"Jonathan, what a pleasure." Dr. Harris stated as they sat in his office. "How are you doing?"
"Actually quite well, thank you, besides the handcuffs being slightly irritating and so irrelevant."
Dr. Harris chuckled in amusement and Jonathan narrowed his eyes. He had never liked Dr. Steven Harris, who was annoying and incredibly stiff in manner. It didn't help that he married often and had affairs every other weekend. But of course he was like any other rich man in Gotham, stupid and extremely rich.
"How is your wife Steven." he asked. "Laura is it? Or is it Lauren?"
Steven also narrowed his eyes. "No, currently I am single."
"How unfortunate since this has been your sixteenth wife? And maybe your thirty sixth affair?" Jonathan feigned mock suprise.
The other doctor cleared his throat. "At least I'm not a psychopath." he spoke through clenched teeth.
"Not a psychopath. Just a concerned doctor who wants to cure Gotham."
"Of fear. Don't you know you'll never get rid of it?"
"But I can Steven. I don't fear, I just regret."
"But I honestly don't think you thought it through Crane." Steven smiled wickedly. "How about your lovely partner? The one that was pronounced dead and now is suddenly alive?"
The temperature dropped dramatically as they stared daggers at each other. "We are not in a relationship." Jonathan said slowly.
"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I call her mine and use her as I will?"
Jonathan clenched his fists tightly. "Oh Steven... You know she would never accept a man like you."
"She doesn't have to." Steven whispered triumphantly. "And let me tell you that she is quite a good kisser."
An angry glint was in Jonathan's eyes as he tried to keep calm. Clenching and un-clenching his fists.
"You know she screamed your name. I bet she was wishing it was you instead of me on top of her."
Jonathan lunged forward and punched the other doctor in the throat. Steven fell out of his chair gasping for air as Jonathan kicked him in the side. Then he punched him over and over in the face until the blood ran hot. By that time the guards had come in and restrained him tightly by the arms as Steven stood up, who grinned, showing his blood stained teeth. "I think I know the answer about your relationship and your fears Crane. And it's a different answer than you tell yourself."
Then he was escorted back to his cell as Steven's laughs echoed down the halls. And when they passed Julia's cell, the window remained empty.
...
Julia took a breath of fresh air, it was the first time in a couple of weeks that she had felt the sun on her face. She had forgotten the feeling of freedom.
The stocky guard lazily checked his watch. "You got five minutes." he drawled.
She nodded and tilted her head to look at the sky. Arkham had a small garden in the center of the compound with a few trees and bushes, and above was a square of sky. Right now it was overcast, like it usually was in Gotham, especially now in spring. The air was slightly cold, but she didn't wear a coat. No such luxuries were given to the patients.
She walked to a tree and stroked the bark, memorizing the way the bark curled and twisted in the still patterns. Sighing she walked back to the guard and told him she would like to go in.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise since she usually begged to stay longer. But he nodded and strode to the door, that required a certain code. He pressed five digits and the door opened, that's when she made her move.
Julia put her arms around the guards neck and squeezed. The guard struggled, clawing at her arms as she squeezed tighter. She didn't lessen the pressure till his body went limp. She swiped his ID and gun from his body, and stepped silently into Arkham, closing the door behind her.
She hurried down the halls, towards the control room. Not worrying about the cameras, since they wouldn't have time to stop her. Reaching the control room, she swiped the ID in the scanner and the door opened with a click. She held the gun out as she entered, not hesitating to shoot both guards in the leg. They fell screaming to the ground as she pressed the big, red button on the wall meant for emergencys.
Sirens blared as the lights turned red, and all the cell doors opened on cue. She quickly fled the control room, diving into a large group of inmates. They simply ignored her as she flowed among them, still holding the gun. Julia had learned where Jonathan's cell was and rushed there in hope of finding him. But she was greeted by an empty cell as she neared. Her heart deflated as she realized she might never find him in Arkham Asylums maze of halls.
Suddenly a hand covered her mouth and dragged her into a different cell. She struggled but couldn't get out of the man's strong grip. He pulled her out of view of the hallway and turned her around, forgetting that she had a gun, which she swung and hit him in the head.
Then she gasped as she realized who she had hit. "Jonathan?"
He groaned in reply as he put a hand on his injury. Then he pulled it away and looked at his now red hand that was covered with blood.
Julia quickly knelt down as she ripped her uniform shirt off, keeping her grey tank top on. She pressed it on his head, adding pressure to stop the bleeding.
"I think I gave you a big gash on your head." she said apologetically.
"Its fine." but he winced and jolted his head back as she pressed down more.
"Stay stil-"
His lips collided into hers and she kissed back, forgetting for a second on where they were. She had missed him and his kiss made her feel whole again. But then an image of Steven appeared and her arms stung from the tally marks, so she broke the kiss.
She looked away from Jonathan. "Not here." she whispered.
His fingers gently stroked her cheek. "I know what happened."
She looked at him in surprise and opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by another quick kiss.
He pulled back first. "Now as much I enjoy that, I believe we'll have to continue later with a long discussion of what happened. But first before we escape, I want to pay a visit to someone here."
"Wait." she said as she quickly stripped the shirt in strips and tied it around his head. "Now we can go."
He smiled at her fondly as they journeyed down the halls of Arkham. Debris was everywhere in hazardous piles, with an occasional small fire or two.
"Stay close." Jonathon murmured.
She nodded as she spot some inmates running around crazily. Psychopaths, serial killers, and rapists were all out with a free reign to do anything they wanted and escape until the police forces arrived.
Jonathan took her down a familiar hall and opened the first door to her right before she could protest on where they were.
"Jonathan-" she started to whisper. But was halted by him shaking his head.
"I'm going to get rid of your fear." he whispered in her ear. "You don't have to help but I will make him pay for what he has done to you!"
With that Jonathan strode around the desk in the middle of the office and pulled out a blubbering Dr. Steven Harris.
"Please don't kill me!" he screamed. "It was only fun and games I swear... I never even touched her!"
Jonathan looked at Steven as he begged on his hands and knees. A cold demeanour took over his usual calm self. "Julia. Do you care to object to his claim?"
Steven looked at her and went white in the face. Seeing him broken filled her with courage. "Yes, I object."
"Good." said Jonathan in amusement. "Then we shall proceed."
He pulled out a small pill out of his prison uniform's pocket. "This..." he said to Steven. "Is one of my new inventions. A pill with a powder fear toxin that enters your blood stream and dissolves. The effects are slightly greater than usual and carry on for an hour before you kill yourself. A name you could call it... Would be the Suicide Pill. And I'm proud to use it on you for its official trial."
Steven screamed horribly as Jonathan forced his mouth open, and made him swallow the pill. Julia found herself watching in interest as the pill took effect immediately. Steven screamed as he clawed the skin on his face. He cried as he shook uncontrollably, then he started jerking on the ground as the pill took its maximum effect.
The whole thing seemed like seconds passing, but when Steven finally lay dead, an hour had gone past.
"Julia." Jonathan whispered as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Lets go."