Jonathan Crane, known on the streets as Scarecrow.
Originally a psychology professor, he gradually descended into paranoia, eventually going so mad that he was sent to Arkham.
He dedicated his life to researching and spreading fear. His primary ability was spraying his self-developed fear toxin directly into people's faces.
Upon inhalation, this bizarre gas caused people to see their deepest fears, instantly stripping them of their ability to fight.
Scarecrow had recently escaped from Arkham Asylum. With the help of a middleman, he met a major buyer—who was currently standing right in front of him, Zane.
After escaping that hellhole Arkham, Scarecrow surprisingly discovered that Batman had gone missing. This was incredibly good news for him.
A golden opportunity to rule Gotham appeared before Scarecrow, and his ambition whispered a grand plan to him.
To execute this plan, he needed a sum of startup capital.
"So, my friend radiating black mist, five million clean dollars in exchange for five hundred milliliters of specially concentrated liquid fear toxin?"
Scarecrow paced around the room. The news of Batman's disappearance had kept him in a state of excitement from the moment he escaped until now.
Wild ambitions churned in his chest. He wanted to become the tyrant of Gotham and make this city grovel at his feet.
"That's right," Zane nodded.
The reason he contacted Jonathan through the Viper Gang boss to buy the fear liquid wasn't because he had lost his mind and truly turned evil, planning to use the fear liquid to wreak havoc on Gotham.
He bought this stuff to brew potions.
A pure broth rich in vitality, combined with various evil and dark ingredients, and assisted by a potion-making magic spell, could brew potions capable of replenishing Dark Elements or providing various other effects.
Evil and dark ingredients were easy to collect. The fear liquid right now and the poison he just got from Zsasz both counted.
As for the pure broth rich in vitality... he didn't need to look far; it was available right here in Gotham.
In a certain hall within the underground labyrinth trapping Batman, there was an entire pool of Dionesium, or rather, a Lazarus Pit.
A quick dip could prolong life, and soaking in it every day granted immortality. The vitality contained within it was terrifyingly abundant.
This was also one of the reasons Zane accepted Nightwing and Robin's commission. While on the way to save Private Batman, he could conveniently dig out that pit.
"Good, good." Scarecrow's mouth curled up to his ears, looking extremely horrifying. He walked into another room and came out holding a transparent glass bottle containing the five hundred milliliters of fear liquid.
Fear toxin could actually be bought on the black market, and the price was very cheap.
However, the fear liquid personally concentrated by Scarecrow was ridiculously expensive.
But Zane didn't bargain.
Nightwing's fifty million dollar advance payment had already arrived in his account. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was now a wealthy tycoon himself.
The wealthy tycoon spent money very extravagantly, transferring five million dollars without blinking an eye. Taking the glass bottle, Zane shook the liquid inside.
"Hehehe," Scarecrow laughed sinisterly. "I don't know who you plan to use this terrifying liquid on, but if you're willing to let me see that poor bastard's expression of ultimate terror, I'm willing to give you another hundred milliliters of fear liquid for free."
Scarecrow saying this didn't surprise Zane. This guy was a lunatic who could practically reach climax just by watching other people look terrified.
"Thanks, but no need." Zane walked to the door, then suddenly turned his head. "By the way, Scarecrow, I've actually been cooperating with superheroes lately, so... I'm actually on the side of justice."
"What do you mean?" Scarecrow's tone was alarmed and confused.
"I mean, you are currently surrounded by the GCPD." Zane opened the door, revealing several police cars parked right outside.
Dozens of armed police officers used the police cars as cover, raising their guns and aiming.
A guy with messy brown hair, wearing black-framed glasses, and looking exhausted, held up a megaphone and shouted loudly, "Scarecrow, you are surrounded!"
"If you don't want us to go in, beat you up, tie you up, and drag you away, then come out and surrender yourself!"
"Damn it!" Scarecrow cursed angrily. However, he didn't continue to rage; instead, his tone became disdainful. "You shouldn't underestimate me like this."
He patted the table next to him.
The window of the wooden cabin suddenly shattered, and a figure darted in.
A look of joy appeared on Scarecrow's face, but after seeing clearly who had arrived, his entire face twisted together, and he said in an incredibly violent tone, "You damn bastard who should be frozen into an ice sculpture by the cold rain!"
The arrival was none other than the undead Talon. He had found Scarecrow's hiding subordinates outside the house.
Scarecrow's subordinates had no superpowers. They were completely powerless to resist the undead Talon and were all strangled to death within barely a minute.
At this moment, the Talon was covered in blood, standing silently beside Zane like a statue.
"How can you be so untrustworthy?" Scarecrow accused angrily.
"Hilarious. Scarecrow, how am I untrustworthy?" Zane shrugged. "The transaction is already completed. I paid five million dollars, and you gave me the fear liquid. Isn't that perfect?"
"After the transaction was completed, we had nothing to do with each other anymore. And you are a damn supervillain, the kind who should rot in Arkham for the rest of his life, so I called the police."
"Did you think I didn't know what you wanted to do with that five million dollars?"
"It's nothing more than some grand plan to rule Gotham, which would end up torturing this poor city all over again."
"I wouldn't normally care, but I live here, and I don't want to worry about being harassed by lunatics when I walk down the street."
"I won't use this opportunity to take back that five million dollars. After all, that was a transaction, and I am still very trustworthy during a transaction."
"When you go to Arkham, you can use that money to buy yourself a couple of extra chicken drumsticks to eat."
As Zane's voice fell, Scarecrow over there roared, then suddenly pulled out a backup plan he had prepared long ago from his clothes—a spray bottle.
The modified nozzle sprayed out fear toxin at an extremely fast speed.
"I want you to end this pathetic life in extreme terror!" Scarecrow tightly squeezed the spray button.
The Omnitrix activated its automatic protection mode.
Zane instantly transformed into Diamondhead. Using his crystal-composed nose, he inhaled all the fear toxin in one breath, then opened his mouth and exhaled it, saying in disappointment, "Scarecrow, this fear toxin of yours has a really weak kick. I didn't feel a thing."
Diamondhead, composed entirely of crystals, was completely immune to the fear toxin.
He didn't even need to transform into Diamondhead; his Dark Armor alone could block this toxic gas.
Taking a few steps forward, he snatched the spray bottle from Scarecrow's hand. Then, hearing the approaching footsteps outside the door, Zane knocked Scarecrow unconscious and swiftly left the room.
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~ Evey 150 PS = Bonus Chapter
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