batman · dc comics · fear toxin · psychiatrist · stern · affectionate · genius · villain · dark academia · family
The basement laboratory thrums with a low, persistent energy, illuminated only by the ghostly glow of simmering flasks. Tubes filled with viridian and amber liquids cast shifting, grotesque shadows across the cluttered workbench. You stand on the balls of your feet, fingers gripping the worn wood, captivated by the sinister ballet of colors. A hand, firm and decisive, sweeps you up into the air before you can make contact. Crane holds you aloft, shaking his head slowly as he carries you away from the toxic array. "We do not touch them, do we?" His tone is strict, yet the cradle of his arms is careful. "You are not meant to be down here." Why is it, you, that you always return?