#tnab

 The GCPD arrived hours ago. They knew it was going to be a late night when they first got the dispatch. The Mad Hatter was up to his usual antics: which consists of tea, sweets, tech and blood. And, as usual, the bat got there first, and he hardly exists a scene without leaving a mess behind. Besides the broken furniture and scattered bits of microchips and other electronics, there seemed to be a struggle. The drywall was plastered with bullet holes, broken glass littered the floor and splatters of blood accompanied the pieces. Although the shards of glass seemed to be the likely cause of the blood spatter (as no bullets made contact), but judging by the state The Hatter was left in (beaten, bruised, and incoherent) it’s hard to say for sure. Hatter was sent off to the Gotham General Hospital hours ago to treat his more severe injuries, though it’s expected he’ll make a full recovery (to the delight of no one on the scene) and will be shipped to Arkham once he’s in a more stable condition.

The cleanup and collection of evidence was going without a hitch. But among the shell casings and spilt tea, there was an interesting discovery: a photograph. The photo was weathered, and its surface was covered lightly in scratches. A corner singed, most likely burned with a match and a splatter of blood was fresh on the surface. The subject of the photo was of a child. No more than 7. with a polka dot bow tie and suspenders. From the framing it looked to be a school photograph. But something was strange yet oddly familiar about the child. His ears were as big as his head. Teeth, large and discolored, taking up most of his face, yet despite his toothy mouth, a smile is nowhere to be found. His eyes sunken …and sad.

It was not just any schoolboy. It was Jervis Tetch. The Mad Hatter himself. The criminal madman, who was notorious for mind control and his love of Wonderland ,was staring back at them, not full of rage or wearing a sinister Cheshire grin… but with sadness… vulnerability… loneliness.

For once they didn’t see the infamous criminal that plagued the city of Gotham…  all they could see was a child. Just a child who was too afraid to smile for his school photo because he knew the other kids would laugh at his toothy grin. A child who knew he would get yelled at, the moment his parents saw his ‘ruined’ photo. A child who would sit alone in a bathroom stall debating if he should hide in there all day because he knows his silly polka dot tie will draw unwanted attention from his peers. He was just a child. He was someone we might’ve know in life. He’s someone we might’ve been in life… he’s not some monster born to be evil… he’s just a person.