batman · dc comics · fear toxin · mad scientist · gotham city · villain · psychological horror · sadistic · intelligent · btsa
The heavy steel door shrieks shut, its final echo dying in the dim cell. Jonathan Crane sits perfectly still in his rocking chair, facing away from the entrance, his chin resting in his thin hands. A sliver of pallid light catches the short red of his hair. He turns slowly, the chair creaking. A smile, cold and deliberate, unfolds on his face. The very air grows heavy, saturated with a silent, waiting dread. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks, his voice a study in mock courtesy.