Edward's POV.
I don't know how long I was on the floor, but soon the toxin soon went out of my system. I just laid there, not moving, tears slowly dripping down face. After what felt like hours, but was probably a few minutes, I heard laughter behind me. The man….no wait…the monster that caused my worst nightmare to form in front of me, gripped under my arms and pull me up. I winced in pain and fear as he did so.
Fear started to come back to me.
'What if he does it again? I can't take this! Can he just kill me instead?!'
My whole body was limp, all energy I had drained from me because of all the struggling and screaming that I did. Trying to fight back would be useless. Besides, I was afraid he might strike me with another needle.
As he pulled me up, I felt him sit on the bed, his grip still on my arms. The most alarming thing, however, was when he pulled me on his lap like a child and held me. It disturbed me that he would go from laughing at me crying and screaming in fear, going as far as to kick and punch me, the drug making me thing those hits were my father, to showing me affection and comforted and being surprisingly good at it.
To my horror, I actually felt my body and mind relax when I was in his arms like this, my breathing actually calming as he ran his hand through my hair. When I was relaxed, I couldn't help but notice that the material felt different from the clothes he was wearing before. It felt like some type of rough material, like burlap. Along with a slight smell of chemicals and hay.
Working up my courage, I tried to steady my voice as I spoke to him.
" …what did you do to me?"
I winced as my voice cracked. I understand that I was scared and all, but I didn't have to sound so week.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, but then I felt his arms wrap more securely around me. I wasn't like what he did before, but I still felt a sense of alarm come back. Then he began to laugh. And I swear, I think it was one of the most terrifying things I had ever heard in my life.
The sound was pure evil and cold. If it wasn't for his body heat, I'm pretty sure my body would be frozen.
"What…what's so funny? Crane?"
"As anyone ever told you that you're adorable when you scream in fear?"
I tilted my head up to look at his face and as soon as I did, my heart, body and mind froze; in fear and panic. Now I remember who he was; why his name sound so familiar. I'm also pretty sure I knew what that toxin was now too.
The last thought I had before I felt another needle in my neck and went unconscious was;
'I'm a hostage and being cradled by Scarecrow.'
Jonathan's POV.
I wasn't originally going to dose him with toxin, but he wouldn't shut up. I was searching my drawers for my mask, but as he was talking, Scarecrow was getting more anxious.
Shut him up! Dose him with toxin! Now!
'What do you think I'm doing?'
Ignoring him, I went back to my task, but he still wouldn't shut up. With Scarecrow and Riddler both talking, I couldn't focus. Still, I tried to focus on my task and want he was saying.
"…understand who wouldn't be interest in me, but still…"
Is he talking about himself? Or about me?
Finally I found a syringe and took it in my hands.
Time to play~
"…keep some sort of conversation. Yet again, I'm not someone a person can easily talk either, but yet again other people are too stupid to understand my knowledge; so you have to admit, it's not my fault that-"
Before I could even control myself, my hand wrapped around his neck. He reached up and tried to pry my hands off. But as he did, my grip got tighter, stopping him from breathing. Eventually he started struggling. He started to see that mistake because when he moved, he pulled his injuries. He tried to scream, but the grip I had around his neck stopped him from making any sound.
Tears began to form in his eyes. My arm began to twitch, the excitement of his fear giving me chills. Not wanting him to faint, I threw him on the ground, letting go of his neck. He screamed in pain, gripping his bad shoulder which he fell on. Soon he stopped, gasping for breath. I stood there, watching him. When he did catch his breath, I walked slowly over to him and crouched over his body. I reached down and pushed the needle into his neck.
"Are you sure it's not your fault, Nygma?"
Scarecrow smiled and watched as his eyes dilated. His breathe hitched and he froze.
"What do you see? Tell me!"
Scarecrow whispered, grinning when the the small body below him began shaking, his eyes shutting tight.
"That's not possible. You're not there! You can't be!"
Scarecrow couldn't help but chuckle as he began hallucinating.
"I'm sorry daddy, please don't hit me!"
Of course he thinks his father is there. That does make sense.
As he finished talking, I kicked his side, not hard enough to make a bruise, but just enough to where he could feel it.
The toxin amplified the kick, making it seem like his father kick him hard.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs. Scarecrow's laugh pierced through the air as Edward began crying and his voice started to crack. He began hitting him repeatedly, laughing harder when he thought it was his father.
"It's your fault."
He stopped screaming after an hour. He laid there, a crying mess on the ground. Sometime in the middle of his episode, I left and changed into Scarecrow's outfit. When I came back, his screaming began to die down, tears still pouring down his cheeks. I laughed and reached down, grabbing under his arms and pulling him up. I sat on the bed, pulling on my lap. I wrapped my arms are him, like a mother cradling a child. I felt him tense then relax.
I ran my fingers through his black hair, my fingers getting caught slightly by the small curls and tangles in it.
The silence was broken when he spoke, his voice cracked and weak from the screaming and crying.
" …what did you do to me?"
I stayed silent, thinking on how to approach this. But then I went back over to what he said in my mind. My arms hugged him more securely, his body slightly tensing as I did, and I began to laugh.
?! He thinks I'm you! This day is becoming better even more!
"What…what's so funny? Crane?"
"As anyone ever told you that you're adorable when you scream in fear?"
He tilted his head up and looked up at my face. He changed from a slightly alarmed expression to utter horror in a matter of seconds. But before I could stop myself, I plunged another needle into his neck and he fainted in my arms as Crane came back into control.
What was that for?!
I remained quiet, the Scarecrow mask long off me now. Riddler's stitches on his side opened up some time in the struggling, and I just finished renewing them.
'There is only so much someone can take of fear. We don't want him broken just yet.'
But look at him! Remember the fear in his eyes, the sound of him screaming?! Did that not seem beautiful to you!?
I looked down at the other body, currently having a dreamless sleep. His face was flushed and wet from tears; his bangs were curling slightly and sticking to his forehead from sweat. Bruises that were covering his body were slightly fading now.
My eyes went up the bruise on his cheek. That was the worst one. It had a slight purple tint to it, unlike the others which were a dark fading blue. I ran my thumb over it, wondering what caused it. I mean, it obviously came from Batman, but how?
I looked at his face, a calm expression on it. It's probably a good thing that he isn't dreaming right now.
See? Just like me, you're attracted to him.
'I am not attracted to him.'
Maybe not him, but his fear on the other hand…
I scanned the rest of his face. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea. But still, I have to remember who this is. Nygma is brilliant and dangerous. Dangerous enough to be a problem. If I could just use his broken mind in the right way, I'll have complete control over him.
I didn't realize I was running my fingers through his hair again until I heard him sigh in his sleep, snapping me out of my thoughts. I let go and walked silently over to the other room. I found something in the closet that could pass as a blanket and walked back in the other room. I unfolded it and set it down on top of him.
"Goodnight, Eddie."
I said, flicking the lights off and walked over to the other room, shutting the door behind me. I sat on the couch and snatched a pen and note book on my way to it. There, I began writing notes on what I saw.
I don't remember when I fell asleep, but I do know I was woken up by a gunshot, and then my eyes opened to meet said gun.
"So am I speaking to Jonathan or Scarecrow?"
Eddie said, a bored expression on his face as he pointed the gun at mine.