They made it to the Batcave before Alfred walked in on them. Scarecrow's eyes had narrowed, sensing fear, and turned to face an old man with bags under his eyes and a disappointed expression.
"Batsy, we've got company," he said, raising the Toxin and taking a step forwards.
Bruce knocked him out of the way, glaring.
"I said leave him be."
Scarecrow rolled his eyes but did as he said, retreating to a safe distance, can in hand. The Joker paid none of them any attention as he walked around fondling the instruments in the cave.
"Master Wayne," Alfred said, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Alfred, I-"
"Save your explanations, Bruce. I don't need to hear it."
"I just wanted my suit."
"Then you know where to find it. Then take your friends and leave."
Bruce glanced at the floor.
"Dick is outside. He probably needs medical attention."
Alfred sighed, and with one last disappointed glare, turned on his heel and walked away.
"Alfred. I'm sorry."
Alfred stopped, and Bruce almost hoped he was forgiven.
"Sometimes sorry isn't enough, Master Wayne."
And then he disappeared into the gloom of the warehouse up through the lift to help Nightwing.
Bruce sighed, and Scarecrow glanced at the Joker in an attempt to quell the conversation before it was started. Not that it would ever help, of course, but it was worth a try.
"Well, he's a sourpuss. I can see where ya get it from, Brucey."
The Joker slapped him on the shoulder, and left it at that, which for him was pretty sympathetic. Bruce didn't say anything, instead staring at the computer screen. Crane appeared behind him, brows furrowed under the mask.
"What?"
"I think we have a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
The far side wall exploded, and Superman burst into the room. Bruce dived backwards towards his suit, getting into it, as the Joker stalked towards him, smile stretched. Crane disappeared into the shadows once more.
"Where is Bruce Wayne?"
"Who?"
"You know precisely who, clown. Tell me!"
The Joker shrugged.
"Haven't seen him since the bust out. Why d'ya wanna know?"
"You're lying!"
"Hey, you seem pretty upset today. What's the matter?"
"I have to save an entire city from an asylum-load of evil and it is all down to you?"
"Little old me? I haven't done anything."
Superman flew forwards, pinning the Joker up against the wall by his throat, legs dangling above the air. He choked on his own breath slightly as he tried to make a joke about how shiny Superman's eyes were.
A tap on the shoulder caused Superman to turn around. Bruce was stood in full Batman costume, and he growled,
"I believe you're looking for me, not him?"
"I'm looking for all wrong-doers!"
Superman levelled a punch at Batman, which he easily avoided. The Joker swung from Superman's grip as he attempted to find a knife. Batman wondered if Scarecrow had deserted them, and how much he'd call him a coward if he had.
Batman dodged blows and aimed Baterangs at Superman's face as he frantically searched the Cave for Kryptonite. He was convinced he had some somewhere, a sample of a stone from Lucius that seemed suspect. But it wasn't where he thought it had been, so someone must have removed it. In which case, they were pretty much fucked.
Superman barrelled through the room, knocking over tables and computers and destroying weapons before Batman could get to them. The armoury of confiscated weapons from villains was levelled in seconds with the heat-ray before he could get to them. The cabinet of his tools and protoypes, turned to dust as he reached for them.
Superman knocked him to the floor with a blow to the head as he was desperately looking for something else. He skidded across the room to land in a heap at the other side, followed by the Joker who came flying through the air towards him.
"You alright?" Batman asked, and the Joker nodded.
"Think so. Where's Scarey?"
"No idea. Think he bailed."
"What a little shit…"
Superman was floating towards them.
"Once I have taken down the figureheads of the villain operations, the others will follow easily enough. And I will take you down. I will make sure you are both made to be examples for what will happen to any and all wrong-doer in this, and any other city. The Justice League exists to protect citizens of Earth from this kind of treachery. Batman, I hope you are ashamed. You don't deserve to wear that title anymore. I will make sure your face is exposed to all while your mask shatters against the streets you betrayed!"
Suddenly, from behind him, a ray of ice shot towards Superman and caught him up to the mid thighs, effectively holding him in place.
"Freeze, motherfucker!"
Scarecrow looked over to Batman and the Joker and winked, before covering Superman with another layer of ice to replace the cracking and melting layer from before.
"Anyone else getting really tired of that speech?"
"Let me go, villain!"
"Why would I do that?"
"To protect Gotham!"
"This guy for real?"
Batman and the Joker got to their feet gingerly.
"You do know who I am, don't you?"
"No."
Scarecrow narrowed his eyes.
"The Scarecrow. Master of fear. You've heard of these guys, you must know me."
"I do not!"
Suddenly, Scarecrow laughed.
"I'm a professor of psychology, idiot. I know when someone's trying to psych me out. I'm on the posters out there along with everyone else. Hey, your Justice League isn't doing such a good job of Gotham. Maybe you should just leave us to it."
"Never."
"Alright then, you asked for it."
Batman and the Joker glanced at each other as Scarecrow tossed the freeze ray aside and pulled out his can of Toxin.
"Y'see, I'm pretty sure my Toxin can affect any species. Even alien 'supermen' like you. So, what are you scared of? How about I get inside your mind to see? Are you scared of her getting hurt, Clark? Lois?"
Superman stopped struggling for a second, eyes widening.
"How do you know about Lois?"
"Yeah, we're a higher class of Gotham than Metropolis. We're not so fooled by a pair of glasses and inside out pants."
"Don't you dare touch her!"
Scarecrow frowned.
"Why would I bother? You left her alone, Lex has probably already done the job."
"Don't dare-"
"Anyway, I don't think that's your biggest fear. In fact, I don't think you care about her much at all. Little human woman, and you don't have much respect for humans, do you? You don't understand the damage we can do to you. The threats we can pose. How about I show you?"
He placed the can in front of Superman's face, eyes wide and bright behind his mask. Superman tried to escape more frantically, his heart rate already increasing. Batman and the Joker were stood behind them watching, fascinated by seeing Crane truly at work.
Scarecrow placed his hand on the top of the canister, and Superman's eyes widened.
"But y'see, what you haven't realised yet is that I'm already getting to you. You can already feel the fear from me. You're already starting to panic, ever so slightly, from the residue on my clothes entering your system. Seems you're easier to get to than people. Who'd have thought?"
He took another step forwards, and Superman tried to recoil, but was prevented by the ice.
"So how about I press the trigger and show the world your true fear?"
Superman closed his eyes and as he heard the hiss, he felt his strength draining away. He opened his eyes to see Scarecrow standing, kryptonite in his outstretched hand. Superman panicked, completely freaked out, but couldn't escape the ice because he was so weak. Scarecrow began to laugh.
"How about I let you into a secret, Superman? You're not so super after all. You've been beaten by a mere man. Controlled by your fears."
"You did this to me!"
"Actually, I didn't."
Scarecrow placed a can of deodorant next to Superman's head.
"Sure, you are being affected by residual Toxin to a really fascinating extent that I'd love to study, should I have the time. But I never actually sprayed you with it. I knew your fear anyway. I knew your weakness. And, for someone so big, I think it's pretty ironic for it to be such a tiny stone. This is real Kryptonite. The thing you were so intent on stopping Bats from finding that you let me find it instead. And, you know, I don't think you're all that good after all. I hope Gotham's disappointed."
The Joker started to laugh behind him, a loud, screeching sound that echoed through the cave. He walked forwards, tears streaming down his face and smudging his make-up, and pulled out some lipstick. He smeared it across Superman's lips in a perfect Joker smile as Scarecrow placed the Kryptonite on the block of ice right beside his head, preventing him from moving away. Scarecrow placed some straw in Superman's hair, breaking it free from the perfect style it was in in the process.
"Wanna join the fun, Batty-babe?"
Batman rolled his eyes.
"I'll pass."
"Suit yourself."
The Joker pulled out his phone and snapped a photograph, the flash blinding Superman, before pulling Scarecrow into shot and taking one of them both standing in front of him, thumbs up.
Once they were done, Superman opened his eyes and stared at them.
"You won't get away with this, you know? Gotham won't lose hope."
The Joker snorted.
"Yeah, I've heard that one before. Laters darlin', don't wanna meet the cavalry. Not tonight."
The Joker and Scarecrow walked towards the waterfall concealing the secret entrance to the Cave while Batman stared at Superman in the block of ice.
"Bruce. You don't have to do this. You're better than this. I can help you."
A sudden rush of resentment hit Bruce full in the face, and he snorted.
"Yeah, right. Where were you when I was in Arkham?"
Superman had no response, and so Batman turned on his heel and followed the villains out of the cave.