DC Universe: X

Scarecrow

The Meaning of Fear: Part 2
X must save Robin from the clutches of Scarecrow, but first, he will have to face his darkest fears!

You awoke with your head in pain, and your shirt gone.

When you got your bearings, you found that you were in a empty water vat, the top locked by a steel grate.

You tried to use your powers to escape, but they didn't work.

You then looked for a weakness in the grate, but could not find one.

Scarecrow: It's no use, the grate is locked in with refined steel bolts.

Scarecrow looked down at you.

Scarecrow: I took the extra precaution of lining that vat with Kalanite.

X: When I get out of here, I will break you in half.

Scarecrow: Anger, the most common response to fear.

Scarecrow walked over to a control panel.

Scarecrow: Fear. It is a curious thing, it changes people, makes them do things they thought they couldn't, it is a motivator of sorts, which is why I created this test.

X: Test?

Scarecrow: The sewer tunnel to your right contains a set of tests. If you pass them, you and your friend will be freed.

The sewer tunnel gate opened, revealing a empty tunnel.

Scarecrow: Go now, face your fear.

Seeing no other way out, you cautiously entered the tunnel, and the gate closed behind you.

Scarecrow spoke over a set of speakers set up in the tunnel.

Scarecrow: To win your freedom, you must face the three levels of fear.

X: Heh, just three?

Scarecrow: You laugh now, but few can survive the first level of fear.

As you walked through the tunnel, you were trapped by two gates that shut in front and behind you.

Scarecrow: The tight embrace that drains you of all other emotions, the first stage of Fear, Anxiety.

The doors began to release gas as you were trapped.

Scarecrow: To be in fear, and to feel trapped as you burn, it is a beautiful form of fear.

You searched for escape, but found a way to survive.

Two squares of discarded scrap metal lied on the tunnel floor, and you picked up both pieces and faced them towards the gates.

The gas the gates emitted ignited, and through fire at the scrap metal shields you held.

When the gates opened, you dropped the scrap metal shields as they smoked from the heat.

Scarecrow: Impressive.

You continued down the tunnel, and entered a circular room with stone debris on the ground.

Scarecrow: To see fear coming from all directions, and to freeze, the second level of fear, Panic.

Suddenly, turrets hidden in the shadows sprung to life, and fired a hail of bullets at you.

You ducked behind the debris as the turrets created a cloud of smoke from their shots that struck the stone walls.

You looked for a solution, and found one the turrets' design.

The turrets were held on their stands by a makeshift pivot on each, which if damaged, would send them into a tailspin.

You picked up a rock, and threw it at the far left turrets' pivot, hitting it spot on.

The turret spun out, firing in all directions, destroying the other turrets and itself.

You stood up in the middle of the bullet lined battlefield.

Scarecrow: Hmmm....interesting.

You continued to the end of the tunnel, where a ladder led to freedom.

You began to climb the ladder, but a hatch shut at the top

Scarecrow: Unrelenting, unstoppable, a wave of fear you can't stop, the third level of fear, Terror.

A gate opened to your left, and saw a wave of water coming towards you at breakneck speed.

You held the ladder tightly as you prepared for the Wave to crash into you.

The Wave struck you, and you disappeared in the raging waters.

Scarecrow watched from a security camera.

Scarecrow turned to face Robin.

Scarecrow: See? Even a man with the powers of a god are weak against fear. He didn't stand a chance.

Robin smirked.

Robin: You know the first rule of being afraid, right?

Scarecrow: What would that be?

Robin: Always watch your back.

A hand forcefully threw him around.

X: Words to live by.

You hit Scarecrow with a uppercut, and sent him down into a empty water vat.

You locked the water vat's grate, trapping Scarecrow inside.

You turned to untie Robin from the pipe.

X: You ok?

Robin: Yeah, I'm fine. He was testing a new strain of his fear toxin down here on the homeless who used the sewers as shelter.

X: And once he learned I was coming to investigate, he set up his "three stages of fear" to try and break me.

Robin: But he didn't.

You laughed.

X: Of course not.