Edward winced when Crane just kicked in the grate and popped his head out into the open, but apparently all was clear, and the Scarecrow dropped lightly down into the room and set to work. Admittedly, Crane's way was quicker.

Edward didn't wait a moment longer before following, lowering himself quietly into the room, and padding silently to where his own things were kept. He stuffed the green suit, tie, and bowler hat into a duffel bag, and took up his cane. If necessary, it might come in handy as a bludgeoning weapon.

On that note, where was Harley's box? If he recalled, she had definitely been brought in swinging a large wooden mallet... Aha! He located her confiscated items and, on further inspection, determined that it was indeed a plain, wooden mallet, not concealing any noisy tricks, explosives, or other extraneous paraphernalia. Given how the creatures seemed to react to noise, it was probably best not to be too reliant on anything unnecessarily loud.

He shoved the mallet into the bag, and moved on quietly, eyes shifting about for any sign that they might be pursued.

"Where is it?" Jonathan hissed as he looked through the room, digging through objects as quickly and quietly as he could. The only real important piece of his costume at the moment, was missing. Jonathan quietly groaned and gave up, his scythe was missing he still had no weapon. He could hear the creatures coming towards them though their pursuits seemed slower. They had nothing to chase. Not yet. Jonathan looked to the Riddler who was shoving Harley's mallet into his bag. Had another inpatient already been through here and taken his scythe?

Jonathan didn't have time to think about it as he moved to the door of the security room. There was only one way out. He motioned Edward over to him and looked at him, his hand on the door knob wondering if he was ready.

Edward looked over, frowning, as Crane hissed to himself. Was something missing? What could possibly be-

The Scarecrow's scythe.

Edward raised an eyebrow as the other man gave up his search and moved toward the door. Did Crane have something else up his sleeve, or was he honestly planning to go out there unarmed? Bad enough that they were about to just step out into the unknown, without a definite plan. But to go out there with nothing...what were this man's nerves even made of?

He heard the creatures moving, back in the direction they'd came. More slowly now, directionless, but on their way.

When it came down to it, what choice did either of them have?

Edward nodded.

Jonathan slowly turned the handle, pausing with a wince as it creaked just slightly. He pulled the door open slowly, watching through the crack if the door. The hallway was clear. Luckily Jonathan knew the asylums halls better than the back of his own hand. He squeezed through the crack of the door keeping himself pressed against the wall. He was in a hospital for crying out loud, there had to be something.

The manic laughter of the Joker echoed through the halls sending a chill straight down Cranes spine. Only the Joker would be able to find humour in this. Jonathan moved through the hall, ignoring the sound of the laughter that all to quickly turned into a loud gurgling noise. Jonathan felt like he was going to be sick, but held it back as he stopped by a corner and cautiously peered around the corner.

Edward followed Crane's lead, squeezing through the crack in the door to avoid any further noise... though with significantly more difficulty than the scrawny Scarecrow. He cautiously followed Crane out into the hall, keeping close, his cane at his side, held at the ready. So far, the coast was clear, and if they could just move quietly enough, stay out of sight, it just might stay that way...

The Joker's cackling hit his ears like nails on a chalkboard. He would think this was funny, demented freakazoid that he was. Stealth and caution, apparently, were for lesser mortals than...

The laughter changed abruptly into something entirely different. Edward swallowed. The Joker. They got the Joker. At the end of the world, the only things left, he had long been convinced, were going to be cockroaches and the Joker. And now... Edward swallowed the panic, and clenched his hands into trembling fists, his right hand holding his cane in a sweaty death-grip.

He stopped behind Crane, pressed close to the wall as if he could somehow sink into it and become invisible, and waited while Crane peered around the corner.

Jonathan moved around the corner, wishing he didn't have to be in the lead. He was sure the only reason riddler was even following him was because he knew the asylum better than he did. Te entrance wasn't far from where they were, but who knew what was in the way. Jonathan made his way quickly but quietly trough the hall jumping through the broken gate, his small frame fitting trough easily. He reached the next corner and peered around quickly. The hall was clear. It was a straight line to the entrance.

Jonathan looked back at Riddler, before moving down the hall. Jonathan moved quickly before skidding to a halt half way down the hall. Two zombies came around the corner, neither of which noticed Jonathan yet.

He paused and glanced at Riddler. "There's only two of them ... We can take them ..." He whispered to quietly for the things to hear him. Just as Jonathan said this four more came around the corner. As soon as one saw then standing there all six of them charge towards them. "On second thought ... Run."

Edward kept in step with Crane, beginning to appreciate the smaller man's ability to easily maneuver through tight spots. He was quick, too, especially for someone with so short a stride. And if Crane was going to take the lead through Arkham Asylum, Edward felt inclined to let him.

Crane skidded to a halt, and Edward froze, watching the two oblivious things drifting along.

He was about to agree to Crane's plan, when the other creatures arrived, and swarmed straight toward them.

The second idea suddenly sounded much better.

Edward didn't need to be told twice; he ran.

Jonathan scrambled and tripped, landing hard on his face as Riddler ran down the hall. He quickly got up and ran after him, quickly catching up with Riddler and over taking him as he turned down a hall. "This way!" He hissed, not wanting to attract more. He turned down the corner and past a door catching the attention of two more which gave chase as well. "We have to get around to the atrium and cross to the west wing corridor and double back to the main entrance. I'll have to disable the lock down system before we can get out. We'll need to buy us a few minutes." Jonathan said as he turned another corner and ran into the small atrium inside the Asylum. Luckily it was empty. Jonathan closed the double doors behind them and picked up a fallen piece of a bannister, shoving it into the large door handles to hold it shut. "Come on!" He said running in the direction he'd come. He knew if it wasn't for him Riddler would have been dead by now, but there was no way Nigma was going to acknowledge it ... just as Jonathan wasn't going to acknowledge that Riddler had saved his life.

Jonathan ran through another door to his right, slowing down to a jog, ignoring the blood that was running from his nose. The blocked door would give them a bit of time to relocate and silence themselves once more. The things didn't seem to have a good sense of direction, they followed sound, and movement. If they couldn't see or hear them ... They had to start being more cautious, it was a miracle either one of them was still alive.

Edward heard Crane fall, and looked over his shoulder behind him, but by that point, Crane was already up and making a mad dash forward, passing him, and leading the way.

Edward followed him, heart racing in his chest, doubling its time when two more of the things gave chase.

Helpful thoughts were not forthcoming, or any thoughts beyond a repetitive chorus of: "We're going to die." But Crane knew where they were going, how to improvise, how to buy time. If it weren't for him... well, thinking about that wouldn't be helpful either, now would it?

Only once they were beyond the blocked door did his head start to clear, to focus again on thinking ahead. They stood a chance now, of regaining the benefit of stealth, of going unnoticed again. He rolled the Scarecrow's plan around in his head. It was a good one, the best they had, really, and it could work. If they could manage to avoid further... encounters.

Jonathan made his way into the main hallways, narrowly sneaking past to that where in an adjacent room and closed the door quietly behind it after Nigma got through. He blocked the door and pointed to the other one opposite for Nigma to quietly do the same. The only other entrance was the stair well leading upstairs and as far as he knew, the only people up there anymore where the inpatients that where still locked in their cells. They would no doubt starve to death in the coming days. It didn't matter to Jonathan as he opened the small door to the security panel.

He waited until Nigma returned to his side and said quietly. "This is going to set off an alarm, but it'll be throughout the whole building so hopefully it'll be enough to confuse them and won't attract them to this location." He said, not mentioning that two thirds of the power grid in the asylum where blank. Meaning two thirds of the asylum currently didn't have power and there for the only alarms that will go off would be in this section. Hopefully the doors would hold long enough for them to get out. Who knows, the alarms in the nearby rooms might even be enough to buy them time.

"Stand by the door, have your weapon ready. I'm going to turn off the security systems, and I'll be over to where you are. It'll take a full sixty seconds for the metal door to click at the top before the outer door will be able to open at all. Are you ready?"

Edward followed Jonathan and, at his signaled direction, quietly blocked the other door. He hated having to follow someone else's directions like this, hated having to rely on someone else's knowledge of the layout, and he hated not being the one with the plan. But every move Crane made was reasonable, every decision sound, and right now, it was the only option.

So, Edward listened in silence as Crane filled him in on the next step. Once they were able to get out, they would have to move fast. And if those things found them while they were still trapped here... things would go badly for them. But an analysis of the situation provided no alternative. At least there were no alternatives for Crane either, and therefore no real chance of betrayal. This was it.

With cane in hand, Nigma stood by the door. He nodded to let Crane know he was as ready as he would ever be.

((A/N – and there's chapter 3 – hope you all enjoy and as always please R&R))