Croc (Fanfic):
Chapter one, Out Of The Cage:
An enraged reptilian emerges from the sewers of Arkham Aslyum, having made his way through a large crack in the wall. A crack he was not responsible for. The scales of the beast glistened in the only light that had remained intact after the assault on Arkham, a single, broken, dim flicker. The rest of the room was just as decrepit, the reception of Arkham Asylum. Not a pretty sight on a normal day, much less the day The Joker escaped, for the last time...
After yet another flawless escape by the infamous clown prince of crime, The Joker had taken nearly half of the asylum with him. He found it so easy; so funny. After all, The Joker never stayed in Arkham for longer than a week. This time, however, he'd left a path of destruction that had unleashed a wave of Gothams criminals into the streets, and the asylum security was all but demolished.
Mostly, only feeble crooks had escaped from the more lowly part of the Asylum, but Croc was different. He'd been down there for years now, thanks to the caped crusader. Rotting away, starving, treat like an animal - he decided, if he was to be treat like one, he might as well become one. Then again, Croc was as close to an animal as can be. His scaly flesh was solidified by his inhuman muscles. His musky green figure was indeed harder than rock, and could withstand almost any shot. Surrounding his split and pointed tongue were razor sharp teeth, a contrast of yellow, and crimson.
He was patient, but as time went by, his anger grew, and grew. When his gloomy and dark surroundings collapsed around him, he thought not of escaping, or freedom. He thought of vengeance, he craved vengeance. The Bat had done this to him. The bat was not the only one to blame. He had allies. Croc would feast on their flesh, break apart their bones, one by one, until finally, he had /him/ alone, he had his scent. He'd find him. Eventually.
And so he crawled his way out of the shattered sewer structures, occasionally having to bulldoze through debris to find a way through. The inner workings of the Asylum were like a maze, and hidden pathways were found almost weekly by escapees, and Crocs superior sense of smell made finding the surface all that easier.
He found himself in the reception of what had been his home for far too long. Anyone could tell, this was the work of The Joker. Bodies were laid in different poses in the area, spray paint was scattered on the madhouse walls, and no limp body showed any sign of life. On a selection victims, a trademark grin was carved into the face of the corpses. Croc was clearly none too phased by his surroundings. He was however, hungry... So very hungry. Without hesitation he grabbed the first body he saw, tore off its arm and began his feast. Blood dripped down his jaw as he spat out the grizzly remains and bones of the arm. He would have had more, but the cops would no doubt be along shortly, and he needed out. Besides, there would be much better, much, fresher meals once he'd made it back into the heart of Gotham. He kicked down the broken Electric doors and made his way out, a loud, angry growl escaping his throat.
He was free, the vengeful reptilian was loose at last. After figuring the best way off the island, well, best for him, he stomps to a cliffs edge, taking a quick run up before jumping. For his size, he was remarkably fast and agile, and landed a perfect dive into the water with a thunderous crash. From there, he was out of sight, the murky water disguising the predator as he swam with haste back to Gotham with ease. An hour or so had passed before Croc Re-emerges, crawling onto the rocky shore of Gotham, he was drenched, cold and starving. But that only made him all the more dangerous. The animal was out of his cage, and he was as dangerous as ever...