A Family

by BaconYourFace

What happens when two girls enter the Bat Family? Follow Christine Carter and Autumn Cross on their experiences as part of the family. Yes, Tim, Damian and Alfred are in this too (major characters, yes) Warnings: contains some gory scenes, swearing, and NO SLASHES. There are a few funny and fluffy chapters later on. Sucky summary but you get the point. Please read and review!

17. How to be Insane

Chapter 17: How to be Insane

Autumn's POV

Three weeks.

Jason's back on his feet, and so is the Batfamily. I'm still trying to figure out why I blacked out three weeks ago.

The Bat Family and I haven't met, not since three weeks ago. Another bloody battle has been avoided, for now. Probably because life as a crime fighter keeps me busy. I don't have time to socialize.

I haven't told Jason about messing with their heads, but I did tell him that they did figure out my identity. He told me to always be careful and to not leave the house without covering my face. He has a good point.

As the helicopter comes down, I smirk at the pilot whose face is frightened. He turns the helicopter and doesn't land. I roll my eyes and run towards the helicopter and jump.

I grab the bar that's at the bottom of the helicopter and start swinging so I can get in.

I take the two pilots and shove them out the open door.

I take the controls and land the helicopter on the drop spot and search through the case. Guns, bombs, guns, more bombs...yeesh, Two Face seems to love guns. Nothing useful here. Hood has already enough guns and bombs to support his drug ring, so...I'm gonna go and leave this useless junk behind.

Then from a far, I hear footsteps, too light to be Hood's, and he's all the way on the other side, patrolling. I run to the control area and start to fly the helicopter away from the building. I look out the window and find Red Robin jumping up and holding onto the bars under the helicopter.

I move the helicopter away from the building and on top of the street of people. I burn the controls with my hands and jump out. Let's see if Red Robin can handle a helicopter on his own.

My hand holds the side of a ledge and I flip and get on my feet. I don't stick around and watch before I run away. I'm not in the mood to fight Red Robin right now, or his dad, or any back up he brought with him.

I run and jump to the next building and land on another ledge. I climb up to the roof and I meet Red hood.

"I saw Red Robin. He probably has back up with him. We should go. Now." But he just gestures for me to go away.

"Yeah, in a sec." Ugh, he's in a stubborn mood.

"What?"

"I just wanna talk to them." I nod and start moving away to jump to the next building.

But he's acting weird...I better not go, yet.

Bruce's POV

I jump over the large gap with Red Robin and Robin at my side. I don't know why Tim and Damian wanted to come so badly. They even fought over it.

We've been trying to find Phoenix and Hood's hideout. I've checked underground, all over the East Side, but I didn't find them.

I told my family to stay away from Phoenix for a while because they're still healing from the wounds...slowly.

We land on the next building and Red Hood seems to just be standing there, facing the edge of a building, waiting for us.

"Now, I almost thought you were starting to avoid me." He smirks. "Why a sudden change of mind?" He asks, not looking back at us.

"Enough. Hood. Come with us."

"Why can't you people just give up? You gave up the first time." He comments, looking at the edge of the building. "You know what I don't get, Batman? Why not just throw me in Arkham? Whenever you get the chance you just seem to let me slip away. It's not like you care, right?" He says coldly.

"That's not true."

"Mhmm." He hums, still staring down at the edge of the building. His red helmet reflecting light. His shoulders are relaxed, his head is down, and he only stands there looking at the bottom of the tall building.

"Turn around and come with us. I won't take you to Arkham...you're going home, Hood." I say as gently as possible.

He cocks his head to the side but still looks down. "For some reason...I believe you..." He says still not looking away from the edge. "But...if I come with you...it won't be the same...will it? It's not going to be the way it was. Things have changed..." He says, sounding detached.

I narrow my eyes.

"After I died...things just changed..." Jason says, sounding like a ghost. "But one thing hasn't changed...I'm still your greatest failure, in life and in death. I'm nothing but a mistake, like you said."

He sways slightly, and suddenly, his weight shifts and he falls forward, off the edge of the building.

The three of us run towards the edge with wide eyes.

We look over the edge and see his falling body. He's not even pulling out a grappling gun, he's just falling...as if he wants to.

I pull out my own grappling gun, but before I can shoot to try to catch his leg, a figure swings on a line. It's Phoenix. Fire is lighting her back as she swings on the grappling gun and grabs Jason's arm as he falls.

Fire lights her hair as she swings while holding onto Jason. She swings to the left, to the other side of the next building. From here, I can hear her yell. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

****Break****

Autumn's POV

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF!?" I yell as he sits on the couch just staring straight forward at nothing.

"JASON! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TELL ME TO LEAVE SO YOU CAN JUMP OFF A F***ING BUILDING!?" I yell.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE?!" I understand the concept of suicide, and I know why he would do it...but...but he promised! Just three weeks ago...he promised! And he's already gonna break that promise? "WHY!? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD DO THAT!"

He hasn't been himself the past three weeks. Reliving those memories that he was just about to forget...broke him.

"Because...because...I don't see the reason for me to live...my family doesn't want me...my dad doesn't want to avenge me...my family sees me as insane and evil...I'm just not enough...I'm a mistake, a failure...I'm nothing..." He says, still staring at nothing.

Why don't these people understand? I rub my face. "YOU AREN'T A FAILURE JASON." Whatever The Joker did to him, it broke him even more.

"Things can't go back to the way it was before..." He mutters.

I know Jason has been broken all this time. But...he's never shown it before.

"I'm just his greatest mistake...just a damn dead Robin! A Robin that shouldn't have been!" He gets up and just walks to his room and slams the door.

I'm just here, standing, staring at the wall. He's going to kill himself. My own mom already killed herself...and my big brother's going to kill himself too?!

Eliza was right...his mental stability, isn't...right, since the incident...this isn't right.

I need to fix this before it gets out of hand.

****Break****

Dick's POV

"Are you saying that he tried to jump off a building?" I ask, trying to hide my surprise.

"So, he tried to commit suicide?!" Chris says, sounding just as surprised as I am.

"I am not surprised by this. It sounds much like Todd." Damian says, standing behind Batman who is typing furiously on the computer.

"But why would Jason wanna jump off a building?" Tim wonders.

I sigh. "Maybe...something happened." I suggest. Batman stops typing.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we need to find him and fix this before he hurts himself." Batman growls and I nod.

"You're right. But-" suddenly there is a red alert on the computer.

Batman opens the window, and a video, probably taken by an amateur, pops up.

The first thing that catches my eye is Jason's face. He's not wearing his helmet, or his mask, or his suit. He doesn't have any guns or weapons. He's just wearing a normal everyday white shirt and pants. He could pass out as a normal civilian. Except...

He's coated in blood, he has wide deranged eyes, and he's holding the neck of a teenager, quickly choking the teen, then dropping the body to the floor.

There is blood all over his hands and shirt. His hair is messy and his face has tracks of blood and dirt, and somehow...he looks more insane than usual.

He's on a rampage.

Although the video has no sound, I can see him screaming as he punches and kicks policemen holding batons and advancing on him.

He looks like he's in a dark street, with only lampposts as light. His eyes continue to widen as he punches the policeman in the stomach and grabs the policeman's gun and shoots his head. He's shooting everyone he sees randomly. His eyes get wider and wider as he shoots all these innocent people.

"What is he doing!?" Tim yells.

Jason looks at the camera and points the gun at the camera and shoots. It all goes black.

Batman stands up, nearly toppling over his chair. "Let's go." He says harshly and heads towards the BatMobile, and we all get in as he drives.

****Break****

We all jump out of the vehicle and I see Jason just randomly shooting all the screaming people trying to run away from him. Bloody bodies surround him as he screams and lashes.

A girl about Chris' age runs towards him. I can't see her face because all I see is her back as she stands in front of Jason. I can see Jason's pupils adjusting, but his eyes are still wide.

"JASON STOP!" The girl yells as we all run towards the mess. Jason just shakes his head as his eyes continue to widen. He points the gun at the girl's head, but she doesn't move out of the way.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY KID!" I yell at her, but she doesn't move.

Jason's muscles start to twitch, and his eyes are darting around. Suddenly, he points the gun towards the girl's leg and shoots before the girl can jump out of the way.

She falls to the floor next to him as Jason continues to lash out. I look at Jason, then where the girl is supposed to be laying...but she's not there anymore, as if she never even existed.

We run towards him and Chris throws a batarang at his gun, which slides out of his hand. He grunts and grips onto his bloody wrist as his wide eyes dart to Chris. He just absentmindedly runs towards her, but before he gets to her, Tim and Damian grab his arms and stop him.

He growls and I stand in front of him and kick his stomach just to make him stop.

He crouches down under Tim's and Damian's grasp, but he doesn't stop struggling.

Bruce walks up to him and stares into his eyes. "Jason! Jason! Can you hear me!?" Bruce asks him but he only growls and spits on Bruce's face.

"AAAAAH!" He screams and I move towards him.

"JASON! What's going on!? What's the matter?"

Suddenly he stops lashing out and moving. He hangs limply as he faces his head down.

"Nothing...everything...something..." He mutters.

Then he shoots his head back up with wider eyes. "YOU!" He looks at Batman. "YOU DID THIS! IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" He screams at Bruce with extremely wide eyes.

****Break****

Autumn's POV

What's going on with Jason?

I wonder as I clean the wound on my leg. I watched the entire thing from an alley as I bled. Something's not right.

I knew something was wrong since three weeks ago because Jason has been too quiet. He walked around like a ghost and just stared at nothing. Whenever I talked to him, he only stood up and walked away as if he didn't hear me. Sometimes he only sat there staring at the wall.

Batman took him somewhere. I'm not sure exactly where this place, but according to data; Batman brought him to some kind of rehab center. I'm going to find out which rehab center that is, even if I have to search every rehab center in Gotham.

I limp towards the tech room with my bandaged leg. I can't believe myself! Jason has been gone for five days! But I haven't even bothered to find out where he is! Maybe because I was just a bit busy with the Blackgate breakout yesterday. Batman could have taken care of the breakout, but I had to lock down the entire place so that the inmates wouldn't get out. A lot of guards were killed, but I did it for the greater good.

I take a seat on the swivel chair and position my hands on the keyboard and start typing. I look through the Bat Computer's files first just to make life easier. I click on Jason's file. It's no longer deceased...weird.

Jason Peter Todd

Sex: Male

Alias: Red Hood

Age: 19

Occupation: Patient at the Gotham Rehab Center

Family: Autumn Cross

Status: Extremely dangerous.

Relationship: Enemy

There we go. Gotham Rehab Center. I open up a new window and research the Gotham Rehab Center. It's a rehab center for the mentally unstable. They have enough psychiatrists to support the many patients.

I move to the bigger computers, the ones I use for hacking and work. I type rapidly and from here, I can hack into the minor security of the center. It'll only take a minute. I move back to the laptop and click my name. I'm curious.

Autumn Skylar Cross

Sex: Female

Alias: Phoenix

Age: 12

Occupation: N/A

Family: Jason Todd

Status: Extremely dangerous

Relationship: Enemy

So they've changed my file on their computer. Cool, I'm extremely dangerous.

I shake my head and move towards the other computers again and take a look at the list of patients. That's a lot of patents...there! Jason Haywood? What? ...well, I guess that would make sense.

I click on his name to check out his status. Mentally unstable, trauma, approach with caution, extremely dangerous.

I check his files and the reviews of the doctors.

Jason Haywood is a very unstable patient. During sessions he does not respond. Instead, he chokes the doctors and nearly kills them. He has injured and killed many of the patients during lunchtime whenever we let the patients go to the cafeteria. He seems to have a very bad relationship with the guards, that he took their baton and killed them for fun. But he cannot be fixed. Whatever the man is experiencing, whatever his trauma is, we cannot unlock it. He cannot be brought back. We suggest that he be brought to Arkham Asylum instantly.

I nearly slam my hand on the keyboard. ARKHAM! THEY'RE GONNA SEND HIM OFF TO ARKHAM! HE'S NOT BROKEN! YOU'RE DOCTORS! WHY CAN'T YOU FIX THIS DAMN THING!

If I stay in this seat, I'm gonna break the computer. I stomp my way towards the training hall and just punch the punching bag continuously without gloves until my hands fall off. Yes, one can say that I am a very overprotective little sister.

No worries, Jase, I have already formulated a plan;

Get into Arkham, and get you out.

****Break****

Chris' POV

What the hell has happened to Jason? I know he's insane, but I didn't think he was this insane! First, he jumped off of a building and didn't even try to save himself. He's never considered suicide before, at least from what I've seen and what my family has told me.

Then, he went on a bloody rampage and killed everyone in sight. What I don't understand is why he didn't kill that girl when she stepped right in front of her. He put the gun to her head, but then he shot her leg... What if that was Autumn? She did have black, wavy hair...

And now, apparently he's so insane that the doctors who specialize in looking for the craziness inside people say that he should be sent to Arkham?!

I've confronted Jason a few times, but never alone. I've met him a few times to know his fighting styles, his usual motives, and his level of sanity. I know that there's no way he's as crazy as all the other villains we've kept away at Arkham.

So what changed him?

****Break****

Autumn's POV

I let one day pass before putting on my suit and discretely breaking into Arkham.

I walk in through the hallways of Arkham. There are many steel doors and I can hear loud noises behind them. I already took down the guards, but I didn't kill them, unless they pissed me off somehow. I stop in front of a steel door. If I burn this then an alarm will obviously be set off. I take the keys that I...borrowed…from the guards and put it through the many key holes of the door.

I quietly open the door.

Jason is sitting on the small bed in the dark room, just staring at the wall for some reason.

"Jason." He looks at me. "Let's go." I say this colder than I wanted. "You're getting out." He just turns back to his favorite wall.

"No...I'm a monster. I can't leave this place."

"What are you talking about Jason? You're not a monster!"

"Even if I left this place, what next? I can't have freedom, not from the monster inside me." He says with a heavy voice.

"What?!"

"I'll just kill everyone...I'm a killer. I'll destroy my family. They'll die because of me!"

"No, they won't."

"YES THEY WILL! I WILL KILL THEM! I WILL DESTROY THEM!" He turns to me and stands up.

"Jason."

"NO! I'M NOT COMING WITH YOU! I'M NOT LEAVING THIS PLACE." He sits back down.

"Listen, whatever happened to you. We can fix it! We can even ask Batman."

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIS FACE! EVER! IT'S HIS FAULT! HE NEEDS TO DIE! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!" He keeps on repeating. I'm really confused right now...thank God these walls are sound proof.

"HE DIDN'T AVENGE ME! HE'LL PAY! THEY ALL WILL!" He raises his hand and clenches his fist.

I sigh. "We'll fix you. But don't think that I'll just leave you here. I'll be back."

I move out of the room and shut the door. That's when the alarm blows, and I leave the asylum as the guards close in.

****Break****

Wow…

I've been trying to get Jason out of the asylum but he still wouldn't come...first, he pushes me, then he becomes like a weird ghost, then he shoots my leg, and after he pushes me away...again!

Now I know how Batman feels. I don't like it.

But...Jason promised...he said he wouldn't leave. Maybe he didn't mean the promise, but a promise is still a promise, and I'm keeping mine.

Even though four days have passed, I'm still not giving up...but he just doesn't wanna come! I don't understand why?! Why would he wanna stay in that wretched place? I can already smell the scent of despair, hopelessness, and rage surrounding the entire asylum.

If only he comes with me, maybe I can fix my big brother.

But what he said to me just...I don't know the word to describe it...just go away and leave...stop trying Autumn, because there's no hope! I'm a monster and that's that! Batman told me that himself! I hate Batman! I hate his family! I hate my murderer and I hate you!

I know siblings 'hate' each other...maybe he didn't mean it with all the drugs Arkham has been pumping into his mind...but whether he meant it or not, it still hurt.

But it's okay. I'm not giving up. I've been rejected and abandoned before, I didn't give up...why should I give up now?

The drug ring has been wondering why The Hood hasn't shown up. Stories have started to spread through gangs, that The Red Hood is dead or maybe he was killed by Batman. Now, only Phoenix is left.

They think that rebelling is a great idea just because The Red Hood is 'dead'? They're wrong.

I showed them when I took down an entire mob, and only let one messenger spread the word.

They think that his 'death' is affecting Phoenix's line of work? Not a chance. Whenever I wear the name of Phoenix, it feels like my heart and my emotions get locked up in a titanium ball...Phoenix locks them away. I only wish that Autumn can do the same. Phoenix doesn't feel anything, but Autumn does. But there's one thing Phoenix and Autumn agree on...it's to never show any weakness.

Why am I talking in third person anyways?

But, back to the matter at hand...Jason really doesn't wanna come with me. I've already asked him like twice a day within the past four days! He's just...UGHHHH!

But I'm not leaving my brother alone...no matter what he says. Because I promised. I always keep my promises, just as I kept my promise with my mom.

I only broke one promise my entire life...I know soon I have to pay the price for that broken promise I made…

I look out the window. Finally, the sun is down. I start moving to my room but the my cell phone rings. I pick up the phone.

Phoenix takes over. "WHAT?" I say harshly.

"LISTEN TO ME YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LITTLE B****!" I smirk.

"Ahh, Mask, good to finally meet you. You know, over the phone."

"WHERE IS HOOD?!"

"Oh, you can send whatever message you have for him to me."

"WHATEVER. LISTEN UP, I WILL DESTROY YOU...I WILL KILL YOU BOTH AND-"

"Oh no worries, Black Mask. You wouldn't have to worry about us sooner or later." I can feel his eyes widen on the other line as I turn off the phone.

I drop the Nokia on the ground and smirk as I walk and step on it.

I put on my favorite comfy black jacket that actually fits me, and my tattered jeans, and a pair of rubber shoes. That's it.

I turn off all the lights of the house and leave as I shut the front door behind me. I put on my hood and walk away.

Damian's POV

I. Am. Soooooooooo. Bored.

It's really warm today, and we all wanted to go swimming in the pool, but Pennyworth told us that we wouldn't be able to go swimming for the rest of the summer unless we all cleaned our rooms... He's more like a mother than a grandfather.

So...since Carter is a girl, meaning that her room is rarely messy (and she's also good at organizing, according to Pennyworth), she gets to go swimming with Grayson. I'm stuck cleaning my room, which in my opinion is not messy at all, while Drake is cleaning up the mess he made with that stupid nerdy experiment he was trying to do. I knew all along that it would fail. Drake is an idiot.

I could be checking recent tweets right now...

I'm stuffing all of the clothes that were on my bed into the closet when Carter bursts into my room, dripping chlorine water onto my carpet. She has a towel wrapped around her, but I can tell that she rushed out of the pool since she's really wet.

"Autumn's on a rampage...and she's on her way here."

"Carter, you are getting my floor wet! Leave my room this instant or I'll break your face!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?!"

"Get out of my room first!"

Carter rolls her eyes and takes a step back. Now she's back in the hallway.

I smile and say, "Now you are no longer ruining my carpet." Then I pause, taking in what she had said. "Wait, WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S ON HER WAY HERE?!"

"It's exactly what it sounds like! Dad told me that an alert was received, saying that a girl is walking in the direction of our manor, killing everyone she sees. GCPD units are on their way, but they will die against her! Now c'mon, come down and change into your work clothes!"

She's about to leave when I yell after her. "Wait, why are you the one telling me this? You were in the pool! My room is much closer to Father than you!" There must be some logical reason, because it is not possible that Father loves Carter more than me that he would bring all the news to her before me. I am above her! She is just a lowly peasant excuse for a sister.

"He said that Alfred stopped him. He said something about you guys needing to know skills for when you move out or whatever." Then she disappears from my sight.

Why does Pennyworth think that I will move out? I am obviously going to be the one to inherit Father's estate, not those excuses for sons that Father uses as substitutes for me. If for some reason I do move out, I would have enough money to have my own butler, anyway.

But why is Autumn coming here? Is she coming to murder the Wayne Family, or the Bat Family? Or is it just a coincidence that she's headed in this direction? I highly doubt that she's coming to profess her love to Drake. If that was true, I would break every bone in Drake's body after barfing up my intestines.

I guess we'd better find out.

****Break****

Tim's POV

We head outside, even though it isn't exactly "dark" yet, and find bodies everywhere, each one lying in its own pool of scarlet liquid. My eyes follow the trail of dead, innocent bystanders and find a girl with a thick black jacket, tattered jeans, and a hood over her head. Autumn.

"Autumn!" I yell, and she swiftly turns around. I expect her eyes to be wide with insanity, but instead they are narrowed, as if she's determined. Her wavy black hair is flowing out of her hood, and I can see blotches of fresh blood staining her black jacket.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Her voice isn't as taunting and menacing as it usually is. I can hear a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"What are you doing? Why are you hurting all of these random, innocent people? I thought you only hurt the people that deserved it?" Nightwing says as he takes a step closer to her. To my surprise, she doesn't raise her gun at his head. Instead, she slightly lowers it. What is going on?

"I needed to get your attention. I have a small request." She pulls down her hood revealing her teal green callous eyes, and her face. I can feel my face becoming hotter and I look over at Damian who seems to be blushing under his mask. I turn my head back at her.

"Why would we do anything for you? You aren't exactly trustworthy." Chris snarls.

"Because you'll enjoy it very much, especially you Nightingale." She smiles. Then, she drops her gun, takes a few steps closer to us, then sticks her arms out in front of her.

"Take me away boys! And girl..." She says still grinning.

Is she turning herself in?

"How do we know you aren't playing us?" Batman asks.

"Well, then, I guess you'll just have to trust me, then. Plus, why would I come to you and unmask myself? And if I wanted to kill you all, I would've done it ages ago. Take it or leave it." She says still holding up her hands.

"She's got a point...she didn't kill me that night, but she could've..." Chris whispers as she lowers her head slightly, as if she's remembering that incident.

Batman, Nightwing, and I all exchange glances. We've decided what we're gonna do.

Batman reaches behind him and pulls two handcuffs from underneath his cape. He places it around Autumn's wrists as he says, "Autumn Cross...you are under arrest for the murders of these people." She just stares down at the cuffs as her smile wipes off her face.

The police are taking a while. Since nothing else is really going on while waiting, I speak to the girl that kissed me.

"Why do you want to get arrested? Are you planning something?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"I told you. I just need a little favor from you. No questions asked. And even if I was planning something, why would I tell you? I've never told you anything before." She says while slightly smiling at me.

I hear a sound come out of Damian's mouth. When I turn my head, he has his arms crossed and is looking the other way, smirking.

Finally! The GCPD is here. I don't know why they brought so many units. Did they suddenly forget that they have 5 vigilante superheroes watching their backs? Jim Gordon emerges from one of the squad cars and walks over to Batman.

"I see you have her. Did she put up much of a fight?" the Commissioner asks.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Batman responds.

"We'll take her from here." He motions for some of the officers to come forward, and they take Autumn and escort her into the back of one of the cars.

"Should we keep her at the county jail until her parents show?"

"No. Take her straight to the juvenile detention center. If anything changes in her situation, notify me immediately. You know how to contact me."

"Okay, Batman. Thanks...Bat Family..." He turns around and yells to the other police officers. "Send her to Gotham Juvenile Detention Center."

As he's yelling, Batman looks at us and gives us the signal, telling us to disappear into the shadows. Gordon turns around, shrugs his shoulders, and from where I'm hidden, I hear him whisper, "I'm still not used to it..."

****Break****

Autumn's POV

Juvie is boring...so boring that I've began mumbling to myself for a conversation. I'd go like. "Hey Autumn, what's up?"

"Nothing Autumn, just playing with a ball."

"Oh...that sounds boring."

"Hehe, well too bad, cause you're stuck playing with this ball with me!"

They named me as Autumn Haywood. I'm not okay with that...cause I hate Sheila. She gave me away, let someone die for her own life, and betrayed her own son. Mothers are supposed to love their children and protect them! Not give them away and leave them forever!

I sit here in my cell bouncing the ball on the walls. My plan is progressing. I've already injured six inmates and five guards within three days. All I need to do is kill someone and they'll send me off to a rehab center, and after that...Arkham.

By the time lunch is over, they'll be sending me to a rehab center. I just need to show them how insane I really am...that should be easy enough.

The cell door opens and I turn my head to see three guards coming in to escort me. I smile.

"Hey boys, back for more?" I stand up, and they keep straight faces.

We walk towards the cafeteria and I grin at the other kids in juvie. The kids my age all have cold hard frowns as they sit in their cells, while the teenagers grin at me as they hold onto the bars of their cells.

The guards push me into the cafeteria.

I take a tray and a plastic spoon and fork. I take a seat at an empty table and stab my mash potatoes. Then a large teenager sits right in front of me. Her hair is bright red and very messy; she has piercings all over her face, many earrings, and a scowl. I found my victim.

She slams her hand on the table. "Hey, I know ya new here. So let's get things straight. I'm the boss here. I say what you can and cannot do every time you get out of your cell. I'm here to make your life miserable." I look down at my mash potatoes and continue to play with it as I smirk.

"Hmph, amateur." I say loud enough for her to hear even under all that gross earwax.

"What did you say!?" She asks harshly and I slowly look up at her, still with a smirk across my face.

"You heard me, I said you were an amateur."

"Listen here, princess."

"Oh, so I'm a princess now?"

She clenches her teeth. "You don't talk back at me, or you will be beaten senseless." I shake my head and click my tongue.

"All talk…" I mock.

"Oh so you want a demonstration!" She holds the table in anger.

"Oh my gosh! Are you saying that you can beat me? No waay!" I say sarcastically. She's making this waay too easy. "I can't wait be beaten to a pulp by stupid moron!" I say and she roars in anger.

She grabs my neck and I stand up and hold her arms and flip her over the table. She holds her back as the guards make their way towards me. I kick the guards and punch them as I clench my teeth. I take one of the guards' baton and beat them all up.

As more guards run to me, I hold the baton high over the teenager's head and clench my teeth as I widen my eyes.

"This, is how you beat someone senseless." I say and I hit her head over and over again until her skull cracks and blood spills out.

Even after I can see her eyes wide but soulless, I continue to hit her head over and over again with the bloody, black baton. I feel no mercy, no compassion as I hit her. This insanity isn't fake just to get me to the rehab center. I really am striking her with all the anger and rage I've got.

I can feel arms around me as I drop the baton. I roar unhumanly and the guards start to scream as my vision becomes red with rage.

My breathing becomes slower as I look around the cafeteria where everyone is looking at me with wide eyes, and mumbling some things. By the door, more guards come in, with other men and woman staring at me with wide eyes.

"WHAT!?" I yell at them all.

****Break****

I was right. Before lunch even ended, I was sent off to the rehab center earlier this afternoon.

This place is more like a prison than a rehab center really. We have to wear orange jumpsuits, the walls are gross and breaking, the cells are disgustingly dark, and it's way too noisy.

A much bigger and stronger guard escorts me to my cell and opens the door. I walk in.

There is one bed and well...that's it. No prob, I've slept in worse places.

The guard removes the cuffs and I turn around and smile as he closes the door.

"Your therapy session will begin in a few minutes." He says emotionlessly.

I sit on the floor and pull out my tennis ball. I stare at the wall as I bounce it on the wall. This place is gross, but Arkham will be worse. I've got to get ready.

After a few minutes the guard comes back and escorts me to the therapy room, where a doctor with large glasses smiles at me. I think I already hate him.

"Hello Autumn.." He greets and looks at his papers before he continues and looks back at me"...Haywood." I take a seat on the chair in front of his desk.

"What's up?" I ask casually.

"Well, first. Would you like to know who is sponsoring you?"

"No. Cause I don't give a s***." I say casually.

He nods. "Alright then, down to business." He says while looking through the papers.

"So you've killed some...people." He looks back at me. "How do you feel about that?" Woah, it's only started and this is already becoming a boring conversation.

"Honestly, I don't care. I've killed people before without any remorse. I can do it again." I say with my lowered and bored eyelids.

"Okay...so why did you kill all those people?"

"Because I felt like it." I answer coldly.

"Come on, there has to be some kind of reason. Revenge? Confusion? Drugs?"

I shake my head. "No. Nothing like that. Just for...what's the word? Oh yeah, just for fun." I say still looking bored.

"Okay...let's try something else. Where are your parents?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow at his question.

"They're dead." I say without hesitation.

"You have...any family members?" I shake my head.

"Nope, just my brother who is in Arkham." I say sounding a bit enthusiastic.

"Is that why you went on a rampage? Because your brother was sent off to Arkham?"

Phoenix, I could use your help now. I need you to make me sound as cold as possible.

"No. I don't care about my brother. I just went on a rampage because I felt like it." I mentally punch myself for saying that. But I had to say it, to make me look like I really don't care.

The doctor seems convinced. "Would you like to share anything about what happened before your little rampage?"

I cock my head a bit. "Sure. I was walking around the streets when I found a gun on the floor. Then I started shooting everyone, cause I felt like it." I say with a small smile.

A short silence.

"Would you define...joy for me?" He asks.

"Joy...joy. A human emotion. A pleasure of happiness." I say blatantly. Man this guy's boring.

He nods. "Alright Autumn. Go back to your...room. We'll continue this tomorrow." I nod as he looks at his papers. I swipe a paper clip from his desk unnoticed and I walk away, and back to the guard standing outside.

****Break****

I'm more mad than they expected me to be. Almost every night, I'd break out of my cell using that paperclip I swiped and I'd enter other cells just to stab the men or women that are horrible people with the shard I got from the broken wall of my own cell.

Every morning, the guards would find dead bodies in many of the cells.

I only kill the people that piss me off, or that I witness are hurting other patients. But I don't kill the insane kids in this place, since they've hardly lived their lives...and for most of them, it's not their fault that their insane.

Some of the insane kids are even good to me.

Like during lunch some of the kids my age would just sit in front of me and just stare at me as I eat, and when lunch is over they'd smile at me a bit, and I would smile back.

The doctors here are imbeciles, because they think that they can fix me...they think that a bit of sanity is still there deep inside and that they can just bring it out. Almost like what Christine thought. But what they don't understand is that only I can bring that sanity out if I wanted, and I don't want to!

I already have many therapists and it's only been one and a half weeks. Some of them just gave up on me, some I killed, and some just turned insane themselves because of my gift to be able to enter someone's mind and mess everything up.

I sit on the same seat in the therapy room with a different doctor in front of me. She wears glasses and a straight face. She stops writing and looks at me.

"Ms. Haywood." She says firmly.

"Yeah, Ms. Taray?" I say and she pushes her glasses up.

"I would like you to address me as 'Doctor Taray' because I am your doctor. And the way you're saying it is not the way it's supposed to be said."

I look at my nails. "Yeah, but you won't last. I'll say you're name anyway I want to!"

"I'm sorry to say that I've been in the business for fifteen years now, and not one of my patients have left without being rehabilitated." I look up at her.

"I think you're lying doctor." I grin and look into her eyes as she furrows her eyebrows. "Have you tried...The Joker?" She flinches. There, I've got her.

I cock my head. "That mad man that just laughs in your face all day? The clown that kills for fun and maims just because he wants to. The clown that thinks that everyone is just as insane as he is. That everyone can break as easily as he did. The clown that should be dead." I say slowly rolling my head to the side.

She stares into my eyes for a while and coughs. "No, I have never met that mad man." She says with more force than necessary.

"I guess that's true. But...if I recall correctly." I say, putting my leg over the other one and straightening my back. "He killed your brother. A doctor in Arkham? He stabbed your brother painfully and cut opened his stomach just to pull out a key." I say and she grimaces. "Just to get out and escape. He killed your brother, am I right?"

"How do you know all this?!" She asks sounding more alarmed.

"A little bit of research here, and a bit of research over there." I say, sounding not so amused.

She shakes her head. "Let's get back to business." She says with a shaky voice, and I grin, putting my hands on my lap.

"Yes, that's right." I grin. Don't worry, Doctor..you won't be missing your brother after this session.

****Break****

I killed her. Hehe. The guards should have seen her face when she screamed. But too bad... When the guards ran in, I was already standing over her shocked face.

By the end of the second week, I had to say goodbye to the center. We had some good times together. But now I have to say hello to Arkham.

Five guards escort me inside. It's dark and cold, and if I didn't know any better, I would be scared. But I only continue to smile like an angel.

A man walks up to us. The two doctors that escorted me step forward. The man looks down at me and raises an eyebrow, then back at the doctors.

"Where is the patient?" The doctors gesture to me and I smile innocently and bat my eyes at the man.

I'm still wearing an orange jump suit and my hands are cuffed behind my back. My hair is tied but still messy.

"You can't be serious." The man says facing the doctors. "This is a kid. You're trying to send her off here to the Asylum?" He gestures to me. "I think you doctors are the ones who need to be checking in." He says crossing his arms.

The doctor shakes his head and looks down at me with fearful eyes. "Oh, you don't understand! She may look like an angel! But she is a monster, I tell you!"

The doctor grabs the man's shirt as he screams in his face. "Get off me!" The man pushes the doctor away.

"She is insane, no doubt about it." The doctor that's a woman says, more collected. "She needs to be locked up. For good."

"Then send her to Blackgate." The man says still crossing his arms and eying me.

"No. She needs to be locked up here."

"This is an asylum, not an orphanage." The man says. "We can even show you date and-"

"She killed most of her doctors! I don't even think I should be close to her!" The man that's a doctor says gesturing to me.

"Listen, we can't-" I grin widely and they all stare down at me with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, but do you need me to demonstrate?" I start walking up to the three of them as they walk backwards with wide eyes. "Cause, I can if you want me to." I say and the doctors shake their heads.

"N...no!" I look at the man managing the asylum.

"Do you want proof?" He doesn't say anything as I slowly approach them as I grin at them. I can hear the guards head towards me. But all do is jump up and kick their faces, even with my cuffs on.

"What..are you doing?" The man says.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I need you to watch." I say, walking to them.

The other man's eyes widen as he watches me, I take the shard from the wall of my cell in the rehab center hidden in my shoes and I walk towards the scared doctor that is a man and I grin.

Fear is for the weak. I hold the shard with my cuffed hands and walk towards the doctor.

The man's scream echoes through the asylum followed by the woman's.