In a World Where Only Madness Matters

Screeching metal hinges abruptly entered the silent air inside Jax’s and Rebecca’s cell. Followed with the sound of deep laughter, and staggered footsteps. Startled, Rebecca was quickly awoken, and looked to the door to find the explanation for such a rude awakening.

Sure enough, the blurred form of Rick and Howard’s outline came into sight, and instantly Rebecca felt the fear awake within her. She turned on the lone mattress, and reached out for Jax. Only to find him still peacefully asleep beside her, unmoved by the loud noises that had woken her up.

Rebecca had gone to grab for him, to shake him, and wake him up. But by the time she had turned back to the door, Howard and Rick were directly above her, eagerly starring down at her. As they leaned forward to grab her, she quickly went to back away, but before she knew it, both her guards had her by her wrist, and were dragging her out of the cell in a matter of seconds.

She screamed and yelled for Jax. To wake up. To help her, but nothing came out of her mouth. The louder she tried, the quieter her voice seemed to become. And the harder she screamed, the more her cries were silenced. As for the surrounding noise, all of that only got louder, and morphed into a deafening echo. A horrendous horn of pushed together noise. Abusing her eardrums, and causing them to pop, in the most painful of ways.

Her guard’s laughter, the screeching of the cells doors closing shut behind them. The screams and cries from all the other patients. It was all so loud and monstrous. It was all too much. Rebecca felt sick. She screamed more, and tried her hardest to get away from Rick and Howard.

She ripped her arms backwards and out of their grasp, and for the second, she thought she was free. But within the next instant, Rick’s backhand swept across the left side of her face. So hard, and with so much force, she flew into the near by wall. Smacking her head against concrete, and sliding to the ground in pain.

She could feel her eyes roll to the back of her head. [How was she still conscious?] She could see as the lights in the halls flickered and swayed, on and off, on the other side of her shut eyelids. She assumed it was only from being hit so hard, and not the actual hallway lights.

Rebecca groaned in pain, clutching her now blood moistened head, listening as the roars of laughter collided harder with her ear drums. [It hurt so bad.] Her face stung and grew numb from where Rick had hit her.

As she opened her eyes, her gaze, fell in and out of concentration. Rick and Howard were no where in sight, and the lights really were going on and off, like a strobe. Making her nausea worse. She pulled her eyes shut tight, getting dizzy, from all the noise, and all the moving light. She couldn’t handle it anymore.

Rebecca screamed, and this time it came out. This time it could be heard. As clear as day, she shrieked an ear shattering shriek, hoping that someone would hear her, and come help. But no matter how loud she screamed, no one came.

Hands latched around her wrist, and all at once, she was swiftly pulled up off the ground. And all too suddenly, she was met with the icy blue eyes of Dr. Crane.

“No.” Rebecca whimpered, trying to push him away.

“Oh yes.” He hissed back, pulling her closer to him.

Rebecca screamed again trying to get away. But before she knew it, her entire surroundings were changed and she was in the room. [Not this room.] Crane’s experiment room.

Whatever strength Rebecca had [which wasn’t much] was completely gone as he began strapping her to his experiment table.

“No!” Rebecca screamed. Tears beginning to fall down her face.

“Yes.” Crane said tightening the straps around her arms, so that she could not move or get up.

“Let me go. I want out.” Rebecca cried.

“No, Rebecca, you don’t want out. You want this…” Crane replied, as he slithered back up to face her. “You want me.” Crane whispered into her ear.

Rebecca shivered in fear when the warm air from his breath met her ear. She shook in terror, and tried to get out. But there was no way out.

Crane eagerly pushed his tongue out of his mouth and slid it onto the soft skin on the side of Rebecca’s cheek. Sliding it up her chaw-line and getting a satisfying taste of his victim. Resulting in a deafening scream from her in the process.

“Rebecca!” Crane yelled down at her, grabbing her by the shoulders to get her to stop thrashing. “Rebecca!” He yelled again. His voice cracked, [it changed tones] surprising her. Then screamed at her again.

“REBECCA!”

Her eyes snapped open, and she was quickly rushed with the blinding sunlight of morning. She looked around. She was back in her apartment, still laying on the couch in the living room. Matt holding her by the shoulders, a look of confusion, and worry in his eyes.

“What time is it?” Rebecca said, near out of breath.

“Its 9 in the morning. What the hell were you dreaming about? You scared the shit outta me!” Matt said letting her go, sitting next to her on the couch. “You kept screaming no, and Crane...”

Rebecca shook her head, confused. She sat up, wrapping her arms around her herself, realizing she was drenched in a cold sweat, and Jax was no where in sight.

“Rebecca?” Matt said trying to get her to answer him.

“I don’t know.” Rebecca said looking down, away from his stare.

“What did he do, Rebecca. I know he experimented on you back in Arkham. I was there. But you never told me what he did.”

“Nothing.” Rebecca replied getting off the couch and walking into the kitchen. Matt jumped after her, and followed her into the kitchen.

“What do you mean, nothing? You don’t scream fucking bloody murder for just nothing!”

Rebecca ignored him, grabbing a glass off the counter and filling it with cold tap water.

“Rebecca.” Matt said again. He watched as she continued to ignore him and guzzled down the water in the glass. “Rebecca!” he yelled grabbing the glass from her.

“What!” she yelled back. She wasn’t going to answer his questions, and she wasn’t going to tell him what had happened. She was never going to tell anyone. She had blocked it out as best as she could, and that’s all she could keep trying to do.

“Are you alright?” he asked his voice still raised.

“Yes Matt. I’m fine. It was just a nightmare, okay?”

Matt wasn’t sure what to think. When he had woken up to that screaming, he had thought someone was being murdered. It probably would’ve scared the hell out of Alice too, had she of been here. But she was out doing other things. [Preparing.] For all the things her and Matt had discussed last night.

“I’m sorry. You just scared me. I was worried about you, Rebecca.” Matt said putting the glass back down.

“Sorry.” She paused calming down. ”Look, next time I’ll try to have quieter nightmares. Okay?” Rebecca smiled rolling her eyes, getting a soft chuckle from Matt.

Matt closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his tall figure and hugged him back.

“Okay.” Matt said leaning back to face her. “So you’re going to be alright?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, “I’ll be fine.”

“Good. Cause I have a lot to do today.” Matt said anxious for what the rest of the day held. “Gotta meet up with Alice in a few hours.”

“Oh really? What are you guys doing?”

“Just uh, catching up on some stuff. Ya know.” Matt said trying to avoid eye contact as he walked around the counter.

Rebecca looked at him curiously as he sat in one of the counter stools. [Suspicious.] Though before she could question him further, a very important realization hit her.

“Hey, Where’s Jax?”

It was a little past five in the morning when Matt and Alice had woken up. They had stayed up till midnight talking and discussing everything they were planning. So the fact that they were able to wake up that early without an alarm clock, was practically a miracle. Especially for everything that needed to get done today. And with the amount of things that had to be ready for tonight, they’d need all the time the day had to offer.

“I’m going to go out early. Find a good location, then start looking for a few of our old clients.”

“Want me to go with you?” Matt asked rubbing his sleepy face as he watched Alice’s silhouette get dressed in the dark room.

“No, you stay awhile. If we leave at the same time they might start to think things. Sleep in Mattykinns. I know your still tired.” Alice replied pulling a purple and pink sundress over her body.

“Are you sure? I mean aren’t you tired too?”

Alice quietly laughed to herself shaking her head. Blindly reaching in the dark for her matching flip-flops, she answered him.

“I’ve been asleep for the past year. I think I’ll be fine silly.”

Quickly, Alice approached the side of the bed Matt was laying on and bent down. Giving him a small peck to the lips before ruffling his messy bed hair, and saying she’d meet him at Gotham Central Park at 10 o’clock.

“Bye Mattykinns.” Alice cheerily said blowing a kiss to him as she went for the door.

“Bye baby.” Matt replied as he watched her silently leave the room and close the door behind her.

Reaching for the nightstand next to his side of the bed, he grabbed the small digital clock sitting on top of it and looked into its glowing red lights. He still had an hour before sunrise and figured he’d try and get some more sleep before having to start his day. Alice would take care of things till he came. He was plenty competent in her. But as for the other people she may be seeing, he wasn’t so sure how they’d react to the Mad Hatter being back.

Yawning heavily as he dropped the clock back onto the nightstand he turned, and rolled over to his other side. Admiring the sugary aroma from where Alice had been laying. He loved how delicious she always smelled. [And tasted.] He already missed her.

Only a little bit past twenty minutes into his early morning nap was Matt re-awoken. And to the most mysterious sounds of…

“What the hell is that?” Matt murmured to himself before tossing the covers off himself and slipping from the bed.

Exhausted and irritated, he stumbled his way to the door. Twisting his fists at the puffy little bags that lie under his tired blue eyes. It sounded like, dull banging. Or maybe scratching. Regardless of what it was, it was annoying and needed to stop.

As he entered into the hallway the noise became clearer, and he could tell it was coming from the right. Closing the door behind him as quietly as he could, a sudden charcoal darkness connected with his form. A sharp contrast from the dull rising dawn that still lingered in the bedroom windows behind him. Gently seeping its way into the hall under the crack beneath the door.

His room being at the farthest end of the apartment, it was easier to hear where the noise was coming from. Matt inched his way to the first door on his right and hesitantly opened it. Only opening the door a crack at first, to let his hand slide inward and find the light-switch against the wall. [Nothing was going to catch him off guard.] As he hit the switch the room was brightened, and Matt slowly stuck his head inside.

He scanned the small room. Finding nothing else in there but what had been there when they had first arrived. It was empty. Nothing was out of place, and the noise could still be heard. Only this time much more distinct, and it was coming from the next room down the hall. He turned off the switch and shut the door. Quietly walking to the next door on the right.

As he approached the door it was much more obvious where the sounds were coming from. [Behind it.] He had thought about pressing his ear to the door, and listening for something else, but realized there was no other noise‘s, but the dull banging [and scratching] that repeated over and over again.

Twisting the knob in his hand, he gently pushed the door open, but did not reach for the light. Instead he was too stunned by what he heard. And partially of what he saw. [Or could see with no light.] The scene before him would’ve made even the toughest shiver.

It was the sound of Jax humming that first became noticed by Matt. It was a soft tune, with a sick melody. [A circus song perhaps.] But it was very faint, just above a whisper, and would be accompanied by random mumbles of unrecognized words. Then quickly shift back into its chilling rhythm.

As Matt walked further into the room he found Jax’s body. Curled up in the left corner of the room. Only in his boxer’s. His head violently slamming off the wall every couple of seconds between the words of his song. His nails clawing into his own shins and arms, making blood lines run down parts of his legs and arms.

“J-Jax?” Matt whispered, too shocked to try and say it any louder. But Jax didn’t move the slightest inch, or react to the sound of his name at all. Only sat in his same position. Clawing at himself and continuously hitting his head to the wall.

“Jax?” Matt called to him a little louder, approaching him slowly.

Matt was scared out of his mind. He had no clue what to do. He had never seen Jax like this before. What hell was going on!? Matt had only seen things like this out of horror movies. But it was much more frightening in person.

He thought back briefly, to Rebecca explaining to him how Jax had acted sometimes during their stay back in Arkham. How he’d hit his head against the wall and scream for hours telling people to stay away from him.

But Jax was not screaming. He looked peaceful, minus the scratching and head banging. Though his face was covered in dry tears and small amounts of blood. He appeared as if he was stuck in a trans. Or hypnotized perhaps. Matt knew about hypnotism. He had used it on tons of his test subjects before. But this was not like any other hypnotized trans he’d ever seen before. Jax’s eye’s were not lost, but set dead straight ahead, unmoving and unblinking. As if he were really looking at something.

Turning, Matt looked in the direction Jax was starring, but found only another blank wall on the other side of the room.

“Jax?” Matt tired again, this time bending down to his side. He again did not move, or see the slightest of reaction from him. Matt knew that when humans sensed another human present or near, their body would set signals off to alert the brain and the person. For example, raised hairs, a slight twitch, a peripheral side glance. Anything. But nothing could be found in the lost figure of Jax’s body. He was in another place, in another time, not seeing or hearing a thing that actually sat in front of him.

Schizophrenia. Matt thought to himself. Matt did not know Jax’s medical history back in Arkham. But it was very to clear to him now, what exactly was wrong with Jax, as he played the definition over and over again in his head.

The sever mental illness in which a patient has disintegration of the thinking process, of contact with reality, and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifest as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech or thinking.

Jax couldn’t have fit it more perfectly. Though Matt had no clue if Jax would lash out violently or not, [every schizophrenic was different] he needed to get him to stop hurting himself.

“Jax.” Matt grabbed Jax by the shoulder’s and pulled him back and forth a little. Trying to shake him out of it.

Jax simultaneously came to life and just at the same moment his body sprung from its stiff position, his head snapped upward to stare Matt deeply in the eyes.

Had Matt of blinked, he would’ve missed it all. The quick flash inside Jax’s hard eyes, turning from cold rage, then instantly back to warmth. Lighting up with humanity once again. Matt fought hard to hold back his tremble. [He had never seen anything like it.] And regained his composer, realizing he had been tugging on Jax’s arms, and stopped. Only to stare down at him in awe.

Jax looked back up at him, just as confused and disoriented.

“Wh-what uh, what happened?” Jax asked looking around. Letting his tongue roll across his lower lip. “How’d we get in here? What’s going on?”

Jax was genuinely confused. Which only puzzled Matt further. Could Jax really have gone all the way into this room, sit here, [for God only knows how long] and hurt himself without even realizing it?

“I-I don’t know…” Matt said just a tad bit louder then a whisper. His voice was raspy and wrapped in disbelief. So much it was hard to speak. “I was trying to sleep. And I found you like this.”

Jax’s eyes flickered back in forth in thought. Going from side to side, then back up to Matt, before quickly picking himself up off the floor. Trying to wipe the blood off his arms as best as he could.

“Rebecca. She didn’t see me… did she?” Jax asked looking behind Matt to the door that still stood halfway open. “Did she!?” Jax demanded raising his voice.

“N-No. She’s still asleep on the couch.” Matt replied, still not able to completely comprehend everything that had just happened.

Pushing past Matt, Jax rushed out of the room. Crossing the hallway and entering back into Rebecca’s room. Matt followed behind, still not having a clue what was going on inside the young boys head.

“Well are you okay?” Matt asked trying to keep up with Jax as he entered Rebecca‘s room after him. It then dawned on Matt, as he stopped in mid-step, he had never been in here before. It was nice. Yet, very pink.

“I’m fine.” Jax replied from inside the bathroom. Water could be heard pouring from the sink as Jax searched for some towels, ready to wash off his self inflicted wounds. “How long was I in there?” Jax called to Matt.

“Um, it couldn’t of been long.” Matt thought to himself. “Maybe about, 15 - 20 minutes or so.” He answered still taking his time to look around at everything inside Rebecca’s room.

The sink water shut off, and Jax appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, holding several towels on his arms.

“Please don’t tell her about this.” He pleaded to Matt. But Matt could only stare at him in bewilderment.

He had every right to tell Rebecca. For her safety, for his own safety! It was just wrong for Rebecca to continue to walk around blissfully unaware of the certain danger that Jax kept lurking inside him. Ready to come out at any unpredictable moment. He didn’t want to endanger Rebecca, she was his friend now. And Alice! He could endanger her as well.

“Please? Look, I black out sometimes, okay? I’ve managed to keep it under control the whole time I‘ve been here.”

“Till now.” Matt interrupted, somewhat angry at the fact that he had convinced Rebecca he was well enough to live outside of Arkham and here with her.

“I don’t know what set me off. I never know what it is.” Jax shook his head, mad at himself. “I was just laying there watching tv. Next thing I know I’m in the other room on the ground. You shaking me.”

“This happen often?” Matt asked crossing his arms, his left brow raised in interest.

“Uh, well. Um, no. Not really.” Jax answered trying to think of all the times he’d remembered being in one place, and ended up in another. “I don’t know.” he said truthfully.

Wrapping the towels around his arms as best as he could, he walked over to Rebecca’s bed and sat down on his side, trying to dab up some of the scratches on his legs.

Matt watched Jax in deep thought. His mind circulating through every bit of knowledge within in his brain about what he should do.

“Please.” Jax begged, looking up from his wounds. “All I want is for Rebecca to be happy. I promised her I wouldn’t hurt myself. If she finds out… She could leave me. And that just, uh, well, it won‘t be good.” Jax said shaking his head. “If she leaves me, I have nothing. She’s everything to me.” His voice slowed to a whisper, and he went back to focusing on his legs and arms. Trying to pat them down as best as he could. “You have to understand…”

Hating himself, Matt looked away. He wished Jax hadn’t of used that comment. Whenever someone asked him to understand he usually could, and he hated that part about him. His mind so expanded, and excelled, he could see every vantage point in a situation. Have a complete comprehension of what it was like it be in another person perspective. Or in other words, an advanced state of empathy. He knew exactly where Jax was coming from. He understood Jax entirely.

“Forget it.” Jax suddenly snapped, throwing one of his towels on the ground and bringing his hands to his forehead. “I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand anyway.”

“Jax…” Matt started, wanting to explain to him that he wasn’t going to tell Rebecca for him, and that he did get where he was coming from.

“No, ya know what? It doesn’t matter. I have to go anyways.” Jax stated as he got off the bed, throwing the towels in a near by hamper, marching back out of the room, and across the hallway to the other room.

“Go? Go where?” Matt called curious.

“Um…Uh…” He heard the sounds of Jax’s struggled voice getting dressed as he tried to answer.

Then quickly Jax reappeared, practically running, back into the doorway, just at the same moment he was pulling a clean white t-shirt over his head. Matt took notice that Jax’s jeans were on backwards.

“My mother.” He said replied, just as his head popped out from inside his shirt. “I’m going to look for my mother.”

“Oh. Okay, that’s cool. But, did you know your pants are on backwards?” Matt answered trying to withhold a laugh.

“What? ARG!!” Jax growled noticing his pants were indeed on backwards.

Not even taking the time to step out of the room, Jax viciously tore at the zipper and ripped his pants off. Matt laughed, rolling his eyes before looking away, and walked over to Rebecca’s bed to sit down. Giving Jax just enough time to put his jeans back on the right way.

“There!” Jax shouted, “Now, I’m going.” He turned, almost in the doorway of Rebecca’s bedroom. Thankfully, Matt caught him.

“Ah, ah, ah! Don’t you think you’re forgetting something. Or actually a few things?”

Jax turned back, annoyed beyond his limits. Clenching his jaw in an attempt to hold it all in, and angrily smiled a death smile at Matt.

“And what would all that be?” Jax asked with a twitch of his neck.

Matt laughed with amusement. He didn’t care how tired he was, this was well worth getting up for. It was like getting a child ready for school. [Hilarious.]

“Well first off it might be nice if you had some shoes.” Matt said pointing to the yellow Nike’s sitting on the wall to the right of Rebecca’s room, which he had assumed were his. “Then perhaps actually taking your cell phone with you this time could be an idea.” Matt nodded approvingly to himself.

Jax rolled his eyes before walking over to his shoes to put them on. Hopping from one foot to the next, as he hurriedly put them, trying not to fall down in the process. Matt couldn’t help but smirk as he watched Jax put his shoes on, not even bothering to tie the lace’s. [Not that Jax actually knew how to tie his shoes or anything.] He walked over to the nightstand, grabbed the cellular device, and shoved it in his back pocket.

“There.” Jax breathed out, running a hand through his hair, reminding himself not to rip it all out, “Now can I leave?” he asked eager to start his hunt while it was still early. No one who worked for his dad would be out at this hour. [Though, his dad very well could be.]

“Hmm.” Matt thought to himself. “You should ware a hat.” He smiled.

Jax immediately turned for the door, ready to get out of the house and as far away from him as possible. But, as if Matt’s goal was to torture Jax further, he called back for him, and Jax quickly shifted back around.

“What!?” Jax shouted, his patients just all about run out.

“I’m serious.” Matt replied, a stern expression now across his face. “Wear some kind of disguise. There’s pictures of us all around town. Someone’s bound to notice you if you walk around like that.”

Jax nodded. Matt was right. Jax looked silly enough as it was. A short little boy with bright yellow shoes and strange scratches all over his arms. [Just like his old man.] He would need to look a little less inconspicuous. He jogged across to Rebecca’s brothers old room once again and went back through his drawers.

Matt listened to the sounds of shuffling and a few dresser doors being slammed and re-opened, then silence. Jax quietly appeared back in the doorway, with a hat on, [like Matt had suggested] and a pair of matching black sunglasses. Jax held his arms up in question, shrugging. Not sure at how he looked, but Matt thoroughly impressed.<br>

“Not bad. It works.” Matt nodded. “I might try to call you later, so don’t lose that phone.”

“Right okay, whatever. Leaving now. Bye.” And with that, Jax was out the door, down the hall, and gone from the apartment. Leaving Matt to sleep the rest of his morning away, only to be re-awoken, yet again, by the terrifying screams of Rebecca.

“Oh he left really early this morning. Something about going to find his mother.” Matt replied turning on the kitchen stool to face the windows in the living room.

“Huh.” Rebecca crossed her arms, wondering why Jax would have gone looking for his mother. “Did he say anything else?”

“Nope. Just that he was going to look for her. Oh but he took his phone with him.”

“Really?” Rebecca asked genuinely surprised. How Jax could have managed to remember something like that must have been a godsend.

“Yeah, so call him or something I don’t know. I have to get going here in a little bit.”

“To go meet up with Alice?’

“Yep.” Matt answered hopping off the stool and slowly making his way to the hall.

“Can I come?” Rebecca asked wearily.

Matt clenched his teeth together, giving a distained expression, before turning back around to face Rebecca.

“Uh, no.”

“Awh, why?” Rebecca frowned.

“I’m sorry, its just me and Alice haven’t seen each other in so long, and we really haven’t gotten to have any alone time together and she…”

“Its okay.” Rebecca stopped him from explaining any further. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry Rebecca. Ya know how bout we hang out tomorrow. All day, just you and me? Huh, what do you say?” Matt asked hoping his offer would cheer her up. [But little did she know this whole evening was meant for ‘cheering her up.’]

Rebecca laughed softly. “No, its okay. Don’t worry about it. I actually have some stuff I have to do today too.”

“Oh really?” Matt asked, “Like what?”

Smiling a devilish smile, Rebecca walked around Matt, watching as he eyed her suspiciously, and found her way into the hallway going for her bedroom door to get changed.

“Gotta figure out who framed me.”