"Time's up ladies." His voice was low and dangerous, sending shivers down my back. He stepped closer, I could see his jacket and half his face was covered in blood splatter.
"I want my answers and I want them now." He growled.
I stepped in front of Ellie, pushing her behind me with a protective arm. He watched as I did, but then was forward so fast I had no time to react as he shoved me aside and grabbed Ellie. I fell to floor as he began to drag her.
"We're going to have a little chat." He yelled, she began screaming and struggling against him. I quickly got back up to my feet and could only see red as he began to drag her away. Before I could launch myself at him, armed with only my nails and teeth, Ellie suddenly slumped to the ground.
She…fainted?
The Scarecrow and I didn't move for a good few seconds, both of us just looking at the small lump on the ground. I can't believe she actually fainted.
"What? Hello. Wake her up." He said surprised.
"I can't, she's passed out." I told him dropping to the ground next to her and looking her over. Should I put her in the recovery position? Do I even remember it? There was something about lifting her knee up, I think. Do I do something with her arm?
"How long will she take to wake up?" He asked, his voice beginning to get annoyed again.
"I don't know, I'm not a doctor. I thought you were." I shrugged as I got back up slowly. It was the truth I had no idea. She never fainted before, except that one time when I took her for a vaccination.
"I'm a doctor of psychology." He sneered before sighing and stepping away from her prone form.
"And how useful is that right now." I whispered under my breath.
"Then I guess you'll have to do." He quickly grabbed my arm instead and hauled it behind me so I couldn't move out of his grip.
'Oh brilliant' I thought as he dragged me out of the room and down the corridor, to another identical door. How does he tell them apart?
He kicked the door open and the door swung accordingly, hitting me as it bounced off the wall. The room was practically the same as the other except this one had no window at all, no escape route from here except the door that is. But this room did have a table and two chairs, he quickly pushed me in making sure the door was closed and proceeded to shove me in one of the chairs, I nearly fell out of it but thankfully I caught myself on the arm.
I had no doubts if he thought I couldn't sit in the chair right, he would just tie me down to it. I tried to look at the desk behind me, I could see papers and a disorganised mess before he grabbed a hold of my chin with forceful fingers. Pulling my attention back to him.
I winced as he made me face him, tugging sharply and shoving his face into mine.
"Those don't concern you." He released my chin and took the other chair. Pulling it in front of me. His knees bumped into mine as he pulled his chair as close as he could to me.
"Now Jessica. I know that Batman isn't your partner, but surely being the overprotective big sister you are, you at least know who your sister is stepping out with at night." He said, if I didn't know who the Scarecrow was and what he had done, I might have believed it almost sounded like concern.
But I did know about him, and I knew it was the furthest thing from concerned it could be.
"She isn't with Batman, she is with Bruce—" I began before he interrupted me.
"Wayne, yeah, yeah I know, everyone knows. It's on the page of every newspaper in Gotham city. But obviously she's been a busy little girl." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
I didn't answer him, I just stared at him with narrowed eyes. Willing my death stare to actually work and for the Scarecrow to drop dead to the floor.
He smoothed back his jet black hair sighing and adjusted his glasses.
"Maybe I'll go try my luck through there." He said his voice husky with implications.
"Even passed out, you don't have a chance with her. You're not her type." I sneered, hoping to keep him out of there while she was defenceless. Even conscious though, she was still pretty defenceless. Like a baby fucking duckling.
"And what, pray tell, is her type?" He asked, eyes boring into mine.
"She does usually go for the bad boys. But she doesn't go for the crazy guys." I laced my voice with false sympathy, apparently I have a death wish.
"She didn't have a problem kissing The Batman, if dressing up as a Bat and running around at night isn't the definition of crazy. I don't know what is. And believe me I know what crazy is, I have a doctorate in Psychology to prove it." He leaned back in his chair, as if we were having a nice chat.
"Says the Scarecrow." I quipped. And for a minute it was absolute silence. Except for my heart beat which sounded like a jack hammer to me. Felt like it too.
"You're funny Jessica." He drew out my name before he sighed loudly. "A little comedian." His voice dropped low.
"But play time is over. And I'm in no mood for your jokes or your games. Now, tell me." He put his elbows on his knees and leaned in close so his face was practically next to mine. "Who is The Batman?"
"I don't know." I lied, my voice quiet.
"Jessica. You better tell me now, or you'll not live long enough to regret it." His voice was barely above a whisper and I was absolutely terrified. I nearly didn't answer I was so scared.
"Jessica." He repeated.
"I-I don't…" I stammered, my voice shaking nearly as much as my hands.
"Jessica." He growled a warning and I had to swallow the lump in my throat.
"I don't know." My voice was so quiet now, I didn't even know if he had heard me, I was about to repeat myself when he began speaking again.
"OK, option two then." For a second I was confused but then I remember option two, he makes us talk. I got a glimpse of the needle before he plunged it deep into my leg.
I screamed loudly at the sudden pain. I gritted my teeth and tried not to look at it.
He still had a hold of the needle waiting until I had stopped screaming before he spoke again.
"Who is he?" He asked calmly, as if he hadn't just buried a fucking needle into my bare thigh.
"I have no—" I tried but before I could finish he pushed the plunger a third of the way down.
"What the hell is that!" I yelled, staring in horror.
My fingers ached from grabbing the arms of the chair so hard. I tried to focus on anything else but the needle and what the hell was in it. But then my vision started to blur and distort.
"What, the fuck." I whispered before his face and the room came back into view.
"It's a new version of my fear drug, it doesn't last nearly as long as the gas does, but it's psychological effects remain the same."
"I still need you talk of course, so I won't give you the full dose." I felt the needle slipping out of my thigh but I was more concerned with why the Scarecrows mask was on. Was he wearing it the whole time? Where had it been?
"Tell me, what do you see?" He gripped the arms of my chair and leaned in closer to me.
"What the fuck do you expect me to-" I stopped when a snake began to slither out of the eye hole of his mask.
I gasped as the tell tale rattle sounded and it slithered around his neck, it began to sneak closer to me. It's tongue slipping out to smell me out. I felt my body began to shake as the fear took over me just like it did when I was 9. Out in the long grass playing hiding and seek when I stepped on one just like it. It bit me and it nearly killed me if Ellie hadn't found me and screamed as loud as her little 8 year old lungs could. I still heard that scream sometimes in my nightmares. The ambulance. The pain.
"Get away from me." I gasped trying to move back but the chair stopped me and the snake was getting closer and closer.
"Scream for me Jessica." He muttered quietly, and I was about to tell him to burn in hell, but then the snake struck out towards me and locked onto my neck. As its teeth sunk into my skin I couldn't help but comply with his request and scream.
'If I live through this.' I thought to myself. 'I'm going to kill Bruce and this bastard with my bare hands.'
I fell out of my chair as I clawed at the snake. Finally getting its jaws off me I threw it across the room. As it slammed into the wall I stared horrified, as it multiplied into a dozen more snakes. I gasped and began crawling backwards until I hit the wall.
"What is wrong Jessica?" The Scarecrows face was in my face again when suddenly it morphed into a giant rattlesnake. "Are you afraid?"
I screamed covering my eyes and could feel tears sliding down my cheeks. I could barely breathe but then I heard the chair moving and my vision started to come back into focus. I looked up from my hands and Scarecrow was sitting in his seat again, looking at me with a frown. His mask wasn't there, the snakes had also vanished. Although the rattles still whispered in my ears.
"Jessica, I don't like when people lie to me." His voice was full of sincerity as he stared at me with pity. Well I don't like when people stab me with needles in inject god only knows what kind of poison into me.
"Give me a name, and this all ends." He said and I wasn't sure if he meant I was free to go, or he would kill me quickly. Neither seemed likely.
I tried to speak but my voice came out in a mumble, he got off his chair and kneeled in front of me.
"That's it Jessica, tell me. Who is the Batman?" His voice was excited as he pressed his ear near my lips.
"It's me Scarecrow, I'm The Batman." I smiled even as I felt myself still shaking. He snorted a laugh and leaned back again.
"Well Jessica. You're not dull, I'll give you that." He chuckled a little and stood up. Wiping the creases from his trousers as he did.
"I could do this all day with you, really I could. Your screams are music to my ears." He smirked down at me. "And while I'm very much looking forward to playing more with you later. Seeing just how much you can take before your mind breaks and your psyche shatters."
He chuckled when I froze at his words, my eyes wide with fear as I thought of him injecting the rest of his 'fear whatever' into me.
"Let's see if you feel more willing to chat while I test this same concoction on your dear little sister."
It was a heart beat before I registered his words.
No. Ellie!
I stood to run but before I could even take a step my legs buckled beneath me and I fell with a thud back to the ground.
"No!" I screamed as he slammed the door closed. I gritted my teeth as I pushed myself back up to my feet and I managed to hobble to the chair before I had to take a breath. I listened but everything was silent.
Why couldn't I hear anything? Shouldn't Ellie be screaming? Was she still knocked out? Was he bluffing? Then the door slammed open again, I had to jump back so I wouldn't get hit. And I fell over backwards trying to get out of the way. Landing on my ass with a glorious thud.
But if I thought the Scarecrow was terrifying before, it was nothing compared to now. What had happened? Why did he look so angry? And why was it all directed at me?
"Where is she?" He asked, his eyes wild with rage as he stared down at me.
"What do you mean?" I tried not to let me voice shake as I coward on the ground.
"Where is your sister?"