I forgot this

Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or the wonderful Jonathan Crane… unfortunately

Rays of sunlight shone through the slightly closed blinds filling the small cramped dormitory with an orange glow. Jonathan raised his head and looked through the window at the rising sun blinking the light out of his eyes and removing his glasses to rub them. He guessed the time to be approximately 4:30 am noticing the pinkish glow illuminating the horizon.

It had been another sleepless night. He had always suffered from insomnia for some unknown reason, but never felt the least bit tired all day after a night of rolling in bed. Crane slowly rose from his bed and sat on the edge staring absently at the sunrise, wisps of his unkempt hair falling over his eyes.

All night long, the previous day's events had kept running through his head refusing to get out. He clenched his fists tightly without even noticing then quickly relaxed his hand closing his eyes. He was acting as if he were in elementary school again. Things like that had happened all his life including most of his school year during university so he should have gotten used to it by now. Yet the student still couldn't stop the all too familiar anger that always welled up in his gut roaring to break free.

Jonathan took another deep breath. The previous day, he had managed to remain calm even in the sneering face of the brunette, but as he remembered the events, what he should have felt suddenly erupted in his chest.

If they could feel what I feel… if they knew how it felt…

Crane smirked. He'd love, more than anything else, to see them squirm as he was forced to do all his life… He started to recall the feeling of satisfaction the previous day after slamming the door in that brat's face and watching as her expression changed from smug to shocked.

Looks like they never expected "the Scarecrow" to fight back…

Jonathan suddenly jerked up startled. His mind had been in a sort of daze allowing thoughts to go floating through his head… thoughts that he had tried, subconsciously, to hold back for quite a while. He quickly glanced over at the clock trying to prevent himself from going off into a stupor again. It was still about 3 hours until class started and still no sign of fatigue. But although he didn't feel the least bit sleepy, his head spun wildly, a headache pounding his temple threatening to crack his skull.

Closing his eyes trying to block everything out of his mind, Jonathan fell back onto his bed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever managed to get a good rest and the effects were starting to show. After what seemed like an eternity of the pounding in his brain, Crane finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

"What are you staring at!"

"I-…"

"Get lost freak!"

"Sweetie! What happened to your face?"

"Nothing…"

"Scaaarecrow… scarecrow… Made of sticks and straaaaw…"

"Holy crap… How old are you kid! You're like… what… 7 feet tall?"

"Scarecrow…Scaaarecrow…"

Jonathan bolted up panting heavily as the pounding in his head suddenly increased. He shut his eyes tightly trying to get the painful jibes from his past out of his head. Rather than feeling rested, he felt even dizzier than before, voices swimming throughout his mind. Then a much harsher voice, that sounded like his own rose above all the whispers in his head speaking directly to him…

Cowards… all of them! But not us… No longer will we fear… They've taken enjoyment from your fear… now it's your turn…

It was coming from deep within him… It was the thing that had been created out of all his pain… all his anger and hate… Now keeping it under wraps was becoming more and more difficult. Sitting on his bed leaning against a wall, Jonathan could do nothing but wait until the throbbing in his head subsided taking the whispered voices away with it. Finally, the pain was reduced and the sounds of his past vanished completely.

Opening his eyes, Crane glanced wearily at the clock beside the head of his bed. A green seven shone on the bright clock.

Clumsily emerging from his bed, Jonathan stumbled over to the bathroom where he doused himself with frigid cold water then got ready for another long day.

--

Warm spring winds blew through the morning air as Jonathan made his way across the grounds to the building where his next class was. His head still throbbing slightly, Crane steadied himself as the ground spun occasionally threatening to tip the tall boy right over. He jumped hearing a loud shriek ahead of him coming from two girls talking together, one of them holding a large spider in front of the other.

"OH GOD GET IT AWAY! Raelle… just… get it out of my face… I'm going to fucking faint!" said one backing away from the other as the hairy arachnid dangled in front of her face.

Crane felt something in his gut as he looked at the one holding the spider. The brown-haired girl from yesterday stood across from her freaking out friend waving the spider around laughing at the other girl's fear. Finally, the brunette tossed the bug at her causing her to dash off screaming madly as if her hair were set on fire. Crane watched everything, more than intrigued by the two girls, especially the one who had been sent running just because of one little spider…

The fleeing girl suddenly stumbled and flew foreword landing face first in the grass a few feet off. Raelle laughed good-heartedly then jogged after her.

"Hey you klutz! You're starting to act as clumsy as that "Scarecrow" guy," she said smirking, obviously aware of Jonathan's presence. "Now get your ass off the gr-…"

"My… my eye…"

Raelle's grinning face suddenly transformed into one of horror as she stared upon her friend slowly twitching on the ground, blood spreading along the blades of grass. She sat up slightly, her hand clutched over the right side of her face as a crimson liquid dripped out from between her trembling fingers running down her arm.

"Netty… NETTY! Oh my god… WHAT HAPPENED!"

But the brunette's concerned cry was cut off by loud sobs of pain coming from the blood-covered girl on the ground. Through her pale fingers, nothing could be seen where her eye was supposed to be except a large puddle of blood looking like something out of a horror movie. The space where her face had formally occupied was a pool of blood with one sharp, crimson rock protruding from the blades of grass. People all over hurried over attracted by her loud screeches echoing throughout the campus. Everyone surrounded her murmuring while others ran in through different doors to get help.

But Jonathan just stood in his spot watching as some of the crowd caught a glimpse then backed away shuddering. The tall boy seemed somewhat unfazed by the grotesque image before him, watching with great interest as though the bloody girl was a science experiment. Something about the scene seemed to draw him in, beckoning to him filling his mind with wonder and awe. Crane stood there, his blue eyes big as something in the back of his head whispered to him alluringly.

This is what you were meant to create… this fear… this pain… Only you can truly understand it… and only you will be able to use it…

Jonathan stumbled suddenly, his legs turning to jelly. He staggered into the tree leaning against it as, once again, his head started throbbing as if a hammer was pounding the side of his skull violently. Shaking slightly, grateful that all the students were too distracted by the bloody girl on the ground, Crane lifted his head trying to see through the crowd.

But it wasn't long before teachers, followed by several of the school nurses, hurried across the campus towards the crowd of students shoving the bystanders aside and blocking the wounded girl from view completely. One man with what looked like a squirrel on his face straightened up and announced loudly in a loud voice.

"OKAY EVERYONE! SHOW'S OVER! GET BACK TO CLASS!"

Gradually, the crowd diminished as students shuffled back to their lessons. Jonathan stood where he was watching as a school nurse kneeled over the form on the ground. Behind him, the ringing of an ambulance approached as the white car drove directly onto the grass. Turning away from the vehicle and back to the nurses surrounding the injured girl, Crane felt his stomach flip as he saw the brown-haired idiot staring right at him with an odd look on her face. That was his cue to leave.

Jonathan somehow made his way to his class stuck in thought. As he sat in his seat, the teacher's voice droning on, Crane felt himself thinking about something other than taking pages of notes throughout the lecture (which was quite unlike him).

Never before had he felt this way. He'd been tired before, never managing to get a wink, but ever since he woke this morning it felt as if he were in some odd dream. The previous day's events weren't unlike the rest of his past so why was that familiar voice whispering to him today of all days… And exactly why was it so familiar?

Jonathan shook his head finally coming to earth. He would have to save the contemplating for after class. Picking up his pencil and fixing his eyes on the professor at the front of the class, Crane shoved all his thoughts to the back of his head saving them for later.