Jason has been thinking about the purpose of the scarecrow, and unlike the clown, who is simply looking for fun, the scarecrow has a clear purpose in committing crimes. And it's not much time left before deadline Scarecrow.
But so far, Jason had only encountered private soldiers injecting civilians in crude and ineffective ways. It was sloppy and inefficient, far below what he expected from the Scarecrow.
"This doesn't make sense. He wouldn't rely on something so idiotic to fulfill his manifesto," Jason muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. "There's got to be a way to spread the gas across the entire city. I need to figure it out before it's too late."
Meanwhile, Batman was coming to a similar conclusion. He had retrieved samples of the new poison gas from the private soldiers and brought them to Barbara. Together, they began working on a way to locate the Scarecrow's true base of operations.
"The gas releases several unique radiation peaks," Batman explained as he analyzed the data. "If we scan the city for matching energy signatures, we can pinpoint the location where the Scarecrow is producing the fear gas."
Jason, watching through a hacked feed, couldn't help but smirk. "Smart move," he admitted grudgingly.
Barbara nodded in agreement but raised a critical point.
"That's a solid plan, but it'll take hours for the satellites to align for a full scan."
Batman said, "We don't have that much time, I'm going to use signal tower..."
Jason, watching from his hacked feed, turned off the screen with a smirk. "Amateur," he muttered, issuing commands to the AI in his suit.
"look satellite system. We'll do this faster than he ever could."
Within moments, using the data stolen from Barbara's computer, Jason's AI triangulated the unique energy signature to a single location: the ACE Chemical Plant.
"Heh, why am I not surprised?" Jason mused, his tone tinged with dark humor.
While Batman was still struggling with the antenna, Jason had already made his way to the plant. This time, his approach was different.
Before, Jason's infiltration method was straightforward—eliminate everyone in sight. No witnesses, no problems. But now that the Scarecrow knows of his existence, Jason decided on a different approach.
The cover of night became his ally as he slipped into the plant like a shadow. Thanks to his advanced suit, no surveillance system could notice him. Combined with the stealth techniques he had mastered in the League of Assassins.
He hacked into the factory's central computer, looking for any signs of activity. The data revealed the locations of several chemical materials used in synthesizing the fear gas. Alarmingly, the inventory showed that most of the materials had already been depleted.
"He's almost ready," Jason muttered grimly.
Pressing forward, Jason ambushed a worker who appeared to be on his way out of the building. Grabbing the man by the collar, Jason pressed him against the wall.
"Where is the Scarecrow?"
The man's panic was evident, his trembling hands raised defensively. "I don't work for him! I'm just a technician!"
Jason's glare didn't waver. "Talk."
"He's...he's making bombs! Do you know what that means? He's planning to use them to spread the gas!"
Jason's frown deepened. It made sense, yet something about the scenario felt off. Still, this was a gas manufacturing plant, and the urgency was undeniable.
"Where is he?"
"The central mixing room!" the man stammered.
"I didn't expect you to find me first," the Scarecrow said, his voice calm and laced with mock surprise. "Truly unexpected."
"I guess Batman must not know that his assistant has landed in such a big mess, right?" The Scarecrow's voice dripped with mockery as he uttered the name that sent a chill. "Jason Todd."
Jason didn't flinch. Slowly, he removed mask, revealing his face. A firearm materialized in his hand, its barrel aimed directly at the Scarecrow's head.
"What's your purpose?" he demanded, his voice cold.
The Scarecrow chuckled, unfazed. "I saw your little brawl with Batman. I must say, Jason, you surprised me."
"You're better than ever," the Scarecrow continued, " I'm sure you're just as fed up with that bat as we are."
"Your target is Batman." Jason suddenly figured it out.
"Of course," the Scarecrow said, his arms spreading wide in a dramatic gesture. "It's always been him. Everything we've done is designed to destroy him—not just his life, but the very symbol of what he represents."
"But doing this is more than just killing him."
"What we want to kill is the spirit of the identity of 'Batman'."
"Exactly! And when we're done, we'll reveal his identity to the world. The mighty Bruce Wayne, reduced to nothing."
The Scarecrow's grin widened. "Join us, Jason. You've seen the truth, haven't you? Batman's methods, his rules—they don't work. You can help us end his reign."
Jason remained silent for a moment before tilting his head. "One more question. How did you find out who I am?"
The Scarecrow laughed softly, the sound echoing through the room. "The Joker, of course. He spilled the truth in Arkham, said you weren't really dead. The Riddler pieced together the rest. We all agreed you should join us—after all, you hate Batman just as much as we do. Don't you?"
Jason's grip on his weapon tightened. "The Joker didn't tell you the whole truth, did he?"
The Scarecrow frowned, suddenly uneasy. "What do you mean?"
Jason's lips curled into a smirk. "It's pathetic that you'd trust the Joker."
Before the Scarecrow could respond, Jason fired. The bullet tore through his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The Scarecrow stared up at Jason in shock, gasping for air. "You…shot me?"
Jason stepped closer, his gun now aimed at the Scarecrow's head.
"You think I wouldn't?" Jason asked, his voice icy.
The Scarecrow began to laugh, a wet, rasping sound. "The Joker's creation…a twisted masterpiece. Do you even recognize yourself, Jason? Are you still Robin?"
"You think you've won?" The Scarecrow's laughter grew louder, almost manic. "My poison gas is ready. Gotham will be consumed by nightmares! Hahahaha!"
Jason's expression didn't falter as he pulled the trigger. The Scarecrow's laughter was silenced by a deafening bang.
Holstering his gun, Jason hurried to the central computer. The bomb was already counting down. Fortunately, the detonation was controlled electronically.
"AI, handle this," Jason ordered.
The suit's AI worked quickly, bypassing the bomb's safeguards and defusing it with seconds to spare. Jason exhaled, but the Scarecrow's final words lingered in his mind.
"What did he mean?" Jason muttered.
Unbeknownst to Jason, the Scarecrow's plan extended far beyond the chemical plant. While Batman scoured the city for poison gas factories, the Scarecrow had already sent mercenaries to the Clock Tower. Their target: Barbara Gordon.
Barbara, confined to her wheelchair, was caught off guard as heavily armed mercenaries stormed through the door. She clenched the small pistol hidden beneath her chair, her fingers trembling as desperation set in.
But what the Scarecrow hadn't anticipated—even in death—was that Dane had foreseen this attack and prepared a countermeasure.
From the shadows emerged Damian, clad in his ninja garb. He moved, Twin blades flashed in his hands, their arcs carving deadly patterns in the air.
In less than five minutes, the elite mercenaries lay lifeless on the floor, victims of Damian's ruthless efficiency.
Barbara, still clutching her pistol, stared at him in disbelief. She edged back cautiously and leveled the gun at him. "Who are you?"
Damian sheathed his blades with a practiced motion, his tone curt and unbothered. "The one who just saved you."
There was something oddly familiar about him, Barbara thought. And then it struck her—his voice. It wasn't deep or gruff. In fact...
"Wait a second. You're a kid, aren't you?"
Damian stiffened, his shoulders going rigid. His face darkened with irritation. "That's none of your business!" he snapped.
Ignoring her, he tapped a touchscreen on his arm. "She's safe for now. But it's not going to stay that way. Move her to Wayne Manor—there's no safer place."
His communicator buzzed, and a dry voice answered on the other end. "Understood. Anything else?"
Damian smirked. "Confiscate her communicator. Let the Bat think she's gone missing."
"What?! You can't just—" Barbara protested, her voice rising with indignation.
"Shut up," Damian cut her off with all the tact of a petulant teenager. "This is for your own good. Trust me."
she glare, but Damian ignored it. Instead, he began scanning the area for their escape. The streets were crawling with mercenaries, and while he could easily slip past them, Barbara was a different story.
Barbara's expression softened, tinged with worry. "How are we going to get out of here? There are soldiers everywhere."
Damian glanced at the bracelet on her wrist and muttered under his breath. "Really? This thing?"
With a tap on his own wrist, a sleek nanotech bracelet materialized around his arm. He inspected it with a mix of skepticism and intrigue. "It's scientific, but it's not magical..."
Despite his outward bravado, Damian couldn't shake the awe he felt. His mind wandered briefly to the fabled "Lazarus Pit" of the League of Assassins—a relic of alchemical and mystical power said to grant immortality.
And here was this Dane, blending technology and magic like it was child's play. Damian's respect for the man grew, even if he'd never admit it.
"Alright," Damian grumbled, hoisting Barbara effortlessly with one arm. "We're using this. Hold tight."
"Put me down! And give me back my communicator!" Barbara protested, her voice sharp with anger.
"Not happening." Damian ignored her completely as he activated the bracelet.
With a faint hum and a bright flash, the two vanished, leaving behind only the lifeless bodies of the mercenaries and the faint scent of ozone.