Fic: The Daemon Within (Scarecrow): Chapter 9: Gaining Trust
Chapter 9: Gaining Trust
Actually it had been more like 30 minutes, but Crane hadn’t complained. It didn’t take him long to find Milo’s notes shoved in a large cardboard box in the room Romulus had been using.
Batman had set him up in a temporary lab space, complete with all the digital equipment and microscopic technologies he’d need to create an antidote to the disease. But more importantly, he promised him decent food, a bath, and even a bed to sleep in. How could Crane refuse such an offer? Working backwards from Milo’s complete notes was much easier than a single confusing formula. The man had a roundabout method of chemical creation, but Crane had to admit it had its own genius to it. It took him three days, during which Batman split his time between monitoring Crane and keeping an eye on Romulus at St. Luke’s. The time had practically flown by for Crane, who was in his element and didn’t have the threat of death hanging over his head. If only Romulus had been a bit more interested in cooperating instead of being a rampaging lunatic, the two of them might have worked well together, Crane mused.
“So this is it?” Batman took the vial of clear yellow liquid in his hand, examining it as though he could identify the stuff with the naked eye.
“Absolutely,” Crane bragged. “All evidence of the lycanthropy was removed from my blood sample the moment it came into contact.”
“And there are no side effects? No potential death or lingering effects of the lycanthropy?”
“No, none that I could find.” Crane pulled off his blue plastic gloves, snapping them into the trash. “Oh Batman, what would you say to me keeping this place? Just in case you need access to my expertise again?”
Batman shook his head, “Not even in your dreams, Crane. This building is being completely relocated once you’re finished.
“Oh,” Crane looked across the clean, pristine white walls and stainless steel sink basins. How sad that it would just be picked up and removed once he was finished, but if Batman needed his aid once, he could bet he just might need it again. And even short bursts of access to a lab like this might just come in handy in the future. He just had to find a way to get Batman to trust him well enough to do this again. “So what now? You drag me off to Arkham?”
Batman nodded then gestured down to the vial. “How many of the inoculations are there?”
“Four. One for me, one for Romulus, and…”
Crane motioned down to the leg Batman had injured during the battle. It was bandaged now beneath the armor, but Crane still knew exactly where it was. “One for that love tap he gave you.”
Batman nodded then motioned toward the vial, “You first.”
Crane reached over to the metal holder and picked up one of the three yellow vials. “What about if we do it together?”
“On one condition: we swap first.”
Crane rolled his eyes, “Honestly, you still don’t trust me do you? Even after all this?” He traded his vial with Batman’s, chuckling a bit as Batman examined it.
Batman shook his head, “Nice try, Crane.”
“What?”
Batman tapped lightly on the side of his mask before pouring the toxin down the sink under the fume hood. He doubted that the green gas that emerged was part of the cure. Then he examined each of the remaining to vials to be sure Crane hadn’t tainted them as well.
Crane sighed, folding his arms in annoyance. “Well you can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Don’t play games with me. You knew I’d check them.”
“Yes well, there’s always the off chance you’d get lazy.”
Batman smirked, settling on one of the remaining vials. “Bottoms up.”
-Fin-
Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed all the work that was put into this Big Bang piece. If you haven't already, be sure to drop by and check out theopteryx's amazing artwork that was created for this piece. Absolutely beautiful stuff!
And be sure to drop by at the werewolfbigbang if you haven't already to check out all the awesome fiction that was created for this bang. By the way, we authors and artists *LOVE* feedback. Definitely makes the work worth it! =)
-Lena
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Actually it had been more like 30 minutes, but Crane hadn’t complained. It didn’t take him long to find Milo’s notes shoved in a large cardboard box in the room Romulus had been using.
Batman had set him up in a temporary lab space, complete with all the digital equipment and microscopic technologies he’d need to create an antidote to the disease. But more importantly, he promised him decent food, a bath, and even a bed to sleep in. How could Crane refuse such an offer? Working backwards from Milo’s complete notes was much easier than a single confusing formula. The man had a roundabout method of chemical creation, but Crane had to admit it had its own genius to it. It took him three days, during which Batman split his time between monitoring Crane and keeping an eye on Romulus at St. Luke’s. The time had practically flown by for Crane, who was in his element and didn’t have the threat of death hanging over his head. If only Romulus had been a bit more interested in cooperating instead of being a rampaging lunatic, the two of them might have worked well together, Crane mused.
“So this is it?” Batman took the vial of clear yellow liquid in his hand, examining it as though he could identify the stuff with the naked eye.
“Absolutely,” Crane bragged. “All evidence of the lycanthropy was removed from my blood sample the moment it came into contact.”
“And there are no side effects? No potential death or lingering effects of the lycanthropy?”
“No, none that I could find.” Crane pulled off his blue plastic gloves, snapping them into the trash. “Oh Batman, what would you say to me keeping this place? Just in case you need access to my expertise again?”
Batman shook his head, “Not even in your dreams, Crane. This building is being completely relocated once you’re finished.
“Oh,” Crane looked across the clean, pristine white walls and stainless steel sink basins. How sad that it would just be picked up and removed once he was finished, but if Batman needed his aid once, he could bet he just might need it again. And even short bursts of access to a lab like this might just come in handy in the future. He just had to find a way to get Batman to trust him well enough to do this again. “So what now? You drag me off to Arkham?”
Batman nodded then gestured down to the vial. “How many of the inoculations are there?”
“Four. One for me, one for Romulus, and…”
Crane motioned down to the leg Batman had injured during the battle. It was bandaged now beneath the armor, but Crane still knew exactly where it was. “One for that love tap he gave you.”
Batman nodded then motioned toward the vial, “You first.”
Crane reached over to the metal holder and picked up one of the three yellow vials. “What about if we do it together?”
“On one condition: we swap first.”
Crane rolled his eyes, “Honestly, you still don’t trust me do you? Even after all this?” He traded his vial with Batman’s, chuckling a bit as Batman examined it.
Batman shook his head, “Nice try, Crane.”
“What?”
Batman tapped lightly on the side of his mask before pouring the toxin down the sink under the fume hood. He doubted that the green gas that emerged was part of the cure. Then he examined each of the remaining to vials to be sure Crane hadn’t tainted them as well.
Crane sighed, folding his arms in annoyance. “Well you can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Don’t play games with me. You knew I’d check them.”
“Yes well, there’s always the off chance you’d get lazy.”
Batman smirked, settling on one of the remaining vials. “Bottoms up.”
-Fin-
Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed all the work that was put into this Big Bang piece. If you haven't already, be sure to drop by and check out theopteryx's amazing artwork that was created for this piece. Absolutely beautiful stuff!
And be sure to drop by at the werewolfbigbang if you haven't already to check out all the awesome fiction that was created for this bang. By the way, we authors and artists *LOVE* feedback. Definitely makes the work worth it! =)
-Lena
Back to Chapter Listing