#tmpotb chapter 10

[gothic-safari-clown]

The Mind’s Power Over the Body

Part Ten

Story summary: They only ever had each other. It had been that way since high school, ever since Elianna transferred to dreary Arlen and took Jonathan under her wing. They go separate ways for college, and when they're reunited at Arkham Asylum professionally, Elianna comes to find that they've both changed during their time separated. Can she look past the promise of danger and stay by Jonathan's side as they slide further and further into the darkness while she grapples to come to terms with the truth about herself? Can she accept what needs to be done in order to hold onto the only person who holds any meaning in her life? This is a very self-indulgent AU that draws from several different canons of the DCU and ignoring others, starting in the Batman Begins Nolanverse. This will follow the plot of the movie, although the timeline has been very slightly tweaked.

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five / Part Six / Part Seven / Part Eight / Part Nine

Word count: 1247

"So he's here today?" Elianna asked Jonathan as they walked up the asylum steps on yet another grey morning in Gotham.

"I got an email last night after you fell asleep," he confirmed. "He's been put on my case list and everything." He stopped his friend with a hand on her arm in an empty part of the lobby before they reached the stairs. "I need to make sure that you're not going to get cold feet," his voice was hushed and intense.

"Not a chance. I want to do it. I want to see it." Jonathan's eyebrows raised slightly at her matched intensity.

"Okay," he nodded slowly. "Then we'll start next week," he said, removing his hand from her arm. El found herself surprised, but she didn't quite know why. She knew that they couldn't start right away, lest they draw suspicion, but still, a whole week of opportunity for Zsasz to escape again and come after her, the thought of which made it hard for El to stay excited about the plan.

"Well, that's fine, but I think I should stay with you until it's taken care of."

"I was thinking the same thing." He agreed as they resumed their way up to the second floor.

"I'll try my best to annoy you as little as possible." She bumped him with her shoulder, and he smiled a little.

"You know, having you around doesn't really bother me that much; I just like to keep you on your toes."

"Please, don't make me laugh." El rolled her eyes lightly. "Let's see if that's still the case next week."

"Don't, please, just take the compliment and leave it at that." The growing exasperation in his voice made her laugh.

"Ohhh, I see now, that was your best try at a compliment." Jonathan sighed heavily and gave her a look, to which she laughed. "Alright, I'm done. See you later." She said as they reached the top of the stairs. "Tell Scarecrow I say to behave until then." She wasn't even sure why she said it, as she didn't typically like to acknowledge the alter; the comment was met with a flash of amusement in his eyes and a genuine smile, not half of one, for a split second, before it was gone again as suddenly as it came.

"Can you give me a heads up before you mention him by name again?" Jonathan rubbed his forehead, looking mildly annoyed. "He's always trying to take over in public, and he really likes it when you talk about him." Oh.

"Yeah, of course, I just didn't realize he was so close under the surface," El explained apologetically, and Jonathan waved his hand as if to say it was alright.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know," he said, suddenly tired. "See you tonight."

"Yeah, see you." El left a kiss on his cheek without thinking, and they split off their separate ways to their respective offices. A sudden arm linked through hers startled El for half a second before she looked and saw Harley.

"So what's going on between you two, huh?" The blonde asked suggestively, to which El laughed.

"Just friends. Good morning, by the way."

"Uh-huh, and whose choice was that?"

"Come on, Harley," El rolled her eyes. "Yes, I love him, but not like that. No." Harley gave her a look that said 'really?' with a raised eyebrow. "Why, you interested? I could put in a good word-" the deflection got the exact reaction that El had hoped for.

"No!" Quinzel smacked the redhead on the arm. "He's not my type, but you're gonna tell me you've never thought about it? I mean, you've got to admit, he's...attractive, isn't he? Stop laughing!" El did her best to stop, but it took a few seconds.

"Sorry, just...you're right, I can't argue with that, but he didn't use to be. But now...it's the eyes, I think, they're very intense."

"Yeah, that's what it is! That and the cheekbones, very sharp." The blonde was clearly fishing for more of a confession.

"I don't know, Harley. We've been friends since high school, you know? To me, he'll never be 'Doctor Crane,' he's just...Jonathan. I think anything from my side is just due to a positive association. We were there for each other right when it started mattering the most. But that doesn't mean that either of us wants anything to happen." Harley let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine, but you'll still have to start fighting off other girls with a stick. I'm not the only one that thinks something is going on between you two, and some'a them are gettin' a little jealous." El laughed.

"I shall defend his honor valiantly; it'd be a first though."

"Not very popular with the cheerleaders?"

"Not even close." El shook her head and couldn't help remembering what had happened to Sherry Squires and Bo Griggs. God, how could I have forgotten? Counting Granny, Jonathan had already had three bodies under his belt before they even graduated high school. She really shouldn't have been surprised by the recent turn of events.

"Ya know, I gymnastics and cheer in high school. I only kept up with the gymnastics, though."

"Maybe that's why he doesn't like you," El teased and poked her new friend's nose.

"He doesn't like anyone. Except for you, I don't see why you wouldn't just give it a shot!" Elianna was starting to get annoyed with the conversation. She just doesn't give up, does she?

"Look, Harls, if you're that concerned with my romantic life, why don't you take up the case? We'd make a hot couple, don't you?"

"Without a doubt, gorgeous," Harley agreed with a grin and a wink. "Maybe I'll kiss ya later though; I gotta go."

"Alright, take care of yourself, babe," El laughed and patted Harley's hand as she withdrew her arm and headed off to wherever she needed to be. Once she was safely out of earshot, El let out a somewhat relieved sigh. If Jonathan could have heard that conversation, he would have been very uncomfortable. Even thinking about him like that felt disrespectful.

The first thing Elianna did once she was safely in her office was to double-check her patients for the day. First on the docket was Mr. Thomas, one of the inmates that Jonathan must have been using for his experiments. She had spoken to him twice before, and neither time had he shown any signs of misconduct in the facility.

Sure enough, their third conversation uncovered nothing of significance, neither about his mental state nor of Jonathan and his toxin. She was quickly learning what Jonathan had known for a long time: that fear was the best leverage. It was how his great-grandmother had kept him under her thumb for so long, and it was how he was keeping these test subjects quiet.

Fascinating.

The rest of the day, and then the week passed in the same way that Mr. Thomas's session did: slowly, nothing of significance. Arkham managed to avoid any trouble for an entire week, and while every passing day without incident from Zsasz (or anyone else for that matter) filled Elianna with relief, she found herself anticipating The Day more and more with every hour that passed, and it was almost driving her crazy. The anticipation did nothing to help the long week.