Jonathan and his men unloaded the cash they'd stolen dividing the amounts earned between the three of them, the Scarecrow of course taking the lion's share. When his accomplices were taken care of, Jonathan dismissed them deciding it was time to pay his dear 'friend' Eddie a visit. He wasn't hard to find since he was still on parole. Jonathan took down the address and headed out.
Batman's brow creased in frustration as he looked around the vault reminded of his failure to apprehend the Scarecrow. As he searched, police sirens blared in the distance growing near. Knowing the security guard would be safe with the soon to be arrival of GPD, he and Robin fled the scene. As the two sped off in the Batmobile, Batman couldn't help becoming irritated at the thought that he would have caught Crane if not for Nygma's interference slowing him down. Only half the loot capable of being stolen from the 1st National bank was taken, so Batman gathered Edward must have also tipped the Scarecrow off.
Robin could see the exasperation on Bruce's face as he asked, "What do we do now?"
Batman growled, "We go back to the Batcave and figure out how to catch the Scarecrow."
Edward leaned back in his recliner fiddling with a Rubik's cube. He'd solved it a million times before in his boredom, but he felt it was always best to stay sharp. He had several types of physical puzzles strategically placed throughout his apartment for just such times as these. He hated waiting, his eagerness waning into a lull of tedium. Edward groaned as he placed the last color-coated block in its rightful place and tossed the finished cube unceremoniously onto the coffee table. He pondered that it had to be almost ten O'clock by now. Where was he? He propped his feet up on the coffee table and let the stillness numb his senses as he started to drift off. He was on the verge of sleep when a knock came at his door.
The Riddler's eyes shot open blinking away the sleep. His brow raised in curiosity as he sat up and off the recliner to briskly stride over to the door. He was anticipating a visit from the Bat but would never expect him to be knocking at his front door; it just wasn't his style.
Edward peered through the eyehole to see that it was blocked by a gloved finger. Slightly irritated the Riddler called out, "Who's there?"
A similarly irate voice growled back, "It's me Eddie; open up!"
A smirk worked its way across Edward's face as he opened the door to the Scarecrow. He couldn't see the scowl that was under the mask, but he could tell by Jonathan's rigid stance and clenched fists that he was anything but happy.
The Riddler's grin grew in amusement as he opened the door wider and extended his hand in an inviting gesture, "Do come in," he replied cheerfully.
The Scarecrow said nothing as he trudged forward into the Riddler's apartment.
Edward followed asking, "So what brings you to my lovely abode Jonathan?"
The Scarecrow snapped back around to face the Riddler pointing his finger at him as he responded, "Don't be coy with me Eddie; you know perfectly well why I'm here."
Edward's smile widened, "So tell me, how long did it take you to figure out my riddle?"
Jonathan paused in his verbal attack stunned momentarily by this revelation before blurting questioningly, "You left it for me?"
The grin on Edward's face fell in disappointment, "I take that to mean you didn't figure out my riddle. It was a warning you know. No matter, you evaded capture, so I still, although inadvertently, won this round."
The Scarecrow was still confused, "Won? What? So you weren't trying to rob the 1st National bank? I don't understand..."
The Riddler countered condescendingly, "No, I suppose you wouldn't would you? The truth is, I deduced which bank would be your next likely target, and since I'm not in the business of performing criminal acts at the moment, I decided to ride your coat tails so to speak."
Jonathan thought about what Edward meant by his statement as he asked, "You mean... you made riddles out of my crimes? You... you sent Batman a riddle to MY crime?"
The Riddler's smile returned as he responded, "I gave you both a riddle, to ensure the game stayed fair!"
Jonathan instantly became livid, "What! You gave Batman a road map to follow to me! How could you do that to me Eddie!"
Edward frowned, "You should be thankful. If it wasn't for me, your hide would have likely been getting hauled back to Arkham by now!"
The Scarecrow cringed in fury as he howled, "Well then, allow me to thank you properly!" He raised his arm pointing the skull head in the Riddler's direction, and before Edward could react, he was doused in a fog of green gas.
Edward stumbled backwards hacking and coughing as he tried to get away from the gas' toxic fumes. He backed into his coffee table falling head over heels and sputtering as the toxin began to take effect.
Jonathan leaned down glaring into the Riddler's paling face as he growled, "Perhaps from now on you'll learn not to meddle in my affairs Nygma," He turned to leave giving Edward a glance over his shoulder and cackling mirthfully at Edward's quivering form, "Just be glad I didn't use a lethal dose."
Edward's heart began to race as the stimulant inoculated his senses. He rationalized that the fear that had begun to creep through his subconscious was caused by the Scarecrow's drug, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't evade its effects. His head started to pound and riddles began to swirl uncontrollably through his mind, but as they flashed by one by one, he was sickened at the realization that he had no answers to their queries.
He mumbled weakly to himself, "I... I can't figure out any of the answers!" Edward couldn't concentrate on anything; the answers he thought were correct slipped through his fingertips before he could grasp their meanings only to leave him in a black numbing void of unanswered questions. Panic began to take hold of him at the thought of losing the one thing he valued most, the one thing that made him anything in this world, his mind.
His vision began to blur as he crawled across the floor towards the window in an effort to get clear of the fumes, but as he scrambled towards the balcony window he screamed in terror at the demonic creature that stood before him.
Batman raised his arm shooting a tranquilizer dart containing an antidote for dealing with the Scarecrow's victims. The dart penetrated into the Riddler's shoulder; Edward blinked twice before crumpling to the floor in a motionless heap at Batman's feet.
The Scarecrow, sensing it was time to exit the scene, ran out Edward's front door making it half way down the hallway before his legs became entangled in one of Batman's grappling snares. Batman gave the rope a hard yank sending the Scarecrow tumbling to the ground with a loud thud.
Jonathan sneered whipping his head back to see Batman quickly striding towards him, and as Batman got within his toxin's proximity, he pulled the rubber skull out from behind his back and doused Batman in a huge plume of fear gas. Jonathan screamed out triumphantly, "No one is immune to fear! Not even the mighty Batman!"
Crane cackled wildly, but his cackle died in his throat as Batman yanked the rope binding the Scarecrow's feet towards him and into the cloud of fear gas.
Jonathan gasped in surprise stuttering out, "Ha... how?"
Batman interrupted, "No one is immune eh Crane? Then how about a taste of your own medicine!" As he finished his statement, Batman snatched the Scarecrow's hood off of his face.
The Scarecrow scrambled to get away from the surrounding gas that permitted the air as he cried out in horror, "No!"
It wasn't long before his own concoction was working against him and he was crushed with its disorienting effects. The binding around his legs transformed into a huge snake on the onset of swallowing him whole. He screamed in panic twisting and withering to get away, "HELP! Get it off of me! GET IT OFF!!"
Batman replied, "So tell me Crane, how does it feel to face your own fears? Is it as amusing as watching others suffer in the same manner?"
Batman's voice boomed down in a deep thundering rumble, and as Jonathan looked around, he noticed the snake was gone and he was now surrounded by the many faces in his past that had ridiculed, teased, and made fun of him. They were all there laughing at his misfortune. He had sworn to have his revenge against those that had harmed him, but here he was helpless once more to what seemed cruel fate.
Jonathan curled into a ball covering his ears from the constant barrage of taunts as he cried out, "Stop it! Leave me alone!"
Batman had seen enough and shot a dart into the Scarecrow's thigh. Once the gas fumes had cleared, Batman removed the nasal ventilator he'd been using to filter Crane's poisons out of the air he breathed since the Scarecrow, lying unconsciously peaceful on the hallway floor, was no longer a threat.
Within the hour, the Scarecrow was back in police custody and would wake up tomorrow in an Arkham padded cell.
Batman watched the sleeping form get hauled off shackled on a gurney as he thought, 'One down, one to go.'
(I know it takes me forever and a day to update! And I just wanted to say thanks again for all the support and wonderful reviews you guys have given me D You rock!)