Batman sat at the computer, something was bugging him but he couldn't put his finger on it, also he couldn't concentrate due to the background noise. Tim and Damian were combat training together, but it wasn't going so well for Tim. "Ow that hurt!" He exclaimed. "It's supposed to!" Damian exclaimed, throwing punches at Tim. "Stop it!" Tim exclaimed. "Is that what you're gonna say when the Penguin kicks your-" "Master Damian, there are other words that can be used, I'm sure you can think of one." Alfred cut in. "Butt." Damian growled, punching Tim.
Dick and Jason were welding the bumper back onto the Batmobile after their latest run in with Penguin, well Tim and Damian's run in with the Penguin, it was Damian who was driving.
"Tea." Alfred put a tea tray down on the side for them, two steaming mugs of tea with a jug of milk and a pot of sugar. "Thanks, Alfred." Jason said. "Lovely." Dick said. "Lovely? What Barbara sees in you, heaven knows!" Jason said jokingly. Alfred chuckled, heading towards the Bat computer. "Master Bruce, tea?" Alfred asked. "No thank you, Alfred." Batman replied. "Something the matter sir?" Alfred asked. "Something's happening, I'm not sure where but something is." Suddenly he gasped. "What is it sir!" Alfred exclaimed. Jason and Dick stopped welding and Tim and Damian stopped fighting. "Bruce?" Jason asked. Batman pulled up footage onto the screen. "What is that?" Dick asked. "It's a cloud of dust, Dick." Damian said sarcastically. "Master Damian." Alfred said rubbing his forehead. "It's Arkham." Batman said. "It looks like the Scarecrow's fear gas."
"Batman look!" Tim exclaimed. All eyes darted around the screen, as if Tim had seen something important in the background. "What is it, Tim?" Tim pointed to the corner of the screen showing the time and date the footage was taken: 13.05.2017 – 07:17
"What?" Damian asked. "That is yesterday's date and time. Why am I seeing this now?" Batman asked. "Oh crap!" Jason exclaimed, everyone looked at the screen, the Mad Hatter broke out of his cell and escaped the asylum. "He used the Scarecrow's fear gas to help him escape." Tim said, "Why would the Scarecrow use it to benefit the Mad Hatter and not himself?"
"That we need to find out." Batman said. "Gear up." Tim and Damian threw on their Robin costumes and Jason pulled him red hood from his bag. Dick took off his shirt to reveal his Nightwing costume. "It's about time! I've been dying to kick ass all week!" Damian exclaimed. "Master Damian." Alfred said, annoyed. "Give it up, Alfred. You know he won't stop." Dick said. "I'll drive." Damian said. "No!" Everyone exclaimed, "Kill joys." Damian muttered under his breath.
"Alfred, can you watch the cameras, radio me if anything happens in Arkham and Jason and I will head over." Batman said. "Glady, Sir." Alfred replied.
They climbed into the Batmobile and sped out of the cave.
"Where do we start?" Robin asked. "As it's the Mad Hatter, I suggest the Alice in Wonderland section at the amusement park." Red Robin said, "I had a few run ins with him there." Batman nodded.
Upon arriving at the amusement park, Batman takes a mental note: the amusement park looks deserted.
"Is it worth even looking here?" Robin asked, Batman looked into the young boy's eyes. "You know it's probably empty, there's no sign of forced entry." Robin said. "Kid might have a point." Red Hood said. "Maybe we should look somewhere else then?" Batman said. "Maybe the old theatre, we caught him there once before Batman." Batman nodded and they got back into the Batmobile and headed to the old theatre on the other side of town.
The old Gotham City Theatre, left abandoned after the Joker massacred hostages before the police and Batman could get inside, it was the second murder Dick had witnessed.
"Split up." Batman said. "Red Robin, Robin, search the dressing room, Nightwing, you're with me, Red Hood, can I trust you to go alone?" Robin sniggered, "Probably not." Red Hood rolled his eyes, "Yes." Batman nodded, "I trust you."
Red Robin and Robin search the dressing room, but there is no sign that anyone has recently been in there so they search back stage. Red Hood searches the seating areas and Batman and Nightwing search the catwalk.
"Do you remember the last time we were here?" Batman asked. "I thought that's what you wanted to talk about, but deep down I hoped you missed me." Nightwing joked. "I'm serious Nightwing. After the massacre, I considered stopping you being Robin and just being…just being a normal boy."
"Oh Batman, you know that's not possible." Nightwing sighed deeply, "Look, it was hard after it. I wanted to stop being Robin, but I didn't want to let you down, I knew I needed to be Robin. I look up to you Bru-Batman."
"But I know, if I had stopped being Robin, I wouldn't be the man I am today. I wouldn't know you, Tim, Damian, Jason, Alfred or Barbara." Nightwing said. "I'm glad you continued as Robin, otherwise I wouldn't have had the courage to let them in." Batman said.
Red Hood searched the aisle, he looked under the seats but he couldn't find anything, but as he made his way up to the stage, something caught his eye. Marks in the dust on the vent, recent marks too. Red Robin and Robin appeared from backstage. "Nothing back there or in the dressing rooms." Red Robin said. "Here, look!" Red Hood exclaimed. He pointed to the marks in the dust. "Well spotted Red Hood!" Red Robin exclaimed. "You're not entirely useless." Robin said. "Thank you." Red Hood said sarcastically, he radioed Batman and Nightwing, the jump down from the catwalk.
"Nightwing, Red Hood go in and investigate. Red Robin, Robin and I will keep watch up here." Nightwing and Red Hood climbed into the vent. "Uh Batman. Looks like there might be someone down here." Nightwing called. "I'm coming in. Robin, Red Robin, stay here." Batman said.
"Hey look." Red Hood finds a canister of the Scarecrow's fear gas. "What's the Mad Hatter doing with this?" Nightwing asked, he pulled back a dusty old sheet to reveal an armchair, nothing on it only dust. "Hello Batman." They look around, until they see the Mad Hatter standing in the shadows.
Batman looked up out of the vent and saw Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum restraining Red Robin and Robin, both gagged. "What are you doing with Scarecrow's fear gas, Tetch?" Nightwing exclaimed.
The Mad Hatter chuckled, "Dr Crane and I formed a nice little friendship. Daily, when we played chess in the lounge at Arkham, we discussed this little plan. It made sense for me to be the one to carry it out, I have allies outside Arkham and the few he has are locked up with him."
"How did he get his fear gas into Arkham?" Nightwing asked. "He had test tube filled with the stuff sent through the pipes into his cell. He left these canisters here for me."
"The last time he escaped? That was nearly a year ago!" Red Hood exclaimed. "I know, I'm disappointed too. The amount of time Joker escaped put the guards all on edge so they stopped us using the lounge for a few weeks and we had to go over the plan several times after that." Mad Hatter said. "The plan isn't complete yet, getting me out of Arkham was phase one. Phase two is me getting my mind control microchips to everyone in Gotham and then I'll break Scarecrow and the others out of Arkham!"
"These are my friends, my Wonderland Gang, you know the Tweedles, March Hare, The Lion, The Unicorn, The Walrus and the Carpenter." Mad Hatter stood with his arms open as several characters appeared. "We will reform in the wake of the Arkham breakout!" Mad Hatter climbed out of the vent and the Carpenter sealed it up. "Let's go!" He exclaimed. The Tweedles picked Robin and Red Robin up and threw them over their shoulders.
Suddenly there was a crash, the Mad Hatter screamed. "NO! NO! NO!" Batman tried to get a look out of the vent but the Tweedles were blocking his view. "Get away!" Batgirl cried as she threw an exploding baterang at the vent. It blew open, Batman, Nightwing and Red Hood escaped. Robin was untying Red Robin after the Tweedles dropped them. Robin pulled out two baterangs and threw them at the Tweedles. "You'll pay for tying me up!" He exclaimed.
Red Hood pulled out two guns, "No guns, Red Hood." Batman said sternly, Red Hood rolled his eyes, putting the guns away he pulled out a baterang and threw it at the Carpenter.
Red Robin throws a baterang at the Walrus, it doesn't go as planned and barely injures him. The Walrus charges at him, "Focus remember!" Robin shouts, Red Robin sees him watching him as he takes on the Tweedles. The Walrus becomes closer and closer to Red Robin, as he's only a meter away, Red Robin swings his fist and knocks the Walrus off his feet. Surprised, he stares up at Red Robin. "Don't stop!" Robin exclaimed. Red Robin threw punch after punch at the Walrus, who tried standing up without success.
"Woohoo!" Robin exclaimed as he finally knocked out both Tweedles. Nightwing and Batgirl take on the Unicorn. She threw baterangs and he used his combat sticks, eventually they got him to the ground. Robin jumped onto Nightwing's back and lept onto the Unicorn, baterang in hand he knocked him out. Red Hood, Nightwing and Batgirl watched in disbelief, "Did he jump on my back?" Nightwing asked. "Woo! Knocked out by a ten-year-old!" Red Hood laughed pointing at the Unicorn.
"Red Hood!" Nightwing exclaimed, before Red Hood could turn around, the Carpenter hit him across the head with a spanner. He brushed it off, the threw a baterang, knocking her tool belt off her waist and then a sleeping gas baterang knocked her out.
There was only one member of the Wonderland Gang left: The Mad Hatter. "You're going back to Arkham, Tetch!" Batman exclaimed, throwing a punch, the Mad Hatter ducked to avoid it. "No, I won't, Batman! Not this time!" Mad Hatter said, pulling a card out of his pocket and running around Batman. "Every time you try to get out, I just put you back in!" Batman exclaimed. "You and the Scarecrow!"
"Not this time!" The Mad Hatter cried. "Even if you successfully break everyone out of Arkham, even if you and the Scarecrow are the masterminds, it will always be his fear gas who got you out!" Batman said.
"Yes, but it was the Wonderland Gang, my Wonderland Gang who broke them out!" The Mad Hatter exclaimed, trying to find a way to put the card on Batman. "You break the Joker out of Arkham, he won't thank you! None of them will, they'll abandon you. Someone stronger will come along and take your gang."
"Stop it, Batman!" Mad Hatter screamed, avoiding his punches. Batgirl and the boys watched. "Someone stronger always comes along. You can't break them out of Arkham and expect to rule Gotham or even the world without the Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Riddler and even Scarecrow fighting to be top dog!" Batman exclaimed. "You break them out, they'll kill you Tetch!"
"I can stop them!" He exclaimed, finally stopped running around and pointed to his card. "I can control them!"
"Not all of them." Batman stopped trying to punch Mad Hatter, "It's over, Tetch." Mad Hatter dropped his card, he dropped to the floor. "I know, Batman." He sighed deeply. "Take me back to Arkham." Batgirl and the boys exchanged looks, Batman didn't take his eyes off Mad Hatter.
They take the Mad Hatter and the Wonderland Gang to Arkham, Batman introduces the doctors to the gang. He watches the Mad Hatter sit silently in his cell, Dr Crane watching.
Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce, Damian, Jason, Dick, Tim and Barbara sat in the living room. Alfred brought in a tray of hot chocolate and cookies. "It's not like Tetch to give up." Dick said. "No, it's not." Bruce said, "But I saw him, back in his cell, Scarecrow watched him. I think maybe, Tetch was forced into this plan. He went back into Arkham ashamed. He wants to be in Wonderland not Arkham, he was robbed of Wonderland years before Arkham, before he even started working with technology."
"Do you think he can change?" Barbara asked. "I think people can change." Bruce replied.