Wonderland
Rogue's Bar was located on the Gotham docks, and being the closest drinking establishment to the water was its only claim to fame. In fact it was located over the water on Pier 19, with ancient wooden planks the only barrier between a stiff drink and a swift plunge. This made it a very convenient locale for most of the dockworkers and ship's crews to drown the hardships of a long voyage before heading out anew. That, and when inevitable fistfights erupted the water made a good location for the victors to dump their victims.
One night, many months ago, this dingiest of dwellings managed to attract 3 rather odd looking individuals that did not appear to belong. Inside they stepped, two very fat and bald little men dressed in yellow jackets and blue pants. On top of each bald head was a beanie, and on each face a garish grin. Behind them entered a slightly taller man dressed in a long green trench coat. A large, blue top-hat adorned his blond head, and a playing card of the number 10/6 was neatly tucked in the hatband. His white-gloved hands twitched anxiously against each other as his strangely soft voice called out, "Yes my diminutive assistants, this is the place!"
All eyes were fixed on the strangely dressed little men when the top hat began to throb uncontrollably, in rhythm with an electric hum it was emitting. Soon the air within the bar was filled with the sounds of breaking glass, breaking wood and breaking bones as each bar patron turned on his neighbour with such anger as to make rabid dogs look tame! The three little men stood and smiled as one by one the muscle-bound seamen tossed each other out of the bar and into the cold water below. Soon only one man was left standing. "He'll do," gestured the top hat wearing man and his two partners grabbed the survivor by the hands and led him out to a nearby van. The man in the top hat then turned to a spilled tumbler by his shoe and gingerly picked it up. He sniffed the inside and smiled, "You gentlemen should really test the water before diving right in," and he gently placed the tumbler on a nearby table as he exited the now vacant bar.
Inside the van labeled 'Alice's Catering Service' the winner was strapped down to a gurney as the Mad Hatter loomed above him. "Mr. Deefrum! Mr. Dumfree! It's best we get underway! There wasn't a decent drop in that establishment!"
Deefrum: "As you say!"
DumFree: "And so, away!" The van started up and began its journey.
The Hatter turned towards his captive and grinned in victory, "You're the pick of the litter, my friend. A true gentleman! What is your name, pray tell?"
The hat was still throbbing and pulsating, compelling him to answer, "Bruno."
"Just Bruno, eh?" the Hatter responded. "Well, that can be rectified rather easily." The Hatter removed a staple gun from his pocket and fired it on top of his prisoner's cranium, embedding something long and sharp into his skull. Bruno's eyes glazed over in an instant and stared vacantly into the Hatter's grinning jowl.
"Cheer up, for soon you'll meet the Carpenter!"
The van soon came to a halt in front of a derelict two-storey home located in Gotham's poorest downtown district. The Hatter then removed Bruno's straps and he rose. "Good man. Let us go inside, shall we?" The two of them entered and returned shortly thereafter, with Bruno carrying a large sac on his back and a bound and gagged man in his arms. Once within the van they continued their journey.
The Mad Hatter looked down at his terrified hostage as he placed a large mask into Bruno's eagerly anticipating hands. The Hatter gestured as he spoke, "My dear friend, there's no need for fear! You are one of us, my friend, and thus a true work of literary art! Look, in the front are Tweedledum and Tweedledee!" The two little bald men turned and smiled on cue. "I am the Mad Hatter, and next to you is your truest friend..." The bound carpenter turned towards Bruno, only to be greeted by a hideous tusked face, "...the Walrus!"
A short, terror filled drive later, and the van arrived to a nearby radio tower. "Mr. Deefrum, Mr. Dumfree, be so kind as to bring our guest. Dear Walrus, you know what to do!"
The Walrus exited and a short while later was followed by the Hatter, carrying his sac, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee with the carpenter in tow. They nonchalantly strolled into the radio building and were greeted by shattered bodies. Continuing up the stairs they bypassed more bloodied bodies and were met on the roof by the Walrus. "Excellent my friend," the Hatter gloated, "now prepare for interference." The Walrus headed off the roof and back downstairs into the radio station to barricade the building's entrances and exits.
The Hatter then proceeded to remove a complex looking device from his sac and attached two power cables from the device to the radio antenna. He removed two more cables from the device and attached acupuncture needles to the ends. With a childlike glee he then walked towards the bound carpenter. "Here, my friend, is your part in the grand scheme. You must concentrate on your one grand skill, to build."
The carpenter winced as a needle was stabbed into his skull behind the ear. The Hatter frowned, "Mr. Carpenter, you must play fair with us. It is for all our sakes. Play fair!" he yelled. Surprised at his own anger the Hatter took a deep breath, sighed and whispered, "You must play fair or..."
Deefrum: "Do as we all wish, our fair friend..."
Dumfree: "...or suffer a most untimely and unpleasant end." The carpenter tried to wince even less when the second needle was inserted, and shortly thereafter he felt his mind go numb. The Hatter then flicked a switch on his device and it hummed wildly. At the same time his hat began pulsating and vibrating uncontrollably. He attached a third cable to his hatband and a piercing echo suddenly filled the air. All over the city, citizens felt their minds go blank as they entered a unified trancelike state. In unison they dropped their chores and walked into the streets. Drivers stopped their cars and got out, trains stopped as passengers filed out en masse, and airplanes circled, waiting for instructions from a control tower staff that was nowhere to be found.
The Hatter removed a rolled up paper from his pocket and unfurled it. Firmly in grasp he stared at the now open blueprint. Soon the citizens were grabbing hammers, screwdrivers, nails and a myriad of other tools, and together they took their newfound carpentry skills to Gotham's buildings, all because the Hatter commanded it!
"That's it Gotham! Build! Build our dream! Our paradise! Build our Wonderland! See Mr. Carpenter, no violence, no deaths, no sorrow, and no fear! Just the wonderful community spirit needed to see the dream come true! Doesn't it make your heart soar?" The Hatter's eyes began to well up as he realized how close he was. "Yes! YES! First the looking glass, over city hall! Next the..."
Deefrum: "Something's amiss!"
Dumfree: "You promised Alice!"
"Of course, dear friends, we all want to meet her once more, but in order to do so we must first complete our fabled, and most beloved, land. Then she will arrive, on the heels of a March hare, and once more we shall..." The Hatter was cut off as a razor sharp batarang sliced the cables connecting the carpenter to the device. The Hatter screamed with rage as he felt all he worked for slip away. "NO! Stop him you fools! Stop him now!"
Deefrum and Dumfree removed handguns from their pockets and pointed them straight up. There, silhouetted in the moonlight was the giant graven image of a bat. Batman unhooked his harness rigging from the bat shaped glider and fell towards a hail of gunfire! His billowing cape made targeting difficult and the bullets missed their mark as he landed two boots onto Deefrum's and Dumfree's skulls, knocking them out. Batman then turned to face the Mad Hatter.
"How?" the Hatter asked, perplexed, "How did you know so quickly?"
"I listen to Gotham's radio broadcasts frequently, Tetch, and found all of them shut down, EXCEPT this one. Instead of a normal signal it was emitting bizarre static. Looking at the crowd below, it wasn't difficult to figure out who was responsible. But how could you control such a large number of people with a single broadcast, and why wasn't I affected? That was simple, the water, most everyone drinks it, except me. A simple precaution, just in case one of you ever tried this kind of a stunt. Now, will you end this?" Batman removed several more batarangs from his utility belt and prepared to strike.
The Hatter stared solemnly at the dark shadow that was the Batman, "All those piffling crimes, all those chases, all those wasted years to build up enough funds, and now, NOW, when I'm so close to achieving my goal you want me to stop? No, I don't think so. You see, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came traipsing about in cape and cowl as you always do, so I concocted a Plan B. Even though they no longer have the skill to build Wonderland, Batman, I still control Gotham's citizens. There are five million souls under my sway, to do with as I please, so I think that you, dear friend, shall surrender!"
Batman then heard the scrape of a boot behind him and realized the Hatter had been stalling for time. He turned and launched 4 batarangs straight at the hideous Walrus with each one striking deep into his skull. The Walrus still ran towards Batman, who in turn leapt into the air at the last moment letting the Walrus run by. As the Walrus passed underneath the Batman kicked down into the Walrus' back, forcing the brute's momentum to carry him into a collision course with the Hatter. The impact jarred the Hatter's hat off his head and was followed by a dull thud as both bodies struck the ground, shattering the Hatter's hold on the city. The Walrus' mask fell off as his chin scraped the ground, allowing Batman to see his face as he rose. Batman smiled, "Bruno. I took you out with one punch last time at the docks. Why don't you give up now before you get hurt?"
"So you know each other?" Hatter interjected. "Mr. Walrus...Bruno...you hate the Batman for what he's done, don't you? You want to kill him. Well, you're indestructible now, nothing can harm you! You hear me! Nothing! Now kill Batman!" Bruno gritted his teeth and launched himself at the Batman. Batman was caught by surprise at the ferocity of the attack and rolled with it. Once on his back he continued the roll and fell on top of the deranged Bruno. A few blows hit home but Bruno shoved Batman off with enough force to launch him across several yards. Batman recovered and gauged his opponent. 'Fast, strong, and impervious to pain. What did the Hatter do to him? I don't see a control device, and he won't give me the time to find it. This has to end.'
Bruno threw the Hatter's device and Batman barely dodged it. Batman then removed a thin cord from his belt and formed a loop. As Bruno charged Batman gingerly stepped aside and placed the loop over Bruno's head. Startled, Bruno was unable to stop his charge in time and flew over the edge of the station's roof and into space. Batman felt the wire pull taunt and he gripped it as tightly as possible as Bruno's body slammed into the side of the six-storey building. Batman then looked over the edge and saw that Bruno had caught his hands between the noose and his throat, allowing him to breathe. As Batman suspected, Bruno was very fast but dumb as a post, and now he was trapped. The noose would prevent him from escaping, and even if he managed to free himself it was six stories down. Batman then noticed the van was missing on the street below and realized the Hatter had made good his escape. He should have realized it when Bruno tossed the mind-control device, he should have noticed that the Hatter was decidedly absent. He then turned and saw that both Dee and Dum were nowhere to be seen. Only the carpenter remained, still bound and gagged with needles protruding from his skull as he whimpered. Batman then felt the wire go slack and he stumbled backwards. "What the?" he stammered as he got up and ran to the roof's edge to survey the damage on the street below. There was nothing. Not a single trace of the Walrus...
END
If you'd like to learn the fate of the Wonderland Gang, try 'Faces and Names' Chapter 10.
Rogue's Bar was located on the Gotham docks, and being the closest drinking establishment to the water was its only claim to fame. In fact it was located over the water on Pier 19, with ancient wooden planks the only barrier between a stiff drink and a swift plunge. This made it a very convenient locale for most of the dockworkers and ship's crews to drown the hardships of a long voyage before heading out anew. That, and when inevitable fistfights erupted the water made a good location for the victors to dump their victims.
One night, many months ago, this dingiest of dwellings managed to attract 3 rather odd looking individuals that did not appear to belong. Inside they stepped, two very fat and bald little men dressed in yellow jackets and blue pants. On top of each bald head was a beanie, and on each face a garish grin. Behind them entered a slightly taller man dressed in a long green trench coat. A large, blue top-hat adorned his blond head, and a playing card of the number 10/6 was neatly tucked in the hatband. His white-gloved hands twitched anxiously against each other as his strangely soft voice called out, "Yes my diminutive assistants, this is the place!"
All eyes were fixed on the strangely dressed little men when the top hat began to throb uncontrollably, in rhythm with an electric hum it was emitting. Soon the air within the bar was filled with the sounds of breaking glass, breaking wood and breaking bones as each bar patron turned on his neighbour with such anger as to make rabid dogs look tame! The three little men stood and smiled as one by one the muscle-bound seamen tossed each other out of the bar and into the cold water below. Soon only one man was left standing. "He'll do," gestured the top hat wearing man and his two partners grabbed the survivor by the hands and led him out to a nearby van. The man in the top hat then turned to a spilled tumbler by his shoe and gingerly picked it up. He sniffed the inside and smiled, "You gentlemen should really test the water before diving right in," and he gently placed the tumbler on a nearby table as he exited the now vacant bar.
Inside the van labeled 'Alice's Catering Service' the winner was strapped down to a gurney as the Mad Hatter loomed above him. "Mr. Deefrum! Mr. Dumfree! It's best we get underway! There wasn't a decent drop in that establishment!"
Deefrum: "As you say!"
DumFree: "And so, away!" The van started up and began its journey.
The Hatter turned towards his captive and grinned in victory, "You're the pick of the litter, my friend. A true gentleman! What is your name, pray tell?"
The hat was still throbbing and pulsating, compelling him to answer, "Bruno."
"Just Bruno, eh?" the Hatter responded. "Well, that can be rectified rather easily." The Hatter removed a staple gun from his pocket and fired it on top of his prisoner's cranium, embedding something long and sharp into his skull. Bruno's eyes glazed over in an instant and stared vacantly into the Hatter's grinning jowl.
"Cheer up, for soon you'll meet the Carpenter!"
The van soon came to a halt in front of a derelict two-storey home located in Gotham's poorest downtown district. The Hatter then removed Bruno's straps and he rose. "Good man. Let us go inside, shall we?" The two of them entered and returned shortly thereafter, with Bruno carrying a large sac on his back and a bound and gagged man in his arms. Once within the van they continued their journey.
The Mad Hatter looked down at his terrified hostage as he placed a large mask into Bruno's eagerly anticipating hands. The Hatter gestured as he spoke, "My dear friend, there's no need for fear! You are one of us, my friend, and thus a true work of literary art! Look, in the front are Tweedledum and Tweedledee!" The two little bald men turned and smiled on cue. "I am the Mad Hatter, and next to you is your truest friend..." The bound carpenter turned towards Bruno, only to be greeted by a hideous tusked face, "...the Walrus!"
A short, terror filled drive later, and the van arrived to a nearby radio tower. "Mr. Deefrum, Mr. Dumfree, be so kind as to bring our guest. Dear Walrus, you know what to do!"
The Walrus exited and a short while later was followed by the Hatter, carrying his sac, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee with the carpenter in tow. They nonchalantly strolled into the radio building and were greeted by shattered bodies. Continuing up the stairs they bypassed more bloodied bodies and were met on the roof by the Walrus. "Excellent my friend," the Hatter gloated, "now prepare for interference." The Walrus headed off the roof and back downstairs into the radio station to barricade the building's entrances and exits.
The Hatter then proceeded to remove a complex looking device from his sac and attached two power cables from the device to the radio antenna. He removed two more cables from the device and attached acupuncture needles to the ends. With a childlike glee he then walked towards the bound carpenter. "Here, my friend, is your part in the grand scheme. You must concentrate on your one grand skill, to build."
The carpenter winced as a needle was stabbed into his skull behind the ear. The Hatter frowned, "Mr. Carpenter, you must play fair with us. It is for all our sakes. Play fair!" he yelled. Surprised at his own anger the Hatter took a deep breath, sighed and whispered, "You must play fair or..."
Deefrum: "Do as we all wish, our fair friend..."
Dumfree: "...or suffer a most untimely and unpleasant end." The carpenter tried to wince even less when the second needle was inserted, and shortly thereafter he felt his mind go numb. The Hatter then flicked a switch on his device and it hummed wildly. At the same time his hat began pulsating and vibrating uncontrollably. He attached a third cable to his hatband and a piercing echo suddenly filled the air. All over the city, citizens felt their minds go blank as they entered a unified trancelike state. In unison they dropped their chores and walked into the streets. Drivers stopped their cars and got out, trains stopped as passengers filed out en masse, and airplanes circled, waiting for instructions from a control tower staff that was nowhere to be found.
The Hatter removed a rolled up paper from his pocket and unfurled it. Firmly in grasp he stared at the now open blueprint. Soon the citizens were grabbing hammers, screwdrivers, nails and a myriad of other tools, and together they took their newfound carpentry skills to Gotham's buildings, all because the Hatter commanded it!
"That's it Gotham! Build! Build our dream! Our paradise! Build our Wonderland! See Mr. Carpenter, no violence, no deaths, no sorrow, and no fear! Just the wonderful community spirit needed to see the dream come true! Doesn't it make your heart soar?" The Hatter's eyes began to well up as he realized how close he was. "Yes! YES! First the looking glass, over city hall! Next the..."
Deefrum: "Something's amiss!"
Dumfree: "You promised Alice!"
"Of course, dear friends, we all want to meet her once more, but in order to do so we must first complete our fabled, and most beloved, land. Then she will arrive, on the heels of a March hare, and once more we shall..." The Hatter was cut off as a razor sharp batarang sliced the cables connecting the carpenter to the device. The Hatter screamed with rage as he felt all he worked for slip away. "NO! Stop him you fools! Stop him now!"
Deefrum and Dumfree removed handguns from their pockets and pointed them straight up. There, silhouetted in the moonlight was the giant graven image of a bat. Batman unhooked his harness rigging from the bat shaped glider and fell towards a hail of gunfire! His billowing cape made targeting difficult and the bullets missed their mark as he landed two boots onto Deefrum's and Dumfree's skulls, knocking them out. Batman then turned to face the Mad Hatter.
"How?" the Hatter asked, perplexed, "How did you know so quickly?"
"I listen to Gotham's radio broadcasts frequently, Tetch, and found all of them shut down, EXCEPT this one. Instead of a normal signal it was emitting bizarre static. Looking at the crowd below, it wasn't difficult to figure out who was responsible. But how could you control such a large number of people with a single broadcast, and why wasn't I affected? That was simple, the water, most everyone drinks it, except me. A simple precaution, just in case one of you ever tried this kind of a stunt. Now, will you end this?" Batman removed several more batarangs from his utility belt and prepared to strike.
The Hatter stared solemnly at the dark shadow that was the Batman, "All those piffling crimes, all those chases, all those wasted years to build up enough funds, and now, NOW, when I'm so close to achieving my goal you want me to stop? No, I don't think so. You see, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came traipsing about in cape and cowl as you always do, so I concocted a Plan B. Even though they no longer have the skill to build Wonderland, Batman, I still control Gotham's citizens. There are five million souls under my sway, to do with as I please, so I think that you, dear friend, shall surrender!"
Batman then heard the scrape of a boot behind him and realized the Hatter had been stalling for time. He turned and launched 4 batarangs straight at the hideous Walrus with each one striking deep into his skull. The Walrus still ran towards Batman, who in turn leapt into the air at the last moment letting the Walrus run by. As the Walrus passed underneath the Batman kicked down into the Walrus' back, forcing the brute's momentum to carry him into a collision course with the Hatter. The impact jarred the Hatter's hat off his head and was followed by a dull thud as both bodies struck the ground, shattering the Hatter's hold on the city. The Walrus' mask fell off as his chin scraped the ground, allowing Batman to see his face as he rose. Batman smiled, "Bruno. I took you out with one punch last time at the docks. Why don't you give up now before you get hurt?"
"So you know each other?" Hatter interjected. "Mr. Walrus...Bruno...you hate the Batman for what he's done, don't you? You want to kill him. Well, you're indestructible now, nothing can harm you! You hear me! Nothing! Now kill Batman!" Bruno gritted his teeth and launched himself at the Batman. Batman was caught by surprise at the ferocity of the attack and rolled with it. Once on his back he continued the roll and fell on top of the deranged Bruno. A few blows hit home but Bruno shoved Batman off with enough force to launch him across several yards. Batman recovered and gauged his opponent. 'Fast, strong, and impervious to pain. What did the Hatter do to him? I don't see a control device, and he won't give me the time to find it. This has to end.'
Bruno threw the Hatter's device and Batman barely dodged it. Batman then removed a thin cord from his belt and formed a loop. As Bruno charged Batman gingerly stepped aside and placed the loop over Bruno's head. Startled, Bruno was unable to stop his charge in time and flew over the edge of the station's roof and into space. Batman felt the wire pull taunt and he gripped it as tightly as possible as Bruno's body slammed into the side of the six-storey building. Batman then looked over the edge and saw that Bruno had caught his hands between the noose and his throat, allowing him to breathe. As Batman suspected, Bruno was very fast but dumb as a post, and now he was trapped. The noose would prevent him from escaping, and even if he managed to free himself it was six stories down. Batman then noticed the van was missing on the street below and realized the Hatter had made good his escape. He should have realized it when Bruno tossed the mind-control device, he should have noticed that the Hatter was decidedly absent. He then turned and saw that both Dee and Dum were nowhere to be seen. Only the carpenter remained, still bound and gagged with needles protruding from his skull as he whimpered. Batman then felt the wire go slack and he stumbled backwards. "What the?" he stammered as he got up and ran to the roof's edge to survey the damage on the street below. There was nothing. Not a single trace of the Walrus...
END
If you'd like to learn the fate of the Wonderland Gang, try 'Faces and Names' Chapter 10.