Right Where You Want Me

Chapter 1

9 weeks. 9 fucking weeks you've been tracking down Jonathan Crane. When he managed to escape from Arkham only a week after he was thrown in there, Batman was already too busy with some clown to bother chasing him. He also claimed that you are fully capable of taking down the masked man on your own, and tonight seems to be the night you can finally show him that he's right.

Running through the decrepit building, you take down Crane's thugs as fast as you can, trying not to lose sight of the man as he runs up the stairs. He's managed to escape out fire exits before, and you're determined to not let that happen again. You're lucky none of his henchmen have any of his Fear Toxin on them, otherwise you'd have to waste time keeping your distance to make sure they can't spray you with it.

Once you've knocked out the last one, the sound of a door shutting on the floor above you alerts you to Crane's whereabouts. Grabbing the phone of the unconscious man at your feet, you sprint up the stairwell, pushing through the door you heard Scarecrow go through. At the end of a long hallway, you see yet another door closing, and a hand pulling it closed through the small window that runs from the top of the door to the bottom. You take off, pushing yourself to run even faster than before, slamming the door open and spotting Crane running down yet another hallway.

When he hears the door open, he pauses and looks back at you, his eyes that are visible through his mask just momentarily catch yours, and that falter is enough for you to finally catch up. Seeing you take off running towards him snaps him out of his gaze. He turns and reaches for the nearest door, but as he passes through it, you're right behind him. With a harsh shove, you knock him into the white brick wall across from the doorway, causing a groan to escape him as he slides down to the floor.

Your lungs are burning from the running and fighting, but you don't have time to stop yet. Removing a length of skinny black rope, given to you by Batman, from your belt, you approach the crumpled Scarecrow, who sits up straight against the wall, rolling his neck to relieve any pain. As much as you'd like to do this quickly, you don't want to get sprayed with his Fear Toxin, so instead you move slowly, studying him for any canisters of the vile creation. You're surprised to find none of it on his person, but that makes you sure that he has some up his sleeve.

Knowing it won't be easy to check without getting sprayed at all, you grab the arm closest to you and push the sleeve up, checking for any tubes or containers, but find nothing. You drop his arm, and then realise how close you are to the masked man, crouched in front of him as he watches you. You rip the mask off his head then, and are met with gleaming blue eyes, and a lazy smirk.

"There's nothing up my sleeve, miss. I wouldn't spray a pretty thing like you with my toxin." You fight the urge to roll your eyes at him, but don't reply, grabbing the other arm to check up that sleeve too. He's told you the truth, surprisingly. There's nothing dangerous to find up there.

Once you deem yourself safe from his tricks, you pull him forward roughly and begin tying him up, keeping his arms pinned behind him and his hands tied against his back. You make sure the rope is tight around his body, but not so much that it cuts off his circulation. A part of you wonders why he's being so cooperative, but you're too glad to care. Finally, you've caught him.

"It seems like I'm not the first man you've tied up," he pulls at his restraints, but there's barely any give. You scoff.

"Shut up, Crane."

Pushing him back, so he's resting against the wall again, you retrieve the phone you picked up from Crane's henchman that you dropped beside you when you pulled out the rope. You dial the familiar number in and listen to it ring. All it takes is 3 rings for the person to pick up.

"This is Gordon."

"I've got the Scarecrow in an abandoned building in the Narrows. The one closest to the bridge," you tell him in your fake voice. It's the one you put on whenever you speak to someone while hiding behind your vigilante mask.