(Harley) Harley Quinzel walked into Arkham Asylum with Mason.

It was the end of the workday, and Mason could see many employees rushing to leave, their expressions revealing their desire to escape from hell.

The frantic state of these employees made Mason once again feel the indescribable "aura" of Arkham.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Crane!"

As they walked into the second-floor office, Harley greeted a middle-aged doctor who was clocking out.

The doctor looked up and smiled politely with his elegant business glasses. He noticed Mason standing behind Harley.

This confused Dr. Crane, who had been working at Arkham Asylum for several years. He pushed his glasses and asked in a magnetic voice, "Harley, who is this?"

"He's my cousin," Harley calmly replied, "He wanted to see where I work and keep me company during my night shift. You know, tonight I'm the only attending physician on duty due to the schedule."

"Oh, I see," Dr. Crane said with a hint of strangeness in his eyes as he looked at Mason's clearly Asian complexion and then at Harley, whose skin was as fair as a swan. However, he accepted this terrible lie.

He pushed his glasses and said softly, "It seems a bit against the hospital's regulations, but it's alright. A young and beautiful lady like you always needs someone to protect you, especially in a place like Arkham. Have a pleasant night shift, Harley. I'll bring you coffee tomorrow. But remember, the office has surveillance, so if you want to have a private conversation, go outside."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. Your coffee always heals my tired heart," Harley joked, watching Dr. Crane leave with his black briefcase. When she pushed open the office door, she found Mason still standing outside, looking at Dr. Crane's departure with a thoughtful expression.

"What's wrong?" Harley asked, adjusting her golden hair while putting on her doctor's white coat.

"Nothing, just thinking that Dr. Crane is very gentlemanly and charming. He has an air of superiority that doesn't make people dislike him, especially when he's not wearing a mask," Mason shrugged.

"Mask? What mask?" Harley asked, curious, as she changed into her doctor's white coat and tied up her hair.

"You haven't seen it. Of course, it's best not to expect to see it," Mason didn't say much on this issue.

As Mason entered Harley's office, he noticed a special fragrance in the not-so-large office, similar to the incense used during meditation.

"What's that fragrance?" the young man asked.

"Oh, it's a fragrant spray that Dr. Crane gave me. He found it during his trip abroad, and every office has it," Harley answered while preparing the materials she needed for the night shift. "It smells good, doesn't it? Before I started using your vitality potions, this soothing fragrance helped me endure the pressure."

Mason didn't reply. He frowned and looked at the pop-up message on the card in front of him:

"Harmful gas detected. Alchemical analysis indicates 'trace hallucinogen.' This substance can subtly alter the mental state of long-term inhalers, making them more prone to fainting, stupefaction, or being charmed."

"Scarecrow's hallucinogen, maybe combined with Joker's toxin, along with the pressure brought by other patients in Arkham. It's not something that an ordinary person dares to handle with so many powerful villains serving only one person. No wonder Harley Quinn was born in this place," Mason thought to himself. He opened the window to let the smell in the office dissipate a bit.

Turning to Harley, who seemed to be in a good mood, he said, "Take me to the place where you usually talk to the patients. If Zhou Kuo'er wants to hypnotize you with medication, it must be when you have individual contact with him."

Hearing the name "Mr. J," Harley bit her lip. After realizing that she had been subjected to malicious hypnosis, the female doctor became resistant to anything related to the madman. But she was starting to trust Mason.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she stood up and handed Mason a white coat, indicating that he should put it on. The two walked towards the specialized psychotherapy room in Arkham Asylum. Although it had a notorious reputation and the main building was an over 130-year-old old building, the continuous donations from Wayne Enterprises and other organizations ensured that the facilities in the asylum were not lacking.

Each doctor had their own treatment room, and there was even a recreational room filled with snacks.

However, these generous treatments still couldn't retain the doctors. The turnover rate in this asylum was astonishing, and only a few doctors, like Dr. Crane, had worked here for more than three years.

According to the "gossip" that Harley shared on the way, several unlucky doctors who were too responsible or too immersed in their roles didn't even have time to submit their resignation letters and became long-term patients in the asylum themselves.

That damn joke became a reality in Arkham.

The patients weren't cured, and the doctors went insane.

"Here we are," Harley took a deep breath and pushed open the door to her dedicated treatment room.

As Mason walked in, he didn't smell anything strange, and the room was clean.

Like a detective, he carefully observed every decoration in the room. Harley, who was slightly worried, watched him. Mason quickly noticed a small Joker doll on the table.

He cautiously put on medical gloves and picked up the doll. After kneading it for a moment, he looked up at Harley, who was standing at the door.

A small folding knife flicked out of Mason's hand and stabbed into the seams of the doll. He reached in and felt around, retrieving a very small bottle.

"I guess this was also given to you by Zhou Kuo'er, as some kind of 'proof of friendship' between patient and doctor," Mason said, throwing the ragged Joker doll into the trash can and holding the tiny bottle between his fingers. He looked up and casually said, "Harley, this bottle is almost empty. It's labeled as Joker's Neurotoxin (diluted)."

"Quality: Epic Alchemical Creation (Toxin) · Supreme Craftsmanship."

"Effect: The carefully formulated toxin by Joker, when used in large quantities as a gas, can cause excessive inhalation and death within a short period of time, leaving behind the iconic smiley face."

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"When used in small amounts, it can disrupt the target's brain, putting their mental state and thought patterns into an uncontrollable realm."

"Even when diluted, Joker's toxin still possesses a strong hallucinogenic effect. Zhou Kuo'er often uses it in combination with crazy mental guidance to create loyal followers or playthings for himself."

"Creator: Zhou Kuo'er."

"Item Description: The next victim of this thing should be 'Harley Quinn,' number 17."

"Tip: In the formula analysis, the estimated completion time is 77 hours."

"A nice unexpected find," Mason showed an interested smile, put the Joker toxin in his hidden waist bag, took off the medical gloves, and pulled the dazed Harley Quinzel up.

"I don't know how medical students like you were taught, but personally, I might be interested in the fantastical world seen through the eyes of mentally ill patients, but I would never try to think like them. Only those of the same kind can understand each other, and yet you want to understand Zhou Kuo'er in order to treat him? What a crazy idea," Mason shook his head and said to the female doctor, "Let's stop here for tonight. I suddenly realized that I may not be ready to meet Zhou Kuo'er yet, and I don't want to anger Batman because of a madman. We should leave."

"You look terrible now. Maybe you need a little joy or a drink? I happen to know a good bar," Mason suggested.

"I want to confront him! I want to expose his tricks!" Harley held Mason's hand tightly and pleaded in a low voice, "Will you accompany me? Stand outside and give me courage. I don't dare to go alone."

"If it's just for courage, why not?" Mason didn't refuse this request.

He gallantly supported the trembling Harley Quinzel and took the elevator to the lowest level of Arkham Asylum.

This area was filled with single rooms for "VIP clients."

Any of them could become a super villain in other cities, but in Gotham, they could only obediently stay in their cells like stamps collected by the Bat.

Only by witnessing this magnificent "collection" could one truly understand the terrifying power of Batman in this city. And now, at this moment before the night arrived, it seemed quiet here, far from the busiest time of the day.

It was said that one could develop "super hearing" in Arkham. The inmates here always liked to cause chaos in the middle of the night.

Standing in front of the room labeled "JOKER," Harley took a deep breath. She glanced at Mason, who was standing in the shadows beside her, and he encouraged her with a gesture.

The female doctor gathered her courage and pounded on the door with her fist. Then, a somewhat funny but vigorous voice came from inside:

"Who? Who's so rude? Can't you even knock properly?"

"It's me! Harley Quinzel!" Harley shouted.

Zhou Kuo'er's voice became cheerful. He elongated his voice and said, "Oh, look who's here! My former little darling, Quin! Are you here to visit your sweetheart?"

But his voice instantly turned malicious, "Get lost! You're not my little darling anymore, you witch! Ever since you tried to treat me with that damn potion, my goodness, how can there be such a malicious person in this world? Don't you allow me to enjoy my chaotic but pure moments of happiness? Get lost!"

"No! Zhou Kuo'er! I dumped you! You son of a beach!" Angry Harley pounded on the iron door and shouted, "I won't be hypnotized by your tricks anymore, you madman! You hate drugs that keep you sane, right? Well, good! From now on, I'll bring them to 'greet' you every day until the day I cure you!"

"Hey, hey, hey, look at this third-rate doctor. You're so unprofessional. Who yells at a patient like that? I should complain about you to Dr. Crane," Zhou Kuo'er didn't feel embarrassed but rather happy.

But then he changed his tone and said, "It seems like some busybody is trying to snatch my lovely Harley's soul and personality away from me. Who's out there? Speak up! Ha, I thought this game was over, but it seems there's an interesting twist. So, it's some meddlesome person who wants to take away my beloved Harley's mountain to rely on? Do you think you can take her away from my fabricated world? How naive."

The Joker's voice became sharp and malicious. He kicked the iron door frantically and shouted, "Let's continue playing! I will let you witness the birth of the perfect Harley Quinn! Although I will get bored of her and come up with a genius idea to make her disappear in an accident, just like the previous sixteen little darlings who loved me deeply. I hate those bastards who disturb the game. I will kill them... Oh, why should I kill them? How interesting! You're out there, and I can hear the pounding heart of little Harley. Poor girl, she thinks she has found a backer and is no longer afraid of the big bad guy. How innocent. Harley, Harley, my poor Harley, come, tell me, what time is it now?"

The female doctor looked down at her watch but was abruptly pulled by Mason. Then, a silver-gray invisibility cloak enveloped them, and they disappeared into the shadows.

"Hush!" Mason made a gesture for Harley Quinzel, who had a terrified expression. From the Joker's words, he felt a strong sense of unease, not from the Joker himself, but from the outside world!

The thing he had been waiting for was about to happen.

Right now!

The Joker, who didn't receive a response, didn't get discouraged. He leaned against the wall of his cell as if sharing something that made him feel distressed to the person outside the wall.

"Those idiots have been contacting me recently. Even though I killed three of them, they still persist. They keep telling me some crazy prophecy, saying that the end is near. Ha, who cares?

Hmm, they also said they killed Batman. Bullshit! I don't believe it!

No one can kill Batman.

Except me.

Yes.

Only I have that ability.

Run, Harley, and your new master, run! If it's not 7:30 yet, you still have time to escape.

But if you're not lucky..."

"Boom!"

A loud noise interrupted the Joker's words.

Amidst the shaking of the ground, there were intense explosions on the surface of Arkham Asylum, followed by the sound of a rapid-fire weapon and one or two screams.

The trembling Harley Quinzel in Mason's arms was already terrified. She held onto him tightly, not daring to let go, even holding her breath as if afraid of another disaster.

"Well, it seems you're not lucky enough," the voice of Zhou Kuo'er came from the other side of the wall amidst the continuous explosions. He said with a gloating tone, "They've started, a group of people who always speak and act. They have a great sense of timing! I'm starting to admire them."

"Run!"

"You foolish child, run!"

"All the freaks in this palace will be set free. They have made an agreement with those doomsday theorists who want to ignite Gotham. They will become the vanguard army under the doomsday. Except for me.

I've always hated crowded places.

But don't worry about me.

I will wait for my friend, Batman, to come and save me.

Hopefully, we'll have a chance to meet again, Harley. Our story is not over yet, my little sweetheart. You will eventually fall for me, I promise... Ahahahaha!

Hahaha!"

The familiar and iconic insane laughter echoed in the increasingly close explosions, as if it were a signal, awakening the other clients in the V ward on the lowest level of Arkham Asylum.

They cursed and pounded on the iron doors, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the people who had invited them over the past few days, giving them the chance for freedom and the opportunity to fulfill their "ambitions."

In the invisibility cloak, in Harley Quinzel's frightened gaze, Mason, with an expressionless face, picked up the phone that he had opened and dialed three minutes ago. He said to the other side, "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I'm ready immediately," Alfred, the butler, replied in his elegant London accent, remaining calm even at this moment. He briefly asked, "Do you need me to provide support?"

"No need," Mason answered, "I can safely leave. Let Batman not appear yet! He hasn't fully recovered. I'll join you after I leave."

After the communication was hung up, the young man glanced at Harley, who was trembling in his arms.

He showed a helpless smile and said, "Sigh, I had other things to do tonight. But now, let's start our Arkham escape journey."