Jonathan awoke with a sense of dread. Today was his birthday yet again, though surely it couldn't be as disastrous as the previous year's feline fiasco.

With a resigned sigh, he dressed and headed downstairs to make coffee. While waiting for it to brew, Jonathan retrieved the newspaper from his front step.

Settling at the table with his mug, he unfurled the Gotham Gazette and took a casual sip of coffee. The next moment he did an actual spit take - right there in the arts and leisure section was the calico kitten from last year's disastrous birthday party, frozen mid-swipe at his glasses. The caption below the ridiculous photo read “Happy Birthday Jonathan Crane!”

His shock quickly turned to burning rage. It was bad enough his colleagues had humiliated him last year with that foolish kitten party. But to broadcast the indignity to all Gotham?!

Storming out the door with the offending paper clutched furiously in one hand, Jonathan decided that a few carefully placed visions of terror would force his colleagues to take his birthday seriously from now on. Oh yes, this called for Scarecrow to make an appearance...

When Jonathan arrived at Arkham and flung open the doors to his wing, he was met with enthusiastic calls of “Happy Birthday!” mixed with poorly concealed giggles. His staff crowded around eagerly.

"Did you see the paper, Dr. Crane?" his coworker Amy asked, barely containing her laughter. "That photo is just precious!"

More chuckles echoed around them as Jonathan curled his fingers tighter around the newspaper. "I found nothing amusing about that spectacle," he said coolly.

Before Amy could reply, Leland stepped up with a wide grin. "Oh Jonathan, that photo turned out wonderfully, didn't it? You and that sweet little kitten look so cute together!"

Rage boiled up inside Jonathan as his face turned crimson. How dare she patronize him about that disastrous incident!

"You know Jonathan, I think that photo captures your soft side!" Dr. Leland continued, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. More uncontrolled giggling from the group. "In fact, I'm going to frame a copy for my office!"

That was the last straw. Jonathan swept his blazing eyes across the mocking faces surrounding him. "Enough!" he thundered. "I will not tolerate this childish mockery any longer!" He flung the newspaper to the floor dramatically.

"Oh lighten up, it's your birthday!" his colleague Aaron protested lightly.

"Yeah, learn to take a joke!" Amy snickered.

Jonathan advanced slowly, eyes sparkling with menace. "A joke, you say?" His voice lowered threateningly. "Then perhaps a lesson in fear is in order..."

Their smiling faces wavered as he towered over them, blue eyes cold and merciless behind his glasses. Without another word, Jonathan swept past them.

Safely locked in his office, Jonathan allowed himself a thin smile. Let them wonder what he was plotting! After today his birthday would get the respect it deserved.

He pulled his mask from the desk and opened the cabinet where he stored his fear toxin.

A brisk knock sounded at his door, followed by a familiar chipper voice. "Dr. Crane are you in there? Open up, silly!"

Jonathan froze, cursing his luck. Of all people to interrupt, it had to be her. Carefully placing down his gear, he marched over and yanked open the door.

"What do you want, Harley?" he snapped.

Harley Quinn stood grinning cheerfully up at him in full jester regalia. "Happy birthday!" She blew a noisemaker right in his face with an obnoxious honk. Behind her floated a cluster of colored balloons.

Jonathan swatted them away irritably. "Yes yes, you've clearly mastered that tiresome phrase. Now state your business so I may return to more pressing matters."

"Aww, don't be like that Dr. Crane!" Harley pouted. "Me and the other rogues put together a real swell birthday party for ya! It's gonna start at noon in the courtyard."

Jonathan suppressed an aggravated sigh. The last thing he wanted right now was another humiliating party.

"You haven't filled the courtyard with kittens I hope?" he asked sardonically. When Harley giggled he narrowed his eyes.

"Nah, nothing like that! I promise it'll be way more age appropriate," she assured him earnestly. "I’ll come get ya at noon ok?"

Flashing him a smile, she bounced away down the hall, balloons trailing behind her.

Jonathan returned to his work, determined to ignore the inevitable party. But at five minutes to twelve, Harley reappeared, grabbing his arm insistently.

"C'mon Dr. Crane, we gotta getcha to your party! Everyone's waiting!"

As they entered the courtyard, Jonathan halted in surprise. Black and orange streamers and balloons decorated the space. Tables held food and drinks, music playing loudly.

But it was the gathered crowd that shocked him most. Not only were his coworkers present, but also many villainous faces - Riddler, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, even Two Face conversing with Joker. Strangers milled about as well.

At the center stood a tiered chocolate cake towering with candles. Harley beamed up at him. "Surprise! We wanted to do somethin' special for ya. Hope you like it, Dr. Crane!"

Jonathan couldn’t help but grin as he surveyed the scene. Now THIS was a proper party! He straightened proudly as Harley steered him forward.

"Here he is, the guest of honor!" Harley sang out to robust cheers and applause from the assembled rogues.

They gathered around Jonathan offering birthday wishes. He allowed himself to relax and even indulge in some chocolate cake as the party progressed promisingly. No kittens or cutesy balloons here!

As Jonathan chatted with Poison Ivy, nibbling on a cookie, he noticed several people glancing at something in the corner and snickering. He followed their gaze to see a makeshift mud pit cordoned off with ropes, a large sign proclaiming "Mud Wrestling Match. Jonathan Crane vs Talia al Ghul" hung overhead.

He should have known they were up to something humiliating. Another idiotic game to mock and embarrass him, no doubt planned by his sadistic colleagues. Rage and humiliation boiled within as the crowd eagerly awaited the show.

No, he wouldn't become their court jester again without protest. They would regret trying to make a fool of him in front of all these people. By the time he was done tearing into them, they'd think twice about using him as their plaything. Just let them try - he'd put an end to these pathetic birthday charades once and for all.

Just then, Penguin waddled over. "Ah Crane, admiring the mud pit I see! Since you loathed last year's gift so much, we convinced Bruce Wayne to provide this year's entertainment." He grinned, puffing his cigar. "All proceeds will go to Gotham's Littlest Kitten Rescue in your name!"

Jonathan clenched his fists, face purpling. Donations to a feline charity?! Outrageous! He opened his mouth furiously but was interrupted by Harley's voice over the sound system.

"Alright y'all, main event time! Will Dr. Crane and Talia al Ghul please make their way to the mud pit for wrestlin!"

Riddler appeared and steered the seething Jonathan toward the arena where Talia awaited, clad only in a skimpy black one-piece swimsuit. He balked at the sight.

"Surely you don't expect me to grapple in my best suit with Ms al Ghul?!" he blustered.

"Aww c'mon, it's for charity!" Harley cajoled with a grin.

Face burning as crowds gathered round hollering, Jonathan reluctantly removed his blazer and glasses, placing them carefully on the fence post. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the ordeal to come.

With his lips pressed tight in humiliation, he stepped gingerly into the thick mud, expensive leather shoes sinking deep. 

Across the pit, Talia smirked watchful as a predator. At Harley’s shrill whistle, she lunged toward him. Jonathan scrambled desperately to dodge, but the cloying mud weighed down his movements.

Talia slammed into him, her wiry strength toppling his leaner frame into the slop. They grappled fiercely, Jonathan fighting with the ferocity of a cornered animal. But Talia easily gained the upper hand, flipping him onto his back. 

She immediately scrambled on top to straddle his narrow hips. Spectators roared encouragement as she grabbed his tie in a vice-like fist.

“Choke ‘im out, Talia!” hooted Two Face from nearby.

With a wicked grin, Talia tightened the silken noose around Jonathan’s neck, leaving him writhing and gasping for air beneath her. Vision blurring, he thrashed wildly before bucking hard enough to dislodge them. They tumbled sideways, landing in a messy tangle of grappling limbs amidst camera flashes and cheers.

Jonathan clawed desperately at his constricting collar, finally tearing off the tie with a choked roar. Taking advantage of Talia’s momentary surprise, he flipped their positions briefly, relishing her look of astonishment.

But Talia’s strong legs immediately snaked around his waist, violently rolling them back and forth through the deeper muck until Jonathan couldn’t tell up from down. He emerged spluttering indignantly, shirt soaked and dripping. The spectators laughed raucously at his mud-drenched appearance.

“Give it to 'im Talia!” The Joker cackled nearby. "Really let ‘im have it!"

Blinded by the mud smearing down his face, Jonathan thrashed violently in an attempt to buck Talia off. She held fast, continuing her assault amidst the cheers until he managed to catch her off guard long enough to send them both toppling sideways again into the deeper sludge.

As Jonathan struggled upright, blinking desperately against the muck filling his eyes and nose, Talia tackled him afresh from behind. They crashed together into the mud with an enormous splash.

Locked in close combat, they rolled and flailed through the pit, both fighting to gain dominance. Talia wrapped her legs tightly around Jonathan like a python. Try as he might, he couldn’t break free of her constricting grip or the mud hindering his movements.

"Get off me!" he grunted. 

The spectators laughed and hollered as Talia mashed handfuls of mud into Jonathan's hair and face, leaving him coughing and blinded. He scrambled desperately, managing to knock Talia off.

As they wrestled back upright, he lunged blindly toward Talia, who nimbly evaded his grasp.

"You fight like a girl!" taunted the Joker.

Enraged by the Joker's taunt, Jonathan lunged toward her again, only to slip face-first back into the thick muck as the crowd cackled.

Spitting out mud, Jonathan grappled for purchase against the slippery suction of the pit. Before he could rise, Talia’s foot smashed down hard between his shoulders, forcing his face back under the mud.

"Give up?" she called down with a triumphant grin. 

The crowd roared as Jonathan twisted futilely, strength drained. Talia ground her bare heel deeper, eliciting a strangled gag. 

"Looks like the doc's had enough!" Harley cried happily. "Talia wins!"

Applause and jeers swelled as Talia withdrew her foot, leaving Jonathan prone and defeated in the slop. Coughing mud, he slowly rose to his knees, filthy and humiliated before the laughing spectators.

"Did you see the look on Jonathan’s face?" the Riddler cackled.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Ivy remarked with a smirk.

"Almost," agreed Two Face with a chuckle. "Good show by Talia though. Really rubbed his face in it."

"Our dear doctor needed to be taken down a peg," Joker said gleefully. "And what a pegging it was! I do love a good humiliation."

Jonathan’s burning gaze swept over the mocking faces, singling out those responsible for this indignity. Each and every one would pay dearly, starting with those fools crowing over his disgrace.

Just then Harley appeared bearing towels, playfully ruffling one through Jonathan's dripping hair despite his attempts to bat her hands away.

"Aww don't be a sore loser, Dr. Crane!" she admonished with a wide grin. "Ya gotta admit that was some battle, even if Talia did whoop your butt good!" Raucous laughter affirmed her words.

Face burning with rage, Jonathan snatched the towel from Harley and roughly wiped at the mud coating his face and hair. After a few futile swipes did little to clean the thick grime, he scowled and threw the filthy towel to the ground in frustration.

Laughter continued to echo from the gathered rogues and spectators. Jonathan strode past them, jaw clenched tightly against their taunts of "Nice wrestling there!" and "Way to get that mud whooped!"

Reaching the fence post, he grabbed his discarded jacket and glasses. With as much dignity as he could summon while dripping mud, Jonathan stalked away from the arena that had hosted his supreme humiliation.

Safely in his car and freed from their mocking eyes, Jonathan sank into the leather seat, heedless of the mud and muck smearing around him. As his pulse began returning to normal, the full weight of the outrages inflicted crashed over him.

He pounded the steering wheel in anger. Those insolent fools would pay for this profound embarrassment! Before long all Gotham would writhe and scream when Scarecrow unleashed his wrath for this unforgivable birthday disaster.

The next morning, Jonathan sat down with his usual coffee and unfolded the Gotham Gazette. As he took a long sip from the steaming mug, the front page headline made him erupt in a spit take—there for all the city to see was the photo of him pinned helplessly in the mud wrestling pit, Talia's foot planted triumphantly on his back.

Jonathan sputtered, rage creeping up his neck as he took in every mortifying detail of the large image. The accompanying headline crowed “Charity Wrestling Match Raises $5,000 for Kittens!”

Jonathan skimmed the article with building fury:
Yesterday’s heavily-attended charity wrestling match between Talia al Ghul and Dr. Jonathan Crane raised a stunning $5,000 for Gotham’s Littlest Kitten Rescue. Held in honor of Crane’s birthday amongst fellow Arkham Asylum rogues, cheering spectators were treated to an unforgettable show as al Ghul claimed victory over her opponent during the raucous event.

The kitten rescue’s director gushed over the generous donation made in Crane's name from event ticket sales, stating “We can’t thank Dr. Crane enough for raising the money to support Gotham’s smallest and most helpless!”

Jonathan's hands shook with rage as he crumpled up the newspaper. How dare they mock him like this!

He swept the coffee mug off the table in fury, not even flinching as it shattered on the floor. No, he would make them pay for this humiliation. Talia and all those who cheered at his defeat would learn to fear him again.

Jonathan strode over to his supply cabinet and pulled out his burlap mask and latest batch of fear toxin. Slipping on the mask, he felt the familiar thrill of his sinister alter-ego taking over. Yes, Scarecrow would teach them the meaning of fear.

Images of terrified citizens fleeing his nightmarish hallucinations filled his mind. He let out a raspy cackle. Gotham's bravest would soon be reduced to whimpering cowards. No one would dare mock the Scarecrow once his revenge was complete!

Tucking vials of toxin into his pockets, Jonathan headed out the door. Malice glinted in his eyes as he set out to reclaim his title as Gotham's nightmare. They wanted a show? Oh, he would give them a spectacle they would never forget!