Lost In The Madness || Joker X Harley AU ||

There's no Man Slaughter without Laughter

"Serial Killer James Nicoals also known as 'The Joker' has just been taken into custody by Detective Bruce Lewiss.  We are live at the scene, Detective can we have a word-" the newscaster on the screen was cut off as I hit the power button on the remote.

My eyes fell to the case file on my desktop.  It wasn't uncommon for a psychologist like myself to view a case file, however this one was different.  This was the case file for James Nicoals, or as he preferred to be called 'The Joker'.  He had been terrorizing the lower half of Manhattan with his maniac antics for the last two months.  In that time he murdered nearly fifty people. 

I clicked on the file, there was a photo of a smiling blonde-haired blue eyed man.  He was standing on a stage and the sign behind him said "open mike night".   He looked like he was laughing, and to most women he would have been attractive.  The usual information was first - he had no record of mental illness, nor did he have any sort of criminal record. 

His last job was as a waiter at a diner called Charlie's.  Again nothing particularly odd, that was until I scrolled down.  There was a video attachment of the same man but now he was different.  His skin was stark white, his hair green, and he had lipstick that accentuated his large and terrifying smile. 

I pressed play and the video began -

"Goooood MoRNiNG GOTHAM!" He crowed into the camera followed by hysterical laughter.

"Now, now, folks don't change the channel so soon!" He mocked

"You haven't even met our geust!" He turned the camera away from himself to a girl tied up to rafters by her wrists.

Around her waist was a complicated machine wires sticking out and wrapping up her body.

"Say Hello Darling!" He said laughing at her limp form.

"Or maybe we should be saying Goodbye?" He added as he turned the camera back to himself.

"Time is ticking Batman ~ and I don't think Barbra here likes to be kept waiting!  You have two hours until - KAPLOOEY! HA HA HA HA HA HA" The camera shook as he laughed hysterically, then the video was cut short.

The victim was his co-worker Barbra Lyle.  According to police reports she had gone missing five days before the video was created.  She did not, I was reminded, return.  Underneath the video was a newspaper article, Bomb Levels Canning Warehouse No Surviours Found. 

After that only followed more reports, more videos addressed to "Batman" his, quote, "arch enemy".  I was no stranger to the character James had taken on.  After all with a name like Quinn it was rare I wasn't asked if it was spelt "like the comic character?". 

A ring from the phone on my right pulled me to my senses.  I answered,

"Yes?"

"Doctor Quinn, this is Leanne from the front desk, we have a few police officials escorting a new patient in.  A Detective Lewiss says he would like to speak- specifically- to you."

"Send him up" I replied hanging up the phone and quickly closing the file I had been going through.

A few moments later I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in" I said standing up.

A man in a suit stepped in,

"Hi I'm Detective Lewiss." He said reaching out to shake my hand.

"Doctor Quinn" I replied shaking his hand.

"Have a seat" I said motioning to the cushioned chairs to my left.

He nodded and sat down,

"Thank you." He said,

I sat down across from him,

"I'm sure your aware of James Nicoals, and his... obsession." He said looking at me,

"I am." I replied simply.

He shifted forward,

"When I heard your name was Quinn I knew there were some things I needed to tell you that won't be on the report you had recived.  When James addressed the department as 'Batman' he was clearly looking for a specific person.  Through investigation in his abandoned apartment we found pictures of myself and newspaper clippings from old cases of mine. It was simple then to find out who he ment by Batman - but the reason he chose me is why I'm coming to you." He said pausing for breath.

"He chose me because I share the first  name of Batman's identity - Bruce Wayne as well as being a Detective.  I am concerned that if he learns there is a psychiatrist under the name of the Joker's" He hesitated,

"Female counterpart that he's going to try something." He finished clearing his throat.

"I see" I said slowly,

"I don't know what I can tell you Detective Lewiss-" he cut me off,

"Call me Bruce."

"Bruce" I said finishing my sentence,

"I always take extreme care when in the presence of patients with extreme mental illness." I added standing.

"I'm sure you do I just-" he hesitated before pulling a card from his jacket as he stood up.

"Here" he said handing it to me.

In black ink it read Detective Bruce Lewiss XxX-Xxx-XXXX. 

"Call me if he tries anything." He said turning to walk out the door.

"I will" I say as he shuts the door behind him.

I twirl the card between my fingers and take note of a different number scribbled on the back in pen - no doubt his personal number.  I tossed it on my desk before sitting down at my desk again.

I had already assumed that my last name would be an issue, the question was how to use it to my advantage.

--

A/N

Ah okay so I got this crazy sort of Alternate Universe idea the other day and I thought it would make a kinda cool thriller.  I know I've not really read a lot of Batman comics but since I'm not using any *real* back story for my Joker I'm not super worried.  (I may not have read the comics but I still know quite a bit!)  Drop me a comment if you think I should continue or if your excited for the next chapter! 

Also, when I do two dashes like so:  --
It means there was a time skip.  And if you didn't get the chapter name then let me show you:

  slaughter
- s
=  laughter