Chapter 23: Your fear and theirs

   When Jonas was searching for different things on the internet, since he was in Gotham City, one of the most dangerous places on Earth–  it was important for him to search for the city's villains and rogues.

The people of Gotham City would never know when or where you would encounter them. But he thought that it was a necessity if he wanted to live in Gotham City. His top most searched topic about a Gotham Rogue on the internet was the villain scarecrow. Followed by Gotham city's crazy clown joker.

As a being who served his fear gods and whose life he was indebted to, the Villain Scarecrow has piqued his interest very much compared to the other villains.

Those amazing chemicals that the villain Scarecrow employs as his weapons such as his fear drugs through injection or the fear gas. Just the thought of those things makes Jonas shudder. (not in fear but excitement).

It was out of his expectations that he would experience himself what it was like to be done in fear gas today. A normal movie would turn out for the villain scarecrow as his plot against the Gotham Vigilantes.

How lovely.

His vision is now starting to get hazy and being replaced by a different scene. The panic scream of his classmates and the other people throughout the cinema was now being replaced with another.

Jonas was now starting to feel his heartbeat getting faster and faster and Jonas wasn't aware of himself anymore.

------------------

  On a very wide and expensive table, there was a cake with 4 candles.

    " Happy birthday Jonas. Here's the cake with your favorite flavor. "

  " Chocolate Truffle Cake? "

  Jonas's mom smiles at her son fondly.

  " Yes, dear. "

Jonas's father then asked his son.

    " What do you wish for your birthday? "

    " It's a secret. "

    { I wish you would spend more time with me. }

---

Jonas doesn't want to trouble his parents about his bullies at school. They were already troubled by their work.

His Dad has told him that they used to have a company but because of his Grandfather they lost it and accumulated a lot of debt.

It was thanks to his father's hard work that the Cane family's status doesn't go down the drain. Jonas's father was afraid that if he stopped working, he would go back once again to being ridiculed by the other Gotham elite. Just like what happened when he was a kid.

That was what his father told him.

" Jonas you need to work hard and don't grow complacent. You wouldn't know what would happen with your life. Your luxury and riches could disappear the moment you indulge in them. "

Jonas decided to don't bother his father and mother anymore.

Seeing them working hard for their family, he would try to be their perfect child and solve his problems on his own.

--

Jonas was 10 years old when he became the top dog of Gotham Elementary. There was no one to bully him anymore. Everyone who dared suffered social humiliation and didn't dare to go to Gotham Elementary.

He then started being the bully.

---

Jonas was living the perfect life but then he encountered Damian. A few days later, he was kidnapped by a monster.

" Please. Please let me go. "

" Please... "

" Please stop! "

It was the start of a nightmare for him.

" Ahhhh!! "

" Mama! Papa! "

" Someone! "

" ... Please. "

He begged the monster to let go of him.

" Help! "

It didn't want to let him go.

" Save me! "

" Someone!.. "

" .. Please.. "

No one answered Jonas's last plea for help.

" Don't! "

He died and was killed by a monster who rejected the beg for his life.

The new Jonas watched the memories and fears of the former Jonas. He was watching the memories like a cinema and a stranger. The memories and feelings of the original owner are disconnected.

He didn't feel any fear as he watched Jonas be killed by the monster whose figure was very vague and covered in shadows except for the monster's icy blue eyes. The new Jonas is disconnected from the feelings and emotions associated with the leftover subconscious fear and memories of the former Jonas.

But the new Jonas was more determined to unravel the mystery behind the former Jonas's death, the identity of the kid's killer, and enact his justice.

As he remains a bystander to these memories, Jonas was starting to hear voices that don't come from the original owner's memories.

" Father, please stop! "

" Please, don't lock it. I'm scared! "

" No, no, no, no, NO!! "

" Ahhhh, help! "

" I hate this..  "

Familiar and unfamiliar voices.  Jonas was then reminded that what was he seeing was an illusion conjured by Jonas's brain because of Fear Gas. He was in the Cinema together with Luke, Bethany, and Rosalie.

All of the people in the cinema dose with fear gas were experiencing their fears conjured by their minds. Jonas can feel his heart beating fast despite not feeling scared.

' The Fear Gas is dangerous. '

[ Excessive amount of different fears are detected ]

[ Do the host want to gather the array of fears on his surrounding? ]

Jonas's vision was starting to clear up.

' Yes. '

[ The Host's Avatar Body is already full of fear. Does the host want to collect the fear of his surroundings and sacrifice it to the Fear gods? ]

' Yes. '

[ The Fear Gods are pleased by your Decision. ]

[ Gathering the Fear around your surroundings ]

After a while, Jonas's visions are already cleared up. He can see his surroundings again and not the memories from the former Jonas buried deep into the subconscious.

He then stared at his surroundings and frowned. His classmates are crying. Some people are huddled, curled in a fetal position, rocking themselves with their arms and knees. Jonas then decided to leave his seat when he notice a person in the cinema screaming. It was different from some of the people in the Cinema who were also screaming. The person had left his seat and kicked and punched in the air.

When it comes to danger, there was a fight or flight response. In the face of the fears, this person chose to fight back.

Jonas then proceeded to walk toward that person as the archivist system continues to gather the fear around his surroundings. It would be dangerous for the other people if that person continued his punching and kicking. Jonas must make that person lose consciousness.

As he arrives closer in front of the person, Jonas winced when he felt the person kick his face. Pain blossomed on his face but it was then soon healed and soothed by the system.

With fear all around him, Jonas has nothing to worry about. He feels so refreshed and energetic amongst the scared people.

Jonas then continued to approach the man and suffered from the man's kicks and punches until he manage to tackle the man on the ground by putting all over his weight and the gravity. Now he was straddling the struggling man on his back.

Jonas felt happy that he has successfully tackled the man on the ground.

" Don't struggle, it would be over soon. "

Jonas muttered while he stared intensely at the man's nape. With a huge smile, he raises his hand high and prepares it to make the man unconscious.

Jonas mused to himself that this is morbid sight if someone has seen him right now, he was smiling while others are screaming or crying in fear.

Just then he tempted destiny by thinking those thoughts, Jonas then turned his head when he felt the presence of someone entering the theater room.

The person who entered the theatre room was a woman. She was dressed in a tight black & purple color scheme suit with white added in some edges. The body suit was showing off her thighs and it has a stomach window.  only She was wearing a purple domino mask that has bat-like ears. She has a purple cape. She has a purple belt. Her black boots that reached past her knees had a lot of purple straps.

A vigilante in purple...

There were only two purple vigilantes in Gotham and one of them hasn't been in the city for a year.

There was only one answer.

'Huntress'.

" A child? "

At first, there was a trace of confusion in the voice of the vigilante. But as she saw Jonas's position, there was an alarmed tone in her voice.

" What are you doing!? "