CHAPTER 3

"Do actually believe that he was telling the truth?" Dinah asked as they arrived to the address that Jonathan Crane had given them.

"As strange as it may sound, I believe him," Helena said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Helena. Keep an open mind. The last thing you want is to get blindsided," Barbara said over the ear piece.

The two girls entered the mansion by crawling through a window. "Okay, if these directions are for real, we should be in the room where the secret door is hidden," Helena announced. "Now, if this is correct, the button to open the door is on the floor behind the recliner.

Dinah walked to the back of the recliner and stomped on several spots behind the recliner. After the third or fourth time, a doorway opened up to the right of the fire place, exactly where Mr. Crane had said it would be.

The two girls looked at each other and then made their way through the door way. Just as was described to them, they found the empty wooden table in the middle of the room and the empty shelves on the right wall. On the left wall was the costume that they were told about.

"Are you seeing this, Oracle?"

"Your video contacts are malfunctioning. Tell me what you are seeing?"

"It's everything that Mr. Crane described. He was telling the truth about everything."

"That means, his son can be a very dangerous man," Dinah said.

"Yes," Barbara agreed. "I think we need to have a serious talk right away."

* * * *

David was in his laboratory with the stolen chemicals and instruments. In his hands was a vile of the green chemicals which was what his father used to make his nightmare gas. He placed the vile on to the table as he reached for a container of a pinkish like substance. Wearing protective goggles, he poured a bunch of it into the vile. The greenish chemicals quickly changed to red. "This should do it. Now to test it."

He took the vile of red chemicals and poured it into a gas spraying device. He took the device over across the lab to a small container with two mice inside. He opened the lid and press the nozzle, spraying reddish gas into the mice cage at one of the mice.

At first the mouse began to look sick, stumbling around but then it looked over at the other mouse in the cage. Suddenly, the mouse made a horrid violent squeak as it showed it's two huge sharp teeth. The mouse began to act almost rabid as it charged the other unsuspecting mouse and attacked it with great violence. David grinned as he watched the fight which ended very quickly with the violent mouse killing the other non violent mouse. "It worked perfectly. With this chemical, no one can stop me. New Gotham is mine for the taking."

* * * *

Barbara controlled her wheelchair to spin around to face Helena and Dinah. "You both are up against something greater than either of you are thinking. If he sprays you with that gas, you are his to control. You will fall into delusions that will draw out your worst nightmares. He will be able to make you jump off a bridge if it suited him. You two must be protected when you go into battle."

Barbara pulled out a bag full of purple pill capsules. "Ingest these when you are about to go to battle. They will protect you instantly. Just as a precaution, take these gas masks with you. You can never have too much precaution."

Barbara handed them two small flimsy masks that would cover the mouth and the nostrils. Both girls took them and shoved them into their pockets. "So how do we find David Crane?" Helena asked

"I have a feeling that he will make his presence in New Gotham known, if he's anything like his father. The Scarecrow was not afraid to take on Bruce, so I have a feeling David Crane will not be afraid to take you two on."

* * * *

It was night time when David decided to go out for a walk in Downtown New Gotham. If he was lucky, he would run into a punk gang. He was looking for trouble. It wasn't hard to find trouble this late at night in downtown New Gotham.

There was a gang of punk kids hanging out at one of their homes. They all had neon green and neon orange paint painted onto their faces. They all looked in his direction as he stepped into view. "Lookie lookie what we have here. A rich man, here in downtown New Gotham! It must be our lucky day!" One of them said. The gang grabbed metal pipes, baseball bats, and switchblades as the slowly walked towards him. "What's the matter? Are you lost or are you just plain stupid coming here dressed like dat!"

"We'll just see who the stupid one is," David said with a grin.

"Let's get him, boys!" The gang made their way towards David. He tossed at them a small round gas bomb in the middle of the gang. A red gas was released and the gas swept through the whole gang. The gang ceased their approached and began to stagger as they all began to felt lightheaded. They all began to look at each other.

"I ain't afraid of you pigs!" one of them said. Everyone began saying similar threats before the gang erupted in a violent fight with their weapons. David laughed as he turned to walk away from the violence. He did not care to see who would prove victorious while everyone else was slaughtered.