Hey! Sorry for the long wait. I just got settled into college and just didn't have to will to write this thing. Thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers!

By the way, props to the anon Mandy who answered my bonus question correctly. The Family Guy quote was indeed "look I colored the crab blue! If that's not I giant middle finger to society then I don't know what is...now I kinda wish I colored him red."

Also, thanks to Lilypebbles666 for correcting my mistake earlier in chapter one. The German phrase for "You're cheating" is "Du Schummelst."

It was a bad idea to begin with, that much was clear. Even on the best of days, one night stands were indiscriminately awkward for villain and virtuous alike. Wise men say that there is no such thing as 'no strings attached' or that every sexual act has consequences of some sort.

This is the truth, even as many will turn blue in the face pretending otherwise, or if finding yourself directly affected, you simply don't care. As the cosmos would have it, things can and will go wrong.

Liesel briefly pondered this and did her best to avoid eye contact as the pair collected themselves for whatever Crane had planned. There was pregnancy, disease, emotional attachment, or from someone of Crane's moral standing, blackmail.

The first two issues would remain a mystery, and she was absolutely certain that she had no allegiance to her villainous partner. The silence from either party made it evident that this escapade was never to be discussed at any time unless the occasion called for it.

Not bloody likely.

She used her fingers to comb her unruly hair back into a ponytail using a rubber band she'd pilfered from the desk to hold it together.

With a huff she let her arms drop to her sides, appearing exasperated. "Well? Are we moving on or what?"

His mask one again covering his face, Scarecrow's smirk went unnoticed. "So eager to leave. Yes Liesel, now is the time for action."

She rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. What's the plan?"

"I believe we agreed that it was best you didn't know." Crane replied somewhat haughtily. Not waiting for a response, he cracked open the door and peered out, sweeping the hall for safety.

"I never agreed." Liesel mumbled, yet her quip was ignored.

Affirming that the coast was clear, Crane slipped out the door without a sound. Reluctantly, she followed his lead without further argument.

They walked in silence for a quarter of an hour at which point Liesel's bare feet began to ache a bit. Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed down the nape of her neck and sent a tremor of shock like a cold finger dragging down her spine.

"Damn, that's cold." she spat and wiped away the stream from her skin. "Dammit, has Arkham always been a complete shithole?"

Scarecrow's laugh was thin, and even raspier through his breathing apparatus. The sound was still taking some getting used to. "For as long as I worked here it was actually much worse."

"I'm guessing that was your fault." she sneered, only halfway serious. "You've always been like this, haven't you?"

"That is not up for discussion Miss Meyer." he replied in a clipped tone. "I took pride in my work. I still do."

She scoffed at his choice of words. Work. She bet her life savings he meant torture, if he was the same sadistic bastard he was right then. "Oh, come on. Everyone likes to talk about themselves to some extent. It's how you make friends."

Actually befriending Crane was not exactly of interest to her, but on the other hand, making an enemy of him was presumably worse, therefore rendering her last statement less inane.

"Friends?" Crane stopped walking and turned to face her. "You don't seem to realize how expendable you are to me. Your disposal would be akin to crushing an ant. Simple and of no consequence."

To her own surprise the remark actually sting her a bit, as well as make her wary. Even though she expected this, even though she had no desire to be with him, she was not made of stone. An insult was an insult, and would always be just that.

Rather than display her wounded feelings she only shrugged. "And here I thought you were a people person." she said silkily. "Forget I said anything and haul ass. My bad knee is killing me."

Crane's icy gaze lingered for a moment to study her face, and then resumed walking in silence. Liesel had only taken a few steps when a sound like a whisper startled her. She whipped around to find only the dark empty hall in her wake, with no sign of any clear and present danger. Yet when she changed her direction, she realized that she'd made a mistake.

Crane was gone.

Furious with herself, she let out a hushed string of curses and jogged down the hall in hopes she would catch up. The sound of her bare feet smacking against the cold floor reminded her to slow down and stay silent lest she attract more trouble.

There was still no sign of him. He could have gone anywhere at this point, and that asshole didn't bother to tell her where from the beginning. He couldn't leave foot prints on the linoleum, and the only personal item he had to lose was attached to his hand, thus leaving no evidence of a trail.

It figures this would happen to me. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Where was he now? The south corridor perhaps? She stopped suddenly, considering just turning back and barricading herself in the office.

He didn't need her in the slightest. Sure, she was like the brawn to his brain but the wily little fucker was just fast and smart enough to get out of whatever scrape he could run into on this island.

Across the hall, there was a dim green glow coming from an otherwise empty crawlspace. Or maybe it was an air vent sans the metal grate covering, Liesel couldn't tell. But it intrigued her. Her curiosity pushed and nagged and screamed at her to investigate till she finally shuffled over to the opening and got down on her knees to peek in.

The box-like tunnel continued straight forward for about four feet and turned left. Whatever source the glow belonged to was sitting directly behind the sharp corner, just enough to stay hidden from anyone sitting at Liesel's angle.

The vents were more than large enough to allow Liesel to crawl through and retrieve the object she desired and turn back without getting stuck and finding herself in the throes of claustrophobia.

She ducked inside, shuffling slowly to her goal. Years of dirt and dust were kicked up from all the movement and tickled her nose and throat to the point where she was forced to use her shirt as a filter and cover her mouth.

The prize was in reach now. It was actually kind of… cute. The light source itself was curved to look like a question mark and fixed on a smaller, cubed mechanism that probably powered it. Though well-crafted, it was clear the funny little device was handmade by someone with too much time on his or her hands.

She picked up the trophy by the base when the sound of human activity made every hair on her body stand on end. Someone was coming from the hall, getting closer. Heart pounding, she realized her many disadvantages: outnumbered, unarmed, and stuck in a hole were not incentives to enter battle and expect a nonlethal outcome.

With no other choice she kept crawling through the air shaft, turning left, left, right, and left again though spider webs, dead insects and the occasional rat till her patience was rewarded with the exit she sought after.

She approached the end, listening for any sign of clear and present danger. Though she could hear nothing, she knew it didn't necessarily mean she was alone.

With her heart in her throat, she emerged. She was still breathing- always a good sign for most people in her situation.

"I thought I told you to return to your cell."

The gruff voice's sudden appearance sent a jolt of genuine fear through her and she nearly screamed. She whipped around to see the hulking figure of the one and only Batman. His cape was in tatters, and a smear of blood had dried under his nose. Though his stature and fearful aura were still intimidating, his posture was strained, if not tired and defeated. Whatever injuries he'd sustained through the course of the night were no match for the Caped Crusader.

"Well." She said. "You look worse for wear since we last met."

"Long night." He said rather curtly.

"I can imagine. You look like you need a drink, my friend."

"As soon as I put Joker down." He rumbled. "Now tell me, what are you doing here?"

For a moment, Liesel considered lying to him, but was caught between that decision and the truth. For a long while she stared at Batman with her mouth slightly agape, weighing her options. Finally, she settled.

"I'm with Scarecrow. Well, no! Not with him, just were sort of using the buddy system. We're sort of friends… Aww hell, he threatened to kill me earlier, we're so not friends…" She paused. "Yeah, fuck that guy."

He grunted casually. "I take it you were separated?"

"That jackass completely forgot about me! I ought to smack him with this stupid night-lite thing I found." She spat, waving the strange green object she'd found in front of the Batman.

"Let me see that." He demanded, extending his arm.

She relinquished is willingly. "Keep it. I have no idea what it's for anyway."

"It's a trophy." He said, taking it from her. "The Riddler has been stashing these all over Arkham Island, challenging me to find them all."

"Oh GOD I'm so sorry you have to deal with that ass-hat. The guy just doesn't know when to shut up." She threw her hands up, exasperated.

"Just as you don't know how to follow instructions."

She rapidly jabbed a finger at his broad chest. "You're the second man tonight to assume that I'd agreed to something I clearly didn't."

"And now you're involved with a dangerous sociopathic criminal." He reminded her.

She scoffed. "Please, I'm a dangerous criminal too." The Batman began to turn away. "No really, it's true! I killed a man! Granted, it was an accident but… Look. It just so happens I'm headed in the same direction as you. Just let me find that Wizard of Oz reject, and I swear I won't interfere."

Wordlessly, the Dark Knight had already begun to walk away, now several feet ahead of her. She called out to him again but still, he did not answer.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes!" She shouted and dashed down the dark hall, hot on his heels.