Jonathan stared in shock at the woman infront of him, barely registering the words that came from her mouth. The voice in his head became louder and more enraged the longer his eyes stayed on Aura. Her smile was innocent as she made some joke, but he didn't hear her words. The darkness in his mind threatened to consume him as the Scarecrow continued to rage on. 'Edward fucking Nygma? She spurns your affections in favor of Nygma!'

'Spurns?' Jonathan blinked rapidly as the pain in his head began to swell. Absentmindedly Jonathan's hand flew to his head, cradling it as the pain began to blind him. 'Please calm yourself, Scarecrow. I cannot think when you are like this.'

'She smiles at you, laughs in your face, and all you can think of is calming me! Aura stands before us clad in another man's image and yet you still pretend that she wants you? Wants us?' Scarecrow began to push against the barrier between their psyches, attempting to take over.

Jonathan could feel his control slipping as the pressure in his head was reaching a peak. A warm hand touched his cheek and Jonathan opened his eyes, using the last of his inner strength to push the Rogue back long enough to refocus his gaze. Aura looked at him, concern oozing from every pore of her being. Jonathan was able to finally focus on her words as her lips moved. "...so pale. Are you feeling alright? Do you need to lay down?"

"Yes I think that would be wise." Jonathan stumbled forward as Aura stepped aside to let him enter her room. He felt an arm slip around his waist as Aura helped him to the bed. Jonathan sat heavily and looked back up at her. "May I have some water please?"

She nodded quickly. "I'll be right back."

A sharp, stabbing pain lanced through Jonathan's head causing him to throw himself back onto the bed. A small scream left his lips as the Rogue threatened to break free from his hold. 'Please, stop!' Tears leaked from his eyes as the pain became unbearable. He could feel the claws of the Scarecrow scratching at his own mind.

'You are weak, Jonathan Crane! Aura teases you only to show her true colors tonight. She never wanted us. She was only playing with us. Fake concern, false emotion, and the funniest thing of all is the whore had you convinced that she was falling in love with you!' A cruel laugh echoed through his mind, the pain radiating and blossoming from it.

Jonathan tried to sit up only to fall to the floor on his knees from the sheer pressure inside his head. 'Please, old friend! Stop this now, I cannot bear it much longer.'

'Then release me and see the siren receive what she deserves.' Scarecrow temporarily paused in his onslaught as Jonathan began crawling towards the bathroom. 'What are you doing?'

Jonathan smiled as he crawled, the last bit of his strength spurred on by adrenaline. 'Is it not obvious? I am going to stop you.'

Another cruel, dark eruption of laughter echoed inside Jonathan's mind. The pain began to pulsate further into his body. All along his spine, he could feel what could only be described as white hot needles being pushed into every nerve fiber and pore of his body. Sweat dripped from his forehead but still the Rogue clawed at the barrier, the last thing separating him from completely taking control of their shared body. 'You will stop me? You don't have the strength, Jonny Boy.'

'I don't need strength, Scarecrow.' Jonathan gritted his teeth as the the Scarecrow pushed harder against his last defense. A sharp pain erupted from his spine, radiating down his right arm. He collapsed, only halfway to the bathroom. The distance between the bed and his destination seemed like miles away when in reality it was only a mere twenty feet.

'Do you see now Jonathan?' The Scarecrow's voice was louder in his head as he came closer and closer to taking over. 'Just give in. I'll consider making the traitor's end quick if you do.'

Jonathan suddenly smiled. 'I'll never let anyone hurt Aura, even you.'

'Then you are not the smart man I thought you were.'

A small laughter fell from Jonathan's throat. The raw sound of a predator surprising even him. 'Or maybe I am the only smart one here. At least I can see the difference between simple dress up and imitation set on flattery.'

'Why can you not come to terms with the fact that your affections towards Aura have failed? It is time to let me take over. She will either join us and follow my every command or she will become just another experiment.'

Jonathan struggled back to his knees and started crawling again. He focused his mind the best he could to push back against the Scarecrow. Within minutes he was inside the bathroom, the cold tile felt like a saving grace on his hot palms. Desperately he clung to the edge of the marble counter top and gritted his teeth together as he climbed to his feet. Jonathan slipped a hand into the pocket of his black slacks and wrapped his fingers around the small pill bottle inside.

The Scarecrow suddenly backed off, cowering at the mere feel of the bottle. 'Jonathan, reconsider this. She will just hurt you in the end! I am your only friend.'

The pill bottle slipped free of his pocket and Jonathan struggled with the safety cap. Once opened he gently poured a pill into his hand, placing the bottle on the counter top. 'No my old friend, Aura has done nothing wrong in this. Jealousy has clouded your judgment and has caused you to act out of fear.'

'Fear? I fear nothing!' Scarecrow suddenly pushed against the barrier in Jonathan's mind with everything the Rogue had.

Jonathan nearly fell to his knees at the demonic pressure now pushing down on his mind. 'You say I am weak but yet I still stand. Years ago I would have succumb to your influence by now. I would have cowered away from you and just let you do as you wished. But not this time.' Jonathan reached out and pulled the handle on the faucet to let the cold water pour out. He slipped the small pill between his teeth and bent forward, sipping water from the running tap.

'You believe I fear that medicine that you desperately cling to when you realize that you are nothing compared to me? I am fear incarnate! I, Scarecrow, fear nothing.'

Jonathan sat heavily on the side of the bathtub as the water and pill slipped down his throat. 'You are wrong. You fear one thing.' The pressure in his head began to lessen and the pain that once plagued his body was retreating. Sweat still clung to his face and chest, causing his hair to plaster to his skin. The Scarecrow was slowly quieted by the medication. 'Scarecrow, you fear that one day I will no longer need you and finally silence you for good. One day I will have the strength to see you disappear. But until then I will continue to fight against you. Aura will never be hurt by you or anyone else so long as I still draw breath.' Jonathan could feel the Rogue laugh softly as the medication continued to push him further and further into the darkness of his mind. Before the barrier went back up to fully seal the demon away, Jonathan closed his eyes and thought, 'This is my body, my mind, and my will. You will never fully control me again.'

"Jonathan?" A soft voice called from the bedroom to his left.

Jonathan opened his eyes weakly, the strength slowly returning to his veins. "In here, Aura."

The light switched on in the small bathroom and Jonathan heard an audible gasp escape the woman's lips. Aura rushed to his side, kneeling in front of him. She removed the bowler hat and purple mask, throwing them to the side before she hesitantly reached out to touch his cheek. Concern was written plainly on her face as she took in his disheveled features, pale skin, and exhausted look. "Jonathan you look awful! What happened?"

She pushed a cold glass into his hands and he swallowed the water thankfully. Aura took the empty glass from him, placing it on the counter top behind her, before returning her attention back to him. "It was just an intense migraine. Nothing to be concerned over."

Aura narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "It must have come on so suddenly. I mean I was only gone for five minutes and you look like you just went through a war." Her palm pressed against his warm forehead. The coolness of her fingers made him sigh and close his eyes. "Stay here."

Jonathan watched as Aura got up and went to the small closet next to the bathtub. She returned with a small hand towel which she ran under the cool water still pouring from the tap. Aura paused as she saw the pill bottle. The towel laid under the running water as she picked up the bottle. Jonathan cursed himself for not replacing it into his pocket. "Amoxapine." Aura turned around to face him, her brows knitted together in confusion. "I take it for nerve pain and migraines."

She smiled as she replaced the cap on the pill bottle and handed it to him. Jonathan slipped the bottle back into his pocket and leaned on the cool tile wall of the bathtub. Aura wrung the access water from the towel before kneeling infront of him again. Softly she pressed the cool towel against his face and neck, wiping the sweat away from it. Jonathan closed his eyes in pleasure at the cool touch. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" she asked cautiously.

"Not anymore. When I was a kid I had to take it almost everyday but as I grew older I learned to live with it better. I very rarely need to medicate anymore." Jonathan smiled and reached out, capturing Aura's hands in his. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm all right now."

Aura smirked and rolled her eyes. "Your color is coming back but I am still going to worry about you." Her hands slipped from his grip and reached behind him to start the tap on the bathtub. "Take your shirt off and I'll rinse your hair. Don't worry I'll do your makeup for you again. We can't have the mad scientist appear sane can we?" Aura winked at him.

Jonathan stood up slowly, testing to make sure his legs were strong enough to hold his weight again. He slipped out of the lab coat he was wearing, the very same he would use when in his chemistry lab in the basement of the safe house. Aura had her back to him as she bent over the bathtub to grab a bottle of her shampoo. Jonathan took a deep breath and removed the long sleeved black shirt he wore, placing it with the lab coat on the counter followed by his glasses. When he looked back at Aura she was removing a larger bath towel from the cabinet. "Kneel next to the bathtub so I can wash your hair, please," she said as she grabbed the removable shower head. Jonathan did as she requested. He could feel his heart beating furiously, threatening to burst from his chest, as he waited for her to see the scars on his torso.

Jonathan gripped the side of the tub, his knuckles going white from the strength in his slim fingers. Aura finally turned to him and he watched as she froze with the running shower head in her hands. "Aura?" he called. Very softly she shook her head and smiled at him. Jonathan closed his eyes as the warm water ran over his shoulders and head. Aura washed his hair for him and when she was done, she wiped the water from his shoulders. Jonathan took the towel from her as she left the bathroom to retrieve her makeup bag. Quickly he dried his hair the best he could.

Aura returned a few seconds later and took the damp towel from him. The soft towel was brushed over his chest and back to remove the sweat from his skin. When she was done Aura paused and Jonathan watched as her eyes moved over his chest, taking in the numerous small scars that littered his skin. Slowly she reached out and stroked one of the deeper scars, "What are these?"

Jonathan continued to stare at her. Before he could stop himself he caught her hand in his and pulled her to him, claiming her lips with his. When they broke away, his icy eyes locked onto her lavender ones. "Bad memories. I'll tell you about them when we don't have a party to get to, I promise."

Aura smiled as she ran her hands through Jonathan's brown hair to rub the white powder among it. With one last look over the dark eye make up, she slid his glasses back onto his face. Jonathan's icy eyes opened afterward and locked onto her own. "I still can't tell you how excited I was to see you show up as a mad scientist."

Jonathan chuckled, following her from the bedroom and down the hall to return to the party. "I figured since you continued to call me such, I would make your dream come true tonight."

Aura adjusted her purple mask and bowler hat. Before they descended the stairs the sound of a cleared throat behind them caught their attention. Jonathan turned before Aura and locked his eyes on the man in the ninja costume. Aura blushed softly when she felt a protective arm wrap around her waist as Jonathan pulled her closer to him. "And who might you be?" she ventured to the newcomer.

The ninja said nothing but moved to step closer. Quickly Jonathan pushed Aura behind his back and stepped towards the ninja, his hand dipping into his lab coat and eyes narrowing dangerously. A soft laugh echoed from the dark mask before the man lifted his hands in surrender. The mask was pulled from his face and Bruce Wayne smiled at them. "Relax Doctor Crane, I do not intend to hurt you or your Rogue." He extended his hand and Jonathan shook it after a few seconds hesitation. Bruce then turned his attention to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "I have to say, I have never seen the Riddler look so beautiful before."

Jonathan chuckled into his hand. "Do not let Edward Nygma hear you say that. You may find yourself regretting your words."

Aura furrowed her eyebrows at his statement. "Is he that vain? I wasn't aware."

Bruce shot her a warning look. "No you would not know him being that you are from Metropolis and have thankfully yet to cross that particular Rouge's path."

"Besides seeing him in passing I can't say that I know the man." Aura reached out and held onto Jonathan's hand as her boss nodded slightly to her. "Wonderful party, Mr. Wayne. Everyone looks to be having fun."

"That they do. I just wanted to come and thank Doctor Crane here for attending tonight. It is quite a delight to have another of Aura's friends among us." Bruce locked his eyes with Jonathan and a few tense seconds passed before Bruce broke the connection and pointed down into the crowd. "It would appear Miss Susan and Mr. Arthur are heading your way. Do take care tonight you two. Funny things happen on Halloween. Now if you will excuse me, Lucius calls." Bruce descended the stairs and headed to the dark skinned man dressed as a pirate.

Aura pulled Jonathan down the stairs, ducking behind party guests, and heading to the food table. When they stopped, Jonathan looked at her quizzically. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and handed him a menu so they could place their order. "I would like to eat before Susan comes to try and drag us into some embarrassing conversation or worse, an interrogation." Aura placed their order with one of the waiters and was lead to a nearby table.

"Susan was the red head from the bar the first night we met right?" Jonathan asked.

Aura felt slight shock but quickly hid it. "I'm surprised you remember."

"I have quite a good memory, when they involve important things and people in my life."

She raised her wine glass to him. "I second that." Jonathan clinked his glass to hers and they sipped. "Yes Susan was the red head woman I was with. She's over there," Aura pointed into the crowd, "dressed up like Poison Ivy and her boyfriend is the tall one in the Scarecrow outfit." Aura found herself stumbling over her words as she looked at Arthur. The burlap sack over his head caused a breath to catch in her throat as she remembered that night in the hotel with the Rogue. His costume was a pale comparison to the true likeness of the Scarecrow but the effect was still there. Their dinner had arrived but she barely tasted it as that night replayed in her mind. Aura was still focusing on the distant Scarecrow in the hall when the scent of pumpkin caught her attention. Jonathan had moved closer to her to put an arm around her shoulders. She looked at him for a few seconds before moving her head closer to him and inhaling that distinct scent. "You smell just like pumpkins and cinnamon," she whispered.

Jonathan tensed and then relaxed. "It is embarrassing to admit but that would be the lotion I use. Do you not like it?"

Aura never got the chance to respond as two hands clasped themselves over her eyes. "Guess who!," a high shrill voice declared.

"Susan?" Aura turned around and hugged the woman after her eyes were uncovered. Arthur stood a few steps behind her but when Aura locked her eyes on his hood, he came closer. The burlap sack was removed and he smiled to her. "You two look great."

"I guess you got the memo about being a Rogue. Totally love the Riddler costume! Red is so your color!" Susan sat next to her and moved closer so that no one would overhear her next words. "Congrats on the hot stud with you. I just knew you would look awesome next to tall, pale, and nerdy." She laughed when Aura's blush darkened and sat back. "So you two wanna blow this boring business fundraiser and go have some real fun?"

Jonathan tilted his head in question. "Real fun?"

Susan's eyes glittered in enthusiasm. "Yeah! A group of only the best people are going into the Gotham Woods to have a bonfire and tell ghost stories. You two should totally come." Aura looked to Jonathan who only shrugged his shoulders but before she could say a word, Susan continued, "I won't take no for an answer! You have been cooped up in this mausoleum and Wayne Tower for far too long. Get out and live a little."

Aura and Jonathan could hardly say no as Susan and Arthur dragged them from Wayne Manor. The valet pulled Jonathan's car forward after Arthur's and they climbed into the vehicle. Jonathan followed the red sports car onto a path that lead deep into the forest. They pulled into a camping ground and Jonathan parked beside a row of cars. Susan pointed to a small bath house if they needed to use it and lead them to a small group of people already sitting around a bonfire. Jonathan sat on a log beside Aura and they laughed as two men tried to out do the other in a mock wrestling contest. Susan clapped her hands and all attention landed on her. "Alright lets get this scare fest started. Who wants to draw first blood?"

Aura smirked and grabbed Jonathan's hand, forcing it into the air. "Jonathan here specializes in the study of fear."

Susan motioned to the bonfire and smiled evilly. "Then let us be the judge if you can creep or scare the crap out of us. Please Mr. Crane, make our skin crawl."

Jonathan shot Aura a playful glare before looking around the group. They all returned his look with intense concentration. It would not take him much to scare this group. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to recall the darkest story he could think of in which to cause the utmost discomfort for them all. Finally he settled on something he knew they would never forget: His childhood. "A man and woman had a child out of wedlock, that they abandoned with the grandmother. Now I know what you must be thinking, that this sounds like the same boring story heard daily in our lives but trust me when I say: what happened to this child has rippled into our very lives today, in this city, and still affects the ones around us to this very night." Jonathan paused and looked around. The group exchanged confused glances but soon focused back onto him. "The grandmother was far from the warm and loving woman that you may think. Years of religious fanaticism warped her mind into something cruel and inhuman. The boy was impure in her eyes and thus should be treated as such. Her favorite past time was to strip the boy naked and douse him in a homemade concoction.

Then she would drag the screaming boy into a church nestled in the corn fields behind their home. The boy would be tossed inside, regardless if he was hurt on the way in. The grandmother would then chain the doors closed so that there was no escape since all the windows were boarded and the only other opening was the numerous holes in the roof, caused from years of decay and age. The church was filled with nesting crows. Murders upon murders of them sitting in the rafters but not for long. The loud screams of the boy desperately trying to plead for the grandmother to release him would stir them into being alert. Then the chemical that covered his pale skin did its job. You see the chemical was designed to enrage and draw the crows into attacking the source. The boy would run as the crows pecked and clawed at his skin, tearing the flesh from his tender, slim frame. When the boy grew tired he would simply give up hope, crawl into the fetal position, and prayed to whatever merciful god that would listen to release him from this world. From dusk to sunrise he would stay in that church with those crows as his jailors, only sleeping when the crows finally would lose interest in him. This torture lasted and repeated daily from the tender age of four until the boy was seventeen.

His school years did not offer the hope of a reprieve from his grandmother's torturous ways as he would have hoped. The boys and girls at the school loved to gang together and taunt the boy for his lanky frame and spindly legs. As the years went by in school the teasing would escalate to the boy having rocks thrown at him, being stuffed into lockers, and beaten in the hallways. Teachers would pass by, completely ignoring the boy's pleas for help. Hell, they would even join in the fun. High school was the turning point in the boy's life. A young girl, the object of his adoration and affections, stood before him as he finally gained the courage to ask her to the costume ball. The cheerleader surprised him, giving him the greatest thing he had ever experienced in his life: Hope. She had agreed to go to the Halloween Dance with him, something he never expected. His love for her was finally returned, or so he thought." Jonathan paused again. Susan was clutching the girl next to her, mouth agape. Aura was watching him closely as well, focused on his words. He watched as Arthur stood and slipped from the small group, heading to the bathroom. Jonathan lowered his voice, staring into the fire.

"Sherry told the boy to meet her in a dark classroom so they could get to know one another intimately. The boy's heart raced at the prospect of having his first kiss, something that could bring him joy that even his grandmother could not take away. But on the way to the meeting spot the jock that captured Sherry's heart appeared and proceeded to chase the boy until finally he threw a Jack O'Lantern at the boy, causing it to explode upon the back the boy's head and knocking him unconscious. While he was indisposed of the two pranksters took him to the corn field and tied him upon the cross in which a scarecrow would hang. They dressed him in the scarecrow's clothes and when he woke up screaming and crying, they placed the burlap sack over his head. They left him there until his grandmother found him, cut him down, and then locked him in the church as punishment." Jonathan looked over at Aura. Tears slipped from her eyes as she listened to his story. The other women in the group were misty eyed as well, the men shaking their heads in anger and sadness.

Jonathan placed a hand on Aura's knee. "Do not fret. This story has a happy ending, of a sort. As the boy sat in the church that night and the crow's flew around him, something snapped. A voice in the darkness called to him, beckoning him. The voice became his friend. His only friend. Over the next year the boy and the voice devised a plan to free himself of the horrors of this world. With the voice spurring him on and giving him praise, the boy dressed in the guise of the scarecrow once again. The night of the senior prom the boy stood by the street, waiting patiently for a certain pickup truck to come down the road. After patiently waiting for hours the truck appeared on the horizon. The boy stepped out into the road and leveled a water gun, painted black, at the windshield of the truck. He could hear the screaming of Sherry as the jock driving careened from the road and down into a gulley. The boy smiled as he stalked to the disabled and bent truck. The driver had been thrown from the vehicle and lay yards away, his back at an unnatural angle. He lived, though he would never walk or even feed himself again. The passenger, Sherry, was partially hanging from the windshield. Her face was frozen in a scream, her eyes bulging from fear. The blood poured from the glass imbedded in her face and neck. The boy relished as he heard her last breath agonizingly leaving her lips. He returned home to find his grandmother in high spirits. The woman lifted her hand and struck the boy to the ground. As the boy was on the ground the voice in his head screamed and persuaded him to take control of his life. He donned the burlap mask again and retrieved a hidden bottle in his room that contained the very chemical used so many times on himself in the church. The voice had coached him into altering the chemical into something he could use against larger animals. Humans even. The boy sprayed the old woman in the face and within seconds she was screaming and writhing on the floor as the chemical altered her brain into seeing things that were not there. She prayed to her god to release her but the boy stood over her and said, 'There is no god, not for you. I will release you but only after you know the suffering you have inflicted upon me.' Using the only gift the woman ever gave the boy, the knowledge of how to inflict fear and pain upon someone, the boy tied the woman in the center of the living room. After gagging her, he set up pail that would slowly drip the chemical onto her continuously. He watched for days until the woman finally screamed herself to death. The fear gripping her heart and stopping it completely. He was finally free and with his new found delight in fear and death, he moved with the dark voice inside his head to a large city to continue his savage work."

The group was deathly silent as the last statement settled over them. Slowly one by one, the same thought crossed each of their minds. They all came to the same realization, but it was Aura who voiced it first. "Scarecrow."

Jonathan smirked as he watched as one by one, each member of their group shivered involuntarily. Aura stared at the ground as she digested the origin story of the Scarecrow. Jonathan's icy eyes fell onto Susan. The fiery redhead was openly weeping. "I can't believe that is how that Rogue came to be. I used to be just like that Sherry girl." The girl next to Susan wrapped her arms around the crying girl. "I must have been so horrible.

Jonathan relished in joy at the distraught people around him. He may not have struck fear into their bodies but he did something equally satisfying: he made each and every person present see the savage reality of their lives. They were now calling into question how they have lived their very lives, if they walked all over someone in the past, or any pain they might have inflicted upon someone else. All present where now looking at the exposed darkness in their own souls and Jonathan loved the pained look in most of their eyes. Aura was the only exception. There was no pain on her face, only mute shock at the story he told. 'I wonder if she has connected the scars on me to the story yet.' he thought to himself. Jonathan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and turned very slightly in his seat. Arthur, dressed once again in his burlap sack, had been listening to the tale. He crept closer to the group and once only inches from Aura's back, he grabbed the girl's shoulders roughly. Aura suddenly took a deep breath and let out a blood curdling scream. Her arms flew out as she clung to Jonathan for dear life. Her scream continued, her body shaking from the force of her fear. Tears fell from her eyes at the sudden fright gripping her heart. Arthur laughed and began apologizing. Susan had gotten up and smacked the tall man before pulling Aura from Jonathan's body and comforting the scared girl.

But Jonathan did not hear anything the woman was saying. Aura's scream resounded in his head. Vaguely he watched as Aura stood from the log and walked towards the bathroom. Jonathan closed his eyes tightly as a sharp pain lanced through his head. He held his head in his hands as dark claws easily ripped through the barrier in his mind and suddenly Jonathan found himself thrown into the darkness of his own psyche. 'Scarecrow! Don't do this! Let me out!' He could feel himself being pushed back and suddenly found that he was on the wrong side of his own barrier created by the medication that was still active in his system.

'Silence Jonathan. Aura's fear called out to me and brought me from the darkness you sought to lock me away in.' Jonathan watched helplessly as the Scarecrow slipped from the arguing couple at his side. Swiping the burlap sack that Arthur had dropped, he made his way to the bath house. Scarecrow was in full control. 'Don't worry Jonathan. I won't hurt her, much'

Jonathan pushed against the barrier, desperate to get through and force control over his own body. Meanwhile Scarecrow had reached the bath house. Silently he approached the rear and exposed the breaker box for the small building. He flipped the main switch and the bath house was plunged into darkness. Jonathan could feel his own panic and fear rising, not even bothering to hide it from the Rogue, as the Scarecrow slipped in the woman's room. 'Please do not hurt her. I need her Scarecrow. Old friend, it was just a prank. Please...'

'Silence now, Jonathan. I wish to have a taste of her fear tonight and that scream awakened my need once again. I am willing to overlook her outfit choice after the raw fear I just felt come from her. Now sit back and let me work.'

Aura stood infront of the sink wiping the wet paper towel on her cheeks. The scare that Arthur gave her caused her such a panic. She was deep in thought about the very Rogue Jonathan had told them all about. Knowing the Scarecrow's origin was something surreal to her, something that hit too close to home. Just like the Rogue, she was bullied and singled out as a child but unlike the man, she had a loving family. That led her to thank about the man that forced that same loving family from her arms. But the fact that their pasts were similar led her to think of only one thing: would she end up the same? She became the Net Runner to escape the reality of her bullies and for once to feel in control of something. Would one day her Net Runner identity escalate into her becoming just like Scarecrow?

Aura gasped as the lights in the bathroom blinked out. She turned towards the door at the end of the long bathroom. A shadow flitted across the open door and Aura backed up a few steps. "Hello?" she called out softly. Her heart began to hammer softly in her chest. She willed her breathing to slow down and closed her eyes. Straining her ears she tried to pick up some sort of sound. There it was, a footfall on the tiles. Suddenly angered flared within her. "Arthur this isn't funny anymore. You won't scare me again."

Aura was thrown back as a strong hand clamped down on her mouth, muffling her surprised scream. The person's body pushed against her own, forcing her back against the tile wall behind her. She tried to push against the slender chest of the man on her but to no avail. Roughly a second hand wrapped around her throat. "Expecting someone else, Aura," a rough voice called out. Aura felt her heart stop. That voice did not belong to Arthur but she did know the man it did belong to. While the voice did not have the robotic edge to it that it did the last time, it still held the same darkness and savagery. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the bathroom, her suspicions were confirmed. Scarecrow was pushing his tall frame against her, trapping her against the wall. A small scream escaped her lips only to be muffled by his hand. "Aw, don't look at me like that. You're only making me more excited." A feral growl sounded from beneath the burlap sack.

Scarecrow leaned forward and rubbed the scratchy fabric against her cheek. Aura knew that he had pressed his lips against the fabric in an attempt to kiss her. A silent tear fell down her cheek and her body shook from fear. Scarecrow merely laughed. "You flatter me. I did not expect tears upon our meeting tonight but I have to say I am not disappointed. Your fear, its so intoxicating. That scream in which that silly boy pulled from you, it called to me. It begged me to come here and finally show you just whom you belong to." The Rogue sighed after burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply. Aura closed her eyes but when the hand around her neck tightened, she forced them back open. "I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. As much as your screams would please me, I would hate for this chance meeting to end prematurely." A cruel laugh echoed in the tile bathroom. "If you do try and alert the others outside, I will strangle you within an inch of your life. I do not wish to harm you Aura, unless you give me a reason to. Do we have an understanding?"

Aura stared at the shadowed mask and nodded her head. The slim hand left her mouth and rested on the exposed portion of her waist. Now she regretted wearing the stomach exposing top of her costume. Whispering so that she would not cause any alarm, she asked "What do you want?"

Another cruel laugh. "Is it not obvious, Aura? I want you. I want your fear and," the hand on her waist trailed across her stomach while the other remained firm on her neck. He continued, "but there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now I just wanted to talk."

Aura breathed deeply, the scent of pumpkins filling her nostrils. Her mind drifted to Jonathan but this scent was different. The pumpkin was accompanied by something feral, something frightening. She couldn't quite put a finger on the smell but it was dangerous. "I don't know what I did to you but I am sorry. Please, I don't want any trouble. I just want to go home and be left alone."

The tall Rogue pushed his forehead against her own. "You did nothing to me Aura. I cannot explain the connection I felt for you the first time I was able to set eyes upon you. This can only be described as fate. We were meant to be together."

Aura felt hot tears falling from her eyes. "Please, I just want to be left alone. I won't tell anyone about you being here. I promise, just walk away."

"I cannot do that, Aura." He pushed his body closer to her own. One of his knees pushed in between her legs. "Nothing you say will change the way I feel about you. I need you and I will make you mine. When the time comes for you to join me you will have two choices: you can come willingly or I can drag you the entire way but I promise that choice will be something you will regret." The hand on her stomach trailed up her torso and brushed across one of her breasts before he pulled on the small purple tie she wore roughly. "I admit you disappointed me when I saw your choice of attire. Edward Nygma. What does the man mean to you?"

Aura felt her panic begin to rise and she knew that she had to be careful. "Nothing, it was just an outfit. Nygma has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him. I have never even met the guy."

"Are you lying to me?" he growled out dangerously.

"No, I promise. I swear on my life."

"Swear on Jonathan Crane's life."

Panic seized Aura's tongue. She closed her eyes tightly to try and gain the courage she needed to stop her voice from shaking. "Please do not harm Jonathan, he has nothing to do with any of this. I will do whatever you ask of me just do not harm him."

"I will not so long as I do not find out that you are lying to me." The hand around her neck tightened temporarily. "Keep your eyes closed." Aura did as he commanded. She could hear the burlap sack being removed from his head and fall to the floor. She froze as soft lips pressed against her own. A small gasp escaped her lips and a rough tongue was pushed deep into her mouth. Scarecrow's hand massaged her breast as his tongue explored her mouth roughly. He broke the kiss and buried his face again into her neck, his cold skin pushing against hers. Sharp teeth bit into her neck before he sucked on the delicate pale skin. Aura tried her best to stifle a moan as the Rogue brushed his tongue against the skin of her neck. A rumble shook Scarecrow as he laughed. With a final rough kiss the Rogue moved to her ear, his lips brushing against her lobe. "Never again will you dress in the like of a Gotham Rogue unless of course it is my likeness. If you do there will be consequences. Now you're a smart woman so I assume I do not to reiterate that you will never speak of this night to anyone. I will protect you Aura if you follow my rules and never betray me. You belong to me. Never forget that." A few seconds ticked by before Aura felt her body being released and the shadow before her disappeared. Aura sunk to the floor and released the breath she had been holding as tears flowed from her face.

Just wanted to say thank you to all my readers and especially to my reviewers! I appreciate you all!