Predator. Prey.

Mr. J

My session with Joker began only an hour after Ivy's. I shoved aside all my nerves and forced a polite smile.

"Good afternoon, patient 0. How are you today?"

Joker let his eyes give me an answer as he laughed, straining to move against the pulling of his straightjacket.

"Very well. So, I've read your file over fifteen times now, and I'm aware of every childhood story you've concocted to appeal to previous psychiatrists. Care to give me an honest story?"

Joker cracked his neck to one side and raised his eyebrows, if he had any.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

"What is it," I sighed.

"Batman!"

He laughed again, his cackles bouncing off the walls and creating an eerie echo that caused me to sit back in my seat and pretend to jot more notes in my notepad. As his laughter died down, he gave me an attempt at puppy dog eyes,

"Oh, c'mon, Doc. That one always puts a smile on my face!"

"So you see batman as a...joke?"

"Tsk, tsk. Your words, not mine."

"But you just said-"

"You're a smart girl, Harleen. How do YOU think I see the Batman?"

"It's Dr. Quinzel."

"Tit for tat. Answer my question."

Why did he emphasize the most random words when he spoke? It was as if even his ability to use inflection was affected by his psychosis. I bit the inside of my cheek and decided to answer.

"I believe you use batman as an excuse for your antics. You play the victim card and use your insanity to remain safe from the death penalty. You see him as the only man who can truly bring you to justice, and every one else is simply a lesser important background character you feel you can manipulate or abuse."

He leaned forward, studying my eyes as I stared at the bridge of his nose.

"Such breathtaking eyes you have, Harleen. Such a breathtaking, wild beauty."

I avoided his face and looked down at my notes while mumbling,

"Patient avoids confrontation by diverting attention. Classic denial or refusal of admittance."

He thrusted himself back into his seat and made that growling sound again. My face grew hot in anger because I felt I was finally getting somewhere and he just belittled me to being a pretty face he could distract.

"Respond to my previous question, patient 0."

"Please, doll, It's Joker. Or Mr. J, whichever name your pretty little heart prefers."

"Okay then. How about I call you... Patient 0?"

He smiled and silently laughed,

"I knew you liked jokes."

"I like jokes at the appropriate time, patient 0. This is not one of those times."

"Oh baby, I live for jokes at the appropriate time."

"Glad to see we have something in common, then?"

"You're gonna find we're a whole lot more alike than we are different, Doc."

"And how do you suppose that?"

He straightened in his chair, eyes darkening.

"Because you're gonna be my friend."

My heart rate picked up in joyous anticipation. Could I finally begin to unravel his secrets? Was I on the right path to cure him? My excitement was palpable as I closed my notepad.

"Good. I could use a few real friends around here."