Professor Fear (the sequel) - Jonathan Crane

Chapter 31

"Hello Daria!" Joker cheered. It was a miracle that she could make out the words considering he was coughing up blood.
Ivy was on the floor, shuddering, crying next to where she had thrown up.
Harley Quinn had brought a towel to the Joker and had begun dabbing the wounds.
"Red! What were ya thinking!" Harley's bottom lip was wobbling, tears were threatening to spill.
Even Daria was surprised by Ivy's intense handiwork. The Joker was hardly recognisable due to the blood and bumps from Ivy using actual Poison Ivy to hurt him. His permanent grin and Green hair would always give him away.

"He hurts you Harley and he hurts the plants, I hurt him for every time he hurt you and my babies," Ivy's tears fell more. She was shuddering. The beautiful, powerful Poison Ivy was a mess on the floor; shaking, puking, crying.

Daria was frozen. Months ago, she had been an 'edgy' university student who liked to hang out in the bars in the dangerous neighbourhoods. She was enrolled at a university with friends that were terrified of getting less than a C on finals.

Now, Daria was in a room with Gotham's most wanted criminals. She'd came here with her friends; the drug dealer and two drug addicts. She was in a room with a sadist and a woman who felt deluded into owing her life to her abuser.

Daria was momentarily lost. She did not blink. She did not move.
She was trying to understand.

But how does one understand something which makes no sense at all.

"Pathetic, the lot of you," Scarecrow grovelled upon entering the room and assessing the scene. He took off the burlap mask. His hair in its characteristic mess. "Like jealous children. We all have the same common enemies yet here we are bickering and bleeding."

"Ivy are ya alright? ya look sick!" Harley ran over to help Ivy. The Joker, wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket, and Ivy continued to listen to Scarecrow's chiding.

"I will not be using my toxin in this room tonight," He announced. His dissatisfaction hung heavy in the air. "You're both too much a mess for me to get any fun out of scaring."
Scarecrow noticed the statuesque woman to the left of him.
"Daria let's go home,"

"Daria's gone cuck-hoo, hoo hoo ha ha," Joker informed Scarecrow. He then regretted his comment as blood came up in long dragging coughs.

The front door creaked again, and Edward walked in.
"Well this is the epitome of a train wreck," He looked back into the hallway where his 'henchmen' were waiting. "clean this place up when we leave, I'll pay you tomorrow,"
There was a grumble of responses.

"Take Dr Isly home, Mr Nygma, It would seem she's had a little too much to drink this evening." When Ivy met Edward's eyes, they were full of shame. Beside her, Harley was looking at her with hurt and admiration at the same time. Harley knew that Ivy loved her and wanted her to leave the Joker for her.
She wanted it too. She feared hurting the Joker. Even though he hurt her all the time.

"Ms Quinn, I will leave a note with instructions on how to treat Poison Ivy rash," Scarecrow spoke, but he was using Jonathan's guidance on how to handle the situation. They were working together. It was highly unusual.

"Thank ya Scarecrow," Harley heard her voice waivering. Ivy's condition and Joker's condition had made her emotional. She didn't want to cry too. "Alright Red let's getcha up," Harley stood up and grabbed Ivy by the under arms to pull her up. Ivy's eyes were glued to Daria. Scarecrow followed his friend's eyes, having just finished messily scrawling three bullet point tips on a piece of paper he'd ripped from his pocket journal (to record toxin reactions).

Daria was still staring. She had completely dissociated. She used to do that in Jonathan's classes. He'd, in fact, forgotten she had a history of dissociation.
Scarecrow put an arm around her waist and brushed her hair from her face.
"Daria,"
Her eyes fluttered. She looked at Scarecrow's eyes. Her lips trembled. Then she embraced him.
"Let's go home,"
She nodded slowly. Clinging to him as a they walked out of the door.
Daria Morrison wasn't silenced by terror. She was completely confused.