Batman Beyond: Genesis of Fear Part 2
By
Eric Garrison
There's times when I feel the gnawing inside, reminding of what I once was. That I was once…human. Every time I feel I've conquered the thing that threatens to end it all, the pain always comes back. Always the pain. But the only way to fight it, the only way I will fight it, is with straw and hay. For sometimes that is the only best defense. Shielding myself from my own humanity.
****
40 years later
I see that foolish boy. He cannot hide from me. Leaping from building to building, as if he owns it all. He isn't him. No, no matter who where's the costume, no one will ever be him. I find myself looking at this young Batman in anger. How dare he think he has the right to usurp the original legacy? I despised the original Batman, no the only Batman. He caused me to become this..apparition. I am merely a shadow of what I once was. I remember flying into the clouds, I owned the night, and the fear of those who opposed me. Who am I kidding though? I'm an old man now, an old withered piece of straw that should have long ago been put to rest.
But seeing this..rebirth. Has reawakened me from my dark solitude. I thought that he had left Gotham forever. That he would be sealed up in that mansion of his. Let him rot there, I say. For all the pain he's caused me, he deserves to be left with his own private fear. The fear of being alone. Everyone he's ever known has left him, that blue dressed man who was probably the original robin, the second robin, and even the young Batgirl. But this angers me to see that he's not alone anymore. For his spirit rides with this young Batman, it's almost clearly easy to see. With his mind and his vision, he directs this young Batman, and once again puts his hands into other people's lives. We are both manipulators him and I, I though, pronounce it to the world. He, on the hand, represses it and hides in a cave.
I will destroy this young Batman, and also destroy the old fossil that guides him. I can count on it.
*****
I'm flying over the skyscrapers of Gotham, becoming it in the process. Surely Wayne must have felt some kinship to this city. He must have felt a part of it. I can see why he was so obsessed (and still is) to guard it all those years ago. As I guard it now. Flying over the various gleaming alleyways, I can spot out scenes of the crime. Below me, I see a mugging about to take place. I sigh, and I proceed to swoop down and stop what is not a common practice in Gotham.
"Heh, Heh, you're a pretty little thing aren't ya? You need a man like me to show you how to have a good time. Why else are you dressed in barely nothing? Come here baby"
The girl, who just out looking to have a good time, backed away frightened into the back alleyway. While she had dressed a little less than usual, she had just wanted to go out. But now, she was angry. How dare this man tried to take advantage of her? He was just pond scum. She spit in his face.
The man roared. "How dare you, you little witch! All my life, your kind has mocked me, laughed at me. I've dealt many sleepless nights cause' of your loathing! Why do you dress like that, if you don't want something! I HATE YOU!" The girl was now started to back away as the man raised his fist at her. Before he could finish what he started, a black hand caught his hand, and threw him into the alleyway.
"That's enough"
Batman spread his cape like wings and proceeded to go into direct action at the stunned criminal. "Your just a loser" Said Batman. "I see your kind every single night. For some strange reason your kind has the need to prey on young girls like this. I'm sick of it." He proceeded to bash the guy's head into the wall. Again and again.
"That's enough Mcginnis. Drop the man down."
The stunned Batman shakily dropped the bloody pulp of a criminal to the ground. "Is it Wayne?" He shouted. "I'm sick of dealing with gutter punks like these every night, over and over again."
"Then give up the costume."
Terry stopped and started shaking. "I, I, don't know what came over me Wayne. I'm sorry. I just feel as if I'm in some kind of haze. Every thing just turns to rage all of a sudden"
"Stop whining, and pay attention to the girl".
Terry almost forgot himself, "Uh, right" He proceeded to walk over to the shaking girl. "Are you all right Miss?"
The girl looked up at the young Batman fearfully. "Thank you for saving me Batman"
Batman put his hand to hers. "I'm sorry if I scared you"
She looked up at batman gratefully. "That's alright. That man deserved it"
Terry put his head down in a brief moment. "No, no it's not. I'm no worse than that criminal over there. Miss, please let me take you to the local authorities". The girl nodded gratefully and let Batman guide her to the local hospital.
***
I see now. That's what makes him tick, the legacy. That gas I put there put him over the edge for a brief moment, but if I could make it permanent, yes I could. I can't show myself now though, now when I've long been thought dead. Indeed, to do that would be my undoing. I'll leave each situation to my advantage though, that young girl acted the part perfectly, as well as that thug who I hired to 'assault' her. That foolish whelp in tights fell for the entire thing, pity about the thug though. He deserves what he gets. The next time, the Batman shows, he will be mine.
*****
40 years ago
I feel the pain, this time instead of psychological, it's physical. What did I do to deserve this? It's a gnawing in my gut of straw that is making me go to these lengths. I'm beginning to see my worse fear. I see the beady eyes that glare into me, trying to take back what has mocked them. In the darkness I hear a fluttering, and that damn screeching from those horrible birds. It's said that they come to take away your souls.
The girl was in hell. Unable to speak, and with a rotting mask over her face, she wasn't in much of a position to say anything. She was now looking at the prostrate form of the Scarecrow looking around nervously. He seemed to be on edge about something. In the dark recesses of her mind, something whispered to her, use it to your advantage….
*****
I hate him, despise him for putting me in this position. How come he always wins? He's so cold and analytic that it's almost impossible for him to show any single thing called emotion. He used to have a little, but that was stripped away to the cold inhuman machine that he has always been deep inside. He still barks orders. Expecting everyone to follow him. Who says I should follow him anymore? Yet I still find the old ties and binds are almost unbreakable. Deep down, despite all the repression, I know I'm still the Boy Wonder. Maybe that's all I'll ever be to him. Just an old dummy puppet that is used in his own private war.
"Nightwing, what's the problem?"
"Oh uh nothing, Barb'. It's nothing, just contemplating on my current situation"
Batgirl looked at the brooding form of Nightwing. "Just what is your problem?" She asked. "Can't you just enjoy yourself and not brood about old sordid stories?"
Nightwing glared at the inquiring form of Batgirl. "I'm not brooding" He grunted. "I'm just wondering if it's even worth it to wear this mask anymore. I'm growing tired of jumping around in tights and fighting someone else's battles."
"Then give it up"
Nightwing looked at the back of Batman's head as he was sitting in the chair in front of him. "What do you mean, Batman? Give it up? Yeah right, like it's that easy".
"I didn't ask you to come here Nightwing. Right now I'm trying to focus on the Scarecrow, so I can't hear your usual complaints right now"
Nightwing glowered in a furious position at the still form of Batman. Batman wouldn't even turn around to talk to him. "If it means that much to you, fine. I will give it up" Nightwing tore off his mask and threw it at Batman's back. In a fit of rage, he stalked out of the cave in heated anger.
"Why didn't you say something?" Asked Batgirl. "You can obviously now see that he's hurting. Is that the way to treat your son?". Said Batgirl.
The back of Batman was still turned to the inquisitive form of Batgirl. "He's his own man now". Said the still form of Batman. "Anything I say will only anger him or aggravate him. Who am I to tell him what to do? He's here of his own free will."
A tear started to come down Batgirl's face. "His own man? Don't you see that it's much more than that? No matter what goes on between you two, you are still father and son"
Batman said nothing. The static of the monitors flickered in the background.
"I see. So that's all it is to you. Bury it deep within yourself right? No one's harmed that way. You're a fool. To think I've looked up to you all these years, and now I see thjis..thing that you have become. Your not even human anymore." She glared at the back of Batman and followed Nightwing's path out of the Batcave.
After the girl left, Batman just sat there. He turned around, on his face was confusion. Just what was he? He held up his glove to his face. Was he a Bat to shirk all emotion? He took the glove off and saw the human skin underneath. Indeed he thought. Not even human anymore. But the skin of this mocks me. He put the glove back on his hand and clenched his fist. I..try to deal with this but I can't, I CAN'T". Batman started to pound the beeping machinery of the computer. "I CAN"T" He roared. Batman started to pick up objects off the Batcave computer. He threw them to the ground. But in the midst of the rage, blood started to creep to the edge of his senses. Human blood. I…He backed away in fear. The memory would always remain.
2 dead bodies, rotting, beckoning out to him. Bruce… They seemed to whisper. Remember your oath…. The dead husks turned around to stare at him in his mind. They pointed to him in accusation. Forget the uprising, focus on the mission. Batman sat back down to his chair in the Batcave. The blood always called him back to his duty. No matter what he did, the blood and the memory of his parents drew him back. Ignoring the outburst from Batgirl, the silent Batman turned to the computer to search for more information on the Scarecrow.
****
The pain was in his side, but he ignored it. He looked at the prostrate form of the girl on the ground. Was she transformed yet? No, he forgot, he had to get the right chemicals…The Scarecrow started to search feverishly in his chemical flasks for what would be the right chemical. AH He thought…This'll be the breaker. Yes..This is the right one. Crane took the chemicals and put them into his gun. He then proceeded to draw the gun and point it at the girl.
The girl looked at the madly working form of the Scarecrow. What he doing now ? She thought I must find some way to stop him. But what? What is there I can use? He seems to clutch his sides frequently. How can I use that? HOW?
Before she could answer that question, the Scarecrow took the gun and shot it at the girl. Gas started to sprout and condense into her worried features. Wendy started to moan softly under the buried mask.
"Ah". Said the Scarecrow. "I bet you're wondering what that chemical is eh?"
Wendy nodded.
"Why, it's fear. A very potent fear actually. What's the worst kind of fear you can imagine? Triple, no quadruple that. I've given you the most basic fear imaginable. "The fear of being alone. And the fear of the dark.". The girl started to scream in muffled gasps under the Scarecrow mask. "Yes". He chuckled softly. "That's right. I told you that you'd become me. This is just a first step, know what it is to be ALONE". He sneered. "Become me, become my…successor".
The girl just screamed more and more, as the areas at the edge of her senses became black. A faint whisper could be heard in the corners of her senses. "Mommy? Mommy, please, please, don't leave me alone". Wendy started to cry under the mask. A kid's voice could now be heard at the other side of her awareness, "You little WITCH" He Shouted. "Look at you, nobody loves you. Everyone hates you. You're worthless.". The darkness creeped in more to her senses. The talking intensified at the edge of her senses. "Witch, Whore, Slut, ZZZOPEJODJODJ". It now turned into screeching senses. She began to scream as loudest her vocal chords would allow.
The Scarecrow could now hear the screams. He reveled in it and was pleased. "Good, good, my apprentice. My dark angel". The screams intensified and grew louder in the night. Nobody answered.
To Be Continued