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Description
Detective Comics
Issue 5: "Old Foes, Part Three: Showdown"
Written by Nichloas Moreau
Cover by Roy Flinchum

(c) DC Comics

It’s about one-thirty A.M. I watch the streets as I stand on the side of a skyscraper facing Waynetech. The Mad Hatter is here. I know it. I can feel it.

The Mad Hatter has been a thorn in my side since the lunatic got a job at Waynetech. After attempting to investigate his reasons, I decided to confront him. He was ready for me. He created a machine that allows him to beam mind-controlling signals, like those found inside his hats, within an entire city radius. I discovered that the Mad Hatter used a prototype of his machine to hypnotize Max Schneider, Vice President of Waynetech, and forced Schneider to find a job for him at Waynetech. The Hatter used Waynetech’s money, my money, to fund his project. Schneider then restrained me as the Mad Hatter turned his prototype mind-controlling device on me.

After I lost consciousness, I awoke to find myself in a very strange place. My parents were there. They told me that the Mad Hatter had Schneider murder me in cold blood, and that I was now in the Realm of the Afterlife. They were upset that I had wasted my life trying to wage a one-man war against all the crime in Gotham. They were disappointed that I never settled down with a family, that I failed to carry on the family name.

Then, they suddenly disappeared, and I woke up in a run-down Gotham City alley, miles away from the Waynetech building. After I took stock of my injuries, I decided I had to get back to the cave. I hadn’t traveled very far before I was intercepted by the police, who had an arrest warrant on me for the attempted murder of Mayor Hill. After a long and grueling chase, I was finally able to make it back home, where Alfred awaited me.

And now, it comes down to this: I have to stop the Mad Hatter before he brainwashes an entire city, and I have to do it alone. I’m still aching from my encounter with the police. “No one man can stop all crime, how foolish could you be?” I hear my father say.

I try to stay in the shadow of the building even more than usual. I hold my cape to keep it from blowing and revealing my position. I look down towards the streets. A police car drives by.

As I was sneaking through the air shaft on my last visit to Waynetech, I noticed a vertical path that seemed to lead directly to the roof of the building. I decide to use this for my entrance this time, as the police are out in full force looking for me and this way seems to be the most discreet. I will need about twenty seconds unobserved to make it onto the roof of Waynetech using my grapple.

The rain comes down slightly harder than before. I pull out my binoculars. I look as far in the distance as I can for any police patrol. I notice the guard positioned at the back door of Waynetech. I look around the corner of the building, and check the skies for police helicopters.

When I feel satisfied, I take a deep breath and fire my grapple onto the building behind Waynetech. I swoop towards the roof of Waynetech, almost instinctively pushing my weight in the direction of the building as I attempt to glide faster. When I land, I quickly pull out my lock pick and secure its screwdriver attachment. I locate the air vent, and hastily remove the hinges and screws on the grate. I quietly remove the grating and climb into the shaft. I use my legs to brace myself against the sides of the vent, as I attempt to replace the grate. I only attach it at one point, to keep the wind from blowing it off again. I then slowly make my way down the vertical shaft, bracing my back against one side and descending heel under heel on the other. My legs begin to shake and my back begins to hurt, due partly to my earlier injuries and partly to my current activity. I attempt to block out the pain, and continue downward slowly and carefully. When I get about 85 per cent of the way down, my agony becomes too intense. My legs give, and I land on a horizontal portion of the shaft with a thud that must’ve woken up half of Gotham City. I surrender to the pain for a moment, but realize that I have no choice but to continue on. I crawl through the vent until I reach the drop down to the first floor. As I go to drop down, memory takes over and I recall what happened the last time I came through here. I blindly send a batarang out in the direction of the security camera, and hear it shatter the lens. I drop down and land on my feet.

I walk into the elevator and hit the sixth floor button. The elevator door slowly shuts. I really wish there were some other way to get into the Mad Hatter’s laboratory. It has no windows, only the one door. He must’ve picked that lab on purpose, knowing that it would be near impossible for anyone to see what he was doing in it. He knows I’m coming, so how can I get the drop on him?

The lights in the elevator suddenly begin to flicker. The car comes to a screeching stop, and I grab onto the rails to prevent myself from falling. A power outage when it’s not even thundering? Yeah, and the Mad Hatter’s out to save all of Gotham. I look around trying to plan my next move.

“Greetings, Batman,” the unmistakable voice of the Mad Hatter issues forth from a speaker in the elevator. “I trust you had a restful sleep. I’ve been waiting to see you again.”

“The only thing you’ll be seeing for the next few years are the stone walls of Arkham Asylum,” I fire back.

“Oh? You’re still cranky even after that snooze?” the Mad Hatter remarks. “Oh well. I’m just going to have to send you back to bed again! Good night, Batman!” He chortles evilly.

I look around, wondering what I should do next. Suddenly, I hear the sound of decompressing air coming from the ceiling. A green gas filters in through the vent. I fumble for the respirator in my utility belt, but it is too late. Too much gas flooded into my nostrils. I feel myself slowly pass out.

to read more go to [link]

Description
Detective Comics
Issue 5: "Old Foes, Part Three: Showdown"
Written by Nichloas Moreau
Cover by Roy Flinchum

(c) DC Comics

It’s about one-thirty A.M. I watch the streets as I stand on the side of a skyscraper facing Waynetech. The Mad Hatter is here. I know it. I can feel it.

The Mad Hatter has been a thorn in my side since the lunatic got a job at Waynetech. After attempting to investigate his reasons, I decided to confront him. He was ready for me. He created a machine that allows him to beam mind-controlling signals, like those found inside his hats, within an entire city radius. I discovered that the Mad Hatter used a prototype of his machine to hypnotize Max Schneider, Vice President of Waynetech, and forced Schneider to find a job for him at Waynetech. The Hatter used Waynetech’s money, my money, to fund his project. Schneider then restrained me as the Mad Hatter turned his prototype mind-controlling device on me.

After I lost consciousness, I awoke to find myself in a very strange place. My parents were there. They told me that the Mad Hatter had Schneider murder me in cold blood, and that I was now in the Realm of the Afterlife. They were upset that I had wasted my life trying to wage a one-man war against all the crime in Gotham. They were disappointed that I never settled down with a family, that I failed to carry on the family name.

Then, they suddenly disappeared, and I woke up in a run-down Gotham City alley, miles away from the Waynetech building. After I took stock of my injuries, I decided I had to get back to the cave. I hadn’t traveled very far before I was intercepted by the police, who had an arrest warrant on me for the attempted murder of Mayor Hill. After a long and grueling chase, I was finally able to make it back home, where Alfred awaited me.

And now, it comes down to this: I have to stop the Mad Hatter before he brainwashes an entire city, and I have to do it alone. I’m still aching from my encounter with the police. “No one man can stop all crime, how foolish could you be?” I hear my father say.

I try to stay in the shadow of the building even more than usual. I hold my cape to keep it from blowing and revealing my position. I look down towards the streets. A police car drives by.

As I was sneaking through the air shaft on my last visit to Waynetech, I noticed a vertical path that seemed to lead directly to the roof of the building. I decide to use this for my entrance this time, as the police are out in full force looking for me and this way seems to be the most discreet. I will need about twenty seconds unobserved to make it onto the roof of Waynetech using my grapple.

The rain comes down slightly harder than before. I pull out my binoculars. I look as far in the distance as I can for any police patrol. I notice the guard positioned at the back door of Waynetech. I look around the corner of the building, and check the skies for police helicopters.

When I feel satisfied, I take a deep breath and fire my grapple onto the building behind Waynetech. I swoop towards the roof of Waynetech, almost instinctively pushing my weight in the direction of the building as I attempt to glide faster. When I land, I quickly pull out my lock pick and secure its screwdriver attachment. I locate the air vent, and hastily remove the hinges and screws on the grate. I quietly remove the grating and climb into the shaft. I use my legs to brace myself against the sides of the vent, as I attempt to replace the grate. I only attach it at one point, to keep the wind from blowing it off again. I then slowly make my way down the vertical shaft, bracing my back against one side and descending heel under heel on the other. My legs begin to shake and my back begins to hurt, due partly to my earlier injuries and partly to my current activity. I attempt to block out the pain, and continue downward slowly and carefully. When I get about 85 per cent of the way down, my agony becomes too intense. My legs give, and I land on a horizontal portion of the shaft with a thud that must’ve woken up half of Gotham City. I surrender to the pain for a moment, but realize that I have no choice but to continue on. I crawl through the vent until I reach the drop down to the first floor. As I go to drop down, memory takes over and I recall what happened the last time I came through here. I blindly send a batarang out in the direction of the security camera, and hear it shatter the lens. I drop down and land on my feet.

I walk into the elevator and hit the sixth floor button. The elevator door slowly shuts. I really wish there were some other way to get into the Mad Hatter’s laboratory. It has no windows, only the one door. He must’ve picked that lab on purpose, knowing that it would be near impossible for anyone to see what he was doing in it. He knows I’m coming, so how can I get the drop on him?

The lights in the elevator suddenly begin to flicker. The car comes to a screeching stop, and I grab onto the rails to prevent myself from falling. A power outage when it’s not even thundering? Yeah, and the Mad Hatter’s out to save all of Gotham. I look around trying to plan my next move.

“Greetings, Batman,” the unmistakable voice of the Mad Hatter issues forth from a speaker in the elevator. “I trust you had a restful sleep. I’ve been waiting to see you again.”

“The only thing you’ll be seeing for the next few years are the stone walls of Arkham Asylum,” I fire back.

“Oh? You’re still cranky even after that snooze?” the Mad Hatter remarks. “Oh well. I’m just going to have to send you back to bed again! Good night, Batman!” He chortles evilly.

I look around, wondering what I should do next. Suddenly, I hear the sound of decompressing air coming from the ceiling. A green gas filters in through the vent. I fumble for the respirator in my utility belt, but it is too late. Too much gas flooded into my nostrils. I feel myself slowly pass out.

to read more go to [link]