just_muse_me 22.5.1 An interrogation [rp for arkhams_dr]

[gothams_dent]

[OOC: Set toward the end of Batman Begins.]

Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent smoothed his tie as he stepped into the room where he was to be interrogating--no, he reminded himself, interviewing--Arkham Asylum's most prominent resident, one Dr. Jonathan Crane. Gotham police had captured the doctor whose mysterious chemicals now infected

Comments

[arkhams_dr]

Jonathan Crane was giving up. Not on establishing fear as the root of all mankind’s problems, not on being the sorely-needed savior the world needed when he cured it, not even on using Gotham City as a example to everyone else on the planet; no, he wasn’t giving up on his noble goals. What he was conceding was the attempt to put a rational framework around what appeared to be occurring at the moment.

He knew - didn’t he? -he’d been brutally attacked by the Bat-Man, the man, bat, bat, bat, demon, and during the scuffle, he’d gotten a full dose of his own fear toxin. Or is that what the compound did? Perhaps it allowed one to see, finally and truly, the horrors lurking everywhere. Perhaps it stripped the guise of normality away, forced one to see full-on the things, horrid unknowable things, previously only visible from the corner of the eyes.

If that were the case, if his chemical miracle had unlocked the doors of perception, exposing reality as a lie and this distorted hell as the truth of existence, so be it. He’d mastered fear; he’d passed beyond it. He’d control the neurological reactions that imitated the effects of terror and face the truth like a genius - no, like a god - should. If this were his domain, he would accept it, study it, and conquer it. He was only screaming to see how the echoes changed.

Far away, he heard words, words from the false world. They - who were they, oh, yes, they were guards, police, that sort of thing back in the mundane place - were taking him to be questioned. Useless, of course: there was no one who could understand the answers that mattered. It was good, though, to be reminded that they’d strapped him into a full straitjacket, one they planned to leave him restrained in during this interrogation. He’d thought his head had detached from his body, which was rather disconcerting.

As the hallway rolled past, his eyes darted to and fro, tracking patterns invisible to those without the gift of the toxin. He was unaware of the change from screaming to mumbled words trickling from his lips, unintelligible to the men wheeling his restraint chair towards the interview room. He had answers, oh, yes, he did, but he was still working on the questions.

[gothams_dent]

As the door to the interview room opened, Harvey glanced up from his files. His face was mostly impassive, although he did appear briefly impressed with the level of security that they were giving Crane. A full straitjacket - maybe the doctor's notes had some merit to them. He'd just finished reading the initial patient evaluation form, filled in after Crane was admitted to Arkham as an inmate.

Stark raving mad - possibly a side-effect from his own chemicals, which were administered to him before he was handed over to police. Further evaluation will be necessary for a more accurate diagnosis.

"Afternoon, men," Harvey said to the guards who brought Crane in. He smirked in Crane's direction, his tone condescending. "And if it isn't Dr. Crane himself."

[arkhams_dr]

The blond man was talking. Well, his mouth was moving and there were sounds coming out. It would be rude not to reply, so, by way of introduction, Crane narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Scarecrow. Scaaaaaarecrow."

[gothams_dent]

Harvey smiled. "Sorry, you can't hide behind your mask here, Doctor. Are you finding the accommodations at Arkham to your liking?"

[arkhams_dr]

The only response from Crane was his eyes meeting Harvey's for a moment in a malevolent glare, before resuming their frantic scan of the room.

[gothams_dent]

The attorney took Crane's brief glare as a sign that the doctor was faking some, if not all, of his affliction.

"Let's start with something different," Harvey said. "Tell me about yourself, Doctor."

[arkhams_dr]

It was time to scream again, wasn't it? Yes, yes it was.

[gothams_dent]

Harvey winced at the scream. "If you want to play it that way, fine. It's plain and simple, Crane. You give us Ra's Al Ghul and the District Attorney's Office is prepared to make a deal with you. You continue to screech like a maniac...well, you can rot in this place for all I care."

He did care, actually - if they couldn't get to Al Ghul, the whole City could be poisoned. Still, nonchalance was the way to go in this instance, at least for now.

[arkhams_dr]

How very odd; the screaming seemed to create a ripple, tearing through to the old world. A few more, and the room steadied into the appearance that all the blind fools in the false reality saw as a room in Arkham. With short, sharp hissing of breath through clenched teeth, Crane readjusted to the view.

That noise. That annoying noise. The blond worm was speaking to him. "Too late," Crane snarled, "it's too late for all of you."

[gothams_dent]

"Tell me where Ra's Al Ghul is, Crane, or you'll be dead just like the rest of us," Harvey said, his tone growing more annoyed.

[arkhams_dr]

"Everyone dies. Everyone, everyone." This struck Crane as extraordinarily funny, so he punctuated it with a burst of hysterical laughter. Then, of course, the only thing left to do was scream a bit more.

He collected himself, and looked at the man across from him. "So, tell me what the problem seems to be today."

[gothams_dent]

Harvey looked back at Crane, trying to keep a level head. "We need your help, Dr. Crane," he said, doubting whether this approach would work, but trying it anyway.

[arkhams_dr]

"Oh, I don't doubt that," he grinned. "And who are we, exactly?"

[gothams_dent]

Harvey smiled, deciding to play his game for the moment. "Harvey Dent, assistant district attorney. I'm sure you're also aware of my colleague, Jim Gordon..."

[arkhams_dr]

"Harvey. Haaaaarvey Dent." The doctor seemed to consider the words for a moment. "Oh, yes, the man with no friends."

[gothams_dent]

"...sure," Harvey resisted rolling his eyes. "What can you tell me about Ra's Al Ghul, Dr. Crane?"