Dr. Jonathan Crane, MD - Entry 039 (Patreon)

LUCENZO: Welcome, Dottore, to my home.

CRANE: It’s lovely. Very reminiscent of the Old Country.

LUCENZO: Si, gratzi.

CRANE: I brought wine – I assumed red would be fitting.

LUCENZO: Again, gratzi. Please, sit. *claps hands* Braciole di maiale.

CRANE: It looks terrific. Thank you.

LUCENZO: Hmm.

CRANE: Something wrong?

LUCENZO: I notice… I notice you do not make mention of my… experiment. My imperfection. It is almost as though you are taking great care to not mention it.

CRANE: In my line of work, this is nothing out of the blue.

LUCENZO: Hmm. I trust you read through my journal.

CRANE: I did. It was… inspired.

LUCENZO: Do you see what I am trying to achieve?

CRANE: Tranquillity through mutilation.

LUCENZO: I suppose that is one way to look at it. Dr. Johannes called it “Surgical Salvation”. 

CRANE: Six of one. None for me, thanks – I don’t. 

LUCENZO: Serviti pure.

CRANE: I tried contacting Karl… no one’s seen or heard from him in quite some time. Forgive me for being blunt, but did you have something to do with that?

LUCENZO: Do you need to ask?

CRANE: I suppose not. I’m HESITANT to ask. What’s your end game?

LUCENZO: End… game?

CRANE: Say this procedure works. Say you can… perfect the mind. You can’t possibly hope to do this to every citizen of Gotham City – there’s just not enough time, not enough hands.

LUCENZO: We would only need a handful – those in positions of power: The Mayor, The Commissioner…

CRANE: Commissioner Gordon? I don’t even think that man leaves his office. Hell, you’d have an easier time getting your hands on Batman.

LUCENZO: …

CRANE: No. That’s just… absolutely not.

LUCENZO: This will not be easy, Dottore. It was never going to be. I need someone I can trust to bring my vision to Gotham City. A friend… who sees what I see.

CRANE: I don’t want to be your friend. You speak of this world without pain, without doubt, without fear, and you want MY help in this? Why would I willingly make myself redundant?

LUCENZO: Because if you don’t, I will kill you.

CRANE: You seem mighty sure of that.

LUCENZO: One could not count on hands alone the lives I have ended, Dottore.

CRANE: I could always kill you.

LUCENZO: Hmmhmmhmm. I think you are not strong enough to kill me.

CRANE: There are other ways to kill, Lucenzo. Please, for what that wine cost, I wouldn’t ruin it with poison. And what would you do with the GCPD scratching at the door?

LUCENZO: They will come, and I will kill them. All of them if I have to. They will feed my pigs. We will all be full, Dottore. We will not be stopped.

CRANE: Then I guess I have no choice.

LUCENZO: Only victory, dottore.

CRANE: I think I’ll have a glass of that wine now.

(doorbell rings)

CRANE: Invite some friends to the party?

LUCENZO: Did you?

CRANE: No.

LUCENZO: I will return, Dottore.

CRANE: And so will I.