Flight of Vengeance

Chapter 2

When they arrived in Gotham, then at the manor, Dick was growing impatient.  The whole trip there, he couldn't help but what wonder just what exactly this case was.  Because it had to be pretty big for Bruce to get desperate enough to call for him for help.

Still in costume, Nightwing and Robin entered the Batcave, where Bruce was waiting.  His cowl was off, and his face was etched with something Dick couldn't pinpoint.  Worry? Frustration? Stress?  Concern?  No, it couldn't be worry or concern.  Batman never showed any emotion.  Neither did Bruce Wayne, really.

There had been a time when Dick trusted no one more than Bruce.  A time when they actually got along and could hold a conversation for more than two minutes without yelling at each other.  Heck, Dick used to look up to Bruce.  He used to want to be him--to be the Batman!

But that time had been years ago.  Things had been different ever since he entered his mid-teens.  He started to realise how violent Batman really was...How Bruce never truly cared about anyone.  How it was all about the mission to him. 

Of course, Bruce wasn't dead to Dick.  He was still family, but now, their clashing personalities only seemed to cause more harm than good. 

"Hey B," Dick greeted, though there was a hint of coldness in his tone. 

"Good, you're here," Bruce replied, being his usual 'straight to business' self.  Again, it was all about the mission.  It probably would have physically hurt him to reply, 'Hey Dick, nice to see you,' or something along those lines. "How much did Damian tell you?"

Dick turned to glance at the said person, who had disappeared into the training room.  "Just that you needed my help for an old unfinished case.  What is it, anyway?  It sounded pretty urgent."  He turned back to Bruce and folded his arms. 

Bruce locked his gaze on the computer screen and began typing away, until several files and police reports came up.  He gestured to the screen, and Dick looked up, studying it.

"Several Victims turned up dead...Cause proved to be from fright...Higher than usual adrenaline release made victims go into cardiac arrest."  Dick frowned and paused.  "Uh, okay... Scarecrow's loose again with a new and improved fear gas?"

Bruce shook his head.  "No.  Jonathan Crane is still locked up in Arkham, and has been under surveillance for the past week.  There was an attack just last night, and I was personally guarding Crane when it happened. 

"There's no possible way he could have been behind those attacks. In fact, he even seemed enraged when we showed him the reports, possibly because someone else is stealing his limelight.  And when testing the dead victims, we discovered the chemicals Dopamine, Corticotropin, L-3 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, Yohimbine, among others."

Dick raised an eyebrow.  "Scarecrow used Corticotropin and Yohimbine, but never the others... Dopamine? That's an odd choice of a chemical to induce fear."

Bruce gave a half shrug.  "True.  Usually it would be used to make one feel...er... romantic, but if it enters the wrong part of your brain, it brings intense feelings of fear and dread."

"Definitely strange for Crane, then.  He's really only ever stuck to the basic fear chemicals and compounds, though the things he did with them tended to be unique," Dick replied.  "If not him, then who-"

Shaking his head, Bruce looked Dick straight in the eyes.  "Do you really not see it?  Think back to years ago, when you were 13 years old.  Who else did we know- or rather, didn't know- who played with fear toxins?"

"I don't-"  Dick's eyes widened in alarm, and his voice wavered slightly when he spoke.  "You-you don't mean-"

Bruce nodded solemnly.  "I do.  Scarecrow's unnamed associate... The one who nearly killed you."

Dick's face paled.  After they had faced off the unnamed associate, he couldn't sleep for days.  And the nightmares stayed for weeks after.  He faced off Scarecrow before and suffered similar consequences, but they had never been that bad.  This associate...  They were more dangerous.  Possibly even more unhinged.  The most terrifying baddies always were the crazy ones.

"They're back then."  Dick's voice was suddenly dangerously calm.  He narrowed his eyes.  "Where are they?  Where Bruce?!  You must have at least a small lead-"

Bruce stood up and placed a hand on Dick's shoulder.  "Calm down, Chum.  I know this is a little personal for you-"

Dick brushed Bruce's hand away and glared at him.  "A little?!  Bruce, you have no idea what that psycho did to me!"

"Dick, just listen to me."  Bruce's voice became it's typical commanding one.  Dick sighed wearily and sat down in Bruce's chair.  He ran his hands down his face.

"Fine," he replied.  "I'm listening."

"I know this brings back bad memories for you, but it does for me too.  Not to mention Alfred...  You weren't the only one affected by what happened, even if you did suffer the most."  Bruce glanced over at his cowl, which was placed right next to the Batcomputer.  "I don't know where Scarecrow's associate is hiding, or where they'll next be seen,  but tomorrow night, I'm determined to confront them.  Oracle help us by pulling up security footage all over Gotham.  The second that we catch sight of them, we'll pay them a little visit."

Dick was secretly glad that Oracle was with them on this.  Last time, Babs hadn't even been Batgirl.  But now...With her, they stood a greater chance.  She could run facial recognition, hack into databases, and do a number of things that even Bruce found difficult. 

"Alright."  They'd better find that nameless person. Or else Dick thought he might lose it. "Any clues on their identity?"

Bruce shook his head. "Every time I've seen them, they're wearing a mask.  Here...". He pulled up a picture of them that was slightly blurry, but they could still be seen clearly enough.

Dick looked at them as his eyebrows furrowed. Tall. Slim. They wore a long, navy colored trench coat. But what unnerved Dick was the mask they wore.

It was a full face mask, a bit like Red Hood's. It was stark white, except for the face painted on it. It looked as though it was very hastily and sloppily painted on. The face was smiling cruelly, with pointed teeth, and has thin slits for eyes. Above the eyes, angry, pointed eyebrows were shown.

The mask of a mad man. The mask of someone gone insane. The mask that someone would use to strike fear, but not in a typical way.

Because insanity could be very frightening indeed. That's why the Joker was one of Batman's most dangerous villains. Because he was completely, and utterly insane.

Bruce noticed Dick's troubled expression. "How about we both shower, then head upstairs. Alfred has some tea waiting for us."

"Yeah..." Dick muttered, still staring at the screen, the mask haunting him. "Tea..."