I don't own the mentioned characters, they belong to DC Comics. This was written purely for fun.

This is chapter one of my very first and presently only multi-chaptered fanfiction. I started it in March 2010, yet it still isn't finished. Although I have several chapters ready by now, I'm not going to upload them all at once.

I also drew an illustration to each chapter. If you are interested, you can find the links in my profile.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoy reading! :)

Jonathan Crane ran through the dark mazelike alleyways of Gotham where no rational civilian dared to set foot at night. The heavy rain's pouring covered the scarcely audible sounds his feet made when touching the ground. A wind gust caught the coat of his scarecrow costume and made him feel as if he were flying, like a large black crow in the pale moonlight. He quickened his pace and was about to turn around a corner when he heard a voice cry from behind through the rain:

"Wait for me! I'm not as fast as you!"

Unnerved, Jonathan turned around and waited for the distant black silhouette of his friend Jervis Tetch to come closer. This was the third time within fifteen minutes he was slowed down because of him! Impatiently Crane shifted his weight from one foot to another as the smaller man finally reached him. Exhausted, the Mad Hatter breathed heavily.

"I can't - … need … break!"

"We don't have time for this now. Do you want the Bat to catch us? It's not my intention to go back to Arkham so soon. C'mon!"

Before poor Jervis had a chance to answer Jonathan grabbed his arm and forced him to continue running. He hated treating his friend like that, but they really had to hurry if they wanted to escape the Batman's searching eye as they were nearly defenceless. After breaking free from the Asylum (at which they had unintentionally freed some of the other villains, too) they had neither the Scarecrow's fear gas nor the Mad Hatter's mind control device which the guards had taken from them at Arkham. Now their only chance was to get to Jonathan's hideout as soon as possible (since it was the one closest to them by now) to take a few capsules of fear toxin for their own safety.

Just at this moment another wind gust blew away Jervis' large hat.

" My hat, my lovely hat!" The Hatter stopped abruptly, a shocked expression on his face. Jonathan watched in disbelieve as his companion immediately ran after this stupid hat even as it was blown back into the street they were coming from. The auburn haired man growled - then he let out a resigned sigh and joined his friend chasing his hat. Since he was much taller than Jervis he managed to grab it easily within a few big steps ad handed it back to a very grateful hatter.

"Thanks a lot, Jonathan." He put his oversized hat back onto his head, his face showing the happy smile typical of him.

"Never mind, but..." Crane was cut short by a batarang which barely missed his left arm and hit the asphalt behind him with a sharp, clanking sound. They both looked up and saw a big black figure gliding down a roof top directly heading for them.

"Run!" he shouted through clenched teeth and repressed a curse. Why did the Bat always appear when he was least needed? But the so called 'Dark Knight' would not beat them again, not this time! While quickly moving through the dark alleys Jonathan scanned his environment carefully for any place to hide.

The plain metal of a second batarang flashed up next to his eyes as it cut through the cloth of his mask.

"Jonathan! Over there!" Crane's gaze swept to where the Mad Hatter was pointing at as he spotted a huge old factory building in the distance. Its vast dimensions would give them at least some extra time to play cat and mouse, if not even a chance to get away before the Bat realized it. He nodded to his friend in agreement and they headed for the building's back door.

It was locked, of course, and it did not even give in as they both threw their weight against it. Jonathan gave Jervis a hestitated look - what option was left now? The Hatter, however, stayed strangely calm and grinned in a triumphal way as he pulled out something small from the inside of his hat.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The taller man could barely hide his irritation. He nervously looked all around him, but the Bat was nowhere to see.

"It's something which we can use to open that lock." Jervis hold it up so that his friend could recognise it as a small sewing needle. This was indeed useful, Jonathan had to admit. He took it and carefully put it into the keyhole - as a result they soon heard a satisfying click when the door unlocked and revealed a vast hall as it swung aside with a creaky sound.

He could not suppress a smile under his scarecrow mask. "Let's move in fast, we've already stayed at this door for too long. I bet the Bat has heard its noise." He paused for a moment.

"Uh, Jervis?"

"Yes, Jonathan?"

"Why the heck do you have a sewing needle hidden in your hat?"

"What a silly question - in case you need to sew anything, of course. Then it comes in handy and additionally, it holds the label of my dearest hat in place.

"Ah." Wondering, but not giving it a second thought, Crane shrugged and they disappeared into the building.