Batman Begins/Dark Knight 1. In The Beginning

CHAPTER ONE

**- Well I've give a short author's note because I feel entitled to. I haven't written a fanfiction in a few years, and this is my first Batman one so it might be abit shaky. I do come back and edit often though so hopefully it'll be in good shape before the story ends. This is purely for practice and as a fun sort of thing to occupy my time with. I enjoyed writing ffs when I did so long ago so I'm hoping I'll find them as equally enjoying now. Sadly the characters might be abit OC, I'm hoping that will get better when I get more used to writing about them.**

**I appreciate any critic on my writing style, but I prefer you not critic on my story or the way I portray the characters. I'm writing to improve my own style, and the way I depict the characters does not affect that. I do really appreciate your feedback and as long as you're not writing me a huge flame I encourage you to review, as short as it might be. So without further to do here's my fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it! By the way, to give you abit of insight on my story, I'm going to be adding my own flare to the Dark Knight theme. This is because as much as I loved the movie, I find it really fun to add in new characters and see what happens! **

**Btw. There are not nearly enough Crane fics on here / makes me sad. I decided I might as well add to the collection! And I suck at summaries…really badly.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Batmany things…duh

Words: 2,532 (not including the author's note)  
Ratings/Warnings: T-Violence. But that's really all. /

**Chapter One**

Throughout His entire life Jonathan Crane been surrounded by fear and he could boast in the fact that he had been the main cause of such an emotion. He'd seen people of all sorts cringing in utter horror as they took in the dreaded toxin he had so carefully created. It had always given him a feeling of pride, and power, but all that was gone now. Now his opinion of that sensation was beginning to change. It felt so different when he was the one experiencing it. The thrill of watching someone scream out in terror as he approached them was now replaced by his rapid heart beat. It thundered inside his head, making him want to cover his ears with his hands and yell out to anyone that might be listening.

Fear wasn't so much fun anymore; in fact, it no longer provided him with any comfort or satisfaction. He wasn't powerful anymore, he'd been reminded of that the first time he'd felt himself giving into the emotions. He'd hugged his knees in a rather pathetic way to provide himself with comfort and nearly cried when it didn't come. Oh how he loathed his own human feelings. Surely, all of his enemies would have laughed hysterically at what he'd been reduced to. But, their opinions hardly mattered anymore. So shaming himself didn't feel as bad as it might have if given different circumstances.

Dragging himself out of his own little pool of self-pity, Dr. Crane did his best to sit up and scan the dark room. It was hard to see without his glasses, but he'd lost all hope of getting those back days ago. Obviously, he wasn't the only person aware of how blind he became without them. The fact that the room appeared to have no windows didn't help him either. He held one of his trembling hands out in front of him, gulping down a lump in his throat when he realized he could barely make out his fingers in the black.

He knew someone would probably be coming for him soon. He didn't have long, it seemed to be now or never. Clumsily, he made his way through the dark, feeling around in front of him with his hands and hoping to come across something he could use as a weapon. All his fingers touched was cold wood. Suddenly a flash of color burst into his eyes and he groaned. The door had been opened, from where he did not know, but a wave of golden and orange burnt into his eyes like the suns rays. He'd been in the black too long and his eyes had become sensitive to too much of any other color at once.

A small grin curled onto his bleeding lips as he felt something cool and smooth beneath his right hand. He grabbed it and pulled it close to him quickly, making sure the person who had just entered the room did not notice it as he tried to hid it behind his back. Some sort of pipe, whatever it was it would certainly prove useful. If he expected to get out of here; he definitely needed a weapon. However, these men most probably had guns and against fire power he stood little chance. On the upside, at least the bullets would put him out of his misery quickly. He mentally kicked himself for having such a thought.

He was tired, in fact, his whole body was exhausted. His captors had decided that playing around with him would be a great way to pass the time whislt they waited for Gotham's well-known Vigilante to show up like he usually did in situations such as this. But, Crane knew better than anyone that Batman was not coming. The fiend had left him here, to die. He just wished the people holding him here would get the point and either kill him or let him go. He had no way of telling how long he'd been in here considering what the dark and the cold were doing to his senses. His hands trembled constantly, probably from the adrenaline rush that came from all the dread this place was giving him. The numerous scrapes and bruises didn't hurt nearly as much as what they'd done to his face. Drawing his free left hand to his cheek and traced down the long cuts that now adorned his facial features. They still stung and continued to bleed but he had no way of stopping that. He'd barely said a word since the wounds had been inflicted considering the fact that it hurt like heck to talk.

"Good Afternoon Doctor," Crane's grip on the pipe behind him tightened as he heard a sadistic voice speak his name. White knuckles clutched the weapon, ready to slam it into the other man's head when the perfect time arose. He dared not speak, the pain in his mouth keeping him from making a sound.

"I'm sure you found your accommodations quite…comfortable…"Just a few more steps and he'd be within striking range. Crane's heart pounded as he heard the rising and falling of each step. The voice continued to go on but he couldn't concentrate on the words. Only a few more now…three….two….one!

Without warning he lunged forward at the shadowy figure and swung the pipe in his hand as hard as he could manage. His daring plan was put to an end quickly though as the pipe was caught in the hands of the person it had been aimed to hit. The man gave a blood-chilling cackle. The pipe was wrenched from Crane's shaking hands.

"Did you honestly think," He mused in his usual lazy voice,"That would do you any good?"He was shoved back onto the ground by a harsh kick. Refusing to cry out and cause himself even more pain he bit down hard on his already bleeding lower lip. The blood tasted salty and metallic in his mouth.

"Now now," his enemy teased, "No need to get all worked up just yet!" He sounded excited, that couldn't be good. As if by que, the light's suddenly turned out. Their intensity made Jonathan close his eyes tightly.

"Lookie what I've got here." He didn't want to. He didn't want to open his now watering eyes. He wanted this to all be some sort of dream, one that he could wake himself out of. A sharp stinging sensation in his face made his eyes bolt open. Standing in front of him was none other than the Joker with a small digital camecorder in hand. He wore the same malicious smile as usual, one that Crane knew was not a good sign.

"We're going to send a little something to our dear batty friend today." He declared in a sort of sing-song manner. Crane's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the batman. He was sure by now that Bruce was just fine leaving him to die in this place. After all that had happened he'd expected abit more…but that was a story for another time. Right now he needed to focus on the Joker who was now setting the camcorder up on a stand while humming a tune to himself.

"Allright now…try not to act too… serious." Crane would have rolled his eyes but more lights suddenly shot on. The room was practically white from the light golden colored hue that was shining down from all areas of the ceiling. His hands flew up to shield his burning eyes.

A rough hand grabbed a fist full of Crane's black locks and pulled his head in front of the small camera screen. He groaned

slightly as he noticed the green button shining, proving to him that these men had found even more ways to torment him. His body shook violently, his scalp was beginning to burn but the Joker did not let him go, instead he just held him there, face to face with the recording device. _Utter_ _Humiliation._

"Action."He grinned and laughed.

--

Bruce Wayne was sitting in his study room, reading through the Gotham newspaper and searching for anything interesting when his butler interrupted him. He set the newspaper down as the older man walked over to the TV screen and searched out the remote.

"Master Wayne I think we best be turning on the TV now." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong Alfred?" The butler did not reply. Instead, he pressed a red button with his finger and shocking scene came into focus on the tv screen. Both were completely silent as the watched the broadcast screening on their TV with horror.

"Hello there Batman," Bruce shuddered as he heard a familiar voice. But how did he know…how did the Joker know to send a tape to batman here? Bruce's thoughts of the batman were all but silenced as the Joker laughed and pulled something into the area being show on the TV. His heart skipped a beat. There was Jonathan Crane, the man who had been missing for the last week and causing him quite a lot of worry and concern. He'd disappeared out of the blue so quickly that Bruce had known something had to be up.

Blood dribbled down Crane's forehead as the Joker continued to hold him by his hair, but, that wasn't the part that caught Bruce's attention. The first time he saw it he had prayed it was only a trick, make up or paint perhaps but when his eyes got a better look he knew what he was seeing was not false.

"The Doctor here was always so serious," The Joker mused," I decided I'd give him abit of a more…happy…face." Too long slashes started at the edge's of Jonathan's mouth and continued in an upward curve across his face. Crimson dripped madly from the deep cut's. Jonathan moaned under the mad man's grasp and Bruce could have sworn he say him shaking. Big blue eyes stared into the camera screen with a mixture of shame and utter fear. They begged for release.

Bruce slammed his fist against the coffee table but Alfred did not jump. His eyes remained glued to the screen.

"You see I have abit of a proposition to make," Joker smirked as he pulled out something shiny from the pocket of his pants,"Little Jonathan here is getting abit…unentertaining." Crane's blue eyes darted from the skinny blade that the Joker now held ad the camera screen. He tried desperately to struggle against the firm grasp. The Joker let out another chuckle as he leaned down and drew closer to the terrified man.

"And all I want to do is have a nice little chat, between men as decent as you and myself. So how about it? I'm sure the three of us would have quite a chummy little time together!" Jonathan's left hand came up to push the Joker's face away but he drew back quickly as it was slashed.

"See I have such a hard time making him smile." Bruce's eyes filled with horror and his butler appeared to be both concerned and disgusted at the same time, both watched in utter silence. Jonathan let out a whimper as the razor was placed at the corner of his mouth right where one of the healing scars lay. Bruce suddenly shot up in his seat, eyes blazing with anger.

Try as he might Jonathan was easily overpowered, he let out a blood curling yelp as the blade reopened the gash across his cheek, making it even bigger this time. The Joker twisted and turned the razor, making it as slow and painful as possible. He couldn't scream…no…if he did it would hurt too much. He had to keep quiet but it was so hard. Each grueling second seemed to take so long to pass by. He could still see the green light shining, oh poor Bruce having to watch this. And then suddenly he heard a scream that made his heart race. It was so painful.

"Turn it off Alfred!" Bruce barked, not wanting to watch anymore. The butler did as he was told and looked at Bruce crossly as the tv screen turned black. Both sat in an awkward silence for a moment. Neither was sure of how to respond to what they had just seen.

"What do you intend to do sir?"Alfred asked the now trembling Billionaire. Bruce shook his head, looking at bit hopeless. He had just realized that he had ordered the tv turned off before the Joker had finished making his proposition. Not to say he expected him to tell them much of anything. Surely that madman wouldn't have given them much information anyways. This was probably just another one of his games, the type that made everyone but the Joker himself miserable. Bruce didn't expect a man who loved fun and games so much to make it easier for his enemies to win.

"I don't know Alfred…what should I do?"Bruce replied honestly, admitting defeat with a frown.

"Well with all do respect sir this is Batman's mess to fix and I think he should do just that." Bruce gave him a puzzled look as he plopped back down on the soft couch. He leaned his head back and gave a small groan. He was frustrated. Tired of all the people whom he cared about getting into situations like this one because of his other half. Nothing about his life felt secure anymore. It seemed like Batman was always messing things up for Bruce Wayne, or Mr. Wayne was making things harder for Batman.

"Master Bruce,"Alfred's voice interrupted his angsty thoughts," I believe whatever you choose to do, it should be done quickly." What?

"And why is that Alfred?" He was looking him in the eyes now, giving him a sort of friendly but challenging stare. Alfred never lost his clam and seemingly omniscient composure.

"Because sir, if they knew to send that recording here than they must know Batman's real identity." Bruce's heart sunk. Up until now, he hadn't put much thought into how the madman had been able to reach him. As much as he wanted to deny it, his true name being revealed was the only possible answer. Suddenly he was beginning to feel even more poorly. Crane knew his true identity…had he told him? Bruce shook his head. Everything was turning from bad to worse. Moments ago he had been peacefully reading the newspaper; things had changed so quickly it was almost hard to grasp. He pressed his hand against his forehead, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Sir I might be of some assistance…"Bruce looked up from his moping, "I believe I recognized the building they were in."

"Are you serious Alfred?" He nodded, Bruce found it hard not to get his hopes up. If only just a little bit.

"Yes. When your father was building that public train they were in need of something that I went to that warehouse building to obtain." He stopped, as though his memory was foggy.

"What was it?" Bruce asked impatiently, wondering how this would help him get to the Joker faster.

"Explosives, Sir, I went there to buy…_explosives_."

--

**BOOOOOMMMM! No jk, that's the end of the first chapter. It gets better - I wrote this before school started, so it's been about a month. It took me that long to post it! I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to what I write. There are a few sentences that I felt were out of character, but sometime's it's hard to find more "manly" words to replace the wimpy sounding ones! xD**

_As a side note. I don't enjoy writing fanfics that are focused around one character so you guys can expect to read about a lot more characters soon! Batman is one of the few series where I actually do not hate any of the characters. So you'll probably be seeing an equal amount of everyone! Oh and I also love writing about romance…so yeah…watch my stupidly violent story develop into something gushy!_


	2. Time Ticks Away

CHAPTER TWO

**Sorry for the shakiness! I can't help but start my stories off this way, but I promise you it does get better so I really hope you stick around for more 8) This chapter is long because it offers a sort of explanation of what happened before the story started, a sort of background check if you will. Therefore, if you want to skip to the end to avoid explanations it shouldn't leave you wondering too much. Also I must thank the three reviews I received on the first chapter! Such things are what keep me wanting to post! Oh and forgive my Jonathan being so OOC in this chapter - it won't happen again. **

**Also Rachel and Harvey are showing up in chapter three, I am extremely excited about that (loves writing about Rachel) I also realize that as of this being in the Romance category makes no sense shrugs things will get better! So if people have any particular pairings that they would like to see in the story I'd love some suggestions. I may or may not choose to use the suggested characters but it doesn't hurt to ask -**

**Word Count:2,223(not including author's note)**

**Chapter Two**

_**This Happens All The Time**_

**"Wake up Jonathan."**

He shook his head slowly, trying to clear the fog of sleep inside his mind. His body felt tender and taut. How long had he been out? He could remember being pulled in front of that camera, but after that, everything was black. There were shadows all around him and his tired eyes were thankful for the lack of luminosity.

**"Wake up You idiot!"**

The voice inside his head made him flinch as it roared in his ears. It was disappointing, to hear that voice again. Weeks ago, he'd been happy; he'd completely forgotten the bundle of suppressed emotions inside his head that took on a life of its own. Now it seemed that all the fright and the torment had let those feelings resurface. Back then, he had felt so strong, almost happy even, but now he was back at the beginning. Alone with nothing but his own mind at his side. It was frustrating to say the least. He'd felt confident that there had been a decent amount of transformation in his life, but all it took was a knife to the face to remind him that he couldn't take any steps in the right direction without a force to fight with.

_"I'm awake, stop shouting_." He grimaced, doing his best to sit up but failing miserably. So he let his body rest on the floor, he figured he needed it anyways, though the rest would probably do little good. He needed more than a good night's sleep to feel any better. He could feel his heavy eyelids slowly drooping. It was too hard to stay awake even when the fear of what might happen was so strong. What if he didn't wake up? As of now, it was obvious that he was fighting himself. His mind didn't want to go down this way but his body seemed to have already given in to surrender. He had no idea how much blood he'd lost, but it had been enough to cast a thick fog over his mind and leave most of his senses impaired.

**"Don't go back to sleep! We've got to figure out a way to get out of here!"**

The voice was barking inside his head, making his already unbearable headache increase in intensity. Maybe if he slept all this hurt would cease…

**"Jonathan!"**

The voice was hard to ignore, but his aching body made it so much easier. Whilst his mind begged for movement, his body was screaming at him to rest. He could feel his mind slipping, giving in to the waves of sleep that were creeping their way upon him. The angered voice was dulled by the welcoming calm of slumber. A weak smile curled onto his shredded lips as he dreamt of better times.

He could picture himself curled up on one of the couches in Bruce's penthouse, with a cup of coffee in hand and a warm blanket over his shoulders, watching the snowfall outside and feeling safer than he ever had. He could imagine how happy he had been and it made his heart sting. He wanted that so badly right now, but the delight and relieve were so far out of his grasp. When he had been at the head of Arkham he had convinced himself that happiness could only come from inflicting fear and pain on others, but his opinions had changed over time.

Bruce had come to rescue him from Arkham. That crazy, hellish place that had been his home for nearly a year. He'd gave little explanation for his actions, except that Jonathan was going to help him track down the criminal sadist, the Joker. At first, Jonathan had been unwilling to cooperate, but after his harsh words and insults were met with patience and kindness, he had slowly stopped fighting back. They had never gotten anywhere though. No matter how thoughtful the batman had been, it didn't change the fact that neither knew enough about their target to locate him. However, the roof over his head during the cold winter season had kept Jonathan from leaving immediately.

The voice inside his mind deemed "Scarecrow" had never stopped badgering and picking on him whenever he felt himself feeling even the slightest bit content. He knew it wasn't like him at all. Generally, he was such a serious and cross individual, but truly, he had been growing very tired of his old self.

Nevertheless, the good things were bound to end…such were the ways of the world. And they had, in a sharp and painful blur, his happiness had been snuffed out like the wick of a thin candle. All those suppressed feelings, the rage and the hate, had all come back in a swarming wave of emotions, one he couldn't defeat with his own will power. He'd lashed out at the only thing that reminded him of his fury and agony. Rachel Dawes. If it hadn't been for her and her stupid Tazer gun, he might have been able to escape Gotham and he never would have ended up in that stupid Asylum. All those months of imprisonment and misery would have ceased to exist in his life.

Also her constant bickering and degrading of him had grown very aggravating, indeed it had. He could perfectly recall her eyes filled with terror as he approached her with one Bruce's kitchen knives.

And of course when you're a seemingly stable person and you just happen to attack the best friend of the man who is providing for you, things don't' generally go your way. This case was no different. Bruce had thrown him out, getting rid of the main problem before it was given room to grow. It had been Jonathan or Rachel, and of course, Bruce chose his long time friend over an insane, worthless man from Arkham. It had been an obvious, but crushing blow. One he couldn't deny or block out. As much as his old self had enjoyed it, the newer Jonathan Crane regretted it severely.

He'd only been wandering around the Narrows for a few hours before they'd come for him. He knew his name had been circulating around that place after the incident with Ra's, but he hadn't expected it to reach the Joker's ears. He'd been ransacked, ambushed, attacked. They'd originally only wanted to meddle around him with for abit until he confessed to knowing about Batman's true identity. However, it was exhausting to keep secrets when you're life was on the line. Jonathan had told them Batman's only other alias while striking a deal that the Joker wouldn't crave his face up in exchange, but of course, he did it anyways.

Jonathan winced slightly as his thoughts were disturbed by the sound of footsteps. His eyes remained closed, no longer wishing to look upon this hellish place. The confinement and the shadows reminded him all too much of Arkham's walls. Someone walked past him, but made no efforts to disturb him.

**"Open your eyes Jonathan!"**

No, he didn't want to. This time he was through with listening to other people. But, his eyes jerked open as he heard a noise explode from outside. The crack of a gunshot filled the air. His heart was beginning to pound again and he cursed himself for being so easily scared. After being around chaos and horror most of his recent life he would have expected it to be easier to resist such feelings. But he, disappointedly, found himself to be the same as all the other people in Gotham, afraid of almost everything.

A noise sounded almost like a click, as though some kind of appliance had just been switched on. Then Jonathan heard the door slam and he was alone again. Shouts, followed by more outbursts of gunfire followed the banging of the door. Utter chaos had erupted inside the building. Jonathan could hear the screams of agony from the men who had been holding him here and he couldn't help but smile. Even if it wasn't his own revenge, it tasted just as sweet. The smile stung abit, but Jonathan supposed revenge was supposed to be that way. _Bittersweet._

Suddenly he heard the door open again, but it wasn't followed by the parade of footstep's that he had expected. Instead, the person was walking at a steady, slow, gait, as though unaware of what was going downstairs. Opening his eyes did little good, the room was as dark as ever. Rough hands seized Jonathan's wrist and something cold and sharp was put around them. _Handcuffs. How lovely._

He felt a tugging at his wrist as the person drug him backwards, holding onto the chain of the cuffs and pulling him along. Jonathan winced, the metal digging in to the skin of his wrists. He hit something hard with a loud "thud" and winced as pain shot up his back. A low chuckle erupted from the darkness.

"You're going to stay here and give our little friends a proper greeting." The moment Crane recognized that voice he aimed a kick in the direction that voice had come from. He hit nothing but air. Gritting his teeth together from frustration, he glared at the darkness, concentrating on any movements. He didn't need to concentrate at all, for there was a quick flash and then he felt a hand curling around his throat. He choked, the pressure intensifying with each passing second.

"Now you better act good!" The Joker chortled, enjoying the way his prey struggled in his grip, "We'll be seeing each other again soon so don't worry about it!" He would. He never wanted to see this man ever again. In desperate attempt to escape from the death grip, Jonathan drew his leg close to this chest and attempted to knock the Joker back, pressing his foot against the man's stomach. However, his fatigue made the attempt in utter vain. There was no way he could free himself. The room was beginning to spin now, little swirls of purple and green were mixing in with black. He was gasping for air, his open mouth making the cuts burn with pain as the skin around his face was stretched. The villain continued to laugh.

A loud scream echoed through the building and then all was finally silent. The Joker realized his grip, leaving Jonathan to fall on his side, coughing and wheezing.

"Until then doctor!" BANG!

Jonathan could hear the door slamming into the metal wall, and then the room was filled with shouting voices. He could hear someone shouting about the need of light and there were footsteps echoing like thunder all around him. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about the chaos that had suddenly erupted. One of the voices he could recognize as Officer Gordon. Great. The police were here; surely, they wouldn't treat him any better than his previous captors. This also meant that he was going back to Arkham now. Maybe he could hide somewhere, surely there must have been some crates or something to seek refuge behind. But his thoughts of escape were extinguished when a bright light burned in his eyes.

"There he is!" Jonathan was pulling at the hand cuffs now, silently praying to no one that they would break. But he was too weak, even at full strength he wouldn't have been able to break the metal chains. The horde of footsteps was getting closer now and his heart sank. He could feel warm blood pouring down his hands and his wrists stung. He wasn't going back to Arkham!

"Doctor Crane?" wait. That voice was so recognizable, that same seemingly strong but laced with guilt tone that he had heard so many times before. His eyes were open now and he was looking directly into the light. But he didn't see who he was expecting. He saw darkness, strength and fear all in one package. Batman…not Bruce. He frowned, still working furiously at his wrists.

It was not until now that he paid any mind to the noise in the background. Earlier he had been too preoccupied with the Joker to notice it but now he found concentrating on it more comforting than hearing Bruce's low and gruff voice. It was a soft and slow tick, like the moving hands of a watch or the lowering numbers of a timer. He found it peculiar but comforting. The armor clad vigilante kneeled down beside him and he did his best not to meet those eyes. He wasn't sure how to look at them. Part of him was still so angry. His struggling had ceased and he could no longer feel his hands, instead they were replaced by a dull numbness. He didn't even flinch when the dark knight broke the handcuffs off.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

That couldn't be right. It was still going, what was that?

Tick.

"Jonathan I'm…"

Tick.

"I'm so sorry…"

Tick.

"I didn't know things would turn out this way."

Silence. Wait? SILNCE?! Suddenly Jonathan's heart stopped, the horror of the situation had just dawned on him. It was silent…something had stopped…but something was about to go off.

"Everyone down! THERE'S A-"

A thundering crash exploded through the room. Jonathan could feel strong arms around him as Bruce did his best to protect the way from the blow.

**"Idiot…"**

**--**

**I hope that wasn't so bad! This was by far, my favorite chapter to write. I like doing quick action scenes like this one! And I love making sound effect words!Well I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter. After watching "Batman Begins" again, my inspiration has sky rocketed! Sorry if it seemed abit confusing. I will admit I had pictured this scene much better in comic form, but I don't have the guts to actually try to draw it.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated 3**

Kandy


	3. Confrontation

**Author Note: Sorry for my lack of updates. I have two reasons, one because things are really hard to transfer to my laptop ( slow internet) to my other computer (fast internet so it can upload things!) and the other because I was going to give up on this story. However I wrote/sketched the whole story out in a black book I keep for writing down random ideas or story concepts and I realized that I still like this story and want to keep it up. So I hope you guys are happy with my decision. ^^ This is a LONG chapter btw! Enjoy!**

**------**

**Chapter Three**

Raindrops slid quickly down the glass of the bright colored vehicle. The harsh wind banged against the side of the taxi as it slowly made its way down crowded streets. Rachel Dawes was seated in the back, hugging her chocolate colored jacket to her shivering body. She watched quietly as the rain continued to pound outside the taxi's warm walls. Her hands rested in her lap and there was a wet umbrella at her feet. She was impatient, watching the buildings pass by and wishing they could go faster. It wasn't normal for her to be this anxious and she loathed it.

The fact that Harvey was sitting on the other side of the seat, looking the least bit concerned didn't make her feel any better. He'd agreed to accompany her on this trip souly because he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. He did not share her unease or anxiety. The moment she heard about the incident on the news she had been dialing Bruce's number. Of course, Gotham's Caped Hero could probably handle himself, but the news always had a way of scaring her when it regarded someone she was close to. And knowing of Bruce's stubbornness, she wasn't sure what to expect. Of course, it only seemed more foreboding that Alfred had picked up the phone and told her Bruce was unable to talk at that moment.

"Hey Rachel, we're here." She was so absorbed in thought that she didn't notice the vehicle had halted until Harvey was opening the door and grabbing for the umbrella. She nodded to him and hurried out as he paid their driver. Clinging to their umbrella, though it did little good, they hurried into the towering building that was their destination. Inside it was warm, but they shivered under their soaked clothes.

"You picked a great day to decide to travel."Harvey joked as he shook his head and rain water splattered everywhere. Rachel gave him a sympathetic smile as she folded their umbrella. Quickly, they made their way to the elevator. It was miserable when it rained like this in the winter time. Generally, both of them would have been couped up inside an office or their home but today they had decided to brave the elements. This winter there had been little snow, instead it was replaced by rain and sleet.

"How long do you plan on visiting?" She chuckled a bit at that, already Harvey had decided to spend as little time as possible here. It was obvious that he felt uncomfortable around Bruce. The fact that the man was a billionaire and her closest childhood friend probably had something to do with that. She supposed the man would seem abit intimidating.

"I'm not sure…I just want to make sure he's doing okay…" Harvey gave her a puzzled look that made her heart stop.

"Why wouldn't he be?" For a moment, she had almost forgotten Harvey didn't know of Bruce's secret. Now that she thought of it, she must of seemed pretty silly to him. He didn't understand how much she worried about Bruce, and she didn't really expect him to. However; he had been kind enough to come with her though she could have bared the trip just fine on her own. With all the recent crime that had been occurring, Rachel had noticed Harvey becoming abit more protective when around her. The thought of it made her smile slightly, and she blushed when she realized it.

"I just haven't seen him in awhile…that's all." Harvey seemed satisfied with that answer. Oh how she loved him for not pressing for a better answer, especially when that had been the most decent one she could think of. The ride in the elevator seemed to take ages and Rachel was happy when they finally reached the right floor. They made their way down a long hallway of window's and doors. Harvey walked beside her, frowning a bit when he noticed the frightened look on her face. What was wrong? All day she had been looking this way, slightly sick and pale. He wanted more than anything to vanquish the look of trepidation on her face.

"You feeling all right?" She looked up from her feet and gave him a look of shock before quickly recovering with a grin.

"Fine. The rain just has me abit down, that's all." Harvey raised an eyebrow at that reply, It had never gotten her down before…

Rachel knocked on the polished door as loudly as she could and waited impatiently, fiddling with the umbrella in her hands. Her heart nearly jumped as the door opened, but she was quickly disappointed.

"Hello Miss Dawes, Mr. Dent. Master Wayne has been expecting you." She gave Alfred a hug as they walked in the door, grateful for his warm presence. At least things felt normal inside, no dying billionaire to be seen just yet. They took off their wet coats and handed them to Alfred. Harvey was looking around curiously, admiring the size and luxurious look of the place. Rachel hadn't quite got used to this place yet. It didn't have the same homey feeling as Wayne Manor and she shivered as she thought of the once glorious place now being nothing but a pile of rubble. But Bruce seemed to like it and she supposed that was what was important.

"Rachel!" Her eyes shot around, searching out the source of the familiar voice. A smile crept onto her lips as she saw Bruce making his down the stairs, looking as normal as ever. He gave her a friendly smile back, flashing his perfectly white teeth. She hurried to hug him and confirm that this was real, to make sure it wasn't just a figment of her imagination. It couldn't be. He felt so good in her arms and she might of held him too long, lost in his sweet smell. Her hugged her back, as though drawing as much comfort from it as she was.

"I see you're doing just fine!" He exclaimed, releasing her quickly and giving Harvey a wave, he gave a small smile back, seeming abit intimidated. Something about seeing Rachel around this man worried him. Bruce was so much better than him on all standards and he didn't want Rachel noticing that too.

"Horrible weather we're having today." He said flatly, making some attempt at small talk.

"Oh yes it's dreadful!" Bruce said, perhaps abit more animated than needed," Can Alfred get you something warm to drink perhaps, you both look very cold." Up until now Rachel had completely forgotten that they were still dripping with rain. Her face grew red as she noticed the trail of rain behind her.

"A cup of coffee would be nice." Harvey admitted and Rachel nodded in agreement. Nodding, Bruce turned to inform the butler but Rachel stopped him.

"Can I speak with you privately for a moment." He gave her a confused look but simply nodded his head and started off towards the kitchen. Harvey sighed and sat down on one of Bruce's expensive looking sofa's. He took a coin out of his pocket and placed it on his fingers before flipping it into the air. It was a strange habit he had acquired that helped him pass the time.

Once inside the kitchen Bruce closed the door behind him and turned to face Rachel, slightly afraid of what she most probably was going to say. He knew Rachel was a smart woman, there was no way of fooling her when trying to hid something. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, obviously annoyed.

"You look okay but this morning the news made it sound like you were dead…or atleast in the process of dying." He felt guilty as soon as he heard the worry in her voice. He scratched the back on his head, searching his mind for a reasonable answer.

"Well Rachel you know they tend to exaggerate-"

"Stop it Bruce. I want to know what happened." The conversation had barely begun and already she had him feeling trapped. Rachel was one of the only people who knew all the ways to get under Bruce's skin and she never hesitated to do so. She was glaring at him, almost like a mother confronting a child who had done wrong.

"It's complicated…" He replied, not meeting her glare.

"I think I can get the jest of it if you just tell me what's going on!" She almost yelled, and he frowned. It was better if she didn't know…

"I'm sorry for making you worry…" He'd been apologizing so much recently, it was beginning to become a habit," I didn't mean for things to end up this way." That look of guilt on his face was making her stomach turn. Her eyes grew wide as a sudden realization hit her.

"Please tell me you turned him into the cops. Please tell me the news was just stretching the truth like they usually do!" When he didn't answer immediately she grew agitated.

"Bruce please! I have a right to know!" Yes she did, but that was the part that sickened him the most. Up until now Rachel had suspected that Bruce's dark navy colored sweater was being worn because of the weather but when she saw him shift his shoulders uncomfortably she frowned even further.

"Don't tell me you're arms are hur-" He cut her off with a menacing glare.

"It was an explosion Rachel, of course I got hurt," Suddenly it seemed like a stupid thing for her to get so worked up about," I can't tell you what you want to hear." Ever since they grew up he'd been telling her that. He couldn't tell her how much he wanted to be with her because he refused to put her in that much danger. She did love Harvey dearly, but, there was a childish part of her that would have left him for Bruce if ever he put his suit and gadgets away for good.

She stared at him, dazed, and feeling slightly betrayed. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Bruce he isn't safe! That man tried to kill me!" She waved her arms widely as she spoke," He tried to kill me on more than one occasion! He'll probably try to kill you if you turn your back!" He didn't look at her and it made her want to scream. She didn't need him to give her a yes or no, she knew the answer even without words. Bruce gave a small chuckle when he noticed how angry this was making her. Steaming, she wanted to smack her hard across the face but was trying hard to hold herself back.

"Bruce…you went out and got yourself hurt… for what?! The man who tried to destroy Gotham?! A man who tried to kill me?! Please tell me you're joking." She scoffed.

"Rachel it was my mistake, I had to fix i-"

"Fix it?! How does this fix it?" She was close to tears now. After arguing with him like this she had begun to realize that more than anything she was just concerned, it was just coming out in angry words." I don't feel like anything has been fixed."

"Rachel he's too weak to do any harm…he's been sleeping since I brought him here yesterday." So he was here. Even though she had suspected it easily, she had still tried to deny it up until now. She glared at him and couldn't help but chuckle though she actually felt more like crying.

"That's what you said last time."

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It was only a dull sensation that awoke Jonathan from his slumber. The feeling quickly amplified. It was a burning ache and it shot through his body like a thousand bullets. He cringed, his eyes watering as he bit back the pain. His eyes opened as he resisted the urge to scream. It was blurry, everything was mixture of grays and blues. Some where far off there was a soft pattering sound, like the falling of raindrops perhaps. His whole body felt sore, as though he'd been sleeping for days and had completely forgotten how it felt to move. He groaned, finding himself lying onto of something that was obviously much softer than the hard floor he'd slept on at the warehouse.

Where was he? His mind was completely blank. There was the faint memory of an explosion of some sort but than everything after that was nothing but blackness. He needed to get up, needed to figure out where he was before something happened to him. What if they were only messing with his mind? What if this was simply another one of the Joker's games? He tried to get his arms under himself so that he could sit up but he groaned in agony instead. A pair of handcuffs held him to the frame of the bed he was laying on. He grunted and gave them a small tug. They rattled but showed no signs of breaking.

His heart was pounding again. He needed to calm down but he found that to be impossible. He was yanking at the cuffs, praying that they would break. Everything had been going so wrong recently, couldn't one thing go in his favor? Furiously, he pulled and tugged at the silver cuffs. Little trails of crimson ran down his fingers and stained the white sheets. He kicked his sore legs against the soft mattress, hissing with anger as he tired desperately to free himself.

----

Harvey was growing tired of sitting on the couch. Earlier he had heard one outburst from Rachel, but after that everything had returned to being a dull whisper, one he had a hard time following. Whatever they were speaking about, it must have been very important or at least important enough that it had to be hidden from him. Such a thought made Harvey frown. What was so important that Rachel would go to Bruce before first confiding in him? He scowled, suddenly feeling very left out. After a few minutes of staring at all the wondrous things Bruce had in his home that Harvey could never dream of owning, he had grown bored. Harvey was leaning back against the arm of the sofa, trying to settle down and take a short nap when something caught his attention.

It was a thudding noise, and it vaguely sounded like it was coming from upstairs. At first Harvey suspected it was only Alfred coning downstairs but after staring at the stair case and seeing no one come down it for quite awhile, he had grown more curious. He sat up, stretching his back and approaching the cream carpeted stairs.

"Is anyone up there?" He called," Rachel? Bruce?" No answer. How odd…He glanced over at the door that led to the kitchen, making sure no one was coming his way before shooting up the stairs. He flew up them, walking quickly. He could have sworn he heard someone speaking, mumbling something under their breath. Upstairs there was nothing but doors, each one the same dark color. There was a huge glass window over looking the city streets and on all sides of it where closed doors, most of them, Harvey found with dismal, were locked. This felt so wrong, peeking around Bruce's home.

"Hello?" He called, and wasn't surprised when he received no answer again, Then suddenly he heard a crash coming from the left side and rushed over to one of the doors. Something was definitely wrong. He grabbed the golden handle and found it was locked (not surprised at the least) but this one was different. It was locked from the outside, which was unlike all he others. He hesitated, looking behind his back before turning the knob right. It clicked and he opened the door slowly. Immediately the voice he heard earlier became alarming louder. It cursed and yelled, making quite a fuss over something. So Bruce had had other guests today as well?

"Hello, is anyone the-" Harvey barely had time to dodge as something was hurled at him. A black flower vase shattered against the gray colored wall. He stared at it dumbly for a moment, trying to take in what he had just seen. Then something hit HIM, it cut into his arm, making him yelp with pain. Crimson poured over the large piece of glass that was now embedded in his arm. Gritting his teeth, Harvey turned his head to face his offender. His jaw dropped.

Standing in the middle of the room, in a mess of blood-splattered glass was a rather dirty and enraged looking Doctor Crane. He smiled at Harvey with a mad look dancing in his wide eyes. His hands trembled at his sides.

"Hello Mr. Dent." He said shakily as he bent over to pick up another piece of the shattered mirror from the floor.

-----

_I believe now would be a good time to explain the reason why Jonathan is acting the way he is in my little story. Basically I'm following the idea that after all that has happened to him he isn't quite "stable" which would explain why he's acting the way he is. As of now he doesn't quite know what to do with all the emotions he's feeling. You'll see a lot more of this in the next chapter. _

_**Reviews are greatly appreciated.**_


	4. A Play On Ethics

Hmm well I'm sorry for the delay! I know I'm terrible! I hate editing this stuff though, especially when it's something embarrassing because I wrote it when I was tired at 12:00 at night! I used to write on this story a lot when I was having sleeping problems :/ well no matter! I will try very hard not to make this fanfiction all moody and such but it should be very obvious to you what pairing I'm going for as of now. And as I do tend to obsess…a lot… you can expect a lot of romance/ fluffy things from me. So without further a due! I give chapter four 3 I hope you enjoy it!

**-----**

**Chapter Four**

**A Play on Ethics**

Surprisingly, Rachel didn't stick around long enough to receive a full explanation. She was practically steaming as she dragged Harvey out of the Penthouse. He followed her quickly, seeming abit calmer but definitely not like he had been when he first arrived. Bruce had given them small apologies as they left, but Rachel was too infuriated to pay attention. She stormed out the door, not even saying a proper goodbye. Harvey had at least been polite enough to give a small wave as his girlfriend almost shut the door in his face.

Bruce had returned upstairs the moment they were out the door, thankful that he wouldn't have to argue about ethics with Rachel again. Today's commotion had given him a huge headache and he wanted nothing more than to curl up on his bed and go to sleep. Unfortunately that was already occupied, and Bruce was going to be sleeping on the couch for the second time in two days. He brought a broom upstairs and began sweep up the little pieces of glass that glittered on the floor. He could have asked Alfred to do it, but he didn't feel like bothering him and he really didn't mind.

Crane was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window was a sullen look on his face. He didn't even acknowledge Bruce as the man did his best to tidy up the room. The silence was abit awkward, especially because they both had a lot on their minds that they wanted to say, but both held themselves back.

Outside the window he could barely make out the shapes of grey buildings blurring with the sky and the rain. He blinked a few times, unused to seeing the world this way. Jonathan had been so absorbed in the view that he hardly noticed when Bruce plopped down beside him and dropped a hand full of first aid supplies between them. He nearly jumped as one of the rolls of bandages slid down and thumped against his leg.

"Hold out your arm," Bruce instructed and the doctor did as he was told. He was about to say something about knowing how to bandage himself up but he bit his tongue instead. No need to make Bruce madder, he supposed. Considering all that had went on this early, the man looked rather calm…it was almost sickening. When running around as Batman Bruce seemed aggravated and intimidating, but his more normal side was not nearly as terrifying. Most of the glass from his arm had been fairly easy to remove, some of the smaller parts had been harder to spot but for the most part the cuts didn't look that bad. Though there was many of them, none were very deep. A purple bruise was forming around his left wrist where the handcuffs had been.

"You didn't have to do that you know…" Bruce sighed, realizing that all the commotion had been for nothing. Jonathan simply rolled his eyes. He was not about to explain the reasons for his actions to this man.

"I woke up chained to a bed…what did you think I was going to do?" He glared, remembering how petrified he'd been earlier.

"We had you full of painkillers, I expected you to sleep for the rest of the day."

"Little good those did." Jonathan grumbled as he rubbed his now bandaged arm with his uninjured hand. All the medicine did was leave his head feeling foggy, it did little to actually improve his condition. He could easily feel the burning pain that swallowed his entire arm. He didn't want to think about what had happened. It was as though he couldn't control his emotions anymore and it terrified him. The darker side of his mind, the part that he kept in check and locked away was beginning to resurface with less effort than before. Losing control was becoming horrifyingly easy.

"Are you hungry?" Bruce asked, sounding like a concerned doctor himself, "I could have Alfred go-"

"No. I'm not." Crane stated bluntly and returned his gaze to the window. Sure there was part of him that was hungry but then he didn't feel motivated enough to actually eat anything. As of now even the mentioning of food was enough to almost make him feel sick and besides, he didn't want to take charity from Bruce Wayne.

"Well then you could go wash up-"

"No. I don't feel like it." He tried not to think about how much his voice resembled that of a spoiled and stubborn child.

"Well than what do you plan on doing?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. Jonathan trembled a little bit at that. Actually, he had no idea. He had no plan, no fall back, no way of getting out of here. It wasn't a matter of finding the light at the end of the tunnel when he wasn't even sure if he had the tools to get through the dark. He was curled up now, hugging his knees to his chest. It was a pity it did so little to comfort him.

"I don't know." It hurt him to admit defeat, especially when it was so obvious. He had no options, except to sit here and act like the pathetic man he was quickly becoming. He'd been of such fine composure before, always with a plot or an idea, but now as he wracked his brain for answers he found it utterly empty. The mind he had taken pride in for years had been destroyed and now he was left with nothing. Bruce stared at him for a long time, not knowing what to say.

"You wanna tell me how it happened?" He finally asked, though he proceeded hesitantly. Jonathan sneered a little bit, his cold chuckle making Bruce scowl.

"How what happened?" Crane joked.

"What happened after I Left you in the Narrows…" That caused the man to stir, in fact, he glared at Bruce as the billionaire clumsily packed the medical supplies back into the first aid kit. He couldn't meet Crane's gaze, but he could practically feel the bubbling anger, even without looking at him.

"Oh nothing I suppose…"Jonathan hissed," They just hit me on the head a few times and then tossed me in the back of some stupid van. Don't feel too guilty though! I only had to endure their bullying for a few days before you heroically showed up!" He was mocking him, and as much as Bruce felt guilty he would not stand for being spoken to in such a tone. Not when it was so obvious that what had happened wasn't his fault, no, he had convinced himself that it wasn't!

"I told you I was so-"

"Sorry wont fix things Bruce! They won't make things any better!" Jonathan was shaking now and Bruce couldn't tell if it was either from rage, or hurt, or maybe it was some odd combination of both. Either way, when he tried to put his hand on Jonathan's shoulder for comfort the man slapped it away.

"What did you expect!" Crane was shouting, his piercing eyes boring into Bruce's own," Do not tell me you left me there without some amount of cruel intent in that mind of yours! Do not tell me that you're truly very sorry and that you didn't mean for this to happen! Think back to three days ago! You left me there! In the crime infested Narrows! Don't tell me that your kind little heart didn't expect something bad to happen to me! Don't tell me that you didn't want me to get hurt!"

Bruce turned his head in shame, unable to face the agonized man. But Crane wasn't finished yet, he grabbed the collar of Bruce's shirt and yanked the man in his direction so that he was staring directly into his face. Being much more powerful and having much more energy, Bruce could have easily made it out of his grasp, but Jonathan's wide blue eye's held him there. He was afraid. It was so clearly printed all over his face. Crane knew he had no alternatives, he knew he had hit a dead end and he was so terrified he didn't know how to live with himself.

"YOU WANTED ME TO SUFFER!" He screamed, "Because you felt like I deserved it! What did I ever do to you?! I helped try to destroy Gotham…I never tried to destroy you! But you, You tried to…destroy…." He let go. It was no use, Bruce would never understand how he felt. He would never understand that agonizing sense of betrayal that was stabbing into his heart like a knife. He had a stupid, dumbfounded look on his face, showing very clearly that he didn't get it.

Jonathan's mind was screaming at him and he bit down hard on is lower lip, but it wasn't enough to surpress the tears. His entire face felt like it was on fire, and hot tears were streaming down his cheeks. _Weak! Don't cry! Don't! You're making a complete fool of yourself! You're stronger than this…_

No. He was so tired of being strong.

"Look what they've done to me!" He howled, clutching at the long scars that trailed the edges of his mouth," I want to kill them! I want to destroy them all!" He turned so that he was no longer plagued by Bruce's agitating expression, and curled himself into a ball on the bed.

"That would make you the same as them…you have to-"

"Don't try to consul me on ethics! I don't care about your stupid beliefs of right and wrong!" He shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the memories but they were coming back to him in a giant flood. They crammed their way into his mind, filling it with distressing images. He could see himself, tied up in the back of a dark van, his head spinning; arms tied too tightly, the tape over his mouth making it almost impossible to breathe. He was being jostled around, ever turn or bump sent him slamming into a box or the walls of the van. The ride had seemed to drag on forever, each moment introducing him to a new level pain. It was like being in Arkham all over again. Except this time the people didn't have to keep him alive, they could kill him anytime they felt the urge arise.

"I'm sorry…" It was barely above a whisper.

"Shut up…"Crane muttered. Standing up, Bruce decided it better to leave the man so that he could be moody by himself. He felt like a father, arguing with this foolish teenage son. Before walking out the door a thought struck his mind.

"Are you hungry now?" He asked playfully. Jonathan hiccupped between sobs.

"A little bit."

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_Rawr! Reviews are very much appreciated 3 as they do keep this little author writing away! I got a job now though so I won't be able to type as much. I'm excited about where this story might be going, but if you guys have any suggestions or anything that you would like to happen then feel free to speak up about it. I always love getting suggestions! Thanks for your support This far!_

Review responses!

(only one this time D: )

Falcon-Jade-Darkness: Ohh I know what you mean! I found Rachel to be extremely annoying in the 1st movie, but for some reason I really like her and Harvey in the Dark Knight. Perhaps it was them being together that made her more tolerable. I will definitely be putting more about them in the story so I hope you enjoy those parts! I suppose we'll just have to wait and find out, eh? Thanks for reviewing!


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