Melanie stared at her ceiling in complete silence. Her feet were linked together and hands clasped across her stomach, glasses pressing against the bridge of her nose. The dimly lit room offered little comfort, and she sighed heavily, waiting for lunch despite having no appetite. Just as she began to wonder how she would navigate her plan through Arkham Asylum, the sound of keys jingling outside her cell alerted her that someone was approaching.

Dick opened the thick metal door and Melanie sat up quickly, uncrossing her legs and kicked them over the bed. "Lunch." He spoke monotonously, and Melanie stood up, getting ready to walk out. Dick stopped her quickly, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

"Seriously?" Melanie raised a brow and Dick stayed quiet.

"We have to follow the rules here, Annie." Dick whispered. Melanie rolled her eyes and huffed, raising her hands up. Dick clasped the cold metal around her wrists, the chains just short of a ruler.

Dick stepped aside from the door, letting Melanie walk in front of him. She paused in the hallway for a moment, listening intently.

She could hear the Joker talking upstairs to his guard, trying to strike up a conversation but failed miserably. Dick ushered for Melanie to keep walking, the two taking slow steps.

"Remember, you don't approach the Joker. You need to grab his attention somehow." Dick spoke in a hushed voice, Melanie nodding slowly. "There will be three others in the cafeteria with you and the Joker."

"What if he goes to them instead?" Melanie whispered and Dick shrugged.

"Then you'll have to—" Dick fell silent as another patient and guard approached the two. Melanie side eyed the inmate as she walked up next to Melanie.

"I'm Gemma. You can call me Gem. Who are you? You look new, I haven't seen you before." Gemma had sleek and long black hair, which swayed gracefully behind her despite the dark purple bags under her eyes, which were wide and a piercing green.

Melanie stayed quiet, and Gemma got closer as they walked down the stairs. "Step back, Berks." Her guard demanded and Gemma turned around, glaring at him.

"New patients need a friends. You said I need to be more social."

"Be more social four feet apart. You know the rules." Melanie frowned for a moment. Doctor Williams didn't say anything about distance. Maybe that was a rule for just Gemma.

"What are you in here for?" Gemma asked, Melanie picking up a hint of disinterest in the woman's voice.

"I killed my parents." Melanie answered with a strained voice, looking to Gemma. "And my cellmate in Blackgate."

"Everyone's killed someone here, honey. Why are you really in here?"

"I tried to kill Jim Gordon." Gemma smiled wickedly and giggled.

"Mr J will sure like you. He hates that man as much as Batman. Well... Just a little less." Melanie nodded slowly, wondering if Gemma would spread it around as to why she was in Arkham. "What else did you do?"

Melanie stayed quiet, Dick ushering for her to walk away from Gemma. "I'll see you later!" Gemma chimed, walking down a separate hallway.

The two detectives walked through large white doors into a fairly large cafeteria. The three patients that were already in the room turned to Melanie, and she recognized only one right away.

Edward Nigma stared at Melanie through large glasses before slowly returning to the food in front of him. Melanie looked to Dick before he walked towards the kitchen, returning with a tray of food. The two walked towards an empty table and Dick set Melanie's food down before going to stand near a wall.

Melanie slowly sat down, staring at her food with a questionable look. The apple in the corner had a bruised spot and she slowly picked it up, examining the red fruit before setting it back down.

While her scalloped potatoes did look hot, they certainly looked anything from fresh. The BLT and apple on her platter looked to be the only edible things. She picked up the sandwich, staring for a moment before going to bite it.

The doors to the cafeteria swung open in that moment and Melanie glanced over mid bite and the sound of laughter. Her blood ran colder than ice in that moment as she made direct eye contact with The Joker.

The Joker slowly grinned at Melanie and she turned away, scarfing down her food to appear busy. The Joker waltzed over to an empty table, sitting down as if he were a prince. He had the title for the Clown Prince of Crime, so maybe that was why.

Melanie glanced up to Dick mid-bite, noticing that he was staring at her the entire time, rather than throwing subtle glances to the Joker to see if he was watching Melanie. Melanie slowly turned to look at the Joker, adorned in the same dirty jumpsuit Melanie wore. Large, bold letters spelled 'Arkham' on the top of the back of Joker's jumper, faded with years of washing and poor treatment.

A tray of food was set in front of the killer, which looked much more appetizing than Melanie's. She looked down at her food, then to the Jokers and frowned. The Joker sat there in silence as Edward looked up to the Joker before standing up slowly, his guard leading him out of the cafeteria.

After a few moments, the other two patients left, leaving just Melanie, the Joker and their guards. The Joker slowly turned to Melanie and she stiffened up at the smile he gave her.

"We'll hello, new friend." The pale, green haired man cheered. His smile lines were deeper than the secrets that ran through the halls, his hair a toxic color that reminded everyone where he originated.

ACE Chemicals turned that man into a psychotic killer, and his intentions for the day disappeared the moment he saw Melanie Nyx.

Despite the guard keeping an eye on the Joker, he skipped right over to Melanie and sat down across from her. His teeth were almost purely yellow, and Melanie truly believed that his skin color had been paint until the moment she saw it herself.

He was truly that fucking white.

"Couldn't help but notice your new face." The Jokers chains rattled against Melanie's table as she stared at him with wide eyes. "Who are you?" He mused, clasping his hands together.

"Monica." Joker let out a soft whistle, humming.

"I'll call you Monny! Beautiful name you have, dear." Melanie stayed quiet despite the compliment, unsure if he truly meant it or was just attempting to swoon her into doing his bidding. "What are you in here for?"

"I tried killing Jim Gordon." She answered quietly, which immediately got the Joker's attention and his grin widening more. Melanie didn't think he could do that.

"I like you already!" The Joker turned around to face Dick, who was staring at him with a stone cold look. "You are watching such a bold patient!" Dick stayed silent and the Joker turned back to Melanie. "He doesn't seem very chatty."

"He hates talking. But I like to, so it's not a very good relationship." The Joker clicked his tongue in disapproval, waving a hand. Melanie clamped her mouth shut, wondering if the wide eyes gave her a crazy look.

"Men. Such disappointments. Are you going to eat that?" The Joker pointed to Melanie's apple and she slowly shook her head. He grabbed it, Melanie staring at the faded J tattoo on his thin thumb, watching as he took a large bite out of the apple.

"I think you and I should be friends." The Joker spoke through the food. Melanie glanced up to Dick, who didn't move.

"Why is that?" She asked softly, looking back to the Joker.

"Well, you're new. You don't know how things run around here. I can help you!" Melanie knew it wasn't a good choice, but he was basically offering everything she needed. Soon enough, she could get to the more personal questions she needed to ask.

Melanie stayed silent, staring into the Joker's wide, cynical eyes. She had no idea what she could wrap herself up in, if the Joker only wanted to be her ally so she could aid in an escape. Whatever his intentions were, they weren't good.

"Okay." Melanie nodded and the Joker grinned even more. How was his face not sore?

"Wonderful." He spoke in a low, slightly creepy tone, and stood up slowly. "Welcome to Arkham Asylum, Monny!"

Melanie watched as the Joker parted with his guard, and Dick waited until the doors were shut before sitting down with her. "Are you alright?"

"His presence was so draining." Melanie pushed her tray away and stood up. Dick joined, and Melanie rubbed her eyes. "That was a lot easier to get him to approach me than I thought."

"Let's just get you back to your room. You have your first psychiatric appointment in an hour." Melanie hummed, walking out of the cafeteria with Dick. "He's a lot more friendly than I thought."

"It's all a facade. He's a lunatic, Annie, don't forget that." The two ascended their first flight of stairs slowly.

"I know that. But I can use his friendliness to our benefit." Dick glanced down to Melanie, who looked up at him for a moment before staring ahead.

Melanie knew the risk of using The Joker. He finds out who she is, he could literally kill her and wouldn't feel bad about it. Both Melanie and Dick had to be as careful as they possibly could for the next two weeks.

Easy enough...

•••

"Monica Bookman, I'm Doctor Grace Williams, we met earlier today during your incarceration." Melanie watched Doctor Williams sit down slowly. Dick stood by the door, arms crossed as he was watching birds fly around outside. The woman picked up the clipboard that sat in front of her, looking through the paper. "Our session is being recorded, are you alright with that?"

"Who will hear these recordings?" Melanie asked in a quick and hushed tone. She tried to sound frantic despite being completely calm, and Doctor William's glanced up at her.

"Just me and my staff. We need to know who you are, who we will be dealing with. I'm aware of your... violent past at BlackGate." It was as if Doctor Williams wasn't aware the woman in front of her was a detective. That she was simply undercover as a crazy, murderous woman with a bad childhood.

"You are aware this isn't real?" Melanie whispered in an attempt to not have the recording pick up her voice. Doctor Williams covered the recording box.

"I am aware of that, Miss Bookman. But we need to have every patient inside of Arkham Asylum answer these questions. Even if their answers are a lie." Doctor Williams grabbed a pen as Melanie nodded slowly. "Why were you admitted into Blackgate?"

"I killed my parents. They wouldn't give me money for something I wanted. I planned on killing them for a long time." Melanie answered as quickly as she could, twiddling her thumbs and stared at the chains on her wrists.

"What did you want that pushed you to kill them?" Doctor Williams wondered. Melanie glanced up at the woman.

"I was a victim to The Joker's laughing has a few years ago. Addiction runs in my family, and I started doing whatever I could to get my hands on it. Some of his old goons would sell it to me for money I didn't have, so I started stealing." Melanie watched as Doctor Williams scribbled on the clipboard, nodding.

"My parents stopped giving me money when they found out what I was spending it on, and I lashed out. I didn't feel bad at all, they were shitty parents. They deserved it. They deserved what I gave them."

"Why do you think they deserved to die?" Doctor Williams asked. Melanie stared at her for a long time. Maybe she could tell the truth and Williams would believe she were faking. She glanced to Dick, who had now been watching her, but she didn't know for how long. He looked back to the window.

"My father was a horrible man." Melanie answered quietly, a frown growing on her face. Dick listened intently, trying to determine if there was any truth behind the story she was telling. "He would beat me and my mother and disappear for days. When I was 17, he came home and my mother ended up in the hospital. He deserves to die." Melanie gritted through her teeth and Doctor Williams paused, glancing up at the tense Melanie was using.

"Deserves?" Williams raised a brow and Dick looked to Melanie. She hesitated for a moment and glanced between her coworker and the stranger before shaking her head.

"I said deserved." Melanie leaned back in her chair. "My father was a psychotic drug addict with a powerful brain. Manipulated my mother into become an addict, and tried to do it to me. Of course, I ended up doing it on my own... And now I'm here. Talking to a psychiatrist."

"It's good you're here, Bookman. We can get you the help you need." Doctor Williams nodded slowly. Dick couldn't shake Melanie's story off his shoulders, still wondering if it were true or not.

"I don't want help. I don't need it, I'm fine with who I am." Melanie spat, going to cross her arms, only for the chains to stop her.

"We'll see about that. Why did you kill the prisoners and guards at Blackgate?"

"Because I wanted a room to myself. Now I have one." Melanie shrugged, staring out the window. It was much thicker than the windows at GCPD, and had yellowed from years of sun exposure. Melanie assumed the windows weren't actually glass.

"It says in your file you were diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder when you were fifteen. We'll get you on some mood stabilizers." Melanie looked up to Dick, then to Doctor Williams.

The psychiatrist stood up, taking the clipboard with her and ended the recording. "Same time tomorrow, Miss Bookman. Mr Grayson will be taking you back to your cell until it's time to get ready for lights out."

Melanie stayed quiet as Doctor Williams left the room, and Dick walked over to her. Melanie stood up, the two leaving after a moment.

"Was anything you said true?" Dick wondered, looking down at Melanie as they walked back to her cell.

She stayed quiet for a moment, not looking up at him. "No. None of it was real."