Arkham Interviews with Professor Crane

Episode 18

Diversion

Opening Scene

(The scene begins with an establishing shot of Arkham Asylum on a stormy night in Gotham. The rain is coming down in sheets and there is the occasional flash of lightning. The image transitions to a view of one of the interior halls of Arkham showing the locked doors of the inmates' cells. The view pans down from top to bottom at the end of the hall. After a beat a loud *BUUZZZ* goes off and all of the cell doors unlock and begin opening. A few of the inmates look out their doors curiously, unsure as to why this is happening or how. Eventually they realize that they're being sprung from their prison and begin running down the halls and start rioting and picking fights with any of the guards that they come across. The whole asylum falls into a state of chaos as alarms and warning lights start flashing and blaring. One of the inmates is scurrying past fights and checkpoints in order to avoid the conflict. The man in question is Kirk Langstrom. Kirk is doing his best to avoid getting caught by both guards and inmates as he crawls under some tables, hoping not to be seen. As he makes his way across the floor, suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck begin standing up. He turns his head back around and sees an average looking man wearing an owl shaped mask staring at him. At first, they just continue staring at one another until the masked man pulls out a set of knives and starts stalking towards Kirk. Kirk has heard the legends of owl-like assassin's and tries scampering away as the owl man dashes after him. He leaps into the air holding his knives aloft targeting Kirk's neck. Just as he is about to land his decisive strike on Kirk an icy blast of wind knocks the would-be assassin over, pinning him against the wall. The assassin's body begins freezing into place as the beam of ice cover's him in a sheet of frosty glass, immobilizing him. The beam stops and Kirk looks up to see his savior. Standing nearby with his hand outstretched is Victor Fries. Victor is wearing a black gloved gauntlet over his left hand; a tube and some wiring extend from the top of it and are connected to the cryogenic implant in his arm. Combined with the look of his regular facial implants, Victor good be mistaken for a Borg from popular sci-fi tv shows.

Freeze: Are you alright, Kirk?

Langstrom: Victor!

(Victor offers Kirk his right hand which he gladly takes, lifting Kirk up off the floor.)

Langstrom: Yes, thank you! Is this it? Is this what Dr. Crane was talking about?

Freeze: I believe so. (Victor checks his arm implant, making sure that it is configured correctly.) This is our opportunity to leave Arkham for good. I suggest we take it.

(Victor walks away down one of the halls, indicating for Kirk to follow. Kirk nods then turns to look at the owl assassin one last time before following Victor. As they travel, most of the rioting inmates give them a wide berth. Any guards that approach them are quickly dispatched by Victor's freeze gauntlet and frozen in place.)

Freeze: We need to get to the decontamination chamber leading to the botanical gardens. Do you know where that is, Kirk?

Langstrom: Not exactly, but I think I know what to listen for.

(Kirk makes some clicking noises with his mouth and then stands there, sifting through the different noises that are currently all over the asylum. Kirk's brow furrows as the sounds overlap and drown each other out. He frowns thinking that maybe the other noises are too much, until he hears what he's looking for come back to him. Turning his head to Victor he points down a different hallway and begins leading the way. The two quickly make their way through the asylum. Eventually they come across a group of guards who have their guns drawn and are pointing at them. Victor lifts his arm and begins charging a freeze blast when they hear another voice coming from behind the guards.)

Mad Hatter: Stand down, gentleman.

(The guards lower their guns and stand at attention, allowing for the short form of Jervis Tetch, currently wearing his top hat, to walk forward followed shortly behind by Edward Nygma.)

Mad Hatter: These are fellow adventurers sent by the queen. I'll not have you harming them and making a scene.

Guards: Yes sir!

(The guards form ranks around our group of heroes as they begin heading once again towards the decontamination chamber. Jervis holds up a circuit board with a red light on it blinking rhythmically, showing his hypnotic control.)

Mad Hatter: A parting gift from our doctor friend. Shall we continue our journey to its glorious end?

Langstrom: Yes lets!

(The group resumes their journey with little incident along the way until they finally arrive at the security check point of the decontamination chamber. Pamela Isley is standing there waiting for them alone. She sees them approach and tries looking past them searching for something.)

Ivy: Where's Harley?

Riddler: We didn't see her on our way here. Should we send someone to try and find her?

(That's when they hear a woman yelling from down the hall. They all turn to see Harley running towards them being followed by a large group of inmates chasing after her. Harley's leg is no longer broken, and the cast has been removed, but she still can't run at full speed.)

Harley: WAAAAAIIITTT! I need some help over here!

(Jervis points at the crowd of inmates barreling down the hallway and instructs his hypnotized guards.)

Mad Hatter: Quickly my minions, cover the lady dear! Let not a one of them get anywhere near! Hold the line! Keep them at bay! Hold the line and you'll win the day!

(The guards then rush forward and take up positions in the hallway laying down covering fire for Harley. Harley continues running towards the group. As she reaches the guards, she grabs one of them by the shoulder and uses him as a springboard, launching herself up and over him in an athletic display of dexterity in a front flip and landing on the other side in a graceful acrobatic stance and continues running. Once Harley is close enough, Victor lifts his hand up and erects an icy barrier between them and the guards of 3 thick feet of ice, effectively stopping the other inmates from following them. For now. Harley gives Pamela a brief hug and then looks to her for their next move. Unsure of what to do next, Pamela looks to the rest of the group.)

Ivy: Alright. We're all here. What's the plan, Eddie?

Riddler: I believe our former doctor friend here has something our other former doctor friend gave her that we can use to bypass the security lock.

Harley: Yes! (She puts her hand down her top and pulls out her old Arkham staff badge from her cleavage, grinning happily.) I got it right here! (She hands it to Edward.)

Riddler: Excellent! (He pulls out an old slide Nokia cell phone from his pocket.) The badge should ping the security system trying to figure out if you're an inmate or staff long enough for me to use this MacGyver'd phone to bypass the internal locking mechanism.

(Placing the badge up against the security pad, Edward quickly plugs the cell phone into the side of the pad and begins hacking into the door before the security system can boot him out. Fingers pushing buttons at what seems to be random, Edward crunches down on firewall after firewall as quickly as he can.)

Riddler: Aaaaanndd… (The security pad blinks green with an affirmative beep and the clanking of the door unlocking can be heard.) Got it! (He pulls the door open for them all to get through.) Alright, let's ditch this hell hole!

(The camera view changes to the exterior of the Botanical Gardens showing our group of heroes exiting the decontamination chamber and out onto the Arkham grounds as the rain pelts them in a torrential downpour. Looking about, they see no one else around through the rain. They then take what little cover they can under a small group of nearby trees, still getting soaked but not as intensely.)

Ivy: What now? They'll have shut down the causeway by now and I'd rather not wait for them to send helicopters to the island.

Riddler: That was everything I had. (He turns to Victor.) Could we use an ice bridge to cross the harbor?

Freeze: Under normal circumstances I'd say yes, but given the storms severity I wouldn't recommend it.

Harley: I, um- actually might have something we can use for this.

Langstrom: Well, what is it?

Harley: Promise you won't get mad, ok? (They all look at Harley nodding their heads.) Ok, so, I had a boat stashed away nearby for when me and Mistah J were gonna get outta here. It should still be there, down on the coast.

Mad Hatter: Well, let's not waste any more time here. Please, lead the way, my dear.

(We cut to Harley leading the group down some makeshift stairs along the craggy cliffside towards one of the few beach areas along the island. With her arms stretched out in the rain, Harley is seen bouncing down the stairs humming to herself. Upon reaching the bottom at the spot where Harley's boat should be however, they see only a small empty beach. Harley looks around in confusion before spotting a half-decayed barrel she had used as an anchor that has a note attached to it. The note reads; "I O U, Mr. J." Harley crumples up the note growling in anger.)

Harley: That bastard! First, he ditches me and now he steals my boat? Gr-aaahh! I had a deposit down on that thing! (She kicks the sand in frustration. Then turning back around she addresses the group looking very downcast.) Sorry, guys. I guess Joker took our ride out of here a while ago.

(Pamela walks over to Harley, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.)

Ivy: It's okay, Harls. We'll figure something else out.

(Just then, an incredibly bright blinding light flashes on just off the coast, illuminating the small beach. The light is too bright for anyone to see the source of it. We hear a man begin speaking over a megaphone to the group of escapees.)

Coast Guard: This is the Gotham Coast Guard! Put your hands up and no funny business or we will open fire! No inmates of Arkham are going to be escaping on our watch!

(Our heroes all raise their hands in surrender, still blinded by the light, but they can now make out four figures standing on a boat a short distance away from the beach. All of the figures have guns trained on them.)

Harley: Damnit! Guess we ran out of time.

Ivy: Don't worry, Harls. I've got this. (Pamela then takes a few steps forward before addressing the coast guard, hands still held up.) Officers! There's clearly been a misunderstanding. We aren't trying to escape. We came looking for help. Thank goodness you're here.

Coast Guard: Yeah, I don't think so, Poison Ivy. We got an emergency broadcast from Arkham warning about escaped convicts. Don't try to trick us. Now back up!

Ivy: Look, one of the doctors, Dr. Crane is up there and he's hurt. Really bad. He needs medical attention right away. We're his patients. Now are you gonna just let him die on the off chance that we're lying or are you gonna help him?

(The members of the coast guard seem to be conferring among themselves, but we can't hear what they're saying over the rain. What the coast guards don't see are several green slimy objects slithering up the back of their boat and silently making their way towards them. The main speaker turns back to Pamela and begins speaking again.)

Coast Guard: Okay. We're sending someone over to help Dr. Crane. Just stay right where you are and we can- WAAAAAAAAAHHH!

(The coast guards are now being wrapped up, bound and tossed about by several long strands of seaweed grappling with them. Caught completely off guard the men are each dragged one-by-one overboard into the harbor, fruitlessly struggling against the salty plants. As the final man is pulled under the water, the silence of the rain takes hold, leaving our heroes with an empty boat.)

Ivy: Freeze, hold that boat in place so we can get on!

(Victor creates a small makeshift dock out of ice around the boat so that it can't drift away. As they're all climbing aboard, Kirk walks over to Ivy looking put out by the turn of events.)

Langstrom: Gee, Pam. Was that really necessary? I know we're trying to escape and all, but… did you have to kill them?

Ivy: (sighs) Look, Kirk. I know you're not really a criminal like the rest of us, but there's gonna be times when you'll have to make some hard choices that you'd rather not have to make. I get it, ok? I really do, but it was us or them. (She places her hands on her hips looking Kirk over.) You don't have to come with us if you don't feel comfortable with this. You could just say that we dragged you along and then dumped you or…

Langstrom: No! I'm still with you. You're all the only friends I have now anyway. Besides, you're going to need someone who actually knows how to pilot a boat.

(Kirk smiles. Pamela smiles back and they both climb aboard the boat. As Kirk is readying the boat for departure, Victor breaks apart the ice dock. Jervis then rushes up to Pamela.)

Mad Hatter: Wait! What about Jonathan? I know you were lying about him being hurt, but where is he? We can't just leave him here after he got us out!

Ivy: Jonathan said he'd find us. So, we just have to trust that he already has a way off the island. (She leaves out the fact that she knows where Jonathan has gone off to.) Let's get out of here, Kirk!

(Kirk drives the boat away from the craggy shoreline and then begins piloting the boat away from Arkham Island. Our heroes are now finally free from the asylum. Free of its curse. Free from its madness. As they're making their way towards Gotham, we see the Batwing pass over head, heading towards Arkham Asylum. Both the passengers on the boat and on the Batwing don't notice each other passing by in the heavy rain. As they get further and further apart, we end the scene and cut to a new location.)

(End Scene)

Scene 2

(The next scene starts with a very large computer monitor showing several different security camera feeds of Arkham Asylum. The largest shows the breakout of Jonathan Crane's patients at the decontamination chamber. Other feeds show previous days throughout Jonathan's time working at Arkham. During his interviews, in the halls speaking with colleagues, his patients before his time there, scenes that the audience is familiar with. Occasionally we will hear a snippet of an audio recording from one of Jonathan's several interviews. The camera view slowly zooms out to show the computer screen is in the Batcave. Batman is sitting in his chair observing all the different scenes trying to piece together a puzzle. A puzzle that he's been working on for a little over a year since that mass break out at Arkham. The camera pans around Batman and stops where we can see an elevator further behind him open and his loyal butler, Alfred, comes strolling out carrying a tray with tea and a hot meal on top. He takes the tray to Batman and places it down next to the computer without a word. Batman notices out of his peripheral vision.)

Batman: Thanks, Alfred.

(He picks up the cup of tea taking a sip. Alfred looks up at the computer screen and takes in all the different camera feeds and audio recordings. He's familiar enough with this case to recognize it right away.)

Alfred: Still trying to piece together the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Crane and his patients, Master Bruce?

Batman: Among other things. The pieces are all there, Alfred, but trying to get them to fit has been the issue.

Alfred: So, what is it that we do know for certain?

(Batman pauses all the security footage and interview tapes. He pulls up a profile of Jonathan Crane along with his missing persons report and several other bits of information.)

Batman: The official records state that Dr. Jonathan Crane had a no call no show at work on the night of the Arkham outbreak. A day later Warden Sharp received Dr. Crane's letter of resignation dated back two days before then. After that a missing persons report was filed three days later at GCPD, and Dr. Crane's apartment was empty of all his belongings before the police had a chance to search it. (He takes another sip of his tea.) Then there's the breakout itself. At first it appeared to have all been planned and led by Mr. Freeze according to eyewitness accounts. However, after reviewing the footage of the escape, it looks like the high-profile escapees all had a loosely coordinated effort and had planned to meet up. Their trail went cold once they left the asylum. The connecting factor for them was that they were all patients of Dr. Crane. I went back further to the last day Dr. Crane was in Arkham and the security footage shows that he had met with his patients and spoken with each of them individually. (Batman and Alfred both glance up to see the security footage of Jonathan and Pamela's passionate make-out session.) Among other things. However, there are no interview tapes from that day.

Alfred: Meaning we have no way of knowing for sure if Dr. Crane was the one to organize the escape or if he was merely saying his goodbyes.

Batman: Unfortunately, yes.

Alfred: It is rather odd that for someone so meticulous a note taker, that Dr. Crane would suddenly stop keeping records like that. Do you think he suspected that he was being watched?

Batman: I do. After going through all of Dr. Crane's interviews I found that the Joker had a very keen interest in Dr. Crane's research on fear therapy. According to Crane's notes the therapy was designed to force a patient to endure one of their worst fears and then overcome it either by a set up situation or from chemically induced phobias.

Alfred: Chemically induced?

Batman: Dr. Crane had a formula he called a fear toxin that could be either a liquid injection or an inhalant that he used a few times on his patients. Most of the results were unsuccessful except for the one time he used it on Poison Ivy. After that a board of ethics committee required him to get written consent from the patients beforehand resulting in his research becoming much more selective. It would seem since day one that Joker knew about this research and wanted to be a part of it. Thankfully Dr. Crane was wise enough to keep Joker as far away from his research as possible, but that didn't stop Joker from trying to find it. On the occasions where Joker escaped from Arkham, he managed to find Dr. Crane's personal labs and tagged the buildings for later. I managed to find one of these labs after Joker had been there. The research was destroyed, and all of the records had been burned. I don't know for sure if it was Crane's fear toxin research, but Dr. Crane moved his lab to another location after that.

Alfred: So, Joker was trying to get his hands on a fear inducing hallucinogenic formula and when he was told no, he went after Crane's research to destroy it. I'd hate to see what Joker would do with that sort of research. Could it be that Dr. Crane's disappearance was a means of escaping from the Joker?

Batman: Perhaps. But that leads me to this. (Batman holds up a batarang while staring at the computer screen.)

Alfred: A batarang?

Batman: Not just any batarang. A batarang that isn't mine. (Alfred's eyes widen in shock upon hearing this.) It's a very close replica, but it's a fake. I had the batcomputer scan it and it found flaws, irregular cuts and slightly off angles. Even the metal had trace amounts of materials that I don't normally use. Whoever made this went to a lot of trouble trying to duplicate it.

Alfred: But why? And how does it connect to Dr. Crane?

Batman: This batarang was found at Joker's feet on top of the old Ace Chemicals building about a year ago.

(Alfred pounds his fist into the palm of his hand in realization.)

Alfred: The same night as the Arkham outbreak! If I recall, you found him tied up and dressed like a scarecrow.

Batman: Yes, exactly. But what's more, after scanning the batarang for fingerprints I found two matching results. One for Joker and one for Dr. Crane.

Alfred: It would seem that they had one final confrontation then.

Batman: Maybe, but this weapon of choice doesn't make sense. Dr. Crane would have no reason to replicate one of my batarangs to this degree of accuracy when he could have just gone out and bought a weapon instead and it goes against Joker's usual choice of weaponry. So, what was it doing on the roof of Ace Chemicals where they could both use it?

(Both he and Alfred stand in silence for a minute, contemplating the possible reasons before Alfred looks back at him with a knowing smirk.)

Alfred: I assume you have a theory?

Batman: It's a rough one, but I do. I think that this batarang was at the scene of Dr. Crane's ruined lab. That it was planted there by the Joker after he destroyed the lab in order to get Crane paranoid enough to start leaving holes in his records and notes, thinking that I was following him and that I was the one to destroy his research. But he would've have still been suspicious of Joker and likely concluded that Joker was the one to lead me to him, resulting in Dr. Crane going after Joker with this batarang.

Alfred: Hmm. But even if all of that is true that still leaves us with the question, where is Dr. Crane now?

Batman: … I don't know. The only people who might know are his patients, but they've all been laying very low since then. Hopefully, it's like you say and that they've simply managed to escape from Joker and live out their lives.

Alfred: But you won't rest until you know for sure. Will you, Sir?

Batman: No. I won't.

(Batman puts down the fake batarang and takes another sip of his tea, returning his attention to the batcomputer. Alfred stands observing the files for a moment longer before turning away and resuming his regular duties. We zoom out and end the scene.)

(End Scene)

Scene 3

(The next scene starts in one of the many alleyways of Gotham. It's late at night and there is a light rain. The camera pans down to a puddle, reflecting the night sky. Then a shoe splashes into the puddle. We cut to see an average looking man in his late thirties running through the puddles of the alley. He's breathing heavily. He looks behind him to see if he's still being followed. We cut to see what he sees standing at the end of the alley. A tall lanky figure dressed in brownish-red rags, wearing a mask and a strange apparatus with glowing orange tubes on his right arm. The man yelps and tries to run faster, not watching where he's going. He trips on some of the refuse in the alley, falling and skidding across the rain-soaked pavement. Gritting his teeth in pain, the man tries getting up only to find that he's backed himself into a corner with no way out except back the way he came. He turns his head back, seeing his pursuer slowly make his way towards the man. The man cowers as his pursuer is only feet away from him now.)

Regular Man: Please! I don't have much money on me, but take it! Take it all! Just leave me alone!

Scarecrow: Your money will be unnecessary. If you wish to leave here intact, you will tell me everything you know about the Joker.

Regular Man: The Joker? Look, man! I don't really know the guy! I just did a job for him the one time and… and that was years ago!

Scarecrow: Which makes you uniquely qualified to describe him as he was then as opposed to now. If I'm to better understand Joker's fears, I need to know everything there is to know about him. Even the most irrelevant detail could be a clue.

(Jonathan is finally close enough where we can see him more clearly. He wears his burlap mask with the stitched mouth now with two respirators, one on each side of the mouth. Over the mask he is wearing a brown hood making the eye holes of the mask appear more sunken in and the shape of the hood resembling the grim reaper with a noose loosely hanging around his neck like a tie. Adorning his body is a raggedy brown vest over a tattered non-descript shirt along with a pair of brown pants and dark shoes. On his right arm he wears an apparatus that has 3 tubes filled with his glowing orange fear toxin with smaller tubes attaching them to a set of syringes that he wears on each finger, the long needles glinting in the dark. The man trembles seeing the Scarecrow more clearly now.)

Regular Man: Fears? I don't think the Joker fears anything. Not the cops, not Batman… the IRS maybe, but even then, he sounded like he was joking around. Please don't hurt me! That's all I know!

Scarecrow: And what about before that? Did he ever mention anything or anyone from his past in detail? Did he ever talk about himself from before he was the Joker?

Regular Man: NO! No, it was a very brief job! He didn't say much beyond telling us what to do and cracking a few jokes. Please, let me go! I've got a family to think of!

(Jonathan sighs. He'd hoped to learn more about Joker from this man, but it would seem that he too doesn't know much more than the other people Jonathan has interrogated. He looks down at the cowering man, considering his options.)

Scarecrow: Very well, if that's truly all you know. You may return home… after I've given you a very small dosage.

Regular Man: What? Of what?

(Scarecrow rushes in very close to the man jabbing him in the arm with the two syringes on his middle and fore finger, holding them there for the briefest second before ripping them back out. The man cries out in pain grabbing his arm. He looks at Scarecrow.)

Scarecrow: My apologies, but I need to assess my latest batch of fear toxin. The dosage I gave you should only last for a few minutes and then you can be on your way. (Crouching down, Jonathan gets on the man's level.) Now before you lose your mind if you could describe for me what it is you see I'd greatly appreciate it.

(The man begins wiping away at his arms and chest in distress. He tries throwing off phantom creatures that aren't there. While to an outsider looking in it may look very comical, the man truly believes he's seeing his greatest fears. We cut to a vision of what it is the man sees. The alley is now clouded in a dark ebony mist. Hundreds of thousands of rats are descending from the buildings, crawling out of the sewers, boxes and garbage bins and climbing all over the man biting at him. As the man cries out in terror, begging for anyone to help him and to, "Get them off of me!" he looks up and sees a now very distorted version of Scarecrow. Scarecrow's clothes are now all black with tendrils of smoke coming off him and his mask is now a burlap textured skull with glowing red eyes deep within the eye sockets. His voice is very distorted as he continues speaking to the man.)

Scarecrow: Tell me what you fear!

(The man screams, and we cut to black ending the scene with his scream echoing into the night.)

(End of Episode)