Selina's place spoke of destruction as the green gas began to clear away. All her cats had died of suffocation and a desolate haunting had gripped the apartment. Red Robin dropped in through the back door that was ajar and the disgusting fumes were escaping from there.

He held his breath as he looked around but there was no sign of Selina Kyle. He could clearly see that it was a case of abduction and judging by the usage of gas as a weapon, he too could associate it to the Scarecrow.

But his eyes got caught by a familiar looking cell phone dropped in a corner and as he bent down to pick it up, his face went ashen. 

The lock screen displayed a picture him and Dora at Amusement Mile taken on their first date and it confirmed his doubts that it was indeed Dora's phone. And that could only mean that she too had been there when the whole abduction happened.

In a panic, Red Robin rushed out, climbing up to the balcony of the Beaumont's place. "Dora," he called through the grill that was locked but there came no answer, "Dora, are you in there?"

But all he was met with was silence deepening his suspicions that she too had been taken by the Scarecrow along with Selina.

"Shit..." 

His mind had started to blank out but he knew he had to act fast or else it could be dangerous for both taken hostage. He connected with Oracle immediately because in panicking times, only Barbara could guide them well.

"Red Robin," her voice sounded from the other side of his comm attached in the cowl, "what happened?"

"Selina and Dora have been taken by the Scarecrow," the words poured out of him in a frantic rush as he explained the situation.

"I will try tracking her out and I'm sending the Huntress for help as well. She has been working on a case regarding Scarecrow along with Catwoman so she would know."

"Inform Batman. He should know."

Oracle understood immediately why Selina had been abducted and connected with Helena soon as the connection with Red Robin terminated, in order to check whether she was safe or not. Much to her relief, Helena picked up.

"Catwoman has been taken by Crane," she spoke up before Helena, "Red Robin fond her place in shambles and traces of some new kind of gas were present."

"Oh, I'm coming straight away."

"There's another problem. Dora was with her at the moment she got taken and Red Robin is convinced that she got abducted as well."

"Damn it."

"He's waiting for you at Catwoman's place," Oracle instructed, "I will try connecting with Nightwing and the others to see if they have spotted any upheaval. I've already sent a message to Batman and he will join you. You and Red Robin are to go at every single hideout you had located and marked. And don't avoid ACE chemicals. In fact, start from there."

"Right. But Alexander..."

"Red Hood will handle him. You must leave right now."

Helena's eyes flickered towards Alex who was at the counter serving drinks. She thought whether or not to tell him but decided against because at the moment Dora and Selina could be in danger and if Alex came to know of it, he might panic.

She left the Lounge immediately, heading straight for Selina's place where Red Robin was waiting for her.

***

Isadora struggled to open her eyes and could not even move since she was was strapped tightly to a stretcher. She could hear voices and as she focused the sounds got clear as if people were conversing rather close. She could differentiate two voices, one deep and the other scratchy and spine chilling.

"And who is she?"

"We don't know. She was with her and we brought her as well because..."

"No worries, no worries... The more the merrier," the scratchy voice pierced through the place and sent an unmistakable wave of fear washing over her.

Her brown eyes had opened at last and she looked around not knowing what sinister place she was bound in. She drew back as long slender fingers rested against her cheek, her breath getting hitched in her throat.

"I had wanted a specimen to test the new toxin, this one would do nicely."

Her mouth was gagged so no comprehendible sound could pass through her lips, besides her voice seemed to have dried up as well from the sudden shock and fear gripping her.

The man in front of her was a living rendition of Freddy Kruger. His face was devoid of life, straws sticking out from it and his hat and trench coat made him look like an eerie scarecrow brought to life.

"Now now, little one, don't panic. It would only increase chances of you getting hurt," the words rolled off his tongue as if he was highly amused by the whole scenario.

Her eyes were darting around the place until she caught a glimpse of Selina tied up as well but her head was dropping to a side at a dangerous angle, blood trickling down her mouth and forehead.

Her sharp green eyes locked with Dora's fearful brown ones and the expression on her face grew even more pained.

"Let her go..." Her voice was reduced to a faint rasp, "don't hurt her..."

Scarecrow's attention snapped towards her and a spine chilling laugh erupted from him, shaking his lanky frame as it rumbled through him, "let her go? Of course, but after I get done with her."

"You wanted me not her... Leave her."

"Will it perhaps cause pain to you if this sweet little girl was to be tortured, or as I like to put it, experimented upon?"

The sharp edge of his scythe grazed Isadora's lower arm, a line of blood trailing down her skin shortly afterwards. A scream gurgled in her throat and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Selina's eyes flickered again in pain and guilt, while another laugh from the Scarecrow pierced the atmosphere.

"I take it as a yes." Turning to Dora, he added, "apologies dear, but you might have to stay for a little longer than we expected."

"Don't..."

His hands held a phial with a disgusting blue liquid in it, a strong fume escaped as he opened the lid. It was indeed the toxin he had mentioned earlier.

Dora's eyes widened as she tried to turn her face away. But he had poured the liquid onto a piece of cloth and held it tightly over her nose.

"Don't worry, child, it's just a slight dose that will show you your worst fears. Just a little dose."

"No..." Selina's voice seemed to have faded in the background.

Dora tried to hold her breath knowing that if she inhaled the fumes it would cause damage to her but she could not struggle against the firm hold and soon enough the pungent blue fumes seemed to fill her up.

Her eyes widened to the utmost extent as the toxin began to work. After what seemed like a really long time, Scarecrow retrieved his hand and stepped back.

"Now dear, what do you see?" His scratchy voice rang in her head but everything seemed to fade into a blur and in front of her multiple unwanted scenes began to play out.

He had flicked off the gag from her mouth. But no sound escaped Dora as she looked on at the hallucinations swirling in front of her with large terrified eyes.

It started slow with the minimal fears at first. Darkness, spiders and the terrible sound of thunder clashing in her ears.

But then it began to take momentum. Alexander leaving her, her friends abandoning her, Tim drifting away from her and one by one all the people she knew went far out of reach.

Tears had started to pour ceaselessly down her eyes and she tried to reach out towards the retreating forms of those people but couldn't because she was bound tightly.

"Dora, it's not real..."

But she could not hear Selina anymore. All she could see was blood and bodies. Mangled bodies that belonged to all those people she loved and cared for.

Her brother, her lover, her friends, her family, all of them lying dead and helpless in front of her.

She couldn't take it anymore and a scream ripped apart from her, shaking the whole place. Even Scarecrow's shrill laughter was drowned in the echo of her painstaking screams.

There seemed no end to the torture, no end to the painful scenes playing out again and again until her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness.

***