(8 Years Later)
Arkham Asylum.
A desolate location, deep inside Gotham City. An asylum that had long lost its way, far from a refined building, now a dilapidated institution, known more for propelling insanity than curing it.
It was a building that housed not only some of the world's most famous villains but also many secrets.
And the Scarecrow needed to find the most important one.
He had known, he had looked before, but if what those damn 'Disruptors' had said was true... Maybe he would no longer have to look.
Scarecrow was not a man who had hope - he learned very early in his life that such feelings were futile.
But there was one thing that could bring out even the most tender of his emotions.
It was the midnight hour, and it was the 7th rainy night in a row. The raindrops fall so furiously, like a river in the sky.
Scarecrow got into his sleek, black car, a 1956 Chevrolet. In his hand were the keys he had been given, the document with scrawled handwriting, and the sapphire.
His thin frame settled in the leather seat, his slightly scraggly fingers running over the bright-blue jewel. He adjusted his suit, stroking the straw coming out of its creases. Starting the car, he held the sapphire once more. It matched his brilliant, crystal blue eyes. Adjusting his glasses, he started driving, hoping that what he was looking for was still at the house of insanity.
Admittedly, the drive to the asylum was uneventful. He had been somewhat careful, it wasn't as if he could run around the city - He was a wanted man after all, but he knew he wasn't at the top of the police department's list... Plenty of fellow criminals tried to rule the city tonight... It was one of the only reasons he could even attempt this... Expedition.
Finally, through the pouring rain, he came to the broken-down building.
He put the jewel, document, and keys in the briefcase, alongside his mask and lovely fear toxin.
He knew the asylum would have low security... Even if it was long past the days when he was in charge here, most people were so... Predictable. Everyone would be out scrambling, trying to collect the fugitive criminals.
Perfect.
He walked into the building as if he owned the place, and he was even slightly surprised that there was no one there.
Sure, a few guards, but they didn't pay him any mind. That even shocked him a little bit, but this was only more perfect.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was letting his slight desperation drive him. He was a man of science, and even if he understood emotions, he never wanted them to become him.
Using the document he had received to guide him, he navigated through the labyrinth of darkened corridors and crumbling cells. He was slightly thankful for the document, for he hadn't visited this damned place since... He didn't exactly know. He had stopped counting a long time ago.
The elevators weren't working, so he filed down several flights of stairs, going down to the basement levels.
He came across a metal door, sealing off access to what lay beyond.
Reaching for the rusted gold keys, he inserted one of them into the keyhole, jiggling the lock around until the door budged open.
A slight wave of relief came over him, and he ran a hand through his raven-black hair.
There was no light in the hallway that the door had opened into, but that was no problem for him. Reaching for a small lighter from his silver briefcase, he continued walking, following the document intently.
He turned down many hallways, inserting the required keys, each hallway, and room a new mystery to him.
It wasn't as if he hadn't been aware of the building expansions, but that had never been his primary focus. His men must have checked this area for the first time... But maybe things have changed...
Or maybe he finally knew the one secret.
If it was true.
He took the sapphire out once more, his pale, scrawny fingers gently stroking it. It was a reminder and a piece of proof... As a man of logic and mindfulness, it brought him a small bit of comfort that he could find what he thought had been lost so long ago.
After almost an hour of checking every crevice and crook of these secret areas, he had found what he knew he had subconsciously been looking for.
The secret cell blocks.
According to the document he had received, he had multiple instructions that had been provided to him, and armed with this new knowledge, he could get past this barrier.
It had just seemed like a normal wall, until he had found an indentation in the paint, finding a keyhole.
Selecting a specially separated silver key, he inserted it in the keyhole.
After the click of the lock, the solid wall had shifted.
He followed more of the detailed instructions, putting in a combination, disarming security systems, and after about 15 minutes of minuscule trials - which was nothing for him - and the wall opened into a desolate, dark hallway.
Naturally, he couldn't help but want to pin the blame on his henchmen... But even he couldn't help but feel even he could've been fooled.
Letting the lights flicker as it sort of lit up this hallway.
It was a long hallway, but most of the cells looked like they hadn't been touched.
One had been tampered with. But those were not what he was looking for. It was the active cell he was looking for... Looking for its occupant.
The inmate had forgotten how long she had been here. She had stopped counting a long time ago. She just knew she deserved it, and this was the closest she would come to death. While she had been given a tiny bit of hope, she hadn't had hope since she was put here. Her pale skin held on to a slim frame, her brunette hair endlessly tangled, and her once intense eyes had died out. Her clothes were torn rags that clung to her body, forever stained with years-old blood.
She was far from content, but she had given up on the prospect of escape a long, long, long time ago.
The many layers of bars and doors that blocked her cell and her diminished strength made freedom seem impossible.
She had never been the type to give up easily, especially considering the first time she had been thrown into this institution, yet in a 'friendlier' condition.
She was sitting on the floor, playing with a few small objects she had clung to, trying to stay as warm and trying to use the least amount of energy she could - after all, she was only given rations once a week.
Yet she perked up when she heard some sort of movement. It could just be another mental episode, but recently, she had been so tired, she could barely think, let alone have mental episodes.
Yet, these sounds didn't go away and only came closer. She internally braced herself, wondering if she was having rations and/or water delivered, or... If a new tormentor had been selected.
She heard the first layer of the cell door open, curiosity started to envelop her. More locks turning, and gears in her brain had warmed up.
Finally... She could vaguely make out a silhouette, unlike any she had seen in years.
She hadn't had hope in years, but a slight, warm-feeling bubble started rising internally.
The door opened, and a hand extended, which she put her own into, almost collapsing into the arms of the person who had opened her cell.
She hadn't talked for an eternity, trying to choke out a 'Thank You', but the words were caught and suppressed in her throat.
The man shushed her attempts to speak, a finger extending to touch her lips.
She looked up to his face, into his striking crystal-blue eyes, and genuine joy filled her, for she could never forget those beautiful, distinct eyes.
He never thought he would see her again.
He knew she couldn't die, but eventually, he had doubts about even that fact.
But as those intense eyes that were both fire and ice looked into his own intense eyes, his heart melted. Fear peeled away, with only reassurance.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as if the ice of her cold, blue eyes had converged with the passionate fire of her intensity.
Wiping away the tears with his fingers, he held her in his arms. He was a man with no fear, at least now that one of his fears had been quashed.
Finally, their embrace came to a close. Neither had wanted to let go, but they knew neither of them should be where they are, so urgency eventually occurred to them.
But before they left, he had to make sure it was her.
"What's this I heard... 'That you don't need anyone in particular to win, just for Dr. Crane to lose?"
She smirked. She was finally back.