Z/N ( Zoi's note) Batman and Ivy, Dr. Leland, Arkham, Scarecrow....anybody but Fear, are not mine. They belong to Bob Kane, and um, Marvel, I think. Anyway, not mine.

Scintillant Tenebres: Equipe de le Epouvantail

French. ( Sparkling night: Shift of the Scarecrow) (I think.)

Halloween. A new report has been sent out- a woman was seen in some sort of ragged gray material, going through the local jewelry shop a few minutes ago. The silent alarm tripped alerted the police. And they in turn summoned me. Eleven thirty. I approach the shop silently. Yes, she is still there. She suddenly turns, scanning the darkness with terror filled eyes. I duck out of sight. She couldn't have seen me. It's impossible. More than a petty thief, seemingly less than a villian, I wonder what her motives are. She has smoke gray hair, unusual in itself. I approach. She turns once more, sees me, and freezes, eyes still full of terror.
"Drop the jewelry, and come with me. I don't want to make this harder than it has to be."

"It speaks!" A raspy voice comes out of her mouth, in a burst, as though afraid of leaving.

"Drop the jewelry." I repeat, hoping she'll come quietly. "Drop it, and tell me your name."

She backs away, jewelry forgotten. Surely I'm not that terrifying?

"Fear! Fear has no name!" She shouts, voice about to fade altogether.

"Fear? Come with me. You need help. I can help you."

"Liar! It lies to me! You- You will take me back to Them!"

I reach forward, grazing the fabric of her arm. She shrieks, recoiling to flatten against the far wall.

"No! I will NEVER go back!"

"Back where? Fear?"

She is too far gone. She collapses into a whimpering pile on the floor. I reach down. She shrieks again, a high octave. Scrambling up faster than I thought possible, she throws a grey ball. Mist seeps out from it. I have already breathed some in. Damn.

"I will never go! Tell them that! Tell them!" She laughs, loud and insecure, giddy from fright, almost proud.

A police car pulls up. The mist dissolves. I barely see Gordon apprehend the woman. She falls limp. I flee. Have to get home to Alfred. Have to-the sidewalk rises up into a giant cobra. I push past with some difficulty. My mother screams. Impossible! A building catches on fire. People are crying. Have to- have to get home. Have......to....get...home.......have......to.....................

"Master Bruce? Master Bruce? Can you hear me?"

Sitting up is difficult. The world swims into view.

"I can hear you."

"Thank god! I thought I had lost you! A neurotoxin quite like-"

"Like the fear instillers Crane uses, I know. She hit me with it."

"She?"

"A woman. Gray everything. Gray eyes, Gray hair, Gray outfit. I think she called herself Fear."

"Oh, dear. It seems Batman has another enemy."
"Yeah. Alfred?"
"Yes, Master Bruce?"

"I'm going to go input her features into the computer. Bring me an aspirin."

A guard walked up to the clear containment cell with Doctor Leland. She paused at the cell holding the newest inmate. The guard opened the door. They stepped inside.

"Fear? Is that what you call yourself?"

The woman looked away. The Arkham outfit showed her almost emaciated figure.

"What's your real name?"

No answer.

"Who are you?"
"I am Fear."

"Okay...How did you get this way?"

Fear's eyes opened fully, growing afraid again.

"Fear! Fear is Fear! Aagh! Pain! The....pain.......fear......"

Dr. Leland's eyes widened. The woman made no attempt to harm her.

"Fear?"

"Them...You'll take me back to them... No!"

"Who? Who's 'Them'?"

"Them! They did this! They! did this...pain...fear.......fear......f.....e....a....r......"

Dr. Leland sighed.

"I don't think we'll get much out of you."

She stood up, and walked out with the guard.

Fear let her head fall.

"Alfred?"

"Yes Master Bruce?"

"Come take a look at this."

A few moments later, in Arkham Asylum, the inmates were escorted by guards in turns to the tv room.

Fear was led out by two guards. She stumbled into the small entertainment room. Vines snaked out to grab her as she fell. For a moment, she went limp. Then,

"Restraints! No! Them!"

"Not 'Them'. Just me. Poison Ivy."

Fear was dragged over to the couch, and deposited by Ivy.

"So, Fear. Are you afraid of everything, or so afraid, that you cease to be afraid anymore?"

"Cease to be afraid." Fear responded quietly.

Ivy grinned. "Wow. You are very interesting."

"I like plants."

"Do you? Here's the deal." Ivy glanced over to the guard, who was almost asleep. She lowered her voice.

"I'm going to help you get out of here. You like the sound of that?"

Fear nodded.

"Okay, here's what you do."

"Adrienne Crainte. French psychologist. Underwent adrenaline experiments at the hands of the Psychologist Group for Better Understanding and Involvement with the Human Reactions."
"Oh dear."

"Yes. I believe they did something to her. Something that made her the way she is now. Afraid of everything."

"What are you going to do?"

"Tell Dr. Leland."

Batman arrived at Arkham Asylum to find the guards outside with flashlights. He spotted Dr. Leland.

"What's going on?"

"Oh! Batman! You scared me. The new inmate, Fear. She's gone."

"What? How?"

"We believe she was helped. On the tapes she was talking to Ivy, and then she ran for the door. She pulled a small round object out from a potted plant, and threw it. The guards went into a hallucinatory state. Saw things that werent there."
"Fear gas. I know. Where's Ivy?"

"Still in her cell. Did you want to question her?"

Ivy boredly examined her nails.

"Yes, I helped Fear escape."
"Why?"
"Why not? It was so easy to snatch one of her little toys with my vines as they brought her suit by my cell. But what you're really asking, I can say, Pamela Isley knew her from college. Adrienne Crainte.
Crainte is 'Fear' in French."

"I am aware of this."

"That's right, the Batman speaks other languages, doesn't he?"

"Where is she now?"

"How should I know? I was a botanist, She was a psychologist. Unless they're treating plants for mental illnesses now, Her work was entirely different than mine. I have no idea where she'd go."

A call on the Batsignal. At first I thought it was for Fear, but it was for Crane. The Scarecrow is a lot like Fear. I've already had a fear injection once tonight. It won't happen again. I chased him all the way to one of the Wayne Co. building tops. He was worn out, I could tell. Nothing out of the ordinary. He was cornered now. Unless he jumped across to the bulletin, but he hadn't seen it yet. A brief scuffle. He teetered on the edge, and fell. No!

But he didn't fall to the pavement below. A pale hand caught his. He was as surprised as I was to see Fear on the bulletin. She waited in pain as he scrambled up.

I watched, still unsure. And Tired. No sleep since the blackout, and now this.

"Who is that?" Scarecrow advanced menacingly.

Fear held her ground.

"But no one answered, except for the wind, and his own swiftly beating heart." She whispered.

They stood for a moment, Scarecrow watching her.

"Adrienne! Adrienne Crainte!" I called.

Fear swung around on the narrow ledge. "No!"

"Adrienne! I know what happened to you!"

"No!" She shrieked.

Scarecrow seemed to recognize her.

"I can help! Adrienne!" I tried again. I was losing her.

"Didn't you hear the lady? Her name is Fear." Scarecrow said.

Fear turned to look at Scarecrow at the same moment I did.

It was still too much of a risk. The ledge was small, and even if I got on there, someone would probably get hurt badly. And it would probably be me.

"Ms. Fear, I am the Scarecrow. And I believe we've met in college."

Isley, and now Crane? How many villians did she know?

"Adrienne! Crane!"

It was useless. They were both too far gone now.

After a moment's pause, She turned swiftly. My reaction was too slow.

Another fear toxin had entered my bloodstream, this one in the form of a small dart.

I saw them escape together as I began to black out.

The Scarecrow and Fear.....

Had I finally met my match?