Finally, an update. Sorry for taking ages. As you know, because of school... So yeah. Hope you enjoy; no notes necessary for this chapter.

Chapter Nine

It was quiet, too quiet. As if something was lying in wait for them...

Rachel met Bruce on the street after another gruelling day of work. It was a coinscidence, and Rachel was happy to see him after having to wrestle with her unwilling boss all day. They agreed to have coffee together.

"Rachel. Something's on your mind." Bruce said, taking a sip from his cup.

"Something's always on my mind." Rachel replied, eyeing the scar on Bruce's face. "But yeah, you're right, there's something more today."

"Which is?"

"Arkham Asylum."

Suddenly, Bruce's face hardened. "What?"

"I said, Arkham Asylum." Rachel avoided his eyes. "I'm going there tomorrow, after dinner."

"Don't, Rachel. Please, don't."

"I have to. I have to get Falcone back here, I have to find out what's going on inside that place. What Jonathan Crane's doing with all those thugs he brought in."

"Listen to me. That place - it's dangerous-"

"You don't know that."

"I can feel it." Bruce unconsciously rubbed his scar, a raised line on his temple. "Last week, a patient from Arkham nearly killed me and Jim. Or at least, tried to."

"What? What happened?"

Reluctantly, Bruce told her. Her eyes became wider and wider with every word - Bruce grimaced. He knew that even this wouldn't stop her from going to the asylum.

"You're still going to go, aren't you."

"You know me, Bruce."

"Just as stubborn as before, aren't you?" Bruce sighed. "Fine, then. I'm coming with you."

"No! I can handle this - I'm not a kid anymore." Rachel blazed at that.

"But Arkham's no party. I'm coming with you."

"You think I need an escort to visit that stinking place? I'll be fine."

"Damn it, Rachel, something's going on in there-"

"That's why I'm going!" Her voice was louder than she intended it to be. Some people looked in their direction; Rachel clenched her teeth and stood up. "Thanks for your time, Bruce. See you later." She stormed out the door, leaving Bruce alone, angry and afraid.

"Is... Is everything all right, Mr. Wayne?" The shopkeeper's hesitant voice reached him from a distance.

He just shook his head and went outside. Rachel was already gone; he didn't bother going after her. But Bruce did know that he had no choice tomorrow - he couldn't let Rachel walk into that nuthouse by herself. No - no way.

Jim Gordon was incredibly nervous.

Not only were he and Bruce going to the Narrows without permission from Commissioner Loeb, they were going alone. Alone. Just the two of them. Bruce insisted that they couldn't bring anyone along - it was just too risky. The other cops weren't as stealthy as Bruce and Jim; they would endanger whatever they had to do. What was it they had to do? Not even Bruce could answer that question.

They rode Bruce's car to the Narrows; Jim shivered as he saw some of the gaunt women and children on the streets. He hadn't been here before; but he'd heard plenty about it. Most of the talk wasn't pleasant. The Narrows - what a suitable place for Arkham Asylum to be.

Jim saw that Bruce had already slipped on his gauntlets; so he was expecting trouble. Not too surprising. He, too, had brought a loaded gun, along with his bulletproof vest - for heaven's sake, it was Arkham Asylum. The Arkham. Where screams were said to howl all through the night...

"We're here." Bruce interrupted Jim's gruesome imaginings. "So is she."

There was another car parked in front of the forboding building - obviously Rachel Dawes'.

"So what's the plan? Rescue her and get out?"

"No, rescue her only if there's trouble, and get out with information." Bruce stepped out of the vehicle. "Pretty quiet right now, though."

"Yeah." Jim agreed, looking at the asylum. It was quiet, too quiet. As if something was lying in wait for them...

"Well, then. Let's go."

They made their way inside. No security; a surprise. Then again, maybe not. For who would actually try and get into the asylum? People like us, thought Jim. The halls were quiet - that was until they entered a much darker part of the building.

Screams. Yells. Even crying - God, the place deafened Jim's ears. Bruce stood motionless for a moment, his eyes scanning the corridor, looking for any sign of trouble. When he found none he turned to Jim once more.

"Shall we?"

The place chilled Jim to the bone. The pair stopped by a door and looked inside the window. Inside... Who else?

"Falcone." Jim muttered.

"What the hell?" Bruce pressed his nose to the glass; trying to get a better look at the mob boss. "What's he saying?"

"I dunno. Can't hear him from here." Jim looked at Bruce. "Should we go in?"

"Go in?" He shrugged. "He's tied up, anyways - sure." Bruce tried the door - locked. Obviously. To Jim's surprise Bruce took out something from his pocket, and - began to pick the lock. In an impossibly short time, there was a click - the door was open.

"You'd better not show that to the others," Jim commented. "Where did you learn how?"

"Here and there - when I was abroad." Bruce replied. "On second thought, maybe one of us should stand guard - "

"Good idea."

"I'll go in."

"But - "

"Give me a shout if you see something." Without waiting for his partner's reply Bruce pushed the door open, and went inside.

Jim figured that Bruce would have a plan if something did happen.

Again, he was wrong.

Falcone barely looked up when Bruce came in. He was strapped to his chair, eyes unfocused and afraid, muttering something under his breath.

Scarecrow.

Bruce frowned. There was nothing else in the room, absolutely nothing. He went forward, and waved his hand in front of Falcone's face - no reaction.

"What the hell..."

Suddenly, the mob boss started screaming. "No, no, no... Get them off! Get them off!"

Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

Bruce felt fear slowly creep into his heart. He stepped back; perhaps he and Jim should just find Rachel and leave this hellhole...

Then he heard Jim scream.

"Don't hurt him! Not our Jimmy! Don't!" Bruce ran outside. He was faced with Jim, who looked absolutely terrified, panaroid.

"What's going on - " Suddenly Jim was on top of him, beating at him with his fists - Bruce was starting to panic -

And then another voice. "What do we have here?" It was a mocking drawl; with a final desperation Bruce pushed the thrashing Jim off of him, and tried to see who the intruder was. Just a normal-looking, gangly young man - up to the neck, at least. His head was covered by what looked like a burlap sack...

Scarecrow.

"Need a little help, cop?" A whoosh of gas - Bruce choked and coughed -

Suddenly he was enveloped by a huge, moving mass of darkness, screeching, fluttering -

Bruce couldn't help but shout out in fear. He doubled over, covering his head and ears - what was going on? Where had the creatures come from?

He heard his parents' screams, he heard the gunshot, Joe Chill's yell, then his own nine-year-old voice, sobbing - images assaulted his brain -

Somehow Bruce recognized the symptoms, from... Ra's al Ghul's monastery. He was hallucinating. He had to do something, he had to save himself, save Rachel, save Jim. How? How?

Long wait, huh? I hope you'll like it. Reviews are greatly appreciated!