Fish and Bits

Hooked (pt.1)

     Hunched over a Petri dish, Scarecrow held a pipette in one hand and a set of tongs in the other. He was in the midst of an experiment and all of his focus was fixed upon the bunsen burner and flask beneath him. Slowly, carefully, he added a few drops from the chemicals in the Petri dish into the flask. Using the tongs, he transferred the flask onto the Bunsen burner and gradually adjusted the heat to the ideal temperature. The makeshift lab was excruciatingly silent, the loudest noise in the room being his breathing. As the concoction started to bubble, a voice spoke from over Scarecrow's shoulder, right beside his ear, causing him to jump in surprise.

     "Is it supposed to be doing that?" Joker grinned at Scarecrow, an inch from his face with his hands crossed behind his back. He'd had to bend slightly at the torso in order to lower himself to Scarecrow's height, and upon being seen he stood up straight for dramatic effect. "I've been meaning to talk to you, Johnny boy! You know how you owe me that favour? Hmm?" He hummed through his teeth, the smile fixed to his face.

     "Yes. It is supposed to be doing that. And no, I don't recall owing you anything." He scowled at him, picking up the dropped pipette that had fallen to the floor. "You almost ruined everything." Straightening up to his full height, he glared at him and stood in front of the flask, shielding it from further harm.

     "Aw, don't tell me you've already forgotten! Johnny, my boy, I saved your life! Maybe it's that head injury you got..." He frowned and knocked on Scarecrow's head with his knuckles as if knocking on a door. "Perhaps I should've taken you to a hospital." He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. This, of course, was all a lie. He had not saved Scarecrow's life, nor did he intend to. 

     He had recognized, before stepping into the lab, that in order to persuade him to spend the day with Finny, more than just leaving the fish on the doorstep would be necessary. If he had attempted to leave the fish there as he had with Harvey and Riddler, then no doubt he would return to find the fish in the exact same spot as he had left it, Scarecrow not noticing that it had been there the entire time. So, he had settled upon manipulation. It wasn't too much of a problem, given that he had a natural talent for it, but it was just tedious. Smiling his charming smile, Joker amiably wrapped his arm around Scarecrow's shoulders, "So, what do you say? Will you do that little, tiny favour for me?"

     Eyeing the clown suspiciously, Scarecrow hesitated. He was straining his overworked mind to attempt to remember being supposedly saved. Upon being unsuccessful at recollecting the experience, he assumed that it must have just been the head injury. "You haven't told me what the favour is yet."

     "You're right! Well, I'm not sure if you've heard, being cooped up in your little science house like this, but I'm letting all my friends babysit Finny for a day to get to know him!" He gestured behind him at the fish tank on the counter. Finny, within the tank, was swimming peacefully.

     "Well...I suppose it wouldn't be too distracting..." He scratched his chin, thinking, "Oh, alright. I'll watch after him for today." Grumbling to himself, he picked up the tank and moved it over to the counter he was currently working at.

     Joker grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him into a quick hug, "I knew I could count on you! Ta ta now, I have some business to attend to." With that, he hurried from the room, grabbing his coat from a coat rack and pulling it on as he went.

     Turning to Finny, he narrowed his eyes at the fish suspiciously and lowered himself slightly to reach eye level. "Mm. Just you and me now. I hope that you don't cause any trouble for me." He resumed his spot on a decrepit old stool and turned the Bunsen burner back on.

     Finny watched him carefully, a few bubbles leaving his grinning mouth.

A/n- Sorry for the shorter chapter, I was busy again today.