Several minutes passed by as Aura stared down at the mask in her hands. Her tears had long since dried and her terror had passed. The lights flickered back on seconds after Scarecrow left and with them her mind turned back on as well. The gears in her head that had been frozen by the fear of the Rogue were now churning, trying to figure out who was the man underneath this burlap mask. This was not the mask that Aura first saw in the hotel room, it was entirely missing the voice changing and air quality control apparatus. Also the mask that was left in her condo had a similar, though less complex, design as the Rogue had in the hotel. But that one was still at Wayne Manor; she had taken it out and studied it again before deciding to go with the Riddler costume she choose. No, this mask in her hands was something that Aura was sure the Rogue did not make himself. This was something that he grabbed quickly to conceal himself or maybe it was just the means to hide in plain sight. A wolf in sheep's clothing among the hapless revelers of the Halloween Party.
Aura took in a sharp breath and her brows shot up in recognition. That was where she had seen this particular mask before: Bruce Wayne's Halloween Fundraiser. She had seen this exact mask from across the room as she and Jonathan sat down for their evening meal. Then the owner of this mask had come with them, no they had followed him, here to this out-of-the-way campground. It was the Rouge's plan all along for them to come here so that he could have his uninterrupted moment alone with her. Aura knew who was under the mask, who Scarecrow was. Slowly she climbed to her shaking feet, the mask still clutched tightly in her hands. As she made her way back to the bonfire Aura noticed that most of the group was still gathered around the fire, except one. She slipped back on the log she had sat on before. Jonathan looked to her and flashed her a smile but a few seconds ticked by in complete silence and his smile faltered.
"Aura," he whispered, "is everything all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She said nothing but slipped the mask into his lap discreetly, not wanting anyone else around the fire to see it. The last thing she needed was to start a panic. The missing person had still not returned. "He came to see me," she whispered. Aura was surprised by the resolute tone of defiance and anger in her own voice.
"He?" Jonathan slid closer to her and slipped a comforting, strong arm around her waist. "Did someone hurt you?" Aura shook her head. Jonathan used his slender fingers to grasp her chin and forced her to look into his icy eyes behind his glasses. "You need to tell me what happened."
Aura stared into those beautiful blue eyes and fought the panic rising within her. She wanted desperately to tell Jonathan everything but knew she could not. Scarecrow flashed into her mind's eye. The demon was standing over a bleeding and broken form. The victim looked up at her and those icy blue eyes stared at her with a questioning, saddened expression. Jonathan looked at her as the life drained from his eyes, asking her how she could let the Rogue kill him. Asking her why she didn't protect him. Aura closed her eyes to force the image to disappear. "Please forget I said anything. I must have been dreaming. All the stress from the past few weeks must be catching up to me and I saw something that wasn't there."
Jonathan narrowed his eyes sceptically but said nothing. Aura knew that he was worried. She suspected that he could see right through her false bravado and lame excuse. Fear was his specialty, his passion, and Aura knew that she could not hide the fear in her lavender eyes. Laughter from behind them caused Aura to break away from Jonathan's side and look to the sound. There was the missing member of their little group. Aura felt her anger flare as Arthur stood laughing with another man as Susan was threatening him. A pang of fear ran up her spine as Arthur pulled her friend to his chest, playfully squeezing her and burying his face in her neck, just like Scarecrow did in the bathroom, until she squealed in delight. Aura stood up abruptly, grabbed the mask from Jonathan, and headed towards the wolf among them. Jonathan scrambled after her, urging her to come back to the fire in hushed tones. That only fueled her anger as Jonathan was unknowingly defending the very man that had moments ago threatened his life.
Arthur broke away from Susan when she approached. His face darkened as he blushed. "Aura, I wanted to apologize..."
Aura slammed the mask into his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. She glared at the tall man darkly and could see the confusion in his eyes. "The next time you decide to scare me, don't. You will not find me so docile and meek next time. Leave me and the people I care about alone. Do we have an understanding?" she mocked the same question Scarecrow had asked her moments ago.
Susan looked up to Arthur was a smug expression. Her hand resting on her cocked hip. Arthur had a blank expression. Feigning ignorance he laughed softly. "I'm sorry Aura. I didn't know my little prank would..."
"Prank?" she exploded, interrupting him. "People like you make me sick. You think you can just scare anyone you want into doing anything you desire. Well you're wrong. I know who you really are and I am going to take you down if you even think about hurting any of my friends or anyone in Gotham. You'll know real fear when I'm done with you." Aura spun on her heel and marched towards the parking area.
Jonathan raced after her, catching up when she finally stopped beside his black car. "Aura!" His breathing was even and non-labored as he stopped next to her. "What was that all about?"
Aura glared up at his face, not entirely seeing him though her cloud of anger. Slowly the anger dissipated and his icy eyes came into focus. Immediately Aura felt a calm as she gazed into his eyes. "Promise me that this will never leave the two of us."
Jonathan smiled in amusement. "I have extensive experience in secret keeping from my work. Whatever you say to me in private will never leave my lips. I promise Aura. Your trust in me is something I will fight to keep."
Aura tried to smile but the muscles in her face just did not seem to respond. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the car. "I went to the restroom to cool down and a few minutes after being there the lights went off. Someone threw me against the wall and started talking about how they wanted me but it wasn't the right time for me to join them." Aura shook her head when Jonathan went to speak. "Please let me finish." Jonathan nodded and Aura took off the green bowler, running her hand through the now tangled red curls. "He said that he has this connection with me and one day I would be his, willingly or not. He then asked me if I had a connection to the Riddler, which I don't! Besides that stupid phone call when me and you first met I have never met the guy. I denied it of course but he made me swear on your life that I wasn't lying. He said that if I was he was going to hurt you."
If Jonathan Crane was surprised he did not show it. In fact if he was feeling anything at all it was impossible to tell. His face was a solid block of ice, impenetrable. Tense silence filled the air as he stared into her eyes. Aura could tell that the warm Jonathan she had grown fond of was slipping into the professional Doctor Jonathan Crane. His voice was expressionless as he spoke. "Did he hurt you?"
"I just wanted to tell you so you knew to watch your back. Jonathan I will take care of..."
Like a bolt of lightning, Jonathan reached out and grasped her shoulders. Her back bumped against the side of the car as the force of Jonathan's hold pushed her back. His grip didn't hurt but she could feel that he was holding back. "Did he hurt you?"
His eyes were hard and he was all but growling out his words. "He only grabbed my neck and held me down."
Jonathan gently moved her head to one side, brushing the hair from her skin. Satisfied that side of her neck was clear of any abrasions or bruises, he tilted her head to the opposite side. Aura closed her eyes tightly when his teeth clenched together, audibly cracking. His fingers gingerly brushed the sensitive flesh of her neck, exactly where the Scarecrow had bitten her. When Aura was released from Jonathan's grip she immediately looked into his eyes, but there was nothing there. The car behind her beeped softly as he unlocked the door. "Get in. I'll take you back to Wayne's." Aura turned to get in but Jonathan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will take care of this. I do not want you involved any further than you already are."
"Jonathan, he threatened you. I can take care of this."
The intense glare that he shot at her through his narrowed eyes caused Aura to tremble. When he spoke next, his voice was as hardened steel, cold and unmoving. "You will do nothing of the sort. Scarecrow is a Gotham Rogue and extremely dangerous. I can take care of him so he will never hurt you again."
Aura's anger erupted. A soft pounding in her head began as her anger got the better of her judgment. "How? Do you know Scarecrow personally like you seem to know the Riddler? Are you friends with him too?" Aura crossed her arms over her chest.
Jonathan glanced at her for a few brief seconds, his jaw set. "One day I will explain everything to you but not until this problem is solved. My dealings with Nygma are beside the point right now. I will handle Scarecrow while you remain safe in Wayne's care." Aura spun on her heel and began walking towards the exit of the parking lot and the trail beyond. After a few feet, a black car pulled up beside her with the window rolled down. "Aura, I apologize for my tone of voice. Please get in the car."
Aura did not stop walking forcing Jonathan to keep his car rolling along beside her. "I have enough stress on me that the last thing I need to worry about is the thought of you seeking out a dangerous villain," she told him coldly.
Jonathan sighed softly. "I've have training for things like this. Besides I may be in a better position to deal with Scarecrow than you are."
Aura shook her head. "You see? Everyone in Gotham, since the day I got here, think that they know what is best for me. But do you think anyone has stopped to ask me what I want? No." Aura angrily brushed hot tears from her cheeks. "The first day I got here I was told where I am going to live and where I was going to work. Then the first man that showed a little interest in me and let me believe I had something I could control in my life turns out to be working for some evil clown that wants to kidnap me. Then I do get kidnapped and taken to some hotel where another crazy guy in a burlap mask gets the idea in his head that he can claim me!" Aura stopped walking and stared at Jonathan. "Now because of all of that I am forced to live with my boss who thinks that he can control when and who I go out with. The only time I'm allowed to leave the manor is when I'm with him or now you." A sigh escaped her lips and she darted her eyes anywhere other than the man sitting in the car. "Then I met you and all my problems just seemed to disappear. I forgot about how I found myself in this city, how I can't see my parents anymore when we were so close before, and above all how little control I have over my life when before I could control everything. You won't understand what I am feeling and even if I wanted to tell you everything I can't because someone else has decided that it would be bad if people knew the real me."
"Aura, I..." Jonathan started.
Aura held up her hand. "Please don't tell me that you do understand or you're sorry. I've heard enough of that from Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon. I'm tired of the false apologizes and empty promises of protection. I'm tired of letting others control me and thinking they know what is best for me. I'm a big girl, a grown woman, and I can take care of my own life. I won't let Scarecrow harm you or anyone I care about to try to control me. He will never get the best of me, but he will get the worst." Aura stepped closer to the idling car and reached for Jonathan's hands. "Please promise me that you won't go out of your way to find Scarecrow. I know he hurt me, scared me, and threatened you but please let me make the decisions to make him stop. Let me make that call."
Jonathan nodded his head gently. "Only if you let me take you back to Wayne Manor. Making sure you get there safely would help me sleep better tonight." He flashed her a charming smile and she tried her best to return the gesture.
Aura slipped into the passenger side and smiled at him. "I promise I won't get myself hurt or into any trouble." Before Jonathan slipped the car into drive again Aura leaned towards him and cupped his cheek, pulling his face to look at her. "Thank you for trusting me." Before he could speak Aura pressed her lips to his. Jonathan's hand reached out and rested on her thigh as he returned her soft kiss. Aura broke away from him and sat back, entwining her fingers with his.
After Jonathan dropped her off at Wayne Manor and said his goodbyes, Aura watched as his car disappeared down the drive. She slipped into the door. Waiters and maids were working hard to clean the party supplies from the main hall and ballroom she saw as she headed towards her room. Alfred was conducting the whole dance of cleaners from the mock stage the band once played on. Surprisingly Bruce Wayne was no where to be seen. Once Aura was in her room safely, she undressed and got into a pair of comfy sweatpants and black t-shirt. Her wig was placed on the stand, awaiting her to redye and style it. The long tresses of her white hair fell to its full length, the tips brushing the small of her back as she shook it loose from the bun it was in. Aura settled on her bed and flipped the evening news on, watching the weatherman as he talked about the week to come.
Jonathan arrived home and sighed heavily. After Scarecrow had pushed him into the medicated cage he himself had set up for the Rogue, Jonathan had lost the ability to watch his other side's actions. He knew that Scarecrow would confront Aura but he did not think the Rogue would be stupid enough to physically molest her. Doubt clouded his mind when he thought about the bite on Aura's neck. There was no way Scarecrow would have stopped at just leaving that mark. As a picture of the red, swollen bite mark, already bruising darkly in contrast to Aura's pale skin, crossed his mind Jonathan immediately felt heat on his cheeks. Not with embarrassment that in reality it was his mouth that left the mark but anger at the weakness he displayed in not being able to keep the dangerous Rogue at bay. Not only that but Jonathan failed to protect Aura. He was only thankful that Scarecrow did not permanently injure the woman.
Jonathan tried to push those thoughts from his mind as he jumped into a quick shower to wash the make up from his skin. Once dressed in black silk pants, he sat on his couch in the small living room and pulled the book on the coffee table to his lap. He was never one to watch television even though he had one. Reading was a much more pleasurable way for him to pass his time though truthfully he would rather be cuddled up to Aura. Jonathan struggled to push the girl from his mind. He had to control Scarecrow before he attempted to go any further in his relationship with the woman. There would never be a repeat of this night. Tomorrow he would make it a point to procure a higher concentrated dose of his medication and would begin to take it again regularly. If making the Scarecrow completely disappear meant that Aura would be safe then he was willing to let the Rogue die. The dark side of Jonathan was still contently locked away in the cage since he had taken a second dose of his medication. It would do until he could get to the asylum tomorrow morning.
He had to smile at himself as a replay of the conversation with Aura ran through his mind. She was trying so hard to protect him from Scarecrow but little did she know, she was trying to stop and protect the same man. Though Jonathan could see a glaring problem in Aura's plans. She thought that Arthur was Scarecrow. Jonathan had begun to connect the missing pieces of the night together. Scarecrow had somehow alleviated the young man of his Halloween mask before stalking Aura in the bathroom. Aura must have assumed it was Arthur, seeing as it was his mask left behind. Jonathan would have a hard time exposing himself to Aura now but at the same time he couldn't let her continue to think it was the innocent man. Especially if she decided to go after Arthur. It would be harder to be truthful to her and in return be accepted by her, if he was aware of her suspicions and did nothing while she destroyed one of her friendships.
A soft musical tone issued from his cell phone on the coffee table and Jonathan retrieved it. He slid his finger over the screen and held the phone to his ear. "Yes Edward?"
Edward Nygma laughed loudly. "Well hello there Jonathan! Did you enjoy your Halloween?"
"I have had better," Jonathan admitted. "Why have you called?"
Nygma tsked at him playfully. "I have a confession to make."
"That is what a priest is for."
A few seconds of silence ticked by. Nygma started chuckling. "I knew you had a funny side somewhere in there. Do you really take me for a holy man? Besides it isn't that type of confession, well maybe." Nygma seemed to shuffle a little and a few minutes later Jonathan heard a knock on his front door.
He quickly crossed his living room and ducked into the entrance hall. After pulling open the door, he instantly regretted not grabbing his pistol. Edward Nygma stood there completely dressed in the guise of The Mad Hatter, Jarvis Tetch. His costume would pass for the actual Rogue if only Nygma wasn't almost two feet too tall. Even Jonathan was an inch shorter than Nygma but he himself towered over the shorter Tetch. Jonathan stepped aside to let his fellow Rogue into his private home. Nygma hung the overly large hat onto a hook next to the door before following Jonathan into the living room. "Why are you in my home and why are you dressed like Hatter?"
Nygma giggled. "Can I not celebrate Halloween as well by crashing a certain billionaire's party? I was going to go as myself but I figured that someone would recognize my devilishly handsome self. The last thing I wanted was to wind up back in Arkham so soon after escaping."
"I told you I want to know nothing about that."
"Don't worry the only people who know what happened are myself and Net Runner."
"That Rogue from Metropolis? Have you figured out his connection to Aura yet? Joker has been awfully quiet lately and I fear that he may make another move on Aura soon to get to that man." Jonathan sat back into his couch and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Nygma looking over the nicknacks on his bookshelf.
Edward turned to him slowly, his face for once expressionless. "I take it you haven't either?" Jonathan narrowed his eyes suspiciously and shook his head. "Well its no matter then. The truth will come to light eventually." Nygma plopped down onto the opposite end of the couch, turned towards Jonathan. "I have to say Crane, you need to do something about those scars. Get some cocoa butter or something."
"Does that even work?" he asked skeptically.
Nygma shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a woman, how would I know? Its what Query puts on and her skin is flawless." The Rogue leaned over and picked up the television remote flicking it on and flipping through the channels.
"Are you going to tell me about your confession or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" Jonathan asked, his patience running thin. Did Edward Nygma really just come to his house to chat and watch television? No one has ever come to his private home, yes his safe house and warehouse that were connected to his Rogue side, but never his personal home.
"I coveted a friend's woman today, temporarily, until I came to my senses and realized that I would not like to bark up her boyfriend's crazy tree." Jonathan stayed silent as he watched his friend's facial expression change from thoughtful to embarrassed and finally settling on cautious. "Aura looked amazing dressed in my colors. I almost went and scooped her up and stole her away until I saw you come down the stairs with her."
Jonathan chuckled. "She did look good."
Silence fell over them. "Scarecrow didn't like it I take it?" Jonathan felt his jaw clench. The last thing he wanted was to openly admit his weakness to someone who could potentially hold it over his head. But then Nygma surprised him. "You know you can't be strong all the time but at least she did not get hurt. Aura might not be as helpless as you think." Nygma stopped flipping channels. "Hey look, you're on the news."
'Details are still pouring in as the police are spread thin tonight. At midnight, multiple explosions were reported in different, heavily populated, neighborhoods in the Narrows. According to police the bombs were filled with a chemical that, if inhaled, would cause the victim to experience intense hallucinations and to become violent, often lashing out to anyone around them. First responders are on the ground in the Narrows however they are advising that if you are unaffected at this time to remain inside your homes and barricade all doors and windows that lead to the outside. Any openings to the outside, such as fire places, should be filled immediately to avoid having the inhalant enter your home. Police are reporting that the chemical should dissipate within the hour. Police will remain on site to help round up the injured and affected throughout the night.
In other parts of Gotham tonight, citizens are reporting seeing higher than normal crimes in progress. Most of these crimes seem to be committed by the notorious Joker Gang. There are multiple reports of wide spread looting, shootouts with police, rioting in the streets, and innumerable assaults in progress at this time. Gotham City Police are being spread thin. There are a few, unconfirmed reports that Batman himself is assisting in apprehending any Joker Gang members found roaming the streets. Commissioner Gordon has released that because of the chemical attack in the Narrows and now the rioting from Joker Gang that a mandatory curfew will be set for 2a.m. Anyone found on the streets after that time will be arrested on sight.
In another story the manhunt for Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler, is still ongoing. A few days ago the Gotham Rogue was found to have mysteriously disappeared from his cell at Arkham Asylum. Despite an update in security, somehow Riddler was able to disable the security cameras and walk out an unattended door. Arkham security is coming under heavy scrutiny as a new report has shown that Nygma did not come into contact with any security guard while on his way out of the asylum. Arkham has recently been the center of controversy with the amount of breakouts the asylum has experienced in recent years, however the Warden of Arkham could not be reached for comment on the recent Gotham Rogue breakout. Anyone with information regarding Edward Nygma's whereabouts are asked to contact Gotham City Police immediately and are reminded to never approach a Gotham Rogue.'
Aura sighed heavily as she listened to the reporter. They still had no idea that Nygma had outside help nor would they ever be able to track down her or Isis. Aura shifted slightly, leaning closer to the television infront of her. She was sitting on the floor infront of the stand, and found herself sliding closer to it as excitement erupted on the live news feed. The reporter behind the desk suddenly paled and held her hands up. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at something off screen. Muffled screams and gunshots from behind the camera's view sounded. Each gunshot caused the reporter to flinch in terror. Suddenly a bouncing blonde in a skin tight red and black suit came onto the screen and pushed the reporter off camera. Blue eyes shown from under her black mask and pale makeup and Aura felt her blood run cold. This woman looked like a clown, did she work for Joker? As if on cue the woman looked directly into the camera. "Is that thing still rollin'? Good," she paused and focused on the center of the camera, "Hello Gothamites! Harley Quinn here for an important message from the world's greatest evil mastermind! Don't change that channel, we're on all of them."
Fuzz flashed on the screen for a few seconds before a classic black and white count down started. When the number one appeared it looked like a smiling clown in white makeup with large red lips, shadowed eyes, and green hair. Then a previously recorded video feed started and the same clown appeared on the screen in a purple suit. Two large men where standing behind him, half hidden in the shadows. They had two large shapes in between them, both covered with separate black sheets. Aura felt her blood run cold at the sight of the purple suited man. There was something familiar about him.
'Good evening Gotham! This is your future ruler and lovable Rogue, Joker here. If you're watching this that means that Harley has successfully interrupted your boring news or other equally boring program to bring you the best show in the world, MINE! Now let me take this opportunity to introduce a little known but soon to be infamous Gotham Rogue. Straight from the glorified cesspool that is Metropolis comes Net Runner, a supremely intelligent hacker that has the unique ability to get into any little old thing that they desire. Now over the past few weeks, Gotham, I have been trying hard to take this potentially dangerous Rogue off of the streets. Unfortunately Commissioner Gordon, the Gotham City Police, and even Batman have been diligent in hiding away this dangerous criminal. Now you need to ask yourself Gotham, why would they help someone who has been known to cause thousands of deaths from the Deadly Flash that was released not too long ago? Well you should ask them, inquiring minds are dying to know. So this is my message for the Net Runner: I have something you want. Behold!'
Aura gasped loudly as the sheets were pulled from the bundles. "Mom? Dad?" she whispered as her mom and dad came into view. Both were tied to rolling chairs. Her father had multiple bruises covering his bare chest and face. Her mother had tear stains and blood running from the corner of her mouth. Joker came back onto the screen and he motioned for one of the larger goons to push her mother closer to him. Joker placed a hand on the woman's shoulder before looking back at the camera.
'That's right, my little Net Runner. Your dear mommy and daddy. I have to say they were unfortunately uncooperative when we graciously escorted them from Star City so you'll have to pardon their appearance. So now that you know what I have, now you will want to listen to what I want. I want you, little Net Runner. If you wish your parents to survive their vacation in Gotham than you will follow every command I give you. You will come willingly to a predetermined location I have set within one hour after I receive word from Harley that this video has finished airing. If you are late, you may be forced to put the pieces of your parents together before having a closed casket funeral. Now you will come unarmed and unencumbered by anyone who may be trying to protect you. Yes, that means if I catch wind of Batman, Riddler, or even your lover Scarecrow following you to this location, you can say goodbye to your parents. I take it you will be smart enough to figure out how to find me. Work fast.'
Joker smiled ruefully as he looked down to Mrs. Warren. He appeared deep in thought. 'Just in case you have any intentions of defying me, let me make my point quite crystal clear.' Joker slipped a metal case from his pocket and a blade shoot out of one end of it. In a flash the Joker had swept the blade over to one end of her mother's neck. The blade sunk deeply into the tender, bruised flesh as the Joker pushed it in and drug it roughly across the entirety of the woman's neck. Her mother gave off a muffled scream when the blade dug in but it quickly died off as the blade ruined her vocal cords as it cut its jagged path. Blood gushed from the wound, some splashing out and onto the camera lens. Joker's arm was covered in the dark crimson fluid and he cackled loudly as the life drained from his victim. The camera lens was wiped clean of the blood that had covered it and Aura screamed out in horror as the full scene came back into view.
Her mother's head had nearly been decapitated by Joker. "NO!" she screamed, falling to her knees as hot tears fell from her eyes. She did not even realize that throughout the whole video she had stood and moved closer to the television screen, covering her mouth with her hands. She knelt down and screamed into the carpet as the sight of her mother's half-decapitated body burned itself into her mind.
'I think you know that I am deadly serious, Net Runner. Work fast and don't keep me waiting. One hour or your father will follow his mate's fate.' Joker cackled loudly one last time before the screen went dark.
Aura did not even look up as the Joker made his final statement. Her screaming continued as her tears fell. However his words did sink in. She did not have much time if she hoped to save her father. She looked up at the black screen. Terror settled into her body as nothing appeared on the screen. No address, nothing that would tell her where the Joker could be found. Finally Aura turned to the one thing that she knew would never let her down, Isis. The obelisk flashed brightly, mimicking her own determination, as she plugged it into her phone. As Isis started up, Aura wiped her tears away and said a final, quiet goodbye to her mother. She knew that she needed to have a clear mind. Isis finished starting up and within seconds Aura was able to track down the main broadcasting station that Harley Quinn had broken into. She temporarily disabled all their incoming and outgoing signals so she could devote all of their processing power to fulfill her requests. Isis was flawlessly working as she disabled what was required and isolated the video. Now that the video was found it would be simple for Isis and Aura to track down the source of the video. However as Isis was delving into the video's files something caught Aura's eye.
There was a single file that was unattached from the video's file itself. Aura had Isis isolate this file and open it. A scrambled image filled her screen causing Aura to growl softly. Isis immediately began to work on fixing the fuzzy pixels. Five tense minutes passed as Aura instructed Isis to concentrate on different pieces of the image and slowly the picture became clear. A dark intersection came into view. "36th and Holland Road."
Aura backed out of the broadcasting station and returned to Isis' main menu. She opened a separate program and accessed the traffic cameras run by the city. Effortlessly Aura was able to pull up the feed for the intersection. A lone man was standing under the street sign, the mask on his face resembling a clown. Aura exited Isis completely and replaced the cap on her obelisk. On her desk she wrote a short note and slipped it into an envelope. Before sealing it, the obelisk followed the note. Quickly Aura wrote down an address she looked up on her phone's internet and the person's name who would receive it. She slipped the envelope into the pocket of her sweatpants. A bag was thrown onto her bed and she packed a few necessities, clothes and toiletries, into the bag. She paused for a few seconds before retrieving the Scarecrow's mask from her dresser and packed it into depths of the bag to hide it. Finally she threw her small purse into the bag and cinched it closed.
Aura wrapped her hair into a pink head scarf and shrugged into a dark gray hooded sweatshirt that matched her pants. She pulled the hood over the scarf, slipped her phone into her front pocket, and threw the bag over her shoulder. The hallway outside of her room was quiet as she dashed down to the study. After a few minutes of digging through Bruce's desk she found a stamp for her envelope. Before she left she took a post it note and wrote two words on it. It was left on the screen of his laptop. The manor stood empty as Aura moved into the garage. Her car was parked beside one of the black limos. Aura navigated out of the garage and towards the looming city, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.
Batman threw the last of the thugs into the back of Commissioner Gordon's police car when the call came over the radio. Someone had broken into the GNN broadcasting tower and was airing a video tape calling the Net Runner to come out of hiding. Bruce immediately opened one of his gadgets and tuned into the tail end of the video. Joker had slit the throat of a poor woman that he assumed was Aura's mother. There was a second man bound behind Joker, Aura's father. Batman stored the device and ran back to his car. He pressed a few buttons as he sped away. The call went unanswered. Aura either had left her phone or, hopefully, was still sleeping. He prayed for the latter. Batman had one hour to find the Joker and Aura's father, before the girl either woke up to realize what happened, or worse turned herself over to Joker.
He pressed in a different number and after a few tense seconds it was answered. "Yes, sir?" Alfred toned out sleepily.
"Alfred, I need you to go to Aura's room immediately."
Batman waited as his faithful servant made his way to the young woman's room. He heard him knock but when there was no answer, Alfred return his attention to the phone. "Miss Warren must be sleeping sir, it is quite late."
"Check, now."
"Yes, sir." The door creaked open. Silence filled the phone. "Sir? It appears that Miss Warren has disappeared. I was sure she came home from her date with Dr. Crane."
"Call Crane and find out. I don't care what time it is." Batman hung up as he pulled into the fire lane of the GNN building. He would track down the Joker's goons and find the Rogue himself. When he did, a shutter ran down his spine, there would be hell to pay.
Jonathan furrowed his brows as the video faded. Nygma had visibly paled next to him, something that Jonathan found suspicious. There was no possible way that his fellow Rogue was not used to the sight of death and blood by now. Not with his multiple murders, that as the Riddler he committed, and his time spent in Arkham Asylum. Nygma clicked the television off and sat back in a dazed stupor. For the first time in their friendship, Jonathan saw him silent and it was eerie. Suddenly Jonathan's phone rang again. Scowling at the late hour, he picked up the phone and answered the blocked number. "Doctor Jonathan Crane," he asked, not bothering to mask his impatience.
A older, British man answered back to him, "Yes, Doctor Crane sir. This is Alfred Pennyworth from Wayne Manor. I was asked to call you to see if Miss Warren was remaining with you tonight?"
Jonathan felt his heart skip a beat and he sat up quickly. Nygma turned to him sharply and fixed his intense bluish-green eyes onto his friend. "I took Aura home hours ago. Did she leave again?"
"Yes sir. It appears that Miss Warren stepped out of the Manor and we are unable to contact her. If you happen to hear from her can you please contact me."
Jonathan's head was swimming as he began to think of where she could have gone. Then one idea popped into his head. "I'm sure she's fine but if I hear from her I will let you know." Jonathan hung the phone up and looked to Nygma. "Aura disappeared."
The young doctor did not miss the sideways glance Nygma shot at the television. After a few minutes he stood up. "Do you know where she could have gone?"
"No but I have an idea. She thinks that a friend of hers is the Scarecrow but I don't know where he lives. Wayne's butler said that they cannot get a hold of her." Jonathan stood up from his spot and fixed the Rogue with an intense glare. "What do you know that you are hiding?"
Nygma leveled his own glare at his friend. "Nothing, I would just hate for something horrible to happen to not only Aura but my friend, you. Get dressed in your costume, mine is in the car. Once we get to my safe house I can track her phone."
Jonathan scoffed and growled softly in anger. Thankful that Scarecrow was still locked away so that he could think straight. "Did you not hear me? The butler said they cannot reach her."
"But he did not say that she did not have her phone. If they tried to call her, someone in that manor would have heard her phone going off. If they didn't hear it that leads me to think that she has it on her and for whatever reason is not answering it. Hopefully she just went to confront this friend of hers and is ignoring the calls while she is with him. I don't know but I will find out. We will find her, trust me."
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