Shivers Down Your Spine [Scarecrow]

[Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze]

It doesn't matter very much to Victor what Dr. Crane's motivations are for working with him, just as long as he's willing to do so. It's all the same to him whether the other rogue actually likes the deal or simply doesn't like the idea of this getting unpleasant - either way he gets what he wants. And he doesn't regard it as unfair to insist - after all, he's not expecting to get anything for free.

But he is taken slightly off guard by what Dr. Crane asks for. The man has never struck him as being one with an interest in such mechanical devices. "As I said, there are few limitations - that is one," he replies easily, but he's quick to offer something else instead, "I can, however, give you the blueprints to my first suit, if that is sufficient." Which he hopes is enough to satisfy his fellow scientist. Technically, he's referring to his second suit - the first he ever made was made in haste out of whatever he could find and it only lasted just long enough for him to create a better one, and as such he doesn't really count that one.

The first one he actually counts was a work of art, but of a lesser caliber than the one he uses now. The primary flaw in its design was that it was created before he first met Batman, so he hadn't thought to protect all the vital components from damage - it's covered in weak spots and vulnerabilities. Still, much of its structure is the same: an exoskeleton granting extraordinary strength to the user, diamond-fueled power system, a carefully controlled internal environment, servos, etc. (cold gun and HUD not included). He'd certainly consider it sufficient for this exchange, but then again he's quite partial to his own work.

Especially since, on the other end of this deal, Dr. Crane apparently can't offer up a sample. Which is disappointing, but not literally a deal-breaker - he might have learned much from a sample alone, but of course he's not interested in turning anyone into a giant monster. Which is why, for the moment at least, he doesn't bother to ask about the DNA samples - he knows how to collect such things himself already and is guessing that if anything in this turns out to be useful to him it won't be the specifics of what was sampled. And if he's wrong, he can come back to that later. So for now he asks, "And what was this 'special toxin'?"

[Jonathan Crane - Scarecrow]

Upon hearing that it was one of the limitations the doctor became slightly annoyed. He thought it was a fair trade, but it turned around quickly enough that he could settle with what he could get. The Blueprints to an older suit would be good enough. It wasn’t for any need to destroy him or some meaningless endeavor to learn how to beat him. Dr. Crane had no quarrel with Mr. Fries and with them both being scientist they were both far too busy to get involved with anything like that. They both had their own goals that just kept getting interrupted.

Dr. Crane’s projects and goals were always getting interrupted by something. Miss Glass had become less of an interruption than she was before. Now, she had become more of a work of art in her own. He was proud of his work and how beautiful it turned out. If anything what had happened with Miss Glass was more of the thing to Marvel over. But the specifics of the toxin he had inquired about was a masterpiece that he had created before her.

His question caused the doctor to pause and really think it over. What exactly was this special toxin he’d created? It was a work of art, it was his masterpiece. It was within him now, this perfect artwork. Even though it had its flaws he was working on weeding them out, it hadn’t gotten too bad, not to the point to where it happened all the time. He could still trigger upon will…It was the unexpected triggers that were becoming a major problem. Luckily Miss Glass had not been around to witness one yet….

But….

That could change. He could go into detail about what it was, though he’d rather not. It was a personal experience, it was something that he would never be able to understand just by telling him so. There weren’t enough ways in this language that he could use to describe it….and then the urge happened. He began to wonder, what if…

“Would you like to see it?” he asked cryptically regardless of what he had previously told him about there being none of it left. He couldn’t resist the temptation of it all. It wasn’t that Freeze would have a difficult time handle himself after all. He couldn’t do it here or risk destroying the entire apartment. He would probably get stuck in the ceiling and the floor and it be a giant mess for everyone, including himself, but if Freeze was willing to take it elsewhere…That was possible.

[Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze]

Though Victor is very protective of the design specifications of his suit for the reason that such knowledge could be used against him, he is not that concerned about Dr. Crane in particular using that knowledge. They've had their occasional disagreements and they're not friends, but they're not enemies. They're... colleagues, perhaps? No, that's probably overstating it. They're certainly not rivals. So he wouldn't suppose that the good doctor is out to kill him. Out to find out whether he's immune to his toxin or if the suit simply filters it? Yes. But not kill him.

But that doesn't mean that he feels comfortable just handing the man a set of blueprints. If he knew that they would remain in Dr. Crane's and only Dr. Crane's hands then he might consider it, but he doesn't trust the other man to guard that information as closely as he would. And who knows who else might then get their hands on it and what they might do with it? No, if you want something to be safe, you have to keep it safe yourself. And that means no leaks.

At first when Dr. Crane asks if he wants to see it, Victor assumes that it's in reference to this special toxin. Which confuses him because, yes, Dr. Crane had said that there wasn't a sample left. "I thought that you said that there was none?" he asks with slight tilt to his head, "Or were you speaking of the finished product? If there is an intermediate formula available, yes I would like to see it."

Of course, it's possible that the other scientist meant something entirely different, and he doesn't fail to not the other way to understand the very vague statement. "Unless you are speaking of your creation itself - in which case, I see no purpose in that. As I said, it's the method and not the result that has my interest. Unless you believe that seeing it would enhance my understanding," he adds. If his reaction is out of fear, it's hard to tell - it's hard to tell what Victor is feeling at the best of times. Instead his manner mainly indicates that he believes that it's probably a waste of time.

[Jonathan Crane - Scarecrow]

The doctor respected the mind in front of him, to a very certain extent. They were both scientists, both respected at one point. They had both been captured and had both been placed in the asylum before. He was never in the same unit as Mr. Freeze but they probably took his suit from him, placing him in a special containment area. They probably had a room made just to contain him and sustain him alive. They put him in a fridge and left him to die.

But they were both scientists in completely different fields and Dr. Crane had little interest in helping him in his endeavor. He would do what he could to get ahold of his suit. Dr. Crane wasn’t an accomplished engineer but he considered himself good enough for the work he had done so far. If something was broken he could fix it with a little work, if he needed to make something he would keep working on it until it did work. All of the science followed the same concept. Eventually he would pick apart the blueprints for exactly what he needed.

The doctor could barely see the curious tilt of his head through the condensation on the hood of his helmet. The air inside the lab compared to the temperature in his suit were conflicting. He wondered how much that impeded his ability to see while trying to get away. However, Mr Freeze didn’t seem the type to flee from fear, instead freeze up and fight it. In such a heavy suit, it would have been the smartest thing to do.

He walked to the side of the metal behemoth and continued to inspect it just from an outward perspective. None of this would be needed if he could spot what he needed to from the outside. He was listening as he looked, his interest in showing him still peaked. It was a dangerous situation, but the more he thought about it the less he saw it would help him get what he needed, however interesting the results would be, it would have to be for another time. “There is only one sample and it is right here.” He explained cryptically and balanced back on the balls of his heels, eventually settling in one spot. He wasn’t going to look at the suit anymore. What he needed was going to be in the blueprints.

“As much as I believe it would enhance your understanding, perhaps that would be for another time, in another place. I cannot give you a formula besides the description of how it was done, is there anything else you would take? Perhaps something more enlightening? ” The doctor pushed up his already tearing sleeve and exposed pale skin underneath. He turned his wrist upward to him and held it out.

There was little that was more important to him than this creation, but even with the genetic coding it was still far more complex than that…and then there was the formula itself. That he had no intention of giving away, but if a sample of his blood is what he needed then he was more than willing to offer it. He kept his arm out, waiting for Mr. Freeze to make his move. They were both scientists after all, surely he came prepared. Dr. Crane wasn’t an ignorant man, the more information he could get out of his current suit for free the better.

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

After the first lack of response to her, Heather is rather reluctant to speak up again. But as both men continue to talk about something they clearly know much more about than she does, being the third party to this conversation becomes more and more frustrating. So though she continues to be quiet, she's internally debating whether or not she should try again. The odds don't seem to be in her favor right now, but then again the risks don't seem to be that great. In stark contrast to some of the conversations that Heather's witnessed between Jon and other rogues, this is a simple verbal negotiation and nothing more - there isn't any signs that it might spiral horribly out of control at any moment.

So, after several long moments of internal debate, Heather finally ventures, "Jon, what are you talking about?" Her voice is quiet - which is not an attempt to hide her words from Mr. Freeze, but simply her trying to not interrupt the conversation too badly.

Though her confusion only increases when Jon offers up his arm to the other rogue - wait, whatever they're talking about is inside Jon? Or is she misinterpreting the situation? It could be either/or, really - she doesn't feel like she has enough context to be sure. And her expression goes pensive as her frustration with not being able to understand increases - when she's not sure whether she should be concerned about something or not, her default is to be concerned.

[Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze]

The condensation on his helmet is hardly bothersome to Victor. Partially because he's simply used to it - he's had to be in some sort of a suit every time he's ventured outside of a select few locations for about ten years now. And many of his earlier suits were much worse in that regard - it's mostly a matter of keeping the suit well insulated so that the cold inside his suit comes in contact with the heat on the outside as little as possible, because otherwise the dome reacts to the heat the same way a glass of ice water does. But it's also because he's extremely used to his HUD - and as far as that device is concerned the moisture doesn't exist. He could find his way around even if his dome was completely opaque using it alone, though it's better if can see normally as well.

His eyes track the other rogue's movements, but he continues to appear to be unbothered. Instead he simply waits for his fellow scientist to answer his questions. He does seem to be very mildly surprised when Dr. Crane offers up his arm, though he's quick to react by touching a panel on his left arm. It opens, and he easily pulls out a syringe. But though that's obviously what it is, it isn't an ordinary plastic disposable syringe - it's made of glass. And though glass syringes hark back to many decades ago, this one instead seems futuristic and expensive. In fact, if the other rogue's lab is any indication it's probably the finest piece of medical equipment that Dr. Crane has been next to in quite some time. And also the most sterile.

Holding it out - sideways, so as to avoid any accidents - he offers it while saying, "I suspect that an in-depth explanation of how it was done is probably the most useful information, but it would be prudent to gather as much information as possible in the absence of a better sample."

[Jonathan Crane - Scarecrow]

Dr. Crane was focused on Mr. Freeze and his next actions when his thoughts were interrupted by Miss Glass. His eyes never moved from the half machine in front of him. He knew that she was curious. She had been left in ignorance on purpose from all sides. There was no benefit that he could see to tell her about what happened in the asylum and about the Scarebeast itself. There was very little that she needed to know about the subject and he suspected, remembered even less of it. His mind rolled over the thought that he had never actually asked her how much she remembered of it. But he rarely spoke to her about her feelings and memories. It wasn't difficult to figure them out but the details behind them would have taken time. Perhaps, thought should be given to giving her a session about what happened…..At least get her side of the story. If nothing it would serve to complete his scores of notes that he scrawled about her in several of his lab journals. Just how involved she was in the success of his projects, he felt he could leave out to Mr. Freeze. Besides, that's not why he was here.

Each movement of the suit the doctor took note of mentally. If it could produce a syringe from its chambers there was probably far more it could do. This, not being his original blueprint would probably be far more upgraded but it wasn't what he was looking for anyway. He examined the syringe that left it, it was of the same quality that he often used around the lab. Dr. Crane had always preferred using glass syringes. They were simply better, but not particularly useful while moving around. Dr. Crane, unlike Mr. Freeze didn't have a massive mechanical chamber to store things as he moved and a broken syringe was useless. He'd moved to plastic when it was the best choice and left his glass syringes at home. Unless, of course it came to his needled glove, which was another device entirely.

Dr. Crane carefully took the syringe by the end and without another thought put it in his wrist. He drew out blood like it was nothing, like he'd done it a hundred times this way, which would have been the truth. The syringe filled up until about half way when he'd finally felt it was enough and removed the precision needle. "If you are half the scientist I give you credit for Mr. Freeze, it will be more than enough." He half complimented. Whether he was worth the credit was yet to be determined. A sample of his blood should be enough to tell him what was done at least. Dr. Crane wasn't that interested in giving him each detail of how.

Regardless, that was far beyond his capability of understanding.

A man frozen in time was not going to understand the reality outside of his environment. He had placed himself in a shell, fear had placed him there. The fear of the inevitable to embrace him, the arms of Oblivion to take him away where he belongs, where he began. "This is the best sample there is…" He confessed and it was the truth. Besides a formal demonstration, his blood was the closest thing that he would ever get to a full explanation…and he thought it to be a fair trade for just a blueprint.

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

When her question gets no more than a glance from Jon, Heather frowns. She doesn't like that now she has so many questions about what they're even talking about, and nobody is giving her any answers at all. It's making her very uncomfortable about being here - why is she even here if they're going to talk about things that sound possibly quite alarming but won't give her any of the context that she needs to understand at all.

In fact, now she's finding herself very much wanting to leave the room - at this rate if she stays her discomfort will become even worse and it's pretty bad already. "I'm, um, going to do... something," she finds herself saying, too troubled internally to come up with an actual thing that she 'needs' to do right now as an excuse to leave. But if Jon's not going to say a word edgewise to her while talking to Mr. Freeze, then he probably doesn't care if she leaves anyways. Which is a somewhat disheartening thing to feel so soon after the conversation that Mr. Freeze's arrival interrupted, but Jon's kind of fickle like that and she's somewhat used to it.

Eying the metal encased rogue standing somewhat between the door and herself, she hesitates for a moment before she spots a path around the table that should allow her to reach the door without getting too close to Mr. Freeze. He doesn't seem to even notice her very much at all, but better safe than sorry.