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lfthinkerwrites · 6 years

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Regarding Jonathan Crane, pt. 3

Title: Regarding Jonathan Crane

Fandom: Batman

Rating: T

Warning: Mentioned Character Death, brief descriptions of past violence

Summary: Bruce is made aware of the situation and reflects on the events that brought them to this point.

Previous Chapters: 1/2

AO3 Link

Saturday, February 3rd

8:30 pm

Since he'd escaped from Arkham Island almost 24 hours earlier, Croc had kept a low profile. Bruce knew though it would only be a matter of time before he caught his trail somewhere beneath the city. Croc was predictable. Dick was already out scouring the Bowery for information, while Oracle and Tim listened in on any radio chatter. Bruce himself was driving into the Bowery, after giving Gordon his latest update.

"How goes your search Master Bruce?"

Bruce pressed the intercom on the car to respond. "No sign of Croc yet. I'm going to meet Dick now in the Bowery. According to an associate of his, Croc has a lair somewhere beneath the old Blue Line subway tunnels. We'll be checking that out first. How's everything back at the Manor?"

"As well as can be expected, though Master Damian is quite insistent that he should have been allowed to accompany you."

"No," Bruce said adamantly. "Damian's not prepared to take on someone like Croc just yet."

"You and Master Dick should exercise caution as well. I know how difficult your last encounter with Croc was for you sir."

Bruce's grip tightened on the Batmobile's steering wheel. His last encounter with Croc had been the night of the Arkham Riot, when he'd been down in Croc's lair to get the spore samples that would counteract Dr. Young's TITAN formula. His encounter with Croc had been difficult yes, but it was what had happened before that still haunted him at night, almost two years later...

...He's still fighting off the effects of Crane's latest toxin as he chases the Rogue down into the sewers. It's more potent than it's ever been. He should of seen this coming he thinks. Crane had been too quiet since Nigma went into his coma. That always meant that he was up to something. Finally, he reaches the door that leads into Croc's lair and goes through it. He stops and slowly walks in. Scarecrow is in control tonight, not Crane. That makes the situation even more dangerous.

He sees Crane at the edge of the water, holding his pouch above it. "Stay back!" He cries out, his usually deep voice high and tinged with mania. "Or this goes into the water supply!" He dangles the bag over the edge and Bruce pauses. There's no reasoning with him at this point. Any scraps of human decency that Crane had ever had had gone with Nigma. Bruce slowly begins to reach for a batarang from a back pouch on his belt.

"Don't! I warn you!" Crane shouts again. "There's enough toxin to drive Gotham mad with fear for a hundred years!"

"Don't do it Crane," Bruce says. Then he pulls the one card he thinks he has left, even if it disgusts him to do so. "Edward is still out there Jonathan. Will you doom him too?"

For a moment, Crane hesitates. "Edward..." he says. Then his voice hardens. "You took him from me. You"ll pay for that. This whole goddamn city will pay for that!" He raises the pouch over the water again and Bruce reaches behind his belt. He'll only have one shot, he needs to make it count-

Suddenly something rises from the water and grabs onto Crane. Bruce realizes it's Croc. Croc raises the scrawny man above his head and the pouch falls harmlessly onto the ground. Bruce races to pick it up before firing the batarang at Croc's shock collar. The collar goes off, shocking Croc, but he does not let go of Crane. With a growl, he plunges back into the murky depths, taking Crane with him.

Bruce should go after them. He's not sure what Croc intends to do with Crane, but he has to stop him. He's about to dive into the water when the Earth above him shakes. The TITAN infected plants are still growing. He needs to get the spores for the antidote or everyone on this island will die, to say nothing of what Joker will do if he gets into Gotham City. But if he doesn't go in, Jonathan Crane may die. One life, vs hundreds, potentially thousands... He takes one last look at the water, then he continues into the lair...

...That was the last time anyone had seen or heard from Jonathan Crane. As far as Gotham and the rest of the world was concerned, the man was dead. Bruce sighed. He should have been more resistant to the fear toxin. He should have been quicker to disarm Crane. He should have gone after Croc. Every death that happened on his watch, no matter whose it was, was his responsibility.

"Are you alright Sir? You've been quiet."

Bruce shook off the memory and focused back on the road. "I'm fine. I'll check in again when I meet with Dick." Bruce shut off the intercom and prepared to make the turn into the Bowery. Then his car phone rang. Bruce narrowed his eyes. That couldn't be Alfred or Barbara. He pressed the talk button to answer the phone. "Yes?"

"Bruce?"

Bruce's eyebrows raised under the cowl. "Selina? What is it?"

"I need to see you."

The almost desperate tone in her voice immediately set Bruce on edge. Selina's never desperate. "What's wrong?"

"It's Eddie. I think he's in real trouble."

Not Nigma. Not now. What could he have possibly gotten up to-Croc. Did Nigma-

"You look like Hell," is the first thing Selina says when he staggers into her apartment. He should go back to Wayne Manor to rest, but he needed to see her first. Selina can sense something deeper than exhaustion brought him here. "Bruce. What's wrong?"

Bruce takes a breath. "Jonathan Crane's dead."

Selina's eyes widen. "What? How?"

"I chased him down into Croc's lair. He was dangling a pouch of fear toxin over the water. Croc grabbed him and dragged him under." He should have gone after them. He knows now he had time. Why didn't he?

Selina sinks onto her couch. "Jesus..." her hand comes up to her mouth as she gasps. "Oh God! Bruce! Eddie! How am I going to tell Eddie?"

Bruce shook his head. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the roof of the Iceberg Lounge."

Bruce made a sharp u-turn. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Selina was waiting alone on the roof of the Iceberg Lounge, just as she said she'd be. She looked visibly relieved when she saw Bruce as he approached. "Hey handsome."

Bruce wished he could take the time to exchange pleasantries with her. "What happened with Nigma?"

Selina sighed. "He's gone Bruce. He's not at his apartment or his office and he hasn't answered his phone for over 24 hours." Selina's eyes softened slightly. "When I was by his apartment earlier, he had a box of news clipping about Crane out on his coffee table. He's gone after Croc Bruce. I know it."

Bruce knew she was right. He remembered when Selina told him about Edward's reaction when she informed him about what had happened to Crane. He should have told Tim or Dick to check on him when they'd gotten word about Croc's escape. "When was the last time anyone saw or spoke to him?"

"Yesterday morning," she answered. "We didn't know he was gone until earlier this afternoon."

So Edward had potentially been gone for over 24 hours. Bruce narrowed his eyes. He could be anywhere underneath Gotham by now. He might be dead. He clenched his fist. He should have never let Croc take Crane. He should have kept a closer eye on Edward. He should have done better by both of them, but he didn't and Crane was dead. And Edward potentially was too.

He felt Selina's hand on his shoulder. "Bruce," she said gently. "What happened to Crane wasn't your fault."

"I'm responsible for it Selina. I could have done more to prevent it. I should have gone after Croc."

"Bruce, the whole island was going to Hell, you'd just been exposed to enough fear toxin to drive ten people insane and you were on Croc's home turf. If you'd gone after them, you would have died." She gently reached up to cup Bruce's chin. "What happened to Crane was horrible, but he knew the risks going down there. You can't make yourself responsible for everything. We can't bring Crane back, but we can still save Eddie."

She was right. Edward's safety was the priority now. He reached up to take her hand. "I'll find him Selina," he promised. "If Edward's down there, I'll find him before it's too late."

Selina withdrew her hand and smiled. "I know," she said. "I'm coming with you."

"Selina," Bruce warned. "This will be dangerous."

"Oh really?" Selina drawled. "Going down into the sewers to chase Killer Croc will be dangerous? You don't say." Her face grew serious. "Eddie's my friend. If we find him before Croc does, I'm one of the only people around who might be able to talk sense into him. We both know he won't listen to you."

Bruce didn't like the idea of Selina coming with him, but he conceded the point. "Alright, but be careful."

"Relax," she said, sauntering towards the edge of the rooftop. "I'll just grab Eddie and get out. I'll leave the fighting to you. "

Nightwing was waiting by the entrance to the Old Blue Line Bowery Station when Bruce pulled up in the Batmobile. He gave Bruce a quick nod of acknowledgement then did a double take when he saw Selina exit the vehicle. She gave him a small wave. "Hi Boy Wonder."

Nightwing looked over to Bruce. "You wanna fill me in?"

Bruce locked down the Batmobile and walked over to Nightwing. "Nigma's gone after Croc," he explained. "We need to find him before he finds Croc."

Nightwing's eyes went wide under his domino mask. "Aw jeez..." He looked back towards Selina, who had joined him by the entrance. "I take it you're here to try to save Eddie from himself?"

Selina stretched her arms out above her head. "Try the key word there." She glanced at the entrance. "Ready boys?"

Nightwing stepped to the side and swept his arms towards the entrance "After you my Lady." Selina chuckled a bit and stepped through, followed by Bruce and Nightwing. The three descended the steps into the old station and walked out onto the old platform. Bruce winced as he saw the homeless gathered around meager fires, barely looking up at them as they passed. Budget cuts had forced the city to close down much of the shelters. Bruce would have to see that some of the Wayne Charity Foundation's budget went towards opening new ones. The three passed one older man who was sitting by the edge of the platform. He looked up at them with vague curiosity.

"You here for Croc or for Riddler?"

Selina looked sharply down at the man. "You saw Riddler? When?"

"Last night," the man answered. "Told him Croc was there. I warned him not to go down there. He didn't listen though."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. Edward had been down here for 24 hours. They needed to hurry. He jumped onto the tracks and gestured for Selina and Nightwing to follow him.

As they walked down the tunnel, the faint light from the fires on the platform completely dimmed. Bruce pulled a small flashlight out of a pocket on his belt and clicked it on, illuminating the tunnel before them. For a while, they walked on in silence, until Nightwing broke it.

"Going up against Croc...what's Eddie thinking? He's got to know he doesn't stand a chance against him."

"He's not thinking," Selina answered. "He's not being rational." She clucked her tongue. "He never really was rational where Spooky was concerned."

"I'll say," Nightwing muttered. "I never understood what he saw in Crane."

"Neither did I," Selina admitted. "But Eddie loved Crane. He still does love him. It doesn't matter what I think. And I think Spooky loved him back, in his own way. It wasn't like Joker and Harley."

Crane was a misanthrope who enjoyed the terror he caused, despite a token attempt to pass off his actions as 'pure research.' He disregarded all other concerns, including his health, as something completely beneath his notice. If there had been anyone on Earth that Jonathan Crane had truly cared for though, it was Edward Nigma. His always precarious grip on himself had slipped for good after that last fight in Metropolis, when Edward had finally bitten off more than he could chew. Bruce had been at that battle with the rest of the League, but he didn't see Edward go down. It wasn't until after the fight that he saw Shining Knight, standing over Edward's limp body. He almost didn't recognize him through all the blood. Shining Knight was still holding the bloody mace, stammering out apologies as Bruce had cradled Edward's body and yelled for a medic. Bruce suspected that Edward's earlier dip in the Lazarus Pit was the only reason he survived, even if his memories couldn't be salvaged. The only thing that comforted Bruce was the fact that Crane hadn't been there to witness it. Regardless, that had been the start of his final, fatal descent. Bruce felt his grip on his flashlight tighten. He'd had a hand in everything that had happened to Crane and Edward in the last few years. That was something he'd never forgive himself for.

Bruce paused when he noticed something up ahead. An open manhole, with the lid cast aside. He slowly walked over to the open space and shone his light down. It was about a six foot drop, with railings. Bruce went down first, shining his light to make sure there were no surprises waiting for them. When he saw it was clear, he gestured for Dick and Selina to follow him.

"You think Eddie was here?" Selina asked when she joined him.

"Yes," Bruce answered. "Let's keep going."

"He's been down here for a whole day," Nightwing said. "What's he been doing? Do you think he found Croc?"

"He could have gotten lost down here," Selina argued. "Maybe we'll run into him."

Bruce doubted that and he'd be surprised if Selina actually believed that.

"So what's the plan if we do find him?" Nightwing asked.

"I'm going to try to talk him into going back up with me," Selina answered. "And if he doesn't listen, I'm going to need your help hog-tying him and dragging him back up."

Nightwing snorted. "Great. Just like old times. I'm sure he'll really appreciate it too."

Bruce's attention was caught by the sound of water. That and the smell told them that they were in the sewers proper.

"I really hate when we have to chase after Croc," Nightwing complained, holding his nose. "Just once, can't he hide out in a bakery, or a field of flowers or something?"

"Eddie must be driven to find him," Selina added. "That's the only reason he'd be down here."

Bruce didn't respond, leading the way forward. If Croc was down here, they needed to be on the alert.

"Either of you boys have the time?"

Nightwing pulled up the sleeve of his costume. "12:30. We've been down here for about four hours, I don't think we're in the Bowery anymore."

Bruce accessed the palm top computer embedded in his right glove. "According to my schematics, we're under the Diamond District."

"You think Eddie made it this far?" Nightwing asked.

"He's got to be down here somewhere," Selina said. "You don't happen to have a tracking device on Eddie, do you?"

"No." Bruce said. He'd considered putting one in Ed's cane when they worked together on the Sharp case last year, but he'd decided against it. There was too much of a risk that Edward would have found out and be set off by it and there was a part of Bruce that had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. With everything that had happened since then, Bruce wished that he had. He'd promised himself when Edward had woken up and announced his intent to reform, that he'd do what he could to ensure he stayed reformed...

...The office Edward had chosen to set up shop at is small, but Bruce supposes it will do. He'd decided that morning to pay the former rogue a visit as Bruce Wayne. There were things he needed to know about Edward, things he didn't think he'd find out as easily if he went as Batman. The door to what he assumes is the waiting room was wide open, so Bruce walks in. He raises an eyebrow at the open boxes that litter the floor. "Hello?" he calls out. "Anyone home?"

He hears a noise and Edward appears, walking out of the room just beyond the waiting room. His eyes widen in recognition when he sees him and Bruce tenses. The moment of truth. Does Edward remember that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

"I know your face," Edward murmurs. Then a smile appears on his face, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course! You're Bruce Wayne!"

This is a good sign, Bruce thinks, but he's still cautious as he reaches out to shake his hand. "Indeed I am."

Edward takes his hand and shakes it, more out of a desire to be polite Bruce thinks. "I'm sorry for the mess in here. I just moved in."

"No worries," Bruce says. "I can only imagine how busy you must be."

Edward picks up one of the boxes on the floor and sets it on what will probably become a secretary's desk. "So," he says in a jovial tone that sounds just a bit forced, "How can I help the wealthiest man in Gotham today?" A look passes on Edward's face. "You're not here to settle a score with me are you? I don't remember if I've ever robbed you or not."

Either Edward is doing a very good job of mocking him, or he legitimately doesn't remember. Bruce is beginning to think it's the latter. Time to do another test. "I actually came to ask for your help."

Edward's eyes widen in genuine surprise then. "You-my help?" He recovers and claps his hands together. "Well then! What kind of conundrum do you have for me?"

Bruce takes the opportunity to study the man before him. Edward's put on weight since he's been released, looking healthier than Bruce had seen him for a long time. His eyes no longer have that manic gleam Bruce remembers from the last few encounters they'd had before Metropolis, but Bruce thinks they're a bit duller than they used to be. The purple shades obscure them somewhat. Bruce clears his throat and continues. "We've been having a rash of break ins at Wayne Towers in the past two weeks. I'd like you to take a look into it." Bruce had already figured out that a security guard was part of a robbery ring and was assisting his friends in breaking in. He wants to see if Edward can come to the same conclusion. He wants to know how sharp his mind still is.

Edward pulls out a pad of paper and a pencil from the desk drawer and jots this down. "Break ins...Do you have security footage?"

"Yes. You'll have access to everything you might need." Bruce pulls out his checkbook and writes an amount down. "I think this should about cover it."

Edward takes the check from Bruce's hand and his eyes almost bug out at the amount. "This-Mr. Wayne I-" Edward passes the check back. "This is too much. I can't accept it."

Selina told Bruce that Edward wasn't quite his old self just yet. Now Bruce fully believes it. "Mr. Nigma," he says. "Edward. Please. I want you to take it."

Edward eyes the check for a long moment, then takes it and puts it in his pocket quickly, as if he thinks that Bruce will change his mind and demand it back. "I'll get started on the case right away," he says. The man wets his lip and continues. "You must have a lot of options Mr. Wayne. Why me? I can't imagine your board at Wayne Enterprises would be too happy about this."

"No, the probably won't be," Bruce admits. "But I believe you really do want a fresh start. And I believe in second chances..."

"Bruce!"

Selina's voice jolted him out of his memory. Before he could respond, she rushed past him, running to what looks like a scrap of cloth on the ground about ten feet from them. A green scrap of cloth. Bruce rushed to catch up to Selina as she picked it up off the ground. When he was next to her, he got a closer look. It was Edward's green bowler hat. "He was here," Selina said. "I knew it."

"So what happened?" Nightwing asked. "Did Croc...?"

Bruce shone the flashlight around the immediate area. No blood. The water wasn't deep enough in this part of the sewer for Croc to have dragged him under either. His lair must be close by. "Come on," he said. "Stay behind me." He can hear Selina unfurl her whip and Dick ready his fighting sticks. The three of them continued on down the sewer. About ten minutes later, they hit a junction.

"Which way?" Selina asked.

"It's too dangerous to split up," Bruce said. He looked back down at his glove. The signal was weak down here, but he could just make out the map of the sewer system that Oracle had uploaded to the server for such an occasion. "The left leads to deeper water. The right's a dead end. We should go left."

Before either of his companions could reply, they heard a long, loud scream from the left. It was one of the most terrible noises Bruce had ever heard. It was a cry of pain, anger, and agony. Dick and Selina's eyes were both wide. "Was that Eddie?" Dick asked.

Selina stood frozen for a moment. "Oh my God! EDDIE!"

Without a word, Bruce ran towards the direction the cry had come from at top speed. He barely heard Dick and Selina behind him in full pursuit. He thought about Metropolis. He thought about the night Jonathan Crane had died. He would not fail Edward again.

#pi verse #regarding jonathan crane

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