TheJokerMan95 - Thank you!
laal ratty - I know...I've been slacking on the Riddlecat...sorry about that. I'll step up my game.
Katherine - Ivy might still get a slap in...the story isn't over yet. ^_^
LittleGreyOwl - Yep, Batgirl is no threat to any of them. She matters so little to them that they let her go instead of killing her.
The 24th Reader - Good question...I usually stick to comic versions, but sometimes I like the other media's versions...so...I guess it'll depend on my mood at the time of writing him in. Probably comic though, more than likely.
I should really admit, this chapter started out pretty serious but...it just fell apart. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Chapter Fifteen: Riding With Death
**Selina**
Gazing across the bay, she huffed in frustration and exhaustion, ready to turn in for a good three day catnap.
"There wasn't a breath in that land of death," a voice stated from behind her. "But I hurried horror driven, with a corpse half hid, that I couldn't get rid, because of a promise given."
She glanced over her shoulder to find Crane gathering up his ragged costume, eyeing it with a small frown.
"I don't know that one," she said, swinging her leg idly over the edge of the walkway and looking back out over the sea.
"Doesn't matter," he returned with a slight smile, tugging on his burlap trousers. "Your Sam McGee didn't die."
She was quiet.
Shocked as Crane flopped down beside her at the edge boldly, he rested his forearms on the railing and peered down at the craggy bottom to what could be a long, dangerous fall.
"You're not afraid of heights," he mused.
"No."
"If I pushed you and you survived, you would be."
"You push me and I'll take you with me," she returned.
He chuckled. "Not right now. I'm merely saying, the nature of the human mind is complex. We don't understand the dangers of something, until we've lived through the horror."
"I've fallen before," she murmured. "It still doesn't scare me."
"Then you're a fool," he pointed out. "It's a long, long way down and the landing looks like it would grind you."
"Aren't you afraid of the fall?" She demanded.
"No. I fear nothing. I feel nothing. I am an empty shell of a man."
"Bullshit," she growled.
"Bull true," he replied. "When I was younger, I found I didn't scream or run from things, there were shadows in my room that moved much like I suppose a spook or a monster would move, but I didn't fear them. I always felt like they should fear me."
"Everyone has a fear," she retorted. "I don't buy this fearless man you claim to be."
He smirked. "I'll make you a deal, kitten. Tell me your greatest fear and I'll share you my one and only fear."
Selina smiled. "I knew you had a fear. And no, you're not going to know my fear. Ever."
"Loss."
"What?"
Crane inhaled deeply and sighed. "Loss is your greatest fear. You fear losing. Things, people, that's your fear."
She was quiet.
"It's simple," he went on. "You steal because you grew up…maybe poor or…orphaned? With nothing. You had nothing. You steal, because you want more things, everything. You want the opposite of loss, you want gain."
Selina looked at him with a small mixture of shock and awe.
"Please, Selina, this is my business," he scoffed. "I know it well."
She turned her gaze back to the sea.
"Now Edward, his father treated him like he was nothing, a mere mote of dust to be brushed aside and ignored. So, Edward's greatest fear is to be nothing." Crane mused. "I think, you'd be good together, you want everything and he wants to be something."
"That was a long way for such a little payout," Selina retorted dryly.
"What can I say, kitten? I'm a romantic at heart."
She laughed loudly, startling herself.
"You're right," he muttered. "I have no heart."
Reaching out, she patted his chest. "You have a heart, Jonathan. I think you crazies sell yourself short often, a broken mind doesn't mean you lack a heart that's strong."
"Why, Selina, that was most poetic."
"This conversation began with poetry. Why not keep it going?"
Crane nodded.
"Would you…if you could be normal, would you?" She asked.
"The blood we've been spilling," he began. "It doesn't…we bleed too. Yes," he said decidedly. "I suppose if my mind could be balanced, then yes. But there's no antibiotics for insanity. We take pills that dry our mouths and make us lethargic and we're still not normal, so we stop taking our pills and we become irrational and 'mad' and so the circle continues. And they put us in padded rooms and take our shoelaces and we deserve the punishment, but there are those who don't commit crimes who are just as broken and…madness, insanity, irrationality are not connected to switches we can turn on and off. So yes, yes I'm sure we would all choose sanity if we could."
"Is that why you have such patience with Jervis and Eddie?" She asked.
"Hm, I understand madness, but no. I'm not patient with them, I'm…well, they're my friends, I suppose."
Selina smiled at him.
"Yes, even criminals need friends, Selina, don't look at me like that."
"I'm not."
"Well, think what you will about that declaration. I would still drive each and every one of you to the very brink of your fears, just to watch you writhe."
"Of course you will, you're very, very scary," she said.
"That's your first warning," he growled, climbing to his feet.
"Oooh, Scarecrow, you make me quake."
"That's your second warning."
Standing up, Selina asked, "so? Am I one of your friends?"
He eyed her sombrely, tilting his head, before he said, "no."
She tsked.
"I'm sorry, I'm allergic to cats."
The sound of a gun cocking broke the moment and they both turned to find Two-Face and Maxie Zeus standing at the top of the stairs, the former calmly checking his gun, the latter preening.
"You're back, hn?" Scarecrow demanded coolly.
"We found nothing, but then again we didn't really try," Maxie greeted. "It was far below our grandness to—"
"We went for ice cream and then took in a tit show," Two-Face broke in.
"I would never!" Maxie Zeus gasped.
"Well, you did," Harvey shut him down efficiently. "So? Edward tells us there's good news for once."
"We think we may know who's behind this," Selina said. "Prof—"
"Don't care," Two-Face interrupted. "Point us in their direction and we'll knock their fucking heads off."
Behind the man, Jervis dropped his broom on the stairs as he came up them and gasped.
"I like that rage in you, have I ever mentioned that?" Scarecrow asked as he tugged on his mask.
"We don't care," Two-Face returned.
"Actually I care," Maxie broke in, pushing aside Two-Face and stepping towards Scarecrow. "How dare you not think I don't have—"
"Shut up," Scarecrow growled. "You matter to me about as much as a hammer matters to a rabbit."
"Gentlemen," Selina said before a fight broke out. "Wait until I'm down those stairs before pulling them out and measuring." She pushed past them and headed down the stairs, tweaking Jervis on the chin as she passed him by.
The small, weird little man –still in Firefly's gear – smiled sheepishly at her and knelt to retrieve his broom.
Downstairs she came upon Edward deep in thought, his two bimbo's draped over him like cheap shawls.
"I see your minions are back," Selina greeted him, hand moving to her hip.
"Scram cat!" Query snarled. "Eddie's thinking!"
"Yeah!" Echo added. "Boss don't need no interruptions."
"Fine," she replied coolly. "I'll just head home, take a bath, maybe—"
"A trap," Edward murmured, pushing to his feet.
Selina kept heading for the door, smirking a little as she heard footsteps fall in beside her swiftly and smoothly.
"We need a place, removed from Gotham, but close enough," Eddie said to her.
She pulled to a stop at the door and turned to him.
"I want to question him first though," Edward said to her confidentially as the others came down the stairs to join them. "Some of the others may just want blood, but I want answers to some very perplexing questions."
"Why are you telling me this, Eddie?" She whispered back.
"Because you're the one with the whip, my dear," he returned. "You can keep men in line better than anyone."
She angled her chin. "Well you're not wrong."
"And," he gently guided her off to one side, glancing at his sidekicks, "I was thinking perhaps from now on you'd stay close to me."
She opened her mouth about to blast him for what she thought was Eddie being uncharacteristically chivalrous and sexist, but he held up his hand.
"We both know I'm not entirely capable in a full-fledged, down in the mud fisticuffs type situation. I'd like the protection."
Her mouth snapped shut and she stared at him evenly for a moment.
"So if you'd be so kind as to…how do they put it? Watch my well-toned ass?"
Over Eddie's head, she spied Ivy looking studiously at the Riddler's backside, before shrugging, waving her hand, palm down undecided.
"Fine, Eddie, but you get my back too, alright? Quid pro quo." She said with a smirk at Ivy's reaction.
"Fair enough," he replied, turning around to stride back to his sidekicks.
Selina reached out and smacked him on the ass, causing the Riddler to jump and spin mid-air on her with a look of sheer confusion.
"Well-toned," she said calmly, turning and walking out the door.
They all waited while Two-Face hot wired their new ride away from the lighthouse, a shady looking van which had been parked outside of a warehouse by the wharfs, everyone hiding in the shadows, growing impatience.
"We don't have time for this," the Clock King said, checking his pocketwatch.
Reaching over, Ivy grabbed his watch and lobbed it into the ocean in irritation.
"You owe me a new watch," Fugate murmured bitterly, folding his arms and sulking against the wall.
"Time really does fly," Jervis marvelled, staring at the ocean with wide eyes.
"So why'd you come back, anyways?" Selina demanded of Fugate and the others. "I thought you doubted Eddie's leadership?"
"Safety in numbers," Maxie Zeus declared.
"Shh," Scarecrow warned sternly.
"You dare shush—"
Reaching over, Scarecrow clamped his hand over Maxie's mouth, no doubt scowling under his mask.
Maxie slapped his hand away, but chose to remain silent as the van roared to life and Two-Face took the wheel.
Everyone scrambled to hop inside, packing in like sardines.
They sat for a moment, before Two-Face urged.
"Where are we heading?"
"There's a soybean farm just outside Gotham on the 118," Eddie said. "That's our destination."
"A soybean farm?" Ivy inquired almost happily.
"Great hippies," Crane growled.
"Coming from the man who needs to pump people full of pharmaceuticals in order to get his point across," Ivy murmured.
"We can't all con plants into doing our dirty work, Pamela."
"I don't con them!" Ivy shouted.
"And I deserve a little respect!" Crane shouted back.
"I don't think fish can read!" Jervis declared.
"What time is it?" The Clock King asked. "I'm missing my watch."
"Haha!" Maxie Zeus declared, hanging his head out the window. "Onward metal beast!"
"We will turn this van around!" Two-Face snarled louder than the rest, calming the van down immediately.
"Where's Manbat?"
"On the roof," Eddie said.
Selina gave him a sharp look.
"Did you want to sit beside him, my dear?" Eddie shot back. "The thing can hardly stop chewing on the furniture, never mind when we're in close quarters."
"We're a real Mickey Mouse organization," Crane grumbled, folding his arms.
"Could be worse," Eddie pointed out. "We could be the ones out solving crimes and not committing them."
Everyone in the van laughed heartily.
Two-Face didn't even slow as Manbat's face dropped down on the passenger side of the windshield, the half man half bat licking and slobbering on the window, eating the bugs off of it.
"Haha! Disgusting!" Maxie exclaimed. "What a creature! I must have one for my own!"