This choice: Mad Hatter's on the loose. • Go Back... "It's Jervis Tetch. Mad Hatter. A lot of folks have been going missing lately near the Dixon Docks. The few people we've recovered were found drugged out wearing his mind control devices."
Jim handed the Dark Knight the dossier of the evidence the GCPD had collected thus far. The folder was rather light. He lit a cigarette and took a drag.
"Any idea what he's up to? What his endgame might be?"
"This isn't much to go on."
Batman admitted, briefly flipping through the police reports. What he found were a series of gruesome images.
"Sounds like he's back to his old tricks. What I do know is he's a psychopath, Jim. Hellbent on living out a twisted fantasy he derived from a children's book."
The Dark Knight closed the reports, handing it back to the Commissioner.
"I'll let you know when I have something."
"Gotcha, well if you need backup, just..."
Jim switched off the bat signal and turned around to see Batman had already left.
"... call me."
- - -
The docks were as quiet as ever.
Batman prowled the rooftops, his cowl modified to locate signals generated by Mad Hatter's mind control tech. At first his search proved fruitless but just when he was about to head back to the drawing board, a ping hit his radar.
The Dark Knight grappled and zipped himself into the air, his cape expanding as he glided in the direction of the signal. He steadied his descent, his boots silently hitting the rooftop of an old warehouse. Likely Tetch's hideout. He wasn't going to hurt anyone else once he was behind bars.
Batman slipped through a hole in the roof. His cape slowed his drop until he landed quietly in a crouching position. He stalked the darkness, his detective vision scanning for heat signatures yet he found none. Only broken windows and the warehouse in varying states of decay. The signal on his radar only grew stronger as he advanced, however.
Batman reached down and plucked the mysterious object off the floor. Jervis was known for installing his twisted tech into various hats. What he found though didn't fit Tetch's MO. His scans couldn't make heads or tails of the tiny electronic device emitting the signal. However, as soon as he held up for closer inspection, it snapped out of his hand and magnetized to the plates in his bat cowl.
Violently, he struggled to pull it off but the computer chip merged with his cowl, assimilating to his Wayne Tech.
"Batcave, we have situation!"
Bruce tried to radio Alfred but received only static. Nothing was jamming his signal a second ago!
Batman realized he'd been lured into a trap but he couldn't just take his mask off and compromise his identity. It wasn't worth the risk. He went to disable his cowl's electronic functions manually but the hidden override switch wasn't responding. Even if he wanted to take his mask off, he couldn't. The magnetized interlock put in place to keep criminals from removing it if he fell unconscious was preventing him from doing so.
"Ohohohohoh! What do we have here?!"
An old rundown television in the corner of the dingy room sparked to life.
None other than the Mad Hatter himself appeared on the cracked screen. He wore an old fashioned green suit and top hat. The twisted grin Tetch wore reminded the caped crusader of the Joker. Jervis' mental condition was different, but he was mad all the same.
"Looks like a Dark Knight has stumbled into my trap!"
Jervis cackled maniacally.
"Give yourself up, Tetch! Come quietly and I'll take you in without breaking you!"
"Oooh! Such a temper! So feisty. You'll make an excellent Alice!"
BOOM!
The flimsy floorboards beneath Batman's feet gave as a miniature explosion rocked the rundown building. He instinctually drew his grapple and pointed it up but the tool malfunctioned. The Wayne Tech synced to his cowl was under Mad Hatter's control. His utility belt was useless.
As he fell, Mad Hatter activated his special program. Bruce, unable to remove his cowl, was forced to stare into the pink spiral and hear the feminine voiced subliminal messages playing through his comms.
"Down, down, down the rabbit hole, my Alice! Further down, down, down you go!"
Batman couldn't focus on slowing his descent with his cape. When he hit the ground, he didn't feel a thing.
- - -
"Ugh..."
Batman groaned. The events leading up to him falling unconscious flashed through his head. He was in danger. He sat up, immediately feeling for his utility belt. He found he'd been stripped of his gadgets and cape.
"Yes, yes, you're awake!"
Multiple old TV sets activated, illuminating the room. Bruce thought he was still in the same structure but looking up, there was no hole from where he fell. The walls weren't comprised of old worn brick, but instead sleek steel. Someone moved him. He couldn't make heads or tails of where he was. A bunker, maybe? An old compound?
What does Mad Hatter have planned for the Dark Knight?  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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