Diana locked the door of the bathroom, before sinking to the floor. She wiped her nose, blood on the back of her hand. A shaky sigh escaped her. She felt so scared.

She slowly made her way to the counter, and grabbed a handful of tissues, from the tissue-box on the counter. She looked at her reflection. Her right eye was turning rather blue, she had a split lip, and her nose was bleeding really badly. On top of that, she had a really bad headache.

She held a tissue against her bleeding nose, tears in her eyes. She felt sick, both emotionally, and physically.

She jumped at hearing someone bang on the door.

'Diana, get out of the bathroom. Now!'

She flinched at Michael's voice. She grabbed the tissue-box, and carefully, opened the door. Michael looked down on her, his gaze filled with fake sympathy.

'You don't look too good' he mocked her.

She wanted to walk out of the bathroom, but he grabbed her arm before she could. He yanked her closer. She whimpered.

'You had a bad day. How about I ease your mind, huh?' he asked.

Diana fiercely shook her head, refusing to let him assault her again.

'I'm fine' she lied.

He grabbed both her arms, his grip tightening painfully.

'Please, I insist' he hissed.

He roughly pulled her along with him, and forced her down onto his bed once he had pulled her into his bedroom. He threw her down onto the bed, her face into the pillows, as he got on top of her. He held her wrists in his bruising hold, while he buried his nose into her hair. She squirmed underneath him.

'P-please…' she softly begged.

Tears filled her eyes . She turned her head to the side, her whole body trembling with fear.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw her mother in the doorway, her eyes empty, while she held a bottle of alcohol in her left hand.

'M-mom…please tell him to stop' she begged her.

Her mother simply rolled her eyes, and closed the door.

Diana's eyes went wide with shock, realizing her mother actually let him do this to her. She buried her face into the pillows, her body wrecking with sobs as Michael undressed her. She simply wanted her mother to love her, was that too much to ask for?

XXX

Diana breathed heavily, and threw herself onto her bed. Her body still hurt from Michael's assault. She tried to get over the sharp pain, her body hurting intensely.

She looked up at her cell-phone going off. With trembling fingers, she picked it up.

'H-hello?'she asked very softly.

'D, you sound terrible. You okay?'

'Adam, I'm so scared…I don't want this anymore' she sobbed.

'Your stepfather again?'

'Y-yeah' she cried.

'I wish I could help you'

'You've been a great friend. I'm really glad I have you' she smiled slightly.

'You need to go to the police. This'll kill you, if you don't report them'

'I can't' she said softly.

'Fine. Then I'll do it'

Her eyes widened.

'Adam, please don't' she begged.

'D, I'm sorry, but I can't stand to see you suffer'

With that, he hung up. She buried her face into her pillows. She just hoped he wouldn't actually do it. She'd have no family left if he did.

XXX

Adam Fischer stared at his phone a few moments after he had hung up. A deep sigh escaped him, and he pushed his hands through his hair.

He couldn't allow his best friend to suffer any longer. But he knew it could either be good, or bad for her if he called the cops. The good part of it would be that she wouldn't have to suffer anyone more abuse. The bad part was, she'd be alone. And in court, it'd be her word against those of her mother, and stepfather.

Judge Faden would never believe her. He was a corrupt asshole. She didn't stand a chance.

He threw himself onto his bed, determined to get her out of that place. There had to be something he could do.

XXX

Crane sipped from his coffee. Right now, he had seated himself at his comfortable couch in his apartment, and silently, read Diana's file.

At all the schools she had been to, teachers had described her as a quiet, timid girl. In pre-school and middle school, she had been a cheerful girl. But after getting into high school, she had started growing silent, and had trouble letting other people in. She was mostly seen on her own, but made friends with Adam Fischer half-way through high school. The two had a rough start after he and a couple of other boys bullied her for constantly being covered in bruises, but after two years, Adam had stopped, and had offered to protect her from the bullying instead of causing her to feel so bad.

He wondered why she was even going to Gotham University. She wasn't that bright. If he was being honest with himself, she annoyed and fascinated him at the same time.

'She is rather interesting, Johnny. And to be honest, one of the better-looking students of this year'

'I have no intentions of going after one of my students' Crane argued.

'So that's why you requested her file, huh? Because you have no intentions of going after her?' Scarecrow mocked his own words with a slight laughter.

Crane simply ignored his mental half, and continued his previous thinking. How this young girl had answered questions with such low answers.

He despised her for putting shame to his subject. He had worked hard to get this subject off the ground, and she…she didn't even try to learn about it. She didn't pay attention.

He clenched his teeth. He tightened his grip on the file he was holding. He refused to let this girl put shame to his subject. She would learn the importance of fear. He would teach her how to be afraid. Maybe he'd even use his toxin on her.

He smirked at the thought. Though he would never admit it, she fascinated him. He wanted to hear her scream. To hear her cry out in pure terror as his toxin took its effect on her, her screams only his to hear.

And yet…a part of him felt as if he had to protect her. To shield her from the cruel world, to protect her from anyone who dared to hurt her. Even her best friend…whom obviously had a little crush on her. The words he had spoken to her, to comfort her. He hissed at those sickly sweet words.

'I think you're the sweetest, and most wonderful girl around. Even after all that you went through, you're still able to smile'

His gaze hardened at the thought of that boy again. Adam Fischer. Scarecrow hissed inside his head.

'To hell with that pretty, blonde boy. He needs to know his place'

For once, Crane agreed with his other half. Adam Fischer would know his place sooner or later. How he had tried to help the girl with her work, while he was the teacher. He would be the one to teacher her, to help her during class. Not some blonde, good-looking guy.

He had to get rid of that boy. If he was out of the picture, she'd have no one to hide behind. She'd be defenseless.

He knew he would make an example of her in his classes. He'd embarrass her in front of her classmates, forcing her to answer questions she didn't know the answers to, to taunt her until she cried…

He placed the file aside, and placed his fingers to his chin. A twisted smirk played on his lips. It was only the beginning. He had so much more in store for her.

XXX

When Diana got to college again, she felt very self-conscious. Her eye still looked pretty bad, and she had a bit of trouble walking.

'Move it, loser!'

She found herself pushed aside by another girl. She ran into someone, causing her books to drop to the ground. She got to her knees.

'I'm so sorry' she softly apologized.

'You are rather clumsy, Miss O'Connell'

She dared to look up. She saw Crane stand in front of her. She trembled slightly, and focused on picking her books up.

'I'm really sorry' she said.

He kneeled down in front of her. He picked up her books, and looked at them. She carefully looked up. Up close, he wasn't as intimidating. Up close, he seemed so much more charming and human.

She shook her thoughts off her. Knowing men his age, Michael's age, would only hurt her and take advantage of her.

'You have a rather black eye' he stated.

She lowered her head.

She scrambled to her feet. She hated how he had stated that. She couldn't shield herself from him.

'I...I should go to my class' she soft said.

She slowly walked past him.

'I'll see you this afternoon, Miss O'Connell. And this time, please try to keep yourself together' he called after her.

She closed her eyes briefly, tears burning in her eyes at his comment. Why was he acting so rude and cruel around her? Or was she seeing things? Was he really doing this, or was she making a big deal out of nothing?

XXX

Crane watched the girl walk past him. When he called after her, she tensed up, and briefly halted in her pace. She soon started walking again, her head lowered. She was weak, and broken. His eyes briefly travelled to her hips, her curvy hips, that moved with every step she took.

'Quit staring, Johnny-boy. Your class is starting soon'

Crane chose to deny what his other half was referring to.

'I wasn't staring' he mentally responded.

'Ohh I know you were. You can try to say you only want to embarrass her for the sake of your experiments, but I know you. I know what you want'

Crane scoffed.

'And what would that be?' he asked silently.

'You want her to yourself. Not that I blame you' Scarecrow paused mid-sentence 'She's beautiful'

'Despite her horrifying personality'

'You can't be picky, Johnny. And besides…think about her in your arms. Wouldn't that feel great?'

Crane closed his eyes, his grip tightening on his briefcase. He still smelled her faint perfume on him after she had bumped into him. The brief contact had excited and repulsed him.

He was repulsed by his own feelings. He had never lost control of himself, especially in front of a woman. But this girl…she sparked something inside of him. She had lit a fire within him. And how hard he tried; he couldn't get those flames to rest.

'For now…I'll stick to my plan'

'Embarrass the poor girl?' Scarecrow asked with fake sympathy.

A smirk curled on Crane's lips.

'Indeed' he answered, causing Scarecrow to chuckle inside his head.

XXX

Diana waited nervously outside the cafeteria. Students whom passed her, mainly guys, would eye her like they'd have her for lunch. With every guy she passed, she reminded herself not to get in their way, or get them angry.

'Hey D!'

A faint smile crept up her face as Adam ran over to her.

'Sorry. That Mrs. Rodney sure knows how to keep her students inside down to the last second' he laughed.

She smiled. When he held out his hand, she took it. He pulled her into his side. She nestled her head onto his shoulder, enjoying being so close to him. Since she never got any comfort at home, she felt glad Adam gave her the comfort she needed.

They seated themselves far away from the cafeteria. They talked about the classes they had, Diana explained she felt really scared without him, and how a blonde cheerleader, the same one that had bumped her, had snarled at her for accidently taking her seat.

Adam would explain he had gotten a bit of trouble with a few other guys when they had bullied a smaller guy with glasses.

It seemed college was just as bad as high school. Bullying never stopped.

After the bell had rang, Diana looked at her best friend worriedly. She knew they had Crane next, but she didn't want to go to his class. She felt uncomfortable being near that man. She hadn't missed how he had observed her the first time she had his class. She felt so exposed and vulnerable being close to him.

XXX

As they walked into the classroom, Diana kept her head low. After her encounter with Crane this morning, she wanted to avoid talking to him.

When both of them wanted to take a seat in the back of the class, Diana heard her name being called.

'I'd like for you to remain in the front row' Crane told her.

'I thought students could pick their own seats?' Adam snarled at him.

'In most cases, yes. But since Miss O'Connell is a special case because of her parents…she'll remain in the front seat, where I can keep an eye on her' Crane explained.

'Fine. I'll sit down next to her, so I can keep an eye on her, too' Adam snapped.

Diana noticed how Crane's eyes narrowed, and how his jaw clenched slightly at Adam's comment.

She simply took a seat in the front row, glad Adam took a seat next to her. She looked at her hands in her lap. She knew this class would be long and dreadful. She hated being here…

XXX

Next chapter is with more Crane and Scarecrow, I promise!

Anyways enjoy, and have a nice day!

~TheOneWithTooManyInterests