I do not own Jonathan Crane (aka The Scarecrow) or Jervis Tetch (aka The Mad Hatter). They belong to DC Comics. This was written purely for fun.
It was surprisingly quiet in Professor Crane's home, considering a certain guest had come over, ranting about how long it had been since they had shared a pot of tea.
Jonathan Crane looked up for a moment from the various chemicals he had scattered across the counter of his workspace and glanced over his thin shoulders at the sofa beyond the doorway. He was mildly surprised when he saw the familiar sandy-colored hair peeking around the back of the sofa. More than that, however, he was a bit irked. Jervis Tetch was showing a remarkable amount of patience today… When the Mad Hatter had arrived three hours ago, Crane instantly tried to shoo him away. The stubbornness between the two was to be admired, considering how unstable they were. After a great deal of failed attempts to rid himself of the tea-loving man, Crane apparently gave in.
'When I'm finished with my work, we'll have tea,' Jonathan had said with a great sigh of defeat.
It was enough to silence Jervis for the time being. The delighted madman then pulled a book from the breast pocket of his overcoat and settled in on the sofa, prepared to wait.
Crane made a face and returned his attention to his work. 'That was three hours ago. Why the Hell is he still here?!' He had made sure he took as long as possible (given his lackluster excitement) in completing his new batch of fear toxin. He had been positive that Jervis would get bored after a few minutes, make a comment or two, and then leave.
But there Jervis was, sitting comfortably on his sofa, enthralled in the many adventures of his beloved Alice.
Easily hiding his displeasure from the Hatter, Crane continued his work. He did enjoy the silence, but the company? Not so much…
His ill feelings lifted for the moment when he held up a half-full test tube. He felt a twisted smirk forming on his face as he studied the contents. His new toxin…nearly complete. He poured the liquid into a canister and twisted a lid onto it. He closely inspected the lid, pushing his reading glasses back up his narrow nose. There were no cracks or holes in the nozzle to the aerosol valve to be seen.
Satisfied with his findings, he removed his reading glasses and placed the canister over an open flame. Once the liquid became vaporized, he'd be ready to test his new toxin.
As he placed the glasses in the front pocket of his lab coat, his eyes and mind began to wander. He brought a thin and long finger to his narrow chin, lost in thought. 'A test subject…' he mused to himself. 'Who am I going to test this on?'
A murmur sounded in the far-off recesses of his mind, making him return to the present. His eyes focused on the wall opposite from him as he concentrated on the lost words echoing only to him.
He shrugged it off and placed his elbow on the edge of the countertop. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand. He blinked dully and returned to his thoughts. 'A test subject…'
The murmur grew into a haunting whisper, its breathy words echoing in his mind. A tingly feeling covered him as his eyes widened slightly. 'Yes…' he thought wickedly to himself.
A sinister grin formed on his face as his head lifted from his hand. His narrowed eyes cut from the wall past the doorway.
"…Jer-vis…"
Jervis Tetch was instantly brought back to reality from his Wonderland when he heard Crane say his name. The way he said it unnerved him. He noted the overhanging feeling of darkness in his voice and the hiss at the end of his name. He lifted his eyes from his book, hesitant to look around the sofa at his friend. His curiosity got the better of him, however, for he peeked around the sofa. "Yes, Jonathan?"
The sight unsettled him. True, it was just Crane sitting there, but there was a different air about him…something much more sinister. The way that he was looking at him…the grin on his face…
Jervis's eyes slightly narrowed with suspicion when he only saw one of Crane's hands. His other hand was hidden from sight, behind the large white lab coat.
"Jervis," Crane said again as he slowly slid off of the barstool and to his feet, "how long have we known each other?"
The Mad Hatter cautiously lifted himself from the sofa, the forgotten book falling from his lap to the cushions. "Um…" he began softly, his blue eyes never leaving the man across the room, "…a few years, I'd say… Why?"
The tall, lanky man took a step forward, his head slightly bowed and his arm remaining hidden. "Hmm…yes, I'd say a few years…" he agreed with a single nod. "You've told me so many things over these past few years, and yet…" He took another step forward.
Jervis took a step back, his eyes not once leaving Crane's.
"…and yet," Crane repeated, the grin growing slightly and continuing to move toward the sandy-haired man, "I have never quite figured you out… For a while, I thought monophobia, but dismissed the thought."
'He's talking about fear,' Jervis thought to himself, a feeling of alarm beginning to course through his veins. He wasn't quite certain what monophobia was, but he recognized the last three syllables instantly. For each step the auburn-headed man took toward him, he took one back. He knew he was going to eventually corner himself, but he knew there would be an obstacle or two before that happened. He kept a straight face, allowing his friend to keep talking.
"I mean," the Professor continued, "the way you cling to people…the way you always talk about your beloved Alice Pleasance…" He grinned devilishly when he saw Jervis's brow furrow in sorrow. "Then I began to suspect ataxophobia," he proceeded to say. "Ah, yes…ataxophobia… You can't stand a situation when you are not in control, can you? Can't stand disorder…chaos; you have to control it. If you couldn't do it alone, you manipulated the situation with your technology. Of course," he added with a short laugh and a quick shrug, "this is just a hypothesis. And like any scientist trying to test a hypothesis…"
Jervis's eyebrows began to rise and his eyes widened slightly when Crane revealed the gas canister in his hand. He slowly began to reach down toward the table that stood behind him, where his hat sat.
"…there have to be experiments," the Scarecrow hissed.
He was past the doorway now. The sofa was the only thing standing between the two villains. They both stood at the ready, the Scarecrow ready to lunge and the Hatter ready to run.
"So tell me, Jervis," the Scarecrow continued in a haunting voice, "what do you fear?"
The gangly man dove over the sofa and tackled Jervis to the ground. The two hit the ground with a thud, a forceful gasp escaping from Jervis when Crane's body landed on top of him. A hand flew up at the assailant, gloved fingers wrapping around the Scarecrow's thin wrist. The Hatter managed to keep the canister that held the gas pointed away from his face as he fought to get free. He easily shoved the thin man off of him and dashed to his feet.
Crane's body landed against a nightstand. The lamp that stood on it fell and shattered against the ground, broken glass covering the floor. His grip on his toxin remained firm. He quickly shook the dazed feeling from him, his eyes regaining their focus.
He heard Jervis's rapid footsteps as he started running by. He flung out his leg, ultimately kicking the Hatter's shin. A yelp sounded, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. The Scarecrow quickly rose to his feet as Jervis flipped himself over onto his back, pulling his oversized hat back onto his head.
The Mad Hatter let out a painful breath when the scrawny man lunged on him again. He tried to keep the canister away from him with one arm, the other trying to push off his attacker. As Jervis's hand hit Crane's forehead, the assailant successfully brought the toxin toward the Englishman's frightened face.
The Scarecrow's twisted grin grew wider and he began to press the top to release the fear toxin—
His finger froze in place. He felt an odd feeling blanket over him, his body going rigid. A startled look quickly replaced the sinister expression that had been on his face in a flash as he lifted off of Tetch's body and up unsteadily onto his feet, against his will. His wide eyes fell to Jervis.
The Mad Hatter stared up at Crane with cold eyes from beneath the large brim of his hat. He exhaled irritably and began to lift himself to his feet. He readjusted the large hat on his head and casually began to dust himself off, taking his sweet time before addressing the villain under his control.
"I had been hoping," he finally began, shooting Crane an irritated glare, "to use my newly modified circuitry on a certain Bat, but you have provoked me to do otherwise."
All the auburn-haired man could do was stare with widened, shocked eyes. He had absolutely no control over his body, but he was fully aware of the situation. He was able to feel something stuck to his forehead, right where Jervis had hit him. The shocked expression slowly began to give way into alarm as the hatted man began to walk toward him.
Jervis Tetch came to a halt before his puppet, his arms loosely crossed over his chest. There was a mild air of smugness about him as he stood there, simply staring down his friend with narrowed eyes. He held out a hand, palm up.
The Scarecrow watched himself give away his newly formed fear toxin to the man standing before him. A sense of dread and panic coursed through him in full force as a cold sweat covered his brow.
"Perhaps I should find out what you fear, Scarecrow," Jervis said, emphasizing the name. He studied the aerosol canister with bored eyes, moving it around in his hand. "I bet you're afraid of not having control of this situation," he said mockingly.
He carelessly tossed the canister aside and folded his arms behind his back. He slowly began to circle his pawn. "I mean…just think of all the things I could do to you right now. I don't need to tell a Professor of Psychology how important the brain is in controlling the body." He came to a stop and faced Crane. "With one thought, I can cease the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, the medulla…anything." He leaned in slightly, his face hardening. "With a single thought, I could very well end your life."
The Mad Hatter took a step back, keeping his arms casually folded behind him. "So tell me," he reiterated, "are you afraid that I have control of this situation? I don't think you know just what I am capable of…and I could certainly make the time to show you. You underestimate me." He gave the Scarecrow a murderous glare, looking more serious than the thin man had ever seen him in all their years knowing each other. The brim of his oversized hat shadowed his eyes slightly, only adding to his dark appearance.
Jervis turned on the heel of his foot and moved toward the couch. "And if there is a lesson to be learned here, it is this," he said as he reached down for his book. He turned back around, his eyes focused on his friend in a death-stare. "Never anger a madman," he snarled.
The air between the two clinically insane men was silent and tense. The Mad Hatter could tell that the Scarecrow had a comment or two to make, but he had no interest in hearing it. Without breaking his stare, the Hatter pocketed his book. He pulled on the lapels of his overcoat and readjusted the brim of his hat.
The Hatter turned toward the doorway to take his leave. "I'll give you a call when you are yourself again," he called calmly over his shoulder. "I'd tip my hat and bid you 'good day'," he said, turning his back to the threshold and facing Crane again, "but considering the circumstances…" He let out a soft giggle as he opened the front door and stepped out. Before he closed it behind him, he popped around the side of the doorway. "And don't think this has gotten you out of having tea with me!" He gave an innocent smile and waved. "Cheerio!"
He disappeared behind the doorway and pulled the door shut. Jonathan Crane stood rigidly for maybe half a minute longer before he suddenly regained control over his body. He collapsed to the ground, clearly shaken. He sat there for a moment, staring down at the ground with wide eyes and trying to comprehend what had just happened. His hand absently lifted to his forehead and he pulled the foreign object off. He stared at the microchip with distant eyes, the piece of technology no bigger than his fingernail.
Jonathan's eyes moved to the doorway as his fingers curled around Jervis's mind control chip. He heard it crunch in his hand, but gave it little thought. 'Good Lord…' he suddenly realized, 'I nearly used him as a test subject…' His eyes shifted to where Tetch had tossed his fear toxin. It lay amongst the broken lamp on the ground. He had gotten so caught up in the moment…he had lost control.
He stared at the canister for a few lingering moments before he looked back toward where Jervis had disappeared to. He couldn't believe what he had almost done. There were plenty of people he could immediately think of whom he knew he could gas without remorse.
Jervis Tetch was not among them.
Jonathan Crane finally shifted his body to where he was sitting with his back against the sofa. He brought his hands to the sides of his head, trying to ignoring the haunting whispers that ate at his mind. His thin fingers passed through his auburn hair and gripped at his temples. He tightly shut his eyes and sat there, curled in a ball against the sofa, burying his head in his arms. He sat in a silence, a silence that he wished with all his heart would be quickly interrupted with a quip in the familiar British accent he had grown so accustomed to.
He was not afraid of Jervis's control over the situation; he feared his own lack of control. He could still hear the Scarecrow's hissing voice, eating him away inside, completely out of his control.
"I'm pathetic…" he whispered out loud to himself. He felt sorely tempted to rush out of his house to catch up with Jervis, but he couldn't even tell if it was his own guilt driving the temptation, or the Scarecrow's thirst to see fear instilled in his eyes.
"I am so pathetic," he growled in self-hate as he curled into a tighter ball.
I thought this up when I was at work. I have been exploring Jervis's madness, but not Jonathan Crane's. I figured I'd try my hand at it. I hope you enjoyed it. Feedback is always welcome! Thanks for reading!