Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.12

"Let me get this straight. You want me to be your sidekick on a mission to gas Gotham with loads of fear toxin as a criminal!?" Julia exclaimed as they sat in Jonathan's living room.

He had told her his idea after their awkward greeting from seeing each other since their last visit.

"Yes and no."

"Huh?"

"I want you to work alongside me." explained Jonathan. "And yes it involves using my fear toxin on Gotham. And yes if you're seen with me, you'll most likely be a criminal."

Julia started to laugh, and Jonathan's forehead furrowed in confusion.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Its because I was just thinking about how I wanted to become a criminal last night while watching the news."

"That's a coincidence." mused Jonathan. "I came up with that idea last night too."

Julia laughed harder.

"Will you stop laughing. It's incredibly distracting."

She nodded and tried to stifle a laugh. "Ok. I'm good."

He shook his head in annoyance. "Why are you in such an incredibly happy mood?"

"I don't know honestly." she admitted quietly with a shrug. "But I'm thinking I might be able to master my fear..."

"That's good to hear, and we shall test that statement during our next session. But for now, can you listen and handle yourself?"

She nodded.

"If you want to have a life of a criminal... You'll have to get a costume and a name."

"Now you're speaking my language." Julia said clapping her hands together.

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course. This will be a way to pay you back for our sessions."

Jonathan nodded slowly. "Care to go shopping?" he asked while standing up from the couch.

Julia stood up too. "I thought you would never ask." she said as she linked her arm in his.

He rolled his eyes in response.

...

"How about this costume?"

Jonathan turned to Julia, groaning inwardly as he saw what she was wearing. It was a black suit similar to the one he was wearing now. And she also wore a burlap sack with a face on it, but with a large farmer's hat attached. A pitchfork was in her hand, which she waved around.

"That bad huh?" she asked.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"On second thought, no."

Julia disappeared back into the changing room, while he waited patiently outside the door. If patient meant checking his watch every few minutes for when the police would arrive.

"We got five minutes!" he yelled after another glance to his watch.

"Give me a second!" she yelled back.

He heard the changing room door open with a creak and turned to look. Julia stood with a dark brown trench that hung on her frame perfectly. The hem stopped at her ankles and flared out a bit, while the collar was folded down.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked while pushing her hair behind her ear.

"You look..." he paused thinking of a good enough word. "Stunning."

"Great." she said and grabbed his arm. "Because I hear sirens."

"You ready to do something illegal for the first time?" he asked her.

"You mean second time. We just robbed a store. And of course I'm ready."

"Well this would probably be in the category for assaulting officers of the law."

But he smiled as he slipped his mask on, that was hidden beneath his jacket. They casually walked with arms linked as they went out the back door, locking it behind them. Then they promptly hurried to a safe distance as the bat signal switched on among the stars in the night sky.

"You think they're in place?" Julia asked out of the blue.

"Only one way to find out." he flipped a switch on a small remote, and a cloud of his fear toxin exploded from the store. Bursting from the windows that shattered in a musical harmony. Screams were heard on the wind as the cops experienced their worst fears come to life.

Jonathan turned his head to see Julia's reaction. He was surprised to see her smiling gleefully at their success. Seeming to relish the terrified screams.

"I'm guessing you enjoyed that?" he asked, looking down at her.

"One hundred percent enjoyment." was her eager response.