Scarecrow

Scarecrow laughs as he looks at what could be his next victim. "Welcome to my lair." He greeted the figure as it came awake. "I have here an offer for you. You can either give me that disclaimer or you can try and not say it and I'm allowed to use this very special gas on you." He waved a vial full of what was with little doubt one of his fear toxins.

"So unmistakable terror for whatever I fear or I can give you the stinking disclaimer." The texaswookie responds. "As much of a believer in pain as I am I think I'll pass on the gas and give the disclaimer instead. I the texaswookie do hereby deny any ownership rights to the Angel characters who are the creations of Joss Whedon nor do I claim the ownership of any Batman characters as they are the licensed characters of the DC Universe. Does that get me out of having to deal with the gas? The writer asks hopefully.

"I suppose so." Scarecrow admitted not looking overly happy at that particular prospect since he wouldn't be able to hear the beautiful screams or find out what it was that the writer feared. The writer had played by the rules for now he would have to play by them as well the villain thought to himself.


Angel resisted the urge to pound his head having all of these Gotham psychos was enough to make him wish that he could drink long and hard. Too bad for him there was no alcohol around and even less Irish whisky. He figured that the wet bar on the plane was probably going to get a lot of use tonight if the looks of the others were anything to go by. The things that they were agreeing to represent in their own ways were even worse than some of the demons that they knew of. The demons were evil because they lacked souls but these people were evil because they enjoyed being evil. "Who do we have next?" He questioned the others just wanting to get this over with.

"A Dr. Jonathan Crane." Wesley returned as they all opened the next file in the stacks before them. "He is better known to the city though under the alias of the Scarecrow."

"I have got to say though maybe he would do better if he was given some brighter colors to wear." Lorne suggested as they all looked at the drab colored outfit that was a monstrous parody of a real scarecrow's outfit. He really does now how to do the whole crowd pleaser for the scary and disturbing though."

"What do we know about him?" Angel asked ignoring the joking demon.

"He's been killing since high school and hasn't really stopped since then." Wesley told the group. "He started off with his grandmother, and after that he moved onto a cheerleader and football player. This would be the first time he would actually use the Scarecrow persona that he became so well known for. Using a gun he terrified one of the two teens into a car accident which paralyzed one and killed the other. It was this incident that I would say truly birthed the being known as the Scarecrow even if he didn't ever use the personae again for several more years. He went on through life and became a doctor of psychology. He was fascinated by the concept of fear it seems and did a number of studies into phobias. After college he acquired a position at Arkham Asylum and Gotham University." At this Wesley looked up at the others. "Does anyone else see the irony of the situation where one of the doctors becomes one of the patients?" He asked the curiously as he raised his eyes to look at the others in dry humored curiosity. He then turned back to the file before him. "In a demonstration, he shot a student on accident and was fired from his post at the university. In retaliation he decided to terminate the ones responsible for firing him. He then began his life as a career criminal. He has several known associates in the Gotham criminal underworld like the Riddler, Joker, Two-Face, and Penguin. He has since then added several more deaths to his already impressive list. His primary operation method is to scare someone into doing what he wants them to do. Once they get the backbone to stand up to him though he usually manages to arrange for the death of the person. His primary weapon is a giant sickle which he has some decent skill in using in combat. He also uses his skills in chemistry to create various fear toxins that can be used to make various people scared of different things. A small little bit of trivia on the man is that he has the habit of quoting nursery rhymes from time to time for some odd reason." The Englishman finished off from what he knew of their next prospective client.

"I see, so he could be as unstable as Dru and as violent as Spike then." Angel noted to himself. "Gunn, what do you have on our guy?" He questioned turning to the next member of the team.

Gunn sighed as he looked at the list of crimes they had their potential client for. Catwoman had been so much easier to deal with. "Our man here is not an angel man. He's being charged with multiple counts of murder, resisting arrest, illegal medical experimentation, assault, blackmail, kidnapping, organized crime, attempted murder, assaulting a police officer, stealing, racketeering, terrorism, smuggling, gambling, and assault with a deadly weapon. With all of these charges he's really been working at it."

"Can you get him out of it?" Fred questioned reluctantly from where she was sitting.

"Well I can get him out of the electric chair, but there's no way that I can get him out of prison with some of the charges he's got." Gunn explained to the group. "That's assuming that we want to get him out that is." He said looking the group over.

"Fred, anything that you want to add about him?" Angel asked turning to her.

"Well his work on the human mind and chemistry could be of use to us." Fred admitted to the others reluctantly as she went through some of the notes about his work. "Think of everything that we could do with his work in our possession. From the reports I have the Scarecrow is now practically impervious to fear thanks to all of his work. The only thing that he fears is the Batman guy and maybe bats. Anything and everything else are simply blips on the radar that don't even affect him anymore. Imagine what we could do with the results of that kind of work. What if there was a way to speed up the process so that instead of years of being exposed to terror there was a one shot dose of the fear toxin? Imagine what some armed forces or bodyguards would pay for services like that. With a bit of magic we might be able to pull such a thing off. It could also be used for interrogation or torture where you wouldn't have to touch the subject therefore increasing the amount that you could do to them."

"We really should have recruited you a lot earlier." Eve said in surprise at some of the ideas that the Texas woman was coming up with.

"Not now Eve." Angel said, glad that the other woman had interrupted his friend before she could say anything else. Fred was getting so caught up in the theory that she wasn't thinking of what the result of the research was from. He really needed to find a way to remind her of that before she became lost within her work.

"Spoilsport." Eve grumbled as she leaned back into her chair to wait and see what would happen next.

"Anything you want to add Lorne?" The vampire questioned.

"Not really Angel-cakes, there's nothing that I really can add. From what I do know about our boy though is that he's somewhat unstable and has a tendency to get jumpy when people try and take him on so I would be careful with him." Lorne informed the vampire. "His knowledge and use of rhymes is supposed to be amazing though."

Angel nodded his head. "Send him in." He ordered and the doors opened to admit the man through the doors. They watched as a man dressed just like a monstrous scarecrow walked into the room with chains on his arms and legs. With a gesture from the vampire the guards removed the chains before exiting the room.

"Good evening Dr. Crane." Wesley greeted the man. "The first thing I would like to do is enquire as to what we should call you. Would you prefer to go by your given name and title that you earned, or would you prefer to go by the pseudonym that you have become rather well known for?"

"I shall go by the name of Scarecrow, as I have earned it from multiple sources it wouldn't do to ignore all those that gave me the name whether it be from those fools at the school or the ones that I have a rather professional relationship under this guise." Scarecrow returned to the former Watcher, surprising them all with a highly educated voice. Rough and raw from years of screaming but there was still the unmistakable educated air in his voice.

"Very well then Scarecrow, let us begin then." The other man said. "I am Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, I am in charge of research, Winifred Burkle here is in charge of our technology department, Lorne is our entertainment advisor, Charles Gunn is our lead legal consultant, and then there is Angel our CEO at the Wolfram and Hart LA Branch offices."

"And then there's me Eve, chief consultant and liaison of the Wolfram and Hart senior partners." Eve said with a smile as she waved toward the man dressed to scare. "My spot here is only as an observer though."

"A pleasure I'm sure." Scarecrow returned to her with an awkward looking bow. "Now I suppose we need to discuss my eligibility for legal consultation with your firm if I understand the way things have been going on from some of my fellow inmates. So what is it that I have to prove to you exactly in order for me to become capable of getting your representation in the legal system?"

"We need to assure ourselves that you're a worthwhile prospect." Wesley informed the man before him.

"Yeah, to start off with though we got all of your crimes that they want to charge you with listed right here." Gunn said as he held up the paper with the list of charges he handed the man the paper while he began reading off from his own copy. "Your being charged with multiple counts of murder, resisting arrest, illegal medical experimentation, assault, blackmail, kidnapping, organized crime, attempted murder, assaulting a police officer, stealing, racketeering, terrorism, smuggling, gambling, and assault with a deadly weapon. Honestly man it really doesn't look all that good when you consider everything that you've been doing." Gunn explained to the man.

"Yes well, that's why I've come to you." Scarecrow returned to the young man. "Even if you can just get me a reduced sentence or a minimum security I can do the rest. I do have a reputation for managing to slip out when people aren't watching close enough after all." The man boasted to them with a smirk.

"Uh huh, and what would you do with that freedom if you did manage to get out?" Wesley questioned with interest. "I somehow doubt that you would be doing humanitarian work once you managed to garner your freedom."

You are correct I wouldn't." Scarecrow admitted to the man. I am not like Poison Ivy who is just as likely to kill you as she is to save your life depending on how she feels about things at the time. There is still so much terror to inflict upon the world and then there is the matter of the Batman. I must find a mixture that can incapacitate him permanently. Once I have conquered the Batman I will have finally conquered the last of my fears." The man declared with an almost fanatical tone to his voice as he explained his intentions to them.

"Right," Gunn said as he looked at the man as if he knew beyond a doubt that the man was as crazy as his reputation made him out to be.

"But that's all you plan to do though right, try and make people scared you're not going to try and destroy the world or anything like that?" Fred questioned the man hopefully.

"No my dear I'm afraid I don't have any plans as grandiose as that that for anywhere in the future." Scarecrow admitted. Besides if I was to destroy the world then there wouldn't be anyone to scare anymore. If there was no one to scare then there would be no real fun in life either. He told them all he then seemed to study something as if he was thinking or planning." He explained to them as if it all made perfect sense to him and the others should understand as well. He then began to speak aloud on his next plans. "If I was to make a fear toxin that made people believe the world was ending it might work though. The sheer terror that people would feel if that were to happen would be enormous and might be enough to even affect the Batman I would have to probably travel to Metropolis for some study and the world is always under threat with Superman stopping it."

"And on that slightly disturbing thought how about we vote already kids?" Lorne questioned the others who nodded their heads in agreement while watching the man. "I'll go first despite the creep factor that the guy has there's no real reason to ignore him."

"I concur with Lorne. In his own way the Scarecrow is the same as some of the fear demons that we have association with." Wesley said from his position. "Considering the number of those that we represent we cannot exactly ignore the plight of this man now can we?" The question while worded in the rhetorical there was a small bit of hope that the others would have a reason not to represent the man before them.

"I think it would be great to have him around." Eve said from her seat. "I mean there's so much that we could learn from his stuff."

Fred nodded her head in agreement though looking slightly unsure after having listened to the guy talk about what it was that he had planned for his work once he managed to get free. "He's not trying to destroy the world. That means that he's at least somewhat acceptable by our own rules." She finished off though not sounding very sure of herself.

"You know what I'll vote." Eve said with a smirk.

"And if your vote mattered I might ask you." Angel said to her with a glare. "Gunn what about you? Can you think of any reason for us to not represent Scarecrow?"

"Don't like it man, but they're right there's no reason why we can't represent him for that he's done." Gunn said as he turned to his boss. "Sorry I couldn't help you knock another one out."

Angel nodded as he turned to regard Scarecrow with a dark look. The man returned the look though there was a trace of interest in the eyes of the villain. "There is something about you that is very similar to the Batman. I'm not sure what it is but you have something like him. Maybe it's the way the darkness clings to you or maybe it's the way you command but there is something about you so much like the Batman."

Angel didn't respond to that as he looked at the villain before him. "Personally I would love to take your head and rip it off or something like that." Angel shot at the costumed figure. "However I can't do that for various reasons what's even worse I have to agree that we should represent you. I will tell you this though." Angel growled as he rose to his full height. "Stay out of my city and we won't ever have any real problems between us. Do you understand me?"

Scarecrow felt the smallest trace of fear and grinned as he realized that there as someone else that could make him feel that lovely emotion of fear. "I'll be sure to remember your words." He returned to him. "Just what city is it that I should be avoiding though?"

"Stay out of L.A." Angel returned to him his eyes flashing gold for a minute before he gestured with his hand and the villain was taken out of the room.

Scarecrow tipped his hat to the group as the chains were placed back on him. "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross

To see a fine lady upon a white horse

With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes

She shall have music wherever she goes

The man quoted back over his shoulder. Angel glared at the back of the criminal but didn't say anything. "When he gets out watch him. He may try and come to LA now." Angel told the others who nodded their heads in agreement.

"That's what happens when you wave a flag in front of a bull though." Eve told the vampire. "What?" She asked as she saw him glare at her. "You threatened him and actually made him feel a bit of fear over you. For a guy like that it's like an invitation to do your worse." Eve explained to him. "Don't blame me if that's not what you had planned when you threatened him."


(Some may wonder why Fred is having such thoughts that are helping evil incorporated. I think that near the end of her life, {before Illyria} that she detached herself from the ethics and worked mainly in the science of the job. Got a little naïve about what her research was going toward. Personal opinion though.)