::Iceberg Lounge::


It wasn't much of a party. Both the host and guest of honor were knocked out cold. The party was just getting started, however, and was to be full of uninvited guests. The first two had already made their entrance. The blonde waitress was holding a mallet. The love of her life had just walked in.

"Another stunning entrance of yours truly, the one, the only, the Joker! And the crowd.......goes.........wild? Geez, there's nobody here! What a waste! Oh well, I have the person I want to talk to here anyway. Harley! Tie them both up."

"Right away, Mr. J!"

Once Harley had finished tying up Hatter and Penguin, she smiled to her beau and waited for her next order.

"All done!"

"Thanks, Harl. Now, why don't you be on the lookout for you-know-who?"

"Sure puddin'!"

She turned around and went into the kitchen.

"Now for the fun part."



::Gotham Arbors::


Batman was standing on a rooftop across from Gotham Arbors, the place where the Mad Hatter was living. He took out a pair of binoculars to see if Tetch was home. After finding out that no one was there, he decided to go in and check for any possible leads on Two-Face.

He entered Hatter's apartment and began to look around. It didn't take him long to find the invitation from the Penguin. Batman quickly called the Batcave.

"Yeah?"

"Robin, I need you to meet me at the Iceberg Lounge. Have Alfred take you and drop you off a few blocks away."

"ALRIIIIIIIGHT!!! I mean, sure thing Batman. Robin out."

Batman found himself smirking at Tim's enthusiasm. He quickly shifted his smile back to a frown and headed for the Iceberg Lounge.


::The Batcave::


"YES!!!!!!! Finally! A chance for some action tonight!"

Tim ran upstairs to find Alfred. He checked the den, the dining room, the living room, the kitchen, practically everywhere. He was about to give up when he met Alfred in the hall.

"Alfred! Batman wants you to take me to the Iceberg Lounge! We have to go now!"

"Master Tim, I'm going to bed!"

"Aw, come on! I have to go! He wants me there!"

"Alright, alright. Just let me get dressed, and then we'll go."

"There's no time for that! We have to go now!"

"Master Tim! I will NOT go outside and drive you around in my pajamas!"

Minutes later, Alfred and Tim were on their way. Tim was changing into his Robin costume in the backseat of the Bentley. Alfred, still in his pajamas, was driving towards the Iceberg Lounge.


::Iceberg Lounge::


"I.....Can't.....BELIEVE THIS!!!! I go through all of this trouble, and no chip!"

The Joker slaps Hatter's face a couple of times. Hatter slowly wakes up. His head is pounding, and his vision is a little blurred, but he could see who was standing before him.

"Wakey wakey, Hatter!"

"Uuuunnnnnnnnhhhhh........What's going on?"

"You guys really know how to throw a party around here, don'tcha? Obviously, someone needed to lighten it up."

"Joker......? What are you doing here?"

"Why I came to see you, of course!"

"What do you want, Joker?"

"Well......."

"Ah. The time has come, said the walrus, to talk of many things."

"There is one thing in particular I'd like to talk about. You helped me out once before with your technology. I thought you'd be willing to let me borrow it again."

"Helped you out??? You stole it from me! Even worse, you put a chip on me!"

"I was hoping that you were the kind of person who wouldn't hold a grudge. Anyways, I find out that you're having a party. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to, um, take those chips again. But, I find out that you don't have any! So, I guess we have to do things the hard way."

"This was the easy way?"

"Don't interrupt! As I was saying, I need those microchips. I'll do anything to get them too. Even kill you. But we don't want it to come to that, do we?"

"No."

"Of course not!" said the Joker, smiling.


:: meanwhile, outside::


Batman was waiting for Robin on the rooftop of the Iceberg Lounge. He heard a car stop a few blocks from where he was. Minutes later, Robin was right by his side.

"Robin, I need you to know what you're up against. Two-Face has escaped. I think that the Mad Hatter knows where he is. The Penguin is in there with him and is throwing a party for him. No telling how many criminals are in there."

"Right."

"All I want you to do is be on the lookout and provide back-up if I need it. Got it?"

"Yeah, let's go."

As Batman and Robin went inside, a shadowy figure came onto the rooftop. The figure was carrying a mallet. Hatter's party was about to get REALLY interesting.