#25 Crane can poison you any number of ways.
Accepting gifts of an edible nature was always a slight risk in a criminal career. Poison and mind altering drugs were widely available and then there were those whose trade almost exclusively depended on such acts. Like Pamela or Jonathan.
Accepting food or drink from Doctor Jonathan Crane was possibly one of the dumbest things anyone could do, but sometimes it happened. Jonathan had perfected his toxin in all three states. Gas, liquid and solid. He could slip it into anything at any time.
It happened to Edward because of distraction and an empty stomach. He should have known something was up when a plate of sandwiches appeared. His stomach had growled and like an idiot, he'd gone for one of the ham triangles.
It was only when the letters on his monitor screen began to laugh at him that he understood the idiocy of what he'd just done.
Edward had seconds. He pawed through the various drawers and papers around his precious monitors but he couldn't find it. He needed it. Where was it, where was it?
'Looking for this?' He turned in alarm and the walls all but melted at the sudden shift. Concentrate. He had to keep concentrating on what was real. Jon was leant against the doorway, his slender fingers wrapped around a small clear vial. The fact that Jonathan had it was far, far from a good sign. Anyone having even a modicum of immunity or neutralisation to his toxin was on Crane's list of people who provoked a reaction. An angry Jonathan Crane was a sight to behold. It was best, if you did possess something like an antidote, that Scarecrow never found out about it. 'Why, Edward, have you been cheating?' He hardly seemed surprised.
Edward lunged for the antidote just as Jonathan stepped back and he fell to the dusty floor in anger. 'Where did you even get something like this?' The skinny man wondered as he inspected the contents.
'Batman,' He huffed. It hadn't been difficult. One of the first things you do when you have that flying git cornered is take that damn utility belt off him, it just so happened that during their last encounter, he'd grown curious and began searching through the pockets. In one, he'd found a small canister of toxin antidote. It hadn't been difficult to replicate but a sense of thrift made him hold on to the formula. It would be worth something to someone…Eventually.
Crane was inspecting the vial carefully as Edward struggled to maintain grip of reality. It was getting harder to ignore the shadows coalescing into various figures of his murky past. Nashton Senior, Batman and Arthur Brown were just the three most recognisable.
'Jonathan, I need that antidote. Give it to me!'
'Where are your manners?' Scarecrow sneered.
'Please. Please?' He really didn't want to go through this right now-
The vial dropped in front of him with a soft 'plink' on the floorboards and thankfully didn't break. Edward's hands shook as he pulled and yanked at the stopper hungrily. He could hear their voices, getting louder, words on the cusp of his hearing and he knew for a fine fact they had nothing nice to say to him. The cork came undone and splashed his fist but he hardly cared for a few drops. He gulped what was left and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The chattering was coming closer and he could understand the individual words now. 'Weak.' 'Talentless.' 'Pathetic.'
'Why isn't it working?' He screamed as sweat beaded his forehead with the force of pushing back the tide of despair and terror. Jonathan was laughing. He was almost doubled over in laughter and was taking enjoyment out of seeing his friend so frustrated. 'What have you done Jon?' He rasped against the fear paralysing his throat.
'It doesn't work Edward, because you've acquired an obsolete formula.'
What?
Scarecrow pushed him back and he toppled onto the dusty floorboards. The rogue loomed over him like a demented spectre. 'I find it remarkable that you don't know this Riddler, but I change my formula every time that flying menace concocts an antidote,' He growled.
Oh no. Oh god no.
He leaned down until they were virtually nose to nose. 'Don't ever let me catch you with one of these again, Edward.'
He pulled back and made for the door as the first peal of screams erupted from Edward's throat and all three hallucinations descended upon him.
Yep, Creepy Crane is on my list of respect. He freaks Nigma out at points and no wonder if this is what happens. That toxin of his is evil but Edward did learn an important lesson, two actually. 1) be wary of food randomly appearing and 2) don't let Scarecrow know you may be in possession of an antidote.
PS: Please don't tell him I call him Creepy Crane behind his back – I like living.
A/N: Wow, um. What can I say? It's one of those days. I promise humour and I deliver a bucket-load of drama. Poor Eddie, even he isn't immune from Scarecrow's wrath. Here's another sterling example of friendship. Carry on with your day.