I do not own Batman (aka Bruce Wayne), Alfred Pennyworth, Jervis Tetch (aka The Mad Hatter), or any other named character here. They belong to DC Comics. This was written purely for fun.
Through the empty halls of the Wayne Manor came the steady sound of footsteps, echoing off the walls and ringing through the air beneath its high ceilings. Alfred Pennyworth stepped into the oversized living room, eyeing one of the large windows as he walked by. The night sky was pitch black out there, away from the city streets and the glow of Gotham.
Alfred blinked dully and looked to the grandfather clock against the wall across the room. 1:28 AM. It was going to be another long night…
The butler approached the clock and tugged on one of the cable pulleys. The back of the antique opened up and revealed a darkened hallway beyond the walls. He stepped through the clock and into the drastically darker environment. Once the threshold was closed again, he turned and began to descend into the depths of shadows by way of stairs.
He walked on, blinded by the blackness surrounding him entirely, with an air of confidence and tranquility. He had heard Master Bruce returning from his nightly patrol much earlier than he normally did, which could only mean that they had a long night ahead of them. He made sure he had given the caped man enough time to situate himself before he popped in.
A faint light began to dimly light the staircase from up ahead. The squeaking and screeching of bats became audible over his swift footsteps.
He finally reached the level ground of the Batcave. His eyes lifted toward where the unseen ceiling resided, up to where he could see a few bats flying freely, trying to find some stalactite to hang from. A dull blink later, he turned to face the rest of the secret lair to the "World's Greatest Detective." The Batmobile was parked in its usual spot a little ways across the cavern. His eyes strayed to the various decorations and souvenirs the Caped Crusader had acquired over his years fighting crime, ranging from a giant penny to a bullet-riddled puppet. Deeper into the cave sat a massive computer.
He found the detective, unmasked but still in costume, standing before his large computer. He turned when he heard Alfred approaching, their dark eyes meeting for a brief moment. He then turned his head toward a table across the cave, making the butler glance in that direction.
Alfred's eyes widened for a second when he saw a body on the table. He took a quick glance back at the caped man, who had returned his attention to the computer screen. A curious look appeared on the butler's face as he gazed at the table again before he began to make his way over.
The figure appeared to be strapped to the table, but was visibly still breathing. He faltered in his steps when he saw the being cringe and tense, but he was far too curious to not see who Master Bruce had decided to provide sanctuary for the night. He approached the table…
He felt his jaw slightly drop and his eyes widen. He couldn't take his eyes off of the unconscious man tethered to the surface. The Mad Hatter…this rogue gentleman the butler had only read about in police reports…was lying on the table, straps binding his legs, chest, and arms…completely blood spattered. The unsettling crimson stains covered what was left of his tattered white gloves and the sleeves of his blue overcoat. His entire wardrobe looked like it had been worn over decades, bits and pieces of fabric faded here and there, completely scraggly looking. Buttons were missing from his coat, as were the tips of the gloves, exposing the ends of his bloody fingers. He had an expression of pain and fear written on his face, his brow slightly furrowed despite his state of consciousness. His sandy hair was an absolute mess; locks of the blonde hair hung down over his forehead and out everywhere.
"No sarcastic comment, Alfred?" Bruce remarked from across the cavern when he saw that Alfred had been staring at the villain for a few moments in a stunned silence.
"…my…my word…" the butler began after swallowing the lump in his throat, his eyes never leaving Jervis Tetch, "…he's covered in blood…" He took a startled step back when the Mad Hatter cringed again. "What on Earth happened out there tonight?"
Bruce Wayne slowly approached Alfred, the soft patter of his footsteps filling in the void of silence. His dark eyes remained locked on the unconscious Hatter. "He attacked me…" he responded at length.
"That doesn't sound that out of the ordinary," Alfred replied forthrightly.
"…after he attacked and butchered many other pedestrians," Bruce concluded. His eyes shifted to the butler for a moment. "That is out of the ordinary," he said before he looked back to the villain when he tensed once more. "The Mad Hatter isn't one for brute strength; he likes control. What I saw out there tonight was anything but. He was vicious and relentless. He seemed mindless…like an animal, almost…" he trailed off. "He's sedated right now and should be out for another hour or so."
The caped man motioned for the tuxedo-ed gentleman to head to the massive computer across the cave. "I noticed some discolorations on his arm when I went to give him the injection, so I took a blood sample when I got here. The computer has been scanning it since. He was definitely injected with something…just need to figure out what."
Alfred's eyes went to the large computer screen for a single moment before he glanced back at Bruce. "You're trying to break down the components of what shouldn't be in his blood."
A nod confirmed the idea. "That's what I'm hoping to do." He lifted a sheet of paper up with his gloved hands as he lowered himself into his computer chair. "So far, it's only isolated one component."
"That component being…?" the butler pressed.
Bruce's eyes shifted to Alfred, half-hidden beneath angry eyebrows. "The ManBat serum," he said in a dark tone.
As his irritated eyes returned to the piece of paper, the butler's eyebrows shot upward. "I thought Dr. Langstrom was finished with his experiments…" he heard himself say. He remembered the first encounter Batman had with Dr. Kirk Langstrom, back years ago. The scientist had created a serum to genetically mutate a human being into a bat-like creature: the ManBat. He said that humanity wouldn't survive the next evolution, but bats would. Thus, he created the serum to help mankind, but it nearly destroyed him in the process.
"Apparently it's going to take more than a threat on both his and his wife's life to show him just how dangerous that serum is," Bruce growled, glaring at the print-out. "But…" His shoulders slumped, "there wasn't enough of the serum in the Hatter's blood to make him fully transform into the ManBat; it seems like the serum has been modified. It just…slightly changed his form." He turned and looked at Alfred when no response came, who stood waiting for an elaboration. "He had claws, Alfred. Claws and fangs." He looked back down at the piece of paper, his face falling from anger into an expression of slight apprehension. "I don't know what we're dealing with here…"
Alfred quickly picked up on the pessimism in Bruce's voice. His eyes shot to the dark-haired man. He knew all-too-well what happens when Bruce Wayne got into this kind of mood…and now was not the time to let a setback get the best of him, not when there was work to be done. He glanced back over to where Jervis lay. "You're sure he was injected with something?"
"Positive," Bruce replied, his eyes shifting to the butler. "The discoloration on his left arm confirms it; someone bruised him with their sloppy needle-work."
The older man looked side-long at the unmasked hero, but remained facing the Mad Hatter. "So, care to take a stab at what you think happened?"
A subtle smirk appeared on Bruce's face. Alfred knew him too well…how to help get his mind off of the more trying things. Explaining hypotheses he had concluded while being the detective he was usually helped to lift his mood. The grin quickly disappeared as he gazed back at Jervis. "From what I can tell, someone gave him some new type of serum and set him loose on the city. I highly doubt the Hatter would do this to himself. This serum greatly stimulates the subject's need for aggression and somehow genetically mutates them. Whoever created this new serum knows what they are doing, knowing how to mess with the human brain."
"Do you suppose there are any others like him?" Alfred asked without turning.
"Not yet," Bruce replied. He stood up and pulled his cowl over his eyes, "but I'm guessing that we'll be seeing more cases like this in the near future."
As Batman dropped the paper onto his desktop, Alfred turned and looked at him. "What makes you so sure?"
The Dark Knight's eyes lifted to the butler, hidden beneath the black cowl. "Tetch here is the first. My guess is that he was the guinea pig of some demented science project. Whoever unleashed their experiment out into Gotham tonight was watching, taking notes on the effects, like any scientist would. They will continue to tweak it until they are happy with the end product." He turned, his cape flowing with the movement, and began to walk toward the Batmobile. "Once that happens, we'll start seeing more and more of these cases, and it will be far worse than it was tonight." He paused. "If my theory is, by chance, correct," he added.
Alfred watched him walk off, his brow slightly furrowed with confusion. "Where are you off to now?"
"Langstrom's lab," the caped man replied over his shoulder. "I need to find out how this person got a hold of the ManBat serum." He paused before the vehicle as it opened. "Keep an eye on Tetch and keep me posted on what the computer kicks out."
"Yes sir," Alfred replied as the Dark Knight jumped into his vehicle and sped off into the night.
A/N: Sorry for a shorter chapter, but hopefully it was interesting. The plot thickens...