I was confused by the powers that be.

Thank you to everyone who is following this story, especially to KnoKnayme, your comments make my day.

This chapter is a bit more violent than previous chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman.

Time no longer seemed to correspond to reality. It was strange how out of sync someone could become without a clock. Claire supposed that because there were no windows and that the light in the hallway was always on couldn't help.

There was nothing to do in the cell, less than nothing, and Claire had taken to sleeping as long as possible.

She supposed she could almost be grateful, usually she only got a few hours sleep here and there. She liked to pretend that she was catching up on lost time.

Though the excess of sleep and lack of exercise had caused her to drift in and out of a half sleep, an almost hypnotic state. So many times had she woken believing she was in her bedroom as a child, with the plain blue pastel wallpaper, the white rocking chair by the window. It all seemed so real.

Claire assumed that she hadn't been in the cell for that long, a few days at most. A plate of food and a bottle of water were pushed just far enough in for her to reach every so often. She made the guess that she was fed three times a day, but it could just have as easily been once every three days for all she knew. Claire never saw or heard anyone, the place silent as a graveyard. She didn't each much either; her appetite was nearly dead.

Her wrist still throbbed but she had begun to find the sensation oddly comforting.

Someone would come to help her soon. Someone had to.

As if on que, she heard a click, the movement of metal then soft footsteps. Claire fought to keep her breathing steady. She was lying on the cot with her back facing the door; it was easier to sleep with less light, so whoever had entered had not realized she was awake.

The footfalls approached her cautiously, she could feel eyes on her back. Slowly, ever so slowly, she gathered the metal chain that bound her to the wall in her hands and waited. She held her breath until she was almost sure the intruder was close enough.

She jumped to her feet with a speed that she didn't know she possessed. She saw Jonathan's piercing blue eyes cut with surprise before she registered who they belonged to and flung the chain around his neck, pulling as tight as she could.

He let out a gasp, his fingers clawing at the metal chain. Claire felt a pang of guilt but pushed it quickly out of her mind. She had to get out. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she tightened her grip.

Jonathan's jaw clenched, rage overcoming his half-betrayed look as he grabbed hold of Claire's wrist. His long fingers wrapped around the already injured flesh and squeezed. A bone crushing agony leapt up her arm and black spots danced in front of her eyes, for a moment she held her grip, but the pain became too much in less than a second.

Jonathan twisted her wrist before pulling violently. The sheer force of the movement made Claire loose her grasp on the chain altogether and send her crashing to the floor. The chain, still around Crane's neck, caused him to over balance and fall with her.

His full force landed on her left shoulder. Claire's mind turned purple with pain as all the air was hammered out of her lings. It took her a moment to realize that Crane's weight was already off her.

She jumped to her feet as quickly as she could to see Scarecrow pulling the chain from his neck, the metal leaving angry scarlet marks. She couldn't help by notice how the crimson flush to his face made his eyes look so much brighter, as if she was staring at the sun.

"Well," he snarled. "That was a fucking nice hello Claire."

Fear bubbled to her skin, goosebumps rising on her flesh. "I-"

With a flick of his wrist her feed the chain from around his neck and yanked it with his full force. Claire screamed in pain, nearly passing out from the explosion of agony in her wrist, as she fell forward on to her knees.

"Now there's a good girl." He spat as if he was scolding a dog.

Claire looked up just in time to see his fit before it collided with her nose. There was a teeth-pulling snap of cartilage before she felt her flesh give way. Blood, hot and thick, gushed out of her nose. The pain from her wrist was nothing compared to this, her face felt as if it had been pushed out of alignment, twisted round the wrong way. She blinked hard only just realizing that the blow had knocked her to the floor. She scrambled to get up, trying to put pressure on her nose, her hand slipping in the blood that had already fallen to the floor.

"Now, now." Scarecrow threw the chain over her neck, giving her a second to realize what was happening before pulling tight. She tried desperately to grab hold of the metal before it cut off her air supply. Scarecrow grinned and pulled her backwards by the chain. She coughed and spluttered falling over her own feet until her back collided with the metal bars of the cot. Scarecrow grabbed a handful of her hair, still pulling the chain tight, and threw her on to it.

Claire struggled for breath. Her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head. Blood ran down her face and neck, staining her top.

Scarecrow jumped on top of her, crushing her body with his weight. He pulled at the chain, enjoying the fear in his victim's eyes. He yanked the metal tight, causing her left arm to become awkwardly wrapped around her neck, her bound hand unmovable and useless.

He grabbed hold of her right hand despite her struggling and wrapped the chain around it before twisting the restraint around the metal bars of the cot and pulling. Hard.

Claire's back arched and a small-strangled cry escaped her lips. She flailed under him desperately, but she was no where near strong enough to dislodge his weight.

The world began to waver, to almost shimmer as unconsciousness beckoned. Her face was white, her lips pale.

He relaxed his grip the moment he thought she was going to pass out. And while he didn't let go, he gave her enough space to breath.

She coughed violently, her vocal cords shredded as she breathed in rapid gulps. Scarecrow looked at her in disgust.

Her breathing returned to something that resembled normal and the black spots in her vision resided. She struggled to move her hands but they were still bound fast by metal. She tried not to choke as the blood from her broken nose ran down the back of her throat.

"S-Scarecrow," she spluttered.

"Hiya Claire," his breath hot and heavy on her cheek.

"Please I-"

"Please what?! Please don't kill you?" She tried bitterly to fight back the tears that were threatening to shake her body.

She struggled underneath him, worming her body back and forth, trying to shift his weight.

He watched her for a moment before sneering. "Oh yeah. Keep doing that."

She froze, her eyes snapping to his. The implied innuendo caused her to blush, bringing colour to her pale face. Her cheeks standing out like someone had slapped her.

He smirked at her as terror bled through her eyes.

"Please, Scarecrow, please, I-"

"Please?" He spat, grabbing hold of her jaw with his right hand, his left still gripping the chain. "Please what?" He slid his hand down her neck and over her chest. Claire stiffened, screwing up her eyes.

"Please don't-"

"Don't what?" He slowly hissed, running his hand further down her body.

"Please Scarecrow," her eyes were wide, shinning with tears. "Please don't."

He sneered as he slowly slid his hand between her legs. Claire let out a whimper, squeezing her eyes shut once more, snail trails of tears leaking out of the corners.

"Oh Claire," he rubbed her crotch with his thumb. "I never thought you'd be frigid. Especially after the way I've seen you lust after Johnny."

"Please," she whispered, her voice choked by blood and tears. "Please don't let him Jonathan."

Scarecrow slapped her hard across the face. The red-hot pain vibrating in her teeth.

"You don't get to choose who you're talking to." He snarled. Pure anger in his eyes, his face twisted.

Claire let out a small sob, her body shaking with silent tears. Scarecrow watched her, his eyes scanning her face, listening to an unheard voice.

He suddenly cocked his head to the side and let out a dark laugh.

"Going to be wearing white on our wedding day are we Claire?"

She blushed deeply and turned her head way from him. This time he didn't grab her jaw.

He let out a breath of a laugh, knowing he was right.

He got off her slowly and walked out without a word.

Claire sat up, slowly untangling her self and trying desperately to silence the voice in her head saying that she had bought it all on herself.