SugarCube: Hello Readers! Just wanted to let you know that there is violence in this chapter.

Chapter Two

Dr. Quinzel arrived at Arkham Asylum with no time to spare, feeling more refreshed after her talk with Guy. Her high heels clacked against the concrete floor as she walked down the hall, inmates watching her as she strode past, but she ignored them, heading straight into the breakroom. When she entered, several people stopped their conversations to glance her way. She smiled and a few smiled back before returning to their morning routines. Some people got coffee from the old coffee machine sitting on a metal table in the corner; others talked to their coworkers as they all prepared themselves to face Gotham's criminals.

Dr. Quinzel made a beeline for coatrack standing by the door, sorting through the lab coats until she found her own. Once she slipped into it, she headed over to the coffee table to snag a cup before she needed to meet with the Prince of Chaos. Coffee always helped her fight the Prince's mental attacks—and boy did she need help.

After finishing her lukewarm coffee, she headed to the bathroom, wanting to make sure her lipstick wasn't smudged. She hadn't worn lipstick in quite some time, she reckoned, and she didn't want to look like one of the asylum's residents if it had smeared.

The bathroom was empty for once and she was able to touch up her lipstick quickly. Her phone vibrated and she dug it out of her pocket.

GUY: Good luck, Quinz!

She smiled to herself and slid her phone back without responding. She appreciated his well-wishes, but she didn't have time to respond at the moment. After doublechecking her hair and lipstick, she was out the door and headed to the white room. Three minutes later, she was seated and smoothing out her skirt as she waited for the guards to bring the Agent of Chaos in.

They arrived right on time, forcing the Prince into his seat as he struggled against them, chuckling to himself. His eyes met Dr. Quinzel and his laugh became louder—like he knew something she didn't. Pushing through her annoyance, she pulled out her notebook and pen.

"We'll be right outside if you need us, Doctor," Mr. Leader said—more to the Joker than to her. "He's been a handful today."

The door was shut and locked firmly behind him and Dr. Quinzel prepared herself for war.

—J—

The Joker watched as his psychiatrist flipped through her notebook and click her pen repetitively—he doubted she even noticed what she was doing—she seemed nervous. He noticed her bright lipstick and wonder why she wore it. Was it for another patient; was it for him? He laughed at the thought and she looked up at him in surprise. Her eyes hardened and she stopped clicking her pen.

"Mr. J," she began—like she always did. To his annoyance, she never greeted him with a smile or even a simple 'Hello.' He was a human—slightly ahead of the curve, maybe—but a human nonetheless. "How have you been?"

He stayed silent, watching her as she wrote something in her notebook. After several minutes, she tried a different approached and leaned across the table towards him. He resisted the urge to lean away as she got closer and closer, stopping a few inches from his face.

"The guard said you were being difficult. Did something happen?"

"Do you know how I got in here, Doctor?"

Dr. Quinzel swallowed, avoiding his gaze. "I know you did some pretty bad stuff, Mr. J, but I don't know all the details," she lied. "Nor do I want to." This was the truth—he could tell.

"Doctor," he grinned and leaned back in his chair, enjoying himself, "do you know what I am?"

"You are—" she paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "—a criminal." She knew it was an understatement, but she also wasn't sure if he knew what he was. "You did bad stuff—whether you were aware of it or not—and you got caught."

"I knew I was doing bad stuff, Doctor." The Joker grinned. "But you are a different story."

She looked upset and, for the first time, he wished he could take back his words. People who were upset weren't always as predictable. "What are you trying to say, Mr. J?"

He laughed in response. Their time was almost up; all he had to do was wait for the guards to enter the room. He counted the seconds as he laughed. Five… four… three… two… On cue, the door opened and the guards surrounded him, pulling him to his feet. He let them shove him out of the room and down the hallway, already planning his next move.

The straightjacket was easier to undo than he expected and he was able to grab the baton before he revealed himself. The guard on his left was the first to fall, followed by the guy on his right. The guard in front of him spun around, but was unable to do much in such a confined space. The Joker used the strings on his straightjacket to choke the guy to death.

Blood coated his hands as more guards rushed to contain him, but it was too late—his plan had worked. Dr. Quinzel stood in the doorway; mouth open in horror at the sight before her. A small gasp exited her mouth when the Joker met her gaze, and he laughed as five guards leapt on top of him. Someone punched him in the mouth, splitting his lip, but he continued laughing.

Something hit his head and everything went black.

—H—

Harleen drove. It wasn't until she reached the gymnasium that she realized her body had automatically taken her to the place that always calmed her. She parked close to the building and grabbed her gym bag from the trunk. She needed to practice her gymnastic skills, anyways.

It wasn't until her phone started ringing that she noticed the time—it was 5:45. She grabbed it from her bag and slipped it next to her ear. "Harleen Quinzel."

"Are you going to be here soon?"

"I completely lost track of time," she explained, shouldering her bag. "I should be there by 6:00. You can order for me."

"Did something happen?"

"I-I," she stuttered, wondering how to explain what had happened. "I'll tell you when I get there. Thank you for waiting, babe."

"Do you need to cancel? You sound stressed."

"I made plans with you. It's not your fault work didn't go as planned." She opened her car door and threw the gym bag into her passenger seat. "I'm going to head home and change real quick before heading your way. Is that okay?"

"Take your time."

"Thank you for understanding."

"I try, Quinz."

"Buh-bye." She hung up before he could say anything else.