Joker gazed back at his blue eyed little intern. He knew he was a sight to see, but she looked like a deer in headlights. The idea of his innuendo startling her that much told him that this would be more fun than he expected. He chuckled to himself, the doctor patiently waited for him to respond.
"Where shall we begin?" the Joker mimicked back at the absurd question. "How about at the beginning doc?"
Dr. Quinzel just continued to stare wide-eyed at him. Her hands were folded together but he could see how tightly she was gripping herself. Joker looked at her, his smile twitching on his face.
"I think," she looked down at her blank notepad as she began but forced her eyes back up to his. "We should begin with how to address one another. I would like to keep this as friendly, but professional as much as possible. What would you like me to address you as?" Her voice shook slightly but she appeared to be getting over her initial shock.
Joker's smile stretched wider. "Call me whatever you think is best!" The intern looked at him, an almost helplessness in her eyes that he was enjoying immensely. She didn't think he'd give her a lifeline this early into the game, now did she?
She half glanced where Cash was standing. "I think 'Joker' is appropriate." So, she was going to play it safe. Taking his lack of a response as a cue to continue, she asked, "So what do you think of Arkham Asylum?"
"What do I think of it? I would have killed the decorator," he said simply. His head tilted slightly to the right, watching the subtle color creep slowly back into the blond doctor's face.
"Is that all that interests you? The design of the building?"
"Well, we have the giant lizard-boy, spooky, the guy with the hat, shrub girl, and Frosty-who's not fun at all. It's a real monster mash in here." He said with a bored air, looking down at his slippers and wiggling his toes.
The comment and names made the doctor smile, and she replied under her breath "..gonna be a graveyard smash." The reply seemed to surprise her, as if she hadn't meant to say it out loud, instantly she covered her mouth as a high giggle escaped.
Joker's eyes snapped up and he eagerly said "Do that again!" He leaned forward against his restraints, trying to get closer to the sound she just let out.
At once the four guards edged closer, retraining their weapons on him. Cash stepped slightly closer to the doctor. Joker lowered his head slightly but kept his eyes on her.
She looked a little frightened. "Do what?"
"Laugh! More people should laugh, you know." She didn't look like she was going to laugh anytime soon. "I mean, look at these chumps! They never crack a grin. Always So Serious! We're in a mental hospital after all, haven't you heard of the healing power of laughter? AHAHAHAHAHAAhahaha!" He threw his head back laughing. Cash looked down at the doc for a sign. He wondered what the safety word was. But then, she laughed too.
His fit of laughter caused the her to join in, who was laughing under her breath but looked confused as if she didn't know why she was laughing. It was interrupted when Cash cleared his throat loudly and looked at the intern disapprovingly. She coughed into her hand and looked back at the Joker. Who had looked intently at her. This new toy was sizing up nicely.
When she didn't ask another question right away, he became annoyed."Well, aren't you going to ask something else?" His tone impatient.
"Not at all." She replied.
He leaned back in his chair, turning his head to the right a bit but keeping his eyes on her, this angle might help him look at her better. Not at all? Interesting...
"And why not? Isn't that what the little paper says to do?" Joker asked sarcastically; pointedly looking down at the notepad then back at her.
"I don't think it matters what 'the paper' says to do. I won't use the same roads the other doctors have used. Clearly, it didn't help." She said. "And I want to help you, Joker. I really do," she gave him a small smile in reassurance.
He wanted to cut off her lips and show her what a smile really looked like. But before that, he wanted to know where she was going with this, this odd friendliness wasn't common at Arkham. This doc was just strange. He stole a look at Cash who, as well, looked at the doctor curiously. Oh good, it's not just me.
"Then what will you do? Give me ink blots to look at," he waved his hand dismissively, "ask me about my childhood?"-rolling his eyes dramatically-"Or maybe you want to know how I became this good looking? Ha! Well I can tell ya, toots, there aren't enough beauty products in the world to get this complexion! Ahahahaha."
Dr. Quinzel smiled at him as if he were funny to her. Oh, very interesting.
"No," she began, and took a steady breath before taking a very risky chance. "I wanted to ask you.. a personal question."
"Depends on what it's about, no guarantee I'll answer though or maybe I will and you won't like it. Heheheheee." Joker began chuckling as he thought up a wondrous story to tell, regardless of the question, maybe something with-
"Why is the Batman so important to you?"she tentatively asked.
Joker's chuckling ceased, and he eyes flashed over to her, dangerously, curiously. She asked him about Bats? The first part of their session and they were already to his rival and best buddy, eh? He watched as she leaned back a bit in her chair, waiting for him to lunge at her. His eyes sparkling with dark intent. Cash put his hand on the handle of his weapon, also expecting Joker to attack.
Ahh, but always keep them guessing...
"What an EXCELLENT question!" Joker became giddy, like a story he couldn't wait to tell. "Ol' Batsy, eh? Oh, we go waaay back, not that I can tell you when we really got started, but we're amigos! Comrades, best of friends. We're in this debate, ya see, on opposite sides arguing the same story."
Harleen leaned forward, intrigued by this answer. She itched to grab her pen and start writing but she didn't want to interrupt him. Her surprise was evident. She wouldn't have guessed that he would have responded so positively. He was talking to her, about Batman! Keep him talking, Harleen, keep the momentum.
"Tell me more about this debate please. What is the argument over?" She leaned back again, crossing her legs, resting her hands in her lap, trying to look professional as possible.
Joker looked at her stance and mimicked her movements exactly, crossing his legs as best he could with the straightjacket on.
"HA! The same argument the world has everyday... what is the point to it all? Why try to save a society that constantly puts itself in the same bad joke? The ones who work hard and or don't work hard, barely scraping by, until they kick the bucket. Why bother? Why not be ourselves? Why not do the things we really want to do? I've tried explaining this to Bats, really I have, but he doesn't want to see it! He doesn't see that the whole world is one big joke. Society, HA! Corruption everywhere, that's what Bats is trying to save, not the people of Gotham, but corruption! Why doesn't anyone see what I see? He's as crazy as the rest of us... He's got them all fooled. The police, the media, the freaking junior rangers! ...Opposite ends of the chessboard, yes, that's where we are. He, the black pieces, I, the white." Joker heavily sighed a long breath out.
Harleen looked at him, almost sad that he felt the need for Batman to understand him. Had Batman never given him the chance? Wait, black pieces for Batman, white for Joker? "Oh," barely audible had escaped her lips.
"WHAT'S THAT NOW?!" Joker snapped, anger rolling off of him.
Harleen jumped a bit and blurted out of nervousness, "You s-said Batman had black pieces and you had white. It-it just seemed funny to me because most people associate black with bad and white with good... is all." She bit her lower lip wondering if she did unrepairable damage in this session by referring to him as 'bad'.
Joker's anger was gone instantly replaced by curiosity again, his green eyes boring into her baby blues.
"And can you figure out whhhyyyyyy?" Joker drawled on, coaxing her. "What's the joke dearie?" Was this a test?
Harleen glanced down and thought for a minute, not wanting to disappoint him. Disappoint him? Why is his approval important to me?
"Because he's known as the Dark Knight and you're the Clown Prince of Crime. His color is black and you have white skin..?" She hoped that answer would suffice.
Joker just stared into her eyes, as if searching for something he thought was there. It made her cheeks hot and flush, she wanted to look away, to hide her reaction, but couldn't leave his gaze. He suddenly burst into a fit a laughter, drooping his head as he laughed. He sat bolt upright then and gave her an approving look.
"Bravo my dear! I can tell you get it! Not like these other saps," he motioned to Cash who scowled in return. "See? I knew you could do it." He winked at her, making her smile go wide. But she quickly coughed into her hand to cover it, hoping Cash hadn't seen.
"So," she started again, hoping to get more out, "Batman's true identity isn't important to you. And neither is your own past."
Joker's smile faltered a bit, eyes going dark. Bowing his head a little but keeping his eyes locked on her he asked, "Now what would make you say that?"
"In the past, it seems your main objectives have nothing to do with uncovering Batman's real name. Nor do you feel the need to rediscover your past with any doctors here."
"I'm waiting for you to get to the point, doc." He said darkly, his leg beginning to bounce impatiently.
"Well, I am simply stating that I don't want to change who you are, because you don't seem to like when doctors tell you that you should change. I want you to know that I am here to understand you. All I want to do is to help." She smiled a genuine smile at him, that in turn made his smile return broad and wide.
Before Joker could respond, Cash announced that time was up. Harleen looked at Joker with a bit of a pout. She felt they were on a roll, and who knows when Joker might be in a talkative mood again. She might have just been lucky.
"Not to worry, sweets, I'll see ya in a day or so!" Cash uncuffed him from the chair as Harleen stood off to the side of the door giving them room to pass, all four guards aiming their weapons at his back or head. She stepped out and walked just past him, not remembering that his cell was near the interrogation room. As she walked by he quickly leaned in toward her face and whispered, "Can't wait."
She gawked at him as they left, Cash shoving Joker telling him to quiet down as his laughter bounced down the hall toward his cell. Turning and gathering up the notepad, still blank, and stopping the recorder, she closed the door behind her and walked toward the elevator. Passing his cell, she saw him waiting for her, standing up against the glass motioning for her to come forward. The guards were walking away now, heading for the nurses station at the end of the hall. They would reach it in about a minute. She walked up to the glass and gave him a questioning look that said 'yes?'
"Just wanted to say thanks, doc, for a good session. Shame we couldn't talk more openly. I don't like crowds much And anything I say, they'll repeat, so..." He smiled, his head tilting as his hands made their way up to the glass, fingers spread.
"I am glad it was to your liking, I'll see you at our next session. Maybe we can work toward it being just us in the future." She smiled, nodding a bit at him and turned to walk away.
"Consider it a date." His voice lulled to her. She turned back to see that charming smile again. She cheeks blushing, she raised her hand as if to hide it and smiled again, turning away toward the elevator.
Click, click, click Went her heels.
Ah, to be young and so naive... Joker thought. His little intern turned out to be very curious, indeed. She wanted to know about Bats! Not his childhood, not his ideas on treatment or forcing societies logic down his throat. She wanted to understand, oh, boy, he'll show her exactly how he thinks-
And then it hit him. His idea. He knew what he wanted to do to this doctor.
"Oh yes, doc, understand you shall." Another fit of laughter overtook him and he let it hit him in waves. As his laughter continued, the ideas poured and poured into his mind, forming the most devious plot he had ever come up with yet.