Ch. 1: The New Girl

The tea was too hot.

Jervis Tetch put the teacup on the saucer and grabbed the TV remote. After sighing in sadness and exhaustion, he pressed the power button and flipped thru the guide. His eyes perked up in interest when he saw the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland playing. He turned to the channel and took ahold of his teacup, saucer held underneath it, and blowing on the drink.

Tetch was a neuroscientist who worked at Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City. He had long red hair and large front teeth. This along with the fact he was short made him a target of some ridicule among his co-workers at times. Also, Tetch's fascination and obsession with the Alice in Wonderland story contributed to that ridicule. Fellow co-workers, on one occasion, said Tetch was quite immature. However, Tetch didn't take much offense in these instances, as he knew he was a genius. These neanderthals, as he called them, don't stand a chance against him, in any way. The only one who could potentially match wits was a co-worker named Edward Nygma.

Tetch believed, however, that they all had something he never did - a companion. He had been single all of life. He had tried many times to get a girlfriend, but it was of no success. All thru middle school, high school, and college, Tetch literally had to bite his tongue walking to and fro between classes. He did this because he couldn't stand being single, and couples were making out all around him as he walked by to his next class. The agony of nightmarish, no, hellish proportions had plagued Jervis all of life since he entered his teen years.

So, as Jervis sipped his tea watching Alice in Wonderland, tears began rolling down his cheeks. "Why." he said quietly. "Why is my luck with women so horrific? What do I have to do, go to clubs, order a doll online?" He took another sip of his tea.

Suddenly, he jumped up, launched the tea at a wall. After the shattered teacup fell to the cheap carpet, he collapsed to the floor, yelling. The yelling soon changed to weeping.

The next day, Jervis got ready for work. He started to feel tears forming again, as he put on his lab coat and got into his car.

Upon arriving at Wayne Enterprises, Jervis parked his car and went thru security before going to his office. He had posters of Alice in Wonderland on two of his lab walls and a gold-plated mad hatter bust on his desk. He had these decorations to help remind him there were things to look forward to.

Jervis set his briefcase on his desk and walked over to one of the Alice in Wonderland posters. Perhaps, he thought, the multiverse theories are true, and I can somehow figure a way to go to Wonderland for real. Jervis suddenly snorted. "My luck isn't that good," he coldly blurted out.

Jervis was currently competing with Edward Nygma, in a project that in theory would revolutionize how mankind understands the human brain. Jervis, however, had a secret agenda - he was planning to create some way to actually control human minds. His goal was to create the perfect circuitry to gain full control over the minds of gorgeous women. Jervis would then have them flock to him, like they never did. Of course, he would prefer they did so willingly, but his luck, as he believed, was a bad joke. So he would have to settle for the next best thing. He went to the lab to work on the project, which was really the project for the plans he had.

On his way to the lab, he saw what he thought could only be an hallucination.

A tall, blond-haired woman was talking to Jervis boss. Jervis felt a huge rush of adrenaline rush thru his body. She was beyond gorgeous. Her shiny blond hair came down to her waist, with bangs hanging to her bright green eyes. She had a shapely form that would put hollywood actresses to shame. Her voice…her voice could cure any guy's anger management problems in an instant. Her pale skin was silky smooth, with freckles on her nose and blushing cheeks.

Jervis started feeling dizzy and he leaned against a desk to keep balance. His heart was pounding hard enough that it almost seemed to fuel his body with superhuman-levels of stamina. It was official: Jervis was in love. Madly so.

She must be a new employee, thought Jervis. He went to the lab and struggled to concentrate on his work. "If only she could be mine," Jervis told himself. He tapped his lips with his index finger in thought. His eyes darted around. "If only…"

During his work that morning, half of his mind was on the electronics he was assembling and modifying. The other half was on that girl.

Lunch came, and Jervis went to a break-room to find Edward Nygma there, enjoying a sandwich and reading a book on riddles. Other employees were there, including the new girl.

Adrenaline and sweat starting on Jervis as he went to the coffee maker to make some tea.

"So Tetch," said Nygma. "I trust your feeble attempts to succeed are going horribly?"

"It is going rather well," replied Tetch, half-listening. His hand shook as he started making his tea. The universe-no… multiverse-class new girl was sitting at a table close to where Tetch was standing.

"Well that's good." Nima said sarcastically, eyeing the new girl. "But no hard feelings if my invention is chosen by Mr. Wayne. Wait." Nigma put down his book and smiled at Tetch in a psychopathic way. "Actually, I do hope for hard feelings. For you."

Jervis looked at the new girl from the corner of his eyes. She had a group of guys talking with her. Jervis right eye twitched, and wouldn't stop.

Nygma gloated. "So, if I could make as suggestion-"

"I advise" Tetch said, turning to face him." That you stick to your project, and wait until after Mr. Wayne chooses who is better suited for the future, before you start forming words from your bacterial mouth." Tetch said the last few words with a snicker.

Edward stood up and, still smiling, took a step toward Jervis. "Yes, Mr. Tetch." Nygma sneered. said, teeth bared in an unpleasant grin. "We will see won't we, who is fit to be in the future."

The break room was silent, watching the scene.

Tetch looked around. "Well!" He stretch out his arms from his sides. "I hope everyone is enjoying the show! The finale is in a few days, when his and my projects are complete!" Jervis returned to his tea, keeping an eye on Nygma to make sure he wouldn't attack him suddenly. Nygma, however, returned to his riddle book, glancing often at the new girl.

Jervis finished preparing his tea and began sipping it with his back against the counter. He kept glancing at the new girl. Then her eyes met his and a surge of adrenaline rushed thru Jervis' body again. She quickly looked away. Jervis finished his tea, fighting back more tears.