Always…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye or Batman Begins!

Chapter Thirteen

Jonathan could still remember his first road trip to Gotham. It had been with Jackson of course, and it had been the reason for his move there. Now, many years had passed and he was returning home with his dead brother's wife.

Jackson was already a well-known delinquent at the tender age of fourteen. His first major offense on his record of petty theft, blackmail, public brawls, and other minor offenses, was Grand Theft Auto.

Of course, he took his impressionable younger twin, Jonathan, along for the ride in the BMW, the car he hot-wired from under some rich smuck's nose. How Jackson had learned to hot-wire a car, let alone drive, Jonathan never managed to figure out.

The joy ride to Gotham City had been anything but jubilant. By the time the twins reached Gotham, Jackson and Jonathan had been arguing for at least twenty minutes. Jackson was driving through the Narrows when, enraged, he pitched Jonathan from the moving car. Jonathan was deserted in the Narrows and it was rapidly growing dark.

He was lost in a strange place and the one person he depended on was gone. Ever since their parents' death, Jackson had always taken care of him. They were in foster care, but Jackson kept getting them shuffled around every time Jonathan started to settle in. Jackson loved control, even as a teenager.

An imposing structure came into view as Jonathan proceeded down the ominous streets. It was Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane and as he stood there gazing at the building, he knew that one day in the future, he would rule it. Arkham was to become his home.

He never saw Jackson again, but it did not bother him in the slightest.

"Jonathan?" Lisa's voice broke his train of thought.

"Hmm?" he murmured, trying to keep his eyes partially obscured behind his glasses, on the road. He did not want to risk an accident that could end up hurting Lisa as he needed her and the baby for his toxin experiment.

"When can we have another session? Jackson's starting to bother me again."

"Tonight, Lisa. We can have another session later tonight after I drop by work."

"Work? You have to go to work?" Lisa sounded surprised.

"Just for a few minutes. I have to check on a few things. Don't worry your pretty head about it." He said soothingly.

"Jonathan, please take me with you. I don't want to be alone with him," she pleaded, shivering slightly in fear.

Scarecrow became roused and anxious. He wanted to expose Lisa to the fear toxin now, but Jonathan knew that he had to wait. Lisa's fragile state was not meant for the volatile toxin. It needed to be perfected before he tested it on his new pet. That's what she was to him. Merely a pet, nothing more. Lisa had to stay that way; otherwise, Jonathan would never be able to experiment on her as he needed to. He wanted to explore her mind that was free of disease to better understand how his medicine effects the human brain.

"I will take you, but you need to follow my lead. I do not usually take my outpatients in with me. You will need to pretend to be my assistant, all right?" Jonathan asked calmly and deliberately. It was his intent to take her along the whole time and he had developed a cover story for her in advance. He needed to be able to get her in and out of Arkham without any problems.

"Okay, I trust you," Lisa said smiling in relief.

Jonathan helped Lisa from the silver car and up the steps into Arkham Asylum. The fortress of the mental institution seemed chilling to Lisa, whereas it always felt welcoming to Jonathan. He reassured her with a gentle whisper and they entered the depressing building without any further hesitation on Lisa's part.

"Hello Dr. Crane," greeted a nurse warmly as they passed the main security checkpoint.

"Hello Silvia," he said cheerfully with a false smile, which was a habit that he had picked up from his brother.

"Who's this?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes sharply at Lisa. Her gaze seemed to linger on her round stomach, clearly suspicious of the obviously pregnant woman who was clinging to Jonathan's side.

"This is Lisa Rippner and she's going to be my new assistant." He responded.

The nurse clearly did not approve of Lisa. Silvia apparently thought that they were romantically involved and most likely believed that Jonathan had fathered the baby. If only she really knew…

"Come along, Lisa," Jonathan said pleasantly, ignoring the scowl from his underling as he led Lisa away.

"She doesn't like me," Lisa whispered once they were a safe distance away.

"She doesn't really like anyone," he said stoically in reply. "It's no secret that she hates me."

"Ah, that explains a lot."

Author's Notes:

Just a quick chapter! Enjoy and please leave a review! Major thanks to emptyvoices for her help!