Then maybe he could get the formula for fear toxin from him!
As it happened, the newly manufactured White Samurai was equipped with an air filtration and internal circulation system. As long as he wore it, he could completely ignore the effects of the fear toxin.
"I can't wait to make your acquaintance, Mr. Crane."
The Scarecrow's real name was Jonathan Crane.
Hardy reached out and spread his fingers. Chakra threads pulled the White Samurai apart into modules that assembled themselves onto his body.
A tall, powerful white metal samurai appeared. As Hardy activated the built-in intelligent system he'd designed, a faint blue light glowed from the V-shaped eyes.
Hardy smashed the window with a punch, leapt from the building, and as the Swifts unfolded into glider wings, he manipulated the airflow to soar rapidly into the distance.
...
"Excellent, the conditions here are just right. I can finally try out my new concept for the next generation of fear toxin."
Watching the clanking machines and a few henchmen busy collecting fear toxin, the Scarecrow nodded in satisfaction.
He hadn't established any gang of his own. Usually, he worked with other villains or hired gang members and mercenaries to help out, but this time he was short on cash and couldn't hire anyone.
These guys were all people he'd recruited on the fly when he got out of Arkham Asylum—anyone coming out of Arkham was definitely an elite among criminals.
The power of fear toxin was well-known, and these henchmen believed that working with a boss like Scarecrow could make them a lot of money.
Once he produced enough fear toxin, he could use it as leverage to seek support from the big gangs and stir up chaos in Gotham.
"Boss, I've got the info!"
A black man in a hoodie walked up to the Scarecrow.
"The underworld in Gotham has changed completely since we went in. Falcone is dead, Two-Face has fallen and gone into hiding. The ones who took them down are a new gang called Hogg United. Their boss, Hardy, is said to have a high-tech suit of armor that can go toe-to-toe with Batman and Deathstroke. Of the old crowd, only Penguin is still doing well."
"Hogg United? Hardy?"
The Scarecrow's expression behind his gas mask grew curious.
Looks like his time in Arkham had been a bit too long—the situation in Gotham had changed dramatically.
That meant he now had two best options for cooperation: his old acquaintance Penguin, or this Hardy.
Working with the former had the advantage of familiarity. They weren't exactly close, but they knew each other well enough. Penguin was greedy, but making a deal wouldn't be too hard.
As for the latter, Scarecrow and Hardy had no history, but from what his henchman had just found out, this guy was a powerhouse. With his help, the odds of taking on Batman would be much better.
The question was, who should he approach?
From Scarecrow's perspective, he was more inclined to work with Hogg United's Hardy.
As a master psychologist, Scarecrow was confident he could persuade Hardy, as long as there was no direct conflict and cooperation would benefit both sides.
Unless, of course, the other party was a lunatic like the Joker.
"Then let's go talk to Hardy!"
Scarecrow looked at a freshly produced barrel of fear toxin and said.
"Boom!"
The chemical plant's ceiling exploded. A figure clad in white metal armor descended from above, landing right in front of the Scarecrow.
"Jonathan Crane, I hear... you've been looking for me?"
Hardy, controlling the White Samurai, walked up to the Scarecrow, looking down from above.
"Hardy?"
The Scarecrow looked curiously at the intimidating iron robot before him.
"This suit looks different from what I saw in the papers," his black henchman interjected.
"Clang!"
A silver-white longsword sprang from the White Samurai's right arm, hovering above the Scarecrow's head.
"Is this your idea of cooperation?" the Scarecrow asked, completely unafraid.
Who the hell wants to cooperate with you?!
Behind the White Samurai's metal mask, Hardy's expression grew a little odd.
"No, I'm here because the chemical plant you took over... is mine."
Scarecrow: !?
"I'm sorry about that, man, but maybe I can offer you some compensation, how about it?" Scarecrow slowly raised his hands in a French salute, cautiously.
Hardy said, "The formula."
"Well..."
Just as the Scarecrow hesitated, the tip of the silver-white sword suddenly released a burst of electricity.
A few arcs of current danced across the Scarecrow's body, making him shudder.
Hardy had controlled the voltage; otherwise, the Scarecrow would have been electrocuted.
"All right..."
Even though fear toxin was the foundation of Scarecrow's existence and he was extremely possessive of his invention, after comparing their respective strengths, he had to give in.
He planned to give a...
The old version will do.
Every time Scarecrow develops a new generation of fear toxin, Batman eventually finds a way to neutralize it. So Scarecrow goes back to the lab to create an even more potent version, one that's more resistant to the previous antidote.
"Speak. Then show me here and now."
Hardy's gaze, filtered through the blue-lit eyes of the White Samurai, fixed on Scarecrow as he activated the built-in audio and video recording devices.
He wasn't particularly concerned about whether Scarecrow was giving him the latest formula.
As long as it worked, that was enough. What he needed was a formula that could be manufactured in other worlds.
Besides, his teacher Chiyo in the Naruto world was also a master of poisons. Maybe she could even upgrade it with some unique features from that world.
Before long, another batch of green fear toxin was pressurized and injected into a stainless steel canister.
This stuff has a low boiling point, existing between liquid and gas at room temperature. It's highly volatile, so it can be compressed into a liquid for injection or atomized for wide-area dispersal.
Scarecrow took an extra portion, and under Hardy's watchful eyes, loaded the fear toxin into the five claws of his glove.
These claws had been modified to inject fear toxin directly into a target when stabbed.
Without hesitation, Scarecrow plunged the claws into the shoulder of a nearby black henchman.
"Now… look at me!"
Scarecrow simply stared at the henchman.
His appearance was designed to maximize the effect of the fear toxin, inducing powerful hallucinations.
The black henchman collapsed to his knees, trembling all over, letting out a piercing scream. He began smashing his head against the ground and tearing at his own clothes, even as bloody welts appeared—he didn't stop.
This was Scarecrow's way of proving to Hardy that the formula he'd provided was genuine.