Hey, guys. Sorry I'm a bit behind with this chapter. This chapter was originally going to be a LOT longer, but I decided that I needed to find a way to divide them better. Especially since long chapters are a pain to write. As well as keeping everything straight, I have to think of a lot of reactions from multiple different perspectives, and as someone with Asperger's, writing from different perspectives and keeping it all straight is incredibly challenging.
Not to mention I have to edit this a little before sending it to you guys, as the stupid coding gets in the way *glares at coding venomously*
But anyway, enough of my ramblings. We have a story to continue!
It was nearly midnight by the time the two were a few miles from the gates of the Arkham Asylum. The old, dead trees along the road outside the gates cast deep shadows across their forms, masking their presence from the guards on the other side, the full moon in the sky helping to light their way.
"Where is he?" Scarecrow hissed, his foot stamping impatiently against the barren ground, adjusting his glasses nervously against his face.
"Maybe he's trying to lose Batman from his trail. He has been rather active near Park Row since that strange blackout," Scream replied, adjusting the nurse's cap on her head. She was dressed in blue scrubs, a name-tag labeled ANDERSON over her left breast pocket.
"Perhaps," he muttered, cleaning his glasses with his shirt. "Do you remember the story?"
She nodded. "I'm Bethany Anderson. I am one of the new interns working at Arkham Asylum to help obtain my doctorate in Psychology. I was traveling to work from my home in Bludhaven when I was attacked by the Scarecrow. Luckily, Nightwing happened to drop in and rescue me before he could inject me with fear toxin and offered me a ride to work." She looked over at him, a hopeful smile on her face. "Was that good?"
"Hmm, not bad," he said, his eyes squinting down the road to try and see the approaching light of a car. "Could use a little more emotion to it, though."
"No duh, genius," she snapped snarkily, rolling her eyes at him. She rubbed at her eyes. "You could've just left it at 'not bad.'"
"Yes, but we have to really sell it. We can't allow the guards to find us out right as we get through the door," he huffed, taking his eyes off the road to look at her.
"Don't you think I know that, Crane? I know what's at stake, and you're not making it any easier by reminding me constantly about it," she growled, her hands bunched up into fists. "And if you're so sure of yourself, why don't you wear the nurse's outfit and I'll be the one in the Scarecrow costume?"
As the argument continued, no one noticed the sound of the black Nissan Bluebird pulling up beside the couple.
Hush sighed in exasperation. Did they really have to argue now, of all times? He was half-tempted to honk the horn to get their attention, but thought better of it because it would draw unwanted attention.
Sighing, he trudged towards the two. "Alright, alright, you two. That's enough!" he said, sliding between the two to get their attention. "Let's not forget what we came here for."
Both backed off, looking down slightly. "Sorry," they both muttered to each other, after a brief glare from Hush.
"Now, I brought along the trophies and the green paint, just as you asked. Becky, the makeup kit is in the back," he said, watching as she smiled and rushed to the backseat. "You didn't have to tag along, Professor. Becky and I could have gone in and be done with it."
Jonathan shook his head. "No, it'd be too risky for her to do this alone. Without me distracting the guards, she's likely to be caught before she could get the job done. Plus, some of those trophies and riddles need two people to place them. That, and I will need some time to disable the cameras and place the gas."
Hush nodded as Becky ran back with the makeup, her freckles covered by the foundation as she reached inside and began to prepare his for the bruises and black eye he would usually sport after a tough fight with Nightwing.
"Okay, you're going to have to hold still," she said, dabbing the makeup brush onto the palate as she mixed some of the colors together. Once she was satisfied, she dabbed it over his cheeks and forehead.
"I must admit, I didn't take you for the makeup kind of gal," Hush said, impressed with her skill.
She chuckled. "When you got beaten up as much as I did growing up, you know a good deal about how to make or cover up the bruises." She turned back to Crane. "Now, close your eyes."
He obeyed, slightly squeezing his eyes shut as she started to apply the purplish makeup around his right eye. She clasped onto his shoulders, trying to steady herself as she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach some of the corners of his eye.
"Don't squint," she lightly scolded, adjusting the make-up around his eyes, making sure she didn't get any in them. "I think we're alright." She looked over to the man in tights. "What do you think, Hush?"
Hush looked over Crane's face with a critical eye, checking to make sure that Becky's makeup looked realistic. "Looking good. I think that'll fool them enough to get you by security."
"Thank you," Becky said, smiling at her handiwork.
"If you're quite done staring at me, isn't it about time that we infiltrate the Asylum?" Scarecrow huffed, impatient.
"Right," both Becky and Hush replied quickly, both hurrying towards the car, Becky climbing into the backseat while Hush climbed into the driver's seat, Crane taking shotgun as they rode off towards the Asylum.
They just made it past the gates before they were required to go through a security check, Becky nervously clenching her fingers into her seat as they rode past. She really hoped that her cane wouldn't be checked as extensively. Heaven help her if the metal detectors inside the Intensive Treatment center caught the weapons hidden inside.
"Hush, what are we going to do about my weapon?" she whispered to him as the guards continued to search the car.
"Don't worry," he whispered back, shifting so that she could see his back. Hanging off his back was her cane, with its curved end hidden, its blow-dart function active. "Those guards will think that it's one of Nightwing's eskima sticks that he uses to fight crime. Even if they ask, I could always tell them that I lost one of mine during Scarecrow's attack. But shh, they're coming back."
Scarecrow and Becky both froze, Crane pretending to be slumped over against the corner of his seat as the guards came into view. "Alright, you're in the clear. Do you want us to bring in Crane?"
pHush shook his head. "No," he said, trying his best to mimic the voice of Nightwing. "I'll bring in Crane. Right now, I need your help with this lady in the car. She was attacked by Scarecrow and got a good dose of fear gas in the process."
If they noted anything different about his voice, they didn't seem to care at the moment, all of them rushing to help the woman in the backseat, her eyes staring blankly at the seat with a horrified expression, seemingly completely petrified with fear.
As they helped get her to her feet, she looked back over to the two, winking slightly before resuming her terrified expression as she turned back to face the concerned security officers.
Hush took it as his cue to start moving, making a show of shoving Crane roughly out of the car, dragging him towards the Intensive Treatment center. As they approached the lobby, Crane looked back towards his girl, watching anxiously as they hurried her towards the Medical Treatment center.
"Eyes on the road, Crane," Hush growled, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can't afford to be distracted right now."
"I know! I know!" Scarecrow hissed, elbowing Hush in the side under the guise of struggling. "Let's just get this over with."
The whole lobby started to clap as Hush/Nightwing dragged Scarecrow towards the awaiting guards.
"Thank you so much, Nightwing!" one nurse exclaimed, still clapping as Nightwing dragged the former professor towards the security scanner.
"We can take it from here, Nightwing," one of the guards, Aaron Cash, said, his hooked hand moving closer towards the two.
"Hush/Nightwing waved them off, putting on a charming smile. "Alright. Make sure he doesn't escape this time."
Cash chuckled. "We'll try, Nightwing. You have a good night now," he said, catching the end of Scarecrow's collar with his hook.
"Hey, watch where you're putting that hook, Cash!" Crane snapped, trying to wiggle out of his grip. "Any closer and you would have gotten my neck."
"Shut up, Crane. You're lucky that's the worst I would do to you," the man growled, jerking the hook slightly, causing Crane to gag.
"If you don't mind, Cash, I would like to accompany you for a little bit, just in case he decides to break loose," Hush/Nightwing requested, his usual smile replaced by a small frown. "We wouldn't want to have to catch him again tonight, would we?"
Cash thought this over, before shrugging. "Alright, might as well. We could use the extra security with him, anyway."
Hush/Nightwing nodded. "Alright, lead the way," he said, following behind Cash as the three made their way towards the security checkpoint.
Becky looked around, her eyes wide in faux-fright as she was escorted toward the medical facility, two guards on each side helping to keep her steady as she twitched. She kept up a low mumble throughout this, occasionally punctuated by a loud yelp.
Good, she thought, as the guards helped her through the doors. They seem to be falling for it. I just hope that the antivenin doesn't have any effect like Jon said.
As they guided her further and further down the medical hall, Becky began thinking of potential places to hide some of the riddle trophies.
Hopefully Hush remembered to bring them in. I don't want to go to all this trouble just to have to break out and back in again, she thought, her fists clenching.
As the two guards opened the door into the Sanitorium, her ears were assaulted by the loud, echoing sounds coming from the back corner, followed by the sounds of guttural growling and hissing.
This time, Becky did freeze up in real fear. She recognized those animalistic growls as belonging to Croc, and he did not sound happy. She had no idea how they had managed to snag him this time, but she didn't want to stick around too long to find out.
One of the guard's put a hand on her shoulder as he continued to guide her closer to the howls. "It's alright, Beth. They have that animal under control. They're just fitting a new shock collar on him. Although I'm still wondering how he broke the other one."
She gulped, her face flushing. If Croc didn't decide to break out and eat her, he would blow her cover and the plan would be ruined. She needed to do something, and quickly.
"No! No! Please, stay back!" she screamed, her legs frantically backpedaling against the firm grip of the guards, fighting against imaginary monsters, trying to rapidly look around to find a possible escape.
"It's going to be okay, Miss Anderson," the other guard said, trying his best to calm her down. "We've got you. Nothing is going to hurt you."
But just as he said this, the sound of screeching metal reverberated across the room, followed by the flying body of a doctor before the hulking monstrosity stormed into the main hall, his glowing, yellow eyes looking around before focusing in on her.
"YOU!" he snarled, bits of spittle and blood flying from his mouth. "I will not let you go this time!" With a roar, he barreled towards her, eyes filled with bloodlust and rage.
Time seemed to slow in front of her as she felt something snap into place deep within her. With a snarl, she leaped towards the charging animal, her fingers splayed out like claws as she started to grapple with the beast, the guards and doctors looking on with horror, limbs frozen with fear.
But instead of being torn apart limb from limb, she seemed to be hold her own, her teeth bared as she shoved Croc back, sending him flying into the doors, making a Croc-sized dent in the metal.
Shocked, Becky looked down at her hands, then to the large dent in the door, confusion evident in her expression. "Did…did I do that?"
With a snarl, Croc scraped himself off of the dented door, his eyes glowing with fury. He didn't know how that little pest had tossed him with her bare hands when even Batman couldn't do it, but he wouldn't let her get him caught off guard again. Growling, he grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and hurled it towards her.
With lighting reflexes, she dodged out of the way of the cylindrical container, grabbing a nearby guard and flinging him away from the fray, her green eyes narrowing at the reptile-like man, a low growl rumbling from her lips. "Back off, Croc!
"You think you intimidate me, little meal?" Croc snapped, letting out a guttural laugh. "You are nothing to me!" With a savage roar, he hurled himself towards her, his eyes locked on his prey. She wasn't going to get away from him this time.
Becky dodged away from him as he swerved to catch her, his superior speed letting him close in on her, his fanged jaws very close to snapping at her long hair.
How am I doing this? She thought, her mind swirling rapidly around in her head. She had no idea what was happening to her or how she was doing so well against a creature that even Batman had trouble fighting without any weapons to help her. She ground to a halt at a corner of one of the offices. Uh-oh. Dead end.
She turned around, backing up slightly as Croc leered at her, licking his lips hungrily. "Say goodnight, Miss Albright," he hissed, his teeth and jaws snapping towards her face, waiting for the crunch of bones snapping and breaking and the tender taste of her flesh against his lips.
But instead of the sweet taste of meat, he instead seemed to taste ashes and dust. He opened his eyes, and found himself not at Arkham Asylum, but at the raging fire that had once been his circus, his home. He tried to move, but found himself trapped in a small cage, unable to escape as flames and debris rained all around him.
Becky opened her eyes when she found that the rancid smell of Croc's breath was no longer wafting over her like a large sewage truck. But when she looked down, she was shocked to see him tucked into the corner, his breathing heavy and his body curled into a fetal position on the floor.
"What's happened to me?" she murmured to herself, trying to comprehend how she had scared Croc when she had absolutely no fear gas on her. Unless…
But before she could continue that thought, she was startled by a loud gasp coming from the doorway as one of the doctors began to approach the scene.
"How…How on earth did you do that?" he asked, staring in astonishment at her, and then at the cowering Croc.
"I…I don't know," she said softly, confusion starting to settle in as her adrenaline began to fade. "I don't know."
Crane looked around as he was hurried along. They had just passed the elevator and the scanning booth and were now heading towards the back of the center and towards the Penitentiary. He had already mapped out his escape route. All he needed now was the opportunity.
As they made their way towards another elevator, stopping briefly in some of the lower holding cells, Crane saw his chance. Giving a barely perceptible nod towards Hush, he readied himself as Cash looked away for a moment. Snapping the chains on his handcuffs, he elbowed Cash in the eye before he could react, tearing away part of his jacket in the process.
Darn, I really liked that one, too, he thought, before throwing a fear gas bomb towards Hush and the other guards, ducking into one of the air vents as the men scrambled to run away. Oh well. I'll patch it up once I get home. Right now, I need to focus on getting away before they realize that "Nightwing" didn't stick around to help them.
He dug into his pocket, pulling out the small, neon-green question mark trophy as he placed it neatly at the end of the duct. There, that should do it for this little area, at least.
He snuck out of there and headed towards the exit, reaching into his pocket as he grasped one of the capsule-sized fear bombs inside, throwing it ahead of him as he held his breath, shoving the guards in front of him out of the way as the toxin took effect.
As he raced down the hallway, placing some of the trophies here and there, he had to wonder how his Becky was doing.
Hopefully, she's doing better than I am, he thought, scrambling into an air duct as a pair of scientists passed him. He kicked one of the trophies behind him, careful to avoid being seen as he dropped down to the ground.
He counted the trophies he had left. He only had eight more to go.
With a sigh, he started towards the offices.
