I love this title *insert evil author cackle.*

Part 6 is definitely something I am proud of.

So, without further ado, let's dive in.

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Charlize hadn't forgotten about Jonathan's request to come to Arkham and see the renovations he was working so hard for.

Thus, one day, she texted him to tell him that she wanted to drop by the asylum. Soon after, he replied, telling her to come around four in the afternoon.

When she reached the asylum, it was four on the dot. Curious, she took in the ancient building, stopping at the oak tree in the courtyard. The place seemed devoid of life, and a gloomy air engulfed her as she walked further in.

As she entered through the main portal, she saw a reception desk in front of her and a man standing behind it, organizing some files.

The interior of the place was comparatively better than the desolate courtyard, and as she looked around, she felt Jonathan had made significant changes to the place. The last time she had been to Arkham was years ago with her former psychology professor, who had brought the class there on an educational visit.

For starters, the place was cleaner than she remembered, and the walls had been repainted. It also felt slightly more inhabitable, with the staff bustling around and the workers ensuring everything was in order.

"Miss, can I help you?"

She was startled by an unfamiliar voice and turned to see the receptionist looking at her. "Oh, yes, I am here to see Doctor Crane."

"Please wait. I will let him know," he put the files aside, "Your name and purpose of visit?"

"Charlize Thorne," she replied, "The purpose of the visit is to see Doctor Crane."

"Okay... I will check in with him and let you know. Please take a seat," he nodded, gesturing to her to sit in the waiting area.

He picked up an intercom and dialed Crane's office extension. She couldn't hear him from her seat, but when he hung up, he came to her.

"He will see you in his office. First floor, last room at the end of the corridor."

She reached the office, but before she could knock on the door, Jonathan opened it himself. A smile spread on his face to see her as if he had expected her to come any moment.

"Charlize, just the person I was waiting for. How are you?"

"I am good, thank you," she replied, stepping in as he opened the door wider and pulled out a chair for her, "How have you been?"

"I have been busy, but thankfully, I have some help now. I assume you must have met Miguel at the reception desk?"

"Oh yes, I did."

"He's made things a lot easier for me. If it weren't for him, I would never have gotten some time to sit in the office by myself," he remarked, "Anyhow, what would you like to have? Tea or coffee?"

She only smiled in reply since Jonathan knew that preference very well.

"Tea it is then," he nodded, putting some water in his electric kettle and fetching two cups from the small cabinet under his desk.

Charlize looked around, noticing that his office was much bigger and spacious compared to the small setup he had at Robinson. He had kept it organized just as meticulously, and her eyes were drawn to the bookshelf in the corner, which contained a variety of interesting titles and his infamous research folders.

He placed the cups on the table and sat across from her, blue eyes observing her subtly. She was the same as he had last seen her—beautiful, kind, and with a smile that he found hard to resist. For some reason, Charlize Thorne made him feel at ease around her as if he could let his guard down in her presence and truly be himself with her.

But the nagging voice in his head kept warning him that no matter how she made him feel, it was stupidity to trust anyone enough to show them his true self. Humans were selfish by nature, and even though he didn't want to think further in that direction, that voice assured him that Charlize would be no different.

"The last time I came to Arkham was years ago with my classfellows at Gotham University," she told him, taking a tentative sip from the cup. "It looks the same as it did from the outside, but I can see you have changed a lot internally."

"Every change starts at the heart of a setup," he remarked, subconsciously leaning toward her. "After Doctor Mendes resigned, I was offered the position, and I thought I should take it a step further and do everything my predecessor couldn't. So I started by making changes to the system, and here we are..."

"Here we are indeed," she nodded appreciatively, "I was thinking maybe someday I can bring my students here for an educational visit. Of course, if it is convenient for you."

He smiled politely, "I will be honored. Young minds should be aware of the practicalities this field entails. Do let me know a week beforehand, and I will make all the necessary arrangements."

She could see he had lapsed into formal behavior with her, and it would take him some time to come out of that shell—ten minutes or so, judging by his past interactions with her.

After their tea was finished, he offered to show her around Arkham and tell her about the other changes he had implemented.

"Like I said, I do need a second opinion and what better person to ask than you?" He resumed, opening the office door for her to step out. "But before we proceed, you must promise to give me your honest feedback. Even if it isn't pleasant."

She shook her head, a light laugh escaping her, "Alright, I promise. Only honest feedback."

"Good, good. This way, please," he gestured to the lift at the right side of the corridor, shifting the grill for her to step in first.

He was being sweet, she thought, as she observed him standing beside her. He was also slightly nervous, judging by how his blue eyes flickered in her direction every now and then.

But then, little did she know that she was the only person lucky enough to see his sweet side. The rest of the people who encountered him would disagree with the fact wholeheartedly. Jonathan Crane and sweet were otherwise two opposites that couldn't be used in a single sentence.

However, he had always made an exception for Charlize. Something about her tempted him to do so.

He showed her around the asylum, from the interrogation cells to the newly designed therapy rooms. Many spaces were still under construction, but it seemed he had extensively considered every facility he wanted to add within the setup.

Their tour had almost ended when Charlize realized he hadn't shown her the basement.

"Jonathan, if I recall correctly, Arkham also had a basement," she remarked, "How are you going to repurpose it?"

He paused, a wave of unease gripping him, "The basement?"

"Yes. It's ideal for a laboratory, don't you think? As a psychiatrist, especially one with your caliber, I would assume you would want a laboratory at hand," she remarked, her eyes resting on the lift button marked B for basement.

But he made no move to press that button. Instead, he turned to face her and asked, "Charlize, pray tell, are you a mind reader?"

She paused at the abrupt question, "Wait, what?"

His blue eyes shifted in slight unease, but he masked it with a smile. "That's exactly what I thought about the basement. I am building a lab down there, but it's very messy at the moment, and construction is ongoing. Now, I don't think you'd like going down into debris and ash, would you?"

She shook her head, "No, that's fine. I was just curious."

"I'll show you around once it's built," he remarked, offering her his arm, "Let's head up, shall we?"

She didn't think much of why he hadn't let her go down to the basement as she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow as the lift propelled them to the upper levels.

However, he had given that construction story simply as an excuse. The laboratory had long been built and was functional but he did not want to expose what he was currently researching on.

He knew Charlize had a quick mind, and she would very easily connect his current projects involving hallucinogens with his past interest in fear stimuli, which could put him in a compromising situation with her.

So, the less she knew about Arkham's basement, the better.

***

The Board of Directors refused to fund Arkham's renovation project, much to Jonathan's frustration.

He was more irritated that they only sent a vague letter by post stating they were sorry, but the funds could not be arranged. As a result, he was seething internally, but he couldn't afford to let his anger show.

He wanted to tear that wretched piece of paper to shreds, his foot colliding with the desk in frustration. Finally, he set fire to that letter, putting the flames out and throwing the ash in the dustbin.

Hands clutching at the edge of his desk, he hung his head, thinking about what he could do next.

He could see that the only way left was to turn to that option he had kept as a last resort, and it bothered him to his wit's end. But he couldn't leave all that work going on in Arkham in the middle. He had to prove a point and show those lazy directors that he could manage it all alone, even without their help.

Taking a deep breath to recollect his thoughts, he picked up a paper from the scanner that he had drafted in case he had to take emergency measures. Then, he packed his briefcase and checked that nothing was out of place.

The Board's refusal pushed him to the last resort, and they would be responsible for the consequences, not him. But all those thoughts were empty words as he knew what he was planning required much more from him and would put him directly at risk.

At last, making up his mind, he left his office.

"Mister Hanson," he said as he passed by the reception desk, the stern voice instantly pulling the man out of his budgeting task. "I have to leave on an urgent case. Arkham is in your hands."

"Everything alright, Doctor Crane?" He asked, noticing that instead of calling him by first name as he usually did, he was quite stiff.

"Not exactly. I will be back late. Don't let anyone go to the basement and wind up the construction on the third floor."

Miguel watched him leave and then went back to his tasks. He had seen Jonathan get increasingly stressed with every passing day, but as he left in haste right then, it seemed he had thought how to end all that anguish.

True enough, Jonathan had thought very thoroughly about what he intended to do next.

He was going to meet Carmine Falcone, the most powerful crime lord in Gotham, whom even deadly criminals feared.

Falcone had been singlehandedly controlling the city's black market and drug supply. He had established a strong monopoly in Gotham such that no authority could lay a hand on him or his men.

But with the recently appointed Police Commissioner and his operation against crime, he was under the radar. He needed help, and that was exactly what Jonathan would offer him in return for some investment in Arkham.

It was a shady business, and he knew very well that if he messed up, it would have worse consequences that even he couldn't think of a way out of.

After a thorough inspection, Jonathan was ushered into the nightclub operated by Falcone's gang. He stood stiff in irritation as he watched them check his suitcase for assurance that he hadn't brought any weapons along. Then, after the security team was satisfied, they escorted him in.

It didn't take him long to spot the crime lord sitting on his throne, two armed bodyguards on each side.

Coward, whispered a voice in his head, but he kept his expression neutral.

"Doctor Crane? To what do I owe the pleasure?" The man gestured to him to take a seat, dismissing the guards who had escorted him in.

"I have come forth with a proposition." He stated calmly, observing each expression on the older man's face. "I have heard some of your men will be tried in the city court soon. Namely Victor Zsasz and his accomplices."

"They are not my men. At least not anymore."

The reply was guarded, a silent warning for Crane to back off. But he was in no mood to give up easily.

"Mister Falcone, it will be near impossible to remove your connection to Zsasz, even if you have most of the investigating officers on your payroll. The methods of interrogation have long improved since the usual third degree. No matter how loyal your men may be," Jonathan suggested calmly, "Lie detectors and the like make it much easier to spill. If I were you, I would have taken a different approach."

"But the truth is that you are not me. I instill fear in the hearts of every man and woman living in this city. You, on the other hand, are just a loony in charge of the nut house."

Jonathan stayed calm, a derisive smile creasing his features. He had interlaced his fingers and leaned closer as if what Falcone said was highly amusing to him, but the flicker in his eyes betrayed the indignation within.

He did not instill fear in people, at least not yet, but the time wasn't far when the crime lord would have to chew back his own words.

"If your men are proclaimed insane and in need of medical attention, it will save you the millions worth of bribes you are already feeding to the authorities," he remarked, then added in a saccharine tone, "But of course, I am not you, Sir. You would know better."

Falcone paused as if what he had said held merit, "Proclaimed insane, as in?"

"A danger to the society but more so themselves, a constant victim of psychosis, probably a convict on suicide watch. The possibilities are endless. However, you don't seem interested, so I must take my leave."

He picked up his suitcase and was about to leave, but the crime lord stopped him. "Settle down, Doctor. You have wasted enough of my time already, and it better be with good reason. Tell me, how would you get me out of this Zsasz situation?"

Jonathan concealed a slight smile, knowing the ball was in his court. "Simple. You can ask Zsasz's lawyer to request a psychological evaluation upon the next court hearing. The rest depends on me."

As Arkham was the only institution dealing with mental health at a federal level in Gotham, it was understood that Jonathan would be directly involved in any legal matters. That gave him immense power to decide the fates of those convicted, and Carmine Falcone was also beginning to realize that.

"And what would you need in return?"

"Just a little goodwill towards the nut house, as you so eloquently stated," he minced his words, but the smile on his face didn't waver.

"Goodwill?"

He elaborated, "Financial investment. After all, we will be housing your men and ensuring their safe lodgings for as long as the trial commences and afterward as well, if need be."

Falcone considered his words, thinking about the situation thoroughly, "What guarantee do I have that you will not turn your back on me at the last minute?"

He held his gaze steadily, not flinching in the face of the man who was a terror and the greatest threat in the city of crime. "You have my word, Mister Falcone, that I will see this through to the end. My reputation and the future of Arkham depend on it."

He stroked his chin, contemplating Jonathan's proposal thoroughly. If he agreed, the procedure would be legal, and his associates would not have to be carted off to Blackgate Prison. Arkham was already a rundown place and out of most legal bindings. It would be easier for his men to escape from there than from Blackgate.

Falcone studied him for a long moment, weighing the risks and benefits. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Very well, Doctor Crane. You've piqued my interest. What investment do you have in mind?"

"I'm currently conducting a renovation project in Arkham. It is in the final stages but I need a substantial amount to take it to completion."

He passed him a written agreement that he had drafted in his office before approaching the crime lord.

"You will find all the necessary details in black and white. Despite the nature of our deal, I prefer keeping it as legible as possible."

Falcone's eyes skimmed over the text, and then he whispered something to the guard on his right, who disappeared, returning shortly with a lanky young man in glasses.

Jonathan knew that man was his lawyer. He watched him take the document with extreme caution, placing it in his folder.

"You will hear from me soon, Doctor," Falcone remarked, dismissing the lawyer. "But remember, if you try to double-cross me, there will be consequences."

"You have full right to exercise legal action against me in that case, hence the written contract," Jonathan added smoothly, eyes flickering to the lawyer who had retreated into the shadows before fastening with Falcone's in an unwavering glance. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Very well then. You've made a compelling case. We have a deal."

At that moment, Jonathan Crane allowed himself a small, triumphant smile. "Excellent. I'm sure we'll both find this arrangement to be mutually beneficial."

***

So, finally, Jonathan is knee-deep in Gotham's shady side.

I needed a reason to tie him up with Falcone, through whom he would become further involved in the climax of Batman Begins.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. The next part will be up soon!

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