I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR, XUAN, AND DYLAN ARE MINE!
Chapter Nine
An Old Friend
"What is on your face?"
"It's called a mask, B-Man. You should now that. Or are you just jealous that mine looks better than yours?"
Batman stared at the other man, incredulous that he could still seem so...light about this situation they were in. He was wearing one of the ACE Chemicals masks, striking poses in a piece of glass, checking himself out when Batman dropped in behind him.
Dylan struck another pose. "You gotta admit...I make this look good."
Batman stared for a moment longer before turning away, not giving him the benefit of an answer.
"Jerk." Dylan sighed and rolled his neck as he moved after the other man. "Better safe than sorry, you know? I've already dealt with Scarecrow's Fear Juice before. I'd rather not do that again."
Batman took note of the tone in Dylan's voice; fear. Seeing as how he was a marine, there were probably things that still haunted him; things he no longer wanted to see.
Scarecrow's toxin did just that.
Yes, undoubtedly, there were horrors that he did not want to relive.
"So, where's your boyfriend?"
Batman gave a sigh before leading the way further in. "He's around here somewhere, meaning so is Scarecrow."
"You know...maybe having Dick or Tim help you isn't such a bad idea. The circumstances are dire and having me running around with you while leaving them out of it all...it's kind of a dick move."
The Dark Knight didn't even pause.
"Dick's got Bludhaven to look after while Tim's got something else to handle. They're not available."
"Just what is it that you have Robin doing that's more important than helping us with Scarecrow?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Batman replied. "At least not for now."
"Meaning that I'll learn later on and, more than likely, not like it, right?" Dylan hung his head, restraining from taking the chemical mask off his face. It was getting really hot behind it. "What does it always turn out to be like this?"
"It's fate."
Dylan paused for a moment, staring at the man beside him. "Don't do that."
Batman glanced at him. "Do what?"
"Talk like my sister. It's weird."
Batman restrained himself from remarking back and continued to lead the way. Dylan had done a good job clearing out most of the remaining militia.
They found the man they were looking for in the center reactor of the facility, standing as if he had been waiting for them to find him.
The tall man turned to face them when they entered.
"Do you really think you've won?" Scarecrow asked them. "Fear makes you predictable."
"The only thing I'm afraid of here it your damn fashion statement," Dylan replied. "Honestly, dude, come on."
The other man's reply was to kneel down with his hands behind his head. "I am in complete control."
Dylan gave a wince as Batman slammed Scarecrow's head into the control panel; hard. "Ouch."
"How do I shut it down!?"
Scarecrow kept a cool head. "Let me go, or she dies."
Batman pulled the other man back and lifted him up by his throat. "What are you talking about?"
"Barbara Gordon." Scarecrow gasped out.
Batman tossed Scarecrow to Dylan before pulling up Barbara. Dylan held Scarecrow by the arm, glaring at the other man. "How did you know about Gordon's daughter?"
Scarecrow chuckled. "I know many things."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do." He gave a silent sigh. He remembered the last time he had seen Scarecrow; it had been when Killer Croc got ahold of him underneath Arkham Asylum. He had heard of him doing something in Arkham City but had not run into him. He remembered the mangled way Croc had left him; he felt sorry for the poor bastard.
He got the impression that the other man was now blind in his right eye and his face was severely damaged from the other man's teeth, making him unsure of just what was part of his mask and what was really his face. His right leg was secured in a leg brace, either permanently damaged or healed wrong. His gas mask now seemed to be surgically grafted to his throat, insinuating breathing problems; his gravelly voice confirming that. He was dressed in a trenchcoat that was modified to hold multiple vials of Fear Toxin and his fingertip syringes were upgraded to include claws that were latched to his wrist for combat. All together, the man made Dylan think he was a zombie or some other kind of undead being.
"We searched for you, you know." Dylan decided to comment. Scarecrow glanced at him but stayed silent. "After the events at the Asylum. Taylor made Gordon make his men search high and low for you, but you couldn't be found. She was worried about what Killer Croc had done to you and you just disappeared."
Scarecrow gave a deep chuckle at that. "Ahh, yes, the beautiful detective Carmichael." Dylan pulled a face at the man calling his sister beautiful; any man, really. "She's much too soft."
"You're telling me. Why she became a detective I'll never know."
"Soft, yes, but she is strong when it's needed. If she wasn't, she would not have survived the Asylum or the City."
Dylan glared at him. "I'm getting the impression that you've been stalking her, haven't you?"
Scarecrow gave a hum from his throat, as if chuckling. "I wonder."
Just like she had to so many others, she had piqued Scarecrow's interest.
"Too late, Batman!" The voice made all three of them turned to find Scarecrow standing in the way. "One step closer…and this goes into the water!" The man lifted up the leather bag in his hand. The cave will fill with your deepest, darkest nightmares and you will never reach your precious Venom roots."
"Don't to it, Crane!" Batman called out.
"Look, Doctor," Taylor took a step forward. "We can talk about this, can't we? What is it that you want?"
"What do I want?" Scarecrow's hand lowered for a moment, a thoughtful breath to his words. "What do I want…I-" Before he could finish, Killer Croc jumped out of the water behind them and grabbed Scarecrow, swinging him around.
Several things happened at that moment. 1. Taylor cried out in absolute horror. 2. Batman took out a Batarang and tossed it at the collar around Croc's neck. 3. Dylan moved into quickly, snatching the screaming Scarecrow from Croc's hands.
"Your sister truly has a knack for attracting attention from some of Gotham's most unwanted. Even Mr. Freeze took a liking to her."
Dylan gave a groan. "Don't remind me. She's definitely a handful."
"And the perfect hostage."
"What-"
The ex-marine had turned to look at the man just to receive Scarecrow's head smashing to his face and something slamming into his stomach. He had always been sure that Crane wasn't a physical man.
Guess this proved him wrong.
Catching the other man off guard, Scarecrow was released and he hurried out the door, locking it behind him before Batman could grab him again.
"Nothing hurts like losing one of the family." Scarecrow chuckled from the other side of the door. "Knowing that there is no one to blame but yourself."
"Stay away from her, Crane!" Dylan pounded on the door. "You stay away from my sister, dammit!"
Dylan turned to the other man in the room with him as Scarecrow walked off.
"Did you get ahold of them?"
"Connection broke off and won't come back," Batman answered. "Alfred."
"I heard what that maniac said to you, sir. I've been trying to contact Miss Gordon and Miss Carmichael both, unfortunately with no success."
"Keep trying," The man turned to to the control panel that Scarecrow had been standing at and began to press buttons as Dylan continued to try and get the door open. He was trying to stop the reactor.
"What are you doing?! It's too late. You can't stop it!"
"I know. I'm not trying to stop it. But I can reduce the blast radius."
"And what will happen to you? Both of you?"
"That doesn't matter. Find them, Alfred."
"Neutralizing agent deployed."
Turning from the door, Dylan watched as four canisters raised from the ground, He went to move towards them but Batman held him back.
"These canisters are highly volatile. I'm going to have to move slowly...and careful. Let me handle this."
"We can go faster as two, Bruce," He told him with a firm voice, moving past him. "Not let's hurry up."
"Sir, I urge you to reconsider, evacuate now! If you're caught in that blast you will die! Both of you!" Alfred's voice was laced with concern.
"Then you're going to have to take care of Taylor and the brat, Alfred," The ex-marine commented as the two men set to work. "In any other situation I would have left, but this...I can't just walk away like this." He gave a grunt as he followed Bruce with his canister. "Damn thing weighs a ton."
Carefully slipping the canister into the slot, Dylan gave a relief as it was announced that the blast radius had been reduced.
"Any word, Alfred?"
"None."
"It's my fault they took them."
"Miss Gordon and Miss Carmichael both were aware of the risks, Master Bruce. Both will be as angry as you are that they'll allowed this to happen."
"I should have just grabbed her from the Clock Tower and left with her," Dylan cursed at himself. "It would have been the best way. I swear to god that if anything happens to her, to any of them-"
"I'm monitoring that facility. You're out of time. I'm begging you. Leave now. Both of you."
"I-" Dylan froze at the view of Batman falling to his knees after slipping in the third canister. "Bruce? Bruce!" Finishing the fourth canister, Dylan slid down beside the other man. "Are you all right?" The man didn't respond, just staring at the ceiling above him, his eyes wide. It was...frightening. "What the hell is going on?!"
Lifting his hand, Dylan tapped on the side of the COMM he had been given.
"Alfred, we got a problem here."
"What is it?"
"Bruce just passed out."
"What?! How? Why?!"
"Your guess is as good as mine. I took care of the last canister, but now we need a way out. Fast!"
"I can remote control the batmobile over to you but after that you'll have to drive it."
Dylan knew that the situation was critical but gave a huge grin at the thought of driving Batman's car himself.
"Do it. I'll get Bruce out of here."
Leaving Alfred to his own devices, Dylan lifted Batman up and grunted as he dropped him. "How much do you and your damn suit weigh?!" He kicked the other man's foot, half hoping that he would wake up but no luck. "Damn heavy bastard," He cursed again. He had to toss an arm over his shoulder and half-drag the man across the way when he saw that the BatMobile had arrived, happily making a hole in the wall for them to escape.
Dylan moved as fast as he could, the place getting worse and worse as the reactor began to blow.
"You go the back seat this time, Batboy."
Grunting, he practically tossed the other man into the back seat as the hatch opened, leaving him there as the front opening for him.
The adrenaline pumping in his body, he couldn't help himself. He was DRIVING THE BATMOBILE. Anyone would kill to be in his shoes right now. If he had time, he would have taken a picture and posted it on Facebook; or send it to his sister.
As he drove through the collapsing building, his anger built up again. They had taken Barbara and Taylor; there's no way they would have left his sister there and just run off with Gordon. He needed to wake Bruce up the moment they got out of this place and get him moving again. He didn't know what knocked him out like he had, but he needed the Dark Knight right now.
He jumped the gap that Arkham Knight had created in front of the building, the Batmobile squealing to a stop just in the safety range.
"God dammit!" Dylan roared, watching as the building crumbled away. Anger and rage from not only that, but from his sister and Barbara being kidnapped, raged through him. He couldn't believe that he had let any of it happen.
"We...we got out, Alfred," Dylan sighed into his headset. Staring at the screen to his left, he saw Batman in the backseat. "Bruce is still out of it though."
"Oh, thank god. I feared you two might be-"
"Bruce had the right idea. We managed to reduce the blast radius and prevented the toxin from spreading into the city. Now we gotta find Scarecrow."
"He'll be with this Arkham Knight character? With tanks, missiles...their forces are all over Gotham."
"I know. I...I don't know what to do right now. If Scarecrow really took Barbara and Taylor then we HAVE to save them."
"About that….Commissioner Gordon had been trying to contact Master Bruce."
"As soon as Batboy here wakes up, I'll have him contact Gordon. Until then...keep trying to find the girls."
"Of course."
Dylan sighed and shook his head, staring as he unmoving man again.
"What the hell are we gonna do next?"
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