(Only Adri in this one)[/size]

The Bazaar of Agrabah was as bustling as ever, with shopkeepers and buyers bargaining for the best prices on all kinds of goods, from food to material items.  Yes; it was turning out to be an excellent and profitable day for the stands' owners.

That was, until all the mayhem started.  Several bombs were tossed from above, but these were no mere explosives.  Gas began pouring from the canisters, and all those within range began experiencing their worst nightmares.  The horror was only punctuated when several monsters colored entirely yellow.

Delicious screams punctuated the air as Jonathan Crane seemingly stood upon the air above all the mayhem.

Today was a good day.

As always, he took advantage of the panic to float down to the stalls, being sure to take whatever currency those owning them had stocked up.  The Scarecrow was hardly above petty theft, especially when he was so low on supplies.  And considering his already long record, he saw no point in wasting time paying for such things.  This was simple and effective.

It was always a wonderful sight to see the masses' terror, as well.

====

He remembered this world fondly. It was the world he took his vessel to, where he revealed the truth about himself and merged back with him. He would have taken full control of that boy, if it weren't for his willpower. Of course, he no longer had to worry about that, since he had his own body now. All he had to worry about now was focusing on the goals he had right now.

But reminiscing and mentally going over plans was not what Ignis Fatuus was here for. He was only here to take a stroll through the city of Agrabah, after an extensive time of training with the cane sword-gun that he held as he walked. He had gotten better with it over time, even learning some creative acrobatics in dodging. Granted, he had more trouble with stronger enemies, where he had to retreat instead. Not that it mattered; he was only one man. Though this reminded him that while he had enough allies right now, he would need more traveling partners for whenever he would go out...

His thoughts had come to a stop as he heard the sudden panicked screams coming from the Bazaar. The Nightmare Illusionist blinked, turning towards the path that lead to the area. If he were a 'heroic' Interference, he would have rushed headfirst into the sudden conflict foolishly. But since he was a villain, Ignis kept calm and just walked towards the Bazaar, not out of concern, but with curiosity to what was going on and who was the one causing trouble.

What he saw was far from what he expected. When he heard the mayhem, he had expected sudden Heartless attacks or anything else of the like. What he instead found were many of the desert folk in absolute panic and fear, yellow-colored monsters attacking. This certainly guaranteed another blink from the man, as he had never seen anything like this. Something like this had to have been done by one with a highly creative mind. But exactly who--

It didn't take too long to find him. By the stall near the large doors that lead to the vast desert did Ignis Fatuus find the, strangely floating, man with the burlap mask. If that wasn't an obvious standout among all of this, he didn't know what was. Of course, Ignis had to give a smirk; it seemed he had some strong competition coming his way. Either that, or if he could, this man might prove to be another useful ally to their current team of four (or three, what with his lack of trust towards Levins).

But first, he needed to see what exactly the masked man could do, how he is able to do this. So, completely ignoring the citizens as they called to him for pleas for help, Ignis leaned against the wall of a building, his hands on the handrest of his cane. He knew he would probably be noticed; despite his own dark skin that would make him look like he was one of the desert people, his attire, well-dressed as he was, was obviously out of place in this Arabian-style world. Not only that, but also the fact that he was doing absolutely nothing to resolve the conflict, just standing there with a calm look on his face.

Now to wait and see if the masked villain would come to notice him. And if he did, see what he will try to do with him.

====

As Crane continued going through the stall's wares, looking for any form of money or something he could sell for the same purpose, he felt someone's eyes on him.  Turning in mid-air, he saw the obviously unscared person watching him.  His attire was clearly not of this world, which led to reason that he was another of those 'Interferences'.

And one who would [i]dare [/i]look upon him with no fear at all.  Obviously, this problem would have to be remedied post-haste.

Floating towards the person, hands behind his back while holding another as bomb containing fear toxin, he addressed him.  "And what are [i]you [/i]afraid of, young man?"  So saying, he activated the canister, and lobbed it towards Ignis, the bomb spewing the gas.

====

When the costumed villain turned his way, Ignis had to hold back another smirk, glad to be noticed amongst this chaos. As he began floating his way over, the Nightmare Illusionist decided, once he was in his vicinity, to use his eye to read the man's mind. Only a noticeable glow could be seen beneath his bangs as he did so, still keeping the eye hidden.

A Doctor Jonathan Crane this man was, also known as "Scarecrow". Not surprising, considering his entire costume. Psychologist, inventor of this so-called 'fear toxin', now a wielder of something called a 'Yellow Ring of Fear'. As much as these things held some degree of interest to him, as well as a few other things while looking through his memories, he caught two things that fully grabbed his attention.

This man had already had a run-in with Audrey Jones, his number one enemy in all the worlds. He had managed to psychologically break her, even for a bit, with seemingly no trouble at all. Not only that, but he also met his precious raven and broke him as well, enough for that annoying second personality to take over. This had all proved very intriguing to the Nightmare Illusionist.

He stopped scanning the minute Crane stopped before him and addressed him. Ignis simply looked at the villain, still with a calm and unafraid expression on his face. And then the canister was thrown to him, landing at his feet, and spewing the gas. Any normal person would have tried to cover their mouths or wave their arms at the gas, but Ignis just continued to stand there, even breathing in the now toxin-filled air.

Unfortunately for Crane, he would not get the reaction he expected. Ignis Fatuus was not suddenly trapped in a fearful hallucination like all the others around. No, the minute he inhaled the gas, he felt power surging into him, much like the dark energies of Cheryl Mason's Otherworld. He inhaled one more time, his red eye glowing brighter underneath his bangs as he did so, and grinned. So [i]this[/i] was his invented hallucinogen? He would need to try harder than this if he wanted to bring him down.

"Not of that, if that is what you're wondering," Ignis stated bluntly, smirking right at the taller, slender man.

====

Had Scarecrow been less composed, he would have jumped back out of pure surprise.  No one had been completely unaffected by his toxin before.  Certainly; these Interferences had fought it better than others, but there had never been no reaction whatsoever.  Even the Batman was able to fight it better than them, and even he still saw the hallucinations.  They were only able to fight it better than most, which only drove the ex-psychologist to create a stronger version of the fear toxin.

But this boy showed no fear at all, as if the hallucinogen were completely ineffective.  However, Crane only frowned in curiosity beneath his mask.  Certainly, it was a setback, but the event was interesting in its own right.  This person was indeed worth studying.

Watching Ignis with a hand to his chin, he said, "You are quite an interesting person.  I've never met anyone completely resistant to my toxin."  He raised his right hand, the one that bore his ring, which had been feeding off of the people's fear to charge itself.  "But surely, there must be something you are afraid of."

He decided to start with the more common and basic phobias, and with a thought a yellow tarantula that stood up to Ignis' chest appeared, followed by floating needles all around the boy.

"I assure you, I will not stop until I find something that breaks you."

====

Truthfully, Ignis was quite disappointed when there was no shock from the man. A response would have made things much more entertaining for him. Of course, he told himself he was expecting too much from a fellow villain, especially from one so capable of making everyone around them fear him so much. So he just stood there, listening to Crane's words, in which the first part gave him a slight stroke to his ego. Again, being a villain did that for him.

And then Crane raised the hand that bore the ring. As Ignis laid his eyes upon the ring, he really did have to frown. If that thing was more capable of showing his fears than the toxin, then he had every right to be worried. There was only one thing that he ever feared in this realm, and he would hate for anyone else to exploit it, much less this man.

Luckily for him, it was not revealed to him yet again. Instead, all that was conjured up was a mere spider and a bunch of needles. Now, his former host would surely be scared out of his wits if he were in his place, but thankfully, that boy's personal phobias had not passed on to him in rebirth. Ignis would have smirked and continued mocking this man for his feeble attempts at trying to break him so far...but decided instead to humor him for a bit.

"Oh god, get it off of me!" Ignis screamed, faking a look of panic and pathetically swatting a hand at the tarantula on his chest. As he did, he also looked around at the needles, widening his eyes. "Oh my god, get it all away from me! Please, I beg of you! I don't want to see anymore of this!"

At the last part, he held his arm over his eyes, almost in an overdramatic gesture. However, as he did so, he had tilted his head to the side, his bangs moving slightly and revealing his glowing eye. As such, he lowered the arm, now grinning once more at this Scarecrow.

"...is what you want me to say, am I right?" he asked, now moving the bangs further back, the red eye continuing to glow brightly. "Then I am sorry to say that it is not that simple, Dr. Crane."

And with that, the eye flashed out.

====

The Scarecrow, if anything, was annoyed greatly by Ignis' fake screams.  He was an expert in studying facial expressions, body language, and other such things.  He admitted the young man put up a good act, but he was still able to perceive that it was all an act.  With a scowl hidden by the mask, Crane made the constructs disappear as Ignis ended the charade.  It was then that he saw the eye, and looked into it as it flashed.

The hallucination was practically indiscernible from reality, which surprised Crane greatly.  He was so used to being exposed to his own fear toxin that he was practically immune to it.  But this magic, he assumed, managed to create both a vivid sight and pinpoint his own, and only, fear.

Thousands of bats swarmed around him, so thick that the wings and bodies were the only things visible.  However; likely against Ignis' expectations, Scarecrow did not cower or scream.  It was all he could do from exclaiming in excitement and glee.  Never before had he felt such fear and excitement except while in the presence of the Batman, and he had too much of a sense of self-preservation to stay around the bat for long.

"That is quite an... interesting ability you have."  Crane said, doing his best to keep his voice level, despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

====

Indeed, such a reaction was yet another disappointment for Ignis Fatuus. He really hoped he would have rendered this self-proclaimed 'master of fear' into a state of panic of his own; even he himself has had that happen when the raven tricked him into having a taste of his medicine. For this man to not have a similar reaction...no, he had double checked with another scan, for him to feel [i]excitement[/i] by being faced with the one thing he feared, that Ignis could see himself were mere bats...

Despite the disappointment, the Nightmare Illusionist had to admit that this also interested him. Perhaps if he could, he would definitely want to keep this villain on his side.

So, lifting the illusion off of Crane, Ignis put his hands behind his back, looking at the taller man inquisitively. "I must admit, you are also an interesting person yourself, Dr. Crane. I've never met one truly enjoy the feeling of fear. Even I cannot stand to be faced with my own fear for too long."

====

The former psychologist chuckled.  "You are one of the few people who would admit such a thing."  He hardly seemed to mind Ignis commenting about his enjoying the feeling of terror.  After all, it was true, and he had little reason to hide such a thing.  That brought up a thought.

This person had known his name, possible through a power similar to or related to the one that had caused the illusions.  Crane wasn't about to ask how, as he was uninterested in hearing the workings of 'magic'.  Regardless, there was one question he only felt fair to be answered.

"Since you seem to know my name, I believe it would be only fair for you to tell me yours."  He thought again for a moment, thinking a thought not dissimilar than Ignis'.  "And perhaps, since we seem to have similar interests, we could form a partnership that could be beneficial to us both."

Although it was true that Scarecrow preferred working on his own, that did not mean he was impractical.  After all, he wouldn't mind having to always have to scrounge for supplies.  And judging by Ignis' expensive looking outfit, the young man could most likely supply the equipment he needed.

====

It was good that Crane did not ask him how he knew him, catching on to how. As much as Ignis would have loved to explain his powers, something he was very passionate about, it would take them all day to get through it. When asked about his own name, Ignis smirked and said, "I go by many names. Will-o'-the-Wisp, Friar's Lantern, or, my personal favorite, smug bastard who doesn't know when to shut up." Here, he then gave a polite bow. "But you may call me Ignis Fatuus, the Nightmare Illusionist. Or just Ignis if you do not wish to bother with such a mouthful."

As he straightened himself back up, his smirk turned to a grin at the masked man's suggestion for a partnership. It was good that they thought alike, and this former psychologist would make a great addition to their team.

"It would be the most wise, I agree," Ignis said, leaning on one hand against his cane. "With your fear toxin and my illusions, we would definitely make these worlds fear us. You look like you would need some help, anyway. It's no good to be running around these worlds alone, especially if you've already angered a few children."

====

As much as it pained his pride to admit it, the Scarecrow had to agree with Ignis.  Almost all of these idiotic children appeared to possess 'super powers' of a sort.  Even though such abilities were far from unseen on his world, they were hardly granted to irresponsible children.

And even with his newly gained Yellow Ring, it was still difficult to take on more than one 'Interference' at a time.  Even such power as the Yellow Energy of Fear had limits, particularly with his inexperience with the weapon.  So thinking, Crane nodded in agreement with the illusionist.

"Yes, these children are quite a handful."  There was also the chance to spread fear across this universe, a chance he could never pass up, and something he could hardly achieve on his own.  He put out his hand (the one not covered in needles) to shake Ignis'.

"I believe this partnership can only be beneficial to the both of us, so I readily accept.  I am certain we will accomplish great things, mister Fatuus."

====

Ignis could barely restrain his grin growing wider. Yes, it was good to see that this man had agreed with his statement. His luck couldn't get any better now. An added spellset, obtaining three allies in a row, discovering other ways of powering himself, creating a new weapon to defend himself...and now another, possibly the most useful, ally to add to the team. His life as a villain could not get any better than it was. Now he was sure that those children, especially Audrey Marianna Jones, that they were not to be fooled with.

So, without a second thought, Ignis took the Scarecrow's hand and shook on their agreement. "And I accept having you as a personal ally of mine. With your knowledge of the human psyche, your toxins, and your ring, you will definitely make a great addition to our small team, Jonathan Crane."

====

Of course, Jonathan Crane could hardly let this boost to his own, already significant ego go to waist.  "I am certain that I will."  Then he realized something.  Ignis said he was an addition to a team, implying that there were already several others he was in contact with that would most likely be relevant to his interests.

"I wasn't aware there would be others."  He commented.  "I would be... rude, to not introduce myself to them, wouldn't it?"

====

"Indeed it would..." Ignis would have gone on to offer for the Scarecrow to introduce himself to the rest of his allies then. However, after Crane had made that statement, the Nightmare Illusionist had to give a thought.

With this alliance, they had now made a team of five, a sensible number for a group of villains. They had different resources, the chance to bring others to their side whether by their own will or not...and if Rikka was willing to share, they might have their own base of operations. With all of these facts in mind, it was probably high time that they form their own villainous group, and now was the perfect opportunity. With that thought, Ignis looked straight at Crane once more.

"As a matter of fact, I suggest a meeting for such an event. Not only would you have to introduce yourself, but it's come to mind that we have a lot to discuss." Flames began to gather around him then, preparing to leave this world. "I will go and gather everyone for this. Meet us in a world called Radiant Garden, at the castle of that world, first thing tomorrow. That should give you enough time to prepare."

He then gave one final bow, and said last, "Until then, farewell, Dr. Crane."

And then, in a burst of the black flames that consumed him, he was gone from the desert city of Agrabah, off to collect the rest of his allies.

====

Crane watched the spot that Ignis had disappeared from for several seconds, as if expecting him to suddenly reappear.  But obviously, that wouldn't happen.  Turning, he saw that panic was still going through the desert city, although had mostly moved away from his area in the Bazaar.  This partnership certainly did bring up excellent new opportunities to spread fear, to do more experimenting and research.  And he was sure there was much more he could do with this new group's funding as well.

Fatuus' reaction to his toxin was to be looked into as well.  Perhaps he could create a new strain of the hallucinogen that would have its intended effect on Ignis.  Just in case, of course.

Grinning beneath his mask, the Scarecrow collected his bag of stolen goods, and floated up into the air again, and off of the world entirely, his ring providing the needs for space travel.