"So let me get this right, Strange was behind it, but Ra's was behind him being behind it?"
"According to the news." Jonathan said while taking the box from Willow's hands and opening it. Handing it back he sat and watched her eat the pop tarts as quickly as humanly possible. "You're doing your hamster impression again." He stated while poking her cheeks. Willow frowned at him and swallowed the food in her cheeks.
"So, Strange is dead?"
"Yes."
"Great. And Ra's?"
"Seemingly dead too."
"He'll wake up from his dirt nap in no time, just you wait."
"There's something else though, Willow." Jonathan said seriously, she looked up at him from the table. "Joker's dead." She blinked and turned to look at him fully. "We thought this would happen though, remember?"
"Yes...but...Batman said he was getting the cure..." Willow mumbled out. "He even said he'd get it for Joker. How...? How did he let him die?"
Jonathan reached over and put a hand on her head. He ruffled the choppy hair and looked at her with a light smile. "Because Batman's a liar. Your reasoning and words are based off of something he idly told you correct? Yes, see, how are you honestly meant to believe a man who was more or less the indirect reason why Arkham City was built. And also who filled up Arkham Asylum and its many cells?" Jonathan questioned. "You simply can't. He'll deny being at fault for half the inmates in both places." He leaned back in his chair and looked at her.
"You don't understand, Jonathan! He had to get the cure, there was no choice in the matter! He said he was going to get it, so he was going to get it. And when he did, he was going to use it for himself and for the Joker!" Willow said while frowning at him. "He clearly stuck to his words, which makes me wonder why the Joker is dead when he's still alive."
Jonathan blinked and raised an eyebrow at her. "You defended Batman."
"He saved my life in there, excuse me if I defend his innocence this one time." Willow narrowed her eyes at him and stomped off.
"You said he had to use it for himself? What happened there?"
"Joker pumped his infected blood into him." Willow said while reappearing around the door frame.
Jonathan looked at her dubiously before letting out a short laugh. "Near death experience for our dearest Batman there. Wonder how that went down for him?" He mused and looked up at Willow. "You look troubled, what's wrong?"
Sighing and walking back into the room she pulled her chair nearer to his. Reaching out she held onto his hands loosely. "Thomas was in there."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow and laughed at this. "What? How did that fool manage to get caught? He always boasts and brags and there he is in Arkham City. That is classic. How unfortunate for Mr Elliot. Was his lady friend with him too?"
"She wasn't, but that's not what I wanted to actually tell you."
"There's more?"
"He's the one who helped Dominic."
Jonathan frowned at this and looked at her, Willow was being serious. "Really?"
"Really."
"Well this changes everything doesn't it?" Jonathan mumbled thoughtfully. "Did he give a reason?"
"No, but I think he did it out of sheer boredom."
"Most likely. Or he used his skills to keep the man alive only to kill him eventually."
"What?"
"What hobby does Tommy have?"
"...Face skinning."
"Exactly."
"You mean...oh...oh! Ew, gross!" Willow pulled a face.
"What? It's what he does." Jonathan said with a shrug. "Chances are he may have hunted Dominic out anyway and went through with his initial plan."
"So...a part of Thomas's gimp mask may be a part of my brother?"
"Gimp mask," Jonathan looked at her and laughed lightly. "Yes, sorry. I'm not laughing over the unfortunate circumstances of your brother and his death and his uses even after death. It's just, gimp mask. It made me laugh."
"Evidently," Willow smiled. "It is funny though. That idiot. I guess Dominic finally had a use, huh?"
"Yes, not in life, but in death. He had a use to a psychopathic doctor. How nice fate is this time."
----
"Whatcha doing, Jonathan?"
"Watching."
"I can see that dear, but watching what? It's just a woman in a room with a bunch of mice." Willow said bored while peering through the hatch too.
Jonathan sighed when the woman started screaming. Standing back he slammed the hatch shut, Willow looked up at him. "I'm testing."
"No duh." Jonathan rolled his eyes at her. "What though? I mean...shouldn't she be a blubbering mess thanks to those cute little mice?"
"My dear Willow, I had a brainstorm."
"Oh God....this isn't going to end well is it? I'm not going to like this at all am I?"
"Depends." He smiled down at her. "What do you fear most?"
"Is this rhetorical?"
"No."
"Darkness, being on my own in the dark, the dark in a small space. My parents and their cruel behaviour towards me. Need I go on?"
"No, you do not. I just needed you to clarify that."
"Why?"
Jonathan stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. Looking down at her he smiled lightly. "What if I could take those fears away?"
"...You can't. You yourself know that you can't take fear away. Heck! If you could that'd throw you out of a job...and a hobby...and a way of life, no?" Jonathan frowned down at her. "I mean, I would love for you to take those fears away." Willow corrected herself. Clearly her earlier words weren't what Jonathan wanted to hear.
"That's all I wanted to hear." He smiled and jabbed something into her neck. Willow yelped and wriggled and then let out another scream when he pushed her backwards into a cell.
"Jonathan this isn't funny! Let me out! Please, seriously, it's not nice in here. It's horrible. Arkham City was nicer than this and that's saying something. I really mean it, Zsasz was roaming in those streets and it was still pleasant. This isn't pleasant. This is far from it! Please, honestly, it's horrible." Willow rambled while looking at him through the hatch, Jonathan just looked at her indifferently. "I thought we got past this thing? You know, you testing on me and me complaining about it? I thought that's why you went off to test on random people...but..." Willow trailed off and looked over her shoulder. "Please, Jonathan, get me out of here. Whatever odd experiment you're attempting here isn't working. My mind works differently remember?!"
"How do you know it isn't working? It seems to be working from out here."
"What are you on about?"
"You're calmer in body language." He smirked. "You were tense and jittery, you banged on this door seconds ago. Now you're standing idly rambling to me. It's not a failure." Jonathan smiled and turned away. Willow screamed at him to come back. Jonathan had other plans, opening the hatch on the door he was previously standing outside of. He smiled when the woman inside was sitting on the floor cooing over the mice. Turning on his heels he walked back and opened the hatch on Willow's door. All that greeted him was darkness. Thick, heavy darkness. The light behind him flooded into the small space but it didn't light much of the cell.
"Hello darkness my old friend. I've come to talk with you again." Willow sung distantly and side stepped. "Let me out now. This is getting boring. There's nothing to do in here apart from climb up the walls. I can see why people off themselves in here, you've not made it very pleasant, Jonathan."
"I'm pretty sure they as you put it 'off' themselves, because their minds are half deteriorated."
Willow mused over this and shrugged. "Sure, I'll let you have that one." She shrugged again and shuffled out of the room when Jonathan had unlocked it. He frowned and caught her hand when she tried to hit him again. "Naughty Jonathan, bad Jonathan, you test on me and so help me I'll repay the favour." Willow threatened while shaking her fist at him.
"I can't take you seriously while you're saying this yet grinning at me."
"The thought reversing the tables would be funny. Like I would do such a thing to you," Willow said childishly while tiptoeing and pinching his cheeks. "I just couldn't bear to see you flip out." She smiled and tapped him on the nose while turning away and walking off.
----
(Edited: 1/Nov/2019)