Brutal Discovery (Cass)

[The Scarecrow]

Jonathan Crane was now dawning a new suit. Thanks to his long lost childhood friend, Cassandra. Pushing his glasses up further on his nose, he began making his way to Gotham. Remembering the way Cass brought him to it.

He was a bit unsure why he was going back, but he felt talking with her was relaxing. Being the Scarecrow and all, it was rather nice to feel relaxed.
"God, that girl is hot. What happened to the little tom boy I recalled from all those years ago?" Jonathan thought out loud to himself. It was amazing, she was always the tough, not to pretty smart girl. Now she was the Hot, young woman who was also smart.

Braking through his inner thoughts, he began to hear the sounds of punches being planted on think jaws, short cracking noises soon followed. Jonathan let out a small gasp and took a few steps back. "The Batman?" Quickly reacting, Jonathan took out his good ol Scarecrow mask and slipped it on. Getting the Fear gas out and ready to spray in case the caped crusader came his way.

[Cass]

Cass clicked purposefully along the darkened streets of Gotham, having just completed another day of work at the courthouse. She had plans for the evening that involved eating and staring off into space, which would likely confuse the hell out of Chase since she was making a habit of it. He often tried to speak to her, distract her, but after repeated lack of response he had fallen into confusion and silence. Cass felt bad leading him like this, but the truth was the reentry of Jonathan Crane into her life had shaken her far more than she'd intended to be shaken. She still couldn't forget the goosebumps on her neck from his breath and the heat in her body that had risen from his voice. She couldn't replace the sense of having found something she'd been missing for a long long time, and she was slowly becoming aware both of how lonely she had been and how angry she was that he had left her. Except he had apologized and she'd forgiven him straightaway. So, consequently, she was very confused.

Of course it didn't help that a few nights ago she had pictured him...

Thankfully or unthankfully a loud sound jerked her out of that train of thought. She whipped around in time to see a street thug coming at her with a gun. She dropped her purse and crouched into a defensive position, wishing she had her sais with her. As it was the thug swung at her, she ducked, and delivered a smart chop to his jaw. He groaned in pain but came at her again, growling. She sidestepped his attack...and his partner chopped her at her center of gravity, knocking her to the ground. She flailed and tried to kick but he got there first, landing a solid blow to her ribs. She yelled out in pain.

[The Scarecrow]

Jonathan heard the cry of a...woman? Nothing like the sounds of the caped cowl. "Aw damn." He hissed as he analyzed the cry. From what he had heard recently, it was someone he only just met. Going with his gut, he dashed to the scene, turning the corner to see two men teaming up on a young woman. Her hair blanketed her face making Crane unsure who it was.

The woman let out one more yelp. Jonathan grew annoyed. To see two immature thugs beating up a woman? Did they have no respect. Doing what he was most happy of doing, Jonathan ran up to them and quickly sent his hand at one of the man's face. His eyes widened as he took in an entire lung full.

The man coughed and fell to his knees, holding his chest in pain. "That'll keep you down for a few." He turned to the other man who now held the woman at gun point.

"Cassandra?!" He realized as it was her, being mugged? He would have never known.

He began hearing the shrieks and cries of the man he had sprayed only moments ago. He eyed the man with his soul piercing eyes. "If you don't let her go, the same will happen to you." He cooed under the mask as he watched the man's eyes dance from Jonathan to the screaming man behind him.

"Your choice."

[Cass]

Cass wasn't having fun. Especially not when a second kick nailed her in the back. She let out another cry of pain and then suddenly jumped as the man who had been kicking her let out a scream. She heard a hissing noise and a lot of coughing and choking before she opened her eyes (she'd closed them, Chase would be so furious at her for that).

Harsh hands yanked her up into the air and she felt the cold steel of a gun barrel press against her temple. She actually was able to say "Shit," out loud before her eyes focused and she looked at Jonathan Crane...or at least she thought it was Crane. She recognized the mask from earlier - his Scarecrow getup. He was threatening the man who was holding her in an almost gentle voice, but those soul-piercing eyes were as cold as ice.

And instantly, she was angry. Furious, even, that he would have to come to her rescue. Livid that she had been caught walking by some stupid street thugs. And guilty as relief and heat soared through her as she realized what Crane was there to do. With a grunt she stabbed back with an elbow, then grabbed the thug and hurled him over her head to slam into the ground. Without hesitating she put one heel on his chest, pushing just enough to make him scream in pain, and then she crouched beside him, her hair falling in waves.

"Go home," she growled, tigerlike. "I am a Gotham City District Attorney. And if I ever catch you prowling these streets again, I'll take you to my...reserve office. A special place for difficult cases like you. And we'll...fix your troubles with understanding me. Am I quite clear?"

The man's eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of his head. He only nodded, his head bobbing like crazy, and Cass let him up. He scampered away into the darkness.

[The Scarecrow]

Jonathan watched in the time of a blink as Cass freed herself from the man's grasp. "Whoa." He commented quietly. "Nice moves. I see you had him." He looked to the man behind him. His screams where quiet, but it did not mean he was not scared. The man stumbled to his feet and tired to run from whatever he saw. Maybe he'd find his thug buddy.

Jonathan looked back to Cass. "Are you alright?" He asked finally.

[Cass]

Cass blinked in surprise as she looked back up at Crane - for a moment she'd blanked and forgotten he was there. As the man scampered away the blank and lost look in her eyes was slowly replaced by awareness and a little embarrassment. "It hurts a lot," she said, wincing as she rose to her feet. Only now she was figuring out just how hard she'd been kicked in the ribs and back. She was going to be sore for days and Chase was going to wonder what the hell had gone wrong. And then probably go out and try to find the thugs who did it. She hoped not...Crane had taken care of them far worse than Chase could. And she wanted to find that thug anyway and take him to her lab. She'd make him pay for hurting her. No question.

"So you're saving my skin again and again it seems," she said with a slightly growing smile. "I may have to employ you as another bodyguard."

[The Scarecrow]

Crane let out a small chuckled sigh as he heard her response. "At least they did not kill you..." He cooed as he looked to see just a small speck of the fearful man, running. The sight made him grin just a bit.

He looked back to Cassandra. He remembered the small girl with the pride made out of steel. He gently took her arm to help her stay up. "Not sure I will be well to help you medical wise." He confessed looking to where he noticed her cringe.

"Will you be needing any?" he asked through his mask. Forgetting to take it off.

[Cass]

[did he totally miss her threat to the thug?]
Cass reached over and tugged on Jonathan's mask, smiling slightly. "I'm fine," she said. "My ribs aren't too pleased with the boot they got but nothing's broken. I'm more interested now in just how fast your thug ran off. What is that stuff?"

It would be a potent chemical to add to her little experiments. In addition to watching a sane man slip into insanity, she could measure inherent insanity with manufactured insanity and see just how well they understood each other.

[The Scarecrow]

[How do you wish for me to react?]

Jonathan turned a bit after the girl tugged at his mask. "Ah." He whispered. At least she was fine. But what about her question. "What is that Stuff?" He thought he told her, but he guessed that Cassandra had not seen it in action.

"Ah, that was my fear toxin." He raised his right arm and pulled down the sleeve to show a small bottle that seemed to be held with some kind of air. "When inhaled, it forces the victims worst fears to come alive. And only to them." As he explained, Johnathan's grin grew to an evil form, proud of his work.

[Cass]

[do what you think Crane would do. I don't want to tell you what to do. He just heard her openly threaten someone - maybe he doesn't know if she's serious, maybe he heard a little of the insanity in her voice...maybe he heard nothing and thought she has a lot of bark and no bite?]

Those icy eyes remained behind the mask, and Cass finally reached it up and pulled it off of his face, exposing his evil smile and...his uncovered eyes. Her face fell - well not fell, not in a sad way, more serious, like a small pout. Her lips parted and she slowly drew the mask away from him, watching the effect the burlap had on his hair. That evil smile twisted his face but reached his eyes and made them shine even icier and colder than before. The little boy she had known was grown up indeed, and a new mind had come to replace the old one. He didn't scare birds anymore. He didn't have to. One look from those eyes would freeze a heart.

Or melt one.

Aware that she was openly staring at him, Cassandra flinched and tried to compose herself. "Your mask," she said, hearing her voice crack just a little.

Thankfully, his words sufficiently distracted her. The worst fears of the victims to come alive - only to them. Cass's eyes literally lit up, and a predatory gleam came into them as a semi-hungry smile split her lips. She couldn't stop the eagerness in her voice - she was like a child in a candy shop. The possibilities with this! "Is it reversible? Does it wear off? Is there an antitoxin of some kind? How much is too much?"

She almost literally had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop the questions from coming. She knew this would probably look suspicious to him, but he had trusted her with knowledge of it, and if he remembered anything about her he would remember that she loved to explore and learn new things.

She wanted a sample, but she didn't dare ask yet. First find out if it was reversible. It might be fun to use, but if it broke the toys then why bother?

[The Scarecrow]

Johnathan watched as the woman peeled the mask off his face, leaving him at his grin. He noticed her stare. It seemed so lost. So open. For the longest time. He returned it with a small nod.

She held it with her, Johnathan not really trying to get it back knowing that she would not just run off with it. Hopefully. He heard all her questioned and let out a small chuckle realizing her wide interest in it. "Well, someone is investigator in training?" He joked coldly. Taking a deep yet quiet sigh, Johnathan continued what he had started.

"Yes, it is reversible. The Damned Bat conducted a cure, and it can wear off within a matter of hours, but it still means a lot of pain." Crane grinned at the sights he had seen that went for hours. Lots of screams. They seemed like they never ended.

"And too much....would mean about the amount it could fill in one balloon." He finished off, his grin still there. He noticed her great enthusiasm and decided to be kind once more. He clipped off the release can on his wrist and handed it to her. In take he slowly took his mask from her other hand.

"You may have your way this this. I trust you." He commented to her and stepped away. He was going to slip on his mask, but he instead, slipped it away under his jacket. He waited to see what Cassandra would do.

[Cass]

Cass's eyes were literally lit up with excitement as she inspected the can. She barely even felt Crane take the mask from her. On impulse she jumped forward and flung her arms around him, her body quivering lightly against his. She kissed him on the cheek, began to pull back, and gazed at him deeply. Her eyes lingered on his full lips, wondering about how they tasted, how they felt. The old, old dream of taking her revenge on him for leaving her so many years ago...morphing into something far more intoxicating and interesting. Her eyes flicked up to his, and she released him, pulling away.

"Thanks for the new toy," she said, smiling. "I'm sure I'll get some use out of it."

Awkward now, and unsure, she added: "And thanks for the help."

She turned and began to walk away.

[feel free to stop her or let her go - let me know what you do and I'll start the thread where he accidentally sees her torturing someone]