© Ellie Goodson 2016

Chapter Thirteen-Return of the Scarecrow

~Arabella Jones~

It was truly refreshing, to roam through the darkening Gotham streets. Again, I spotted the bat signal in the sky, a sly reminder that Batman was always watching over you. I pulled my eyes from the sky, well aware that I'd end up walking into someone while distracted. I had nothing valuable on me anyway, but I wished I had something warmer on, maybe a jacket or coat?

I knew what would happen when the Joker returned. He'd find me missing, and think that I ran away because I couldn't cope to be around him. He'd think that it was because of his scars, or his mixed personality or just his presence. I knew this, because I knew the Joker well enough to know that it was so. My heart sank and stomach knotted at the thought, knowing none of those things were true. Knowing the truth, deep down. I just wasn't ready to admit it.

Trying to keep my mind as blank as possible, I switched off any thoughts of the clown and focused on enjoying the little time I had outside. I didn't exactly wish to return to my old apartment, there wasn't anything left for me there, but it seemed that I was stranded otherwise. Who else could I possibly go to? The thought of Poison Ivy crossed my mind, and I was yet again left to question whether she had escaped Arkham or not. And what about Harley, had she made it out of the Asylum? I wanted to find the two of them, knowing they'd most likely be together as they were the closest two friends could get. If I could find one-and that included Catwoman as she was part of their little trio-then I'd most likely end up finding the others.

I searched all around, making sure that it was subtle and that I continued to walk, in hope to find any form of familiar face. With no such luck, I trailed on further and further down Gotham's streets. Further and further away from the Joker's warehouse. Guilt was beginning to bubble at the pit of my stomach as the thought again crossed my mind. Could I really let him think that? I should've left a note, but that would only seem incredibly patronising. I was stuck; I couldn't do one thing without losing on the other.

Taking a sharp right, I started to take a slow stroll down a calm alley way. Nobody was around, which probably wasn't my smartest idea. I'd most likely get mugged or raped or murdered while taking a nice walk down an abandoned alley way. For someone who had many degrees and practically perfect grades, I lacked in common sense from time to time. Chuckling lowly to myself at my own personal joke, I realised that it was a lot colder than I had intentioned. The wind bit at me with needle sharp teeth, sinking into my frozen bones.

I laced my arms around myself, hunching over in an attempt to keep in body warmth. I was so busy focusing on how cold I was that I didn't notice the dark figure lurking in the shadows of the alley. As another gush of icy wind blew my hair out of my face and so I caught just a glimpse of something dark and far from elegant. I froze on the spot, my blood running cold. All of my muscles had been turned to stone as hot fear seared through my whole body.

Turning slowly, hesitant of what was hidden, I felt the urge to run screaming and crying for Batman. I couldn't do that, I knew I couldn't and that's why I knew I was a dead woman. "Well, hello there Doctor Jones." That voice was all too scarily familiar, even though our session was brief; I knew the playful tone all too well. Finally facing my killer, I took everything in. The dark suit, the tall posture, the shadows that made his body seem jagged. And that final, frightful part to the villainous master piece, that hessian scarecrow mask. The mask with a ragged, stitched mouth which twisted into a snarl and hollow, soulless eyes. My heart skipped several beats in white fear.

My tongue had tied itself into knots, and so I stood completely motionless. I didn't know what to say, what to do or what would trigger anything from Scarecrow. If he had any fear gas on him, I might as well have already been screaming. Taking a hesitant step back, I swallowed the choking lump that had formed in my throat. "Good evening, Scarecrow."

"Tell me, Doctor Jones, are you fun yet?" I shook my head a couple times, not trusting myself to talk.

I needed someone to come and help me, as much as I hated to admit it, I needed someone to save me and get me the hell away from this madman in a Scarecrow mask. Backing up a little bit more, I searched my brain for something to say, something to distract him. "I see you escaped from Arkham."

"Ah, yes. That clown came in use after all." By 'that clown' he meant the Joker. At the thought of the deep down vulnerable man, my stomach twisted. Why had I left the warehouse? Why didn't I stay inside? I wondered for a moment if he had returned yet, and decided to pray he hadn't.

I was saved from replying by familiar green vines snaking up behind Scarecrow and wrapping themselves around his neck with chocking force. They lifted him into the air so he dangled helplessly by the throat. The sight made me want to laugh, as it looked ridiculous. Red hair and green skin with darker green clothing appeared from the shadows, and I couldn't have been more relived to see the crazy plant lady. "Oh my god Ivy!"

"Walking down a dark alley really wasn't your smartest idea, doc."

Avoiding the kicking legs of Scarecrow, I jogged to stand next to Ivy and back into the shadows. "So I see you also escaped from Arkham."

"I was hardly going to stay in there voluntarily. We both know that I don't deserve to be in there." Reluctantly, I nodded my head with a sigh. "So what's been going on with you?" I decided to trust Ivy with the truth, and so I began to ramble on about what had been happening in my all new life.

"When the Joker broke out of Arkham, I was in the middle of having a session with him. He knocked me out and took me with him. He says he needs me, and that's why he won't let me go. I wasn't supposed to come out, I just needed to go out for a bit but I think I should go back before he finds out I'm gone."

Ivy studied me for a minute; I felt her green eyes burn into me. "Why do you want to go back to the warehouse?"

"I don't want to hurt him. And I shouldn't have left anyway; I should get back before he figures out that I left in the first place." The conversation died there. Pamela took my arm and started leading me back out of the alley way. "Where are we going?"

"Back to Catwoman's apartment. Harley will be there as well."

"She broke out too?" Ivy nodded her head, red curls bouncing in the wind. I wondered how she wasn't frozen cold when she wore so little.

I didn't know if it was a good idea for me to go back to Catwoman's apartment with Ivy, especially if Harley was there. I didn't know how the jester would react if she found out about the Joker and what he did to me. She was obsessed with him...would she get jealous? I felt like I should've out right refused, and ran off back to the warehouse. But no matter how hard my mind thought this, my body remained following Ivy.

Several streets later, we arrived at a block of apartments. Ivy didn't hesitate to take us inside, marching straight for the stairs. It occurred to me then that I didn't know for sure that Catwoman would even want me around her, let alone in her apartment. The sensation of nerves began to twist my stomach, a pain settled in my lower abdomen and I had to swallow several time to remove the lump from my throat. I was all too aware of the fact that Catwoman wasn't the only reason for my nerves. To be completely honest, my nerves came from the fact that I knew the Joker would be furious with me whenever I returned, and I knew I'd get hurt. Physically.

Ignoring the shudder than ran down my spine, I focused on climbing up the last of the remaining stairs. I gasped in another breath of air, feeling my head become increasingly light and darkness began to blur my vision. "Damn, for a skinny girl you're really out of shape."

"Well I'm sorry for having heart problems." I replied to Ivy's sarcastic comment while leaning against the wall in a crouched position.

"Heart problems?"

"My heart beats slower than the average human heart. I get cold extraordinarily easy, I get very ill easily and I have really low blood pressure. My stupid heart beating slower than it should means that because I've just climbed up a load of stairs, I put my heart and body under a phenomenal amount of pressure and with low blood pressure, it was only going to end like this."

Ivy gave me a sympathetic look, arms crossed loosely over her chest as she stood perfectly fine. Not a bit out of breath, no one would've thought that she'd just ran up several flights of stairs. I shook my head at her, turning a blind eye to the envy that burned at the back of my throat. I didn't know if I wanted to be Ivy or not, her kiss was poisonous and she wasn't normal. She's not. And that's her problem, because no average person these days likes abnormal. Luckily, I did.

I pushed myself off of the wall and took one final breath. "So, why aren't we going into the apartment?"

"I'm sorry, Arabella." How did she know my name? She shouldn't have known my name, and why the hell was she apologising to me? I knew it. I knew that I should've gone back to the warehouse, and now I was on the verge of having a panic attack about what Ivy had to be sorry about.

"What have you done?" Instead of replying, she simply turned and walked into an apartment-not even waiting for me to follow. She left the door open, but the red haired girl disappeared into the darkness.

I couldn't help my curiosity. With careful footsteps, I hesitantly made my way into the darkness. "Ivy?" I called out, hoping for the green woman to come back into the light. "Ivy this isn't funny!" I was seriously beginning to panic. I couldn't understand as to why Ivy had apologised, why she had been so weird, why she had led me here in trust only to do this and scare me like so. When I got no reply from Pamela, I fumbled against the wall for any form of light switch. Having no success on the first wall, I tried the one on the other side of me. On finding a light switch, I flicked it on and was momentarily blinded while my eyes adjusted to the light.

Sat there, with a gun pointed to their heads were Ivy, Catwoman and Harley. They were tied up and sat crossed leg on the floor. And the man holding the gun was the one and only clown himself. "You have been a bad girl, doll."