Arkham was always the coldest part of Jervis's life. Always cold was the separation from his beloved Wonderland…and his Alice. The room was far too small for his comfort, and dark…and cold…
But could not hold him. Notforever.
"Wonderland, wonderland, I love you, do not imagine for a moment that I am not going to see you again," Jervis told Wonderland. A smile was plastered thickly upon his face. He glanced towards his cell door, constructed of fine, reinforced glass, and looked across the way. Right into the cell of Harleen Quinzell. So passionately beautiful were the actions of prison guards who allowed a see through into these cages of animals. Her long blonde hair, her soft blue eyes, and the look of murder. She hated this reality as much as him, detested the idea of this false outlook. That was why she sought out the Jester, because he was as Wonderland's essence.
Jervis Tetch, my friend, you see a lot of potential within her, don't you? Well, let me tell you right now, touch her like that again and I'll stab your eyes out, and serve them to you along with a cup of your own sweet blood…and you'll enjoy it.
She was typing away at a mini-laptop upon her cell desk, specially encoded with security inhibitors for blocking network access. The only thing that the device was capable of was Word applications, for entertainment purposes in literature. He watched her longingly, craving her blonde hair in his nostrils. Positively clawed at the glass for her. The sound of squeaking emitted from the scratching on glass, so loud that it echoed out into the hall.
She looked up, glancing over at the source of the noise. When she saw Jervis standing there, staring mindlessly at her as he clawed, the bulge in his pants all too evident, a look of utter disgust crossed her face, and she pointed a finger at him, then at her throat. She softly brushed the finger across her throat, and smiled menacingly at him.
Jervis sighed, turning away from her and retreating to the back of his cell. Harleen smirked and turned back to her laptop, and he was sure that she was already plotting his death. After the last incident, when Warden Sharp had allowed for an "Arkham swimming day", the Clown Princess of Crime had been all but apprehensive towards the Hatter in the matter of a death wish.
He'll die, Harley. He'll burn and be stabbed and strangled. The Jester had said those words right in front of him. The nerve! He lay upon his bed and fantasized about the Jester meeting his own end, at his own hand. And then, he could make Harleen meet her destiny, because she was Alice. She had to be Alice, could not be any other way. He had succeeded in getting part of her into that wonderful world, but there were still so many, and Harleen was especially a vivacious incarnation of his beloved Kingsley.
"Soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon," he breathed to himself, pounding his fist downward again and again within the air. It was a knife, and the air was the Jester. And what of Vale? Oh, that wondrous Vale. The way she spoke and presented herself on GCN. How she announced to the world about the parts of Alice that he had freed and sent back to Wonderland. She was his announcer, his queen of a messenger, but her time simply had to come soon too. She was Alice as well, and he had to save her. Had to release her from the evils of this world.
Why is a raven like a writing desk?
He had never had a clear answer.
Can you stand on your head?
Perhaps. There were so many questions but did the meaning go anywhere? Who is a Hatter, what is the Hatter? What's the hatter with you? Ha! All of these things, he contemplated, archiving the questions and potential answers for later. The seriousness of the ramblings and their answers must be accorded. Vale and Harleen were priorities, and so were the rest of the incarnations. They just had to show themselves.
So on that night, the Hatter lay,
Dreaming of a world where he could lie with his Alice,
Caressing her heart in one hand, and her brain in the other,
For he idolized both.
It was not an uncommon thing to imagine the possibilities of his time with Alice. Love her forever, Tetch, because you're her savior. Rescue her from this dream. HATE BATMAN! HATE THE EGGMAN! AND THE RED KNIGHT! AND THE JESTER!
"WHY?" Jervis screamed, banging his fists up and down upon the bed. "I don't understand! How is that every time I try to save her, he comes and takes her and steals her and robs her, nabs her and AAGH! I CAN'T STAND IT! NOT ANYMORE! AND I WON'T TAKE IT!" He leapt upon the floor and began to throw the blankets across the room, hitting the wall with a loud thump. Harleen and three more inmates across the way jumped, staring over into the Hatter's cell to see what ailed him, and watched with wide eyes as he wrecked the framework of his bed, tipping it over in his rage. "WHY IS A RAVEN LIKE A WRITING DESK!? AGGH! WHAT DOES IT MATTER!? WHY THE 'ELL DO I EVEN NEED TO KNOW!?"
An alarm went off at once, a flash of blue out in the hall. It rang loudly, emitting a series of quick whoops loud enough to equal a police siren. There came the passionate scurrying of several armed guards at once, crashing through a nearby door, Sharp's personal emergency dispatch if any alarm went off during the night. They were all strapped in thick black body armor, their faces covered with combat helmets. The Hatter ran at the glass, banging a shoulder against it in an attempt to shatter the thing, but the guards were all aiming their rifles. He saw the guard in the most forward front raise a hand, and then slice downward.
Two guards rushed forward, the other four keeping their aim, and Jervis reeled back as the two guards forced keycards into either lock upon the door. The glass shot horizontally the moment both cards were inserted, and Jervis panicked. He held up his hands.
"Don't bother me now!"
"Fire!" the guard in front commanded.
A quick blast of noise, and sparks flew as a black cloud exploded from the rifles' ends. Jervis felt a sudden shock go through his system, and his world went black all around him. Noiseless. Blackness. Sightless and smelless was this world that he fell into. Physically, his body collapsed. Mentally, all faded into a wondrous dream…
Alice was waving at him from a hilltop, her frilly blue and white dress blowing slightly in the cool wind around them. Standing on either side of her were two beings: the Eggman and the Red Knight. They were both standing perfectly still, watching him…waiting for him…
He was shaking in the bed that they had strapped him down into…
"Come on, Hatter! Come and join us! We're waiting for you!" Alice cried. Jervis laughed merrily, a child's laugh, no less. He bobbled up the sandy way and joined the trio at the top of the hill. But when he approached, the Red Knight and the Eggman both moved in front of Alice, as if they were a protective guard…
He could hear them, whispering to each other.
"Dr. Cassidy, please! You've worked with Victor Zsaaz, of all people! This man is suffering the same transitional delusion!"
"I don't…I don't feel comfortable…it really should be Dr. Whistler, she was the one who-"
"Sarah… can I call you Sarah? Whistler recommended you to this case…"
"I- maybe. I don't know. The patient's clearly not going to be much good to my study in this matter. After Victor, I just don't know if-"
"Sarah, please! This is a severely disturbed man... he needs a gentle touch, and you were able to handle Vic- well, I mean, you tried, and you managed too- ah…"
"You stay away from her," the Eggman told him threateningly.
The Hatter felt fire rise up inside of him. "She's MINE! My Alice! Alice, come to me…come to me…"
Alice's smile…it was so sad… "No, Hatter. He's right. I don't think I want you touching me."
"BUT YOU CALLED ME! DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL HEATHEN!? YOU FOCKING LITTLE SLUT! YOU CALLED ME! YOU FOCKING CALLED ME!"
"You have no place in Wonderland," the Red Knight taunted at him. The Hatter turned on him.
"This is my world, you wretched little bah-stard! My reign, my focking dynasty! You won't deny me my Alice!"
"Your Alice never existed," the Eggman lied to him.
"That's right, I never have, Hatter. And I never will." Even she was lying. She was feeding the Eggman his dose of confidence. He simply must strangle them. Cut them and beat them and crunch on their bones…
"Why don't you get your focking little head out of that book, you little piece of shat!?"
The Hatter spun around on the spot. She was standing there, grinning with her yellow teeth at him, a cigar in one hand, and around her other arm a dirty looking man in a stained t-shirt. Her frizzled graying hair and smoker's wrinkles were disgusting.
"What did you say to me, you creature!?" he demanded of the ghost that had pretended to be his mother for years.
"You hear what I say? Get your head out of those books. What the hell is this? "Alice in Wonderland"? Sounds like pornography to me…"
And then, a smaller voice. A voice without a body, within the air itself.
"But it's not! It's NOT! It's an adventure book!"
"Alice in Wonderland? What the fock is that, you little filth!?" the ghost mother screamed. Alice, the Red Knight, and the Eggman were snickering behind him. The Hatter was shaking with an explosive fury that may perhaps literally undo his physical form.
"It's about-"
"SHUT UP!" The woman swiped at the air, and the Hatter heard the small boy scream, crying in pain.
"M-momma!"
"I SAID SHUT IT YOU FOCKING LITTLE PIECE OF CRAP!"
Tears fell down Jervis's face. "Stop it…please stop it…" he whispered.
"He appears to be dreaming. And it looks like it's bothering him. I won't recommend a wake up, however, as the shock of being pulled from the nightmare might hurt him worse than the actual dream state. I'll let him sit him out and then attempt a revive."
"Good girl, Dr. Cassidy. Listen to me, you can do this. Just keep him restrained and make sure the bed is kept far from any objects that could be put to-"
"I know how to handle this situation, Doctor."
"Of…of course."
"You…you don't understand me…" Jervis told the ghost mother. "I'll…I'll never let you hurt me again….never…"
"Don't you talk back to me! You hear me, you little piece of crap!?"
"No…"
"WHAT THE FOCK DID YOU SAY TO ME, JERVIS!?"
"He said no," Alice helped.
The ghost mother was advancing upon Jervis. But the Hatter stood his ground.
"I will NEVER let you hurt me again!"
And he bolted at her.
"No…no, no, no….never again…not ever again, you horrid creature…" Jervis muttered in his sleep. Sarah Cassidy gulped. What could he be dreaming about? "I won't…ever let…you hurt me again….Alice….Alice, run! RUN! GO, RUN NOW! GO! GO!"
Sarah sighed, picking up the syringe filled with Remedial 47.
"Oh, Jervis Tetch…" She closed her eyes, feeling his pain. "Is there any of you left inside of this shell?"
Her own tears fell down and plopped upon his cheek.