In less than twenty-four hours, the GCPD had lost control of the city.
Millions of decent citizens were evacuated as quickly as possible when Scarecrow’s threat echoed across Gotham.
Now only scum, criminals, and freaks wander the streets—unbound, fearless.
Batman and Gordon began piecing together Scarecrow’s plan: to drown Gotham in his toxin… and hopefully cleanse the city of it's rot together.
Hours drag on like a crippled soldier crawling back to camp—the night unending, heavier than the weight already bestowed.
Batman infiltrates Ace Chemicals.
But the Dark Knight does not know his g̶r̷e̶a̸t̷e̸s̴t̵ ̷f̷a̶i̷l̶u̵r̵e̴ waits for him there.
Years of rage and resentment burn inside the boy he could not save—
a fury that makes him shake, that makes him long for one thing only: revenge.
The World’s Greatest Detective cannot put the pieces together.
Who is this masked man serving Scarecrow?
But Bruce’s mind is splintered.
Even a single, coherent thought would be a miracle.
At least one that wasn’t dripping with violence.
The man who murdered thousands.
The clown who crippled his ally.
The monster who tortured—and ended—his little bird.
Each tick of the clock drives him deeper into the spiral.
And no matter what this night may bring, it cannot wash away his negligence toward his ward.
Time – ̶1̵:̶0̵0̶ ̸a̴.̴m̷.̴
Tension is b̵̛͊͆̃̐̾̈̓͊̾͒̚͝r̷̢̳̩͕̖͕͚̦̮͇͙̈́̌͂̽͝n̴͐͠î̵̢̝̹̰̥̰̼͉͋̔͒̋̎̎͂͐͘n̴̢͇̺͇͍͓͑͂̿̐̋̈́̐̇́͐̄͘͘g̶̡̛͍̠̫̠̝̬̏̈́͑͂͂̍̎̎͂̓͐͐͂͜͝
b̵̨̧̤̬͚͚͈̺͇̔̿͆̃͆̐̆̔̀͠ͅù̴̗͕̼̻̮̆̎t̵̝̗͉̝̲̳̫̣̍͋́̅̆̑͘ ̶̰̩̣̟̳̗̪̩̠̜̌̔̈́̆͠t̶̡̧̻̱̣̪̤͕̰̽̏͗̽̅ͅh̷̢̨͇͕̬̮͚̖̜̅̈́̃̌̅͊ę̴̢̮̬̝͔̟̩̗̈̒ ̶̛͍͙̟̭̑͆͋͂̀̃ś̵̺̖̮̞̥̑̉́͑̃í̸̡̘̺̙͉̯̦͙̹̬̇̊̾̌͌̽̏̈́̍̕ͅn̵͔̜͚̱̳̯̫̻͗̆s̴̬̪͚̝̙̥̹͈̯̦̻̊̈̃ ̴̤͋͐̇̅̄́̔̇͘ờ̵̢̹̪̻̫̍̄̈́͑̈́͗̉̇̃f̷̡̦̏̿̿̀͌͋̅̊͛̑͠ ̸̮̊̂́̔͑̈́͗́͌́̈́a̸̧̯̺̽̇͆̓̒́̊͑ ̶̼̻̻̮̲̑̀̄̑́͘͠r̴̨̫̙͓̯̣̀̒̌̓͂̌͠ĕ̸̝́̉͂͝ċ̷̨͕͉͈̣̥̦͎̰́̀̈̈́̀̔̇͝ḵ̴̬̍͆͊͊͌̏̽̚͝l̴̮̓̐̋̚ͅȅ̴̘̼̭͎͑́s̴̨͉͙̺̺̬̩͖̔̊̎̓̕̚ş̴̨̧̗͙͇̪͒͂͌̊͂̚͜ ̶̡̧͎͕̰̲͇̼̦͛̄̅͂͐̄͂̾͝ͅf̷̡͈̬͎͓̩̼̤̬̙̊̏̄à̶̡̘̀͑̈́̒́̀́͘͝t̷̢̧͖̯̠̅̒͋̂̈́̾͘͠͠͠h̵̡̠̣͙̦͍̭͖̞̼͎̞̉͛́̽͊͌̋͂è̵̺͚͇͚̲̝̙͍͚̱̈̀̔̀̊͒͘͠r̶͍̮̗͌̉̎ͅ ̸̘́͝ȧ̸̡̟̟̻̱̓̒͆̕ͅr̴͔̘̤͈̍͛̓͛̾̓̿͆̑̇͠͠e̸̮̱̻̞̜̦̞̘͔͐̽͊͌̾̚ ̵̢̢̭̩̲̰̫̺̰̳̩̑̌ċ̷͉̳̩̹́̀̆a̵͔͔̤̖̳͆͌̀̿́̔̔t̶̨̹͙̲̻̮̽͂̐̀͋̕ͅc̴̛̲̣͍͇͉̯̙̐̌͌͌͒̚͜h̸̖͉̪̽̔̌͝i̴̧̛͖̠̭̻̮̦̐n̶͚̣͉̦͆̃̋͒͠g̶͖̰̞̺̓̋̂̆̽̅̏ ̴̪̹̼̯͌̉̌̊̽ü̵̮̙̏̎͐͘p̴̡̦͓̘̯͈̬̂̋͝.̸̶̵̨̞̟̹͇̞̲̦̼̺̟̯̋̎̃̈́͛̌͌͌̌̅͐̾̔͌̂̓̂̂̔̚̚̕͝T̴̡̬̙̳͇͇̿͆͋̑̂h̷̘͕̟̆͆e̴̺̜͋̌̕ ̴̡̨̜̪̝͓̙̝̲̀̐̋̉̎̐̃͌͘͠p̷͕̼̺̱̪͒̉͗̽̓̊̏͆̈̈́̚͝a̵̤̫̞̤̘̞̖̟̭͍̘̎̍͒̓́̃̓͐͘͝s̷̰͎̜͂̍̂͘͝t̴̰̻̐͊̌́̋̄͆̃̊̕͝͠ ̵̧͖͚̺̜͗̅̆̅͆̂̄̄͂͋͛͠ẇ̵̨̨̢̜̫̺̟̖̰̝̭̏̾̈̏̇̑͂̍̃̓͘͜h̴͎̦͉̣̪̬̀̈́i̸̭̭̭͙͈͍͎̺̥͓͕̹͛͆͛̎̈́̓̔̐̓̆̔̂s̵̺̳̖̫͍͙̲̞̮̮͎̼̿̓̔̎̃̅̍̿p̸̧̡̢̨̺͍͙̭͓̲̭̋̿̔̎͘̚͝ͅe̷̺̜̞̘̩̭͖̠̻̻͔͌̿̇̃̎ŗ̷̩͓̬͇̣̺̫̓̈́͗̒͜s̷̢̛̹̰̞̰̥͒̑̐̽̌͠͝ ̷̹̪̮͉̞̍͐̽̀̓̇̉̑̕m̶̥͙̲̬͍̗̭͑̍̈́͛̋̂͊ō̸̟̹͙̣̯͎̕͜͠͝r̷͓͖̙̲͙̯͙͙͈̲̺̺͆̆̉̏̃̒ê̶̛̯̥̽̔̔̏̇̋̂͠͝ ̷̺͑̾́̄͗͒t̴̡̧̬̦̜̥̖̠̥̿̈́̈́̇͆͋̀͑͜h̴̞͕̰͔͍̝̠̏ͅa̴̡̤͕̼̠̺͉͈͍̬͚̯̾͌̇̒̂̎̒n̷̨̧̺̲͍͉̙͔̱̳͚͑́̽ ̴̧̛̛͔̂͋̀͒̃ĩ̵̡̗͕͔̤̒̓̎̓̈̎̃͘t̸̬̥͙̟̬̻̿̿̉̔̐̎̏̄͛̈́̚ͅ ̶̡̘̞̫̬̦̳̫̀̒͝ś̴̖̰̤̓̊̅̈̿̆̔͝͠͠h̶̜̮̦̦͕͇̩̗̉̈̕͠o̵̡̫͈͚͇̼͋̉̍̇̉u̷̧̘̚l̸̝̜̟̠͉̠̫̮̬͓̃̆̀̂͗͗̎̓̕̚ḑ̴͎͚̮̘̩͍̭͉̃̾̅̔͊̿̽̆̀̓͘.̵̸̷͙̺̮̝͈̰̬̣̳̟̫͙̖̙͔̙̲̖̰͖̯͈͙̺̦̬̰̯̦̰̤̑̌͌͒̃̍̍̀͛́͐̄̃͜͝T̶̛̥̟̮̓͋̑̆̏̓̈́h̸͈͇͉͉͋͆̾̀̀͌͗̉͌̋͜ͅe̸͎̙̻̤̪͒͝ ̵͉͔͋͆͊̃̀̊́̑̆̔̈͝f̵͇͚̭͖̘͒̓̽̑͋̓͗̂̎ư̸͖̮̤̱̪̞̏̋̓͂̀̽̓t̶̯̪̦̟͆́ų̵̞̲͇̳̙̝̭̫͘͜͝ŗ̷̨̰̞̭̳̟̈́́̒̉̂́̍̑̈́͂ê̶̛̗͙̝̂̍̀́̅̎̂͌̚͠ ̴̻̦̗̔̀͘i̴͎̣̕s̸̝̼̟̋̑ ̶̨̡̨̛̰͓͇̻͓͇͌͂͗̀͑̎̊̀ạ̵̤̫͙͆͌̀͌̓͐͆ĺ̴̨͔̎̎̕r̴̪͎̍̈́̿̓́̈́̈̚e̷͔̲̠̥̰͉̥̽́̀̑͋͊ͅa̷̢̪͚̟̳̿̈̈́̓͐̉̅̾̌̍̕d̵̰̐̆̈́́̋̌̓̓̏̕̚͘y̸̝̟̣͚̞̱̲̼̼̻̋̉̆̓̋͛̿̀͘ ̶̥̬̳̳̹̅̌̄͒b̶͕͎̯̺̯̼̥̖̼̳̣̔̔̾̏͆̓͗͘͘ͅl̵͎̊͊́̓̈͗̌̓͆͊̕ē̴̘̙͉͈̩̥̝̑̀͛̾̚ḁ̸̜͇̝̀̾̽͂̅̑̍͠͝k̵̞͎̰͉̍̐̀̈́̄̍̌͊̉̎̚̕.̶̷̷̡̡̖̬͎̲̲͇̞͚̱͖̻̤͕̰̘̻́̿̓͋͆̏̔̇̉͌̈́̌̄̀͘ͅT̶͎̼̫̉̀̓̏͋͌h̸͎̣͉̲̰̤̟͚̗̗̟͑̐̈́̈́͑̀̆̈́͘̕͜ȩ̴̛̝̺͉̤͚́̊̇͋̆̂́̂͘͜͠͠ ̶͔͉͎͉̄͋͗ͅņ̵̱̳̫̰͓̦͈͔̓̽̑ì̴̡̔̆̎̾̓̿͑̑͠g̵͖̥̼̊ḩ̶̺͖͍̻̞̬͖̯̩̽̎ͅt̵͈͍̬̗̭̭̣͚͉͓̎͑͐͐̌̂̕̕m̶̗̜͉̞̝͈̦̙̪̫̀͋͊̀͑͋̾̓͗̈͝͠a̸̡̲̗̲͈̻͇͔͇̭̜͂̅ͅŗ̵̥̞͍͕̣̥͓͙̖͗̐̔͆̉̄̃̆̕͝͝ͅe̶͉̖͖͆̿̌̿͜͠ͅ ̸̼̙̑̉̂͘͜e̶̹̜͗̈́͗̋̀̂̌̅̀̑͆͠t̵̥̰͉͎͉͉̪̃̈͑͒́́̕͘͠e̵̡̲͇̥̳̮̿̌́̀́̍̀̄͘͝ŗ̵̨̞̰͇͇̯̺̼͎̈̎͂̃ņ̸̏̋̽̈́̊̆̈́̋̚a̸̛͈͖͚̎̂̈́̉͜l̸̘͚̣̹̬̱̮̐̉̈́͛́͘͝͠.̴̴̵̢̨̱̫̬͔̰̫͕̘̥̫͉̦̭͇̪̼̞̣̌̂̐́̂͒̊̌̽͐͊̀̏̉̊̇̚͜͜͠͠͝T̸̞̼̝͓̲̭̠̖̯͙̼͗͒̿̏͗h̶̼͙̙͌̋͂̐͑̊̂̓̉͜ĕ̴͇̬̤͖̞̝͍̬͕̼͘͘ͅ ̵̧̤̬̘̲̤̙̦̻̎c̵̫̹̞̣̦̺̩͛̽͒̃̉͂͌ͅh̵̫̲̐̇̑̋͌̈̉́͋͠ͅi̸̢̥͈̼̫̅̌̋l̴̨̢̮̮̳̼̝̩̜̥̣̄̒̆̓̚͠d̶̖͈̙̘̤̓́̀̀͑͗̕͜ ̶̞̩̭̭̱͚̌͛̽̅̒ͅw̶̤͖̅͑͘h̸̛̤̦̲̠̔̉͌͆͋͒͌͋o̴͇̥̳̹̣͇̯̩̜̳̩̐̈͊̃͊͝͝ ̸̢̺̪̜̟͔̬̒́͘ͅs̷̨̰̰̥̹̞͈̪͎̫͓͊̽̌̇̒͛̃̀̑͠ͅu̷̢̡͋̈͋ͅḟ̸͚̫̲̜͇̫̀̽̊͠f̴̛̗̹͎̘͒͂́́̓̚̕͝͝e̸̢͉̗̹̭͍̝͙̩͛̀͛͝ṟ̸̛̥̟̳͂͑̇̿̏̿͝ĕ̴̢̧̻̜̯̗̖͊̽̆͌̊̎̓̓̈̕͝ḑ̵̛̳̖͙̭̮̝̲̝̘̞͚̔͋̌̎̚̚͝͝͠…̴̢̲̗̇̎̄̉̒̐̉͛̅̆͗̑ ̶̺̈͋ş̸̜̲̱̾̍ų̸̛̱̯͖̗͉̜͛͗̓͐̏͊̊̓͐̒͘f̶̲͚̗̎̔̒͗̃̃͋͐͘͘͘f̶̡̛̞͍̣̻̮̝̥̺͈̥͛̓͝ę̷̡̭̙̙̫̜͖͌̐̀r̶̩̞̣̀ŝ̴̤͈̼͎͕̥͚̭͕̈́͝͠ ̶̝̰͂̎̓̇͐ş̴̜̫͓͙̼̞̲̼̅̄́̂̇̍̍͠t̷̙̒͐̈̅̋̌̆į̷̼̰̬̝͕͆͒̏̑̄͜l̸̬̦͚̺̟̯͖͚͆͒͐͊̽̕l̸̦͓͙͍̦̤̣̳̦̫͍̘̂͋̊̈́̋́.̶̸̶̢̤̼̲̭̗̮̺͇̳̲͔͍̊̅̽̀͛͌̊A̸̪̓n̴̮̬̾̅d̵̨̜͖̘͍̯̮͎̫̱̐̾͌̐͜ ̶̤̹͕̩̔̈̿́̈́ṣ̴̛͂̈́̽u̴̘̦̰̦̯̬̭͉̼̭̩̍͊͊͌́͌͋͠f̶̣̼̖̬̓̇̍͠f̵̨̠̹̙̌̀̄̈̐ë̵̮̤̺́̇̈͑́̔̍͜͜ŕ̸̨͓̮̖͔͕̼̹̀̽́̍̓̏̔̒s̷̛͉̳̹̗͉̜̘͚̝̱͙̋̀̇͝ͅ ̸̝̝͙̤͈͙͈̝̿͛̓͂͌̆̚̕e̶͚̘͇͚̙͈̳͚̮͍͗v̷̡͓̟̻́̇͋è̵̼̲͎̠̯̑̽͒̽̋̀̀͊̽̾̔ň̶̼̳̭̙̟͕̑̀͜͠ ̸̖͓͙͉͓̆̍̋̓̊m̷̢̡̛̩͓̫̯͌́̄͂͐̓̈́͋͂̈̕ͅͅơ̷̧̨̖͈͍̘̙̝͔͒̉͂̎̋̓̓͌̋͜͠͝r̴̡̹̥̣̹̠̭̟͈̈́̚͜͜e̶̢̮̲͋͆͋̽̈́̚͝.̸̼̪̹̪̪̮̹͇͋̐̐̀̕͜͠
H̷͇̱́͐̆ô̶͎̱̮͐p̸̫͑̄̕e̶̖̅͊̚ ̴̡̏f̶͛̃͘ȉ̵͘g̶̍͝h̷͑͆t̵̛̚s̵͒ ̷̤̔f̶͛o̴̐r̸̈́ ̷͓̔j̴̈u̶̹̎s̴̆t̸̨͘i̸͊͆c̶̣͎͝ê̸͛
T̸h̵e̸ ̷i̸n̶f̵e̸c̶t̸i̷o̵n̴ ̵s̵p̵r̸e̴a̸d̵s̷.̷
Time –̶ ̶4̸:̷3̴0̶ ̸a̴.̴m̵.̷
The horror and liminality of his honey-dipped rasp echoed through the room.
"𝐎ɦɦɦ… ᑯⱺ𐓣’𝗍 𝗍𝖾ᥣᥣ ꭑ𝖾 𝗒ⱺυ’𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝖼α𝗋𝖾ᑯ, ᥣ𝗂𝗍𝗍ᥣ𝖾 ᑲ𝗂𝗋ᑯ? 𝐂’ꭑⱺ𐓣! 𝐘ⱺυ 𝗄𐓣ⱺω 𝐁α𝗍𝗌 ωⱺυᥣᑯ𐓣’𝗍 ɦα𝗏𝖾 𝗍ⱺ𝗌𝗌𝖾ᑯ 𝗒ⱺυ ⱺυ𝗍 ᥣ𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗌ⱺꭑ𝖾 υ𐓣ωα𐓣𝗍𝖾ᑯ ρυρρ𝗒… 𝗂𝖿 𝗒ⱺυ 𝗃υ𝗌𝗍 ɦαᑯ α ᥣ𝗂𝗍𝗍ᥣ𝖾 ᑲα𝖼𝗄ᑲⱺ𐓣𝖾!!"
He sauntered around the room, circling the so-called Arkham Knight.
"𝐘ⱺυ 𝖿α𝗂ᥣ𝖾ᑯ, 𝗄𝗂ᑯᑯⱺ. 𝐏α𝗍ɦ𝖾𝗍𝗂𝖼 α𝗌 αᥣωα𝗒𝗌. 𝚰 ꭑ𝖾α𐓣—𝗋𝖾αᥣᥣ𝗒, 𝚰 𝖾𝗑ρ𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾ᑯ ꭑⱺ𝗋𝖾 ⱺ𝖿 α 𝖿𝗂𝗀ɦ𝗍! 𝐁υ𝗍 αᥣᥣ 𝗒ⱺυ ᑯ𝗂ᑯ ωα𝗌 ωɦ𝗂ꭑρ𝖾𝗋 α𐓣ᑯ ωɦ𝗂𐓣𝖾, ᥣ𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗌ⱺꭑ𝖾 ᑲ𝗋α𝗍 𝗍ɦ𝗋ⱺω𝗂𐓣𝗀 α 𝗍α𐓣𝗍𝗋υꭑ. 𝐀𐓣ᑯ 𝗍ɦ𝖾𐓣—ωɦα𝗍 ᑯⱺ 𝗒ⱺυ ᑯⱺ? 𝐃𝗂𝗏𝖾 ɦ𝖾αᑯ𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 α𝗍 𝐁α𝗍𝗌, ᥣ𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗒ⱺυ ⱺω𐓣 𝗍ɦ𝖾 ωɦⱺᥣ𝖾 𝗌ɦⱺω! 𝐇𝖾ɦ… ᑯυꭑᑲ α𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋. 𝐍ⱺ—𝗌𝖼𝗋α𝗍𝖼ɦ 𝗍ɦα𝗍—ᑯυꭑᑲ𝖾𝗋 𝗍ɦα𐓣 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋!"
Joker leaned in, his grin wide and poisonous.
"𝚰’ᥣᥣ 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗒ⱺυ ρ𝗋ⱺρ𝗌 𝖿ⱺ𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𐓣𝗀 υρ 𝗍ɦ𝖾 ᑲ𝗂𝗀 𝗌ɦ𝖾ᑲα𐓣𝗀, ᑲυ𝗍 ωɦα𝗍 ωα𝗌 𝗍ɦ𝖾 ρⱺ𝗂𐓣𝗍, ɦꭑꭑ? 𝐉υ𝗌𝗍 𝗌ⱺ 𝐃αᑯᑯ𝗒 𝖼ⱺυᥣᑯ 𝖼ⱺꭑ𝖾 𝗂𐓣 α𐓣ᑯ 𝗌ρα𐓣𝗄 𝗒ⱺυ 𝗂𐓣 𝗍ɦ𝖾 𝖾𐓣ᑯ"
The clown’s laughter echoed, sharp and hollow.
But what truly mattered was the question clawing at Jason’s mind—
Why was he here? Wasn’t he dead? Wasn’t Batman the only one infected by Scarecrow’s toxins?
Or… was this a ghost from the past come back to haunt him, to mock him for his failures?
