RIIIIIING!

Cassidy found herself back in Arkham Asylum, standing at the door of her office as if it had been nothing but a night terror.

RIIIIIING!

She answered the phone, but her mouth couldn't make a sound. It hung there, open, like a dead weight.

"Cassidy! It's me! Are you there?!"

Cassidy stepped back, turning to the rustling in the corner. It was coming from Elizabeth's painting.

"Listen- you've been infected with fear toxin- but you need to STAY CALM. The more you panic, the more the drug will get into your system-"

Elizabeth's mouth pulsated.

Bumping.

Wriggling.

All at once, tiny black legs ripped through.

Cockroaches.

Teeming from the painting and onto the walls.

Cassidy froze.

"Whatever you are seeing right now ISN'T REAL. Ok? IT ISN'T REAL. Remember- STAY C-"

Cassidy felt something crawl up her leg and looked down as cockroaches swarmed on the floor. She ran out before she had a chance to scream.

"Whoa!"

She bumped straight into a gang of male high schoolers, catcalling her with their hoods up.

"Shit! Watch out- it's Freddy Krueger!" One of them laughed as he shoved her away.

"Hey! Give us a kiss!"

They whistled at her, but by that point, she was so focused on running away that she couldn't take in what they were saying.

"I hear she'll be expelled next week"

"Well, what do you expect-"

Cassidy skidded to a halt, following the sound to see a group of school nurses in navy scrubs, gossiping around the corner.

"It's her dad's fault for bringing her here," The older of the group said.

"Poor girl"

"I couldn't have gone to school if I looked like that"

Cassidy ran past them, not wanting to look at anything or even hear what anyone was saying.

"Cassidy!" Joan called over the phone.

She slipped, falling on the hard ground. All was quiet, but she buried her head, afraid to look up.

Stop...

If there was fear toxin inside her, then she would rather it be fatal. She didn't need this.

Not again.

"It's ok. I'm here. I'm right here" Joan whispered "Take a deep breath"

Cassidy exhaled.

"Remember where you are. You're in Arkham- it's February 14th, repeat it with me-"

She clutched her phone, chanting the words over and over, like a prayer.

"🎵Acting on your best behavior...🎵"

"... Do you hear that?" Cassidy sniffled.

"What? No, I-"

Cassidy stood up, leaving her phone on the floor as she became transfixed by the music, following it two doors down to an unlocked office.

"Cassidy- stay with me- Cassidy!"

She approached the door, transfixed.

"🎵Help me to-"

The music stopped.

Cassidy leaned in close, hearing muffled voices in its place.

"I can't help if you won't talk to me!"

"What's there to talk about? You're fucking someone else!"

"Jesus, this again?!"

Cassidy opened the door, finding herself back in her old home.

The sunflower-filled kitchen; bright and overpowering, but the rest of the house looked monochrome.

Everything was taller than she expected until she looked down at herself. She was 5 years old again, with tiny legs that hardly knew how to keep their balance.

"Who is it? Huh? Is it someone from the office?!"

She waddled towards the kitchen.

Her mother, Katherine, paced back and forth as Henry stood defenseless.

Neither of them saw her.

"You're sick of me! Just admit it!"

"I'm not sick of you, Katherine, I love you!"

"Well why do you spend all your time at work?!"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T COPE WITH THIS! OK?!"

Henry banged his fist on the wall. Immediately, the words came back to him like a slap in the face, and his head lowered.

"Sorry. Look, I'm trying- but this isn't fair. Not on Cassidy, not on me, not on you. YOU NEED HELP. You've been miserable for the last 6 months, but you won't fucking talk to anyone- what am I supposed to do?!"

And then, as he saw Katherine's hollow expression, he relented.

"Honestly, talk, or don't. I don't care. I've had enough, just... I've had enough"

Cassidy ran to them, but the moment she stepped into the old kitchen, she found herself an adult again.

Her parents- gone.

Suddenly, the kitchen radio screeched to life as if a knife was scratching on metal.

"Testing, testing-" Joker laughed as she covered her ears. "Heya sweetpea! How's it hanging?"

Cassidy got up, keeping watch on the radio.

"Y'know I didn't expect you to end up in there- but hey, fear toxin can be pretty disorientating from time to time"

The back door slammed shut, making Cassidy jump out of her skin.

"Having any fun side effects? Hallucinations? Nausea? The aroma of dead bodies and gasoline?"

Joker continued as Cassidy yanked the door handle, becoming frantic as she realized it wasn't opening.

"Speaking of which, can anyone smell burning?"

The radio laughter cut off, and all at once, loud thumps hit the ceiling.

Bump bump.

BUMP BUMP.

BUMP BUMP BUMP-

Cassidy looked aghast as the sound rippled.

Footsteps. Stomping about like elephants in a stampede. Frantic.

The upstairs tenants yelled, falling on deaf ears. Except for one word.

Fire.

Cassidy fled, smoke coming from the windows, the front door burning to charcoal.

She locked herself in her old bedroom.

No matter how hard she pulled or tugged, the window lock wouldn't budge.

"No no NOOOO!"

She collapsed, trying to cover her ears from the screaming upstairs.

Not again... Please...

Cassidy jumped when a hand grabbed her shoulder, until, in that darkness, she saw a familiar figure standing behind her.

"...D... Dad?"

The same blue janitor uniform, the same smile he would always give her, every time he came home from work.

He must have gotten her voicemail!

That had to be it!

"Dad!"

She ran into Henry's outstretched arms, burying herself in his chest.

"I'm sorry..." Cassidy said, weeping "You were right... I-"

"Shhh"

He held her close, stroking her hair like she was a child again.

"We're home now... Everything's fine..."

Cass froze.

Home.

It hit her. That hadn't been their home... not for a long time. Not in years. So why, then, would he...

Cassidy glanced over his shoulder at the full-length mirror behind him, to see the man in the reflection...

It wasn't Henry.

The burlap mask. The lab coat.

The syringe in his back pocket.

Whatever black liquid Jonathan Crane filled it with, she knew, right there...

... She didn't want to find out.

"Everything's- AGHH!"

Jonathan recoiled as the needle pierced his skin, digging in long enough for Cassidy to push the plunger.

"You brat!"

He slammed her headfirst into the wall, clawing for the needle in his back. But by the time he ripped it out, the syringe was already empty.

"NO..."

Cassidy dropped on the carpet, a broken china doll. Everything spun around her.

She caught sight of the man, pretending to be her father only moments ago, backing himself into a corner- as if some invisible thing were following him.

He slid down, whimpering more like that of a frightened schoolboy, alone.

She would have pitied him, but she was no longer in the same world. Her head rolled to the other side, blood trickling down her hair.

"... Rea..."

She mumbled to herself. Glowing embers under her bedroom door- the smoke- her mother's smile- the dances they had together- all flashed before her eyes, as her world faded away.

A/N: Looks like the good doctor got a taste of his own medicine...