Diabolical | T. Drake ✔

[19] Thriving Rats

Connor did not think that everything was as under control as Tim was making it out to be. The man in front of them had a very disturbing aura, his eyes looked crazed and he was definitely angry at Tim for some reason unknown to him.

"Doctor Crane, I am really sorry that I couldn't show up..."

"It's been three fucking years!" His voice thundered and he edged closer still, by the look in his eyes, it seemed he was going to tear Tim apart.

"Wow, I did not know you missed me," Tim cautiously took a step back, trying to figure out what to say to make him relent.

But unfortunately, he was more skilled at making people pissed off by his words rather than getting eased up so there was a slim chance of him coming up with something that could work in diffusing his rage.

"And fuck that loser Doctor Crane, you're answerable to me now, you disgusting little rat!" Crane spoke up and Tim got startled to hear that as it seemed it wasn't Doctor Crane talking but some other entity trapped inside him.

He was also much more aggressive than Tim had ever seen him before and that made him think it was probably him in his Scarecrow mode. He had heard from Bruce that Scarecrow was in fact an alter of Crane's personality that took over and made him unstable.

He was talking to Scarecrow rather than Crane so it made Tim unsure of how to react, while it seemed that the Scarecrow would end up murdering him in his volatile rage.

His bony hand locked onto Tim's throat but before he could do anything, Connor's fist collided with his face in a strong punch, sending him tumbling back. "Don't you dare touch him, you maniac!"

Tim spun around to see a flash of red in his friend's eyes and then looked back to see Crane had been knocked out and was lying unconscious on the floor.

"Connor, easy. I am fine," he decided to calm Connor down instead before his X-ray vision got activated and ruined the basement, "calm down."

"He was going to hurt you..." Connor shook his head, taking in a few deep breaths to calm himself down, "who is he?"

"He's just someone I... Never mind. I will have to check first that he's okay," he bent down to see the dark bruise forming on Crane's face where he had been struck. 

It was clear that he would have received a concussion as Connor's fists were like steel due to him having Kryptonian strength.

"You know you could quite literally be called an Iron Fist," Tim remarked, searching in the cabinet for a first aid kit that he had kept there years ago, "but don't tell Jay I said that, he will think he has competition now."

"We should leave," he spoke up but Tim ignored the statement, "why are you looking after him when he clearly would have killed you or worse?"

"Nah, can't leave him like that. My conscience won't allow it," Tim mumbled, fetching out a small box, "dang, nearly everything in here is expired... Guess we will have to go the old-fashioned way."

"Tim, no..."

"Relax, Connie. He means no harm," Tim shrugged off his concerns, "we just met Scarecrow, the scary alter of him. Otherwise, he's harmless. Okay maybe not entirely harmless but at least not as scary as he was just now."

"What in the holy fudge cake does that mean?"

He paused, looking up at him with an amused smile, "aw, you don't swear? Cute."

Connor didn't reply while Tim filled up a beaker of water and splashed it on Crane. There was no response from him so he refilled the beaker and splashed it on him again.