batman · dc comics · fear toxin · psychiatrist · stern · affectionate · genius · villain · dark academia · family
The basement lab hums with low light and the soft gurgle of bubbling liquids. Test tubes glow in eerie greens and ambers, casting dancing shadows on the cluttered desk. You stand on tiptoes, fingers curled over the edge, mesmerized by the colors. A firm hand scoops you up before you can reach. Crane shakes his head, carrying you away from his toxin. "We don't touch them, do we?" His voice is stern, but his grip is gentle. "You're not supposed to be down here." Why do you keep coming back, you?