October 27 2005

Alex was seen at the police department as he took a picture of the red threads, He leaned over a corkboard filled with photos of the recent crime scene as He looked at the threads again, forming a web of connections he was piecing together. As he studied each connection, mapping out the trajectory of blood spatter captured in the photos, Until Benjamin stepped forward as Alex turned around.

They both stared at each other, feeling the tension in the air as Benjamin spoke in a cold tone.

Benjamin: What did you find?

Alex: Following the patterns. . . . It seems like the killer knew the victim's routines and knew how to approach without raising suspicion. . . The cuts, though. . . they're precise. Intentional. It wasn't just a quick kill.

Benjamin: Was it deep cuts? Almost like the killer carved through his body?

Alex: Exactly.

Gordon: I can understand that this killer finds murder as. . . Art.

The commissioner suddenly entered the room as Alex and Benjamin looked at him, He looked around the evidence room and noticed Alex's work in the room.

Benjamin: This killer wasn't rushed as Alex said, He was deliberate.

Alex: Taking his time to leave a message with every cut. . .

Gordon: There's a certain twisted artistry in it, the kind of pattern a killer takes pride in.

Benjamin: This wasn't the first one, Remember the other few victims last month?

Gordon: Yeah, those were the exact same cuts. Looks like we need to go deep into this investigation.

Benjamin: I'll start by retracing the victim's last steps. We need to know everyone they interacted with in the last 48 hours, down to the smallest detail. Friends, co-workers, anyone who could have been around without raising suspicion.

Gordon: Good. We can't leave any angle unexplored. I'll have tech pull surveillance from nearby cameras. And get forensics to recheck any trace evidence, *Looks at Alex* You hear me?

Alex: Of course, sir. I also need to go back to the morgue.

Gordon: No problem, I'm counting on both of you and the rest of the team.

Gordon walked away as Alex was holding a small magnifying glass until he noticed Benjamin was glaring at him.

Benjamin; I'm watching you, Morgan.

Alex tilted his head as McFarland walked away, Morgan shaked his head and continued looking around as he had a thought on his head.

(Benjamin isn't gonna get off of my shoulder anytime soon, He's determined to find something about me. . . .)

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Harleen took Anne to a juice bar and brought two mango juices for themselves. Both of them were sitting as Anne was drinking, enjoying the flavour and taste. She really loved mangos.

Anne: I remember that every week, my father would bring tons of mangos.

Harleen: *Smiles* Oh really? I take it that mango is your favourite fruit.

Anne: Yes, I also love eating grapes.

Harleen: That's really cool, Tell me more about your farm, Anne.

Anne: Uhh, well, I don't know where to start from. . .

Harleen: It's okay, Start with anything.

Anne: Well. . . My dad raised animals too, We had chickens, a couple of cows, and even a few goats. Every morning, he'd let me help him feed them before sunrise.

Harleen: That sounds beautiful. Did you have a favourite animal on the farm?

Anne: Yes, actually. There was this goat named Lizzie. She was stubborn and always tried to run away from the farm, but I always chased her for hours. *Chuckles* She was amazing, though.

Harleen: Awww, that's so sweet, What about your mom?

Anne: My mom never really worked that much, She would rarely help my dad when it comes to helping the animals or taking care of the plants.

Harleen: Why?

Anne: Well, From what they told me, My mother got weaker when she gave birth to me, She couldn't work for too long and got tired very easily, That's why my dad wanted her to rest all the time. . . Besides, She was raising me, That's enough, don't you think?

Harleen smiled as Anne took another sip of her juice as Harley nodded.

Harley; I agree with that, I'm sorry about your mother. Is she still like that?

Anne: Yeah, she is, especially because of age as well.

Harleen: I get it, Wishing the best for your parents, Anne.

Anne: *Smiles* Thank you, Harleen.

Harleen: You're welcome, You know. I never thought I would meet someone like you. You're much different than others. But you're also the most sweetest person i ever met.

Anne giggled and thanked her as Harleen was smiling at her before a newspaper delivery man left a paper at the table as Harley grabbed it and began reading it.

"Gotham City: In a shocking crime that has sent ripples of fear through the community, local authorities have confirmed the murder of thrity four year-old English Teacher of Gotham State University whose body was discovered this morning in an abandoned warehouse in the East The police are investigating the case and are trying to find the notorious serial killer"

Harleen: Oh goodness. . .

Anne looked confused as Harley sighed to herself, feeling bad for the person who was murdered. Every day, a murder would always happen by many criminals, making the city unsafe as it always has been. She wasn't only concerned about herself, She was also worried about Benjamin since he worked at the police department.

Anne: Are you okay, Harley?

Harley: *Shakes her head* Yeah, A murder happened this morning.

Anne's eyes widen as Harleen feels bad for saying this to her, but she knows Anne needs to know what Gotham is truly like.

Anne: Oh God. . . A murder?

Harley: You might freak out. . . But it's very common here, Murders, robberies and other kinds of criminal activities. . .

Anne looked at her, feeling a bit uneasy. Harley noticed she was a bit scared as She grabbed her hand.

Harley: Hey, there's nothing to worry about. I'm here to protect you.

Anne: I appreciate it, Harley.

Harley: *Smiles* It's okay, but remember. You need to make yourself independent as well, In a city like this, you must protect yourself.

Anne looked at her and knew she was right, but the problem is, Anne wasn't sure how she could be independent. There was a moment of silence as Harleen noticed Anne's silence as she decided to change the topic.

Harleen: So. . . Did you enjoy work?

Anne: I did. . . It was interesting. Dr Crane teached me a few things.

Harleen: Oooh, wait. Crane was with you?

Anne: I was a bit slow when i was writing a report, He entered the office and decided to help you.

Harleen: Ahh, that's quite different from him.

Anne: What do you mean?

Harleen: Usually, he would send a senior to help any interns or beginners. I never expected him to come and help.

Anne: So. . . What does it mean?

Harleen: *Laughs* I don't know, Maybe he just has a soft side for you.

Anne: *Smiles* I mean, He's very kind.

Harleen: That's true, He's also really intelligent. He can read you like a book within seconds.

Anne looked intrigued by the info Harley gave, but she was also curious when Harleen said that he had a soft side for Anne. Maybe he did because she was shy, and this was her first time working.

Anne smiled to herself and thought about his kind gestures as Harleen looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Harleen: Okay, what's with that smile?

Anne: *Blushes slightly* He was just really patient with me while I worked on my report, I felt glad for his support.

Harleen: *Laughs* Anne, why are you blushing?

Anne: . . . Am I?

Harleen: There's no way you're having a crush on him now.

Anne's eyes lit up as Harleen had a cheeky smile on her face, wanting to tease her.

Anne: Crush?. . . No, it's nothing like that.

Harley: *Laughs* Come on, It's not bad to have a work crush. . . Especially on your first day.

Harleen joked with Anne as Winters blushed again and shaked her head, denying that she didn't have a crush on Crane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Arkham Asylum, There was a man named Marcus Hall who was admitted to Arkham Asylum after being apprehended for killing his little brother out of jealousy and many series of violent crimes, including assault and stalking, Marcus exhibits frequent outbursts of anger and aggression, responding violently to perceived slights or threats, He's also manipulative and delusional.

He has been prescribed antipsychotic medication to help manage his delusions, though he frequently refuses treatment, insisting he doesn't need it. Now, he was going to have another therapy session with Dr Crane.

Marcus was sitting alone in his cell, staring at the wall until someone entered the room, and it was Jonathan himself, He took a seat in front of Marcus as Crane began speaking.

Jonathan: Marcus, you know why you're here. Let's talk about your. . ambitions. You believe you're destined for greatness in Gotham, don't you?

Marcus: That's just the start. I'm going to run this city. No one can touch me.

Jonathan: And yet, here you are, confined within these walls. How does that fit into your grand plan?

Marcus: *Grits his teeth* I'm just getting started.

Crane smiled, knowing he was already getting his nerves, It was so easy to make him angry. A few minutes passed as Jonathan continued asking him questions while Marcus was feeling irritated and wanted this session to end.

Jonathan: You know, Marcus, sometimes our deepest fears can reveal the most about us. Wouldn't you agree?

Marcus: Enough with the games! I'm done here.

Jonathan: Oh, I was just getting started. . . Let's see what makes a determined man afraid of.

Marcus: What?

Jonathan had a smile on his face until he pulled something out of his bag and shot a gas on Marcus's face. Marcus was shocked before he could react to it. Crane quickly wore the scarecrow mask and got up from his chair as Marcus looked at him and started screaming in fear.

Jonathan: Breathe in. . . . Let's see if you can survive the darkness first.

Jonathan's smooth and slow voice turned demonic and sadistic as Marcus's screams were heard, begging him to stop as he continued seeing scary visions.

Until everything faded to black.

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It was the next day and another day of work, Anne was seen at the office as she was working on another report, this time. Her work was going smoothly, and Anne was doing a bit better than yesterday, She was highly focused on finishing It until someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

Jonathan: Slow down, Anne. Take all the time you need.

Anne looked at him as he smiled at her, Winters had a small smile on her face and nodded as Crane was staring at her, He looked at the computer and noticed she was half way done as he smiled again.

Jonathan: You learned already, I'm impressed.

Anne: I thank you the most, You teached me.

Jonathan: You don't need to thank me, I'm happy to help.

He caressed her shoulder as Anne nodded and smiled again, She began working on the report again as Jonathan was watching her in silence, He fixed his glasses and admired her for a moment, Jonathan couldn't help but feel drawn by her presence.

Anne continued working on the report as she was holding her forehead until Jonathan slowly moved her hair aside, wanting to get a good look on her face as Anne looked at him.

She stared in confusion as Jonathan gave a small smile to her.

Jonathan: If you want to take a break, I'll allow it.

Anne just smiled and nodded as she couldn't help but blush a little, She quickly turned away, hoping he wouldn't see it, but he had already noticed her expression, and that made his smile wider.

He patted her shoulder and walked away as Anne looked at him, appreciating his kindness towards her.

But does she know who he was last night?

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and stay strong!!! :)