In a World Where Only Madness Matters

Several death threats, and 17 successfully accepted invitations later, Alice found herself in the park. Gotham Central Park. Ten minutes before she was to meet up with Matt. It was safe to say not everyone in the city was happy to hear about The Mad Hatters return. Alice had nearly gotten punched in the face by one of there older, ‘fellow employees.’ [Evidently, Matt owed a lot of people money.]

But that was fine. Not only was Alice much faster then she looked, [unless you were holding her down, it was impossible to hit her] she knew Matt would pay everyone back. [Really?]

After escaping being punched in the face, and practically chased down the block, she visited 3 more peoples ‘places of business.’ All of them being on the lighter side of The Mad Hatters, and more then happy to attend this evenings event.

Once leaving the last of the three places, she found her way here, at the park. Stopping in the middle of grass. Home-made purse in one hand, and cell phone in the other, on vibrate. She looked down at the small BlackBerry Screen, scrolling through multiple texts, [good and bad] but nothing from Matt. She wondered if he’d still remember. He always did have a knack for forgetting the most important parts to a plan.

Letting her hand drop to her side, no longer wanting to look at the phone, she gazed outward into the park. Looking and noticing all the little things, most people didn’t take the time to think, or care about.

Summer was coming, and all the familiar symptoms of the hot season were being revealed. A cloudless sky, accompanied by a gentle cooling sensation as the warm air swept across her skin. The scent of burning wood from a nearby grill fire hanging in the atmosphere. Laughter from small children, running and playing. The squeaking of old rusty hinges on playground swings. It was all there, and all so exhilarating. She took it in with a smile, giggling slightly as a gust of wind sent her neon red hair flying madly around her shoulders and neck.

Voices, lots of voices. Coming from lots of people around the park. Boys playing basketball in an adjacent court to the right. Yelling and hollering at each other to pass the ball or shoot. Young mothers, chatting it up on a park bench by the playground, watching their kids out of the corner of their eyes. Silly teenage couples flirting and snickering, as they walked along the bike path. Even a business man on his cell phone, trying to keep his voice down as he discussed a very pressing issue with his boss.

If Alice concentrated hard enough she could hear each one separately. Listen to four or five conversations at once. She could even distinguish each voice from another, and if she closed her eyes, she could tell you where, in location to herself, they would be standing. [It was remarkable really.] One of the few talents she had that Matt found ever so useful to his line of work.

Taking her from her thoughts, a shaky, yet tense voice caught her attention. Immediately causing her to close her eyes, and zone in on the one voice, and only that voice. She listened, hearing it was a young girls, perhaps twenty or so, talking with her boyfriend. A fake smile crisp within her words. She was quite an actress. But the sorrow laced within her sentences was like screaming to Alice. [She wanted out.] The boyfriend however couldn’t see it or seem to hear it. He only laughed wrapping his arm around her in complete unawareness, that the girl felt nothing towards him. Only the pressures of her guardians, which Alice had assumed, made her get engaged to the man. Poor girl. Alice pitied her.

Opening her eyes back to the all the delightful sights within the park, Alice spotted the street, and the cars sitting on it. [Gotham traffic was one of the worst.] She could see a white sedan, beat up, old, probably a 98 model, stuck in one of the nonmoving lines of cars behind an intersection. An older couple inside, shouting at each other. Alice looked closer, taking a few steps forward and watched, as the woman threw her hands up, and faced away from the man. Telling him how she hated him and what an idiot he was. The man scoffed, and reminded her that the final divorce papers would be in tomorrow. Thus resulting in the car falling silent. Then finally driving off, through the crowded roads, and out of sight.

Though Alice was considerably far away, too far to hear what they had said, and the couples windows were rolled up, Alice had heard it all. As clear as the birds chirping in the overhead branches of the trees around her. Reading lips, was just another thing on that list of Alice’s.

Feeling a soft embrace from behind, two arms, preferably male, wrapped around her waist. Pulling her backwards, and into the mans chest. She turned, surprised, and excited, to see Matt’s beautiful smiling face.

“Matt!” She squealed draping her hands around the back of his neck and pulling him in. His lips pressed gently to hers, a smirk being clearly felt, as he let his hands slide to her hips. She rolled her eyes, ending the kiss, but not letting go of him. “I was beginning to think you’d forget.” She said with a frown.

“Who, me? Never. Not this at least.” Matt answered reassuring her. “Besides its Rebecca’s birthday. I had to do something to pay her back for everything she’s done.”

“Yeah. It must be hard for her right now. So we better make it memorable.” She answered taking his hand, and walking with him down the bike path of the park. [Like a silly teenage couple.]

“Exactly. So did you get all our guest?” Matt asked readjusting his hat a little lower over his eyes with his free hand. Not to be seen by anyone that might recognize him.

“Not all of them. I still have 8 to go. But we have about 45 so far.”

“Excellent. Any of the Maroni’s men?”

“Uh, no. They were pretty heated when I told them you were back in town. Luckily I didn’t give anyone the address unless I was sure they were coming.” Alice replied smiling up at him, waiting for praise on her smart thinking. But Matt shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. You know how easy it is to find something out around this town. We’ll just have to be extra careful. Still have my guns back at the apartment?”

“No.” Alice frowned. “I, um, I lost them when you left.”

Matt looked at her perplexed, and somewhat angry. How do you loose 22 different guns? [Including a rocket launcher.] Well I guess in the same way she had lost all his experiment equipment. God forbid she keep track of something he actually needed. But he quickly turned away, not wanting to show Alice he as upset with her. She needed her head to be clear. She needed to work. And he knew she’d not be able to do that with things like their relationship on her mind.

“Its okay. Can you get me some more?” He asked putting a slight puppy-dog plead into it. She smiled.

“Of course Mattykinns.” [Anything for him.]

“Great. So I’m going to call Jax.” Matt said as they stopped, his hand rummaging through the pockets of his business suit like pants.

“J-Jax? For what?” Alice said wide-eyed at the name Jax.

“To help us. Duh. He’s Rebecca’s boyfriend. He has to know what were doing. Right?” He said pulling his phone out from his pocket. “So you said you didn’t give them the address. We have a location then?” Matt asked turning on the phone.

“R-Right.” Alice answered, trying to shake off her nervousness.

This night was already going to be hectic enough for Alice. SHE was the one doing all the planning. SHE was the one making sure everything would be perfect. SHE was the one going out early and making sure all HIS old business partners were still in business with him! The last thing she wanted was the splitting image of the psychotic murderer who killed her parents there the whole time. Alice could feel her insides burning with anger. She wanted to stop Matt, to remind him she was already doing so much. But she couldn’t… Alice would never let Matt think she was anything less then perfect. She’d never let him see her be anything but happy.

So with a quick pause, and a mental backhand across her own face, she smiled, lightly taking the hand of which Matt’s phone was in, and getting his attention.

“Are you sure Jax has to be there?” Alice asked hopefully. Matt looked down at her suspiciously. Wondering why she was acting so weird. But he was no Alice when it came to reading peoples emotions.

“Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?”

Alice could feel herself shaking. She didn’t know if it was the fear, or the anger, but she had to knock it off. She was acting ridiculous and Matt was bound to catch on if she didn’t pull it together.

“Nope.” She grinned. “Just making sure.” She let go of his arm and he dialed Jax’s number. He turned away from her, taking several steps to the right, [Alice noted] and then turned quickly back around after several seconds.

“No answer.” He said clicking the end call button after hearing the automated voice mail system. Alice breathed a short sigh of relief, but just a little too soon. “I’ll try again.”

Matt stayed facing her, pressing several buttons on the phone, suddenly letting the volume of the ringing become much louder, signifying he had put the phone on speaker. And after a total of four rings, just when Matt thought it was about to go to voice mail, Jax answered.

“WHAT!?” Jax’s voice yelled echoing through the small speaker of the phone.

“Jax, its Matt… Are you there?” He asked after not hearing a response with an addition of static and shuffling.

“Yeah, who is this?” Jax asked suddenly calm again. Alice took notice in his bipolar behavior.

“I just told you who it was. Its Matt!” Matt shouted into the phone, receiving several odd glances from passing park goers on the path.

“What do you want?” Jax asked before a very loud noise resounded from the speaker, followed by more shuffling and the sound Jax cursing. “Fuck! Hello? I dropped the phone.”

“Yeah I’m still hear…” Matt said rolling his eyes in annoyance. “Hey listen. Can you come meet me at the park, say in like ten minutes?”

“For what?” Jax asked harshly. Alice, hearing everything, wondered if he always had an attitude with people, or if it was just Matt. Or maybe he was particularly angry with something else that had happened before Matt had called him. Whatever it was, Alice couldn’t pinpoint it. Least not in his voice, there was too much static. As for body language, he was no where in sight, so there was not a chance in her determining the cause of his agitation that way.

“Just come to the park. Its about Rebecca.” Matt answered, with a firm voice. Confident that he would get a reaction from him with that.

“Alright. I’ll be there in ten.” Jax sighed, hanging up before Matt could respond.

Alice watched, as a slight grin creeped onto Matt’s lips, before he closed his phone and stuck it back inside his pocket. Matt knew Jax’s weak point, and he used it. Alice was sure of that. But now she also knew Jax’s weak point. [Rebecca.] Alice smiled briefly to herself keeping that in the back of her mind if she should need it in the future. Though she liked Rebecca, so in the end it might not be the correct ammo she wanted.

Matt looked down at her with smile.

“Now we wait.”

- - - - -

Shaking his head, Jax angrily stuffed the phone into his back pocket, and continued on down the sidewalk. Hoping to god that it would not go off again. It had practically scared him shitless when Matt had first tried to call him.

He had just left the 4th place he had thought to find his mother. Having no success in any of them, he made his way back through the city, on his way to the next. Minding his own business, walking peacefully by himself. Causing no unnecessary noise or attention to himself. When all hell broke loose.

In the middle of the road, walking to the other side of an intersection, his pants began to vibrate, and the merry tune of his phones loud ringer began to go off alarmingly. Causing him to quickly react, spinning around to see who had hit him in the butt. When he found no one behind him, and a bunch of angry cars still waiting for him to cross the now green intersection, he got angry. Not only because the annoying tune, wherever it was coming from, would not stop, but his ass kept tingling too.

He walked off the street and immediately stuck his hands down the back of his pants. Getting tons of stares from different people walking by on the sidewalk. But he didn’t care. He was freaking out right now, and beginning to think that only he could hear the weird music playing, and that some kind of weird bug must’ve bit him in the butt.

Thankfully just as fast as it had started, it all stopped, and there was no more weird feeling in the back of his pants. The strange music stopped and it was peaceful once again. He breathed out, pulling his hand out from the back of his pants, and rubbed his forehead.

Was he loosing it again? Was it ‘him’? He had never had a hallucination like that before. What the hell was that? Jax said to himself finally being able to calm down.

Jax was going to try and just shrug it off, and continue on with his day, but when a strange woman’s voice echoed from his pants he couldn’t help but begin to get scared again.

“You have 1 missed call.”

Jax screamed, and dug back into his pants. How the hell a tiny woman could’ve gotten into his pants he had no clue, but she was singing, buzzing, and telling him he had a missed call.

“AHHH!” Jax yelled angry, practically causing a scene in the middle of one of the busiest sidewalks. [He was in the business side of town.] He was jumping all around and spinning in circles. Doing everything he could to make whatever it was in his pants, get out. One man even tried to help him, and ask if he was okay, but Jax only screamed, and ran around the block to where there were less people.

Just as he had stopped, he heard a satisfying smack of something falling out from his pants, and hitting the sidewalk. He turned, and looked down to see that tiny yellow phone Matt had given him. Vibrating, singing, and immediately answering all his questions of what the hell had decided to randomly attack him in the middle of his day.

He hesitantly walked towards it, bending down to look at it, and picked it up, pressing the big green ANSWER button on the screen. Thus starting the conversation that now led him to the very place he was about to arrive at. Gotham Central Park.

Jax wondered why Matt would want to meet up with him, and talk to him about Rebecca, and in the park of all places. Maybe Rebecca was there with him. That’d be awesome if she was, thought Jax. He had felt like he hadn’t really spent a whole lot of time with her sense they had escaped, him trying to find his mother and everything. While she did, well, whatever it was that she did. Jax thought to himself unsure of what Rebecca could be doing right now.

If she was in the park with Matt, there could be a possibility that he had told her about what had happened this morning. No, he wouldn’t. Would he? Matt had to know better than that if he was really as smart as everyone made him out to be. [Jax could kill him in a matter of seconds if he really wanted to.] No, he didn’t think Matt would do that, and betray the tiny ounce of trust he had built up with him.

So maybe Rebecca was hurt. No, she would’ve tried to call him too. Wouldn’t she? Well now that Jax realized he had a phone he could try to call her and see if she was okay.

Walking up onto the parks grass, Jax forgot what he was thinking about, and began to look around. Searching from one end of the park to the other. Not seeing Matt or anyone resembling him in either direction. Stopping, and looking down at his shoes, he let out a sigh.

That’s when it hit him. He hadn’t been here in years. And the last time he had come here, he was with his mother.

Jax turned, walking in the direction of where his playground used to be, if he remembered correctly that is, and began to make his way through the park. It was a short walk, that seemed to make all the people in the area quickly disappear, and suddenly he became secluded into the shade of trees and uncut grass.

He came to a hill, and eagerly jogged down it. Stopping once his feet reached playground mulch. He looked up, a slight spark of happiness flashing through his honey brown irises, as he walked further to the jungle gym.

He walked up to it, touching one of the monkey bars above his head that were still attached to the rest of the jungle gym. Letting the rough skin on his hand glide over the rust and metal of the decaying playground. It felt like only the other day him and his mother had been here, playing, happy together.

“Jax!” He heard a familiar, yet irritating, voice call to him.

He spun around, just in time to see Matt, and that Alice chick, appear at the top of the hill he had just come over.

Turning back to the playground, he took another glance. Slightly shuttering as the sound of his mothers soft laughter blew quietly through the trees, and faded away in the wind. He shook his head, and walked back towards the hill.

“Jax, there you are. What are you doing all the way over here?” Matt asked as him and Alice came jogging down the hill together. “Alice saw you look for us. We even called your name. Then you just took off.”

“I was running?” Jax questioned, repeatedly looking back over his shoulder.

“Uh, yeah.” Matt finished somewhat out of breath as they stopped to meet him at the bottom of the hill.

“Oh…” Jax didn’t think he was running, but then again he could’ve sprinted all the way here for all he knew. He never was good at remembering what his body did. Always too wrapped up in those racing thoughts of his. “So what did you want to talk to me about? Is Rebecca okay?”

“She’s fine. We just wanted your help with something.” Alice chimed in. Nervously pulling at the strap of her purse, not looking Jax in the eye.

Jax quickly glanced over her, feeling the right side of his cheek twitch at her presence. It bothered him that he felt like he knew her, yet couldn’t remember from where.

“So you know its Rebecca’s birthday today. And we were going…”

“What!?” Jax interrupted, “Sense when?! Why?! How’d you know? Oh my god I forgot!”

“Jax clam down, its okay…” Matt started, but was only cut off once again.

“How could I forget!? I’m so stupid! Oh my god I’m a horrible boyfriend! …Wait.” Jax paused, “She didn’t tell me, did she?”

“Yeah, no. She didn’t tell anyone. We went through of a few of her fathers stuff and found it on a calendar.” Matt answered, looking around. “No one was following you were they?”

“What? No, I don’t know. I don’t think so… Why?” Jax replied confused. He didn’t think he should’ve been concerned of people following him, but now that Matt had mentioned it, it did make sense that he should’ve been making sure no one was. Sadly it couldn’t of mattered now. He’d been walking around for almost 3 hours. If he had someone was on his tail, they’d definitely be watching him now.

“Well Alice didn’t see anyone following you. So we should be alright. Come on, lets go back up here. We don’t want anyone to think were acting suspiciously.” Matt said turning back for the hill.

“Why were you down here anyways?” Alice dared to ask as they made there way back up the hill.

“I, uh, used to play here.” Jax answered, his eyes shifting from side to side. His tongue rolling over his bottom lip as he paused. Alice shivered.

“Oh.” She answered as they reached the top of the hill and began walking back to the more crowded parts of the park.

“So what were you saying about Rebecca’s birthday?” Jax asked Matt as they found the bike path. Matt grinned in anticipation.

“Well, were going to throw her a party. She’s turning 15 and I figure it’s the least I could do for all she’s done for me. You included, and Alice. If it wasn’t for Rebecca, none of us would be standing here right now.”

“Isn’t that the truth…” Jax mumbled as he kicked a rock off the path, remembering the day he was going to commit suicide.

“So it’ll be kind of like a giant present for her. And a good time for everyone to just relax.” Matt said suddenly falling silent as a group of bikers strolled by and disappeared down the path. “But we want it to be a surprise. So you can’t tell her, and I need your help to make sure it all goes smoothly.”

Jax thought hard. Thinking of what possible help he, someone who’s been locked away from the past 5 years, could be of any help to Matt, the smartest guy in Gotham. None, is the answer. And why should he not tell Rebecca? If anything they should be telling her all this, not him. Jax wasn’t good at planning things and knew Rebecca would not like the idea of a party. At least not now. It hasn’t even been a week sense they escaped. Though, Jax had never been to a party before…

“I don’t know,” He answered weakly, “Won’t we get caught by doing something like that?”

“I’ve already got that covered.” Alice replied, “You see, not only is it a party to celebrate Rebecca’s birthday, but its also a welcome home party for The Mad Hatter. Lots of Matt’s old business partners will be there. So its kind of a ‘criminals only’ sort of thing. So no one there would do anything stupid like tell the police. Everyone there will have far more greater things to worry about then two escaped teens from Arkham.” Alice finished quickly, talking fast as always, but articulating her words so that she was understood a little easier by Jax.

“So will you help us?” Matt asked, stopping once they reached the entrance of the park. The park fountains water being heard over there shoulder, along with all the other noises that encompassed the parks atmosphere.

“Eh, I guess so…” Jax answered not really wanting to. It didn’t seem like a good idea at all to him. But it was Rebecca’s birthday, and it seemed Matt was going to have the party whether Jax helped or not. And if Matt was going to do anything that might jeopardize Rebecca’s safety, Jax was going to be there. Right there, to make sure nothing bad could happen to her, and be present if something should go wrong.

“Alright cool.” Matt smiled looking down at Jax. Thinking hard about all the different scenarios that could happen with him knowing about this. Jax couldn’t keep a secret. It was obvious. So he thought quickly, and came up with a way to make it so that no matter, Jax would keep this party a surprise. “Oh, but just incase you should decide to tell her, just keep in mind about this morning. So do we have a deal?”

Oh, he was good. Real good. Jax knew Matt would pull something like that on him. [Great. Just great.] Now Jax had to keep it a secret from Rebecca, which he did not want to do. Not if he wanted to keep his episode a secret from her. A secret hidden with a secret. [Clever.] The idea of punching him in his big nose crossed Jax’s mind, but then rethought it, knowing that would only motivate Matt further, to tell Rebecca about what had happened with morning.

“Deal.” Jax answered through clenched teeth, his fist squeezed tightly in his palms.

“Good. Now you’ll need to come with me and help me clear up some business of mine, and make sure every things ready for tonight. Alice will go distract Rebecca for awhile, and then bring her to the party. That sound good to you?” Matt asked looking to Jax and Alice, making sure they were all okay with the plan.

Alice smiled, nodding in approval at him. Jax only rolled his eyes before breathing out a breath of irritation.

“Yeah, whatever. Lets just go already.”

- - - - -

Hood secured tightly over her head, and sunglasses firmly covering her face, Rebecca jogged eagerly up the steps of her apartment complex. Barely making it by several other people as they exited the doors she came in through. Her purse in one arm, a manila folder in the other, she pressed the UP button on the elevator. And waited, rather impatiently, for the shiny silver doors to open, and let her in.

Once inside, she hurriedly pressed the number for her floor, and quickly exited as soon as the doors reopened to let her out.

She found her door and typed in the pin number. Hearing the satisfying click as her door unlocked, she pushed it open, and shut it behind her.

The apartment was silent. She walked in further, pushing her hood off of her head, and called out to see if anyone was home. No one was.

Finally removing her overly sized, annoying sunglasses, Rebecca sat down on the big couch. Letting her flip-flops fall from her feet, she pulled her legs up and crossed them. Setting her purse beside her, she went for the folder first.

It wasn’t hard for Rebecca to find the police report of her case. All police reports were public information. And the Gotham City Library had an entire floor assigned to just criminal records. [No surprise.] Plus, sense it was a recently new case, it was near the front of all the bookshelves. Easy enough to get her hands on. Though it wasn’t much, it was something to start from.

She removed the metal clasp from the top of folder and let the papers fall out into her lap. There was police report, along with the crime scene summary stapled to it. A total of 4 papers. And then photos…

Rebecca didn’t think there’d be pictures from the crime scene in the report. Just a bunch of papers was all she assumed it would be. But this was not what she was expecting to see.

Lightly pushing aside the actual report, she spread out all the different pictures, moving them off of one another, and placed her hands under her chin. Staring down at them discouraged. She bit her lip, frowning. She wondered what the 3 men could’ve done that was so wrong that there attackers had to beat them so harshly. [So mercilessly.] What purpose could such terrifying violence serve?

The flash on the camera making the blood seem brighter in the pictures then she had remembered. The bruised and beaten face of the guy who was still alive when she had tried to help. She wished she could’ve done more to help him, and not of gotten caught up in the mess and framed for it all. It was ridiculous. She wasn’t even strong enough to kill the guy who had knocked her out. It was stupid for someone to think she had really done that to 3 huge guys twice her size. She wished she was stronger, then she might have been able to save the guy, and prove to the police who had really killed those men. She wished she was like Jax.

Jax. Regardless of how insane he was, he was strong. [So strong.] Rebecca wished she could be as strong as him. He was so fast too. She didn’t know how he did it. It was extraordinary.

Rebecca sighed, pushing the photos off of her lap, and leaned backwards on the couch. Bringing her hands to her head, she rubbed her eyes. Letting a irritating groan out, as she closed her eyes, and let her head fall back onto the seat of the couch.

Images of Jax filling her mind. Sights of his strength being displayed on the inside of her eye lids, like a projection screen. The film being rolled from her brain like an old silent movie. The scene switching from him running in the woods, to being back in the cell with him.

She flinched as the memory of his fist colliding with her soft face resurfaced. She swallowed hard, as the feeling of his shaking hands closed around her neck, strangling her. A hard sensation hit her, as she remembered his kicks, and his punches. The blood that had run down her face from him. The pain that had been inflicted by his actions. She had been abused.

A small dam of tears had began to collect at the edges of her eyes, and she could feel them burning to be set free. Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut tighter, trying to forget Arkham. Her tears breaking away, and making silent streams down the sides of her face. She had never been hit like that in her life. Never had anyone acted that way towards her. And now she was with the only person to have done all that.

Pulling her head up from couch, Rebecca opened her eyes, wiping the tears from her face, and sniffled. She had thought before that Jax would never hurt her again. But is that really the truth? The more she thought about it the more she realized he had only hit her when he was angry. And so far, she hadn’t made him angry. If that was the only thing keeping him from hitting her again, then was trusting him really the best idea? Could she really believe that he’d be able to control his anger next time?

Before she could begin to ask herself all these questions, and try to pray for help from God, the sound of the front door opening entered the silent apartment, and Rebecca hurriedly put away the police report’s papers and photos. Shoving them inside her purse, before whoever had come in, walked into the living room.

“REBECCA! THERE YOU ARE!” Alice smiled, practically jumping to embrace Rebecca into a hug.

“Uh, hey Alice. What’s up?” Rebecca asked trying to shake off her troubled thoughts.

“Oh, nothing. I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with me today. Matt has all this stuff to do today and I didn’t want to be alone.” Alice spoke practically faster then light, before frowning about not being able to be with Matt. “So come with me! Lets go have some fun. Please? Please? Please? I promise it’ll be fun.”

“Eh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen Jax all day, and I’m starting to get worried about him. I was thinking maybe I should try to call him.”

“NO!” Alice nearly shouted. Then laughed nervously. “I mean, he’s fine really. Saw him this morning. Trust me he’s okay.”

“Really?” Rebecca asked, not thinking Alice had really seen him sense she was out all morning.

“Yep. So come on.” Alice said taking Rebecca’s arm and pulling her up off the couch. “Lets go out and enjoy ourselves. It’s a beautiful day outside. And being in doors is just a horrible way to waste it.”