Vengeance is sweet (part50)
"Let's come to the next part of my plan," Scarecrow told Scarlet as they walked across the halls right to the group cells "The further plans will be hard to fulfill alone. We need helpers, we need workers to do the little work since we shoot for the moon"
"For sure, Mr. Crane," Scarlet smirked amused when she just saw his annoyed look at her through the mask. You could see he didn't like it. He wasn't Mr. Crane, he wasn't Johnathan - he was Scarecrow. He wasn't the scary little boy from three years ago, he was a monster, he was the new shadow of Gotham City.
"My father was Mr. Crane," Scarecrow spat annoyed. He hated it when people called him like that. He was Scarecrow! The fearful Scarecrow! Even though he enjoyed being compared to his father, he secretly knew he was better than him.
"But now you are," Scarlet chuckled amused "You are the great Johnathan Crane, greater than your father already. He would be proud of you, don't you think? His son becomes a real villain in Gotham City, a famous one anyway!"
"I'm famous for my scarecrow-looking and my toxin, not for my last name," Scarecrow uttered.
"You should take my compliments if I make some," Scarlet scoffed as she kept walking with him to the group cell for Scarecrow's next part of the huge plan. He wanted to create a little army of people who got in contact with the toxin and who survived the toxin by killing their fears - which meant they involuntarily killed people.
Scarecrow and Scarlet then finally entered the room where some of the craziest people lay in their beds, chained, screaming, whining, and hysterically laughing, but ready to escape at any time - they wouldn't care whether they needed to kill a man or not, they would risk their lives for one escape.
"Brothers and sisters," Scarecrow let his scythe touch the beds while he walked to the center of the room "Look at you: Prisoners, all of you. My father would have freed you. But he was killed," He walked up to one of the inmates "Murdered by the GCPD! Men who couldn't understand."
In response, the chained inmate roared at him, probably because he tried to become aggressive to push his adrenaline kick since he saw Scarecrow as an enemy. He didn't even listen to him, probably because he didn't even want to. He wanted to fight him, he wanted to eliminate him - his voice or his mind said so.
"But they will," Scarecrow deeply eyed him "For you will be my army! But it's not only me, you will assist my new partner, Scarlet, as well" He glanced at her, he didn't consider seeing Scarlet as a partner, yet, though he knew calling her anything else in this situation would be unprofessional "And those men who killed my father hall truly know fear" And this was the moment where he sprayed the toxin in the man's face.
The man screamed, kinda in fear, kinda in aggression. He tried to break the chains with all his strength - completely in vain. He had no chance to escape, and so he inhaled the toxin one, two, three times - until his body started trembling, his muscles twitched, and his screams for help slowly resembled a burst of maniacal laughter. This was the sign the toxin worked on him well, he saw his biggest fear, but he didn't want to run away from it, he wanted to defeat it according to his movements and built fists.
"Didn't know it doesn't take you any effort to convince you from me," Scarlet hummed amused "I thought it's gonna be more," She paused, walking straight to him "Difficult"
"You shouldn't believe everything that's been said" Scarecrow claimed "Credulity often leads to death" He walked along the other beds, spraying the toxin on each head of the inmates. All reacted the same way as the other dude - screaming, laughing, trying to escape and break the chains.
"Credulity is often played as a trick to exploit the other person. You make someone believe they're right with everything they're saying and that you fall for his strategy while I just profit from the situation" Scarlet scoffed "Don't you think I knew it? How ridiculous would it sound if you just said I'm anybody but your partner? But with this, you shot yourself in the foot. The more you present me as your partner, you lie to yourself and it's just me who's profiting from this. Sure for you it might be a big push calling me your partner, but you just lie to yourself in the end. Sure, you can profit from it all like reaching fame and power... but I know you're not fucked up enough to just accept it"
"Don't underestimate me, Mrs. Patel," Scarecrow faced her, eyeing her deeply as he sprayed the toxin at the last inmate in the group cell "I'd say I'm experienced and clever enough to know what I'm doing and how to proceed things right"
"Nobody likes smartasses, dickface," Scarlet grumbled "Not even in that business"
"Look, who's talking" Scarecrow chuckled, "You shouldn't advise people you don't follow, eh?" He slowly walked towards her "My father taught me a professional is only a professional who follows his own rules and advice, otherwise, you've got a squalid clown"
"And you should learn from me that mouthy people won't live much longer if they don't shut up" Scarlet hissed angrily "Better not goad me!"
Scarecrow said nothing for now, he just looked at all the inmates, checking on the toxin's reaction: all of the inmates reacted the same, they tried to break the chains to fight, they laughed hysterically, they mumbled anything unclearly - they seemed to be ready for what he has planned. For a discussion with Scarlet, he had no time to discuss with her stupid things that can be simply ignored or left not commented on. He needed to focus on his plan. He knew after knocking out several guards and the director, he knew the GCPD would arrive soon - just as he wanted - so he needed to hurry up with certain things.
"Scarlet, as much as I enjoy threatening each other, I have no time to continue this," He faced her "I follow a plan, which you should, too. You can either remain silent and follow my instructions for now, or you leave. I'm sure to satisfy your needs you know best what to do" And so he started unleashing the inmates.
Scarlet just muttered some unclear words for herself, she hated that Scarecrow knew how to have an egg on her face. It reminded her of her brother whenever he was making fun of her or blamed her in front of their parents. She didn't need another person to do that to her again. Of course, through all her anger and aggression she could have killed him or attacked him in any way - but she also knew this was something Scarecrow would expect from her to nag she was unprofessional, and so she remained quiet and helped him to unleash the inmates.
"You surprise me," Scarecrow claimed as he unleashed the last "You're capable of being quiet and following my instructions than becoming an aggressive and mouthy lunatic"
"I'm full of surprises," Scarlet sarcastically said "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Crane. This often leads you to problems, right?"
***
After they unleashed all the inmates, a real massacre in Arkham started. The inmates went crazy, they killed the guards and other men brutally - they beat them to death, they ate them alive, they shot at people when they grabbed the guards' guns for fun, and they attacked each other - Arkham became a huge mess. Blood was smeared on the ground and the walls, dead people lay in a puddle of blood, shelves, books, and several magazines laid astray on the groundScarlet and Scarecrow though watched this glorious scene at the monitors of the guards' office. It amused them a lot to the big mess they'd made, especially Scarecrow was proud of himself. His plan worked! The inmates did such a good job, now he just waited for Jim Gordon to come!
"The GCPD takes a long time to come over, do you think they noticed any of your work?" Scarlet frowned, they indeed waited a long while for any sign like police officers running through Arkham, any sirens hearing from outside - or else. But there was nothing, yet, no GCPD, no officers, no nothing.
"They will come," Scarecrow muttered, he was annoyed by her permanent nagging about this, even though this time she might be right with it. The GCPD did indeed take a long time to arrive at certain places, but not that long "It won't take so long anymore"
"You say that for the fourth time now," Scarlet spatted "It's becoming ridiculous, don't you think? Thank God we're not on the TV!" She made fun of him to pressure him, first, he had oh-so-big words and now it's all a flop. Kinda embarrassing for a mouthy wannabe villain, isn't it?
"Impatience is one of the biggest sins in a villain's business, don't you know?" Scarecrow looked at her "It can ruin most of your plans if you exaggerate. So you should keep your mouth shut and wait silently" He demanded and kept watching the tv to see whether anything has changed, yet, or not.
Then suddenly he heard footsteps through the tv. Someone was walking down the hall, along with all the creatures Scarecrow has made with his toxin, someone who got not poisoned by Scarecrow since his footsteps were calm and on point. This person seemed to know where to walk along to find something certain. They seemed to be concentrated since they were silent, not talking, barely breathing, and slowly walking. It seemed a little odd, though. Who would voluntarily enter the asylum after the mess Scarecrow has made? It was too dangerous for normal human beings, they wouldn't come out alive anymore.
"What's this?" Scarlet leaned forward to the tv, watching closely who walking along the halls - he couldn't believe her eyes, it was Jim Gordon. But alone? Where was Harvey? Or the other officers? Why weren't there any sirens? No screaming, yelling, or shooting? It all seemed a little suspicious "Jim Gordon all alone? Quite untypical for a man who thinks he could lead an army of people who stand by him with every decision he makes"
"Ah, it's you," You could see the grin under Scarecrow's mask when he saw how Warden was attacking Jim, trying to bite and kill him with the weapon he's got from earlier. When he watched Jim closely, he remembered everything, how Jim Gordon killed his father, how little Johnathan Crane had to watch this horrible scene and lost the last beloved member of his family thanks to a cop who had no reason to shoot him "You came" With a deep relieved breath, Scarecrow left reality and dived into the world of his plan he made for Jim which he could now finally fulfill.
"Brothers and sisters," He spoke through the microphone, Scarlet was just watching him. She was amused by his sudden euphoria, she could see this fire in his eyes. She knew what he was thinking of, he wanted Jim Gordon to die through his toxin - but he didn't do it quickly like any other boring villain, Scarecrow played with him "The enemy is here!" Scarecrow pressed a button where he released the worst developed of his monsters. The gate opened and immediately they ran to Jim Gordon.
"Crap" You heard Jim Gordon say, the only defense he had was Warden's noe stolen gun with a limited munition. He didn't know how many times he was able to shoot, 2 or 3 times maybe? If he's lucky, a little more? But he also had no clue how else to defend himself. Just punching them wouldn't knock them out completely, would it? He needed weapons, but there weren't any - so the only left option was to run, and he did. He ran away from them as fast as he could, but he didn't know that Scarecrow was already prepared for his reaction. Since he was watching him through the camera, he saw everything like what Jim did, that he was thinking through his facial expression, he could see his nervousness, his anxiety - he could see Jim Gordon as a whole. So right now, since he was trying to flee, Scarecrow pressed another button, an alarm was buzzing to lock the gates that Jim couldn't leave.
"Tonight, Detective, you will pay for what you've done!" Scarecrow claimed as Jim bumped against the gate "Tonight, you will know fear!" And the fight started.
"What a lovely idea with the fight," Scarlet admitted, watching this glorious scene of how Jim Gordon desperately tried to save his ass "Weakening the enemy before the actual fun starts might be an option to use more often in plans" She especially talked about her plans. It was something she never really used in her plans, she was more a fan of slowly torturing to death or manipulating people to let them feel guilty about what they have done to her. Why didn't she come to the idea of playing with her victims like a crocodile with its food?
"I'm surprised you never planned on doing that, it's one of the simplest things criminals do" Scarecrow kept watching, Scarlet was a little foolish in his eyes, sometimes she tried to be as professional as she always claimed but she was just a little poor worm. Otherwise, he knew, if she was doing her work, it was perfect. 99% of her plans worked well, she always achieved her goal if she wanted to, and even if she made a mistake in her plans she could correct it - so actually, he could profit from her a lot, if he decided to keep her as a 'partner'.
"I have my preferences, you have yours" Scarlet sarcastically smirked at him before she continued to watch the fight. Even though this comment scratched her ego, she remained calm. She wasn't like Jerome who immediately exploded like a bomb after every little comment someone was making.
Jim Gordon desperately tried to shoot at the freaks, but oh no! He had no munition. In his face, you could see he was clueless, scared, and desperate. He had no plan for what to do next, he couldn't flee, and the strength in his arms wasn't enough to knock them down. So what now? He couldn't lose the fight, he couldn't let Scarecrow win this game! The only option left was....his pistole! This was his chance to win! Immediately pulled his pistol out of his pocket and shot at the freaks - and it worked, they ran away from him after he shot some of them down.
"Alright, Mr.Cop," Scarecrow chuckled amused after a while Jim stared at the camera, completely exhausted from the fight. He was happy to live after the freaks tried to bite him, tried to grab his gun to shoot him, and God knows what else they would have tried with him if he didn't have his pistol to defend himself "Let's have some real fun"
***
"Crane? Patel?" You heard Jim Gordon ask as he recognized two dark figures in the director's office he was walking through, that were lightened by a flash of lightning from the storm outside, but he wasn't sure whether it was them or just other freaks that were hiding in there. Jim remained careful though, he was still ready to shoot, there was enough munition to shoot them two down.
Another lightning lightened the room and now recognized the first figure - it was Scarlet Patel, smirking again with crossed arms.
"Watch out, Jimbo," She chuckled maniacally, as Jim turned around but got hit by Scarecrow smashing his scythe on his head. Immediately Jim fell to the ground, he wasn't lucky he wasn't knocked out by Scarecrow. Sadly though, he let his pistol fall anywhere on the ground where he couldn't find it. He looked around whenever another lightning lightened the room, but it was nowhere to be found. He then tried to get up but Scarecrow was faster, he pressed him back on the ground with his scythe.
"I told you to watch out, Jim,", Scarlet kneeled to him "You should have listened to me, now you need to take the consequences"
"Do you believe in fate?" Scarecrow asked Jim, as he pressed the scythe's blade against Jim's throat "I didn't before today, but you, sir, have made me a believer. Of all the policemen in Gotham, it was you. You came," Surprisingly then, Scarecrow put his mask off - you could see he was a younger boy, approximately Scarlet's age. Scarlet was surprised either. His talking and his acting didn't fit him or his age in her opinion, she would have assumed him a little older.
"Johnathan" Jim remembered him, he remembered when he saw him for the first time. It was the day he shot his father since he was about to kill several people with a toxin. His father became crazy and wanted to see everybody either dying of fear or watching people developing to anything inhuman if they defeated their fear - as he did with his son Johnathan "What happened to you?"
"Well, first, you killed my father"
"Your father was insane! He was trying to kill you!" Jim tried to make him clear but failed. Johnathan stared at him blankly, he didn't realize Jim was right. The only thing that mattered in his eyes was that Jim Gordon killed his beloved father, the one and the only person he had and needed in his life.
"He tried to help me! Help all mankind! Scarlet's father you should have murdered for the things he had done in his life" Scarecrow hissed at Jim, shortly before he glanced at Scarlet. She was completely irritated. Why did he defend her? Why did he tell Gordon he should have saved her? Was this sympathy or was this strategy?
"He was a murderer!"
"He was a pioneer! A genius!" Johnathan yelled "He taught me we can live our entire lives imprisoned by our fears, or we can embrace them" He glanced at Scarlet again "Back off, Scarlet" And then he sprayed the fear toxin right into Jim Gordon's face. Scarlet immediately started laughing, it was so wonderful to see what a pity Jim Gordon would become. She already knew the result: he would become a freak like all the others you couldn't stop, who shooting around, killing others, someone you needed to imprison.
"You should know that better than anyone," Scarecrow said, stepping close to Jim "What will you see I wonder. What scares you the most?" He chuckled amused. You could see the more Scarlet or Scarecrow moved forward toward Jim, the more he backed off and crawled back against the wall, trying to melt with the room's wall. He was scared you could see that, he was like a little lamb surrounded by a wolfpack.
"I'm already excited to meet you in hell, Jim," Scarlet cackled "We'll gonna have so much fun together"
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The Hunt: Part 50
Y/n looked up and stepped forward to ward Balin to see a barge floating nearby in the river behind the man with his bow still strung. Balin stepped closer with his hands up speaking quite calmly and respectfully to the man.
“Excuse me, but, uh you’re from Laketown, if I’m not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn’t be available for hire, by any chance.”
The man lowered his bow and walked away looking away from the others as he climbed up onto the barge speaking in a cold matter.
“What makes you think I will help you?”
Balin spoke once more with a smile on his face.
“Those boots have seen better days.”
Y/n watched as the man started collecting the barrels from the river onto the barge. She could see the man examining the barrels with a cautious look as Balin continued to try to persuade the man.
“As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?”
The man did not look at Balin but spoke with a bit more emotion in his voice.
“A boy and two girls.”
“And your wife, I’d imagine she’s a beauty.”
“Aye...She was.”
Y/n noticed Balin shoulder sink and his smile fade as the meaning of those words reached deep to her heart.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
Suddenly Dwalin interrupted his brother as he marched forward in front of Thorin who in turn watched the man with suspicion in his eyes.
“Enough with the niceties!”
The man spoke up toward Dwalin in a much more annoyed tone than before.
“What’s your hurry?”
“What’s it to you!” Dwalin yelled as Balin pinched his brow begging to himself that his brother would stop making such a scene. Y/n stepped forward in front of Balin, the man watched as she spoke calm with eyes gleaming with understanding.
“Sir, I know what you must be thinking as finding dwarves being rushed through the river drenched head to toe, probably the strangest sight you ever saw. But please understand we simply are trying to reach the town to rest and regain our strength from the long journey here.”
Y/n quickly looked to the others and then back to the man placing a gentle hand over her stomach away from the others glance. The man looked down at her seeing the small gesture and looked toward the barrels seeing the many dents and arrows that had pierced them. He sighed as he spoke.
“I don’t know what business you had with the elves, but I don’t think it ended well. No one enters Laketown but by leave of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He will see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil.”
“Then perhaps a payment is due for your services. We will gladly pay you double then for safe passage.”
Y/n heard the others gasp as the man smirked at Y/n.
-
After Y/n managed to convince they would pay him, the others helped Kili on board as the rest started to ring out their clothes and searched their pockets for any possible remaining money on hand. Y/n sat near the front of the barge while Kili laid his head on her lap as she hummed to him to help him gain any rest she could provide. She overheard the others whisper to each other.
“I say we throw him over the side and be done with him.” Dwalin said as some of the others nodded in agreement. Bilbo on the other hand answered with a hint of annoyance toward the dwarves.
“Bard. his name is Bard.”
“How do you know?”
“I asked him.”
Dwalin seemed even more angered by this and whispered to Thorin.
“How do we know he won’t betray us?”
Thorin looked over Dwalin shoulder toward Bard and whispered.
“We don’t.”
The others started to speak as Balin tried his best to convince them that this was the best way to reach the town. Y/n simply shook her head as she cared for Kili. She saw Fili looking over the front of the barge looking upward in awe, her eyes followed his looking up to see through the thin fog the Lonely Mountain. Y/n overheard the other gasp as the beautiful sight before them. Y/n felt a gentle hand on her shoulder looking up to see Thorin smiling at the sight. His home, to see it after so many years she knew that in his heart he was pleased to see such a familiar yet foreign sight.
Y/n watched a Bard walked over approaching the others quickly.
“Quick, give the money to me.”
Thorin spoke in a defensive tone.
“We’ll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before.”
“If you value your freedom, you’ll do as i say. There are guards ahead.”
Y/n looked ahead to see the rooftops of the Laketown buildings nearby. Bard quickly turn to the others and ushered for everyone to hide in the barrels. The company quickly followed his order, Y/n allowed Fili to help Kili into his as Thorin helped her into her own. She smiled a bit as he helped her but quickly hid as the others hurried inside the barrels.
As the barge slowed down by a nearby dock. Y/n overheard bard walking off the barge and started speaking in hushed whispers.
“Shh, what’s he doing?”
Bilbo peered through a hole in his barrel and spoke out to the others for them to know.
“He’s talking to someone. And he’s...pointing right at us.”
Y/n could hear the anxiousness in his voice as the other whispered of Bard betraying them. Everyone grew silent as the sounds of footsteps were heard as coming closer with every second. Suddenly the barrels were filled with dead fish to the brim upon them causing the others to splutter in surprise and disgust. The sound of the barge leaving the port back toward the city gates. Bard stayed silent as the sounds of guard walking onto the barge with a foul man speaking to Bard with words as cruel as a snake’s bite.
“Your job is fetch these barrels empty and to bring them back. But here they are filled with fish.”
“That’s none of your business.” Bard said in an intimidating voice
“Wrong, it’s the masters business, which makes it my business.”
“The people need to eat!”
“These fish are illegal...toss them overboard!”
The company felt the barrels being lifted over to the side ever so slightly as a few fish fell off the top.
“Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard! Food is scarce!”
“Not my problem.”
“And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?”
Y/n and the others heard nothing.
“Stop!”
Y/n and the others sighed as the sound of the gate was raised as the sound of Bard stirring the barge into the city. Y/n managed to peek a glance outside the barrel seeing the town was quite poor and in shambles. Many channels spread through the town with various other boats floating along the walkways and ports.
The sound of the barge stopping and the small knock along the barrels gave the others signal to knock over the barrels and out of the pile of fish. Dwalin the first being quite livid at being in such a situation. Thorin immediately helped Y/n.
“Are you alright?”
“Other than the fish smell...I’m alright.”
Thorin gave a small smirk as the others helped each other out of barrels. Bard looked to the few fishermen nearby and tossed each of them a coin in return for silence.
As Bard lead them through the town under close watch the sudden appearance of a young lad walking up to Bard.
“Da! our house, it’s being watched.”
Bard looked around and quickened the others into the water hidden behind one of the houses. After carefully swimming under the beams toward Bards home the other waited under the house to hear the the sounds of two girls inside. Thorin carefully helped Y/n beside her as Kili was helped by Fili and Bilbo.
The sound of three knocks above them signaled for them to enter from the floorboards. For now they were safe from prying eyes...for the time being.
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