So, my friends, this is going be the last chapter of this fanfiction, but you don't have to be sad, I was planning a sequel for a long time now, actually I was planning a several sequels, because there are such so many ideas in my head. :-) So be on your guard, the first chapter of the new story will be uploaded soon.

Chap. 12.

It was only a few weeks after the breakout, when I was sitting in my home on my sofa, lazily reading the newspaper, trying to calm myself down. I didn't heard of my friends for a very long time, which was very unnerving, cause I just didn't know if something happened, or if they were avoiding me intentionally. I was just wishing they would call at least. At least Harley could.

For the last days, I have been reading about Joker's activities in town, and unlike the neighbours, I smilled when I heard about his latest schemes. Well, part of me did, there was also the other part that was scared, no, not scared, disgusted by his actions. I wasn't entirely a bad person, and I wasn't planning to. However I kinda liked that clown, whenever I heard his voice, it made me laugh. Unlike many others I could actually understand why Harley fell in love with him.

It was then when I heard a sudden knocking on the door, and another, more urgent after a few seconds. I hurried up to open the door and stopped immediately when I saw who was standing behind them. It was Harley. I saw her in her black and red costume before in the television, she looked kinda cute in it, however, she wasn't wearing the costume now.

"Hallo... Katie." she said softly and smiled. "Can I come in?" I smiled back and nodded and I pushed her hurriedly in the appartment. "What are you doing here, Harley? Do you want to get yourself caught?" I asked her with concern. "You shouldn't be here." I said, but she waved her hand. "That's ok, Katie, my puddin' is waiting for me downstairs." I looked from the window and saw a black car parked outside, I couldn't saw the face of the man that was sitting behind the steering wheel, because of the huge hat that he had on his head. "You're both crazy." I shook my head, but then I smiled and I huged her.

"I really missed you, Harley." I said. "I was watching all your performances in the news, but how are you? And what about the Scarecrow?" I asked her impatiently and suddenly, a sad expression appeared on Harley's face.

"Well, you see, that's why I am here. Joker didn't want to take me here, but I head to see if you're alright." She looked at the table, where I threw the newspaper when she arrived. "I see you didn't finish reading the papers." she said and took the newspaper from the table. She opened it on one perticular page and showed it to me. Instantly my eyes widened in shock when I saw the headline:

THE NOTORIOUS SCARECROW CAUGHT AGAIN BY THE BATMAN!

I had to sit. Then I looked at Harley with a single question: "How?" She sat down next to me and embraced my aroud my shoulders to comfort me. "We don't really know. He didn't want to stay with us, said he wanted his own space for his experiments."

I nodded and sighed. "Thank you for coming here Harley." I said and then I stood up quickly. "Wait! We can try to get him out, it should not be that difficult, you know the security of that place."

I looked down at Harley and I saw that she was grinning on me. "Sit and calm down, Katie. And listen to me." she said and I obeyed, looking at her confused. "You see, me and my puddin', we have a certain plan with the asylum, I can't tell you the detailes, but it would be a huge party for the Batman."

"Really?" I looked at her. "Yep." she said. "It would be a great night! Everybody will be free that night. It's planned about a week, and you are invited too! There's just one little thing... you're gonna need a costume! Which is the second reason why am I here. Do you have any ideas?"

I shook my head. "No, not exactly Harley. It's not easy to think out something like that. You got an easy choise because of your're name already, but what do I have?" I asked her.

"Well you... you got the Scarecrow!" she exclaimed and I laughed bitterly. "Oh Harley, we talked about this, you're being ridiculous, he doesn't love me, we are just friends, nothing more."

"But he was talking to you. You know what happened to Kellerman, he could do that to you too, but he didn't." I looked at her. "And you just admitted that you love him." She looked at me and laughed, the flush on my face was everything she needed. "Yes, perhaps you was right all along, Harley, I felt strong feelings for him from the first time I saw him."

"You see? That's why you should come when the party begins! There will be a lot of fun, and Johny could show you his work in action. He's going to make a nice trap for the Batman." She laughed and I smiled. "I would love to see that. But, perhaps I could visit him in the asylum, now that he's there."

"Yeah, you could cheer him up a little!" she squeked and I grinned at her. "Yes, I will visit, just to talk a little, I was really missing the conversations with him for the last weeks."

Suddenly, a laud sound of the car horn was heard from the outside. The Joker was starting to get impatient. "Perfect, ok, ok, now back to your costume." Harley said and I smiled at her. "You now what, perhaps I should keep that as a surprise. I will go visit Jonathan in the asylum and I will settle my thoughts a little and then I will decide. We shall see if you will recognize me when I arrive at the asylum.

She was watching me with a strange smile and I looked at her. "What?"

"You just called him Jonathan." she said simply and I smiled. "Yes, I did." I said and then I came to her and gently pushed her towards the door. "Now you better go, Harley, before he come her to look for you. I am not in a mood for clowns right now."

She laughed and she turned to me in the door. "Hey, how do you like my costume, anyway?" she asked excitingly and I laughed. "It's perfect, Harley, it suits you." I said and she then left the appartment. I ran to the window to see her stepping in the car, so I waved her for the last time. Then I turned around to see the room. I so wanted to see Jonathan again, and this was a great apportunity, even when I didn't want to see him in the asylum. But what Harley said about the plan sounded interesting. I realised this was probably the plan Riddler told me about before. When I remembered him, I suddenly became to wonder how he was doing, if he was safe out there.

And then I remembered the communicating device he gave me. I was wearing it all the time in my ear in case he would call, but I didn't heard about him in a long time now, so I forgot about it. Now, I took the device from my ear. It had a miniature display and a miniature keyboard with numbers and two small buttons on the side. I pushed one button and a series of numbers appeared on the display. I realised it was a radio frequency, so I pushed the second button and put it back in my ear. The device started humming gently against my skin, but then I heard the voice.

"So, you actually managed to find out how to use my little gift, well done." I heard his cheerful, arrogant voice. "Nice to hear you too, Edward."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Hallo, Katherine! So, how is your new criminal life going?" he said and I smirked to myself.

"I am not a criminal yet, Edward, but I am working on it. So I guess you heard about the breakout."

"Of course I did, nothing is happening in this city that would escape me. May I presume than that you will attend the Joker's party?"

"Yes." I said and I smile. "I am currently thinking about my costume. I figured that if I want to be a rogue, I need one. I also want to visit Crane in the asylum, just to cheer him up a little."

"Yes, I heard about the unfortunate arrest. Someone was not careful enough again. He has a huge plans for the Batman, she should see it. I myself, however, will not be present in the asylum, but I have left enough of my trophies there to make occupied for most of the night."

I laughed. "Of course, I also hid some of the trophies you left me here. It won't be difficult to find them, but it will drag him across the whole asylum too. It will be really fun to watch him."

"Of course it will, that's why I have my own cameras everywhere. But look, it's nice to talk to you, but I must go. There's still a lot of work to prepare."

"Of course, don't let me dis..." I wanted to say, but he already cut it off. I smirked to myself. Idiot, I thought, of course I didn't really mean it, but somethimes he really was acting like an idiot, but still, it was the harmless type of idiot than the many ones I have met in my life. It really was nice to talk to him.

I needed to make another call then, to the asylum. It was strange to the doctors there, why I would want to visit the Scarecrow, but they seemed to undestand a little more when I told them that I was his last doctor. When I met the men that was asigned to him now, I was laughing inside. I was sure it will take only a few lessons with the Scarecrow before the good doctor will end up here as another patient.

And Jonathan seemed pleased that I came to visit him. We didn't have much time to talk, but I think we used it well. I was trying to get something from him about his future plans, but he only smiled and said that I should see for myself, that it would be a surprise. And I agreed that perhaps it could be better like that. Anyway, I was glad to see him again and I told him. After I saw him after the long time, I finally realised how right Harley actually was. I really loved him, but I wouldn't tell him, not right now. Perhaps he didn't feel anything to me, but for now, I was willing to settle with the good friendship we started. I was very sad when I had to leave him, but I knew that it will not take long before I will see him again. And then, maybe I'll be able to learn something from him, and about him.

I returned home with lots of feelings in my heart and even more thought in my head. I was looking forward to the party in the asylum, but for a party I needed a dress, a costume in this case. Something that will express something from my personality, something that, somehow, will have something to do with the Scarecrow. Something to do with fear.

What did I fear? No, that wasn't it. I didn't want to represent something I fear, but something that the others fear. Something that scares most of the people, something that people avoid. And then I got the answer. A really simple answer. A perfect answer. Darkness. That was what was scary for many people, a source of all possible human nightmares. Everything could hide in the dark, which was the reason why people were afraid of it. Therefore I shall represent the darkness, the unknown, use it as my weapon against the world. Learn to hide in the shadows.

Yes, that was it, that was how I will be called. I was nothing but a shadow for a long time in my life, so this time, I'll make sure the word has some meaning. From now on, I will be called the Shadow and I will become the nightmare of many. I will punish the Batman for what he has done to my friends. I will be the shadow over his head. No, I told myself and I looked out of the window with a smile on my face. I will become the shadow over Gotham.