The first outbreak was of hysteria hundreds of people in full panic unable to control themselves of their own fears. Within 24 hours the symptoms had subsided and the area of the attack had been searched for the cause and neutralized. The Scarecrow fit the motive of the attack yet lacking anything that was stolen from the scene which made the police question what had happened. Several days passed a new location like before hundreds of people were again infected but this time the fear gave way to rage and fearlessness after a matter of moments. The infected became violent and began to attack the police & others on the scene to help. Rioting erupted in the area continuing for 24 hours until the effects of the toxin had finally wore off and run its course through the systems of the infected. Again nothing was taken from the scene yet again it fit the same motive of another Scarecrow attack within Gotham. A month passed with no new attacks upon the citizens. Everything seemed to be back to normal the two attacks deemed to be nothing more than possible contamination from lost or hidden stashes of fear that had been accidentally released. The icy grip of winter soon sat upon the city its deathly cold fingers grasping buildings and streets alike with a thick layer of ice and snow. The busting metropolis didn't fail to stay running with the streets sanded and salted keeping the roads and bridges free for travel. Deicer was sprayed by citizens on their vehicles and houses to keep the ice at bay. All seemed to be as normal in the city as normal as it had been for the majority of the people.

 

The count down was underway as the hours turned to minutes the minutes turned to seconds and the seconds went down towards the new year. Midnight the new year was greeted by fire works filling the night air. Brilliant bursts of colors filled the night sky, loud echoing blast shook the city and the new year was brought in correctly. Night became day with the shower of air bursting igniting the night sky with blues, reds, greens, silvers and other colors bright and vivid to the imagination. The people were all in awe at the spectacular display that was put on for them. Within hours Gotham was in flames, insane laughs filled the night sky with burning embers and smoke. The citizens who had been outside were caught in a perfect storm of a trap. Fear had spread over all of the people causing mass chaos and terror as people fled seeing their own worst nightmares projected. Those that were not affected fled from the scene only causing further problems that no one knew of. As the toxin worked its way through the system of the infected their terror soon subsided as rage began to take over. Their fear was soon devoured by great unyielding rage that pushed them into blind uncontrolled fits of violence. Soon their rage was added by an addition of seemingly superhuman strength that flowed through their body. The whole attack had been well prepared and planned for this moment. The means of deploying the new agent had been placed out in three parts which alone was nothing that could have caused any trouble. Chemical laced salt & sand was everywhere in the city clinging to everything including the citizens and just awaited the final agent which was dispurst through the fireworks. Mobs of maddening citizens fled through the streets trampling one another as panic began to spread wildly through the city. Those slumbering in their homes were awoke to the sound of chaos. Doors were busted off their frames and windows smashed letting in the night air. The infection slowly spread through buildings as those immune outside spread the infection to others previous not exposed. The police dispatched to help contain the growing mob soon found themselves being over taken by the infection. Those not affected fled for any sanctuary they could find throughout the city behind the strongest possible doors. Even the doors no matter how well barricaded soon came down as the strength enhancement of the infection multiplied the strength of the infected giving them the ability to break down the most stubborn doors in their mindless rampaging state. As the rampage grew so did the infected numbers as people were forced out into the streets as the city fell street by street block by block. Gothams police met the crazed rampaging mob with tear gas, rubber bullets, batons and riot shields. Police baracades were smashed along with cars over turned as officers fell back from the drug enhanced mob of citizens that forced them back from their positions shrinking the polices grasp on the city.

 

By morning the city of Gotham was covered in a halo of smoke blocking out the sun as it rose up to shed light on the city. The city crackled burning as the sound of the mindless moaning zombie like mobs of citizens roamed the streets. During the chaos of it all the bridges connecting Gotham to the main land had been brought down with explosives isolating the metropolis from the rest of the world. Wayne Enterprises had exploded along with other places around the city bringing down several of the tallest buildings in the city. The police stations, fire departments all had been attacked to further destabilize the city along with the water works. As the United States military began preparations to move in on Gotham to reclaim the city the people all would find themselves in a situation more dire than they could imagine.

 

Gotham is mine...

 

A garbled distorted voice broke through the static of the televisions, radios cell phones and the frequency's of the military radio channels. A powerful signal had managed to over take all system bleeding over through speakers that were active only through being turned on. The voice was distorted as the signal crossed multiple frequency and changed to prevent tracking and being jammed.

 

Gotham .. Gotham is mine.. Any attempts to take the city back will result in severe consequences...

 

The general in charge of the operation halted his actions as every radio transmitted the broadcast. Soldiers on the docks, in trucks and readying supplies stopped what they were doing at the voice speaking to them. The generals staff looked towards the radio along with one another in confusion. The radio man tuned and adjusted changing channels only to find the voice was on all channels at the sametime. 

 

Twelve nuclear weapons have been placed around the city more than enough to remove Gotham from existence... More than enough to get my point across..

 

All hearts stopped as cold chills ran up the spines of those listening to the broadcast with the ominous threat of destruction and what those weapons would put up into the atmosphere affecting everyone around the globe. One bomb detonating was bad enough to pollute the atmosphere but twelve was enough to cause massive contamination and death around the world from the fall out.

 

Now.. That I have your undivided attention.. Any attempts to enter the city or leave will result in termination.... The city along with all of the inhabitants are now mine.. Mine to do with as I please for as long as I desire to do so...

 

All eyes were upon the ruins of the city that sat isolated an island of death with the promise of a world wide event that would touch the globe if anyone attempted to leave or come to aid. The Red Cross along with the U.S. military could only sit and watch the smokey haze rise from Gotham unknowing what fully was going on.

 

If you play nice ... If you follow the rules ... There will be no penalty .............

 

 

Just as quickly as the transmission had taken over the equipment it subsided leaving everyone involved frozen in place attempting to take in what had just occured. Soldiers looked at one another, citizens shook in fear, the general and his staff horror struck finally brought themselves to call the president on the dire warning they had been presented with.

 

 

Commissioner Gordon could only listen on in disbelief as he heard the voice and the dire prophecy it held for the city along with the citizens. The only hope for his city was extinguished as he was told with deep regrets that he was on his on no help would come. From his make shift command post Commissioner Gordon could only look out at the mainland in the distance knowing help was there yet unable to come for them. It was hard to tell what had happened at by the hands of whom it had happened at the actions being something more twisted and sick than anyone they could imagine. Arkham like much of the city had fallen in the middle of the night.  The building was ransacked and the inmates free as the orderlies became over taken by the mixture in the air. With citizens freezing one of the most isolated places  Arkham was seen as the best refuge from the weather and the mob that controlled the city. By the end of the week the situation was bleak as the city was being patrolled by warships at distance to prevent anyone trying to enter or leave the city. Only a sliver of the city was held by the defenders which were threatened to be over taken at any moment. No signs of Batman had been seen which led people to wonder if he had fallen in the city or had became one of those in the mob. The only thing the citizens could do was hope and pray that somehow they would be rescued from whomever on the inside.