They were on the edge, looking down into the abyss. The gaping maw of unforgiving blackness that swallowed the people of Gotham up by the dozens. Unforgiving, cold, silent... It was the one thing that never changed in this city. The madness... It was always there. Waiting with open jaws for its victim to willingly wander between its teeth and embrace the beyond. 

Jervis fell into that pit years ago...And, perhaps, a few times he thought he might have seen the light at the top of the hole. The place he’d come from. Where he thought, perhaps when his work was done, he might return one day.. But when he looked into it, he never expected to be standing there with Alice. 

This wasn’t what he wanted for her. Despite the fact that this chaos brought them back together- working as a team again- it wasn’t... Right. Jervis wanted Alice on his terms. He wanted her happy. He wanted... He wanted...

He didn’t know what he wanted anymore. Nothing made sense. And that was saying something considering how little his world often made sense at all. But he knew this wasn’t how he wanted this to be. They were in the same place... But they weren’t together. Any time he reached for Alice she pulled back. She was further from him than ever and he didn’t know why. He’d been taught all his life that love was never wrong. That anything was fair and just as long as you did it for love... So why was he being punished for his?

He’d fallen uncharacteristically quiet for the remainder of his work, which seemed to please Alice. Even as he sat alone in Alice’s guest room, sent to bed like a child, he made little noise even to himself. ... Perhaps he should sleep. A rested mind might be clearer. But how could he sleep and leave his Alice unprotected?

                                  Vrrmmmmm!

The vibration of his phone on the desk startled the Hatter and he scrambled to grab it. As if the humming might wake the woman in the other room. Even as he unlocked the screen, he hunched on the twin sized bed, blanket over himself as if the very tapping of his fingers on the screen needed to be muffled.

He blinked, surprised to find a text message. And not from his parole officer. It was a number he didn’t know. One he’d never contacted before. He opened the message and his heart froze in his chest.

[Unknown] [Txt]: Why didn’t you come with me?

It.. Couldn’t be. His number wasn’t publicly listed anywhere, it wasn’t in the Wayne employee database- He’d changed his number since then.

He swallowed, glancing to the closed door of his borrowed room as he opened the keyboard to tap out a response

[Jervis] [Txt]: How did you get my number?

[’Alice’] [Txt]: Why did you go with her?

[’Alice’] [Txt]: She’s just using you. Playing with your feelings.

Jervis frowned, his brow wrinkling as his sweet Alice was accused. The nerve! His response was fast, perhaps a little too fast.

[Jervis] [Txt]: Like you were trying to toy with mine?

....

[’Alice] [Txt]: I didn’t want to hurt you. I just wanted to get you away from her.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: She’s not good for you. I can give you what you need.

[Jervis] [Txt]: And what might that be?

Her response didn’t come right away and Tetch took that time to lean over and peek between the window blinds. Outside there was no one in sight. The street lamps illuminated the entire block and there wasn’t a soul out there. A car sped past but otherwise the streets were empty. But of course they were. It was a residential area at midnight... But, at least that meant that this woman wasn’t watching them... For now.

His phone caught his attention once more and he looked down.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: Love

[’Alice’] [Txt]: I love you, Mr.Tetch

His thumb hovered over the text box, ready to tap into it and write a response but he... Couldn’t. He didn’t know what to say. He read the words over and over, as if the symbols that formed the letters and words were an unknown language. 

He’d never been told that before... And somehow it felt.. Dirty. Tainted. 

He swallowed, running a hand down his face. Then the phone vibrated again. And he watched in muted horror as the messages poured in in a wave.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: I’ve read your journals, Jervis. I know how lonely you were as a child. How much you wanted anyone to spend time with. How you just wanted to feel loved by those around you.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: You don’t have to feel lonely anymore.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: I can give you all the things you’ve ever wanted. I’ve studied your work. I understand you. I understand your pain.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: That woman in the other room will never love you the way you need. Only someone who really knows you can. And she doesn’t know anything about your life.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: What has she done for you recently that shows she cares about you at all? She abducted you from your home to make you put an end to something that is only for your benefit.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: She’s miserable and wants you to be too. I want to give you the happy ending you deserve and she’s trying to take it from you.

Jervis swallowed, an anxious curdling feeling beginning to twist in his stomach. The more he read the more uneasy he became. This woman seemed to know everything about him. Read journals he didn’t even leave in his lab He only wrote about his childhood in journals in his old home.. How did she get those?

Perhaps Alice was onto something when she said this woman was unsafe...

But... Then again.. She had a point. All of this started because Alice accused him of something he didn’t do.. And then made him get involved in fixing, himself. And all the while she’d not shown him a single bit of appreciation or gratitude! He didn’t need to be there! But he stayed because he had a responsibility to make sure his technology was only used by capable people. 

And this woman clearly didn’t know how to use his control chips.

[Jervis] [Txt]: You seem to think you have us all figured out...

[’Alice’] [Txt]: I do.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: I know that girl is bad for you. You need someone who won’t want to change you.. You need someone who sees your madness for the beauty it is

Tetch had to admit... It was nice to have praise for once.. He so seldom recieved it that he’d forgotten what it felt like.. He’d not felt it since-

No. She would not pretend to be sweet like his Alice had been to win him over. 

[Jervis] [Text]: Madness is a double edged sword, my dear. It’s as deadly as it is magical if you don’t know how to use it

[’Alice’] [Txt]: But I do! I just need a Hatter to help me perfect it. 

[’Alice’] [Txt]: Together we could have anything we ever wanted! Bring madness into this boring world! The Hatter and Alice! Doesn’t that sound nice?

It did... In ways he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with in this context.But the more she sent him the more he thought... Perhaps she might be right. He did need someone who loved him for him. Why should he be the one who has to change? Why shouldn’t the rest of the world? Crazy as she might be this Alice was invested in him. She was intrigued. She was flawed but intelligent. She had insight into his life. She clearly invested time into learning about him.

That is, until:

[’Alice’] [Txt]: All the best people are mad, Mr. Tetch. And this Alice will gladly be off her head if it means I  get to see you happy.

....

Hmm..

With a tight brow Jervis typed out a response. 

[Jervis] [Txt]: Did you quote the Burton ‘Alice’ movie?

He waited.

[’Alice’] [Txt]: ... Yes? 

Well, well, well...

[Jervis] [Txt]: That is what I thought.

[Jervis] [Txt]: I’m sorry, My dear. But for all your reading you seem to have as much of an understanding of me as the Burton Movies had of the  REAL Alice.

[Jervis] [Txt]: Alice is not meant to be MAD, child. Alice is the realist in a WORLD of madness. And it seems, like everything else, you’ve completely missed the point.

He saw the three dots on the bottom of the screen that showed her typing but he cut it short.

[Jervis] [Txt]: I need to get some rest. I’ll be in touch.

                                    [Contact blocked]

Jervis set his phone aside with a hefty yawn and fell back on the warm bed sheets. He stared up at the darkness of the ceiling, thinking about what had just happened.

Could she have a point? Could Alice really not be the one for him?

He thought about what Alice had said to him a few hours before. (Before they’d scanned for the signal and sent the mind controlled pawn on their way home) What DID it mean to love someone. He’d always loved his books, coveted them, kept them safe and close. Protected them from the elements by putting them away behind glass..

... Is it possible that.. Perhaps... One cannot love a human by treating them like a book? You  can read a person, you can admire them, you can admire their torn pages, their worn exterior.. But they didn’t sit well on a shelves.. They tended to get very upset when you locked them away in cupboards..

He shook his head, rolling onto his side to face the wall.

Regardless... He couldn’t deal with that now. He had a thief to deal with. And one who clearly didn’t even understand the source material. Come morning he would wake refreshed, ready to tackle the day. Ready to walk in with his Alice, put an end to this for good and start his life all over again. He had his old job back and would greatly like to keep it. And he would very much like to stay out of Arkham for a while.. And however this ended, however the chips fell and wherever he and Alice stood at the end of this conflict...

As if to purposely contrast the grim nature of the events of their lives the sun shined brightly overhead in the Gotham sky. Surely there was no other reason for the odd weather. Gotham never had sunshine unless something was wrong.

And there were jokes to be made about Jervis Tetch not being familiar with seeing the sun given his roots.

He sat alone in the adorable little guest room, just watching out the window through the curtain. He could see the street beyond the small, fenced back yard of Alice’s apartment and all the people passing on it. Life was going on as normal even though this was the most unusual day there could be. Even in this most unusual of cities.

He’d considered wandering out of the room, but he worried what awaited outside.It was the weekend. Alice wasn’t at work. Meaning she was home. With him. Ready to shove him down the stairs for reasons he didn’t fully understand. It was for those reasons he didn’t really get any sleep either. He greatly wanted to look around the home but something told him that would be a poor decision on his part.

Oh, but this was the first time Alice had actually invited him to be in her home! True the circumstances were a bit... Unsavory.

Deciding to just get on with his day Tetch grabbed his clothes and dressed himself for the day. He’d been awake all night but the sun had been up for long enough that surely dear Alice was awake. And when he went to the door he could already hear her voice coming from the level below. Talking to someone, but he couldn’t tell who. Perhaps she was on the phone?

He peeked out the door, slowly pushing it open before he stepped out into the hall. Jervis’ blue eyes wandered the walls, looking over the wallpaper and the well cared for hardwood floors. Alice kept a lovely home. But what else could be expected from the most lovely woman he’d ever known? He made his way down the stairs. He made it about half way when he realized that Alice’s conversation wasn’t in fact over the phone.

“So, let me get this straight. Your solution to thinkin’ he might have somethin’ to do with this.... Is lettin’ him stay in your house? How’s that make sense?”

“Because if he is behind it, he can’t do anything with me watching him.”

“And he can’t be watched in Arkham?”

“No. Because if he gets arrested legitimately and not by Batman he doesn’t go to Arkham. He goes to prison.”

“And what’s wrong with that?!”

Jervis paused, hand hovering over the railing as the living room came into view. The two voices, Alice’s and what seemed to be a gruff sounding man’s, were coming from the kitchen. He leaned around carefully, balanced on the edge of a step as he peeked over. He couldn’t see much of the other fellow but he could see enough to know it wasn’t her boyfriend. He was too short and a little smaller. And older. The brown hair atop his head was beginning to grey.

Who-...?

“What’s wrong is that if he gets thrown in jail they aren’t going to care that it might not be his fault. They’ll throw him in a cell and close the case.They’ll stop looking for the person behind this because on paper it looks like his work.... And you know better than anyone how the GCPD is.”

The man didn’t respond. Not at first. Jervis could hear what he assumed to be a frustrated sigh. Just who did this old man think he was? Telling Alice what to do in her own home!

..... Something in the very back of his mind thought that was ironic but he paid it no mind. Didn’t seem relevant at the time.

Cautiously, Tetch stepped down the remainder of the stairs, shoes softly landing on the wood floor as he entered the living area around the front door. He was in full view now and Alice quickly took note of him, her cornflower blue eyes lifting from where ever they’d been staring off to settle on him. It made his heart flutter in a way only her gaze ever could!

But she looked as pleased to see him as she did the night before.

“Ah. There you are.” She greeted him coldly, taking a sip of what smelled like coffee from where he was standing. Yuck.

The older man’s face looked just as thrilled as he turned to look at the blonde man who just made his entrance. They were perfect strangers but it seemed this gentleman already had an opinion of the Hatter. And it didn’t seem to be one of high regard.

“Well, look who it is.” The man spoke, his voice thick with the accent most common to Gotham. That sort of quasi-Boston accent that only the upper crust or the lowest lives seemed to have. Tetch couldn’t peg the man for which he belonged to. “I was wonderin’ when you were gonna show your face.”

Jervis approached, shoulders square as he sized this new fellow up. He looked several years older than Tetch. Perhaps a decade older. So not one of Alice’s peers, most likely. His clothes were a mix of formal and the most casual of clothes. With a hooded jacket over top of a pressed blue, collared shirt and black slacks. He wore steel toe boots that were oddly clean given the intent those shoes are often worn for. And his face was covered by a bushy, but well maintained beard with streaks of grey to match his hair. But the blue in his eyes was unmistakable.

“How do you do?” Jervis finally greeted, smiling in a way that didn’t fully reach his eyes. “Family of Alice’s I assume?”

He offered his hand for a handshake but the other man didn’t take kindly to it. Not only was the offer snubbed thoroughly, Tetch’s hand was harshly slapped away. How rude! Not the greatest at first impressions, this guy.

“Save it, nutjob. We ain’t friends.” He pointed out, arms crossing squarely across his chest as he stared down his straight, narrow nose at the Englishman. “Not after what you did to my daughter...”

... Oh.

.... OH.

Jervis felt his stomach drop and his heart stop. Alice’s father? This was Alice father. He was meeting his dear Alice’s- Oh, dear. Oh, no. This-... Is this how he dies?

“S-... Sir.” Jervis Stammered, not sure if he should be delighted to finally meet what he thought at one point might be his future in-law, or terrified that said future in-law looked as if he were about to rip his heart out of his rib cage.

“Jervis this is my father.” Alice introduced him with a bland, tired tone to her voice. Jervis wondered if she had gotten any sleep either. “Dad this is the man who ruined my life. But you knew that already.”

... Ouch. Jervis tried not to give her a look but it was rather difficult. The comment stung like a barb. He’d only ever wanted her to be happy. Was that such a crime? Sure his methods were a tad... Extreme... But it was love!

“Oh, yeah. I knew it already.. And let me make one thing clear, pal.” her father walked closer, Jervis pedaling backwards. “I know what you did to my daughter.. I know what you did to her fiance. And what you did to my son... And if I find out you’re tryin’ to get my little girl killed because you couldn’t get your way-”

“Ah-!” Jervis yelped as his back hit the wall, trapping himself between it and this threatening, older male.

“- There won’t be a body for anyone to find.” The elder Pleasance growled, his voice dripping with an earnest, murderous intent. The tone of voice that only a hardened criminal came make seem sincere. Dear lord... Now he saw where Alice’s unknown temper came from. At least she did better to hide it than this man.

Jervis swallowed, nodding. He didn’t imagine Alice came from a family of killers but it was never safe to assume.

“Alright, that’s enough, Dad.” Alice intervened, grabbing her father by the sleeve and pulling him off of her ‘guest’. “He knows to stay in line. Right, Jervis?”

Jervis’ eyes fell on her and he nodded eagerly. Death threats were not a bluff one wanted to call when unarmed. Thankfully he was given his personal space back and he was free to breathe and emerge from the high collar of his jumper that he didn’t realize he’d been hiding in.

‘Dad’, as Tetch now knew him by, grumbled something to himself as he stomped off to grab the coffee pot from the maker and pour himself a cup. Mr. Pleasance didn’t seem a sunny time but it could be stress given the current circumstances. And, if he were honest, Jervis was confused as to why he was here. Alice had this handled fine! They already had the young Joseph helping so what was the need for another body in the mix? And this was before Alice inevitably called her new beau and told him what was going on.

Jervis was certainly not looking forward to that. He’d had enough of that sadist’s ‘punishments’ for a season. He at least wanted the weather to warm up first. Christ..

Exhaling in the hopes it would steady his heart, Jervis took the liberty of sitting at the table in one of the four chairs. Right where he’d met with Alice the last time they were in this room together.

“You need anything to eat?” Alice asked, moving past him to walk into her kitchen. “I’ve got waffles... Apples if you want one.”

A small smile turned up the corners of his mouth at her hospitality but he didn’t have much of an appetite. Not after the ‘conversation’ that just happened. But he wasn’t about to be rude in her home.

“An apple is fine. Thank you, dear Alice.”

Another grunt from Mr. Pleasance at that... Hm.

Alice didn’t seem to pay it any mind as she pulled out a shiny red apple and tossed it to the Hatter seated at her table. He caught it with ease and smiled gratefully her way. She didn’t even look at him.

“So. My dad and I have been talking about the situation-” Jervis didn’t tell her that he’d heard the latter half of their conversation, “And I think I have a plan that keeps us all safe.”

She grabbed an apple for herself, and pulled a knife from a drawer. As she walked to the table to sit across from Jervis she sliced into the flesh of the fruit and began to cut a wedge for herself.

“I’d love to hear it.” Mr. Pleasance hummed, standing against the kitchen island a few feet away. He didn’t seem too keen on sharing space with Mr. Tetch.

Alice didn’t say what it was at first, just cut her a sliver of apple and took a bite with a loud, satisfying crunch. The expression on her face was thoughtful. Perhaps she was mulling it over, thinking of the words to say.

“... Way I see it... We can’t find who did this by using a laptop. We need good equipment. So I figure we have two options.” She glanced between the two men, “We use one of your secret labs- not going to happen- or we call in a favor... Last I checked, all of your old equipment still falls under ‘evidence’ in your many criminal cases so your lab has been untouched for years. Meaning all your stuff is still there.”

Minus the mice he hoped!

“My old lab? I would have thought they’d have gotten someone to fill that place ages ago.” He mused, rolling his own apple between his hands across the surface of the table. “There were rumors that the bio-science divisions of Wayne Tetch got liquidated but I was certain my work was valuable enough to continue.”

“Well... You were half right.”Alice assured him, taking another crunchy bite of her apple before continuing, “I kept up contact with Dr. Kates for a while after I left. Turns out that they were trying to replicate your control chips in the hopes of finding out how you did it.. I guess, in the hopes that they might find a way to combat it should even more dangerous people get their hands on the tech... They got close but it never worked.”

Not surprising. It took Jervis fifteen years or so to finally have to knowledge and skill to do what he does. But it was fascinating to him that despite how his work had been condemned as ‘immoral’, others were continuing it.

“So, what? You’re gonna go back to your old stompin’ grounds and put this guy back in the place that started it all?” Mr. Pleasance asked, skeptical from what it seemed.

“That’s a theatrical way of putting it... But, yes.” Alice smirked at her father before looking back at Jervis. “I called Mr. Wayne. He’s agreed to help us. And keep it quiet. But he had some conditions.”

Oh, wonderful. What could that possibly be? It wasn’t as if Jervis had never used his technology on Wayne. So it wasn’t like the boy billionaire had any reason to trust him.

“I’m all ears.” He relented, drumming his fingers against the skin of the apple idly.

“You finish the project you were supposed to be doing when you went bonkers and turned this mind control technology loose on Gotham.”

... Oh.

“That-... Oh, honestly, Alice. I’m not even an employee of his any longer. He can’t expect-”

“Well considering you’re running rampant with his tech, I’d say you don’t have a choice.” She cut him off and he fell silent quickly in befuddlement. What could that mean? “You made the original control chips with Wayne Enterprises resources, on Wayne Enterprises funding, while working on a project for Wayne Enterprises... Legally he owns them. Which means the ‘Mad Hatter’ you’ve made for yourself is Wayne Tech property.”

Damn. She had a point. Legally he was pinned. So if he didn’t agree to her terms not only would they not find the culprit behind these attempted murders, leaving him stuck with the blame, but he would also be giving the patents for his invention to Bruce Wayne... And a Rogue was nothing if not proud of their craft.

“... Aaggh-! Alright. Fine.” He groaned, He huffed, shoulders slouching as he fell back against the back-rest of the chair. “I’ll finish his project. But after all of this nonsense is finished.”

To his bewilderment, Alice chuckled, “I thought you liked nonsense.”

“Touche.” He rebutted, a half lidded glance given in her direction before he picked up the apple. He posed one more question before finally taking a bite. “So, what is the rest of this plan of yours that’s supposed to keep us safe, hm?”

“When I can’t be around with you, you’ll be supervised by my father.”

Jervis nearly choked on the apple.

“What?” He coughed, beating his chest in the hope that would help it go down, “Alice, are you sure-”

“Good.” Her father smirked. “I don’t trust that hospital to keep you in. No offense to Bolton, Alice.”

“Dad!” Alice snapped, though there wasn’t a hard edge to it like when she was angry with Tetch, “His release had nothing to do with Lyle. That was all on the doctors buying his ‘i’m cured’ bullshit. I’m sure if Lyle had his way he’d still be there.”

“You have no idea...” Jervis mumbled, absently rubbing his throat. One might think it was due to the near-choking incident, but there was a ghost sensation at the memory of being in that horrible asylum.

But it wasn’t time to dwell on that.

“So, Alice... If I’m to spend time with Mr. Pleasance while you’re off doing... Other things.. Who is going to be with you? It’s your life in danger, not mine.” He pointed out with great, and growing concern.

“Yes, but I don’t trust you.” Alice jabbed, brows raised and eyes squarely set on him, “I don’t need a babysitter... Besides. I have friends at work. You on the other hand won’t be left alone anywhere because on the off chance this person is as deranged as you, we can’t have you getting jumped and dragged off before you have the chance to help us find them.”

Hm.. “Fair enough.”

Alice stood, walking around the table to Jervis’ side. He leaned away cautiously as she perched herself on the corner, legs crossed in a ladylike fashion as she carved out another slice of her apple. She smiled in sinisterly sweet down at him and he felt a great sense of unease.

“But I want to make one thing very clear.” She began, her voice quiet despite the fact that there was no one around who might even possibly hear her. “My dad’s a big softy. I love my dad. He might scare you now, and he might knock you around if anything happens to me... But I promise you. He will keep you safe. But if you hurt my dad, or let anything bad happen to him... I will personally cut your dick off.”

Jervis swallowed, that feeling of dread rising up again after only a few minutes of it going away. Mother of God... Alice was a vicious woman when she was angry. Giving the orders in his place, pushing him around, making the threats.

... He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He’d think about it later.

“N-... Noted. I’ll be diligent in getting to the bottom of this then.”

“Good!” Alice smiled more sincerely, hopping down from the table with a joyful bounce. Falling back into her pleasant, sunshine radiance that she was normally. “And while you work on that, I’ll be going around to my usual places and asking questions. Maybe someone in one of my regular hangouts has seen anyone suspicious around.”

She walked away, tossing her apple core into the trash bin on her way past it.

“Meanwhile you get to be reacquainted with your old boss!” She called over her shoulder as she seemed to strut towards the stairs, “Doctor Kates is just thrilled that you’ll be back. She’ll be letting you into your old lab once you get there. I’d suggest you don’t be late~!”

Dr. Kates... The obnoxious bat.

Jervis groaned, unhappily biting into his apple at the realization he would have to listen to her shrill shouting again. Ah, but he was a different man now. A stronger man. She wouldn’t be telling him what to do this time!

Rain pattered on the metal grates that interrupted the pavement of the Gotham Streets, sending water pouring down into the black sewers below. A world no one ever saw but everyone was infinitely grateful for. It was a place no one ever wanted to be but it held all the garbage and waste “decent” people didn’t want to deal with.

A lot like Arkham in a lot of ways..

From under the safety of an umbrella Jervis walked, grocery bag hanging off of his arm as he held his phone in the hand not hanging onto the handle of his protection from the rain. He scrolled aimlessly, paying no mind to the actual images and words on the screen. He simply didn’t want to look up, didn’t want to look anyone in the eye by mistake. And if he appeared to be busy it discouraged others from talking to him as well.. He had already had the awkward encounter of someone recognizing him twice this week.

Through crowded pathways and up creaky stairs Tetch shouldered through, paying no mind to the rude remarks as he made his way back to his humble flat. He stopped at the community mail room and unlocked his box with a breath of exhaustion as he found he had mail. Never good news.

Hanging his umbrella over his arm with his groceries he climbed the stairs further, up to the third story, giving a polite nod to a woman walking in the opposite direction with her children. She made no effort to hide the fact that she was disgusted and she hurried her little ones along.

Hmph.

Fumbling with his keys he barely got one in the lock when suddenly his phone had his attention again. It was ringing! That... Was highly unusual. He pulled it from his coat pocket, blinking as the touch screen showed an odd collection of numbers. Oh, he recognized the number, but he had no idea why it was calling him.

He hesitated.

.... Should he...? No. Probably a mistake. Surely she wouldn’t want to talk to him on purpose. He swiped his thumb over the red icon and sent the caller to voicemail. Then back into the pocket the phone went.

He pushed open his door and stepped into the tiny space he called home. The empty room greeted him coldly as it always did. The faint smell of wood and stale air refreshing as ever. It was only temporary, though. A ‘halfway house’ for those who needed help getting ‘back on their feet’. Arkham always provided these to their recently released inmates. They were glorified hotel rooms really. A sparse living space with a kitchenette, enough room for a couch and a tv and a closet just barely big enough to fit a bed in right beside the washroom.

... Luxurious. But at least it had a built in wake-up alarm as the train passed every morning.

Jervis Tetch shrugged, pushing the door closed behind him before kicking off his wet shoes just inside the threshold. The umbrella joined them shortly after. Discarded in a wet plop on the wood floor. He hung his coat on a wall hook, leaving it behind as he walked further into his ‘home’

“Alright, Jervis, let’s see what we have today..”

He talked to himself as always as he wandered into his ‘kitchen and set out his various items on the counter. His groceries spilled out but he didn’t really care if an apple tried to get out of the bag. It wasn’t like it was going anywhere. Instead he leaned his back against that counter and began sorting through his mails. Flipping the envelope that was on top back to the back of the stack as he read the sender’s address and name.

Bill... Bill.. Angry letter... Bill.. Warning from Batman.. Bill..

Just as he was getting to the last envelope that sound assaulted his ears again and he looked up. Across the room the shape of his phone’s screen illuminated the pocket of his coat, calling him over as it chimed and vibrated between the fabric.

... What? There was no way. Likely a coincidence.

Setting the letters he’d already looked at down he walked over to his coat with a frown. A part of him hoped it wasn’t some curious mistake. That perhaps she had really intended to call him. Perhaps to establish contact again. After so many years apart maybe she was finally welcoming him back into her life.

Oh, how a man could dream.

He pulled out his phone again and saw the same beautiful numbers smiling up at him. He stared, thumb hovering over that answer button. It would be so easy. Just swipe and you can talk to her... It didn’t violate the restraining order if she called him first right?... Right?

.. Wrong.

With a frustrated huff he swiped to ignore again, tossing the phone onto the couch in the middle of the room. It wasn’t worth the trouble tonight. Likely a joke by her new boyfriend.... Eugh. He wanted to be sick at the thought.

He looked back down at the envelope, pristine and white in his hands. He flipped it over, seeing nothing on it but a sticker sealing the back closed. A little blue cat sticker wearing a cheerful smile. Oh, how charming. But who...?

He gently nudged his finger under the lip of the envelope, careful not to tear it as he pulled up the sticker. He didn’t want to rip the poor thing after all. Would be such a shame to waste it if someone went to the trouble. He could see a bit of paper inside, a letter maybe.

Unfortunately his attempts to simply read his mail were interrupted by a harsh

                             KNOCK KNOCKING

                                                                         at his door...

Oh, now what?

Heaving a sigh he turned full circle and stomped his way back to the door, back to the wet shoes and the umbrella, back to the coat hanging on the wall- He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open, honestly so entirely fed up when-

                                   “You sent me to voicemail...?”

His heart stopped.

Dead in his chest. He stared, eyes unblinking and utterly shocked.

Alice stood in his entryway, leaning an arm on his door frame, looking down at her phone with an unamused, annoyed looking stare. When her gaze looked up, locking on his own any hope Tetch had that her calls might have been goodwill were dashed. She did not look very happy to see him.

“A-Alice? What are you-?” He looked around, completely caught off guard. Here he was in a horrible green sweater, wet from the rain and she was THERE! Beautiful and radiant despite her anger. Anger that he couldn’t imagine the cause of. Her presence baffling to his mad mind.

“How do you... Know where I live?” He couldn’t help but ask after a moment, that being the first of many questions in his mind.

She rolled her eyes, slipping her phone into her purse. “Same way you know where I live, dipshit.”

... Rude.. But alright.

She stepped inside. He stepped back. She closed the door, he was tempted to jump out the window. All at once a memory of their previous encounter came rushing back to him and a sense of dread overcame him. It chilled him to a place deeper than the water soaking into his clothes. Both how eerily similar this moment was to that night so many years ago where he was in her place.... And to the night only months before where she could have ended his life for good..

“I-”

“Stop.” Alice cut him off quickly, holding up a hand. Jervis’ lips closed tightly, his nerves coiling in his gut, “You owe me a damn good explanation for what happened to me last night.”

“Last.. Night?”

Last night... Last night. He was reading in bed after watching TV for a few hours... Was he missing something?

“I’m sorry, Alice, I don’t know what you-”

“Don’t play stupid with me, Tetch! I know this is yours!”

Suddenly, shoved right up against his nose is the familiar image of a large white card. That friendly 10/6 winking at him like an old friend. He took it, frowning with his entire expression, looking back and forth from the card to Alice and back again. How did she get this? Where did she get this? This was-

“Not mine.” He told her softly as he flipped it over. Oh, heavens, no. Definitely not his. “This is some of the worst circuitry work I’ve ever seen! Why, the connections are barely made. I would have never allowed this-!”

She cleared her throat and he smiled sheepishly, sensing she had no desire to hear him ramble.

“Alice, dear, I’m sorry to say I have no Earthly idea where this came from.” He confessed, tracing the edges of the card with his fingers.

“Bullshit.” She snapped, hand on her hip, “Last night a man wearing this jumped on me and tried to kill me. Why would he be wearing this if it had nothing to do with you? Who else has this kind of capability? Who else uses your insane gimmick?”

‘Mad’, he nearly corrected her.

He had to admit, he wouldn’t have believed himself either. Given the circumstances he’d assume he was guilty as well.. But Alice wasn’t the scientist here. She could tell him all about filing and filling coffee orders but this was his area of expertise.

But it was infinitely upsetting to learn that this- This insultingly bad copy was used to try and hurt his dear Alice.

“Hmm.. Well, I’m afraid I don’t know, Alice. I’ve barely been out of Arkham but a few months... It’s possible anyone could have found one of my old cards and used it to attack someone...”

“But why me? I’m supposed to believe someone found one of your cards and decided to use it on the one person you always have it out for?”

“Alice do you honestly believe that I would kill you? What would I honestly gain from that?” He asked her, giving her a level stare as he looked her dead in the eye. Something flashed across her face. Fear, maybe, surprise more likely. Difficulty in believing that perhaps, he was telling her the truth. With a slow breath he looked down at the control card, feeling its static tickle his skin...

She’d handed him the means to render her completely mindless... It would be so easy now to use this distraction. Run away with her... Oh, how silly of a mistake that was. It would be no difficult matter to-

Oh, but no... No, no, no. Someone tried to use this device to hurt his Alice! And it was now a matter of honor to figure out what impostor dared harm his Alice.

“Close the door, dear. Come. Sit. I’ll make us some tea while we figure this out, hm?” He smiled politely, drumming the card against his palm with the unread letter thoughtfully as he turned away from her. What to do, what to do...

“Tetch, I’m not stay-” She tried to begin but he cut her off once more.

“You didn’t come all this way not to find out who tried to kill you, did you?”

He looked back, winking over his shoulder at the younger blonde as he pulled a kettle from the cupboard and began to fill it with water. Alice’s body tensed and he couldn’t imagine why. Honestly, if she would just admit that there was always something between them things would have gone so much better for them...

“... Fine. But I’m not drinking the tea.”

He chuckled, turning on the small stove and setting the kettle on its electric burner.

“Fair enough, Dear Alice..”

“Jervis?”

“Mm-Yes?”

And she would. Once they let the woman out of the office-leaving the orderlies she’d hurt groaning on the floor- she walked right out like nothing was wrong. Perhaps to her nothing was. The control chips in her scalp went through quite a shock. She didn’t seem to even notice Batman or Robin or even the Arkham Staff members who tried to stop her. The vigilante duo told them all to stand back and let the blonde go. Behind her the two had followed, hopping into the car before she could pull away and she didn’t even attempt to force them out. It was as if the woman was on autopilot. Returning home for repairs. 

“Next time we do this, you get to sit in the back.” Robin quipped, grunting in discomfort as he sat, scrunched up on the floorboards of the back seat.

“I think we’re almost there.” Batman all but ignored the comment, but there was an unspoken agreement between them that, even though Batman was not going to cram himself into the backseat of a Volkswagen, he’d make it up to the young man some how. 

After several minutes of driving in silence, the old, broken buildings of the condemned factory district came into view through the windows. They passed ghosts and skeletons of buildings. Old factories hanging open, half demolished or collapsed from age. It was almost spooky.

With the sound of the tires grinding against the old concrete, the car rolled to a stop in the dark alley.  Alice wasted no time getting out of the car and the Duo climbed out quickly afterwards. It took them only a few seconds to decide to watch from the roof. And not a moment too soon as a blonde man in a ball cap was running full speed toward Alice just after they peeked over the edge of the building. They couldn’t hear the conversation but it seemed frantic.

It was barely a minute later and they were on their way. Another of Tetch’s unwilling pawns, it seemed. Possibly some relation to Miss Pleasance... Someone close to her that people wouldn’t question if they were seen together. 

“I still don’t get why, if Tetch had Alice under his control, he’d let her go to work and stuff...” Robin whispered as they trailed after the blondes on the sidewalk below.

“He wanted to make Alice’s friends and family believe nothing was wrong.. So no one would go looking for her and find him.” Batman explained. It was all so simple really.. But Jervis had never quite figured out how to make his mind slaves behave like they naturally would. 

Below them the two seemed to disappear into an old factory... The Gotham Tea manufacturer. Condemned for years after the company moved out of state and left the building... A perfect place for a Hatter to hide himself. The flapping of their capes was all that could be heard as Batman and Robin hopped across to the roof to look in through a cracked, dirty skylight. Inside was dim, damp and pitiful. Falling to pieces around the deranged scientist’s equipment. A terrible place to make a home. 

“Ah, my Alice! I was so worried!”

Their attentions were drawn as the English accent of the Mad Hatter fell upon their ears. They watches as from opposite sides of the room, Tetch, Alice and her quiet friend entered and met in the middle. The Hatter embraced her, burying his nose in her yellow hair and holding her much too tightly to be comfortable.

“Why are you so late, Alice?” He asked a moment later, angrily grabbing her arms and glaring into her eyes. She said nothing in response. “Who were you with?”

Alice only stared at him in silence... This was not the answer he wanted.

“BAH! Rude girl! Nothing to say for yourself?!” Jervis snapped, shoving her away roughly, sending her colliding with the cold, dirty floor with a ‘thud’. He turned on his heel, coat tails flapping as he walked to his work station. “Impolite- Tardy-... You are nicer than this Alice. I know you are. I made you nicer. “

Batman couldn’t see what kind of tool he’d picked up but it didn’t matter a second later as the Hatter dragged Alice up onto her knees and jerked her head so that she looked down at the floor. His pushed her hair out of the way and gasped at the sight of blood on her neck and the collar of her dress. 

“What- Who- Did you do this, Alice? Did you try and remove the gift I gave you?” Jervis asked, clearly seeing that as the first option. Anything to give him an excuse to punish ‘his Alice’ without feeling guilt for it.  “It’s burnt! What happened? Did you see-?” His gaze snapped to the young man in the cap and he shook his head.

“No sir. She was alone when she got here and I have been with her the entire time.” 

Robin turned to Batman, whispering so low it was almost difficult to understand, “Why are we not going down there? We can take them!”

“Patience, Robin... Just wait.”

Below them the scene continued to unfold.

The mad man scoffed, taking up the tool in his hand and hovering with it over the nape of Alice’s neck. “We’ll just have to repair these, won’t we? Can’t risk you losing all those manners I taught you.”

As much as it made him ill to his stomach, Batman watched as Jervis Tetch used, what he could only assume was a scalpel, to cut a line into Alice’s skin. Blood oozed, wetting the collar of her dress in red all over again as the Hatter picked at the fresh wound with tweezers. He was humming as if this were as mundane as gardening... Disgusting. 

It was over in seconds and Alice was left to fall onto the rotting floorboards again as Tetch stood over her, devices in hand. It was then, when they new they had their chance and Alice would be out of the fight and unharmed that the dynamic duo sprung into action.

They fell through the broken sunroof, capes flying out around them creating ominous shadows over the three below. The gasp that came after was sharp and shocked as Tetch turned. 

“NO!” He growled, scrambling for anything he can use as a weapon as the two land in the center of the room, staring him down menacingly.

“It’s over, Tetch. Let this man and Alice go.” Batman ordered, not leaving this voluntary. These two victims were leaving here tonight, if it was the last thing he did. This would make for the third time Batman had stopped Jervis from running away with Alice and he vowed that it would be the last. 

“No! She’s mine! She’s meant to be mine!” Jervis shrieked, holding his hat securely to his head.

The next thing they new, Robin was grabbed from behind by the man in the ball cap and thrown into a rickety old table. He advanced on the boy with a blank expression but clenched fists. Commanded to defend the Hatter and his Alice from harm.

The scuffle between the two lead out into the hall and Batman pursued Tetch as a chase began down a different, inky black hallway. Speckles of moonlight trickled in through murky windows but it was otherwise pitch black. Water dripping and their rushed foot steps echoed off of the creaking walls. 

After rounding a corner, Batman stopped, unable to see Jervis anywhere. They’d entered an old packaging room. Pipes and conveyor belts crisscrossed in front of the masked man as he slowly crept inside.

“Give this up, Tetch!” Batman called, despite the fact that he knew he couldn’t talk the Englishman out of his deranged plan. “How long as you going to fight for her? How long are you going to hurt her?”

“As long as I have to!”

Pain shot through Batman’s shoulder as he was struck from behind. The harsh collision of a broken pipe sent him doubling forward onto a crate. He looked back with only enough time to see another swing coming toward his head. His gloved hand lifted and caught the pipe as one leg kicked out, striking tetch in the stomach.

“You can’t just let me be happy!” Jervis growled through the pain, teeth bared, “Perhaps once I get rid of you, Alice and I will finally be happy!”

He tried to jerk the pole from Batman’s grasp but to no avail. Instead he chose to stomp on the larger man’s foot. In that brief, mere one second window of vulnerability, Jervis reeled back and socked the taller man in the jaw with all that he had. Batman tumbled to the side only to receive another sharp pain as Tetch brought that rusty pipe down on his ribs. 

“Oh, Frabjous day!” Tetch boasted, “I get to be rid of you, your sidekick, and when I’m done here, I can deal with my ‘competition’ at Arkham! No one will be able to keep Alice from me again!”

“Don’t count on it.”

The room fell silent at the sound of a third voice enter. All eyes turned and a chill struck Tetch’s very soul at its source. 

“...Alice..?”

The blonde woman stood there, solid as a stone and just as unmoving. The look on her face was severe and resolute. She knew what she was here to do. In her hand she held a revolver pistol, hanging at her side as she took several steady steps toward them.

“Alice, no-”

“This isn’t your fight anymore, Batman.” She interrupted, her blue eyes fixed on the source of all of her misery and self loathing for so many years.

She continued her paces and with each step she took, Tetch moved back from her. He tossed aside the pipe he wielded and held up his arms in surrender. This didn’t seem to be what she wanted as she raised the gun, looking down the barrel and directly into his eyes.

“N-Now, now, Alice! Y-You don’t want to do this.. Where did you even get-”

“I saw where you hid it, dumbass..” She cut him off with a scowl, her disgust plain in her voice and her eyes, “I saw everything, heard everything, felt everything- Every single day you kept me here.”

She jerked forward, shoving the narrow barrel of the gun into the Hatter’s forehead. Off to the side Batman rose up, going for his belt for something that could disarm her. This isn’t how he wanted this to end.

“Don’t, Batman.” Alice snapped, glancing over for just a second as the pitiful excuse for a man in front of her whimpered. “I want him to know what he’s put me through.”

“Alice, please..” Tetch begged, swallowing hard through the tears of fear building up in his eyes. “I never meant to-”

“To what?! Hurt me?! Well, guess what, dipshit! You did.” She growled, eyes narrow and locked on his, “And you know the worst part?.. I let you..”

Her words hung in the air as they were absorbed by the two men listening. 

“I let you consume me. I let you take away my happiness, my marriage, my life- I let you take away every damn thing I enjoyed about myself because I thought if I got rid of those things you would leave me alone-! That you wouldn’t hurt anyone else around me! But I was wrong!” He voice cracked as years of agony poured from her soul. Waterfalls of tears poured from her eyes as her desire to pull the trigger was pushed down by her will and longing to make him pay the way she had for years. They ran down her cheeks and ran onto her dress to mix with the blood that would undoubtedly stain it forever. “You’re still here. You’re still here, trying to take me away, going after the ones I love. I should put a bullet in you just for having the nerve to touch my little brother, you sack of shit.”

“Alice-” Tetch’s voice was a desperate whisper, his knees trembling and giving out from under him. 

“Shut up!” She pressed the gun harder into his skin, leaving a painful red mark. “I realized something in this last week of having to live with you... You’re not worth my time.”

“But- I love you-”

“NO YOU DON’T. You do not love me! You never did.” Her voice roared over the sounds of an old building creaking around them and the sounds of robin struggling with her brother down the hall. “If you loved me you never would have hurt me like you have- You would have let me go.” She sobbed, wiping the heel of her free hand under her eyes, “You made me run from the alter at my wedding. You made me lie to my friends- You were going to make me kill Lyle so that you wouldn’t have to ‘compete’ for me!”

Batman’s eyes went wide behind his mask as he paused in his slow walk over to them. 

“But you will never make me do anything ever again.” Alice promised darkly, “My life isn’t yours to control and I never should have let you have so much of it. It’s over.”

                                                  BANG!

The gunshot shook the walls and made everyone’s ears ring but no one moved. No one fell limp, no one bled. No one jumped on Alice to subdue her and arrest her for murder... Because no one was dead.

Instead, all that fell to the ground wounded, was Jervis Tetch’s hat. A hole blown right through the blue ribbon, shattering the control headband inside it. It crackled and fizzled out dead in the dirt leaving Tetch gaping in terror and shock. Alice could have killed him. If it were anyone else she would have killed him..

Robin raced in a moment later with Alice’s apparent brother. Ball cap gone and both panicked, expecting the worst from heading a gunshot. 

“Alice...” Batman started cautiously.

“Here.” With an eerie calm, the blonde woman turned to the vigilante and handed him the gun. “I’ve made my point..” Her eyes feel on the trembling form of the Mad Hatter.

                  “Goodbye, Jervis.”

She walked away then, pulling her brother into a warm, tight embrace. The two held each other, happily crying from the relief. They paid no mind to Batman or Robin as they cuffed the Hatter. Tetch was uncharacteristically silent as they all walked out of the building and out onto the street into the cool Gotham night air.

Alice let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of years of panic wash off of her shoulders as she looked up. The smoggy might sky never looked so beautiful as it did when she got to look at it of her own free will for the first time in several days. Even in a blood stained, wrinkled, tattered dress, she never felt better in her life.