Descent

Chapter 1

Dark, dangerous, foreboding. Arkham Asylum's appearance mirrored that of its patient's reputations. To the outside world it was sinister, but to Dr. Harleen Quinzel it was her life's passion, the place she went to care for those that society had cast aside. The one place she could make a difference.

As Dr. Quinzel got out of her car the sky opened up and a heavy downpour began. Just another gloomy day in Gotham City, she thought to herself. Sighing, she opened the purple umbrella and rushed from her car into the asylum. Hoping she wouldn't get wet and have to spend the day in soggy clothes.

She wasn't even two steps into the main hall, when the bane of her existence appeared out of nowhere.

"Dr. Quinzel, Dr. Arkham wants to see you." Briggs Chandler snapped.

Harleen rolled her eyes. There was no one she despised in the Asylum more than Briggs. After turning down his advances for six months one would think he would give up already. But it was the exact opposite.

Most days the guard was easy to avoid, she would just sneak in when he was making his rounds. Today though, the traffic had been heavy and she had arrived later than she normally did.

She made her way to the elevator and pushed the button, the doors sliding open. She knew he wouldn't miss the chance to ride up with her. As the door slid closed Briggs stood as close to her as possible, his stale body odor making her want to throw up.

As always when they were alone together, he began to touch her hair. Right on cue he opened his mouth and began his seduction. Though Harleen wanted to tell him, he couldn't seduce her if he was thirty years younger and not forty pounds overweight.

"You know...I've always wondered what you would taste like."

Turning, Harleen gives him the sweetest smile she could muster and ran her fingers up and down the middle of his chest. "And what did you come up with in all those hours of contemplation?"

Briggs took a deep inhale of her shampoo, "Like sugar."

Harleen drove the heel of her palm into his solar plexus. Briggs dropped to his knees with a grunt.

She towered over him, "Too bad your momma never told you sweets can be bad for you."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. It was a shame because she would have liked to kick the old vulture in his balls. Harleen stepped out into the darkly lit hallway of the asylum's top floor, a smile painting her pink lips. One asshat down, one to go, she thought to herself.

She didn't even look back as she made her way to Dr. Arkham's office. All the while Harleen wondered what he could want with her first thing on a Monday morning. With Dr. Arkham one never knew what to expect, he was as unpredictable as the inmates they housed.

Raising her hand Harleen knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Stealing herself for whatever nonsense her boss was going to hand her, Harleen pushed the door open. She glanced around the office and wondered to herself how he could spend all of his time in such a dismal setting. Harleen thought maybe the doctor had head issues. God only knew with her upbringing she had enough of her own.

Dr. Arkham looked up from the files before him, giving the young woman the once over. "Good morning, Dr. Quinzel. Please take a seat." He gestured to the seat before his desk.

Wonderful, Harleen thought, the hot seat.

It was rumored that this is where he made employees sit when he was getting ready to sack them. In the six months she had been here she had seen many doctors and nurses come and go.