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[doctor_terror]

Doctor Crane looked out over Gotham City from the roof of his hideout, the now-abandoned Arkham Asylum. Soon, all of this would know true fear, including the Batman. The grounds had long since overgrown from years of disuse, and one could still see where Poison Ivy's plant had overtaken part of the island. Arkham still bore scars from the Joker's takeover, and fortunately his men had reported there was no sign of Killer Croc in the sewers.

Scarecrow retreated back into the Arkham Mansion for now, where he'd set up shop. His toxin was almost ready, as the unfortunate punks looking for easy looting had the misfortune to find out. Now, he just had to prepare for his guest, assuming he showed up.

Comments

[riddlemethat]

"I take it you don't entertain much, Crane."

He knew Jonathan Crane had this whole spooky theme going on where everything was derelict, haunting and frankly off putting but honestly, when entertaining someone, especially someone of his calibre, it'd be nice if some effort could be put into it. Maybe even some decent lighting. It wasn't a shock that Edward turned his nose up to the place as he stood there, curious admittedly but not ready to invest in anything. This felt like some kind of divide a conquer tactic, talking to him separately like this but he was willing to humour him. For now. "If you wanted to see me and you knew I was coming, a little effort would have been nice."

He tried to get a better look at Crane. Morbid curiosity and all. He was curious just how bad the croc had been.

[doctor_terror]

"I rather like it," Crane replied. "It feels... nostalgic." He ran his hand through a cobweb, tearing it away. A spider crawled over his boot and ran into a crack in the wall.

The Scarecrow slowly approached The Riddler, allowing him to get a better look at him. "As you can see, I've made the most of my little... incident with Croc." Much as he hoped to get Riddler on his side, he couldn't help but indulge himself.

[riddlemethat]

"Who wants to be nostalgic of this place? It's a dump." An unpleasant dump that just dragged up so many memories of Arkham, of his defeat here. His unfair defeat caused by the likely unwarranted cheating from the Dark Knight but a defeat none the less.

Instinctively, Edward took a step back from Crane, not at all scared but he didn't trust being that close. It was nothing personal, Gotham rogues were not known for playing nice or fair so it was never wise to get too friendly. "Made the most? God Crane, did you ever consider consulting a doctor? A medical doctor." He felt the need to clarify that for obvious reasons. There was no polite way to put it, his face was a total mess.

[doctor_terror]

Crane couldn't help but smile a little at Edward's reaction. "I like any opportunity that comes my way to strike fear," He said. "Looking pretty is not much of a concern for me."

He finally turned away from Edward to examine his chemistry set. "Tell me, just how badly did the Batman beat you in Arkham City?" He hadn't been around for that whole debacle, save for using a small boat in its harbor to conduct some experiments before quickly leaving. He had, however, heard the stories.

[riddlemethat]

"It's a fine addition to your overall 'scary' appeal but it must be a hindrance." Damage like that? The pain on top of the effects it could have to his eyes or his nose, it was horrible to think about. Edward was just thankful no one had ever tried to maul his pretty face.

At the mention of the defeat, Edward visibly prickled, a glare set on his face. "It doesn't count as a defeat or being beaten if the other party doesn't play fair. I was cheated. And it won't happen again, it was an unusual and rare lapse in our usual routine where I, of course, come out on top." Oh yeah, the degrees of which Edward could be deluded. "Why? What did you hear?"

[doctor_terror]

"I can't imagine how the Batman defeated a genius such as yourself, Edward," Crane deadpanned. Perhaps feeding Edward's ego would cause him to miss the snark.

He looked over his shoulder at the Riddler. "Just that the police found you rigged to one of your own deathtraps." And that the device was a dud anyway. "Where do you come up with some of these contraptions?" Nevermind that many of them weren't even riddles.

[riddlemethat]

"Cheating! That's how. This city has no respect for the intellectual, for those who seek to use their minds, it's all about fists and fire power." Edward was somewhat blind to the snark, he didn't see how anyone could think otherwise about his obvious genius. He saw it more as Jonathan sympathising.

His body tensed at the relaying of his humiliating defeat, gripping his cane tight as he tried to keep his control. He purposefully didn't state whether it was true or not, it was so embarrassing to have that have happened in the first place, let alone it getting out as it did. "I can create anything I want to, I'm not limited like most people, I see infinite opportunities where most see none. Why?" He frowned suspiciously. "Why so curious in my work all of a sudden?"

[doctor_terror]

Scarecrow turned down the flame on a Bunsen burner and turned back to the Riddler. "I'm planning something," He said. "I'm going to take down the Batman once and for all, and I want you to be part of it, Edward."

Arkham City and the asylum still had remnants from Riddler's scavenger hunt, such as the painted on question marks. Apparently they hadn't been worth cleaning up when all was said and done.

[riddlemethat]

"I don't need to be a part of your plan. Let's face it, Crane, you need to be a part of mine. And I have no reason why I should let you bask in my glorious victory when you'd bring nothing to the table." Edward smirked that annoying cocky smirk, clearly not willing to relent and admit that maybe, just maybe, he really did need help. Especially since he kept getting his ass kicked every time he tried.

"Perhaps, and only perhaps, we could sync up our plans? I can do my thing, you can do yours and maybe we'll end up benefiting each other?"

[doctor_terror]

Crane had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Very well, Edward," He said, mostly just playing along at this point. Whatever it took to get Riddler on board, he figured.

"I was thinking, perhaps, that you do your thing, only on a much larger scale than even Arkham City," Scarecrow said. "Keep him running around while I enact my own plan."