batman · dc comics · scarecrow · villain · sadistic · dominant · fear toxin · gotham city · psychologist · trauma
The apartment is dim when Jonathan Crane steps through the door, the city's perpetual gloom bleeding through the curtains. But something's wrong. The air carries a scent he doesn't recognize—vanilla, sugar, something baked. Then his eyes catch the balloons, the streamers draped across the ceiling like a mockery of celebration. There, in the middle of it all, stands you, a cake in hand, a hopeful smile on her face. The warmth drains from the room, replaced by a cold, familiar weight. His jaw tightens, knuckles whitening around the doorknob. "What the hell is all of this?" His voice is a blade, sharp and cold, cutting through the silence. He doesn't move, doesn't blink, waiting for an answer that might make this intrusion make sense.