One year later...

Jonathan Crane did his best to block out the sound of laughter and chatter floating down the hall. He hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously in a patient file. Today was September 4th yet again, the date he dreaded most every year.

It had been nearly twelve months since the infamous Chuck E. Cheese birthday celebration that ended with Jonathan extracting his revenge as the Scarecrow. He assumed after last year's fiasco, his colleagues would have learned their lesson about forcing him to acknowledge his birthday. How wrong he was.

His office door banged open and Dr. Leland entered, grinning widely. "Good morning, Jonathan! Do you know what day it is?"

Jonathan sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. It's September 4th."

"That's right! Your birthday!" Dr. Leland said cheerily. "I know last year didn't go so well, but I promise we've planned something more low-key this time. No Chuck E. Cheese, I swear."

Jonathan frowned suspiciously. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

Dr. Leland waved her hand. "Oh, it's a surprise. But I think you'll enjoy it much more than last year."

"Hmm," Jonathan muttered. He shuddered, remembering the chaos of last year's celebration. "As long as there aren’t any exploding cakes, I suppose I could tolerate a small get-together."

"Great!" Dr. Leland grasped his arm eagerly. "Let's get going then. I'll drive."

Jonathan reluctantly allowed himself to be led outside to her car. As they drove, he racked his brain trying to guess where they might be headed.

After a short drive, the car pulled up in front of a large building. Jonathan looked up to see a colorful sign that read "Bouncy Bonanza." He groaned audibly.

"Here we are!" Dr. Leland said.

"A children's bouncy house play place? You can't be serious." Jonathan glared at her.

"I know it looks a little silly, but I promise it's fun for adults too!" Dr. Leland tried to reassure him.

"Absolutely not," Jonathan refused stubbornly. "I refuse to frolic about like an imbecile in those germ-infested plastic monstrosities you call amusements."

Dr. Leland's face fell. "Oh come on, Jonathan. It's your birthday! Try to have a little fun for once."

Jonathan crossed his arms defiantly. This was shaping up to be another absolutely horrendous birthday celebration.

Despite his objections, Dr. Leland managed to drag a uncooperative Jonathan inside.

"I've reserved the party room just for us," Dr. Leland said cheerfully, oblivious to Jonathan's deepening scowl.

She led him through a maze of giant inflatables crammed with raucous children. Jonathan grimaced at the cacophony of shrieks and laughter assaulting his ears.

Finally, they reached a closed door at the back labeled "Party Room." Dr. Leland paused, hand on the doorknob. "Are you ready for your surprise?" she asked eagerly. Jonathan only glowered.

Throwing open the door, Dr. Leland gestured for Jonathan to enter. He stepped inside warily and froze in shock. Sitting around a colorfully decorated table were Gotham's most infamous rogues - the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Penguin, and Two Face.

"Happy birthday!" they shouted in unison. Jonathan noted with dismay the pile of wrapped presents and large cake adorned with burning candles.

"What...how..." he sputtered in outrage.

Dr. Leland smiled sheepishly. "I know you don't like surprises, but I thought you could use some friends at your party."

"Friends?!" Jonathan exclaimed. "These lunatics are not my friends!"

"Aww, don't be like that," Harley Quinn pouted. "We got all dressed up for your special day!"

The rogues were indeed clad in ridiculous party hats and cheap plastic jewelry. The Joker honked a noisemaker obnoxiously in Jonathan's face.

"Come on, have a seat! Let's sing happy birthday," Dr. Leland said, pushing a reluctant Jonathan into a chair at the head of the table.

To his horror, the gathered rogues launched into an off-key rendition of the birthday song, punctuated by the Joker's deranged giggling. Jonathan sat stiffly, face burning with humiliation as they finally finished.

"Make a wish and blow out your candles!" Dr. Leland prompted.

"I wish you all perpetual nightmares from my fear toxin," Jonathan muttered under his breath. Seeing no way out of this farce, he blew out the candles angrily.

Dr. Leland clapped her hands. "Presents!"

She grabbed a brightly wrapped box and handed it to Jonathan. He tore off the paper resignedly to reveal a giant coloring book and crayons.

"Oh, how...nice," he said through gritted teeth.

"Open mine next!" Harley shoved a sloppily wrapped package at him. Jonathan was horrified to find it contained "Pee Pee in the Potty," a potty training book.

"I thought ya could use some help in that area," Harley cackled.

Jonathan's face turned beet red as the others joined in her laughter.

Two Face gifted him a set of plastic building blocks from Baby's First Construction Co.

"Here, this should be your level," he snickered.

The Riddler gave him a set of "See Spot Read" children's books. "I heard you were working on your illiteracy problem," he quipped.

With each infantile gift, Jonathan became more enraged. "This is utterly demeaning," he fumed.

Poison Ivy handed him a gift. He shredded the wrapping to find a pack of diapers in his size.

"In case you have little accidents," she teased.

Jonathan was seeing red. "I do not find these childish antics amusing in the least!" he shouted.

"Lighten up, it's just for fun!" Dr. Leland said. She sliced the cake and handed Jonathan a piece. "Eat your cake, then you can open the rest of your presents."

As he stared furiously at the cake, a group of children wandered into the party room, clutching candy and staring at the bizarre scene before them.

"Whoa, a clown party!" one boy exclaimed at the sight of Joker.

"Is that a grown up having a kids birthday party?" one asked loudly.

"Why is he getting little baby presents?" said another. The children erupted in giggles.

Jonathan's face flushed in humiliation.

Dr. Leland tried herding the kids back out the door. "Now children, let's give the man some space..."

But Joker blocked her path. "No no, the kiddies should stay! This party needs more pipsqueaks." He gave them a devilish grin.

Trapped, Jonathan sat stiffly amidst the pile of absurd gifts as more children pressed in excitedly.

A little boy picked up the coloring book. "Ain't coloring books for kids? Is he a little kid?"

The children giggled again and Jonathan slammed his fork down furiously. "That does it! I've had enough of this denigration!" He stormed toward the door, cake untouched.

Dr. Leland hurried after him. "Jonathan, wait! I'm sorry, I just wanted you to have an enjoyable birthday for once."

The Joker leapt up to block his path. "Whoa whoa, where do you think you're going, Johnny boy? The party's just getting started!"

Before Jonathan could react, the Joker and Harley each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him toward a large inflatable slide.

"Let go of me!" Jonathan shouted, struggling in vain against their grip.

"Aww, come on. Don’t be a stick in the mud!" Joker cackled as he and Harley pushed past groups of gawking children clustered on the stairs.

Jonathan dug in his heels but they overpowered him, shoving him to the top of the tall slide. Harley leaned down and gave him an impish grin.

"Wheeee!" She gave him a hard shove and sent him careening down the slippery plastic slope.

Jonathan yelled in protest as he tumbled wildly out of control, arms and legs flailing helplessly. He landed with an "oomph" in a pit filled with plastic balls at the bottom.

Popping up with a gasp, he found himself surrounded on all sides by a group of stunned children who had been playing in the pit. They stared at the disheveled man who had suddenly landed in their midst.

"Hey, what's that weird old guy doing here?" one young boy asked loudly.

"Yeah, isn't he too big for this place?" said a girl, wrinkling her nose.

Jonathan's face burned crimson as the children began pointing and whispering about the strange intruder. He tried clambering out of the pit but the shifting plastic balls made it impossible to get steady footing.

Seeing him struggle comically, some of the braver children began grabbing handfuls of balls and pelting them gleefully at Jonathan.

"Stop that right now, you little brats!" he sputtered furiously, but the barrage continued. Balls bounced off his head and shoulders as he sank lower in humiliation, using his arms to shield himself.

The Joker, Harley, and the other rogues had gathered around the edge of the pit to point and laugh uproariously at his undignified predicament.

"I'll make you pay for this!" Jonathan shouted up at them impotently. Their only response was more raucous laughter.

After what felt like an eternity of humiliation, Jonathan finally managed to pull himself out of the plastic ball pit, crawling up the side on his hands and knees as balls continued to pelt him from behind.

Just then, a young girl of about six suddenly ran up and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Giddy up, horsey!" she squealed gleefully, oblivious to Jonathan's outraged spluttering. She kicked her legs against his sides. "Go horsie, go!"

The Joker, Harley, and the other rogues, who had been laughing uproariously at Jonathan's undignified struggle to exit the ball pit, now doubled over in absolute hysterics at the indignity of him being ridden like a common pack animal.

"Get this deranged child off me!" Jonathan demanded angrily, but the girl's only response was to bounce up and down on him while giggling.

Finally, the girl's mortified mother came rushing over. "Adalynn! Get down from there right now!" She grabbed the child under the arms and lifted her off Jonathan's back.

"I'm so sorry, sir," the flustered woman said to him. "She's just overexcited, she didn't mean any harm."

Jonathan got shakily to his feet, brushing dust from his clothes and adjusting his glasses. "Your little crotch spawn is clearly deranged," he snapped. "You would do well to discipline her before she ends up in Arkham someday!"

The woman hurried off with the squirming child as the Joker and Harley sidled up to Jonathan, still snickering.

"Aww, you're such a cute horsey!" Harley teased.

"No, and we are leaving immediately," Jonathan hissed back venomously. He turned to head for the exit, only to feel Joker's gloved hand close around his arm in an iron grip.

"Not until you've tried the bouncy house!" Joker exclaimed.

Jonathan tried vainly to shake him off. "Stop it! Let me go!"

But Joker's manic grin only widened. "Come on, live a little!"

Cackling wildly, Joker began dragging the struggling doctor across the playground. Jonathan dug his heels in futilely.

Several other villains moved in, surrounding Jonathan in a ring of grinning, grotesque faces that cut off any hope of escape.

"To the bouncy house!" Joker crowed, yanking Jonathan along mercilessly.

Jonathan craned his head around, looking desperately for an ally, but found only leering enemies. Up ahead loomed the massive, bounce house shaped like a pirate ship.

Jonathan planted his feet, refusing to move another inch. "Let me go! I won't be forced into that bedlam!"

Joker glanced back, eyebrows raised in exaggerated surprise. "Forced? My dear doctor, I'm merely delivering your birthday gift - guaranteed fun and chaos inside!"

His mocking tone made Jonathan tremble with fury. But before he could spit back a retort, the Joker pushed Jonathan through the flap into the jouncing interior.

Jonathan crashed painfully against the elastic floor. He yelped as the exuberant horde instantly trampled him, oblivious to the man in their midst as they ricocheted off the walls with crazed abandon.

"Walk the plank, scurvy mateys!" one boy hollered before flinging himself belly-first into three others, squashing Jonathan completely.

Jonathan crawled desperately on hands and knees seeking escape, only to be kicked repeatedly in the ribs. This was outrageous!

Suddenly he heard the most dreaded sound of all - the Joker's approaching cackle. Jonathan's eyes went wide with horror as Joker ducked inside.

"Avast, there's the birthday barnacle!" Joker shouted gleefully, pointing right at Jonathan. "Get him!"

The children mobbed Jonathan eagerly, dog-piling onto his back in a chaotic jumble of flailing limbs and hysterical laughter. Jonathan scrambled to get free, hair wild and glasses hanging askew.

"Mutiny!" Joker yelled, leaping in to join the frenzied fracas.

Small bodies collided with him from all angles, using him as a bouncing post. He ricocheted helplessly between inflatable walls like a pinball, unable to control his trajectory.

After what seemed an eternity, he managed to crawl free of the chaos, emerging utterly disheveled and half-blinded without his glasses. His remaining dignity was in tatters.

Dr. Leland rushed anxiously to his side. "Oh dear, are you alright, Dr. Crane?"

Before Jonathan could reply, raucous laughter rang out. Joker's grinning face appeared above them.

"Get a load of the birthday boy!" he cackled. "Talk about having the time of your life!"

More villains crowded around, smirking down at Jonathan's bedraggled form.

"Nice look for you, Crane," snickered the Riddler. "Love what you've done with your hair."

Humiliated, Jonathan tried staggering to his feet, only to be knocked back down as Penguin gave him a forceful slap on the back.

"That was more fun than watching penguins go off a waterslide!" he rumbled.

"Yes, delightful entertainment," sneered Two Face. "It's not a proper birthday until you end up looking like roadkill."

Jonathan finally made it upright, clutching his bruised ribs. He fixed the laughing rogues with a venomous glare.

"You'll regret this," he rasped coldly. "The Scarecrow will teach you all the true meaning of fear."

The villains exchanged amused glances.

"Oooh, sounds scary!" taunted Ivy. "I'm trembling in my heels already."

"Yeah, we're really terrified of Mr. Bounce House Birthday Boy here!" Joker burst into hysterical giggles again.

Face burning with fury, Jonathan whirled unsteadily and stormed off, ignoring Dr. Leland's pleas to stop.

He had never felt so disgraced and enraged. Fine - let them mock him now. Their derisive laughter would soon turn to screams of terror once he perfected his newest strain of fear toxin.

Jonathan nearly salivated imagining the panic he would instill in those who had humiliated him today. The Scarecrow was through being the butt of the joke. Now it was his turn to spread dread and madness.

This had been his most wretched birthday yet - but it would prove the most fruitful too. A rare smile curled Jonathan's lips as he contemplated how he would turn this shame into horrifying victory.