurse dipped the sponge in the water and squeezed, the droplets colliding heavily with the water was the only sound heard in the room but it echoed through like a gunshot.

The Nurse learnt over the Joker dapping his forehead lightly with the sponge, trying to gently massage off the dirt and grime. He avoided the clown's eyes at all costs, but from the corner of his vision he could see the Joker looking up at him with faux innocence. Still, the Joker's calmness managed to lull the Nurse into a false sense of security. Big mistake on his part.

In an instant the Joker's free hand grabbed the back of his head and hurtled it through the wall above the headboard.

The Nurse fell limp onto the bed, then rolled onto the floor. Plaster dust fell from the indent caused by the impact and onto the Joker's face, giving him another idea. But first, he had to escape his binds.

He used his free hand to quickly untie all of his restraints, and within seconds he took his first step in weeks off of the hospital bed. The Joker laughed manically, wishing Alice- heck anyone- could have spectated his master skill of escapism. Houdini had nothing on him.

The Joker wiped the plaster dust from the wall and smothered it onto his face. He was finally getting his mask back. The dust, although was inferior in comparison to face paint, caused his face to glow a ghastly pale white. He then dunked his fingers into the Nurse's head wound and painted it on his lips, licking the blood off of his fingers to taste his prey. The blood tasted bitter and metallic, but to the Joker all it tasted of was sweet victory.

The only thing he was missing was his signature black eyes. But he knew just where to get them.

He snuck through the door, checking for Nurses but the corridor was empty causing him to grin even further. His escape was going even more perfectly than predicted, all he had to do was make it to the end of the hall. Planting the explosives at the other Hospital meant he had memorised the whole floor plan of each wing. Gotham's founders hadn't bothered to come up with a new plan for each hospital and had recycled the original Hospital's layout- the Joker wasn't complaining about their unoriginality, it was currently aiding him in his sickly revenge.

His pale bare feet flew down the corridor barely touching the ground. Despite his bony appearance, he was athletic. The Joker used his weak looking body to his advantage, in fights everybody underestimated him, not expecting the lean layer of muscle which was hidden under his clothes. But the blows the Joker could pull in a fist fight were nothing in comparison to his blows during knife fights. For him, a knife wasn't a foreign object- it was an extension of his own body. The speed and accuracy at which he could inflict his strikes were unrivaled by all.

The black door stood out, a silver plated sign reading 'Doctor White, Head of Hospital', and the Joker let out a small chortle. He had been envisioning this encounter for days on end. He wanted to feel the rush of killing somebody again before he was to be locked away. He gave the Nurse to Alice, she would have been a more entertaining kill but the Joker was out to be dramatic. The whole of Gotham would be shocked again to find the Joker had managed to kill the good Doctor White, who was Head of the entire Hospital, rather than some Nurse who would remain nameless in the Papers.

He twisted the doorknob open, but it wouldn't budge. The Joker gave a small smile, it meant the room was occupied. He slipped the needle out from between his lips, and went to work. Alice wasn't the only two out of the pair that knew how to pick some locks, the Joker was also highly practiced. The Joker held his ear up to the door, listening in for the faint click, as the moved the needle skillfully through the keyhole. The Joker could've knocked, but that would have ruined the entrance and he wanted it to be big.

Click.

With that the Joker barged into the room, kicking the door wide open with the heel of his bare foot. What the Joker hadn't expected was that Boles, his substitute Guard, was going to be in the room, having his lunch break with the good old Doctor.

Frank Bole's sprang into action, and within an instant the Joker was pinned against a bookcase.

"And here I was thinking it was all going smoothly." The Joker muttered to himself.

Boles' grip tightened on his wrists, and pushed the Joker's face further into the hard leather bindings of the books. A wooden shelf dug into his cracked rib cage nearly making him wince or laugh. The Joker had a unique relationship with pain, he believe to truly enjoy inflicting pain onto others you had to enjoy inflicting it onto yourself. Maybe Alice would agree with him, he would have to test out the theory himself.

"Shit," the Good Doctor swore. "I'll call the GCPD."

"Don't bother, I got this." Boles said.

He, and most of the Warden's, hated the GCPD in the same way that the Police hated the Feds- Cash was the only exception, as he used to be on the GCPD. The Police always got up in their business, believing they could do a better job than the Wardens. The GCPD may have caught the insane maniacs, they didn't deal with the lunatics every day. Boles bet they wouldn't last a week in the Asylum, he may have been right with that.

"Oh that's it Boles, hold me tight- tighter." The Joker groaned out in delight, feeling Frank Boles squirm despite holding the reins of power. If one thing made hard men weak, it was when their sexuality was brought into the mix- and the Joker knew how to exploit everybody's area of weakness.

Frank's grip automatically loosened and the Joker used this as leverage to pivot, in a second he whipped round and was face-to-face with Boles. Frank jumped back in surprise, whipping out his signature baton. But Frank didn't use it, the Joker made no move to attack. The Joker stood his back to the shelf, watching Boles with content eyes. Frank Boles' presence hadn't altered the Joker's plan, it had only sped it up.

"I'll call-"

"Don't." Boles hissed out, gripping his baton tighter readying himself for a counter-attack.

If they were alone, the Joker would have been beaten to a pulp by now. It was the Doctor who was saving him from bruising, Frank didn't believe Doctor White would lie to the Police when they asked of a report of the incident. He was definitely right about that. Doctor White did absolutely everything by the books, his inability to bend the rules made him simultaneously the most hated and revered Doctor in Gotham. It was the reason Commissioner Gordon felt safe with placing the Joker under his care, Gordon knew that Doctor White wouldn't let any of his staff leak the Joker's whereabouts to the Papers. His decision to place him under White's care would come back to haunt him.

The Joker didn't step one centimetre out of place, he was like a statue with his eyes fixed on Frank. He broke this stillness when he eventually spoke, "Tell me Boles, how much do you want ah promotion?"

It was Boles turn to freeze out of the unexpected statement. Only Arkham Guards new of the newest vacancy now that one of Heads had been killed in the incident a few days ago, courtesy of Killer Croc. But what was more disturbing was that the Joker knew that Boles wanted the job. It was as if the Joker knew that it was Boles who had let the Croc out of his cell in the first place. But that would have been impossible, Boles thought, not even Killer Croc knew he was part of any plan- Boles had orchestrated the entire situation to his choosing, the Killer Croc was like an animal once you understood it you could manipulate it to perform for you like a dancing monkey. Boles had wound everyone up like toy soldiers and then sat back to watch.

"How did you-"

The Joker tsked calmly, "Answer the question."

Frank Boles was silent, his knuckle had turned white from his hard grip on the baton. If the Joker knew, it meant somebody else knew and told him, and that meant he was at risk of being found out. That thought caused Boles' face to turn the same colour as his knuckle. It was the Joker's voice that distracted him away from his concerns, the Joker was seeming to side with him.

"We all know that job was meant for uh you. But that idiot, Sharp, just had to give it to Banks. Luckily for you, he's dead."

Doctor White interrupted, "Boles, what's going on?"

"Shut up."

Doctor White paled at the hardness of Frank's tone. This man he was witnessing was completely different to the polite man he'd been sitting having lunch with just minutes ago. Whatever interaction was happening between the two intruders in his office had to stop- instinct told the Doctor that, something was going on between the two of them, and that something was not going to end well- at least for him.

Doctor White slyly tried reaching for his phone on the table, but the twisted voice stopped him.

"I uh would not do that."

The Doctor looked up and saw a twistedly sick smile and Boles' hard gaze, it was two against one. The Doctor took a step back towards the far wall, retreating. The Boles who had been lightheartedly joking with him about the inmates he interacted with in the Asylum, had now vanished entirely. The Doctor knew that he was no longer facing only one threat- the Joker- but two.

The Joker continued, ignoring the presence of the Doctor. He'd have plenty of time to pay him his full attention later. But first, he had to focus on the crooked Boles.

"You were supposed to catch the Croc, right-uh? That was the plan." The Joker licked his bloodstained mouth causing it to shine emerald red. "But Cash ruined it. North swapped your assignments. Cash saved the day. So now I'll ask again- how much do you want that promotion?"

The Doctor was completely lost, nobody in Gotham- save the GCPD, Batman, and the Asylum workers - knew who Killer Croc was. It was a dark secret that they kept to protect the minds of their city, Gotham had enough to fear as it was. But what the Doctor did pick up on, was that their interaction was resulting in some deal that the Joker was offering up. Doctor White feared the consequences of Boles taking it. Surely, though, nobody's crazy enough to make a deal with the Joker? He hoped. They stood more chance of survival with making a pact with Satan.

"Who told you?" Boles gaze hardened, he didn't like being out of control and he knew that he no longer held the most power in the room.

The Joker tsked again, avoiding Boles' interrogation."Answer the question."

Boles thought for a moment. How much did he want the promotion? Well, he had already technically killed for it- he knew the outcome for letting the Croc out of his cage. But was he greedy and insane enough to make a deal with the Joker over it?

He stared back at the Joker, and spoke, "The promotion's mine."

Of course he was.

Doctor White's eye bulged from their sockets, and he tried to protest against Frank's decision but found his tongue to be swollen within his mouth from fear. Unlike the Scarecrow, the Joker didn't require a toxin to make the people of Gotham fear him- the Joker only needed to use his very presence. White prayed that if he remained silent perhaps the two would forget about him and he'd manage to survive the encounter unmaimed, it was a futile dream but a man can hope.

The Joker's sinister face broke into a menacing smile, "Atta boy. Now, remember the girlie? The blonde one in my room, small and hot-headed?"

Frank's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "What about her?"

Of course Frank remembered her. She was the annoying bitch who couldn't keep her mouth shut. That was the problem with Narrow's scum despite being the lowest in the pecking order none of them knew respect. They were liking those yapping Chihuahuas that tried taking on the bigger dogs. It was the reason they all had such a low life expectancy. Chihuahuas can never win against Rottweilers. And Frank Boles wanted to be top dog.

"Catch her quick enough and you might get-uh two new inmates."

Boles' dead eyes stared blankly at the Joker whose lips curled up in disgust. He hated explaining his own punchlines, it always made the joke less amusing. So the Joker tried again, simplifying it all for Frank. Boles plan for the promotion had been intelligent, but that didn't make him an intellectual person. Frank Boles had wasted all of his few brain cells developing a plan which had ultimately failed, and now he needed the guidance of another to get him his desired job. Boles was even stupid and mad enough to follow the Joker's counsel, without thinking it would come at a price. A price that would end up being very costly for him.

"If you check-in with John-stonnn, you might find she has an unwelcomed guest."

Boles' eyes widened with realisation, and the Joker dug with dirty finger nails into the palm of his hands to reduce the urge to gorge the Guard's eyes out. That event could come later. The Joker's list was growing at record breaking speed, but if all went to schedule the list would be reduced by two people by the end of the day.

"Leave the good old Doc with me, come back once you caught her and-" the Joker's finger tips tapped rapidly on the wooden shelf stimulating a jagged drumroll. "That promotion's yours!"

His yellow teeth flashed out, giving Boles his best killer grin- quite literally. Frank caught a whiff of his foul breath and nearly gagged on the stench. The Joker's teeth were rotten, just like his insides and his warped soul. But the smell was nothing compared to the ugly aroma of greed that poured out of Boles. If he managed to recapture the Joker he'd be classed as a hero, but if he managed to capture both the Joker and his accomplice, he'd be a saviour and nothing would stop his from being top. Especially if his accomplice was now a murderer, as the Joker had insinuated. But the Joker wasn't exactly the most reliable person in the world; if anything he was the least.

"How do I know you won't take the opportunity to escape?"

Frank Boles had a right to be sceptic. Doctor White throughout lunch had told him how badly the Joker had reacted to news of going to Arkham. None of it made sense, the Joker was volunteering to get recaptured, all to help Boles become one of the Head Guards. It made about as much sense as the Joker giving Alice advice. However, he had his reasons for both.

Like Sionis, he saw potential in Alice. She was crazy, and getting crazier by the second. But not mad enough to dress up in a costume and run around beating people up for a living, like him and Bats. But she wasn't too far away. At least, not anymore.

The Joker realised that Alice trusted people too much, it was her biggest flaw so of course he'd exploit it. She had trusted Sionis unquestionably, and soon she'd trust him like that as well. The Joker would break her until she was at her rawest form, utterly demented. Then he'd help to tape some of the broken pieces back together, so she was all jagged up inside. He wasn't going to do it because he cared- he didn't have the capacity for caring- he was going to do it because it was fun.

Batman was in retirement at the moment, so he needed a new play toy for the time being- somebody who was intelligent, destructive, and could become as equally as crazy as him. Alice was ticking all of those boxes. And when Bats returned, as the he planned, the Joker would get rid of her. It was that simple. Why have a replica when you can get the original? Her death would be her punishment for the insults, the Joker had decided. But in a way it was also going to be his gift to her.

He didn't like Alice, but he didn't hate her either. She had wanted to die, she probably still wanted to die- only her hatred for Sionis was giving her a reason to live. The Joker would allow her death, and an impressive one- full of pain and torment. He'd give her a much more spectacular death than a simple wrist slit, he'd make her death into a form of art. Then after it was over, he'd string her up for the whole world to see. Alice wouldn't just be one of his victims, she'd be the victim. The one that everybody remembered whenever his name was brought up into conversation, because her limp and broken body would truly project what a maniac he was inside. It would be his gift to her because Alice would no longer be a nameless and invisible person from The Narrows, Alice would always be remembered.

The Joker rolled his eyes at Boles question, Frank wasn't looking towards the bigger picture. The Joker hadn't wanted to go to Arkham, at least not until he found out that his precious Batman was out of action. Now, he couldn't wait. And the most ingenious part of his plan was that everybody still thought that he didn't want to go there. The Joker's 'attempted escape' would be further proof for their blind eyes. It meant everybody in Gotham would feel safe and secure now that the Joker was locked away. It would be the calmness before the storm. And this storm was going to be killer.

The Joker needed to go to Arkham now, because he knew that he alone wasn't enough to lure the Batman out of his cave. The Joker needed somebody else. Somebody who people feared, somebody who knew Batman just as well as he did- if not more. Somebody who's combined force with him, would have Gotham paralyzed with terror. Gotham was going to be forced to beg on their hands and knees for the alleged killer of Harvey Dent to return.

"There's someone I want-uh to meet," he ran his tongue over his chapped lips. "Somebody who definitely has a brain."

Frank stared at him with dead eyes, the connection not tying within his brain. Boles was too occupied thinking about his new job role, and the pay bonus it would bring. He decided to risk losing the Joker for it.

Boles released his grip on his baton, and the Joker grinned- he knew what decision the Guard had made.

"You've got ten minutes tops." Boles said, trying to stare the Joker down. The Joker returned his gaze with black eyes darkening from anticipation, his wide smile growing by the second. Boles had no idea that he had just sold off his soul. The Joker was going to take and take from him until he was nothing more than a lifeless body- which he would be by the time the Joker had finished killing him.

Frank turned to leave, but a weak voice momentarily halted his exit.

"Wait! Frankie! You can't do this to me, I thought we were friends!" White's quivering voice informed Frank that he was shaking uncontrollably, despite Boles facing the opposite direction.

Frank didn't even have the decency to turn around to address him with his next, and final statement, "I've only known you for two days."

And with that, Frank Boles left the poor Doctor in the merciless in the hands of the Joker.

The Joker locked the door on Frank's exit to ensure he'd have no rude interruptions, and turned slowly-stalking his prey. Ever since he had awoken from his coma, he felt the craving to kill again. He was going to make this own memorable, it was his feast after his fast. The Joker stared gleefully at Doctor White, who was bundled up in the corner of his room, too shaken to even consider running to the phone in a last ditch attempt to survive. His pathetic nature made the Joker grimace, he had hoped his first killing of the list would have had a little fight in him. The fighters were the most fun to murder, because when they broke they revealed to the world how much of a coward they truly are. Still, the Joker could make do with a chicken.

He picked up the staple gun which lay on the Doctor's desk, and tossed it between each of his hands testing its weight.

"The things-uh I will do with this." He muttered aloud to himself.

"But first-" he slammed the metal stapler back down on the desk, the sound riveted through the room and the Doctor clenched his eyes tight and let out a dry sob. "Do you happen to have any black pens?"

His mask was almost complete.