"Mmhmm. What a messed up dream-!?! She moaned, trying to turn her head but found she was unable. Her eyes shot open as she tried to struggle but could barely move. It seemed her captives had taken the required precautions. Her arms were cuffed to the wall, with duct tape binding her hands together. And a series of belts and chains held the rest of her body tightly in place. In short there would be no mutant powers.

She looked around, "Robin...Nightwing-" She questioned and then she saw him, and her heart sank, "BATMAN! Oh gods, can you hear me? Batman!"

Robin and Nightwing were beginning to stir, Batman lifted his head to look at Ciara as she spoke. He stared a moment before looking away again.

"Quiet Harley!" Joker's voice came out from the monitor in the room, "My favorite show is about to start! It's Batman and Crane!" he peered down from the TV, "OOoooo, we've got some new characters today! What will Doctor Crane do with them?"

"Patient interview twenty-eight" Crane entered the room with a voice recorder in hand, "The subject has been fairly unresponsive to the typical techniques so I've decided to hold a group therapy session to see if we can get him to... open up" The twisted doctor took a seat in front of Batman, setting the recorder down on a nearby table, "How are you feeling today?"
No response.
"tsk tsk, you know the silent treatment won't help you here Bats." Crane smiled, "Now I untied you and let you have your exercise but it's really time to get down to business. How can I ever help you if you don't talk to me? So" he crossed his legs and folded his hands on his lap, "lets start by talking about our parents. It's okay Batman, I understand if you don't want to go first, it's hard to talk about their murder." he looked back at the three pinned to the wall, "Would anyone else like to volunteer?"

"Batman what's-" She stopped when Joker's voice filled the room. And she certainly raised an eyebrow at 'Dr Cane' when he began asking questions like he wasn't the crazy one. What the hell was going on here?! This was indeed some messed up shit. How long had Batman been here? Had he gotten captured when he tried to return to Gotham? Who other than Cane had stayed behind. Arkham was the one place Ciara hadn't really adventured since her time in Gotham began. Who knows who else had stayed to play...

Ciara just blinked at Cane's question, did... did he know who Batman was? No that couldn't be right... Hopefully, that wasn't right. She looked down the line at Robin and Nightwing, seeing if either were going to play the game or not. Probably not. But it was when she looked over at them, mostly out of the corner of her eye, that she noticed something... Her body wasn't the only thing held down. They had taken the time to bind her hair together and tie it to the wall. Apparently they weren't sure if it's STRUNG to life or what not. 'Wow.... Really guys wow.' She thought, rolling her eyes.

"Anyone?" Crane looked around, "tsk tsk, such an uncooperative group. This won't do at all." he stood and walked up to Nightwing, "how about you? Haven't seen you around Gotham in quite some time. Tell me Nightwing, what fears drove you to this life?"

"Well, it all started with my parents" Nightwing replied simply, "they decided I had a knack for kicking the asses of people like you and brought me up to be a proper hero. Untie me and I'll show you what they taught me."

Crane smiled, "Your a lot alike. I suppose Batman was much like a parent to you, wasn't he? He taught you many things. Your fighting style, for one, is almost identical. Yet you left Gotham. Was it because you were afraid of becoming too much like him?" Nightwing fell silent, "Yes" Crane continued with his grin, "everyone knows you two had a falling out. You were losing your cheekiness, becoming more cold and quiet near the end there." he looked Nightwing over, "and now look at you, practically like looking at twins. How does that make you feel?"

"I'm not him" Nightwing glared.

"Ah yes, because he would never dress up in a costume and fly around fighting crime." Crane chuckled, "he would never come running on the off chance that someone was in distress in Arkham. Just because someone, might possibly, need help."

"You set off the beacon?" Robin questioned confused, "How?"

"Not so difficult when you have Bat-boy's toys to play with" Crane shrugged, pointing to a far table that had Batman's belt laid out on it. Much of it was taken apart by now. "So interesting that you two came to help-and that you brought company" he looked over to Ciara, "afraid of failing are we?"

Ciara watched Crane break Nightwing down. Sure he wasn't the most open person but that didn't mean he was Batman. So they had a few similar personality traits.
Ciara looked at Robin, "Come on, Robin. Mr. Freeze set mine off within about 10 mins of me waking up.

She looked at Crane as he addressed her, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah" Robin replied, "but Batman's isn't as simple as yours. And we would've known it was his signal if it came from the belt."

Crane stepped up to Ciara, looking her over, "You've been quite the media story. Ciara McCoy if I'm not mistaken. My my, a very interesting story. And when exposed to my fear gas you started rambling about doctors and whatnot. That's a bit strange for someone with a father in the medical industry, isn't it? Did he do something to you?"

Ciara could help but let out a laugh, "Oh yes... Terrible...terrible things... He would give me hugs, and tell me he loved me... So terrible." She commented. 'Do your worst Crane. You got nothing cause I'm from the fuuuuuture nananananaNA!' she thought.

Crane smiled, pulling his chair over to her so he could have a seat, "You have such a nice laugh, has anyone ever told you that?" he leaned back, "So then, tell me about yourself Ms. McCoy"

She shrugged, well at least the best she could do. "Not much to tell I'm afraid. Mutant...explosions... Really bad baking from Kitty. I'm sure my therapist wouldn't really like me going into such topics with another. So I suppose that means... Next." She said looking to Robin.

"But you weren't always a mutant" Crane continued, "or at least as far as you were aware. You grew up in Xavier's school didn't you? The man who fooled humanity, was also a major father figure in your life. He lied to you your whole life, betrayed you, quite frankly, I'm surprised you're not afraid of that happening again. You're surrounded constantly by those who would manipulate you towards their own ends, how can you possibly know who to trust? How do you even know any of this is real?"

Ciara kept a very blank face as Crane mentioned Xavier, "...Not really.. I mean, yes I did grow up in Xavier's school and yes I was made to believe that I didn't have powers. But they did it in my best interest. I was a danger to others and myself. I couldn't control it and would have likely sank the western sea board. Or something like that.... Yes, he lied about his intentions but not to me personally. He really couldn't when my mind was blocked from his grasp most of the time. So yeah, it hurt I guess but people are always trying to manipulate others to do what they want... It's kinda how the human race works."

"Very insightful" Crane nodded, "I think I would like to carry on this conversation but something tells me it would bore our audience."

"Cooommmooonnn, can't you just make her cry or something?" Joker whined from the monitors.

"Not that I take my orders from the smiling goon" Crane stood, "but we do have an arrangement that he has been quite good with keeping to." he rounded towards the table near Batman, picking up a rather large needle, "I know how to get down to people's fears, it's my main area of study but in order to study it, I need subjects. Subjects that the Joker is too willing to provide, as long as he gets a first row view."

"Yeah, that sounds about twisted enough for him" robin rolled his eyes.

"But when Croc dumped the Bat's body on shore, it was a whole new ball game." Crane smiled, patting Batman on the head, "a man with an obsessive compulsive disorder that relies on him battling crime, more than likely due to a post-traumatic stress disorder due to the apparent tragic loss of his parents accompanied with a Type A overachieving personality. Who wouldn't want to play with that?" he grinned down at Batman, "and I'm learning more every day."

"... Why isn't he saying anything?" Robin questioned, staring at his mentor, "Batman... Batman!"

"He can hear you" Crane assured, "but I can't promise he understands what you're saying. I've given him a very special dose of my toxin. He's proven rather resistant to the usual strain so I step it up a notch. Poor Bat has been questioning his attachment with reality for weeks now. I wonder if he even knows you're here to save him?"

Ciara stuck her tongue out when Joker whined, "Not my fault I've dealt with my past issues." But all of her calm and relaxed stature quickly changed when he held up the large needle. Her eyes widened and she pushed herself further against the wall. O.O "Whatthehellisthat?! They're not suppose to come in that size!!"

Her eyes never left the needle, "YOu...DID WHAT TO BATMAN!? You won't get away with this." She tried to sound strong but HOLY CRAP THAT WAS A BIG NEEDLE!

((Morning))

((yo))

Crane stepped towards Ciara with the needle, "Belonephobia, not terribly uncommon but always fascinating to watch." He stood right in front of her, holding the needle near her skin, "this is my special new brew. Would you like to try it?"

"Nononononononono, I'llpassImean,whywasteagoodthingonlittleoldme? Pleasegoddon't!" She begged, her heart was racing, her body trembling. "Pleasepleasepleasedon'tnononononononono."

"Ooooohohohohoheeheee!" Joker giggled excitedly, "Stick her Craney!"

Crane lightly dragged the edge of the needle across her skin, not pricking her but letting her feeling how sharp it is. "I would like to see the effect, and i can always make more for the others..."

Ciara froze, feeling the cold steel against her flesh, tears starting to form. 'ThinkCiarathink!' "Well.But.I..." She took a deep breath, "In2257,Genoshawillfallbecauseofkillerrabbitaliens andtheUSS foundation.Thecureforthecommoncoldisdiscoveredin23 45.whichis3tothepowerof.." She shouted quickly, hoping a certain someone who she really didn't want to be there would infact show up.

Crane chuckled, "Some people will say anything to avoid facing their fears. But I think there's a much better way to do it." he slowly and gently pressed the needle into her skin and injected just a small portion of what was there into her bloodstream. "There's enough in here to send a small army into a drooling mass of screaming idiots. Just a little bit should do for you."

"Damn it! Horatio!" She screamed as she felt the fluid force it's way into her veins. Ciara felt her body get hotter, as her breathing picked up.

The toxin moved quickly through her viens, so much stronger and faster working than the gas had been. Crane watched her carefully, leaning forward, "Tell me Ms.McCoy, what do you see?"

It took an moment before she responded, "I don't see anything... it's so bright. There are voices, I don't feel right...hands, hands are holding me...they're soft... No...don't take me away from them! No, stop. I want to go back! They're holding me down... they're stabb-" She was trembling, she slammed her eyes closed and cried and screamed for who knows how long. She sounded much like a wounded animal.

Surprisingly, it wasn't much later that reality began to settle back in. Crane had left Nightwing and Robin in fits of unconsciousness, quite possibly due to an injection of the toxin into them as well.
Doctor Crane himself was hovering over Batman again, whispering to him as he pressed more of the powerful toxin into his bloodstream, "you're back in the alleyway," he urged, "there are two people laying on the pavement in blood. Who are they?"

Batman struggled, trying to turn away. It was clear that someone had made several attempts at removing his mask because it had gotten rather scratched up and even the glass over his eyes had been smashed, yet no one had succeeded.

"You're just a boy" Crane spoke softly, "surrounded by blood. Who are they? Who is it who haunts you?"

"... mom... dad..." Bruce choked on the words, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.

"Yes, mom and dad" Crane encouraged, "but that's not what other people call them is it?"

"Because they're mine!" he exclaimed, his hands turning to fists, "They're mine and no one else knows, no one... no one can ever understand... I can't let it happen again. No more death... no more..." he mumbled, his blue eyes beginning to waver and glaze over.

"yes, no more death" Crane pushed, "but who were they? Who are you?"

"I... I'm... I'm B..." he closed his eyes tightly, more tears fell in the silence. Waiting a moment as he took a few controlled breaths. "I'm Batman." he growled as his eyes snapped open. Suddenly his arm yanked up, bursting the restraints and grabbing Crane by the throat and pulling him face-to-face, "And don't you ever forget that Jonathan." he hurled the man across the room before ripping off the broken restraint from the chair and throwing it towards Ciara. The piece of metal collided with the ropes that held one of her hands back, causing it to break and loosen with the harsh impact.

((And yes, Batman cried. Now there's pure water in the room :P))

Ciara looked up toward them but quickly put her head back down as to not alert Dr. Crane to her sudden snap back to reality.

As soon as Batman broke loose and threw the restraint at her she quickly worked on freeing herself. She ripped her arm out of the now moistened duct-tape and with one swing of her arm, all the restraints on her were sliced by the salty water of Batman's tears. "Batman! Thank gods." She said quickly moving to the boys.

Batman began working on his own restraints, the rest of them anyway. It wasn't the easiest thing to do when half-drugged up to the sky but he managed to get to his feet-only to have Crane smoke him in the back of the head with a chair.
the Bat dropped to his knees but kicked out behind him to trip the twisted doctor to the floor and quickly turn to pin him there.

"Awww, party pooper" joker complained, "Time to shut you down." the security alarm rang, locking the door to the room shut extra tight as more of Scarecrow's fear gas began to pump into the room. Strangely enough however, it didn't seem to pack as much punch as before, at least not on Ciara.

Nightwing and Robin weren't terribly fortunate. Nightwing at least had slowly managed to be working to his bonds through the delusions but robin was full out thrashing in a panic.

"Calm down Robin!" She ordered, "It's ok. It's Ciara." She stated, finishing to remove the rest of his restraints. It was weird but the posion wasn't working the same way it had been before. For instance, Robin's eyes kept flashing red and she felt the prickle of several needles but not much more. When he didn't calm down, she quickly blocked the vent with the water she had and then held Robin. "Shhh... It's ok. It's ok. Robin."