Still Defiant! SI-OC [Marvel/DC] ENG

12: Fly Me to the Moon

12: Fly Me to the Moon

March 1, 2007

"Time to eat!" The words took a young woman, who couldn't have been more than 25 years old, by surprise, pulling her out of her concentration as she glanced up from the papers in her hands towards the door of her new office.

There her colleague, a woman in her 40s, looked at her with a friendly smile while waving a lunch bag.

The young doctor checked the clock on her desk; she had become so absorbed in her work that she had forgotten about lunchtime.

She quickly stood up, stashed the papers in a drawer, and grabbed her bag.

Soon the two women arrived at the area where most of the staff had their lunches.

Sitting at a table with a beautiful view of the sea, the 40-year-old woman continued talking.

"There will be some new transfers this month"

"New transfers?" That was unexpected. She hadn't heard anything about that, although she supposed it was normal; she hadn't been at Rykers for long.

On the other hand, the woman in front of her, named Isabella, was one of the most established psychologists and therapists on the island. She wasn't the oldest, but she had certainly gained some renown among the staff and was one of the few people authorized to work with Rykers' most dangerous inmates.

Since arriving at Rykers and meeting her, it was clear that her knowledge and contacts within the facility were extensive. She also seemed quite enthusiastic about sharing information with people she liked, and fortunately for her, she seemed to have taken a liking to her.

Isabella seemed somewhat pleased and continued talking as she unpacked her lunch.

"Do you know about that old asylum in Gotham?" The mention of Gotham made her pause for a second—her old home, the place where she grew up and never wanted to return to.

She nodded, with some discomfort perfectly concealed.

"I heard it's going to be demolished, something about irreparable structural damage" It was hard not to hear about the news, even if she hated it; home was always home, and knowing what was happening there was something she couldn't avoid.

"Exactly, it seems the city government decided it was time to get rid of it. I suppose it's natural; the crime rate in Gotham has never been lower, there haven't been any major criminals born there in some time, and there really isn't any reason to maintain a place like that now" It was easy to connect the dots.

"So, are the transfers going to be from that place? Are they sending us the inmates here?" Isabella nodded, and the smile on her face visibly faded.

"It seems they'll be our problem now..." Her concern was evident, though she couldn't quite understand it all.

Of course, prisoners previously confined in an asylum could be somewhat troublesome, but Rykers was not lacking in such individuals; that's why Isabella and she were there.

Noticing her bewilderment, Isabella could only give a bitter smile.

"You youngsters really do forget the past, huh... but I don't blame you. Nobody wants to remember those times" Isabella drifted off for a moment, gazing at the horizon before continuing to speak.

"Listen, Harleen, you're young, so you probably don't know, but Gotham was a horrible place. I'm not just talking about gangs or common criminals. A long time ago, madness literally ran through its streets. Arkham Asylum was the place where all that rot and darkness, where the true monsters, were dragged to never see the light of day again and rot there" Her words were solemn, and Harleen couldn't refute them even if she wanted to.