Alright, as soon as I posted the last chapter, I realized I had skipped an important scene from the film, and it's kind of neccessary in the entire story, so I took some dramatic liberty and brought it back in this chapter. It's not line for line, and I did that on purpose because although the film is fantastic, I'm not writing the film. I'm writing a work of fiction. So yeah. Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman. Any reference to the movie is used for fictional purposes only and not for profit or anything else but entertainment. Batman belongs to DC and Christopher Nolan.
The next morning Crane receives a call informing him that Falcone has cut his wrists and requested to speak with him at the G.C.P.D. He knows Falcone just expects Crane to bust him out or try to blackmail him into doing something so he brings his suitcase and mask.
When he gets to the station, he heads downstairs to the interrogation rooms where a woman is waiting.
"Dr. Crane." She greets, "Thanks for coming."
"Not at all…He cut his wrists?" Even though he's heard the information already, it's procedure to double-check.
"Probably looking for the insanity plea." She looks at him and rolls her eyes. "But, if anything should happen.."
"Of course." He nods. "Better safe than sorry."
They reach the room, and she punches the combination, allowing Dr. Crane inside. He closes the door with a click and sits down at the table across from Falcone with a sigh.
"Yeah, Dr. Crane, I can't take it anymore." Falcone says sarcastically. "It's all too much. The walls are closing in around me, blah blah blah…Well, a couple days o' this food, it'll be true."
"What do you want?" Crane asks in a business like tone. He doesn't want to waste his time here, but he knows he needs to get this out of the way. Falcone doesn't know anything that will cause a lot of problems, but he does know a little.
"I wanna know how'ya gonna convince me to keep my mouth shut." Crane notices several cuts and scratches on the man's face and hopes they sting.
"About what? You don't know anything."
"I know ya' don't want the cops to take a clos'a look at the drugs they seized. An' I know about your experiments with the inmates of ya' little nuthouse." Crane just stares at him and waits for him to finish his petty little speech. He already knows where it's going to lead. "See, I don't go int'a business with a guy without findin' out his dirty little secrets." He laughs, "Ya know, those goons you used... I own the muscle in this town. Now I've been bringin' your stuff in for months, so whateva' he's planning; it's big. And I want in."
It was so predictable it wasn't even funny. But Crane was a little irked off that someone squealed. He'd need to change that and get some guards down in the production room.
"Well, I already know what he'll say." Crane says calmly. "That we should kill you."
Falcone rolls his eyes and scoffs quietly. "Nah, not even he can get me in here… Not in my town."
Crane tried not to laugh. This little mob boss was so cocky it was almost funny. Did he really not see how utterly powerless he was? That he was about to be removed anyway, without the law's interference? This man deserved a little chaos, and not just for Crane's protection. No, this man deserved to see what fear really felt like. Crane sighs, excitement building in his chest.
"Would you like to see my mask?" He tries to keep the pride out of his voice, and Scarecrow comes to the front of Crane's mind, not wanting to miss a moment. "I use it in my experiments." He grins and pops open the briefcase, turning a nozzle to the ready position. He pulls the mask out and shows Falcone. "I know I'm probably not frightening to a guy…like you; but thse crazies? They can't stand it." He grins and puts it on.
"So when did the nut take over the nuthouse?"
Crane feels a rush of irritation at the man and presses the button in the suitcase, releasing the puff of gas into the air.
"They scream, and they cry." He stands up, leering at Falcone who now is screaming, his eyes wheeling around the room in a panic. "Much as you're doing now." He grins, and turns from the room, ignoring Falcone's yells behind him. He pulls off his mask and puts it back into the case, smirking, and leaves the room quickly, changing his facial expression to one of surprise. He meets the woman in the hallway, and shakes his head.
"Well, he's not faking. Not that one." He says with a slight shake of his head. "I'll talk to the judge and see I can have him moved to the secure wing at Arkham. I can't treat him here." He turns and walks away, a smile of victory lighting up his face.
He couldn't fight the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his body every time he gassed someone. It was like it was a gift he was giving them, and he couldn't wait to see their surprised and fearful faces.
You deserve this, Johnny-boy.
Crane nods his head, rather than speaking aloud, and pulls out his phone. He doesn't usually call Ra's, but he needs to convey what happened.
He walks outside, and dials his number, surprised when he answers after the first ring.
"What is it Crane?" His tone is clipped.
"I took care of Falcone. He was going to squeal."
"Is he dead?"
"No, but I've taken care of him."
"You and your obsession with that gas." Ra's chuckles under his breath, and the sound of it sets Crane's teeth on edge. "Very well. Anything else?"
"Yes. I need some guards down in production. Someone's been talking with the outside about it."
"And you lack the means to take care of it?"
"No, but I lack the time."
"I don't appreciate you setting grounds for me, Crane. Respect your place in the big picture."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it."
The line disconnects and Crane groans. It seems like he can never have a conversation that actually gets anywhere when he talks with Ra's.
Soon you'll be the one giving orders…
"But for now…"
We wait…
He next calls the judge and has Falcone's transfer arranged, and when he finishes with that, he heads home with an agenda. He's tired of carrying tiny nozzles of gas, and so when he gets back to his apartment, he fixes a belt with several small canisters attached and then looks at his mask. He isn't affected by most forms of his gas, but he isn't immune to some of his newer formulas. Using spare production materials, he quickly makes a mesh that should filter out chemicals and fastens it to the inside of his mask. It was better to be prepared rather than caught by surprise.
He finishes all of his preparations in about two hours, and heads to his bedroom. He figures he may as well get a nap in before dealing with Falcone again, and who knows how much sleep he'll get when it's time to purge Gotham. Like with the mask, he thought it was better to be prepared.
His cellphone buzzes as he fights off his irritation. Of course no one would need him until he was going to try to sleep. It was just too much to ask for an hour of peace. Oh well.
He answers his phone in a clipped voice. "Dr. Crane."
"Rachel Dawes is here at Arkham and is requesting to see you, Doctor." A woman's voice tells him.
That naïve woman would never keep her nose out of other people's business, would she?
"I'm on my way." Crane grabs his briefcase, and scowls. He was getting closer and closer to gassing her without waiting for a viable excuse.
Do it anyway. The cops in this town are so crooked they wouldn't care…
"No. It'll bring too much suspicion on me that I'm not in the mood to deal with yet. Her time will come."
He gets to the Asylum and is directed to where Falcone is being kept. He had suspicions that he was the reason Rachel was here, and wasn't surprised to find out it was true. He heads downstairs and sees her waiting, wearing a look of pompous superiority on her little face. His fingers twitched toward a canister on his belt, but he refrained.
Instead, he adjusts his thin glasses, and greets her in a business-like tone. "Miss Dawes, this is most irregular, I have nothing further to add to the report I filed with the judge."
"I have questions about your report."
Scarecrow imagines wiping the smile off her smug little face, but Crane ignores it.
"Such as?"
"Isn't it convenient for a fifty-two year old man, who has no history of mental illness to suddenly have a complete psychotic breakdown just when he's about to be indicted?"
"Well as you can see for yourself, there is nothing convenient about his symptoms."
She looks at the glass, and turns back to Crane.
"What's 'Scarecrow?'"
"Patients suffering delusional episodes usually focus their paranoia on an external tormentor. In this case, a scarecrow."
Scarecrow's pride fills Crane's head at his success. He can't wait to make the whole world fear the mere thought of him.
"I want my own psychiatric consultant to have full access to Falcone, including blood-work." She glares at him and stalks down the hall. He follows her at an even pace, and tries to ignore the almost painful urge to take her off her self-absorbed pedestal.
"First thing tomorrow, then." He says calmly as they wait for the elevator.
Do it….. Scarecrow urges.
"Tonight." She snaps. "I've already paged county general." That smug little answer tears it. He can't take it anymore. He decides to act.
He pulls out a set of keys from his pocket as they step onto the elevator and turns the lock, allowing them access to the basement.
"As you wish." He says, keeping his face casual.
Finally… Let me do it!
Crane shakes his head subtly as they descend. No, Rachel was his problem, and he was going to enjoy every second of her panic.
The doors open and he leads her out, trying to keep his steps casual. "This way, please." He leads her down the hallway and to the rails over-looking production. "This is where we make the medicine." He smiles as he sees the armed guards. Ra's was fast.
He hears her intake of breath, and continues, his voice cracking a little with excitement.. "Perhaps you should have some; clear your head."
She turns and runs back to the elevator, and Crane takes his time following. He pulls his mask on with a smile, and can hear her franticly pushing the buttons inside. He hits the button and as soon as the doors open, he catches a glimpse of her panicked face as it is surrounded by gas.
She screams once, and scrambles backwards, eyes wide with panic, and then goes limp from shock. Crane wasn't expecting her to pass out, but he hadn't tested the concentrated dose enough to make accurate predictions. Two of the guards run into the hallway with their guns out, and Crane sighs.
"Put those down, I need you to carry her."
They glance at each other, but do as he asks. They carry her downstairs, and set her on a table. Her eyes roll around her head and she isn't speaking, but she seems conscious enough.
"Who knows you're here?" Crane hisses. She shakes her head back and forth, in denial, breathing heavily. "Who knows?!" He demands. She screams once, and the lights flicker off.
Stupid Bat….
Crane pulls off his mask and looks around the room eagerly, searching for the pathetic vigilante and chuckling under his breath. "He's here."
"Who?" Someone asks.
"The Batman…"
"Whaddo we do?"
"What you always do when a prowler comes around.." He says, and the man gives him a blank look. "Call the police."
"You want the cops here?" Another man asks.
"At this point they can't stop us." He raises his voice. "But the Batman has a talent for disruption. Force him outside, the police will take him down. Go!"
"What about her?"
He looks down at the swerving head of Rachel and feels a sense of revulsion rise up inside. At least he got the opportunity to be the one that took her out of the picture. She needed a taste of fear even more than Falcone did.
"She hasn't got long; I gave her a concentrated dose. The mind can only take so much." He smiles. "Now, go!"
Another man walks up to him with a worried expression, and Crane smiles at the man's silly fear.
"The things they say about him; can he really fly?"
Crane wants to laugh at the man, but holds back, looking for the Bat. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"
The black form drops from the ceiling and grabs the gun out of a guards surprised hands, shooting another in the foot. He then continues to fight the rest of the surprised and frightened guards, and Crane moves under a staircase to observe, pulling on his mask. The Bat takes out all of the guards in only a few seconds, and Crane knows it's time to step in.
Told you he was a threat…
Crane is surprised at Scarecrow's timing, and throws a misguided punch, missing by a long-shot. Batman grabs his arm and jerks it backwards, pulling Crane's face up, and taking off his mask. Crane is gasping from the sudden pain in his arm, and barely hears Batman's words.
"Taste of your own medicine, Doctor?" He growls.
Hold your breath! Scarecrow yells a moment too late.
The white cloud whooshes into Crane's face, and he inhales a big gulp of it. The gas burns down his throat and into his lungs and immediately the world takes on a weird shimmer and bounce. He coughs and hacks as it continues to burn, and looks back at the man that holds him hostage. A black demonic thing oozing tar-like liquid out of its mouth is staring at him, and he mentally panics.
Calm down, calm down! It's not real! A voice says, but Crane can't focus enough to figure it out. He's lost in the terrifying stare of the monster holding him there.
The thing hoists him up and holds him by the neck against a wall, and Crane can barely breathe. His eyes are wide with shock, and he feels the icy needles of fear lace his entire body, freezing him in place.
"What have you been doing here?" The monster growls. "Crane!"
Take deep breaths, it's not a concentrated dose and you'll be fine. Another voice says calmly.
He can't concentrate on both of them, his mind is spinning and he can't figure out what's going on.
"Who are you working for?" The monster says, and Crane can barely focus on it.
Crane's mind spins back and he tries to find the answer. His stomach is doing flips and he can't imagine what will happen if he gets the answer wrong.
Ra's al ghul.. The other voice says. Tell him that.
"Ra's…" He breathes. "Ra's al ghul."
The monster growls in his face. "Ra's al ghul is dead…Who are you working for?"
Ra's is dead? The other voice says… That can't be…
Crane tries to think of some other name, but can't. The more he tries, the more he hits a blank wall. All he can think about are the soulless eyes staring at him, and the answering shivers down his body.
"Doctor Crane isn't here right now, but if you'd like to make an appointment…" The wall hits him hard, and he sits in a stupor. The icy waves of panic are still lodged inside him, and he can't move. He glances around, but doesn't see the beast anywhere so he returns to shivering.
I'm working as fast as I can, Johnny-boy…
Crane feels some sort of recognition go through him when he hears that nickname, but can't place where he had heard it before.
It could have been minutes or hours that passed, but Crane doesn't recognize the time difference. He hears boots coming down the stairs, and his eyes wheel around trying to find the source. After a moment, he sees a cloudy image of a woman coming toward him and he panics.
"No, Jezebel! Get away!" He shouts. "Take your bird and leave me alone!"
He's pulled to his feet and throws out his arm wildly, making contact with something. His vision is blurry, and he has decided that because there is no option for flight, fighting is his only option. He thrashes around wildly, and voices from both outside and inside his head yell things at him. He can't hear a word though, and swings even more. It's a few moments before he realizes he's holding his mask and he stops to put it on. A face… All he needs is a proper face…
Something hits him from behind, and he hits the ground hard. His arms are pulled behind him, and cold metal is tight against his wrists. He's pulled up, and starts thrashing again, trying to get out of the creatures grasp of him, but everywhere he looks he sees claws and beaks. Something sharp hits his leg and he wonders if the bird's bite is poisonous… Why else would his leg be going numb? And his body… get…heavy…?
Darkness swirls around him, and he falls into it, allowing it to consume his entire being…
So what did you think? Any thoughts or critisism is welcomed! (Although praise is also welcomed... ) Thanks for reading/reviewing! :D
