Sorry this chapter took so long! I had a lot trouble writing the Joker. :(
I hope this is good... please let me know if he is an alright joker!

A Killing Joke

Chapter Five

I had been pacing around my office since I had gotten here three hours ago. I had been awake all night worrying about today, was I wearing enough make-up? Too much? Was I dressed appropriately, or was I dressed overly provocative. Normally none of this would matter but with the Joker anything I do or don't do would all be noticed by him. I almost felt that wearing purple or green would set him off so I avoided it, wore a black dress shirt instead of my normal bright ones. Pencil skirt over dress pants, didn't need to come off as too authoritative apparently that was something that set him off.

I must have read over his book of a file twice, Doctor Quinzel was the one who set him up to be captured. Imagine the amount of anger and betrayal that man must have been harboring inside him right now. Pairing him with me just seemed like a death sentence for me, and it just worried me more. I had been under the assumption Batman just kind of lucked out and grabbed him. I had managed to borrow the notes of the Doctor who was treating Harleen Quinzel and was honestly surprised by the amount of hate and anger she had grown towards her lover.

Well I wasn't surprised anyone brainwashed like she was, was bound to crumble eventually. He drove the Doctor to madness, made her go against everything she stood for as a professional and human being. For what? Some false sense of love and belonging? No wonder Barry and Edward had told me to request not to take the Joker in as a patient. I felt like I didn't have a choice to be frank.

Finally sitting down at my desk I pulled out my planner to see what the day held for me. It wasn't like I was just dealing with the Clown all day. I had other patients. I was supposed to see Doctor Crane and George Harkness today yet to my dismay George was out on a mission with the ever growing task force X today. Drats. Victor Zsasz requested a meeting with me today which was both welcome and worrisome. I paged down for Doctor Crane to be brought up to my office before heading over to gather my files to get ready for another turbulent talk with the good Doctor Crane.

"Doctor Nygma, how I missed our meetings. It's been a few days since I've been able to see you. So much to talk about." Doctor Crane started as I just smiled at him as I prepared to get comfortable in my spot.

"Doctor Crane; I had heard you got into a bit of trouble did you want to talk about that?" I asked him.

"If by trouble you mean, the people here didn't like something I said and shoved me into solitary yea, I'm quite alright. I heard there is a new crazy in the pen are you allowed to tell me who it is?"

"Jonathan you know I'm not allowed to disclose that to you. We are here to talk about you, about what's going on with you. If you aren't willing to do that then I'm afraid I'm going to start cutting our meetings shorter and shorter until you do." I explained to him.

"Your idle threats don't scare me Doctor. I have never had a need to talk to you, or anyone in here really. I'm not sick, twisted or crazy. I don't need a shrink, regardless of their own personal goals in here talking to me about things that don't matter. I'll be out of here soon enough… I can promise that." He grinned at me as I just smile again.

"It really is a shame Doctor Crane, I never once attempted to treat you as if you were like the other patients in here. I'm aware of the amount of patients in Arkham that have no real need to be in here other than it was cheaper to house them in here than in one of the many overcrowded prisons. I was simply giving you an ear, someone who would listen to any complaints you had and try to make being here more tolerable. However if you think you can escape Arkham and don't need me that's fine also." I told him as I walked to the door tapping on it as the two guards re entered my office.

"Doctor Crane here would like to be brought back to his cell." I told them as I made my way back over to my desk.

Considering the amount of crazy I had to deal with by the end of my day there was no part of me that was going to sit around wasting my time with patients that really didn't need or want my help. So what if this was an unprofessional way to react but it wasn't like I hadn't been reading the news. It wasn't like I didn't know what happened to get Doctor Harleen Quinzel to become Harley Quinn. I looked up from my desk once I had sat down and was once again alone in my office, I guess apart of me was sort of hoping Doctor Crane was just being a dick and actually wanted to talk to me.

I knew Victor was my next patient before the Joker and I was hoping for some reason that would take me more than an hour. I could go for an early lunch and see if Barry could speed by for a pep talk. That also still seemed so unreal; how did I miss Barry being the Flash? Since finding out he was everything just made sense, how he was always super early, or right place right time.

I stood up from my desk picking up the phone to page to have them bring up Zsasz. The first time I had met the man he managed to both clear and scatter my head. I would need to be in a good or at least decent mind frame for the Joker. Food would have to wait till after Victor and I were finished talking. I went towards the couch sitting down waiting for Victor to be brought into my office.

Soon enough I watched as the man was lead in and slowly sat before me not saying a word until the guards had left my office to wait outside for me to call them in to return Zsasz back to his cell. "You met the allusive Bruce Wayne so I heard. Having trouble with your brother too? Not because of my revelations I hope. You'll be handling the Joker what a joy that will be. He's more than angry I can almost bet he will try to drive you mad. However from the development I have seen from you I can't see that being very easy." He started.

"Why does everyone care so much about Bruce Wayne? He seemed like an ass." I sighed.

"Why do they care? He's rich and secretive, does so many things that are just odd for a man that spends all his time alone." I shrugged, "Money doesn't equal happiness." I told him as he seemed to smile.

"What do you know about what's going on with my brother?" I asked him.

"Do not trust the Penguin he will lead you astray, he's devious behaviour manages to get people killed he doesn't care about anything beyond his mom and his own moral justice. As for your brother he is unraveling into madness. Riddles, so many yes?" He started to chuckle, "His obsession with Bruce Wayne and being bullied is what has gotten him in such free fall."

"Wait why Bruce?"

"You're brother met him not long ago and had given him a bunch of riddles, to which he answered them all yes… until he told your brother he was a freak. He killed the cop that was bullying him two weeks ago… " I felt my eyes widen, my brother killed someone?

"Edward wouldn't do that, he wouldn't kill anyone."

"Edward no, but the Riddler would. What a name… very fitting."

"I can keep him safe, from detection I won't let him get locked away in this place." I told him still not sure why I was allowing myself to be so honest with a criminal, was it that I was afraid to come clean to Barry or any of my other friends since the whole thing went down with Edward.

"You say that; but the mad always have a way of getting caught. Batman always manages to find them."

"He is this towns White Knight." I mumbled I was annoyed with hearing about this Batman it was almost an everyday thing someone mentioning him or wanting to discuss him.

"Even White Knights have weaknesses; someone just needs to unmask him for all the world to see… then and only then will he become defeatable." He seemed to chuckle menacingly.

"You're forgetting he's buddies with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, he's bound to have protection and loyalty surrounding him. That and unmasking him just gives him a name and more credibility, it would never take away from the things he has been doing to protect Gotham." I explained to him as he shrugged. "You aren't wrong." He told me with a smirk, I concluded out meeting at the point. I needed to reevaluate myself, why was I asking Victor Zsasz for advice, why was I excited about our meetings. Was I really that hurting for a friend that understood the complexities that were quickly becoming my life?

I moved swiftly to get out of Arkham to head out for my lunch break. Stopping at a small sushi bar and taking a small seat. What was wrong with me? Why was I breaking the code of conduct just to figure out how to deal with Edward. I shouldn't even have to deal with it, any sane person would have turned him into the GCPD by now; family or not.

Yet here I was trying to get Victor Zsasz to tell me what to do and how to do it. What was I thinking. Arkham could possibly be the best thing for Edward; I could even get him transferred to Central City and I could move back there to help him. It was no secret that Arkham was a death sentence for anyone put in here. There was no real treatment plans just casual talks and meetings with the criminally insane, and if those talks didn't help they were doped up and sedated between meals.

I had to do something; as I placed my order I decided to text Edward asking him to tell me what was going on with him, or who this alter ego was that was taking him over. Told him as a family we would keep him safe from the GCPD, Arkham and Batman's hands until there was nothing else to be done. I didn't expect an answer since he was rarely talking to me as it was anyway.

I was sure there was something I could do legally within the system to get help for my brother that wouldn't result in him wasting away in a criminal cell. No one needed to know that he had killed that officer, not like Edward, his ego or myself was ever really planning on telling anyone about it. "This spot taken?" I heard a deep cool voice ask from behind me.

I turned slightly to see Mr Wayne standing there behind me motioning at the seat beside me at the bar. "No by all means." I smiled softly remembering that at the request and pestering of Edward I had chosen not to pursue Mr Wayne or calling him.

"I have to admit never hearing from you was, well it was disappointing." He laughed softly before raising his hand signaling he was ready. "So you're the new Doctor down at Arkham, pretty risky working there." He told me.

"I really had meant to call, I had just gotten very busy at work and things with my brother have become pretty messy." I admitted.

"Brother? Edward down at the GCPD?" He asked me.

"How do you know things about me when I hardly know who you are?" I questioned him.

"I'm Bruce Wayne, it's my job to know everyone in Gotham." He told me, "That and I may have had Alfred look into you, and Jim Gordon may have told me you came to him."

I couldn't help but laugh, "You are persistent Mr Wayne I'll give you that. Alfred is your P.I. I take it?" I asked him.

"No Alfred is, well Alfred has been apart of the Wayne family for more than a life time." He explained to me which really only told me that the man worked for Bruce and was likely the butler. Which I also half expected a man like Bruce Wayne to have one.

"I will have to meet this man one day." I told him with a soft smile.

"Ah so you'll take up my offer to grab dinner with me?" He asked me this time which felt a lot better than the demand to call him last time.

"I suppose I will, I'm sure you'll figure out where to pick me up and my number by tonight so I'll hear from you later then?" I asked him not entirely positive where this new found confidence was really coming from.

"I'm sure I can get Jim to put out an APB for your car." He smiled to me before I paid for my food and left back to get to my car before realizing; there was no way Bruce just stumbled upon me at the Sushi bar he already knew I was there. Which was sort of creepy but also some what endearing. Besides Barry no guy ever really put that much effort into trying to impress me, I never thought I was particularly hard to impress.

Once I was back at the office I went through the Joker's file one last time before requesting for him to be sent up here. To say I wasn't absolutely terrified over what was about to happen would be a lie. I wasn't sure what to expect, what to think. Part of me thought he was just going to sit there and bicker to me about how I'm a woman, or try to schmooze me over like he had with Dr Quinzel. Something that did worry me, what if Barry was wrong and I was just like Harleen? What if I was just as easy to get to as she was?

I couldn't think like that. There was no space for thoughts like that.

"Marcus could you please have …. The Joker brought up to my office please." I paged down only to hear 'are you sure' as the response. Once confirming that was in fact something I wanted I moved myself to the table where the Joker was about to be chained to the floor. Mentally preparing myself for the nightmare that was about to unfold in front of me.

I heard the door open and could already hear his laughter filling my office, was this his way of throwing me off before I could even start? I didn't turn to give his laughter any of the attention he was wanting from it. I did however watch as his laughs slowed down into some mechanical laughter as they forced him into the seat and hooked his chains into the respective hoops.

The guards left my office leaving me alone with the madman as he seemed to just stare at me with amusement before rolling his head back and slamming his fists onto the table causing me to jump slightly. His laughter just started back up again as I cleared my throat oddly silencing him, "I am going to be your Doctor while you are in Arkham. My name is-" Was telling him my first name a good idea?

"Amelia Nygma." He said dragging out both my first and last name almost as if he was seething it from his teeth.

"Doctor Nygma." I corrected him, he sucked on his teeth almost tisking at me for not allowing him a personal base with me. "What is it I should call you? The Joker?" I asked him as he just laughed.

"Oh I can pick, I get to chose." He started dragging out the word chose "Pick, pick, pick." He said as he seemed to look around the room as if he'd been in this office before. Which I knew he hadn't been.

I just sat there taking in a deep breath not really sure how to react to the man sitting in front of me as he seemed to enjoy the confusion he left me with after each breath. "Joe Kerr, Jack Napier. Are names really that important Amelia? What're you going to do when I give you one?" He questioned me, and before I could even open my mouth his voice grew dark as he tried to move closer to me over the table, "Enslave me?"

"I er- no, it's just." And there went my confidence the clown prince of Gotham had managed to fluster me, how did I even let that happen. "It's protocole and I didn't think you'd want to be called inmate." I told him trying my hardest to keep my composure as his baby blues bore into my own. His face covered in tattoos, his teeth a half grill from what I read the Batman punching them out. He looked so menacing yet something else was there, and I'm guessing it was the small bit of charm and normality behind his eyes that drew Doctor Quinzel in.

"Do not call me inmate." He said in a low growl.

"Then what? You have to give me something." I told him as he went back to oddly looking around my office.

The way he was staring at me was making me feel uneasy like I was being examined for weaknesses. I didn't like this, I hated feeling like my patients had something over me. Victor did the same thing to me, as did Doctor Crane. It was like they knew something about me that was just hidden to me. Like if they got out I was in trouble, which explained why I usually just let them lead their sessions.

"I suppose Jack, is just fine for now." He said with little to no expression painted on his ghost white face. I had always wondered if that was paint, but reading that it was something his chemical dive had done to his skin had honestly shocked me. I had always assumed it was something he did on purpose to play the role of a clown. Knowing he willingly jumped into vat at the Ace.

"Alright, Jack." I said awkwardly as he sat there grinning at me as if there was some sort of joke behind the name Jack. I assumed it was a off nickname from the Joker. "Where do you want to start?"

"You want to know why I am….how I am?" He grinned.

"To figure out the madness, you're going to need to become a lot more invested Miss Nygma otherwise you will never scratch the surface." He said as he did this airy laugh that ended in heaving. This man wasn't insane he was a genius, he knew exactly how to draw everyone close to get what he wanted. I couldn't let what happened to Harleen happen to me, I wouldn't.

"I meant more like who were you before you became the Clown Prince of Gotham. Everyone came from somewhere, why crime?" I asked him as his grin slowly grew as he stared at me. "That's what I was referring to Miss Nygma." He said as his grin just stayed painted on his face.

"How was your relationship with your parents?" I asked him as he just smirked.

"I killed them, they are dead. Gone. I grew up in a circus." He told me as he started laughing wildly. I knew I was never going to get a serious answer out of him in regards to his past, meant I had to try another technique. I just hoped it didn't backfire on me too quickly.

"What about the last time you were in Arkham, you met Harley Quinn here didn't you? She's was a Doctor then, Harleen Quinzel?" I asked him preparing myself for the whiplash that was likely in store for mentioning her name when she was the reason he had even gotten captured.

He shocked me by laughing before, "Harleen Quinzel is dead too… She just doesn't realise how dead she is yet."

"So no one crosses you? That what you're telling me?" I asked him.

He moved closer to me again; "You may cross all over me if you want Miss Nygma, what size are you anyway? You look like you would be just delicious." He told me causing chills to roll up my spine.

"Jack I'd like it if you didn't speak to me like that." I told him trying to stand my ground.

"Everyone likes hearing they are...desired, You and you're tight skirt and blouse that is obviously too small for you… likes hearing it." He told me as I looked down at my shirt which was actually a size too big, and all pencil skirts where tight. It wasn't like I did that on purpose, this was how he got Harleen. He convinced her that was something she wanted, something she liked. I wasn't going to let him get to me like she did.

"No, Jack I don't like to be spoken to like that. I am a woman who likes to be treated with respect and decency." I told him.

"Then you would just love Bruce Wayne. Gotham's biggest waste of space. The man lives alone in a big house and spends stupidly in public to be seen as a big shot… what a joke." He said laughing as if he had told me a joke when he in fact told me something about himself. He didn't like the Wayne family. Which was seeming to be a common thing with the criminals in Arkham. Between this Batman and Bruce, they were more hated than the GCPD and Detective Gordon.

"So you hate Bruce Wayne?" I asked him as he shrugged.

"Hate, hate, hate. Such a violent word." He chuckled just further confusing me. "I could get a woman like you if I wanted. He isn't special." He told me as I arched my brow.

"No one said he was." I sighed.

"That's why you have a note on the back of your clipboard to call him to set up a dinner? You think because you're on that side of the table I can't have you….I already do Miss Nygma. No one will go near you once I say so." I stood up slamming my clipboard down.

"That is quite enough. You will not speak to me like I am your property. I am not Harley Quinn and you will learn to stay on your side of this table. You will either come to these sessions and participate normally or I will just keep sending you back to your cell until you get it. You are a patient of this Psychiatric Hospital, not outside on the streets. Is this understood?" I practically shouted at him.

He just grinned like a total psychopath; "Finally a woman who takes charge… I like that." He told me causing me to get goosebumps all up and down my arm. "Guard, The Joker is ready to head back down to his cell." I shouted over my shoulder to the guard outside the door.

The Joker just sat there grinning at me as the two guards began to unchain him to remove him from my office. I don't understand what his quick obsession was with me, probably and most likely because I'm a woman and he felt since it was so easy with Harleen. That I would be just as quick of an escape plan as she was. "I'll see you at our next…. Session." He said looking me up and down trying to get as close to me as possible to almost as if he was trying to sniff me. "Amelia."