Author's Note: My first Scarecrow fanfic, which I thought was pretty good. Erm...I'm a FFN newbie, so...O____o Pardon me if I do anything wrong.

Critique wanted.

***

The night was damp, heavy rainfall had just ceased. Gotham had been in a wet season, lately. The professor observed the sky, which was still blanketed by thick black clouds. He wasn't a meteorologist, but it was evident that it was soon to rain again, all the better to make his move now.

He turned out from the alley way and tilted the brim of his hat over his eyes to shadow the mask he wore. The majority of his costume was hidden by the thick brown trench coat he had dug up out of a dumpster a few nights ago. Sure it was ugly and had poor insulation, but it served its purpose: to conceal its wearer. He trudged through the slight puddles on the ground, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. There were very few people on the streets, but there weren't many people on the streets of Gotham at night anyway, but there seemed to be…fewer, than usual; and the minority whom he did cross didn't dare turn their heads, and just kept walking.

First task was already carefully planned out, and set to be executed. Thirty boys set up throughout Gotham, ten of them were wearing Scarecrow costumes, all the others were in civilian garments. Those in the civilian outfits were to leak fear toxin out into the open air; a few weeks ago they infected Gotham's water supply undetected. The others, in the Scarecrow costumes, were to act as diversions all over Gotham, mainly around the area where the fear toxin was being released, to send the Batman go on a wild goose chase; all the while he, the real Scarecrow, would be kidnapping the mayor and his wife.

By the time the Batman would realize the ruse, it would be too late, he, the Scarecrow, would already be atop Gotham City Cathedral, holding the two for ransom; and, if Batman were smart, he'd know enough not to attack him when he's holding the detonation device to the TNT wrapped around the mayor and his wife.

He had just sent in the call for the first set of civilians to release the fear toxin on a small housing district, but a scarecrone was not to be submitted until ten minutes had passed. It was all going smoothly thus far, according to plan, and there was no reason to worry about any of the "civilians" or "Scarecrows" informing the Batman of the plan, either. Oh no, they were motivated…by fear. The mind's power over the body is something incredible, and what the fears of someone can do…well, that's even better. The art of manipulation is something to be respected. You either have it or you don't, and he definitely had it.

* * *

He was nearing the mayor's house now, and the first screams of the night began to drift over the thick, night air. Most people had been sleeping when the civilian crones had hit them, and surely the toxin from the water had already started taking effect. By now, they must have thought it to be a truly horrific dream…but little did they know, their horrific dream was a very real nightmare. He stopped a moment before climbing the fire escape up to the mayor's window. A shiver ran up his spine as the cries of help began to grow over that end of the neighborhood. It wasn't far, in fact, he would probably have to activate the re-breather in his mask if he didn't hurry and kidnap the mayor fast. Oh well, he could enjoy the entire city in writhing agony soon, but right now, he had to get the mayor.

* * *

The Scarecrow peered over the rooftops of the skyscrapers of Gotham partially southwest to the clock tower. Sure, it was large, but it was rather far away, and he was nearsighted. When all this was over, it might be good to install some sort of spectacles for the eyes of his mask, though it'd be problematic, it would still be better than be walking into things occasionally. After giving up looking for the time, he glanced over at the mayor and his wife, tied back-to-back with dynamite wired around them. For caution, he had called back three crones who had gone untouched by the Batman, for some reason. They stood around the two upper-class individuals, holding shotguns to their heads.

He gazed up at the darkened sky; a few drops of rain here and there, but he speculated that the real rain wouldn't start for another two hours or so, just enough time for him to get his ransom money and head out of Gotham for hiding. If he was wrong, however, the rain would affect the dynamite, but that's why he had the crones, so that if the TNT was factored out, he'd still have leverage. It was either that, or move indoors, which would end up getting them all killed anyway if the detonator went off, and he wasn't planning to die by a building structure falling on him anytime soon.

"Scarecrow." He whirled around.

"A little late, Batman, I was beginning to think that you didn't care about the poor mayor…and his wife." The Scarecrow grinned under his mask and stepped to the side, giving the Bat a charming view of the two wrapped up in dynamite and surrounded on all sides by loaded weaponry. The Bat made a step towards them, which the Scarecrow quickly intercepted, flashing the detonator to him as he did so.

"Now now, Batman, we wouldn't want to have an…accident, would we?"

"Don't be a fool, Scarecrow; your men will die, too."

"Well, that won't happen if you cooperate with me."

"You wouldn't, we're both in point-blank range; you'd die as well."

"True, but there are still guns to their heads; now back up, or else! The Scarecrow warns only once!"

…A pause. Batman didn't respond, and he didn't budge, either. He must have somehow fathomed that he was bluffing. What a fool.

"Shoot them both."

It didn't take much more than the pump of one of the shotguns for the Bat to retaliate, and agree to the Scarecrow's terms; so predictable.

"Have my money by midnight, Batman, or they will die."

* * *

The Scarecrow tapped his foot impatiently on the Cathedral roof, not too far from the bell tower. Once it would ring out twelve times over the fearful screams of the people of Gotham, the mayor would be dead. He knew that the Bat couldn't risk that, Gotham would crumble…well, even more than it already was, entangled in fear and all. If the Bat did risk it, though, and had the mayor die, the Scarecrow still had the antidote to the fear toxin as leverage. Since the toxin had already contaminated the whole of Gotham before the Batman had a chance to react, everyone was shaking in fear. People do crazy things when they're afraid, and unless Batman didn't give him his money, he would destroy the antidote.

"Time's a ticking, Batman…" he said quietly to himself as he glimpsed every which way around him. "…where are you?"

* * *

Five minutes to midnight, where was Batman? He almost began to worry. Almost.

"Sir?" A voice peeped up, but it wasn't the Batman. Scarecrow turned around to the hostages and crones. It came from the boy on the far right.

"Did I say you could speak?" he demanded crossly.

"Well, now….but I…never mind."

"You've got my attention now, boy, so out with it! What is so important?"

"Um…well…" the crone began; it almost sounded like he wasn't afraid by the tone of his voice, as if he hadn't been affected by the toxin he received…almost. "I…was…just curious as to why you needed the money…I mean, you can just steal the stuff for chemicals, or the chemicals themselves, so why do you need the money?" he questioned timidly.

The Scarecrow raised an eyebrow behind his mask. There was…something familiar about that voice, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"If you must know, I owe someone." The crone didn't say anything in return and just went back to pointing at the mayor's wife. Maybe he was pondering or something.

Scarecrow turned slightly away from them, but kept an eye on them out of the corner of his eye. "Most people are afraid to utter a single word when affected with the amount of fear toxin I used on these phonies, yet this one could speak a completely coherent sentence or two. Requires further research or should I kill him later on? I'll have to decide in time, but right now, I have to keep watch out for the Bat—"

Just as he was turning to face forward, a swift kick hit him in the face, and a quick hand laid hold of his own, keeping his finger down on the detonator button, as to not set it off by letting go. Just in time, as the bells to begin peal at that very moment.

"Why you!!—Shoot them! Shoot them now!" he called out to his crones, however it was too late for him to realize that the ones on either end, the left and the right—the familiar one, had taken out the middle, and were untying the hostages. In fact, he barely had enough time to wrap his mind around the situation, that it was apparently the Boy Blunder and the Batlet under those masks before the Big Bat had wrested the detonator (safely) out of his hand and threw him up against one of the pillars that held up the belfry.

He regained himself just in time for another ringing from the bells that were just feet from his head. That sound was truly unpleasant, and would probably still be ringing in his ears for weeks, if not months, to come. Batman was smarter than he thought, or maybe it just took him a while to get up, but he must have deactivated the detonator, seeing that he was charging at him just then…

* * *

Jon's eyelids fluttered open; it didn't take him long to take in what all must have happened. He was now strapped into a tight-fitting straightjacket, back in his (un)comfy cell at Arkham Asylum, and to make matters worse, he had an enormous headache and had a loud, annoying ringing in his ears.

The Bat must have knocked him out, and by now the antidote, which he had kept in the basement of the cathedral in great quantities, and would be using it to restore the sanity of Gotham. It wasn't hard to do, either. The antidote was as potent as the actual toxin, once it would be released into the air, it would immediately begin attacking the toxin cells, canceling out their effect. While he had been waiting for the Batman to return, he must have foundthe antidote hidden and been secretly releasing it into Gotham before midnight, which is probably why he took so long, then came to save the day at the last minute.

…It was almost perfect. His plan was practically flawless; he just hadn't counted on the Birdie and Batlet being there. He almost succeeded…almost gotten the better of the Batman.

Almost.