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Chapter 78: The Bat
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Scarecrow Crane, a high-IQ criminal mastermind, was a sleeper agent planted by the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham City.
Over a year ago, the League of Shadows, which had long operated in the Dark World, bared its vicious fangs once again after many years. They turned their sights to Gotham City, a metropolis rife with sin. They intended to destroy this city of ten million people, just as they had destroyed London.
Scarecrow Crane was the vanguard of the League of Shadows. He was skilled at creating a terrible Fear Gas, one that could even affect the strong-willed Batman, trapping him in a Fear Illusion from which he could not escape. It was this same Crane who, in his madness, added this Fear Gas to Gotham City's drinking water. As soon as the League of Shadows' main force arrived, he planned to activate the gas lying dormant in people's blood, plunging the entire city into a frenzy.
Crane almost succeeded. The League of Shadows almost succeeded. Gotham City was pushed to the very brink of destruction. But in the end, they failed at the hands of Batman. The core forces of the League of Shadows were buried in Gotham City, suffering a devastating blow.
"Crane, I came to ask you something," Tony said slowly, sizing up the refined-looking young man.
Crane's appearance was striking enough that even someone with a poor memory would be left with a deep impression after a single glance. He was tall and thin, with a somewhat sallow complexion, a high forehead, an unusually long nasal bone, and two thick lips that seemed to keep his mouth permanently closed.
"A lot of people have things to ask me, but I've already said everything I needed to in court." Crane rolled his eyes, glanced at Tony, then turned his head away, giving him the cold shoulder.
Anderson was annoyed. He opened his mouth to berate the insolent man, but Tony stopped him.
In truth, Tony was very interested in this Crane fellow.
Crane wasn't a man of fixed principles. If one had to be found, it would only be his allegiance to the hidden League of Shadows. In the days without them, his actions were aimless; he did whatever interested him. There was only one thing he pursued tirelessly: causing trouble for Batman.
Not long ago, this guy was released by a local court due to "insufficient evidence," and thus began his long journey of troublemaking. He was arrested this time because he'd sold his newly developed, tainted drugs to the Falcone Crime Family. Then he tricked a group of mindless fans into dressing up as Batman, who recklessly went to fight the criminals. In the end, both groups were taken down by the real Batman on the spot.
And so, the genius Scarecrow Crane was sent back to prison, thrown into Arkham by Batman once again. His glorious achievement this time was getting Batman bitten a few times by the German Shepherds raised by the Falcone Crime Family.
Tony gave a meaningful look. Anderson, being an Underworld Rat, naturally caught the hint. He took out a prepared pack of cigarettes, put his arm around the warden and a few guards, and led them away. Only Tony and a bored-looking Crane were left, facing each other through the glass.
"I already told you, I said everything I needed to say to the judge in court. Staring at me is useless." Crane shrugged, his impassive gaze fixed on this person he had never seen before.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Mechanic tony, and also a shareholder of Stark Industries. You could say I'm sort of part of the upper class..."
"So?"
"So, I have a way to get you out of here! A way to get you out of Gotham City and to another city!" Tony's expression was grave, completely serious.
"Pfft-hahaha..." Crane burst out laughing on the spot. He clutched his stomach, slapping the floor as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"You think I really want to get out? Then why would I go and provoke Batman again?" Crane said.
"You don't care about Batman, but... what about the League of Shadows? What about Ra's al Ghul?" Tony lit a cigarette for himself. He'd never smoked before; it was a recent habit.
Crane's expression froze, and his entire body went rigid. His eyes were wide as saucers, and even his hands had stiffened from the shock.
"I don't know if you're a die-hard loyalist of the League of Shadows or if you were coerced by them, but right now, at least, they're busy licking their wounds. They don't have time for you. You've been cast aside like a Pawn... Or maybe they haven't given up on you. Maybe they deliberately left you in Gotham City to be ignored, planning to reactivate you when they make their comeback?" Tony took a deep drag and blew out a large smoke ring. "I'm afraid you don't even know yourself."
Crane's eyes followed the smoke ring as it drifted, and his focus seemed to dissipate along with it.
"I think staying in Gotham City is just fine." After a long silence, Scarecrow finally spoke.
"Gotham City is fine? So I suppose Gotham's prisons are fine too? Arkham is fine? I told you, I can get you out. If you're willing, you can come back to New York with me and work for me. You're a genius at concocting poisons, and I really need someone like you. Of course, I'll pay you a handsome salary in exchange. I need to get a clue about something from you." Tony finally revealed his purpose. He not only wanted information on Dionysium, but he also intended to take this Scarecrow with him.
"You want me to work for you?" Crane looked at him in astonishment, as if he were a madman. "You know I'm involved with an organization like the League of Shadows, and you still dare to ask me to work for you? You've got some serious nerve! No one has ever done something like this! To actually dare to hire me..."
"I know you well. You're a genius who earned doctorates in biology and psychology at a young age. You taught briefly at Gotham University, later became a psychiatrist who frequented Arkham, and you used your Fear Gas to drive the former underworld boss Falcone insane. Then you followed the League of Shadows and nearly destroyed all of Gotham City..." Tony spoke eloquently. He also knew that this Crane was, in fact, somewhat cowardly and that his original reason for creating the Fear Gas was to facilitate his own escape after committing a crime.
"If you don't agree, then I'll kill you!" Tony stubbed out his half-finished cigarette, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his foot. "I know what you're thinking. People die in Gotham City every day, and Batman can't look after every single one... I can make you die quietly, without Batman ever finding out. At the very least, he won't find any evid— damn it!"
Halfway through his sentence, a tall, dark figure appeared silently behind Tony, not making a single sound. If it weren't for Tony's incredible hearing, which picked up an extremely low-frequency heartbeat, he truly wouldn't have noticed. This guy's stealth skills were on another level, truly befitting the man who had taken down two generations of Ra's al Ghul.
"Looks like I found the evidence before you could commit the crime. What a shame," the dark figure said slowly, his voice clearly distorted and hoarse. He was completely hidden in the shadows, his enormous Cape stirring though there was no wind, like a Bat in the darkness.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Scarecrow Crane, a high-IQ criminal mastermind, was a sleeper agent planted by the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham City.
Over a year ago, the League of Shadows, which had long operated in the Dark World, bared its vicious fangs once again after many years. They turned their sights to Gotham City, a metropolis rife with sin. They intended to destroy this city of ten million people, just as they had destroyed London.
Scarecrow Crane was the vanguard of the League of Shadows. He was skilled at creating a terrible Fear Gas, one that could even affect the strong-willed Batman, trapping him in a Fear Illusion from which he could not escape. It was this same Crane who, in his madness, added this Fear Gas to Gotham City's drinking water. As soon as the League of Shadows' main force arrived, he planned to activate the gas lying dormant in people's blood, plunging the entire city into a frenzy.
Crane almost succeeded. The League of Shadows almost succeeded. Gotham City was pushed to the very brink of destruction. But in the end, they failed at the hands of Batman. The core forces of the League of Shadows were buried in Gotham City, suffering a devastating blow.
"Crane, I came to ask you something," Tony said slowly, sizing up the refined-looking young man.
Crane's appearance was striking enough that even someone with a poor memory would be left with a deep impression after a single glance. He was tall and thin, with a somewhat sallow complexion, a high forehead, an unusually long nasal bone, and two thick lips that seemed to keep his mouth permanently closed.
"A lot of people have things to ask me, but I've already said everything I needed to in court." Crane rolled his eyes, glanced at Tony, then turned his head away, giving him the cold shoulder.
Anderson was annoyed. He opened his mouth to berate the insolent man, but Tony stopped him.
In truth, Tony was very interested in this Crane fellow.
Crane wasn't a man of fixed principles. If one had to be found, it would only be his allegiance to the hidden League of Shadows. In the days without them, his actions were aimless; he did whatever interested him. There was only one thing he pursued tirelessly: causing trouble for Batman.
Not long ago, this guy was released by a local court due to "insufficient evidence," and thus began his long journey of troublemaking. He was arrested this time because he'd sold his newly developed, tainted drugs to the Falcone Crime Family. Then he tricked a group of mindless fans into dressing up as Batman, who recklessly went to fight the criminals. In the end, both groups were taken down by the real Batman on the spot.
And so, the genius Scarecrow Crane was sent back to prison, thrown into Arkham by Batman once again. His glorious achievement this time was getting Batman bitten a few times by the German Shepherds raised by the Falcone Crime Family.
Tony gave a meaningful look. Anderson, being an Underworld Rat, naturally caught the hint. He took out a prepared pack of cigarettes, put his arm around the warden and a few guards, and led them away. Only Tony and a bored-looking Crane were left, facing each other through the glass.
"I already told you, I said everything I needed to say to the judge in court. Staring at me is useless." Crane shrugged, his impassive gaze fixed on this person he had never seen before.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Mechanic tony, and also a shareholder of Stark Industries. You could say I'm sort of part of the upper class..."
"So?"
"So, I have a way to get you out of here! A way to get you out of Gotham City and to another city!" Tony's expression was grave, completely serious.
"Pfft-hahaha..." Crane burst out laughing on the spot. He clutched his stomach, slapping the floor as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"You think I really want to get out? Then why would I go and provoke Batman again?" Crane said.
"You don't care about Batman, but... what about the League of Shadows? What about Ra's al Ghul?" Tony lit a cigarette for himself. He'd never smoked before; it was a recent habit.
Crane's expression froze, and his entire body went rigid. His eyes were wide as saucers, and even his hands had stiffened from the shock.
"I don't know if you're a die-hard loyalist of the League of Shadows or if you were coerced by them, but right now, at least, they're busy licking their wounds. They don't have time for you. You've been cast aside like a Pawn... Or maybe they haven't given up on you. Maybe they deliberately left you in Gotham City to be ignored, planning to reactivate you when they make their comeback?" Tony took a deep drag and blew out a large smoke ring. "I'm afraid you don't even know yourself."
Crane's eyes followed the smoke ring as it drifted, and his focus seemed to dissipate along with it.
"I think staying in Gotham City is just fine." After a long silence, Scarecrow finally spoke.
"Gotham City is fine? So I suppose Gotham's prisons are fine too? Arkham is fine? I told you, I can get you out. If you're willing, you can come back to New York with me and work for me. You're a genius at concocting poisons, and I really need someone like you. Of course, I'll pay you a handsome salary in exchange. I need to get a clue about something from you." Tony finally revealed his purpose. He not only wanted information on Dionysium, but he also intended to take this Scarecrow with him.
"You want me to work for you?" Crane looked at him in astonishment, as if he were a madman. "You know I'm involved with an organization like the League of Shadows, and you still dare to ask me to work for you? You've got some serious nerve! No one has ever done something like this! To actually dare to hire me..."
"I know you well. You're a genius who earned doctorates in biology and psychology at a young age. You taught briefly at Gotham University, later became a psychiatrist who frequented Arkham, and you used your Fear Gas to drive the former underworld boss Falcone insane. Then you followed the League of Shadows and nearly destroyed all of Gotham City..." Tony spoke eloquently. He also knew that this Crane was, in fact, somewhat cowardly and that his original reason for creating the Fear Gas was to facilitate his own escape after committing a crime.
"If you don't agree, then I'll kill you!" Tony stubbed out his half-finished cigarette, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his foot. "I know what you're thinking. People die in Gotham City every day, and Batman can't look after every single one... I can make you die quietly, without Batman ever finding out. At the very least, he won't find any evid— damn it!"
Halfway through his sentence, a tall, dark figure appeared silently behind Tony, not making a single sound. If it weren't for Tony's incredible hearing, which picked up an extremely low-frequency heartbeat, he truly wouldn't have noticed. This guy's stealth skills were on another level, truly befitting the man who had taken down two generations of Ra's al Ghul.
"Looks like I found the evidence before you could commit the crime. What a shame," the dark figure said slowly, his voice clearly distorted and hoarse. He was completely hidden in the shadows, his enormous Cape stirring though there was no wind, like a Bat in the darkness.
(end of chapter)
