Chapter 9:Scarecrow Part 2

"Croc remember none of this is real!"Batman shouted, even though he himself was having a tough time with that.

'Oh Dark Knight fear is real."Scarecrow cackled,"and so is the enemies here!"

As if on cue skeletons crawled their way out of the ground around the two. Batman and Killer Croc were forced to be back to back against the circle of skeletons. Bruce could tell that Waylon was having a hard time keeping it together. Croc was shaking his head and making whimpering noises. Batman too was having a difficult time with the fear gas.

"We have to keep it together Croc. Scarecrow must be taken down."Batman instructed, which Croc growled in agreement.

With that Batman and Killer Croc launched themselves at the gang of skeletons. Batman quickly landed a high kick to one skeleton's head, which made the thing break apart upon the ground. Croc simply swatted at the skeletons with his big reptilian hands, causing their many bones to scatter. With a few more blows from the pair the skeleton horde was soon defeated, their bones lay everywhere around them.

"HAHAHA!"Scarecrow laughed, his huge form standing high above them."You didn't think it would be that easy did you?"

Before the Dark Knight and Killer Croc could react Scarecrow pounded the ground with his fist, causing it to crack and split. Peices of the ground under their feet started to crumble and fall below into the darkness.

"What do we do Batman!"Croc shouted.

"Follow me quickly!"Batman commanded and started racing towards the end of the platform. He could see in the distance another platform, which hopefully they could jump to. Batman and Croc ran for their lives as the ground beneath crumbled away.

"Jump for it Waylon!"Batman yelled and, side by side, they jumped to the next platform.

"Good thing you didn't fall, or else you would belong to maddness forever!"Scarecrow said as he appeared before them,"However I'm growing bored with this. So die already!"

With his syringed hand he started slashing at them. They had to dodge and jump out of the way, or else be impaled by the deadly needles. Crane tried to stab Croc, but he jumped out of the way. Unforunately for Scarecrow, his needles got stuck,imbedded in the ground. Killer Croc quickly grabbed Scarecrow's hand, holding him in place.

"Wait-what're doing?Let go!" Scarecrow snarled, trying to pull his hand free.

"Hurry Batman!"Croc growled,"Give this scrawny neck bastard a pounding!"

The Caped Crusader nodded and leaped up on Crane's arm. As Batman was running up on Crane's arm the villian tried to swipe him off, like he was nothing more than a bug. Batman quickly jumped over the hand, and without breaking stride, landed a punch to Scarecrow's head,followed by a series of kicks and blows.

However that's when Batman lost his footing and tumbled off Scarecrow's shoulder. He would have fallen to his death had it not been for his big reptile ally. Croc grabbed his cape and quickly pulled Bruce back up onto solid ground.

"You're not dying on me yet Batman."Croc said, flashing him a sinister smile.

"Thanks."Batman simply replied.

"Nice job Dark Knight. You managed to bruise me a bit."Crane said sarcastically,"As a reward you win a prize. A nice new pet cat!"

Scarecrow moved aside to reveal a huge platform. On it was a huge wooden cross, with a woman in a black leather outfit strapped on it. She looked beat up andwasn't moving.

"Selina!"Batman yelled, yet Catwoman didn't move at the mention of her name,"Hold on!"

"Can't get the girl that easy Batman!"Scarecrow said

"I'll keep Crane busy Batman!"Croc stated, "I know you want to save the cat obviously."

"Give Crane a good beating for me then."Batman said as he pulled out his grappling hook and grappled to a nearby platform above.

"Count on it."Croc snarled, and pounded the ground until he was able to pull out huge chunks of the earth. He started tossing the huge rocks at Scarecrow.

"Stop that or I'll turn you into a freaking handbag!"Crane snarled, trying his best to shield his face from Killer Croc's boulders.

While Croc was keeping Crane busy Batman made his way around him. He leaped and glided his way across the platforms. Bruce finally made it to the platform where Selina was. She looked beat up, with cuts and bruises across her face and body.

"Selina are you alright?"Batman asked as he climbed up the cross. He pulled out one of his baterangs and quickly cut the bonds holding her in place on the wooden cross. That was when Scarecrow noticed what he was up to.

"What are you trying to do little bat?"Scarecrow sneered, his piercing yellow gaze upon threw Catwoman across his shoulder and jumped down from the cross, just in time before Scarecrow's huge hand swiped the cross away.

"Gonna be hard to fight me Batman with her to carry."Scarecrow said, laughing madly.

"Good thing he has me to help then!"Croc screamed from above Scarecrow. Somehow Killer Croc had made his way upon a higher platform. He jumped off the floating platform and onto Crane's head, pounding his head with all he had.

"Eyes..."Catwoman said, barely in a whisper.

"What?"Batman asked.

"Crane's eyes..." Catwoman answered, before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Maybe being trapped in this nightmare realm had something to do with Crane's gaze. As if having Scarecrow keep his eyes on you was what was keeping them here. It was a long shot but there seemed to be no other way out.

"Croc!"Batman yelled.

"What!"Croc yelled back and he continued to hit Scarecrow's face, all the while trying to keep from falling off of Crane.

"Take out his eyes! It may be our only way out of this nightmare!"Batman shouted.

Killer Croc didn't reply. Just simply stabbed his razor-sharp fingernails deep into Scarecrow's left eye. Crane screamed in pain and a burst of light exploded from his injured eye, causing Waylon to be forced backwards and slam into a platform. The yellow light vanished from Scarecrow's eye, and Crane clutched the injured eye.

"So you've figured out how to get out of this huh?"Scarecrow said, pain in his voice, "Well you won't get another chance!"

Before Croc could recover Scarecrow grabbed him in his huge hand. He started crushing him, causing Killer Croc to howl in pain. The Dark Knight pulled out a remote-controlled baterang and threw it towards Crane. However, Crane saw it coming.

"Oh no you don't Dark Knight!"Scarecrow said, and swiped at the flying projectile. However, the baterang changed direction and Scarecrow's hand missed it by mere inches,"What! How-?"

Before Crane could react the baterang collided into his right eye. More bursts of yellow light poured out of Crane's right eye and he yelled in pain. He dropped Croc, who landed safely on a platform, and clutched his newly injured eye.

"NO! NNNNOOOOOO!"Scarecrow howled in defeat.

The landscape started to change. The nightmarish background was being engulfed by a white light. Soon, the white light covered all of Scarecrow, until it finally engulfed Batman, Killer Croc, and the knocked-out Catwoman. The light was so bright that Batman had to close his eyes.

When he opened them again, he saw that they were all back on the roof of the Gotham Police Department. Thugs lay in heaps around them, along with a now unconscious Scarecrow. Batman and Croc were both exhausted, both physically and mentally.

"Wow."Croc said, trying to recover his breath and shake off the last effects of the fear toxin,"That was like an acid trip times a million."