can I start off by saying I am truly sorry for not updating this is so long. It's shameful that I've left you in the dark about this. Between my computer not working as I established last chapter, mind block, and school I just lost the complete flow of this story.

But as I was reading over which stories I hadn't updated, I thought it was about time to knuckle down and write a chapter for this. I realise it's rather disappointing because it's short, but I'm breaking myself back into this slowly.

thank you to the people who have stuck with this until the end, and I you deserve so much recognition it's untrue, next chapter I will do a dedication for everyone.

My writing has changed so much since when I started this, new stories have been out up while this collects dust, but I'm back, and I'm determined to keep the characters in the same context as before. I really hope Alice hasn't changed in your eyes, from when I first started this.

my other batman story, riddle me this, why do you care? Will likely n be continued, at least for a while, mainly because I have reached a dead end on that one too.

with the grovelling done, on with the chapter...


Alice held a steady pace as she walked up the many steps towards the asylum, lumbering behind Jonathan as he walked ahead of her, tension high as the night drawled in. She had had to wait in that tiny back room for hours, listen as more trials took place, the hollers excruciatingly painful as they usually meant imminent death for the victim.

She didn't like this. She didn't like having to be thrown into the asylum as a punishment rather than choice, it didn't feel natural. Then again, relief filled her as she was back to somewhere familiar, somewhere that she could call home with a deranged family waiting. But then she remembered the corpses of her newly found friends, Scarlett, Dr Arkham, even the stuck Damien Prosser, they all made her heart deflate.

"Ladies first." Jonathan's voice echoed, pulling Alice out of her thoughts as he opened the door for her. The gentleman act wasn't needed in her eyes, after all, the history was there to not need such trivial actions. Nonetheless she walked in purposefully, thankful the corpses were gone, though the smell of blood still tainted the sense.

Everything was ransacked, files of paper left a downed on the floor, smashed cases or other decorative objects leaving lethal death traps on the polished floors. It truly wasn't the same asylum, and Alice silently hoped that the rogues were still the same, that the inmates were still the same psychotic killers.

"Such mess." Jonathan tsked, but it was simply to defuse the tension that suffocated the air, making it hit and stuffy.

"What do you want me to do first?" Alice croaked, finding she hadn't used her voice in a while, this the slightly inaudible tone. She didn't turn around to look at him, but she felt his eyes bore into her anyway.

"Check all the high security inmates are still locked safe, then you may go visit the rogues." He said evenly, giving her more free reign than he originally had planned to. She nodded her head limply, walking as quickly as she could without making it look like she was trying to get away from him. But she needed to be. The situation finally washing over her as she saw the tattered files.

Sure enough most of the inmates were still locked up tight, a few escapees leaving their cell doors wide open. Most of them were long gone, however one or two Alice met along the way to high security. But they didn't try and grab her, or touch her, they knew better to rage such a woman with such blazing eyes. They knew Alice McGuiness was still unstable at heart, once you were branded insane, you never truly got better. And that was being out to the test, Alice trying to keep a fair-head, ignoring all the winding thoughts inside her head, most of these around Jonathan or Alistair.

The only high security inmate that wasn't held accountable was Zsasz, his cell surprisingly clean, which in turn meant he had taken his mentally-ill mind somewhere else, possibly into the city. She would have to tell Jonathan later, for now she just needed the haven of the rogue's gallery, her shoes squeaking comfortingly on the floor, even with the odd file or other material nearly tripping her up as her eyes kept a keen eye straight ahead, not truly wanting to see the destruction around her.

When she reached the outskirts of the gallery, her spirits rose tremendously as she recognised quite a few voices.

"SHUT UP CLOWN!"

The Riddler. Check.

"Hehehe! who's pulled your ego? Alice perhaps? Has Touchy Eddie still got his little crush? Hahahaha!"

Joker. Check.

"Aww, that's kinda cute puzzle boy. But Alice belongs with Scarecrow, so don't ya go ruinin' it for 'em!"

Harley. check

Alice smiled, never so happy to hear the crazed-blonde's voice, not even the moment she stopped Hatter would cause the same relief.

"The Alice?"

Mad Hatter. Begrudgingly check.

"How many times...Alice is not the Alice Jervish, so do not make another situation like last time, or I'll set my babies on you."

Red. check.

That sounded like all of them, and Alice was glad to hear their voices. It reminded her of the first time she woke up in the new cell, all these exclaiming voices bombarding her at once, and the memory brought an even bigger grin to her face. Maybe it seemed cruel, insane even, how she thought if criminals as family when her boyfriend was trapped in the dark. But she couldn't do anything for him, she wouldn't be able to leave the asylum, those were Bane's terms.

She had to be a good little dog and stay put, but with her track record, she reckoned this wouldn't last long.

"Will you ever stop bickering?" Alice asked sarcastically as she walked into the gallery, momentarily forgetting they all had iron doors and flaps now. Nonetheless, there was the tiniest moment of silence, which then erupted into wave upon wave of loud, ecstatic voices.

"Alice yer back!"

"Thank Mother Nature they didn't kill you!"

"Looks like Alice might be saving the green damsel in distress after all! Hahahahaha!"

"Will you keep that grotesque mouth of yours shut!"

"Sweet Alice, you have returned through the looking glass!"

Alice let them exclaim for a few minutes longer, each voice bringing a tantalising happiness into her brain, even Hatter's, but then again any familiar voice would bring some relief. Strangely enough she walked past Joker's cell, Jonathan's old cell, and opened the flap of Touchy Eddie's. She wanted to see all of them, talk with all of them for hours on end. However, she knew that there was work to be done around the asylum, and it was her forced job to do it.

Even though how much she hated to say it, she needed an intelligent rogue to explain it to everyone else, of course Red would have been a better option, but with the conversation that had started before she announced herself, she thought she would give Touchy Eddie a break.

He had been pacing, that was clear as he stood up in the centre of his cell, long arms folded over his chest with a single finger tapping on his chin. He had flinched as the flap was opened, a little unsure of himself as Alice smiled awkwardly at him.

"I thought you would have spoken to Quinn first." He grumbled, but seemed grateful for Alice to choose him first, being grateful not one of his traits, and he sure wasn't going to let it show as he kept a rather blank facade.

"I would, but I don't have time." Alice said flatly, face sunken with exhaustion and melancholy. There something clearly on her mind, and if it were any other time he would have used a riddle for her to play on, but she spoke before he could even open his mouth.

"Jonathan's in charge of the asylum, my punishment is to work here, but I can't leave anymore. Something big is happening, a guy called Bane has taken over everything, the cops are trapped in one of the tunnels in the city. It's gonna be a long ride." She finished, not at all optimistic about The Batman saving Gotham, this was too big an obligation, and the grumpy bat had hung up his cap.

"I warned you, a storm was coming." Riddler sighed, for once not proud of being right. This was a change in the game, and none of the rogue's were a match for Bane, well, he was sure his miraculous mind would create a flawless plan to defeat the terrorist, but he wasn't going to waste his precious time on Gotham. But even Joker with his many assortments of laughing gas canisters and explosion were no match for Bane, Scarecrow proved that, but the stick-man had a habit of getting around people.

"I don't need your sass, not today. Just tell everyone else what's going on, I've got work to do." She ordered half heartily, even hough she was lying, Riddler's sass held at least some humour to the depressiveness in the air. It was quiet. That was why it didn't feel like the same asylum, is was too quiet, evenwith the rogue's gallery alive as usual, the other I mates weren't so boisterous.

"Will do, though I doubt even I can get the notion into the numbskulls." He said, that narcissism still galloping through his head. She cocked an eyebrow, daring him to say more. He remained silent, he knew that flame was still there and she needed it more than ever.

"Thanks, and Edward...don't think just because I'm stuck here I won't use Touchy Eddie against you all the time. That nickname will never go away." She said with a forced smirk, closing the flap before she could protest.

"Sorry but I got work to do, I'll come back later!" She shouted to the other rogue's, hearing many more protests. She didn't have time, Jonathan would be waiting, and the toll of being in charge of the asylum would likely give Scarecrow an easier job of taking control.

She was back. She was home again. It was a shame home wasn't the same anymore.


As I said, really short. But I promise as this is my last day at school before a I half term, I will be writing more on this, whether it kills me or not. Quite dramatic XD.

please review lovely people.

~ Gothgirlstrikesagain