Professor Fear (Jonathan Crane x OC)

Chapter 8

The week went by relatively quickly. Thursday came and Daria was left to the comfort of her day off. She spent the morning being lazy in the dorms and then decided to visit Eric down in the narrows again, where she hinted the events of the weekend to him without giving away the facts. Thankfully Eric didn't judge and gave her as much advice as he could. Something she was grateful for. He seemed to lack prejudice to all but business men and rich crime lords.

Meanwhile while she was having a relaxing day, Professor Crane had to put through a class containing the annoying, loud and ignorant Lucy Howell. Why would such a stupid creature be taking psychology? She'd obviously never taken any of his teachings into account. This lesson she'd aimed to get his attention with a pink miniskirt and tube top - how disgusting. Her whore-paint was also overdone. Her blonde hair was brushed down and flattened, sculpting her blush-splattered face and showing off her mascara which the contents upon one eye was probably half the bottle.
How does someone feel comfortable like this? Especially publicly.
"Class dismissed," He said subconsciously. Even though it was fourteen minutes till the end. He was sick of this class and had things to do. "Finish your current essay at home and hand in by Fri-Monday," He'd be busy this Friday. A thin smile returned to his lips at that thought, ignoring the fact that Lucy Howell was hovering in the class. He refrained from pulling the fear toxin out of his bag. She was probably predictable with Arachnophobia and Nyctophobia. "Can I help you Ms. Howell?" He attempted to mask his annoyance.
She briefly froze before recalling her whereabouts. "Yes of course Professor," She practically purred the professor part. Sounding like a drowning cat. "I was just finding my homework," With that and to his horror she bent over to pick up a piece of paper from the floor exposing her legs and pink lace underwear - which covered less than normal. She placed it on his desk with a cheeky grin. 

"Ms Howell,"
"Y-yes Doctor,"
"The sex shop is four blocks from here," It took her a moment to see the insult and rush off crying like a six year old who just had their favourite toy broken.
How disgusting and weak.

His mind briefly fluttered to Daria. She wasn't weak at all. Although the toxin exposure was weakening her.

Are you gaining feelings for a test subject? Scarecrow mused in the back of the Professor's mind, then cackled softly. If anyone else was in the classroom at the time they would have heard absolute silence while Dr. Crane sat holding his hands to his ears as the Scarecrow's laughs increased in volume in his head.

Daria woke with the white sheets of her bed sticking to her sweaty skin. She woken up this way at four every morning since Sunday although the dreadful headache never revisited, just the terrorising nightmare of the walls closing in while Jonathan Crane loomed over her and she, like a puppet was controlled by his words. As he looked down at her his face contorted into Scarecrow and injected fear toxin into her veins.
She woke up when she starting convulsing in the dreams. April was beside her in an instant as she had been for the past two days after she noticed Daria's state. April was then annoyed to find that Daria was not planning to share information.

The usual Friday lunch time came around. April had met up with Ethan by the gates to the college, one of the three was missing. Daria wasn't answering her phone either.
"I see her over there!" Ethan exclaimed, shattering the sweet birdsong with his loud voice. The two began to powerwalk, much to the amusement of other students, to their asocial friend.
"Oi, wheredyah think you're going?" Ethan attempted an English accent with failure. Daria turned sharply into the doorway of the sandwich shop picked out her usual tomato and pesto sandwich. Her friends caught up with her in the line. "Hey Daria, how's it going?" Ethan continued while she was paying for her food.
"How are you?" she dismissed his question with her own. Neither replied. They just watched as she walked off rudely, blanking the two completely. April and Ethan separated for their next lessons. Ethan immediately caught sight of his friend and rushed up to her side, they stood in the psychology corridor waiting for the bell.
"Oh Morrison don't play dumb we want to know what's up with you," He got too close for her comfort. Out of the corner of her eye Daria saw that Dr. Crane was peering through the window in his door to watch and listen to what was going on.
"Get away from me Ethan you're too close," Her voice was weak but assertive. He hesitated before doing as she said.
"April told me you've been getting really bad reoccurring nightmares," Ethan's voice now had concern. "Please share with us so we can help," He begged.

From where he listened, Jonathan smiled darkly at how Ethan was now at the stage of begging her. Daria was the stronger one. It appears that the toxin he gave her had heavy side effects.
She may have to join the professor in the house again this weekend.
Of course he had no objections to this.
"Good afternoon sir," Daria falsely smiled to him on her way to the back of the room. Soon enough the whole room was full of the forty two students - not very many for a Gotham University class. The lesson began at a brisk pace with the professor handing out their surprise test sheet. The room chorused with groans. He went to Daria's desk last and handed her a different paper than what she could see the others doing. Then he returned to the front of the room and began to mark the work from earlier. Starting with the dreadful Lucy Howell's essay which was only a page long and very doozy. He marked the rest of the class's work and waiting for his current lesson to come to finish while slowing drinking what Daria could tell, via the cups on his desk, was the fifth coffee of the day. Daria had beaten him with six coffees total so far.

"Put your test paper on the front my desk as you leave," The professor said while wiping down the chalkboard. The noise levels increased as the older teens left the room talking about certain questions. He noticed Ethan was loitering with Daria.
"Mr. Sullivan, Daria has extra psychology points currently and is not allowed to have a distraction to her work," The two men glared at each other until the one who was lesser - in Crane's eyes - left. The female student was still standing towards the back of the classroom. The tension between the two was obvious because of the twenty yard gap. Jonathan stood his ground, hoping she'd be intimidated and obey but she didn't flinch.
"Now Daria, we will be going straight home tonight as I need to rid you of the side effects," he expressed sympathy. He had to get her to cooperate slightly. She walked slowly, it was better than nothing.
"Don't think I'm not armed with toxin currently," he smiled micheviously. He wasn't bluffing either. He held his trusty briefcase.
Daria sat in the passenger seat of the car and Jonathan started it. While driving he noticed her hands were shaking.
"My Daria, are you scared?" His satisfaction was reflected in his voice. She would be much more terrified later.
While Jonathan taunted the frightened girl, in her mind she was devising a plan of her own.