Gotham Is... Chaos

Chapter 4: The Scarecrow's Mistake

Bruce Wayne was going to launch a full investigation into every inch of Arkham the moment this was all over, and he didn't care who he pissed off.

Batman tried very hard not to think about the purposes of the twisted devices he was walking around, almost succeeding in ignoring the flinches of the six criminals that were pressed close to him. (Clayface had chosen to guard the Rec Room).

They came to a small area where all the devices had been pushed to the sides, creating a clearing. Papers and formulas and beakers were strewn randomly around, at its center a figure was slumped on the ground, watching news reports on his phone.

"How in the world does anyone think you are our leader?" A southern drawl rasped over the video of a museum heist from last year -- where the reporter was indeed naming a certain Clown Prince in charge the Rogues -- but the figure didn't look up from the screen.

"I put on a good show." Joker answered quietly, stepping out of the main group. He looked into a dark corner. "Hey Spooks, what are you doing out and about?"

The demon pushed air through its beak in a huff, but didn't answer. The figure on the ground finally looked up, speaking. "We're havin' a little spat, and he's being petty."

"He do that, Jonny?" Joker asked, pointing to three long scratches along Jonathan Crane's cheek. "'Cause if you need help outta a bad situation, I know a great exorcist!"

"Of course you do." Jonathan muttered. "One, an exorcism only works if the afflicted wants the demon gone, and I don't. Two, yes he did this, but it was an accident. Three, for the last time, being a Host is not the same thing as dating!"

"Sure it isn't." Joker smirked. He looked at the papers around them, somber and serious as he crouched down to look in the other's eye. "Jonny, I'm only going to ask this once; what did you do?"

Jonathan hid his head in his hands with a groan. "I didn't mean to, I especially didn't mean ta hurt Ed, I just..."

The rest of the group slowly moved forward, sitting amongst the papers. Harley picked one up, reading. "Professah, please tell me dis isn't what I tink it is."

"I, it..." Jonathan shook his head.

"Crane, what happened?" Batman demanded, glaring. "Start at the beginning, why are you here? In this room?"

"One can hardly be the Master Of Fear if one cannot conquer their own fears." He whispered, taking a moment to do a breathing exercise. "I snuck here whenever I got the chance, at first just seeing how long I could last. Then I started doing experiments, not my normal kind, just ones for 'fun'. Ms Quinn has suggested a hobby might be good for me."

"And you chose to create magic reading dust?" Ivy asked. "I don't think that counts as a hobby, per se, Professor Crane."

"It's better than your preferred activities, Doctor Isley." Jonathan rolled his eyes, Southern accent fading as his focus came back. He rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. "I was creating something to help youth enjoy their studies. I thought it would be funny, the Scarecrow releasing a gas at some college, everybody panicking as they await the inevitable hallucinations! Only for all the students to suddenly be obsessed with their textbooks."

"Funny?" Manbat asked. "Crow-Crane misknow funny? Worms funny no."

"This ain't 'ow it was supposed tah work!" Jonathan yelled. "Ed followed me down here, the prototype dust was spilled, this weird stone in a box glowed an' disappeared... Ah've been trying tah fix it ever since. Ah didn' even know anyone had escaped its-"

Jonathan's head snapped up, wide eyes staring at each of them. "None of you are affected! I need blood samples, where's my microscope? Harleen, grab those papers..."

Twenty minutes and seven needles (sterilized by a bat tool) later, Jonathan was screeching like his demon. "That's it, that's it!"

"What's it? What did you find?" Batman asked, unable to understand a single thing the man had scribbled down. For all his intelligence, he couldn't match Crane without his tech.

"Magic." Jonathan answered simply, switching on a bunson burner. "Harleen, I need the cleanest beakers you can find. Joker, get as many chemicals from this list as possible, I don't care if you have to separate them yourself -- just don't explode anything! Manny, hold this still..."