"So that must be the famous Aura Warren? No wonder you are hiding her away from me." A smug voice called from the shadow of the side door to the cafe.

Scarecrow hissed darkly inside Jonathan's mind. It took a great deal of his will to keep the Rogue at bay. Scarecrow was getting stronger, bolder the closer they seemed to be getting to their Aura. Jonathan ignored the green clad Rouge's jest as he waltzed down the alley. Nothing could ruin the elation he was currently feeling. 'She kissed my cheek and she wants to meet us again!' A large smile was plastered on his face, the muscles straining from the unfamiliar usage. Riddler continued to follow him whistling like a maniac. As they approached Jonathan's car he popped the trunk. opening a black duffel bag. When Riddler caught sight of the Scarecrow costume and gas canisters inside he backed away from Jonathan, raising his cane and narrowing his eyes behind his purple mask. Jonathan chuckled darkly and took his glasses off, placing them carefully in the trunk. Scarecrow laughing maniacally inside his mind. He rolled his head over his shoulder to look at the Riddler. "Try not to mess your suit. I have to go to the warehouse and would rather not have my workers see me without my mask."

Nygma turned his back on Jonathan as he began to slip out of his vest and shirt. "So, you have to do me a favor."

"The great Prince of Puzzles needs a favor? What trouble did you get into?" Jonathan asked, while slipping into his Scarecrow pants quickly.

Nygma laughed smugly. "Its not like you think. I just want you to let me know when you strike out with Miss Warren."

Before Jonathan could stop him, Scarecrow forced himself forward. Scarecrow spun the Rogue around and grabbed the collar of the Riddler's suit jacket. The Rogue was thrust into the brick wall of the alley, his head snapping back and roughly hitting the brick. "You will never touch Aura. If you even consider it again I will find out just how green you are inside." Scarecrow drug one of the syringes of his gauntlet up the Riddler's neck slowly. The fear in Nygma's eyes made the Scarecrow hungry again. When he spoke his voice was lower, darker; his eyes burned a fierce icy blue as he stared into the emerald eyes of Nygma. Jonathan was trying to fight his way back out, he would have to make this quick. "I may need to dig deep."

Jonathan took control again and immediately released the Riddler. Nygma gasped loudly trying to catch his breath and control his fear. Jonathan softly shook his head trying to clear the fog of the quick change. 'Never do that again Scarecrow! If I have to take the medicine again I will. You do not control this body unless I allow you to, do you understand?' The Scarecrow laughed darkly in response. Jonathan turned his attention back to the Rogue in front of him as the Riddler stood straight. "I apologize Nygma. Scarecrow is protective."

"Obsessive," Nygma replied acidly. Jonathan shrugged and turned back to his trunk to collect his canisters. A firm hand was placed on his shoulder and he glanced back to Nygma. "Jonathan, are you sure you have a handle on that thing?"

Jonathan nodded and took the mask from the bag, shutting the trunk. As he went to reassure his friend a scuffle from the next door garage caught their attention. A woman's scream pierced the air. He knew immediately who that scream belonged to. "Aura!" Riddler and Jonathan turned down the alley, breaking out into a run. Jonathan quickly donned his mask as they approached the sidewalk. A large white van broke out of the darkness of the garage as they left the alley. Tires squealing and rubber burned into the asphalt as the van pulled away. A large clown was painted on the side.

Riddler hit him on the shoulder and started pulling him back down the alley. "They are going to head to the Narrows. We can cut them off and get her back!"

Jonathan flew after the tall Rogue, for the first time thankful for his long legs. He reached the car before the green clad Rogue, unlocking it so they could climb in. His own tires squealed as he broke out of the alley. The Riddler pointed his route out as they screamed down the main drags of the city. For all of his faults, Nygma was an expert at what he did. With his knowledge of the police routes, they were easily able to avoid all of Gotham PD. As they entered the Narrows they could see the white van driving only one road over. Jonathan pressed harder on the accelerator to urge his car forward. They began to pull away from the van and Nygma directed him to a turn around. Now they were headed directly towards the white van. Both vehicles screamed to a halt in a cloud of tire smoke.

Riddler jumped from the car shortly after Scarecrow, both Rouges coming to the front bumper. They could see the surprised faces of the clown henchmen with in the van. "I have your back Scarecrow. Don't worry we'll get her back." Riddler said reassuringly.

Jonathan nodded to his fellow Rogue. The Riddler cracked his knuckles and twirled his cane around, tucking it under his arm. He was ready for a fight. Jonathan could feel the Scarecrow clawing in his mind. 'Are you ready for this? Are you going to listen to me?'

'Now is not the time Jonathan. We have to get Aura back!' Scarecrow had a pleading edge to his voice as he spoke again. 'Please Jonathan. Let me save our Aura.'

Jonathan closed his blue eyes and let the Rogue come forward. He stayed in the forefront of their mind, ready to help in whatever way he could. Four clown henchmen came out of the van. All had large guns in their hands. Jonathan reached into the back of his pants, pulling out a pistol. Riddler had already drew his as well. The leader of the henchmen stepped forward. "Well, well. Boss will be so happy that we took you two out. Especially you Scarecrow. Bongo was his favorite so I'll be taking your head back as a trophy."

'Bongo? That must be the name Tony used.' Jonathan mused.

'Silence Jonathan. I will need all of my senses.' Scarecrow scolded. Riddler and Scarecrow met each others gaze then nodded to one another. They both dove to the side to crouch behind two dumpsters lining the small alley they were in. Gunshots pierced the air as the henchmen let loose from their automatic weapons. Both Rouges kept a count in their head. Just as the henchmen stopped firing to reload their weapons the Rouges shot out. Riddler knocked down two of the henchmen while Scarecrow nailed one. Smiley had dove behind the van to take cover barely missing Scarecrow's deadly fire. Scarecrow looked over to the Riddler. "Aura is in there, hold your fire."

Riddler nodded, motioning with his cane. Scarecrow understood. After placing his gun in his pants he slowly crept up the side of the van. Smiley jumped out from behind it and held the barrel of the gun to Scarecrow's head. The henchman smiled viciously. "Say your prayers you freak!" he screamed.

Scarecrow laughed darkly. Fear was gripping the henchman as he realized the even with a loaded gun pointed at his head, Scarecrow was not afraid. "You forgot one thing, clown."

"What the fuck is that?"

"Me!" Riddler shouted as the side of his cane met with the henchman's temple. Smiley crashed to the ground in a heap of blood and sweat. Riddler gave Scarecrow a smug smile. "I was tempted to let him shoot you first."

Scarecrow laughed, the rebreather on his mask making it sound haunted. "You would miss me too much, Riddler."

Riddler cursed softly as a familiarly loud engine sounded, fast approaching their position. "Batman!" Riddler shouted. He grabbed Scarecrow's shoulder. "Forget the girl, Batman will take care of her."

Scarecrow shrugged away from the Rogue. "I need to make sure she is okay." The softer voice of Jonathan had once again taken control. Riddler stared into the Scarecrow mask before sighing loudly. "Please, Edward."

"Fine! But you owe me, remember that." Riddler took off at a run towards the end of the alley. "You better remember this when I'm in your stupid asylum!" he yelled as he ran.

Jonathan smiled at his friend's back as he disappeared around the corner. The back of the van easily opened. Jonathan's heart stopped as he looked at the still form laying inside. Aura's hands and feet were bound. Her mouth had been gagged and there was blood flowing gently from a cut in her temple. Jonathan placed his gauntlet into the holder on his back. Using two fingers he searched for a pulse. Satisfied with her strong heartbeat, he pulled her to the edge of the van and lifted her into his arms. As carefully as he could Jonathan placed Aura into the passenger seat of his car. As much as he wanted to remove the restraints and gag he knew he couldn't.

Batman cracked his knuckles as he looked down at the unconscious green mass laying on the road. Riddler had put up quite the fight but in the end, went down like normal. Taking the time to restrain the Rogue and place him into the Batmobile before he dashed down the alley Riddler had run from. The back of a white van bearing the markings of the Joker sat alone. As Batman surveyed the scene something puzzling nagged at the back of his mind. There were four Joker goons lying dead but no sign that the Joker had been here. It was highly unlikely that the Riddler would have just sought out the goons to pick a fight. No something was missing here. After a thorough search of the bodies he determined that three of the henchmen were gunned down and the last one, who appeared to be the leader, died of a sudden blunt trauma to the right temple. Judging from the markings, Batman assumed that it was caused by the Riddler's cane.

Bullet casings covered the alley. The goons were shooting at someone. Batman walked a little away from the van and found two dumpsters covered in bullet holes. He found it suspicious that the Riddler would have hid behind one and then been able to move to the second while still being fired on by four henchmen. There must have been a second person with Nygma, but who? There was nothing behind either dumpster but smaller caliber casings. Returning to the van, Batman looked into the opened back. The floor was covered in dirt and a few smears of blood. Nothing of note could be found. Just as Batman was about to turn to leave something shiny caught his eye. A small charm on a long silver chain in the shape of an obelisk caught the light of the alley just right to sparkle. Batman took it in his hands trying to remember where he had seen the necklace before.

Realization dawned on him. "Aura!" he exclaimed. Batman used a communicator to track his phone that he just so happened to have given to Aura before she left for the day. Bruce Wayne's cell phone was registering at a parking garage near the small cafe that Aura frequented. He quickly dialed the number for Commissioner Gordon. "Gordon, have you found any information on the disappearance of Aura Warren?"

"How did you know that she was missing?" Gordon asked, his tones in a hush as other policemen could be heard talking behind him.

"I just found a necklace belonging to her in the Narrows. What have you found?"

Gordon sighed, exhaustion obvious in his voice. "A waitress at the cafe said that she heard a woman scream from the parking garage next door. A few minutes later a large van burst from the garage. When I arrived at the garage there were signs of a struggle and some blood drops but no sign of anyone. The only thing we were able to find was a cell phone, credit card and driver's license belonging to Aura Warren."

Batman turned on his heel, heading back to his vehicle. "I found the van and the four Joker goons that took Aura but there is no sign of her. I have the Riddler in custody."

"Did he say anything?" Gordon asked.

"No, he refused to talk. Was there anything else that the waitress saw?"

Gordon hummed as he thought. "You know there was one thing that troubled me."

Batman waited for a few seconds but when the officer did not respond he growled out, "What Jim?"

"The waitress said she saw The Riddler with someone else come out of a side alley next to the garage. When she saw him she immediately ran back into the cafe and called the police." Gordon had paused again and when he spoke next his voice was low. "That other person she didn't get a good look at at first but when Riddler and him turned around to go back into the alley, she saw him from the window. It was Scarecrow."

Batman climbed into the driver's seat of the Batmobile. Riddler was still knocked out. "Scarecrow? Then Aura is in a great deal of danger. Send out an alert for her description immediately."

"Already done." Gordon murmured to a fellow officer before returning to the phone. "What are you going to do?"

Batman slid the necklace into a pouch on his belt. "I'm going to take Nygma to Arkham. When he wakes up I will see what he knows."

An hour later, Batman was sitting in an interrogation room at Arkham waiting for the doctors to bring in the Riddler. The patient had awoken not long after they arrived at the asylum but the doctors insisted on checking his wounds while the Rogue was out cold. The door to the interrogation room buzzed as Riddler was led through it. The security guard sat the shackled Riddler in the seat before leaving the room.

Riddler smiled ruefully at him. "Riddle me this Batman: No sooner spoken than broken."

Batman narrowed his eyes at the Rogue. "Silence Nygma, but I can assure you that you will talk. Tell me where Aura Warren was taken?"

Riddler chuckled, his shoulders shaking as he did. "I could not tell you Batman. I have no idea."

Batman slammed his hands down on the table. "I know that you and Scarecrow were working together. So why did he let you take the fall for him to get away?"

"Riddle me this: What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?"

Batman growled at the Riddler's smug smile. "A choice. Are you saying that you choose to be caught?"

"Wow the dork knight does have half a brain! Yes, I choose to be here."

"That is awfully noble of you. Why help Scarecrow?"

Nygma leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "The cost of making only the maker knows, valueless if bought, but sometimes traded. A poor man may give one as easily as a king, when one is broken pain and deceit are assured."

"You promised him. What did you promise him, that you would help him kidnap Aura?" Batman grabbed the collar of the orange jumpsuit Nygma was wearing. "Tell me where she is Nygma before the Scarecrow hurts her!"

Edward Nygma glared into his eyes as if searching for something. "What does she mean to you Batman?" Batman remained silent as he thrust him roughly into a nearby wall. Nygma laughed through his dazed expression. "I already told you what I know. I left him after we killed the men."

Batman dropped the Rogue and left the interrogation room. His cape billowed behind him as he walked quickly away. With no new leads, he headed to the only place he could think of: The Batcave.

Jonathan turned on the screen of his smartphone. He selected a hotel app and paid for a room. Within seconds he received his conformation number and downloadable room key. Aura was still knocked out and the bleeding on her head had not slowed. He parked behind the hotel, far away from the valet's box. Very carefully he removed the suit jacket from Aura's shoulders, thankful that she had apparently slipped out of it during the run. The goons must have thrown it into the van with her to attempt not to leave evidence. He put the jacket on before moving over to the passenger door. His Scarecrow's mask was still on his head. Jonathan didn't want to appear on camera without it, just in case.

With the utmost caution, he pulled Aura from the car and headed to a side door of the hotel. A small scanning device registered the QR code on his phone that contained his key and opened easily for him. Nervously he looked around the hotel hallways. It was getting into the early morning hours and the hotel was deserted as the occupants slept. They made it to the room without encountering anyone. Jonathan scanned his phone on the door's keypad and slipped inside. A soft light filled the room as he crossed it. Aura made a slight moan as Jonathan placed her onto the bed.

Very gently, Jonathan brushed some of her dark hair behind her ears. A longing filled his loins as he stared down at her angelic form. 'Jonathan, take her. We have her in our possession. Take her to the safe house and we can make her ours.'

Jonathan shook his head, clearing the Scarecrow's desire from it. 'No, she deserves better than that. I want her to come willingly to us, when she is ready.'

The Scarecrow screamed in his head. Jonathan could feel a strong power welling up inside his head as the Scarecrow fought for control. 'I want her now! You cannot stop me Jonathan Crane! I will have her!' Jonathan could feel the undeniable pressure in his head as the Scarecrow pressured him for control. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his costume and pulled out a small pill case. Before he could lose control, Jonathan chewed one of the pills. As the pill quickly took effect, he fell to the floor against the bed.

With his head in his hands, Jonathan breathed hard. He could feel tears of pain and frustration at his own weakness falling from his eyes. The Scarecrow quieted after a few seconds and disappeared from his mind. 'You are getting too strong my dear friend. I cannot let you out with Aura this close to us while you are like this. I cannot chance you hurting her. Please forgive me old friend.'

Jonathan took a few minutes to collect himself before standing up. After slipping off the suit jacket and placing it beside the bed, he crossed into the bathroom. He took off the Scarecrow mask and his breath caught in his throat. The face that stared back at him was hollow with his eyes seeming to sink into his face. The excitement of the chase and gunfight had driven up his adrenaline levels to an extreme. Now his body was coming off of that high. With Aura safe in his arms, Jonathan could feel the tiredness filling his veins. The cold water he used to splash on his face helped to wake him. He sighed as he remembered that he left his first aid kit in the trunk of his car. Jonathan checked on Aura. She was still asleep and he smiled down at her. Quickly he crossed the room and closed the door behind him.

Aura woke up with her head feeling like it was going to split open. She had to shake her head softly to try to clear her vision. Once she could see clearly she took in the bonds around her wrists. The ropes were tied tightly around both her wrists and ankles. After unsuccessfully trying to slip from them, Aura looked at her surroundings. The bed she was laying on dominated the single room. Two doors were the only thing of note in an otherwise obvious hotel room. One she knew would lead to a bathroom and the other she hoped would lead to a hallway of a hotel. The thought crossed her mind that this room could just be an illusion. That she could be deep in the lair of a Gotham Rogue. Those goons had mentioned a clown, the Joker.

With great difficulty Aura managed to sit herself up with her back to the headboard. A soft click sounded on the hall door. Aura's heart started to beat faster. A tall figure slipped in quietly, closing the door behind him. The man's outfit was strange but it didn't remind her of a clown. The brown stitched pants were laden with small almost hidden pouches. The man's shirt exposed his torso and Iris could see countless small scars on his pale skin. What caught her attention the most was his mask. It was obviously made to strike fear into victims but Aura was not afraid. She was curious. The bottom of a gas mask stuck out of the mask and she could hear the soft breathing of the masked man.

Aura tried to speak but the sound came out muffled thanks to the gag. The masked man crossed the room to the edge of the bed. "I see you are awake," he said. His voice came out distorted and haunted, obviously being altered with some sort of device. Aura nodded slowly. The man motioned to a spot on the bed bedside her before sitting. Aura shifted slightly so that her back was straight on the headboard. "I am going to treat your wound now." When Aura made a muffled reply he sighed. "I will consider removing your bonds afterwords."

Aura nodded in response and the man placed a small black pack next to him. When he opened it, she could see countless medical supplies. Selecting a small square pouch, he opened it. The smell of alcohol swirled up from the small square as the man lifted it to her pounding temple. As gently as he could, the man wiped at her face. It took him a few minutes to clean the wound and Aura tried her hardest not to wince at the tender wound. After it was cleaned the man looked closer. Aura took the chance to try and get a good look at the eyes under the mask but the burlap was built in such a way as to hide them in a dark shadow.

"I am going to have to stitch that cut." When he looked at Aura's scared face he chuckled softly. "I will give you a local anesthetic for the pain. You shouldn't feel anything more than a pressure." The man brought out a small needle and Aura bit down on the gag as he administered the medicine. He waited a few minutes before he started to sew the wound. When he was done, he finished cleaning her cut. The man disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a warm, white washcloth. Tenderly, he patted Aura's face and when he threw the cloth to the floor it was entirely pink from her blood. After he was done placing a bandage over the now closed wound he sat back down beside her on the bed. "If I take that out your mouth, I need your promise that you will not scream. I will not harm you, Aura."

Aura was shocked at the sound of her name coming from that distortion device. With a single nod, the man leaned towards her. Aura dipped her head down so that he had more access to the knot behind her head. Within seconds the gag was untied and removed. The man tossed it to the side of the bed. Aura licked her dry lips before attempting to speak. "Who are you?"

The man did not answer for a few minutes. With a lazy motion to his body he replied, "I am Scarecrow."

Aura felt her heart beat faster and her breath catch. This was the Gotham Rogue that killed Tony and claimed that she was under his protection. The same Rogue that claimed that she was his. Confusion slowly replaced the fear she felt. If Scarecrow had wanted to rape or kill her he had had ample time to do so while she was out but he didn't. Her clothes were still in place and obviously she was still breathing. If he wanted to hurt her for any reason he would have done so, not stitch her wound and clean her face of dried blood. "Why am I here? Why did you help me? What do you want?" Aura whispered.

The Scarecrow sighed again and turned his head to the door. "Those men that took you work for the Joker, like your boyfriend did."

"Tony worked for a Gotham Rogue?"

Scarecrow nodded. "He was sent to try to get your affections so that they could get to someone called Net Runner. They believe that you may know him or her." Aura smiled but hid it quickly as the man turned back to her. "I swore to protect you and you are mine to protect. I could not let those clowns take what was mine. I do not like to share."

Aura bit her lip to try to keep her question inside. She knew she wouldn't get the answer out of him. Instead she choose a simple retort. "Thank you."

Scarecrow seemed to visibly start from her words. The Rogue cocked his head to the side as if in confusion. "You are thanking me for being held against your will."

Aura shrugged and lifted her bound arms. "You did not do this to me. Those henchmen did. The way I see it is you saved me and even treated my wound. So the least I can do is thank you for it."

The man stood up and retrieved something from the first aid kit he had placed on a desk in the corner. When he returned Aura saw the needle in his hands. "I am going to give you this."

Aura's heart began to beat harder again. "What is that?"

Scarecrow laughed softly, amused at the fear in her voice. "A sedative. In approximately six hours you will awaken and I will be gone. You will find yourself free of your bonds. Please do not hesitate to call the police to come and retrieve you."

Scarecrow uncapped the covering of the syringe and sat beside Aura. Aura straightened her back and attempted to pull her arms further away from him. "Wait please!" Scarecrow paused and waited for her to say something. "I want to talk to you."

The man infront of her was silent as he appeared to be contemplating her words. "It would not be wise for me to delay my departure. No doubt Batman and the police are looking desperately for you. And I don't know for how much longer he will be quiet." Aura gasped as the needle sunk into the soft muscle of her arm. "It will take a few minutes for the sedative to kick in. I suggest you use that time to talk."

Aura shifted on the bed but lost her balance, falling softly into the man's chest. Strong, slim arms wrapped around her and Aura expected him to push her off of him. Instead, the man shifted them around so that his back was now against the headboard and Aura was resting against his chest. The soft scent of pumpkin and cinnamon filled her nose as Scarecrow's chest rested under her head. "I'm sorry; it is hard to move with your limbs tied up. Why did you not push me away?"

The gentle rise and fall of his chest was beginning to tranquilize Aura. She knew that she wouldn't last long but she forced herself to remain awake. "I told you before. You are my Aura. I revel in delight that you are in my arms."

Aura felt her eyes drooping and she shook her head to try and stay awake. "Why?"

"Because in my arms you are safe. I will never harm you nor let anyone attempt to harm you. Not even him."

The bitterness in that pronoun again peaked her curiosity. "Who is he?"

The Scarecrow was silent before he quickly replied. "You do not need to worry about him. Not right now." After a few seconds he sighed again. "You will meet him soon enough I know."

Aura nodded. She could no longer feel her body as the sedative was quickly winning. "Will I see you again?"

A soft pressure pressed down on the crown of her head. Through the wig she could feel his soft kiss. "I will always be near you Aura, whether you know it or not. I will protect you. You will see me again, I promise."

Jonathan waited for a few minutes after her breathing became steady. The sedative had finally kicked in. With a sigh of relief, he pulled the Scarecrow's mask off and laid it on the nightstand next to the bed. With great care, even though he knew she would not wake up, Jonathan shifted Aura's head to the pillows. A small knife appeared in his hand and he cut the tight ropes around her wrist and ankles. Small burn marks and bruises covered her extremities. The sight of them caused anger to flare in his normally calm mind. Scarecrow was still asleep thankfully, Jonathan would have hated to feel the rage the markings would have stirred in his dark one. He retrieved an ointment from his medical pack and rubbed the bruises gently. When he was done, Jonathan stood at the foot of the bed.

Aura's chest rose and feel gently with each breath. She smiled in her sleep. Very softly Jonathan crawled into the bed beside her. He could feel the exhaustion winning over in his body. He had five and a half hours before she would wake and he would spend every minute with her in his arms. Jonathan wrapped his arms around her torso. A blush crept up his cheeks as she turned instinctively and buried her head in his chest. A soft alarm woke him up five hours later. He shut his phone off and looked down. Aura was still curled up in his chest. She was smiling, with a fist full of his costume's shirt firmly in her hands. Jonathan carefully disentangled himself from her arms. He lifted his suit jacket that he had given her, covering her torso with it. He knew he did not have long left and he needed to leave but before he could, he had one more thing he wanted to do. Aura had rolled onto her back as her mind drifted out of her deep sleep. Jonathan knelt onto the soft bed beside her. Bending over, he pushed his lips onto her soft, warm mouth. The feeling of their lips touching was enough to reignite the fire in his gut and loins. As he regretfully parted from her lips, he looked down at her. "Soon I won't have to run away, Aura. Soon you will welcome into your life and I will be able to kiss you as long and whenever I want." Jonathan stole one last kiss. "Until then, my love. My Aura," he gathered all trace of himself from the room and exited just as quietly as he came.