The sky is dark, and clouds are looming overhead, ready to burst. Lightning flashes through the sky, and a large, Victorian structure perched on the edge of a cliff sits ominously, seeming to absorb the bolts of lightning. This is Arkham Asylum, home of Gotham's criminally insane. A blue van makes its way slowly towards the asylum gates, puffs of smoke rising into the air. A guard opens the gates, and the van continues on its way, towards the depths of madness itself...
A face appears, looking through the bars of a small window on one side of the structure. It is obscured by shadow, and a voice drifts through the bars.
"Alright, it's time for your meds. You know the drill."
The face disappears from the window, and in the poor lighting of the small, dank cell, a slight frown is visible.
"If only you knew Time as well as I do..."
The guard shakes his head, reaching for the cell door.
"Yeah, whatever. Don't give a hard time, or you know what'll happen."
The guard unlocks the door, and ushers a white-clad nurse in. The resident's frown deepens, and he takes a watch out of his shirt pocket, staring at it. The guard and the nurse enter, the nurse trembling noticably.
"Don't worry, miss. This one won't be giving any trouble", the guard intones, reaching for the inmate's arm.
Suddenly, the small, odd-looking man looks up at the guard, eyes wide open in a vacant stare. Now the guard can see the pocketwatch, which had been concealed in the shadows.
"Hey, what's that? You aren't supposed to-"
The guard stops suddenly, the razor sharp chain of the watch wrapped around his throat. He falls to the ground, throat impossibly mutilated. The nurse screams, and runs for the cell door. The inmate, having retrieved the watch, grabs her by the collar and smashes her soundly against the head with the large antique. She drops like a stone, unconscious. The inmate's frown disappears, and his eyes focus on the nurse.
"I told you blood wouldn't suit the works," he says passively.
Donning the guard's garb over his jail clothes, and putting on the hat, 3 sizes too big for him, he strides into the hall. He walks towards the gate at the end of the hall, amongst yells and screams from his fellow inmates. Taking the guard's key ring, he fumbles with it until he finds the key to the gate. Opening it, he climbs down a narrow, cold stairway, spiraling downwards until he reaches his destination. Walking towards the main doors, immediately undistinguishable in his prison guard outfit, he tips his hat to the receptionist.
"Cheerio madam," he calls out to her.
She looks up and nods to him, a smile on her face. The Mad Hatter walks out the front door, past the guards and on to freedom...
A small, dark apartment, virtually barren except for a large, blue easy chair and a small tv set on a broad oak desk in front of it. It is set on the news channel, and a pretty, brunette newswoman is talking.
"This just in. The Joker has escaped from Arkham Asylum. This madman is not to be approached under any circumstance. If you see him please attempt to contact the police. He is armed and extremely dangerous."
The newswoman is handed a paper. She looks it over. "It seems that Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter, has also escaped. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. If you see him, contact authorities immediate-" the television set fizzes and goes blank.
Hatter lunges forward in his large chair, slamming his fists onto the desk.
"Pah! Confound that miserable clown, he steals all my glory! So he's extremely dangerous, and I'm just dangerous?"
He grins evilly, snapping his head around and staring out a nearby window, into the sky.
"Well, we'll see about that. I'll sweep over Gotham, and kill the Bat!"
Pondering, he looks at the blank television set thoughtfully.
"How to win Gotham's love? I'll need some things..."