Chapter 5: The Plans Unfurl

Lock, Shock, and Barrel ran down the streets, eager to get to Town Hall without being seen. It was early in the day, and they had decided before hand to already have the dummies at Town Hall. Right now, everyone was too busy getting ready for tonight to take much notice of the little threesome. It did not take long to get to Town Hall.

Once inside, Shock immediately directed her brothers to a closet that was hidden well out of sight. She used this closet many time to eavesdrop on important business---especially when the Mayor was speaking. The threesome quickly put their dummy duplicates inside, before they quickly closed the door.

"Are you sure no one will see?" Lock asked.

"Positive. No one looks in there."

Shock looked around.

"Sadly, though, we have to clean up a bit right now to make Jack believe we've worked."

"Aww!" Lock moaned.

"Shh!" Shock warned. "Right now we can do it without having to use toothbrushes!"

"Fine," said Lock. "But you're doing most of the work; it was your idea!"

"If I end up doing most of the work, you're not gonna have any arms."

"Guys!" Barrel said with a harsh whisper. "We can't fight now! Someone might hear!"

Lock and Shock looked at him, then at each other, then nodded.

"Good point," whispered Shock.

"Do we have to clean?" Lock asked.

"I hate it too, but we need to fool Jack if we're going out tonight. He won't believe we've been working if he comes back and Town Hall is still a mess."

She went to the closet and pulled out a broom, a mop, and a dust rag.

"Now get to work."

It was five o'clock a.m. in Gotham City. Batman was still in the cave. He had dissected the Drakulah doll, examined every wire, every pieces of metal frame, and now the head. He realized there was some kind of vibe that the dolls were giving off---something small and hardly felt, but one strong enough to effect the brain. Batman opened the doll's head. There was a microchip inside.

Now the Mad Hatter was on the suspect list. Electronic chips and electronic vibes strong enough to mess with the brain were definitely up his alley---not mention the Alyse doll was definitely something he would put out. He still had not ruled out the Joker and the Scarecrow. The batteries had been set aside. Robin was in his chair, asleep at his section of the computer. Batman was starting to feel fatigued himself. He had just started to test the microchip, when he suddenly fell over.

In his mind, he felt like he was falling. Wicked laughter filled his ears as he fell. He saw his enemies as he fell. The Riddler. Harley Quinn. Two Face. Poison Ivy. The Mad Hatter. More and more Arkham rogues filled his head, each more twisted and scarier than the next. All of them reached for him, with hands like claws and teeth like wolves. He tried to scream, but his voice died out. The Joker's wicked laughter began to fill his head.

"No!" Batman cried out. "It's just my mind. It's all in my head! IT'S JUST MY MIND!"

He fell over. The Joker was standing over him. His wicked grin stretched widely, and his hand held out a gun. Behind him, Batman saw Robin, Batgirl Nightwing, Alfred, Commisioner Gordon---all of his accomplices, his of friends, lying dead.

"It all ends here, Batsy. You've failed. You've failed your kids. You've failed Gotham. You've failed your own parents."

Batman's eyes went wide as the ground at the Joker's feet burst open. The Joker laughed his wicked laugh as his parents, long dead, rose for him.

"Bruce," they said, their voices echoing. "You've failed!"

There was the sound of a gunshot and the Joker's wicked laughter, and Batman's own screaming. He felt something hitting him, slapping his face.

"Bruce! Bruce!"

Batman opened his eyes. There was Robin, standing above him, patting his cheeks, trying to get him to wake up. He looked relieved when Batman finally sat up.

"What's going on? It was like you were having an episode or something!"

"I was," said Batman. He quickly reached for his antidote-for-all and injected himself, then got up off the floor. "And I know who's behind it. Only one person would be twisted enough force someone to see their fears."

"The Scarecrow!" Robin exclaimed.

"Yes," said Batman, "and I have reason to believe he's hiding his serums on or in the Rejectz."

He went over to the disassembled Drakulah doll on the table.

"I think I know what he's up to," Batman said.

He pulled out the dart.

"I'm betting this had some of the fear serum in it. Released as a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It's a new formula; I'll have to make an antidote."

He took a sample of his blood.

"Unless by any chance there's more serum in that dart, this will have to do."

He quickly went to isolate the toxin.

"The antidote I injected will only control it for a while. It's time induced. I didn't feel the effect until now."

"Do you think Kentworth was effected?" Robin asked.

"Most likely," said Batman. "He's probably cowering in a corner as we speak. I'll have to get him an antidote as well, but for now, we need to find out how the Scarecrow tainted these dolls. And why they have a microchip implanted in their heads. There'' more to this than meets the eye."

"Already on it," said Robin. "Just keep working on the antidote; we don't need you freaking out when we go to stop the Scarecrow."

Hours passed by. In the little office in the toy factory, the Scarecrow was looking at the clock. In his hand, he held the original little doll, now named "Nyghtmare." Such a fitting name for such an inspirational Reject, one of fear, no doubt. In one hand, he held a bat wing that looked like it came from another toy.

"The plan is working so far. The electronic vibes your brothers and sister give off tap into part of the brain---the part that controls desires. This is what caused most of the Rejectz to sell. In another ten minutes, five o'clock will be here, and the serum will be released. Most of Gotham will be at home, getting ready for tonight."

He turned the doll around to fit the wing in place.

"Even if no one is home, there is enough gas that it will leak into the streets, causing most everyone to be effected. Come midnight in seven hours, the serum will take effect. The other Rejectz will attack. Anyone in costume will be seen as a monster. Things will not be as they are supposed to be. Gotham will be one mass of fear-induced chaos."

The Scarecrow managed to set the wing in place, then looked at the little doll.

"All thanks to you, my dear."

He smiled to himself. Talking to dolls. Crazy---but that was what he was, was he not? The Scarecrow took the little Nyghtmare doll and placed her inside his coat.

"Batman is going to have a field day at midnight."

He looked at the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick, slowly, steadily. Only five more minutes now. Five more minutes until stage one.

"Batman! I think I got it!"

Batman looked over at Robin. Robin was frantically typing on the Batcomputer, bringing up information.

"The electronic vibes---they can control the part of the brain that controls what people think they need. Those electronic vibes are what caused those things to sell out like that."

"And the microchip?"

"It controls them. These things were going to attack."

"But what about the fear serum?"

"Uh...still working on it."

Batman nodded, then looked at the pieces of the Drakulah doll. Arms, legs, chest, metal skull, microchip, batteries. He thought for a second.

"Wait a minute..."

Batman grabbed one of the batteries. He ran it under the electronic X-ray. The results showed a normal battery. He grabbed the other. This battery contained a hidden vial. There were tiny holes in the label to let the gas out.

"I think we found our answer."

Batman quickly placed the battery inside a special plastic bag, made sure the air was out of it, and as a precaution, fused the ends together. He then placed the bag inside a concealed see-through container.

"That battery has the gas?"

"Something so obvious, we almost overlooked it."

Batman and Robin watched the canister. Behind them, the clock showed four minutes until five o'clock.

Trish was at home, ready to change into her costume. As Gotham City was normally unsafe at night, trick-or-treating hours were normally from six to eight, when the city would start to really darken. She promised she would take her little sister's Daisy Scout troop out for Halloween. It was almost five o'clock now.

Trish went into her room and dug out her costume. She was going out as Supergirl, since it was easy to do. She pulled on her white Superman shirt, slipped on a red mini skirt, and went to the closet for her red boots. As she did, she noticed a bag from Bergduffs. Trying to remember what she bought, she opened it. It was the Nyghtmare doll. She pulled it out and looked at it. What had gone through her mind when she bought it?

"Ugh," she said aloud. "At least I know they'll take it back. These things sell like crazy."

She tossed the doll on her bed and looked for her boots. The digital numbers on her clock changed from 4:59 to 5:00. The doll's eyes went slightly wider. The very tip of her wing opened to reveal a cleverly hidden latch. Gas began to leak out of the vial hidden inside her, and through the holes in the side of the box. Unbeknownst to Trish, and to the rest of Gotham with the Rejectz in their possession, the invisible serum began to leak out into the very air they were breathing.

The bag with the battery began to expand. Batman and Robin watched the inside of the concealed chamber. The gas came out rapidly. There was a small pop as the bag burst, allowing the gas to leak out and fill the airtight canister.

"So you were right!" Robin exclaimed. "But why now?"

Batman pointed to where he was working on the antidote.

"It's time-induced. It will take effect in seven hours."

"...Midnight!" Robin exclaimed in realization.

Batman nodded.

"We'll have Alfred, Barbara, and Dick make and distribute as much of the antidote as possible. Right now, we have to pay Mr. Kentworth another visit in order to find the Scarecrow."

Sunset in Halloween Town could not have been more welcome for Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Earlier, they worked until they felt they could fool Jack (not even half an hour), then spent the rest of the day in their tree house going over their escape plan. When they left their tree house and entered the gates of Halloween Town, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were careful to make sure Jack saw them go into Town Hall. The Mayor was right behind them.

"Serves you right for what you did to my hearse!"

Shock glowered.

"If it weren't for Jack, you'd be covered in goo right now!"

She grabbed a toothbrush and began scrubbing one of the benches. Lock was on the stage. Barrel was scrubbing what he could reach on the wall.

"Hmph!" said the Mayor.

He sat down on a bench and began to go over the plans for next year's Halloween. Lock, Shock, and Barrel scrubbed for five minutes. Shock gave a signal. Lock and Barrel nodded and kept working while Shock sneaked over the closet. It creaked as she opened it. The Mayor turned and looked over. Shock was grateful the dummies weren't in view.

"Just looking for a better cleaning potion."

"You'd better be," said the Mayor. He had his frowning face on.

He turned around. Shock saw his happy face staring at her. Its eyes were closed, since he wasn't using it, and luckily for her, this was how his faces got their sleep. She pulled the dummies out and hid them one at a time in strategic spots behind the benches. She then found a potion and closed the door loudly, making the Mayor jump. She grinned wickedly and went back to the bench she was scrubbing.

Lock came down from the stage and went behind the bench the Mayor was sitting on. Lock grinned. The Mayor was too occupied with the plans to notice. Lock reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of sleeping powder. The powder would only be effective for a few hours, but that was more time than they needed. He blew some over the Mayor. The Mayor let out a huge yawn.

"Boy are these boring," he said. His eyes began to close. "So...boring..."

Both of his faces fell asleep. Lock grinned wickedly, before he and his siblings grabbed the dummies and propped them in necessary places around the room. When this was accomplished, the slipped out of Town Hall. No one was in the square just yet. Shock carefully closed the door, and the threesome slipped towards the gate.

The Gatekeeper was there. Lock dumped the rest of the sleeping powder on him, then opened the gate. The wicked little threesome then began to run towards their tree house, where their walking claw-footed bathtub was waiting, full of supplies, equipment, and candy sacks. They then went to the graveyard, to the location they memorized in a few days' time, to the tomb that would take them to Gotham City.

(A/N: I apologize for the wait. As far as reviews:

Serb: I am most pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter. I am sure plenty of the rogues of experts at blackmail---the Joker comes to mind quickly on this one---but yes, the Scarecrow is, as you put it "crafty enough to get away with it"---for now.

Jen Rock: I agree, The Nightmare Before Christmas fits very well with Batman---this is the second time I have combined the two. It must be the dark themes...either that, or Tim Burton was the genius behind both of them...though in this case, I am playing more with the cartoon series than the movie...and yes, I am sure the Scarecrow would be very upset if someone else is playing tricks and treats on Halloween...

Ginny: I love Lock, Shock, and Barrel too. That is probably why I have a lot of focus on them...even though I planned for more focus on Jack and Jonathan...)