In the Mind of Madness

She regained consciousness shivering.

It was so cold it hurt. Kenna whimpered and tried moving her feet to get them away from the smooth arctic surface they were resting on. They only slid around uselessly. When she attempted to move her hands as well Kenna gasped in pain. Her wrists were trapped in something very hard that bit into her flesh. In fact she was hanging from it.

Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light around her. When it became clear to Kenna she was inside a large freezer filled with food her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. It was indeed very big and she couldn’t see the door. Then she looked down to see why her feet were so unbearably cold. A yelp came out of her throat upon seeing she was stripped down to her light brown bra and dark green underwear. Goosebumps were permanently raised on her pale skin.

The beating of her heart grew stronger as Kenna turned her head up. Her arms were straight up above her head and her wrists were in shackles attached by a chain to the ceiling. Since she had been knocked out all her weight had been bearing down on them which was the source of the pain, so Kenna planted her frozen feet on the floor and stood. She winced at how cold she was as well as the pain.

A hiss went through her teeth and her eyes shut when her head throbbed. She knew without being able to touch it that there was a lump on the side of her skull. Maybe two lumps, actually. And it hurt. Kenna looked up again now that her wrists were relieved, though the muscles in her arms were sore from the position and she couldn’t do anything to help that. There were bright red lines on the inside of both her wrists that were already swollen, and one of them had released a small drop of blood that had dried before it reached the crease of her elbow.

Kenna was beginning to think that the pain was better than the cold. She had never been so cold. The way her feet ached made her think about frostbite and she started to panic a little. An experimental yank on the chain above her only hurt her arms and told her it was very strong. Kenna’s bottom lip trembled and she caught it in her teeth.

Would they leave her to freeze to death?

She tried to remember what she knew about hypothermia. Normal body temperature was ninety-eight point six and mild hypothermia could set in at ninety-five. By ninety-one she would be confused and possibly developing amnesia. At eight-two she would lose consciousness. Seventy and she would die.

But that would take time. Frostbite could already be setting in. Kenna pursed her lips so she wouldn’t cry out of fear and pain, taking hold of the chain with her hands to help her balance as she used one foot to try and rub some warmth back into the other.

Somewhere around the corner a door opened. Kenna froze and stared ahead. She wanted desperately to cover herself but that wasn’t an option. She stood shivering and half-naked with determination in her expression as a man in a gray suit came from the part of the freezer she couldn’t see.

He had a very square jaw, glasses, and black hair slicked to his head. In his hand was a briefcase, which made Kenna’s taught muscles constrict even more. The calm way he smiled at her made her think there couldn’t be anything good in that case.

“Hello, Dr. Archer.” said the man as he set his briefcase down on an empty metal table beside a shelf of jarred ingredients. His eyes moved to her and she refused to look away even when he inspected her uncovered body briefly. “Are you comfortable?”

Kenna gritted her teeth in lieu of a response and watched him closely. The man clasped his hands behind his back and walked leisurely over to stand in front of Kenna. He was just an inch or so taller than her and she met his eyes boldly. The look in his own eyes was deadly tranquil and Kenna felt that he was going to harm her. Probably very badly.

“You remind me of your father.” The man spoke in his soft voice and Kenna tried to keep the surprise on her face hidden. “I didn’t know him for very long, just a few months. I was fresh out of medical school when I came to Arkham…He was almost like a mentor to me before he died…It’s a pity my time at Arkham was done before you came along.”

After being so close to his face Kenna realized she had seen him somewhere. In the newspapers? Yes, and on the news. Her eyebrows shot up and she forgot to keep herself composed. “Crane.”

“Yes.” A little smile twitched up the corner of his large mouth. “It’s good to know they still talk about me.”

She could remember the stories of what he’d done. Using a drug that turned people into psychos to poison the water supply of Gotham. Did he have the drug in the briefcase? Why was he working for O’Dwyer? Dread slipped into her eyes and Crane’s smile grew.

“I’ve wanted to treat you for a long time now, doctor.” Crane put his back to Kenna and moved slowly for another part of the freezer she couldn’t see. She didn’t like that at all. “Because what normal mind could survive months with a man like The Joker? You must be…well, you must be crazy…hm, doctor?”

Kenna shifted while he was gone, trying to find a way to be more comfortable. It was impossible so she let out a huff and tried not to shudder too hard. A sound reached her from whatever Crane was doing. Running water? Kenna collected herself and stood still again when he came back. In his hand was a glass of water.

“Before I get to the really good stuff I have to ask you a few questions.” Crane sighed as he came to stand before Kenna again, this time closer. “Tedious questions really, but I am getting paid to ask them.”

The sound of her breathless scream echoed in the freezer when Crane splashed half of the water he held onto Kenna’s front. The water itself was cold and in the already glacial room it felt like multiple knifes sliding along her skin. Kenna convulsed as the water dripped down her chest and stomach leaving a stinging trail behind it. Crane made a thoughtful noise as she glared at him despite how hard she was still shaking.

“They made it clear I can do whatever I deem necessary to get the information they want…but I guess I didn’t need to do that, did I?”

Kenna took a slow breath in through her nose to respond, her teeth chattering. “You’re out of your m-mind. Driven insane by your o-own drug.”

“I’m happy to see you’re familiar with my work.” Crane smiled at her again. He raised the glass up above Kenna’s head and watched her flinch in the suspense. “Let us just say that this is me making sure you know what will happen if you don’t cooperate…because it will be much worse than this.”

This time when the icy liquid hit her skin Kenna clenched her jaw shut and only made a few grunts of pain. She tilted her head back so the water wouldn’t drip into her eyes, but she could feel it trickling down her neck and back. Could it freeze on her skin? It felt like it was but maybe that was just how cold she was. Her body kept trembling wildly as Crane set the glass next to the case he’d brought in and rubbed his hands together.

“What banks are under The Joker’s control?”

That wasn’t really the question Kenna had been expecting, but also she had no idea what knowledge she could possess that would be helpful. And what did she care about throwing The Joker under the bus? She didn’t want to give Crane what he wanted after what he had just done to her, but on the flip side she definitely didn’t want him to do it again.

“I d-don’t know which ones, but he h-has four.”

Crane looked over at her curiously. “You’re very willing to volunteer what you know. If that is all you know.”

“It is.” Kenna tried to set him on fire with the hate in her frown but it didn’t work. “B-but you’re barking up the wrong t-tree, Crane. He hardly t-tells me anything.”

He nodded and opened the case. The only thing inside was what appeared to be a shabby brown bag. “Mr. O’Dwyer gathered as much from his son. The boy has done his best to make this easier on you…but I don’t know if he really did that by telling us you aren’t good for very much.”

Kenna let her head fall forward so her chin could rest on her damp collar bone. Hopefully Brawley wouldn’t feel responsible when they killed her. Maybe he wouldn’t even know. That would be best. Kenna wasn’t sure how she felt about it. There had been a few times she had found herself close to death while in The Joker’s clutches but rarely did she think The Joker had plans to murder her. Not immediate plans anyway.

This time she was pretty confident they would dispose of her.

Even knowing that death was probably near Kenna didn’t feel too concerned yet. All she could seem to think about was the incredible twinge in her feet and the lingering pain from the water. She could feel her wet hair clinging to her back and noticed for the first time that they took out the ponytail she had in before. A little whine made its way out as she tried warming up her feet again.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are your feet cold?” Crane fixed her with a look of mock concern. “I can fix that.”

Not knowing what that would entail, Kenna stiffened when Crane approached her again. When he went behind her she tried swinging back to kick him. “Don’t touch m-me!”

“Calm down now, Dr. Archer. I’ll get you off this chilly old floor and then I only have a couple more questions before I let you go.”

Kenna’s eyes widened. “Let me go?”

“That is quite right.”

With that there was the loud sound of metal scraping on metal and a grunt of exertion from Crane. The noise was quickly followed by a cry of pain from Kenna as she was lifted at least seven inches off the floor. After she woke up the soreness in her arms had faded, but it returned tenfold now that she was completely dangling by her wrists. The thick cuffs bit mercilessly into her flesh.

“Now you don’t have to worry about your toes touching the ground.” Crane narrowed his eyes as he watched Kenna thrash before holding still in attempt to ease the pain in her hands. “You know…I admit I couldn’t imagine what all the fuss is about. Why the clown bothers to try and keep you all to himself…but I can see it now. You are not done any kind of justice by the media, doctor.”

Her response was a mordant look laced with discomfort. “S-so I’ve heard, doctor. It could also have something t-to do with the fact that I’m half-naked, though.”

“No, I don’t mean that.” Crane shook his head as he fiddled with the brown bag, smirking. “Though you aren’t bad to look at. I’m referring to your fortitude. I wonder what it takes to really make you squeal…It’s a good thing I’m an expert at finding out things like that.”

Kenna swallowed roughly, thinking that it wasn’t really a good thing for her. She paid close attention as Crane lifted the sack and moved it towards his face. He stopped when the sound of the door opening and shutting again invaded the tense silence.

“Crane.” a male voice spoke from the area past Kenna’s field of vision. “C’mere.”

Putting down the bag angrily, Crane sighed and went towards the voice. Kenna listened to what they were saying intently. “What is it?”

“The Boss wants a word wit ‘er ‘for ya do the video.”

What video? Crane shushed the man. “Fine. He should have told me earlier.”

“’e changed ‘is mind.” The man who’d come in seemed impatient with Crane. “So go outside an’ wait.”

There were a few more grumbles between the men that Kenna didn’t catch, but she heard two pairs of footsteps leave. It was unnervingly silent again. Kenna looked up at her aching wrists and tried not to snivel. Letting them know that they were getting to her wouldn’t help. She would die with dignity. Even though now that her entire body was hanging from the shackles again the cuffs bit into her flesh harder than before and another droplet of blood made its way down her arm.

Kenna focused on anything in the room so she wouldn’t think about her mother. Or about Bruce. It was hard. The last thing she wanted to be doing when O’Dwyer came in was crying her eyes out. Luckily she didn’t have time to dwell on it enough to get very upset before the door opened again. Slower, heavier footsteps than the others approached her and Kenna’s heart rate climbed.

O’Dwyer was just as large and threatening as she remembered. He looked bigger even though she was strung up. Kenna set her jaw in defiance and made eye contact with the Irishman as he advanced on her. He wore an expensive-looking black suit over a white dress shirt with no tie, the jacket open around his thick abdomen. His hands were in his pockets casually as he scrutinized Kenna with palpable interest.

“I think I understand why tha’ prick keeps ya around now.”

Kenna was getting a little sick of the lewd ogling and comments. She was beginning to wonder if they had stripped her so she would be colder or just to have a chance to stare. At lease she wasn’t naked. When she didn’t say anything O’Dwyer smirked.

“Ya seem tense, girl. I thought ya’d feel right at home bein’ tortured.”

The doctor sneered. “You’re wasting your time. I don’t know a-anything.”

“It is cold in ‘ere isn’t it?” the mob boss mused with mock curiosity. “I’d imagine as a doctor ya know just how long ya can stay this way before it starts to really do some damage…Not a whole lot longer, hm?”

“All of this is pointless. I’m not holding anything back so you might as well kill me and get it over with.” Kenna was aggressively holding her jaw together so she wouldn’t cry out from the pain in her wrists. It in combination with the chill almost had her desperate and she decided that this was a very effective method of torture indeed.

O’Dwyer raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh, I ain’t gonna kill ya, girl.”

“You…aren’t?”

The Irishman shook his head and looked up at her injured arms. “I had to make a deal with my son or I’d never ‘ave any peace…No, I have other plans for ya.”

That didn’t sound a whole lot better. Kenna didn’t like the slight upward slant at the corner of his mouth. Poor Brawley had tried to help her but it was useless. She wished for the first time that The Joker had told her some of his plans so she could feed it to O’Dwyer and get free. Then again, they probably wouldn’t have let her go anyway.

“Well, I confess I don’t ‘ave a lot to say to ya. S’pose I wanted tuh give it one last try before I let Crane ‘ave his fun. Didn’t figure ya had anythin’ to say.”

Kenna let out a bleat of frustration. “Then why bother kidnapping me if you’re not going to kill me? Which is kind of a dumb move anyway since The Joker doesn’t care what happens to me.”

O’Dwyer started to leave the freezer, chuckling darkly to himself. “I think you’ll be surprised, doctor…There’re lots of ways to punish a man.”

With that he was gone. Kenna stared after him nervously until Crane came back. This time he brought a camera on a tripod and set it up a few feet in front of Kenna. He held up his mask with a tranquil smile but a hectic glint in his eye.

“Shall we make a movie, then?”