Chapter Text
The rain fell in sheets over Gotham, the rain turning the rooftops into glass mirrors showing the foggy night sky. The storms reflecting on the raindrops like the stars long lost to the smog. Batman crouched on the edge of Wayne Enterprise looking out to the large city. His cape is heavy with water from the storm that seems to never end. The city is pure chaos, the fear toxin from scarecrow still lingers in pockets from the city streets below. The Arkham Knights militia on patrol, the drones flying around with their bright, red, beams of light. Batman was looking at a militia checkpoint, trying to see the best way to make an entrance, when he felt like someone was watching him. He turned to meet the gaze of who was watching him, but there was no one. The only thing batman saw and heard was the rain. Batman shook his head and went to face the militia. "miss me bats?"
Batman stared into the eyes of a dead man, the man he couldn't help, the one he didn't save. He is dead, but he is very much looking into his eyes. Joker, standing, seemingly alive. He stayed silent, Joker walked through him. "Batsy, I used to think you were the sane one, and here you are seeing GHOST!!" he laughs, he always laughs. Batman jumped down a floor to get away from the laughter he can't seem to get out of his head. batman looks at the street and sees and explosion, cars on fire, and a militia tank shooting rockets. He aims for a rooftop closer to the action, he zips through the sky, the wind cutting out the laughter of Joker for a minute, just the sound of rain and wind. When he lands on the rooftop Joker stands there, as if he belonged there. "You know Bats, running won't hep. I'm in your head, your blood. and sooner rather than later..." The jokers eyes gleamed with manic delight, as he gets closer to batman "You are going to smile." Batman clenched his fist and went down to the city streets below, calling his batmobile to help take out the militia tank.
Batman and joker both knew the toxin in his blood grew stronger. Batman lifted his arm, a call from Alfred. "Sir, it seems we have located where scarecrow is hiding, would you like me to send the coordinates to you?" batman lets out a light sigh "Yes Alfred, Thanks." Batman, took the Batmobile and speed off to the location, it was a small, old building in China Town. He got out of the car, Joker already waiting, sitting on the batmobile."Bats. don't get us both killed!" he rolled over laughing, smiling. He turned, not saying another word, waking into the building. The building was dark, wet from the rain, mold grew around the door and cresses in the walls, the smell of mildew fills the air. Batman turned on his flashlight, looking for clues for scarecrows whereabouts. The walls covered in what seems to be tubes, full of an orange gas. Batman kept walking farther into the building, quiet. He entered a very well lit room, computer consoles lined the wall, cameras in every corner. A machine larger than him in the corner, glass, see through. It was a containment chamber for someone, pipes connected to the top. Inside was a note, too small to read it from the outside. The room was seemingly empty, Batman walked in to read the note.
He turned the note around, scribbles, no words. "Really batsy?" The door slammed shut, locked. "You fell for THAT? everything I did failed but a piece of paper got you?" Joker laughed, "You really DO deserve this." Batman slammed his body on the glass to no prevail. It was thick, and smooth, everything bounced off it, he couldn't chip or shatter it. The blacked out screens of the computer lighted up, scarecrow. "Batman... let's see how well you can fight with fear gas flooding your lungs." He hears a single click, then sees the gas. It was dense, it was orange. He could hear people enter the room, but couldn't see past the glass. Batman started to cough, the laughter grew louder. He leaned up on the glass, hoping he could keep standing, he slid down the smooth pane. While on the ground, he saw Joker, laughing. The laughter got louder, and louder. Then, it was quite, silence. He was not here, or there, he wasn't. It went all black. Scarecrow watched as Batman fell to the cold tiles, his men lined the room waiting for the gas to clear to defeat a helpless Batman. When the smoke cleared, He was standing tall, smiling, laughing.
Scarecrow was watching, listening, he had cameras lining the room. He didn't expect this out of Batman, no one would. The glass chamber opened with a sight hiss, the remnants of the smoke pouring from the bottom of the glass cage. Scarecrows men watched, unable to move, they were told he would be weak, he wouldn't be able to fight, and here he is. Batman pushed the door open, and walked slowly to one of the men, a single punch and the guy fell. Batman shook his hand, like he wasn't used to his own strength, he let out a maniacal laughter. He threw his head back and laughed, loudly. He grabbed his face and pulled at his skin, his eyes now bloodshot and green like venom. He reached down to the man that was laying on the ground, picked up his gun, and cocked it. His head snapped to the next man. Batman lifted the gun into the air, and shot the man between his eyes. The sounds of screams and laughter could be heard for miles, the smell of gunpowder and smoke filled their lungs. When the shot was fired the mans body immediately tensed up, his knees buckled, he was dead before he could hear the sound of the gun. The brain matter splattered across the clean walls, the blood pooling into the crevasses of the tile floor. Seeing this, the men ran.
Scarecrow watched the scene, he watched his men die by the hands of the man who doesn't kill. He has changed. somehow in someway Batman has changed. "Batsy, can you SEE the mess YOU made?" Batman laughs, but there isn't a response. "Bats, don't be shy, say something!" Silence, Batman lifts his gun, shoots out the cameras, and starts walking back to the batmobile. Scarecrow watches the cameras get shot out, "Batman. you've changed." a heavy sigh leaves his breath. Batman walks out of the building, takes a deep breath in, and falls to his knees. "Batsy, you really need to be more careful, still can't believe you of all people got trapped." joker laughs. "What happened in there?"
"OH BATSY YOUV'E FINALLY TALKED TO ME!"
"answer."
"Bat-Buddy Its not important what happened in there, you're alive, I'M alive."
Batman looks down at his hands, gunpowder, blood. "No. I didn't"
"Oh but you DID! and didn't it feel good!?"
Batman gets into the car, holds up his arm. "Alfred, I need medical on site." he hangs up before Alfred can ask any questions. He heads towards Wayne Enterprise, head held low. His vison is still blurry, he doesn't know if he is fully him, or Joker. Batman gets a call, and answers. "Sir, it seems there were 2 dead on scene. Would you like if-" he hangs up. He knows he did this, he doesn't remember the faces of the men he killed. He doesn't know if they screamed, cried, had last words. He remembers the rush he felt, the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the smile that felt almost natural. It scares him. He killed someone, and he would do it again to feel that rush. "Batsy, you LIKED killing those poor defenseless men, you and I should've been friends!" he starts laughing "Too bad you killed me, and I saved YOU" he laughs, and batman cracks a smile.