(Plot Thread Thing) SURPRISE! A Little Gift From Crane, With Love

[cranescarecrow]

Characters: Jonathan Crane, the Queen, Open
Where: The Complex, the Shadowlands
When: After this so that Crane's had enough time to simmer and pout (and set up the toxin)
Summary: Crane's pissed off about what happened when he bumped into Harley Quinn and the Joker and decides to take it out on everyone else by fear toxining the entire complex. YOU

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[darkest_queen]

The Queen peered down at him from her throne and hearing his nonchalant apology for intruding and seeing his hesitation, as if he wanted to head for the door but decided against it, she waved her hand in the air.

From out of the doorway, almost fifty feet or so down the large brick path leading to her thrown five tall creatures that looked like they themselves were pieced together with bricks and cans and pales, buckets, hammers, and nails walked in with sharp spear like weapons in hand. They blockaded the door and awaited any further orders.

The Queen was sitting sideways, not directly facing the man below her. She shifted her body, turning to face him. "Well, Hullo there. You don't look like you come from my Shadowlands. You must be an outsider. Please, would you mind telling me what this place is?"

The Queen had a smile on her face that was all kindness and hospitality and her body was all thin beauty and grace, her long limbs resting peacefully in her lap, her finger armour unimposing, her tan skin glittering in the dark sepia coloured light around them, and her eyes, though completely black and lacking pupils appeared kind and inviting.

[cranescarecrow]

At the movement of the creatures, Crane felt a faint flicker of nervousness lick at the edges of his mind, but he dismissed that as well- he had set himself against leaving, anyway. Still, he couldn't completely remove that edge of unease that this place, those creatures, this woman herself brought about, even if he had enough restraint over himself to ignore it.

The Shadowlands. So that must be the name of this place- a heavy, dark, almost theatrical sounding name, sounding almost like something one of the gaudier villains of Gotham might name their hideout.

"You're right in your assumption that I'm not from here. I'm originally from Gotham, although that's not my current place of residence."

[darkest_queen]

The Queen continued to eye him with a look of mild intensity, her smile still plastered to her face. She appeared patient and kind, even curious at the masked man's words. They were muffled behind the sackcloth but she could still hear him.

Although, he had not fully answered her question and though this would usually miff The Queen immensely she decided to shirk away the instinctive impulse to dig her nails into his cheeks and smile flirtatiously as he bled on her floor.

Instead, her red lips quirked upwards on one side of her mouth forming a lop sided smile under her black eyes.

"Oh?" she said, her voice going up a few notes, denoting interest in her voice. "And where do you live now?"

She tilted her head in the opposite direction, the guards standing at the entrance remaining where they were, stone faced.

"Also, Dear, if you don't mind my asking, how is it you come to my kingdom now? It is not many men who are able to enter any building in such a way as you have so easily."

Her hands shifted in her lap, her left hand now resting on her right, her silver, pointed finger armor glinting with every little movement in the dull light surrounding them.

[cranescarecrow]

Crane felt his forehead crease at she asked him that first question- so she really didn't know? Odd. His first instinct was simply to not tell her- if she really didn't know, why should he be one to aid her; let her find out herself- but that was foolish and he knew it. This woman was obviously of great import in this place, and he could also assume, therefore, that she held some amount of power.

"I live at the Complex now- although that's questionable, at the moment." Jonathan paused to clear his throat, casting his gaze to the side for a moment before continuing, "Quite honestly, I'm not exactly sure how to explain the Complex. It's a bit of a strange place. As for how I arrived here- teleportation. Once again, it's a bit hard to explain."

[darkest_queen]

The Queen raised a brow. He was giving her answers but nothing that she was looking for. They were all vague and curt and though answers they were almost completely useless. All she knew was that there were sentient beings here who either did or did not wear masks, who, though appearing to be able to think, did not do it well (making them all appear quite dim-witted) and who didn't realize The Queen's own import.

This observation was made when taking in the observations of her scouts and now by examining the stupid little humanoid in front of her. She was not pleased and was getting very bored.

There was one thing she was interested in, however. He could teleport. Could they all teleport or just himself? Even she could attain this trick, but in a world that was so different from her own she could never be sure if it was all done the same way or by the same means.

The Queen patience was beginning to wear thin.

"Oh, really? How interesting. You can teleport? Do tell me how you manage to attain this feat, if you don't mind. Or..." She paused tilting her head a bit, "Are you as unsure of that talent as you are your own residence?"

[cranescarecrow]

He closed his eyes underneath the mask for a short moment, drawing in a breath. At this point, a part of him was regretting his teleporting to a randomly selected area instead of Gotham, but it was too late for regrets now. Looking back at the Queen, he finally spoke- "Alright. Let me explain it, then."

He then proceeded to briefly go over what the Complex was and who inhabited it, and how its teleportation system worked. The explanation took some small amount of time, but to him, at least, it seemed a satisfactory outlining of it all.

"Is that enough, or is there need for me to elaborate further?"

[darkest_queen]

The Queen listened intently while the masked man below her throne described in great detail the inner workings of the complex and the transporter which enable what he called "the fully phased" to come in and out of different places, giving them the ability to transport. Though the information was useful she was disturbed at how much power all these ignorant mortals had been given by the thing that rules this world.

She decided immediately to take action. Her form shifted in her throne for only a second before she shifted into shadow and reappeared ten feet in front of her strange guest.

"I want to get into this complex." She smiled sweetly at him and appeared as if she had all the friendly intentions a person could have.

"Would you be so kind to lead some of my guard into this place?"

The Queen waited patiently for a reply, prepared to get violent if he refused but not showing it. Her mannerisms were all kindness, like that of a hostess at a dinner party.

[cranescarecrow]

Keeping his gaze trained on her, Crane allowed a few beats of silence to pass before nodding. "I would be more than willing to do so."

Going back to the Complex at this time might not be the smartest thing he could do- under normal circumstances, that is. However, these were less than normal circumstances, and this woman obviously held great power. That aside, he had no doubt a refusal on his part at this time would ultimately lead to his death- or, if not that, a great amount of pain that he wasn't in the mood to deal with at the moment.

[darkest_queen]

In short, the Queen is pleased. She doesn't care why he said yes, she's just glad that he did. otherwise his fate might not have been so pleasant. She only executed people humanely if it was for the sake of her daughter or by her daughters own request.

With his reply she flicked her wrist calling forth her guard. They tromped forward, bowing humbly before her. She bent down to one whispering in his ear. When they arose the one who was spoken to, with a nod, replied, "It shall be done, My Queen."

She turned her gaze to the masked man. "Go now. I'm sure I'll see you soon." Her expression revealed her amusement as she turned around and slowly walked back to her throne, expecting all of them to be gone and her will to be done before she even turned back around.

[cranescarecrow]

He didn't wait any longer than necessary before turning around and heading for the doorway, hoping that a transporter device would be somewhere within the vicinity. Not checking to see if the Queen's guards were following him, he quickly located the device outside of the throne room, keying in the necessary components to bring both himself and the small entourage of guards back to the Complex.

After launching an attack on the Complex, Jonathan Crane was going back.

[darkest_queen]

When The Queen reached her throne and, having reformed into shadow and then again into her physical body, sat down she smiled at the emptiness of her hall and the task for which she had sent her small group of loyal guard. Their success, if even a little was seen, would surely please her. Their failure would terminate their own lives. Therefore, she was confident that they would not disappoint her.

As for the masked man... well, we'll see about him.

[[ooc:It was at her demand that her guard went in to attempt to sabotage the teleporter which did work for one instance. This lead to the new thread Lost In Space by spaceflyboy.]]