Disc: don't own characters or Gotham

Jonathan Crane found himself being led through some sort of tunnel, his hands cuffed by a pair of high-tech looking handcuffs. We must be underground… he thought to himself. At points the ceiling leaked, dripping water onto the back of his neck, and once he thought for sure he'd seen a rat.

Either that or a small dog.

He supposed that they could be in a sewer, but if so, what part? There were sewer systems all of Gotham. Were they even in Gotham anymore?

Suddenly, the guard jerked his arm, leading him up to a huge steel door. The guard rapped three times and waited. After several minutes, the door was opened by another thug, who motioned for them to enter.

Jonathan looked around. Everything in the room was a dark grey, except for a wrist brace and several vials of a greenish liquid on the large metal desk across from the Master of Fear. Jonathan's eyes widened. His fear toxin! But what was it doing here? No matter. If he could just reach it…

Suddenly, a door he hadn't noticed before, probably because it blended in so perfectly with the wall, opened and a man that Jonathan had hoped he'd never see again stepped out behind the desk.

"Hello, Scarecrow." he purred, an evil smirk dawning on his square, hard features. "Looking at your precious toxin?"

The Master of Fear bit his tongue, hard, refusing to be taken in.

"You want it?" the man taunted, "Come get it. Or do you want to go back to your cell and watch your pitiful friend's dying moments?"

That did it.

The Scarecrow leaped forward, heedless of the cuffs and baring his teeth and snarling like a wild animal. "LET HIM GO, BOLTON!"

Bolton stepped forward, the chain that crossed the front of his suit glinting in the glow of the single light bulb that hung from the ceiling. "No, I don't think I will. As a matter of fact…" he strode closer to the Master of Fear. "I think it will be more fun to watch him die. Slowly. Do you think he'll blame you when he draws his last breath?"

Jonathan didn't think about what he was going to do.

He just wanted to wipe that smirk off of Bolton's face. To make him shut up and pay for all he'd done. Was this how Batman felt when he fought the rogues?

Leaping forward, the Scarecrow attacked Lockup.

?

Edward Nygma pushed himself off the floor and stood shakily. The guards hadn't bothered to lock him onto the wall again, and he figured he should enjoy his relative freedom while he could. He'd eaten a piece of bread and sipped at the water again, being careful to leave some for Jonathan when he came back.

If he came back.

The Riddler shook his head. The Master of Fear would come back. He simply had to.

Didn't he?

Eddie wished he had a lock pick. Anything to get out and see what was happening. But even if he did have something, how would he overcome the guards outside?

The Riddler looked around the room for anything that he could use as a possible weapon.

Then his eyes fell on the tray.

And Edward Nygma got an idea.

?

Bolton stumbled back, unprepared for the blow he had just been dealt. Jonathan fell to one side, unable to stop himself with his hands cuffed together. Angry now, Lockup reached down to haul the Scarecrow up by the collar, but the Master of Fear was too fast for him. Rolling over, Jonathan pushed himself up, ignoring the pain in his wrists as the cuffs scraped against them. He glanced hurriedly over at the desk. He was only a few feet away. If he could just reach that toxin…

Bolton snarled, angry that his prey had outsmarted him and leaped after the Master of Fear who, again, just barely dodged the overgrown bully. Lockup may have been bigger than Jonathan, but the Scarecrow was a great deal thinner and it was easier for him to dodge blows.

But that didn't make him invincible.

Lockup swung with both fists and Jonathan, unable to dodge both at once, took one to the jaw, the blow sending him reeling into the side of the metal desk. He lay dazed for a moment and then realized that Bolton was coming back, unwittingly having thrown him right for what the Master of Fear had been trying to get to all along.

Reaching up onto the desk, Jonathan snatched up his toxin and quickly aimed it at the approaching Lockup. Toxin sprayed out of the wrist pump, but, dazed as he was, Jonathan miscalculated and aiming the spray about a foot to the left of Bolton. The Scarecrow gritted his teeth, preparing to aim again, but Lockup was there now, knocking away the toxin and reaching down to grip Jonathan's throat. The Master of Fear's vision cleared and he found himself face to face with Bolton's sneer.

?

"Let me out!" Eddie yelled, banging his left fist on the door of the cell and trying not to cough. What little strength he had left was fading fast and he knew there wasn't much time. "Do you hear me?" he tried again. "Let…me…out!"

Suddenly the door opened and the Riddler came face to face with an angry guard. "Shaddup, you…" But the thug didn't have time to finish his insult. Drawing strength that he didn't know he had from deep within himself, Eddie lifted the tray with his right hand and brought it smashing down on the guards head. The thug crumpled instantly and Eddie looked out beyond the door to the cell. The room opened up into a long tunnel that smelled of rust and mildew. No one else was in sight. Reaching down, Eddie pulled a gun from the thugs belt and, taking several deep breaths and smothering a cough, headed off down the tunnel.

?

Jonathan gasped for air as Lockup tightened his grip around his throat. "Didn't I tell you you were scum?" Bolton raged, shaking the Scarecrow. "You, and the rest of the so-called 'rogues gallery'! You don't deserve to live!"

Everything was going fuzzy and the edges of the Master of Fear's vision were tinged with black. Desperately, he fought for oxygen as he felt his limbs growing cold.

And then he heard it.

A shout, followed by a loud bang echoed around the room, and Bolton howled, dropping the Scarecrow. Jonathan landed heavily, bringing a limp hand up to massage his throat and taking in huge gulps of air. His vision cleared for the second time and he gasped. Edward Nygma stood in the doorway, a smoking gun raised in shaking hands. Lockup was lying on the floor, half-curled. For a moment, Jonathan thought that the Riddler had killed Bolton, but then Lockup groaned and the Master of Fear realized that he was clutching his left leg.

Pushing himself up, Jonathan reached for his toxin. He couldn't afford to take chances. Just as he picked up a vial, he heard Eddie shout and heard the Prince of Puzzles running towards him. "Jonathan! Look out!"

The Master of Fear looked up in horror to see Bolton dragging himself around the back of the desk. With shaking hands, Jonathan threw the vial of fear toxin at Lockup's head. Bolton howled once more, clawing at his face with one hand. Dimly, the Scarecrow heard the sound of a metal drawer being opened. And then Lockup opened blood-shot eyes, his expression mixed with anger and fear. Lifting his other hand, Bolton shoved a gun into the Scarecrow's face.

"NO!" came a shout from behind the Master of Fear as the Riddler ran forward. Confused, Lockup moved the gun, cocking it and firing. The shot went wild.

There was a bang, a scream, and the Riddler crumpled to the cement floor.

a/n: I promised you a longer chapter, didn't I?