Elsa didn't know when she fell asleep, or how she made it back to her room. All she knew was that it was in the mid afternoon when she woke up surrounded by her family and medical staff, along with Bruce and Tim.
Elsa groaned and rubbed her forehead before trying to sit up. "What the hell happened out there?"
"Scarecrow happened," Bruce replied
"What?"
"Do you mind giving us the room?" Anna told the medical staff. Anna figured that whatever happened to Elsa was connected to a villain Bruce had faced as Batman before, and in order to keep his identity as secret as possible, wanted to keep all those who didn't already know his secret out of the room.
"But Elsa's condition," One of the doctors protested "Whatever happened out there we need to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"I'm feeling better Doctor," Elsa replied "It will only be a few minutes."
The medical staff bowed to Elsa and exited the room, leaving only Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Bruce, and Tim in the room.
"What's with this Scarecrow?" Anna asked Bruce.
"The gas that was used at the ceremony," Bruce replied "It was a fear gas that causes it's victims to hallucinate and see their biggest fears. When you mentioned to me about Elsa's nightmares and how long they had been happening I knew it had matched the timeframe of Scarecrow's escape from Arkham."
"So that bastard's out." Elsa hissed.
"Your familiar with Scarecrow?" Anna asked Elsa surprised.
"I was the one responsible for putting him in Arkham last time."
"What are you talking about?" Kristoff asked
"When I was in Gotham for my protection during the Mr. Freeze incident, Batgirl and Nightwing left to go after Scarecrow. I secretly followed them and tangled with Scarecrow. I got a whiff of his gas made me panic and during my terror my powers went wild and I accidently defeated him with my ice."
"Man I love these plot twists," Olaf whispered to Kristoff, who quickly shushed him.
"But now that he's out, he must be after me for revenge."
"But how could Scarecrow cause Elsa to be having nightmares these past two weeks?" Kristoff asked "We haven't even seen any of that gas stuff until today."
"Anna, where is that letter you said Elsa received?"
"It's on the top dresser, near the very edge on the right.
Bruce took out a handkerchief to protect him from coming into contact as he walked over and picked up the letter and inspected it. As he sat the letter down some powder residue appeared on the handkerchief. "Just as I suspected."
"What is it?" Elsa asked
"The letter was laced with a powder form of his fear toxin. He once tried that exact trick years ago on several top athletes in order to bet against them and win big. It was powder instead of gas but it still caused whoever it affected to see their biggest fears. That is what is causing you to have nightmares."
"Will it go away?"
"When I injected you with the antidote to the toxin during the attack at the ceremony it should have worked for both the gas and the powder, you should be safe for here on out as long as you don't get another whiff of the gas."
"That's a relief," Kristoff breathed.
"But Scarecrow is still in Arendelle," Anna realized "He won't stop until he get's his revenge on Elsa, what if he attacks the entire kingdom next time? What if he get's inside the castle?"
"I won't let that happen," Bruce replied "If Scarecrow is in Arendelle, I will find him. In the meantime Tim will stand guard of Elsa at all times until he is found."
"With all due respect Bruce I don't need anybody to stand guard over me. My palace is swarmed with guards that will ensure Scarecrow doesn't get to me."
"And look what good that has done," Anna protested "Scarecrow has already launched a attack that nearly got you seriously hurt."
"That took us all by surprise," Elsa replied "Now that we know he's after me, he won't take us by surprise again."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Your majesty," A guard suddenly barged in, a look of fear on his face. "My apologies for the intrusion, but there is something you must see at once."
Elsa was led to the castle lobby where she froze and gasped at the sight of Scarecrow on TV. Elsa and Anna turned to each other, nobody said a word as they all listed to Scarcrow's threatening message.
"Citizens of Arendelle, you think your safe, you think that your mighty queen with her powers of ice can save you, but I have seen her true self."
The camera then showed a video of Elsa panicking during the attack at the ribbon cutting ceremony after getting a whiff of the fear gas. Elsa hissed as she saw the blizzard she caused in her panic.
"Don't you all see, your queen, is just as scared, and helpless as all of you. How can your Queen keep you safe, when she can't even protect her own self. Soon you will all see just how scared your Queen really is. Soon you all see she cannot protect you, nobody can protect you."
"We will see about that! Elsa screamed angrily, firing ice at the TV, shattering it.
"We will find him Elsa, I promise."
"No Bruce," Elsa interrupted "I will find him."
"Elsa you've seen what the Scarecrow can do…" Anna began to protest.
"I stopped him once,"
"You got lucky once." This time Bruce was the one who interrupted. "Scarecrow didn't understand how your powers worked, this time he does and is trying to use that against you. Your powers become unstable when you panic, he wants you to panic so you destroy Arendelle with your powers. I will not let that happen."
"Then train me," Elsa demanded "Train me so I can defend my kingdom!"
"There is no time."
"The hell their isn't! You trained Tim you trained Barbara, and you trained Dick!"
"Yes and it took them months before I felt comfortable with them even joining me in action! You are nowhere near ready to go up against someone like Scarecrow."
"Bruce, I am Queen, and as Queen I am responsible for the safety of my people. If I can't defend my people, if I can't keep them safe. Then I am failing them as Queen. Scarecrow may want me to destroy my kingdom but he also wants my people to think I can't protect them, so they live in fear. I have to stop him, not for myself, but for my people."
Bruce sighed "I understand Elsa, I really do. But also if you die out there, then Arendelle really will feel unprotected. If you want to be trained to defend Arendelle I will train you, after Scarecrow is stopped."
"Bruce…"
"That's final." Bruce then departed to change into his Batman costume to hunt down Scarecrow. Elsa wanted to protest farther but Anna put her hand on Elsa' shoulder to stop her.
"Listen to Bruce Elsa, he knows these villains better than you do."
"I will not stand by helpless while a psychopath threatens my kingdom Anna." Elsa stormed off to her room, furious over Bruce's doubting her ability. "I just won't do it!"
As Elsa marched to her bedroom she instantly screamed in anger as she shot ice out at the wall. "I am not helpless, I stopped Scarecrow once, I stopped Freeze! I am responsible for the safety of my kingdom! Why does no one see that?"
"But someone does notice,"
Elsa made a ice sword, when she heard a mysterious female voice in her room, she turned around and swung it only for a hand to reach up and stop it.
"My apologies, didn't mean to startle you."
"You the hell are you?" Elsa hissed "And why are you in my bedroom?"
"My name is Talia Al Ghul, Daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, head of the League of Shadows, and I am here to offer you what you want. You want to be trained in order to be able to stop Scarecrow from threatening your home? My father can do that. See the League of Shadows are highly skilled in multiple forms of martial arts. We are the ultimate warriors. You want to stop Scarecrow? Train with us, and he will never lay a hand on you or your preciouses kingdom again."
"How can you ensure that?"
"You see the sword you swung at me?" Talia pointed at the sword in her hand. "I stopped it with only my hand and you swung it at me with full force. When my father is done with you, you will be able to not only do that but much more."
"Batman said it would take months for me to develop the skills to take down someone like Scarecrow."
"Batman is smart, but he doesn't know everything. With the League of Shadows by your side you could be able to develop what it takes to go toe to toe with the Scarecrow and win in just a little over a week."
"A week?"
"That is if you let us help you?"
"I do want to save my kingdom, and I don't want the Batman to continue to have to bail me out when danger comes."
"Well what's your answer?"
"Take me to your father."
Talia smiled "Your training will start immediately."
I know that this chapter is a little short but I wanted to save the meeting between Elsa and Ra's Al Ghul for the next chapter.
Also CW's Crisis on Infinite Earth start's Sunday. Don't miss it.