*Chapter 4: Fears*

As the elevator opened, Batman could hear screams coming from behind the glass window. He could see doctors and patients moving around, screaming. He had a bad feeling. Moments ago in the elevator, Batman coughed at the unusual smell of the gas. He knows that smell. How he hated to encounter it. Good thing Mia chose to go with Cash.

"Please, Dr. Crane, don't do this!" A voice begged.

"There is no Crane..." A voice spoke out. A shadow on the wall moved. "Only Scarecrow!" Lights were flashing inside the room. Men were clawing on their skin like something was crawling on them. One patient slammed against the window, screaming, begging to be let out. Batman saw a shadow on the wall as lights flash. Batman hurried to the hall, but the bars were blocking him from going after Scarecrow.

"Oh, looks like the good doctor started early." Joker spoke. "Your appointment isn't for hours. I'm sure you'll be buzzed through when he's ready. Tell me, Bats. What are you really scared of?" Batman uses the explosive gel to blow up a hole in a wall to find another way inside. Yet Joker is still speaking to him not caring if he was being ignored. "Failing to save this cesspool of a city? Not finding the commission in time? Me, in a thong?" The clown let out a laughter, but again, Batman isn't amused. He ran through the lower corridors and see Jim clutching on the vent at the top of the room.

"Please, help me Batman!" Jim said before being yanked away. He started screaming. Batman pulled onto the vent and crawled through it to get to Jim. Once he reached the vent, kicks his way through and see a body leaning against the wall. Batman walked over to see it was Jim's body. His face was bruised, but he isn't breathing. Batman placed his fingers over the pulse. Nothing. Batman was too late. He shuts Jim's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jim." Batman spoke. He hears a door slam. He turned to the direction where the morgue is. Scarecrow could be there. But, Batman had to contact Barbara, telling her the bad news. "Barbara? I...I'm sorry. I was too late." He said.

"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed isn't available. Please leave a message after the tone." A voice message said. Batman is confused. Why isn't Barbara answering? She usually does.

"Barbara! Are you there?" Batman asked. A large shadow is on the wall as Batman walks down the hall to get to the morgue.

"Please hang up your phone." A voice message demanded. Batman looked around to see bugs all over the floors and walls. He turned to the right and found the doors to the morgue. He walked inside and everything has gone quiet. There is no one there. Batman started to hear ghost-like voices around him. Telling him to get out of here. The Dark Knight turned back to leave, but entered the same room! But this time, there are three body bags on the tables.
Batman approached one and unzip it. A man in a suit turn his head, looking up at Batman.

"Father..." Batman spoke, backing up a bit.

"You should have stood up to him, son, like a man!" His father, Thomas, said with disappointment. Turning back to the second body bag behind him, Batman unzips it. A woman in a black dress, wearing the pearls. She looked up at him.

"Mom?"

"Help us Bruce! Don't let us die!" His mother, Martha, said in a raspy voice. Batman backed away, shutting his eyes. This isn't real. It was the fear gas. He turned to the third body bag. As he unzips it, Scarecrow popped his out, making the Dark Knight black out.

Mia let out a cough after she caught the strange smell. She is falling behind from Cash and Dr. Young. She hasn't even left the Medical Facility yet. She pressed the earbud against her ear to contact Batman, wondering if he found Jim.

"Batman? You there? Hello?" She let out a cough before leaning against the wall. Her nose started to bleed. "Oh shit..." Mia wiped her nose with her sleeve. She pushed the doors open and found herself in the orphanage. Mia remembered it. She was sent here after her mother was killed in the car accident. "Oh god...no..." Mia whispered.

"When can I have a family?" Her seven year old self asked in thin air as Mia walks down the long corridor of the orphanage.

"It takes time, sweetie. But there are lots of people in line wanting to adopt. You will have a good home when that time comes." A voice of a woman said. Mia shook her head as she walks. Lightning flashed and Mia is now walking towards a burning building, hearing her deceased husband screaming.

"Help! Someone help me!" Walter's voice. Mia watched the burning building collapse.

"No!" Mia screamed. The fire is too hot for her to enter. "Walter!" Mia then turned around and see the killer who caused it. William Sanchez. He gave her a smirk. Mia shuts her eyes. He's dead. She shot him. This isn't real. It must be a bad dream.

"Don't think this is over, Harlow. Your rich boyfriend will be next. You will be all alone." William taunted. Mia got the gun out, glaring at the man.

"I've killed you once. I will do it again, you son of a bitch." She aimed a gun at him. William laughed at her.

"That's it, Ms. Harlow. Kill the man who killed your husband years ago. You will kill him over and over again. Unleash your anger." The voice of Scarecrow is heard. Her hand started to shake. She shuts her eyes. The gun went off.

XX

Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, someone is calling her name. Mia opened her eyes to see Batman's face. He took a gun away from her hand and place it on the floor.

"Mia...it's me." Batman spoke to her. "Snap out of it."

"Batman..." Mia whispered. "What...what happened?"

"Scarecrow must've spread his fear gas around to get to you." Batman replied. "You tried to shoot me." Mia blinked and look down at her hands that are shaking. The woman got on her feet as Batman helped her up and brought her close to him. "Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. Scarecrow tried to make you live with your fears. He tried slowing me down."

"I'm sorry, Batman." Mia said in a whisper. She felt his hand rubbing her back up and down to comfort her.

"It's going to be okay, Mia. I'm here." Batman said. Mia pulled away and see they are outside the doors of the morgue. She doesn't how she got here, but she won't even ask. She must've wandered off track while she was affected by the fear gas. "Cash and Dr. Young must've been at Arkham Mansion by now. The fear gas got to you before you lost your way."

"I remember I was close behind them and then I caught that smell." Mia said, picking up Jim's gun and hid it. "That's what it was, wasn't it? The fear gas?" Batman nodded. "Well, guess I'm stuck with you until we find Jim and my boss." Batman was about to tell her about Jim's death until they turned to where the body is. But, it wasn't Jim at all. It was one of the security guards. Scarecrow's gas must've affected Batman more than he thought. Batman felt relieved.

"Are you lost, little Bat?" Joker asked. "Having trouble figuring out what's real and what's just a figment of your twisted little mind? Same here." He chuckled. "Just roll with it, Bats. It gets easier once you give in. It really does."

"How about no?" Mia asked, not expecting an answer from the clown. The doors burst open and revealed three goons. But one of them has knives. Mia got the crowbar and started to hit one of the men in a head as Batman fights off two of the inmates. "Goddammit!" Mia growled as she finally knocked out the inmate with her weapon. Batman smirked a bit.

"Try not to break his skull with that thing." He told her. Mia scoffed.

"Says someone who breaks arms and legs to interrogate." She said. Batman lead the way to the corridors to find Jim. More chattering teeth are around the floors. This time, Jim will be rescued. Mia wonders where Dr. Raymond is hiding. He could be anywhere. Hopefully he didn't end up dead.