Diabolical | T. Drake ✔

[02] A Criminal's Advice

Tim didn't get to find the antidotes for all of the toxins Scarecrow had as his experimentation was disrupted by none other than the Dark Knight. Apparently, Batman hadn't let go of pursuing Scarecrow and somehow tracked him down to the Drake Manor's basement which according to Tim would be the last place anyone would look for a deranged criminal on the loose.

However, he wasn't expecting to see Scarecrow in such a detrimental state. When he came to the basement which was one of the possible places the former psychiatrist could be hiding, he found him tied up and terrified out of his wits.

"Please put me in Arkham, I beg you," he pleaded with him as Batman examined the rest of the place. Tim had gone out to procure some chemicals from a rundown drug store in Crime Alley so he wasn't there at the moment.

"What are you doing here and who tied you up?" He asked, untying the bonds as he helped the weakened man up to his feet.

It was clear that Jonathan Crane needed medical attention. He looked starved, his eyes were bloodshot and in the dim lighting, Batman could see broken syringes thrown in the dustbin close to him.

If he hadn't known better, it seemed that someone was keeping the Scarecrow hostage instead of it being the other way round.

"Get me out of here before he comes back," Crane spoke, latching onto Batman's arm as he was still shaking.

"And here I thought we were finally getting friendly with each other... Shame," a young voice took them by alarm and Batman turned to see a scrawny little boy in a black coat that almost hid him underneath.

Batman couldn't fathom how the boy had so soundlessly entered the basement that even he hadn't noticed his presence earlier. By the way he was so comfortable with the place, it felt like he had been living there for quite a long time.

"It's him," Crane had hidden behind the towering frame of the Dark Knight.

"Yeah, it's me. Not some scary demon that you're acting like that, Doc," Tim chuckled, knowing full well that he was in no kind of trouble whatsoever.

"Who are you?" Batman's gruff voice addressed him but Tim paid him no heed as he put his basket down and got out of the coat.

"Just nobody important," he replied, sorting the chemical jars that he was taking out one by one, "although I did not bring anything to entertain two guests instead of one, apologies. If I had known you were coming to visit, I might have been slightly more hospitable."

It was confusing even Batman how calm the boy was. "You live here...?"

"Yup."

"He's Timothy Drake, that kid who supposedly died in a car crash two years ago," Crane spoke up, slowly gaining his composure now that he was no longer tied up and had a better chance of getting out of that basement, "but the little psycho here is very much alive and had kept me hostage."

"Excuse me, what? Preposterous," Tim shrugged, "I did nothing of the sort, Mister Batman. Doctor Crane here only needed a place to hide for the time being and I offered he could stay here."

"Lies! He was injecting me with all kinds of chemicals, waiting to see when I would die!"

"Okay no, that was not what I was doing and you wouldn't have died, I was very careful with the dosage," he had folded his arms defiantly, looking Scarecrow in the eye then faced the vigilante, "I was only finding antidotes to the toxins he has created with his help. And he was being cooperative until a certain someone barged in."

"He gassed me," Scarecrow complained and Batman was considering who to believe, "don't take his word for anything, he's a vicious little menace."

"I have had enough of you calling me names, Doc, and here I was being nice feeding you sandwiches while I clearly had nothing to eat myself," Tim retorted and took a step toward him but Crane cowered behind Batman.

The vigilante couldn't understand why a full-grown man, in fact, a feared criminal, was so scared of the fragile little boy. But that boy must have done something absurd enough to induce such an effect on him.

"Anyways, you have got what you wanted so you can be on your way. I will see you soon, Doc. Hopefully in Arkham," Tim waved goodbye, expecting them to leave straight after.

"You're coming too," Batman spoke up, pushing him towards the door.

"I ain't going nowhere. I haven't done anything to be locked up."

"Don't test my patience," he remarked firmly, "and I am not taking you to be locked up."

Tim had not been expecting that but shrugged, following the two of them out of the basement, "then where exactly are you taking me?"

"Somewhere that should be a healthy and conducive environment for you."

"Yikes, no, I like it here," he stopped again, refusing to go up through the door, "this basement has everything I need. And it's very conducive."

"This basement has rats. Conducive? My foot!" Crane screeched as a rat ran close to his feet.

"Okay, you are just very judgmental whenever rats are involved," Tim remarked but then proceeded to ignore Crane muttering gibberish. Then facing Batman, he added, "they are my friends, they don't harm me. I have no reason to leave and you can't make me."

"You are malnourished and have been starving for a long time, you probably haven't changed out of these clothes in weeks and you need to take a shower," Batman resumed nonchalantly, "you are coming with me, whether you like it or not."

Tim was about to resist but a heavy hand dropped on his shoulder, easily steering him out of the basement. "Argh, fine. Just don't grab me so hard, I think my bones will break."

"Don't take him anywhere, he will make your life hell," Scarecrow mumbled.

"I don't take advice from criminals. And this time you better not escape Arkham again," Batman warned, waiting for the Commissioner to show up with his force to take Scarecrow to Arkham.

"If you escape, my place is always open for you even though you've been a stinky lying snitch. Unlike you, I don't forget friends in times of need," Tim smiled and that seemed to have done the trick as Scarecrow shook his head.

"Never leaving Arkham. Never... And you're not my friend... Never..."

The police horns could be heard and shortly after, Jim Gordon arrived with a prison mobile behind him. Scarecrow's hands were cuffed and he was brought to the van that was bound to take him back to Arkham.

"I'll pray we never cross paths again," Scarecrow mumbled to Tim who only shrugged in reply.

"You wish."

"And who's this?" Jim Gordon asked, just then noticing the little boy almost hidden by Batman's cape.

"Nobody," Batman replied, steering Tim to the Batmobile instead.

Gordon knew that if Batman didn't want to tell him who the boy was then there was no way he could get it out of him. Shortly after, a whizzing sound broke the silence of the night as the Batmobile sped off into the darkness.

So Jim decided to leave as well, checking that Crane was bound and unable to escape and then he too ordered the police mobiles to leave.

***