Yay! New chapter!
This chapter was way easier to write for me now that my writers block is gone! I guess writing all over a section of my wall really worked wonders! So I hope that you enjoy this chapter!
I don't own Young Justice.
Going through the shady, pungent, narrow hallways only made the team feel more uneasy. Not only that though, the hallways seemed to maximize the sound of the insane screaming. But they had to put their bravest faces on, and keep on going straight to room 1339.
Passing the cells was the worst though. Because the inmates liked to laugh at heroes, and it was only even more funny because of their ages'.
"Can't they just shut up for, like, 2 seconds?!" Artemis screamed in a hushed voice at Kid Flash while going down the halls. The inmates were pointing and grabbing through the bars of their cells, and they mostly would be reaching for the girls. Superboy looked like he was about to explode along with Artemis.
"Apparently not," Kid Flash said with an uneasy tone as he watched them shout for release. Kid just had to soak in the thought 'just keep walking, this is for Robin'. He had to let this circulate in his mind in order to keep going. Artemis scoffed and went back to walking with her usual boldness.
The team had to use great effort in attempt to keep up with the guard leading them to the interrogation room, because he was speed walking to the max. None of them were even sure how he was still "walking", even Kid had to sometimes use his super speed to keep up a bit. He was probably walking fast in order to get out of here as fast as possible. So they couldn't complain.
Then the line of cells stopped, and the screaming grew a bit more distant. They took a sharp turn and were lead down a wider hallway with a line of numbered rooms on either side. Each door parallel to each other would be either one number more or less.
1336
1337
1338
1339.
"Here you go. A group of other guards will bring in Scarecrow soon enough, so just wait," the bruley looking guard said, yet he looked nervous. Kaldur nodded, and the guard unlocked the door to the room, he let them in and shut the door behind himself as he left.
They were all some what blinded by the brightness of the room. They had all grown so accustomed to the dark hallways, this white, fluorescently lit, room seemed brighter than a spotlight. There was a silver metal table in the center of the room, and it had quite a few red stains on it, all with metal chairs on either side. One chair however, had straps and was on the side of the table with the handcuff hook up to the table. Not surprisingly, there was no double sided mirror or anything of the sort. They were alone and unwatched in this room, save the security camera.
"So, how are we gonna play this?" Artemis asked. The rest of the team looked to Kid Flash, because he was the one who lead them into this in the first place.
"I think we should play it on instinct." Artemis looked bewildered, and Kaldur looked a bit disappointed.
"So, you have no thought up a plan?" Kaldur said, because it really wasn't that much of a question. Artemis just looked at Kid, feeling like if he didn't say something remotely intelligent she'd probably slap him, even with her new found respect.
"And by 'instinct', I mean you do what feels right in the moment." Artemis was just about to slap him before he continued. "But, all while following this one basic format."
Speaking through the mindlink now, Kid Flash relayed his strategy to all of them. He was just about done, when 3 guards came in, hauling one Jonathan Crane with them. They sat him down in the restraining chair, and strapped him in. They then handcuffed him to the table, and left without a word.
They all just stood there. Looking at the sweaty, beaten man before them. He had his head hanging low, looking at his hands, and he was somewhat leaning heavily against the table. His brown hair, matted with sweat, and his face caked with dirt and grime, he didn't look up or speak to them. He seemed like he was almost...
Waiting?
Kaldur then cleared his throat slightly, indicating he was going to speak. So he and Artemis went into their positions in front of the man, while M'gann, Superboy, and Kid Flash retreated towards the wall behind them. They were there to watch for the moment.
"Hello Mr. Crane, I hope that you feel well enough to cooperate with us for the deterioration of our.. visit," Kaldur said politely, still standing tall next to Artemis, neither of them dared sit.
"Well enough to tell you all you want to know about our little birdy, you mean," Scarecrow said quietly, yet loud and clear, never looking up.
"Not 'want to know', need to know," Artemis said firmly.
"Right, right..." Scarecrow said, his tone very airy. He then licked his lips, and cracked his neck a bit, never looking up.
"We need to know what strands of toxins you gave to Robin," Kaldur said, getting straight to the point. Scarecrow sighed, and tapped his fingers slowly against the table. Taking in deep breath through his nose, he held this breath for a moment before speaking.
"You are all the same," he mumbled. Kaldur had to resist raising an eyebrow.
"Don't stall. You are going to tell us what strands of toxin you gave to Robin," Kaldur said. Scarecrow hummed sort of sarcastically, if that's possible. He shifted his jaw, making a loud unpleasant cracking noise echo through the room. M'gann had to hide a wince, and keep herself composed, the tension in the room was growing unbearable, and they could all feel it.
"Uh-huh. So that's what's going to happen, is it?" Scarecrow said slyly. Kid Flash shifted uncomfortably on his foot, and Artemis broke the silence.
"You are going to tell us what we need to know, no need for useless questions," Artemis said with calm malice towards Scarecrow. But Scarecrow just chuckled a bit, his gaze still fixed on his hands.
"That's funny... I was right," Scarecrow remarked with an eerie humor. Kaldur spared a glance at Artemis, and she did the same for him, both about to ask the same question.
"Right about what, exactly," Again, Kaldur said this like a statement, not a question. Scarecrow stayed silent for a moment, before responding.
"Think back a few minutes..." Kaldur did, and he remembered Scarecrow's comment about how they're 'all the same'.
"All the same in what sense," Kaldur said.
"What the little green arrowette said before... the bat said the same thing." The team each looked at each other. "You're all the exact same, you heroes."
"That's because we all have a common goal," Kid Flash said, not being able to take being drawn out by Scarecrow any longer. "Our current goal being waking Robin up."
"Of course. That was made apparent by the bat too," Scarecrow said, still avoiding telling the team anything. Kid Flash then walked up closer to the table and sat down across from Scarecrow, sending the others away.
"What else did the bat say?" Kid Flash asked, and for some reason, this question got Scarecrow to look up at him, Kid had to hold back a gasp.
His eye sockets were black around each eye, but not from bruising, from lack of sleep. And his two dull brown eyes were red instead of white on the outer regions of each eye. While his face was deathly pale, like a corpse that hasn't seen the inside of an embalming room. His cheeks sunken in, and his lips dry and cracked. He looked even more crazy than usual. Then he croaked out a sentence.
"Just that he wanted the cure to wake Robin up," Scarecrow's voice was cracking, and his breath in Kid's face made him get up as to get away from the horrid smell.
"Anything else?" Kid asked.
"Nothing in particular interest," Scarecrow replied.
"So... what is it then," Kid Flash asked, and Scarecrow seemed slightly confused.
"What's what?" he asked.
"The cure." Scarecrow's face shifted with understanding. "How do we wake him up." Scarecrow sighed through his nose. Looking almost solemn, he responded.
"Like I told the bat, there is no cure," Scarecrow said slowly, almost in slight regret. The team just stayed in a suspended disbelief, none wanting to take what they've just heard to heart.
"What do you mean, 'there is no cure'?" Kid asked firmly, hoping and praying to god that Scarecrow was lying, or just meant that Robin would wake up on his own eventually.
"I mean, there is no cure. There's nothing you can do to wake him up," Scarecrow said, looking like he was expecting outrage, but he would get none.
"You... you told Batman this then?" Kid said. The team just looked at him, disbelieving, wondering how he could believe Scarecrow. But then again... he has not much of a good enough reason to lie right now...
"I did. He wouldn't believe a word of it. Nothing I could say would ever convince that man, he's probably out recruiting people to look for a cure right now," Scarecrow said simply, all of the previous insanity slipping away, and being replaced by something rather disturbingly lucid.
"What went wrong?" Kid asked, surprising Scarecrow and confusing the team.
"How'd you know?" Scarecrow asked him, looking curiously at the young speedster.
"Well, you know that without a cure you have nothing to hold over our heads, nothing to make us let you free, no form of leverage." Scarecrow nodded along with Kid's thoughts, and he continued. "So, the only reason you wouldn't have a cure would be that something went wrong during your testing sessions." Kid looked to the unmasked villain, and received a nod from him.
"You are too correct for your own good, and mine," Scarecrow said levelly. "When I subjected Robin to the last form of toxin, it did not give me the... desired effect. Instead of what it was supposed to do, it did that then went on to sending the bird into a delayed coma type state, which you of course, already know." Kid nodded, and he looked to the rest of them, they all showed their understanding too, trying to except this information.
"So... there's nothing we can do?" M'gann said quietly, bringing everyone's fear to the light.
"Unfortunately, all you can do now, is wait." Scarecrow said. Then Superboy looked a bit confused, and angered.
"Why does it sound like you actually care?" Superboy asked gruffly, trying to hold back his anger. Scarecrow raised a sweaty eyebrow.
"Because, I hate it when something of mine doesn't go to plan. But don't be mistaken, I have no regret or sympathy for any of you. Especially the bat." Scarecrow hissed, and Superboy glared at him, trying not to bash his head in.
"Good," Kid then said, causing the others to give him a look, "'cause that means that I don't have to hold any sympathy for you when we send you back to your cell to listed to the screaming mix with your own," Wally said darkly, he then gave a small hand gesture to the camera, and two guards came in and dragged Scarecrow out, but not before he said one last thing.
"You may want to pay attention to the bird's dreams. Just a tip." Then he was gone with the guards, back to being absorbed by the psychotic halls of Arkham.
DUN DUN DUN.
I'm gonna end this chapter there! I'm just glad this one was longer and I got it in earlier!
So... REVIEW! REVIEW!