Hey everyone I'm so sorry for the long wait, I've been so busy with uni and all the work that comes with it!
I've decided to sit down and start writing again with my free time :)

Thank you to everyone who is following this story and I hope you enjoy this next chapter
I do not own any characters apart from my own Evangeline

And merry Christmas! :) x

13. Unmasked
Evangeline fixed on her mask and knelt on the roof of Gotham Police Department looking at the city she gave up a night of happiness to protect. She was thinking of the kiss, she saw fireworks and that was what scared her. Evangeline had only known Jonathan for a few days and she worked for him, it worried her how fast the relationship was moving, 'and it isn't even a relationship' the voice inside her head sourly pointed out. Evangeline's thoughts didn't distract her enough to notice someone was moving behind her, she stood up carefully, her hand moving towards the weapons on her belt so she was ready to attack. A hand touched her shoulder and she spun round bringing one of her metal 'halos' up to the throat of her surprise attacker stopping only when she realised it was Batman. "If I were a police officer, I'd have been dead..." Batman growled; he had hold of Evangeline's wrist. Evangeline dropped her weapon and Batman let go of her, "I'm sorry, I don't feel myself tonight...I was thinking..." Evangeline flushed pink behind her mask. "Thinking about stopping Harley Quinn? There have been more attacks and you haven't been around to stop any one of them, I need you to pull your weight if we want to stop Joker" Batman growled. Evangeline balled her hands into fists, "I was looking into finding her but I ran into the freak that gassed me and I lost the trail..." Batman held his hand up to stop her, "I shouldn't have expected so much of you, after Killer Croc, it looks like you still aren't ready..." Evangeline's eyes welled up, he was patronising her, "Croc was a year ago..." Evangeline looked Batman in the eyes and glared at him, "...you know what Bruce, I don't need this from you, I've proved myself worthy of fighting beside you time and time again, I've sacrificed so much and I'm sick of you treating me like a child! I only wanted to help you but from now on I'm doing this alone." Evangeline turned on her heel and leapt off the roof leaving Batman speechless behind her.

Jonathan sat slumped in his chair back in his office at Arkham, he hadn't moved since she left and even Scarecrow's attempts into cheering him up couldn't rouse him. 'I hate to say I told you so Johnny, that office mouse was no good from the start...we are better off without her, you and me terrorising the world, like it should be...' Scarecrow gave a short cackle but Jonathan stayed still. 'C'mon Johnny boy, let's hit the town, let off some steam! Try the new serum out, it worked so well last time!' Scarecrow frowned knowing he was getting nowhere, then he remembered something, something that he knew would get Jonathan back to his usual self, '...Johnny boy...the Batman, let's go hunt the Batman'. Without saying a word Jonathan fixed the gas canisters onto his wrist and grabbed his mask out the desk draw and walked out of the office.

Evangeline found herself back at her old home down town; she hadn't been back there since her father died. The apartment had been cleaned but it still looked exactly the same, she remembered her father and the reason why she was the way she was now, he was a good man and Evangeline was sure he'd be proud of her. She spent some time in the apartment, remembered all the good times her and her family had and how they over shadowed the bad times, she didn't regret a thing, 'except finding the people that killed my father' she thought bitterly, police sirens snapped Evangeline out of her thoughts, they were heading towards The Narrows, 'maybe some action will take my mind off things' she thought to herself as she left her childhood apartment.

Jonathan found himself surrounded by the sound of screams, this was him, this was his peace but for some reason it didn't make him feel better. He had wandered into The Narrows and set his fear gas onto anyone that passed him, he should have been laughing along with Scarecrow, drinking in their fear but he just felt empty. Jonathan thought he should let Scarecrow take over while he hid away inside his mind but he knew that his partner in crime would all be too happy to take over, but not before goading him some more about the intern. So Jonathan decided to keep control and not let his feelings and his confusion take over his thoughts, tonight would be about him and his experiment: how many citizens of Gotham it would take to send insane before the city was his.

Evangeline followed the police cars to a scene of utter chaos, screams filled the air and The Narrows was filled with a thick fog that made those brave enough to run to the aid of those stuck in it, fall to the floor yelling in agony. The police surrounded the perimeter setting up bases for the citizens that escaped to hold up while they tried to clear the fog, but none of them could get in close enough. Evangeline knew she had to go in there, the fog reminded her of the night she was attacked by the freak Scarecrow, and suspected that he was behind this attack; this was her chance to beat him. Using her hood to cover her face, Evangeline headed into the chaos, the hood couldn't prevent the gas from affecting her completely but it stopped her from falling to the floor like the others. Evangeline found a group of people huddled and trembling on a street corner, they cowered from her in fear but they didn't scream like everyone else around them. Evangeline spoke to them softly and pointed towards the direction she came from where the police had set up a safe perimeter. The people ran off thanking her and leaving Evangeline alone again surrounded by the horrible gas. Coughing and stumbling, Evangeline headed towards the centre of The Narrows, her mother's screams filled her head and a gunshot sounded over and over, the gas was getting more and more stronger the closer she got, Evangeline urged her mind to overcome the torture. Finally, the gas proved to be too much and Evangeline fell to floor and everything went black...

Jonathan breathed in the clean air his mask was producing, his mind was buzzing with Scarecrows cackling and complete satisfaction; his fear gas was at its most powerful and it had to be a matter of time before the Batman came to the rescue. He took a walk around the foggy streets admiring his work; soon Gotham would succumb to the fear and they would be begging him to take it all away, like he did all those years ago... Jonathan's thoughts were interrupted by a figure moving towards him; he watched the figure until it fell to the floor in front of him. Wanting to inspect his work, he walked towards the figure and noticed it was a woman, she was wearing a mask and he realised he'd met this woman before after the bank robbery, she'd put up a fight and he'd won. The masked woman had interested Jonathan but he was interrupted before he could find out who she was, now she was there in front of him, 'ready for round 2?' scarecrow hissed as the woman stirred and twitched.

Evangeline stirred, her head ached and the sounds of her nightmare faded. The fog was still swirling above her and as her eyes became more focused, she realised someone was standing over her shadowed by the fog. Evangeline's instincts took over and she kicked her leg up which came into contact with the strangers face who stumbled away from her giving Evangeline enough time to get back up onto her feet. The stranger lunged at her catching her unawares because of the thick fog surrounding her, it was so difficult to see but Evangeline managed to twist away from her attacker who cackled at her, "I hoped you'd have been more of a challenge, but I see you can't handle the fear..." Evangeline recognised her attacker to be Scarecrow and rage bubbled inside her remembering the last time they came face to face. She swung her fist at him hearing a crunch from under his mask as it hit his nose, Jonathan hissed in pain but he still had the advantage over her because of the fog. When her fist swung at him again, he caught it and pulled the masked woman towards him and with his free hand, he grabbed her throat just enough to stop her.

Evangeline struggled but Scarecrow was too strong and the fog was making her head spin. He lowered his head so the burlap sack was inches from her face, "fear me" he hissed, "never..." Evangeline croaked and spat into Scarecrows masked face causing him to throw Evangeline to the floor. Evangeline's head it the curb with a sickening crack, she tried to ignore the pain and attempted to get back up but she just fell down again, 'so this is it, this lunatic is going to kill me and I only broke his nose...' Evangeline laughed internally and closed her eyes...

Jonathan watched the masked woman's feeble attempts to get up and felt satisfied when she fell back to the floor and succumbed to her pain. "That's for my nose you bitch" he spat as he felt the warm blood trickling from his nose, Scarecrow was bouncing around his mind feeling victorious, 'nice work Johnny, now let's take her back to the asylum and torture her even more!' Jonathan took off the burlap sack now caked in his blood and walked towards his victim, 'let's see who she is first shall we?' he laughed internally with his fiendish other half. He leant over the masked woman and gripped her mask with his finger tips and lifted it off her face...

Jonathan dropped the mask like it had burned him when he saw her, his fingers brushed her cheek, this was unreal, he didn't understand and Scarecrow appeared speechless. "Evangeline..." he whispered and her blue eyes flickered open.

Evangeline was too weak to fight and too in pain to stop her attacker from taking off her mask but when she heard him whisper her name, she opened her eyes to see the man that she had never dreamed to see knelt above her..."Jonathan?"