ALL MIMSY WERE THE BOROBOVES

Chapter 18: Battles and Bisou (Kiss)

---

Disclaimer: I don't pretend to own anything Batman or Wonderland.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Did I mention I love reviews? Please review. :p

Hmm… I'm thinking of putting an appendix at the very end to let people know where everyone and everything is from. If I'm not too lazy… and if anyone even cares…

Again, envisioning the original BTAS drawing style. Not the newer look.

---

Veronica Vreeland sat on the ground, her arms wrapped around her bent legs and her face in her thighs. She didn't know exactly how much time had passed since Harvey was taken, but she knew it was long enough that… well… She wasn't going to see him ever again. He was dead by now for sure.

She didn't even want to imagine what the Scarecrow had done to him.

She hadn't spoken since they'd taken him away. She felt TERRIBLE about it. And she wasn't even sure exactly why. She hadn't known him very well. He was sort of a jerk really, right?

Yet he had saved her life several times. And they'd shared a few touching moments… and… Oh wow. The thought of him being DEAD was upsetting. He'd really deserved to live. He'd done so much for others when he really didn't have to! He had really tried to help her… and Paige… and well… She didn't want him to be dead!

She realized they'd soon come for Gil. And then she'd really be alone. And she was terrified by the prospect. She didn't want to be alone during this crisis. Things might never be the same again. Her family might all be dead somewhere burned up. She did NOT want to be ALONE!

The earth began to shake… giant vines burst through the shiny metal floor…

"OH MY GOD!" Veronica wailed.

Gil Mason pressed against a wall as the thick vines spiraled upward. "It's gotta be Poison Ivy!" He shouted to Ronnie over the thunderous sound. "She must be attacking!"

"No one's coming, Gil." Veronica sobbed. Not Batman. Not Harvey. No one was coming to save her. She was finally realizing it.

---

"So…" Tim Drake was looking back and forth between the adult faces above. No one was making any decisions. They kept talking in circles and lapsing into silence.

"I just don't want to!" Ally blurted out emotionally. Here we go again…

"We've GOT to get on with it." Bullock was becoming all the more ill-tempered as this dragged on and on. "We can't just hang out in this room… We'll either get entranced or die of thirst. Whichever comes first!"

Summer frowned, "We only get weaker with each passing minute. We need DO something. We're going to fall asleep!"

"We can't just go out there and face a dragon." Arthur insisted. "It's suicide."

"HELLO - So is staying in this freaking room!" Bullock lost his temper.

"OH, well excuse me, Bully." Arthur was angry. "I didn't realize you were an accomplished dragon slayer. Hiding a sword somewhere?"

"I think the key is to AVOID the dragon." Bullock snarled.

"There MIGHT be a way out via the maze." Tim agreed cautiously. "It's better than just staying here and waiting to die for sure."

"Perhaps there's another alternative we don't see…" Reeves spoke halfheartedly. He was tiring of the fruitless argument. He would cave soon. They could read him well after all they'd been through.

"We've crossed this bridge together many times, Arthur." Summer sighed. "We have to take risks to get anywhere around here. And staying anywhere too long is a death sentence. The idea is to trap us here so we succumb."

Arthur looked sad and defeated. "I know. I just wish we didn't have to choose between Death A and Death B. I hate death."

And then looked up a smiled a small smile. He'd tried for humour.

"Ok. So it's settled. We're going out there." Tim announced.

"NOOO…" Ally moaned.

"You can hold my hand." Summer promised, pretending to be brave. Really, she needed the comfort as much as he did.

Knox whined, "Can't we flip a coin?"

"I didn't realize the choice between certain death and maybe living was such a freaking quandary!" Bullock scowled impatiently. "Seems like a no brainer to me! But then again, you've got no brain…"

Summer glared at him. He coldly ignored her. Back to square one for them already. Any thaw never lasted long.

"HEADS – I win. TAILS – you lose." Ally announced the terms, producing a coin. "Here we go."

"Ally…" Arthur saw through these terms instantly.

Ally flipped the coin, but Arthur snatched it out of the air. "Ally. Come on."

Suddenly the door slammed. They looked over and realized the Mad Hatter had already made his decision and left.

Bullock was exasperated. "We're always dicking around!"

---

Two hours had nearly passed. Little Klarion lay within the white and blue circles, sleeping restlessly with a police officer's cap falling down over his eyes. Even within the safety of the circle, he could not sleep peacefully. He stirred… he did not look peaceful...

Poor kid. Jace Dryden thought to himself, eating another sandwich from the cushioned chair by the fire. He was curled up comfortably, waiting for the sand to drain for the second time.

Without electricity, peanut butter sandwiches had been an easy thing to whip up. He had a plate of them waiting for the boy. With some bottled water.

Even the pickiest kids would probably settle for peanut butter, right? Unless of course they had a peanut allergy. Umm…

The sand finally finished and Jace hesitated. He wasn't really sure what to call the kid. He'd managed to avoid it thus far.

Resourcefully, he hit the poker against the stone fireplace noisily.

Klarion sprang awake, startled. He looked around fearfully… and then his eyes rested on Jace and he relaxed. "Is it time?"

"Yes. Here's some food and water." Jace said simply.

"Thank GOODNESS." The boy rushed forward ravenously. "It has been 16 hours and I was hungry and thirsty when I fell asleep."

"16 hours?" Dryden blinked.

"I explained it already…" The boy stuffed his mouth full of sandwich. "That hour glass makes time go much faster within the circle. I experienced eight hours for every one hour you experienced. Thus, I got the benefit of 16 hours sleep though we only lost two hours time."

Jace could barely understand the child, his mouth was so full. The cameraman became nervous he would choke. "Woah. Slow down. Chew."

Klarion ignored him. "I needed to regenerate quickly so we-"

But he suddenly couldn't talk. He started to cough intensely.

UH OH.

"Woah…" Jace was nervous. He tried to pat the boy on the back, but Klarion pulled away distrustfully. Though he was still hacking.

Finally, the witch boy got it under control. He'd almost choked. AH.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to wolf down food like that? Especially while TALKING?" Jace was mortified. "You'll choke-"

"Don't nag me!" Klarion shouted at him angrily.

The boy started chugging down water rapidly. He was dehydrated. He then set down the bottle and said rudely, "Come. The clown is nearby. We'll walk. I need to conserve all my energy for the battle."

"Battle?" Jace uneasily remembered the boy's temper tantrum earlier.

"Hmm…" Klarion walked over to the shelves of rare magical items. "I may as well grab some small items of use… Some rings or bracelets or whatever that might come in handy."

Very little looked worthwhile, though. He couldn't take any of the heavy items and there weren't very many tiny ones. He didn't recognize much of what he saw… and what he did recognize he wasn't really sure how to use! He wasn't an experienced mage, after all. He was just a boy with no one to apprentice from.

After a second, he snatched an amulet and tucked it in a pocket quickly. He recognized it from his readings. He was fairly certain he knew how to use it. Hopefully he didn't accidentally hurt himself, though.

"What does that do?" Jace asked him.

Klarion didn't answer.

"Now…" The witch boy went into the kitchen. "I need a helmet…" He pulled a few pots out from under the counter. "No… no…"

"How very Tweedledee of you." Jace tried to smile.

"That was a stupid book." Klarion was rude and blunt, not even looking.

Jace suddenly wondered how the boy had learned to read without parenting. Had he attended school at some point? Probably not. He was having great difficulty fathoming this child's background story. Perhaps he could get it out of him somehow. But how?

"Have you read many books?" Jace ventured carefully.

Klarion was chucking pots here and there with loud banging and clanging. "Millions and millions. With my powers I can flutter through hundreds of pages in seconds and retain all the information. Admittedly, most of my reading has pertained to witchcraft."

There were moments the witch boy seemed so grown up. His vocabulary was highly developed. Probably due to all that damn reading. All that knowledge he'd soaked up like a sponge.

And yet, all the fancy words and archaic knowledge in the universe was totally useless to him if he didn't know anything about LIVING. He hadn't been exposed to much of ANYTHING, really. He lacked practical knowledge and social knowledge altogether! He was under socialized and hadn't been introduced to so many simple, basic things of everyday life.

He was a child that didn't know how to be a child. When he tried to laugh or play it seemed forced and unnatural. No matter how adult he pretended to be, he was still just a little boy. The boy in him showed through again and again…

Here he was digging through the cupboards for a pot helmet. Like an innocent little boy his age would naturally do during play. But he wasn't completely innocent. He was partially innocent. He wanted to KILL someone. Jace sensed it. This was a BATTLE.

"AH. This will do nicely." Klarion placed a black pot on his head with the dark handle sticking out the back on a downward angle. It looked decent.

"Now…" The boy stood. "I need… AH. Here." He picked up a rolling pin. And then he went and admired his reflection in a nearby mirror.

"ACK." He dropped the rolling pin. "I look ridiculous."

He immediately snatched up the black iron poker for the kitchen fire and admired his reflection a second time. "MUCH better." He smiled, pleased.

And then he noticed his abandoned police cap on the ground, crumpled. He looked sad for a moment. He picked it up and looked at it, thinking to himself silently. Then he tucked it in his pants' pocket. He squished it up so that it fit. He wasn't going anywhere without it, clearly.

Jace had long noticed the boy's attachment to the cap. What was THAT about? Another mystery. There were so many unanswered questions. Who was this boy? How did he have these powers? And who was Uncle Jason if he wasn't an uncle? How had this kid survived without a family for so long?

Jace stepped before the mirror. He was still wearing the bucket hat Klarion had forced him to wear hours earlier. "Do I need a helmet?" He smiled in his friendly way.

"NO. You won't be fighting, Jace. You aren't a warrior." Klarion was blunt.

"OH." Jace stepped back. "I see."

"But you're coming of course." The boy said hurriedly. Almost nervous.

This boy was so frightened underneath his anger and his attitude. He didn't trust anyone or anything. He felt the need to control. He didn't want to be alone and yet he didn't know how to interact with others at all. He seemed to want to be accepted. He seemed desperate fill the empty void in his life with another person. To connect with someone. And yet he didn't know HOW. He wanted someone to care for him and to LOVE him… and yet he was frightened and uncertain and… well… somewhat EVIL really.

It was a very complicated situation and Jace wasn't sure what to make of it! The boy needed someone and yet he didn't know how to have someone.

Klarion marched towards the front door. Jace knew he was supposed to follow.

"But what about that woman?" Jace remembered and motioned to the study.

"She tried to steal my powers." Klarion answered coldly. "I can't waste precious energy dealing with her right now. After the battle."

And they stepped out into the cool morning air. The sky was less dark and the sunrise would start soon.

"How did everything fall apart so fast?" Jace looked at the skyline tiredly. Within 24 hours, Gotham had completely collapsed. It was in ruins. He'd never expected to live the night. And yet… here he was… alive.

"Come. Now." Klarion ordered. He looked very serious, despite his silly battle gear.

---

Only three chambers remained and two definitely had bullets in them…

Paige couldn't bare it. This was just torture. She didn't pause to wonder why she cared so much, she was just reacting. She didn't want this to happen!

Gripping Harvey, she saw the trigger being pulled. She couldn't stand it! She wanted to save him. She wanted to DO something! She felt like she was going to explode. She cried out, "No, PLEASE-"

BOOM!

Harvey felt the bullet. He was shocked. The blow knocked his hat off.

His gold-brown eyes were wide… as though he was utterly astonished…

Blood hit Paige's face. She looked terrified.

Even in his stunned state, he knew she was screaming and crying… She reached for his face…

The pain made the wounded area unmistakable. He'd taken it hard in the shoulder. It had stunned him deeply! He might go into shock…

Brown had deliberately done this. He was a gunslinger and he would not miss at such close range. No, there was a reason Brown had put TWO bullets in the cylinder. This was meant to be insanely torturous.

NOW he would go for the kill shot.

Paige, who had just been hurled through a whirlwind of horrible emotions, realized that Harvey was only wounded. But just as she was thankful, she realized Brown was aiming again! This time for the chest! And it all became so agonizingly clear. She just couldn't take it.

Her eyes widened in horror and she just couldn't handle any more!

"NOOO!!!" She shrieked, lunging forward.

Brown fired, just as Paige threw herself in front of Harvey.

"PAIGE!" Harvey panicked, realizing what was happening.

Harvey saw it all happening before it did. Monroe came down on top of him, her back to the gun. Her face was before his. Their eyes locked, both clearly terrified.

He expected her to take it in the back. To die face to face with him in shock.

And yet, the bullet never came.

CLICK.

They froze like this. Gripping each other so tightly, face to face, eyes filled with terror and intensity. Their pulses were thundering and their intense breathing was visible… Everything seemed to slow down…

Harvey realized that final bullet was coming. He had to push Paige away. He might only have a mere second.

But she wouldn't let go. Her dark eyes were intensely searching his frightened gold-brown ones. She wouldn't him let go. They were locked in a highly intense moment.

"MOVE!" Brown roared, savagely kicking Paige aside.

Paige stifled a sharp cry of pain as she took the blow and hit the hard floor. To Brown's amazement, the girl actually tried to sit up and defy him. She tried to crawl back to the detective…

"Paige. NO." Harvey used his warning tone. "It's ok."

But she didn't listen.

And he found himself getting angry with her. "PAIGE."

Brown kicked her back down. But Paige had had enough. Snapping, she sprang at him and grabbed at him and… UH OH…

The gunslinger knocked her down again. And then he started to pummel her savagely. Kick after kick after kick. The blows made a sickening sound and her face was soon bloodied.

If there was one thing that drove Harvey into an absolute RAGE, it was THIS kinda crap! You did NOT beat on women. Call him old fashioned, but he'd been raised to protect and cherish women. Every time he couldn't save a girl in trouble it haunted him. You did not, not, NOT kick the life out of a defenseless girl on the ground!

Blind with rage, he lunged at the distracted Brown. The gun went off, but fortunately no one was hit by the bullet.

Within an instant, Harvey was on top of Brown beating the hell out of him. His fists were just dropping bombs on the guy…

"Harvey, HARVEY!" Paige grabbed his arm, blood still on her face.

Brown was unconscious, but Harvey couldn't stop. This was the reason he was always in trouble for excess force. He just got so damn ANGRY.

"You got him! You got him!" Paige was screaming at him, pulling on him.

Harvey felt her hand on his arm and he stayed his next blow, his fist frozen in the air. He took a second to collect himself and he lowered it. If he had a flaw, it was his freaking rage…

He then turned to her angrily: "NO ONE'S allowed to hit you like that!"

"And if I was well, I'd have let him know. Trust me." She assured him. She had been an amazing fighter before this night.

This seemed to pacify him. The red drained from his face… and he let out a loud, shaky sigh…

And then he risked a glance up at her, through his messy bangs. "Bastard did a real number on you, honey." He touched her face and showed her the blood. "I shouldn't have let him."

A soft smile crossed her pretty face.

And then their eyes connected and everything else was gone.

They leaned in to kiss.

And then they heard clapping. And they FROZE.

Someone was applauding.

Paige and Harvey turned and realized Two Face was standing there.

---

Arthur opened the door and stepped out into the maze anxiously.

"OK. We've got to stick together." Summer's voice was shaky.

"Ya. Good luck with that." Bullock said bluntly. The maze was crazy complicated. And this place just loved splitting them up.

"Keep your eyes peeled for potential weapons." Tim spoke seriously.

"What do you know about weapons, kid?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"What do YOU know about weapons!?" Tim got defensive.

And then they turned to Bullock expectantly.

"If I'd had my gun I would have used it a long time ago." Harvey said flatly.

"Well…" Ally turned around. "This has been really FUN, guys, but…"

"AH-ah-ah." Arthur grabbed him by the collar. "We're in this together."

"I knew he'd come around." Tim whispered to Summer, smirking. (Arthur was of course MEANT to hear this and he rolled his dark eyes.)

"Where'd the Hatter go?" Ally looked around, his voice unsteady.

"Who cares? Hopefully the dragon's chomping him." Bullock said rudely.

"HARVEY." Summer glared at him.

"He's right!" Arthur snapped. "Hopefully Hatter's running around as dragon bait so we can escape unscathed. We need a decoy-distraction if we're going to survive!"

"Um, I wasn't serious." Bullock blinked.

"Let me guess?" Arthur hissed grumpily. "You want to save HATTER now too?"

Bullock knew when someone was picking a fight. "Hey-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Tim covered his ears.

"Nice, Tim." Arthur scowled. "This is exactly why I've always objected to Bruce taking on foster kids. Benjamins don't replace parenting!"

Tim gasped and looked extremely offended.

And suddenly… Bullock, Reeves and Drake were in a three-way scuffle.

Summer couldn't believe this. She turned and looked up at the sign posted over the arch above them.

HALL OF ANGER

"UM!" She grabbed Ally. "We should move on… Help me usher them out…"

They went into another hallway. HALL OF SORROW.

"Oh great." Summer looked uneasy. "No matter where we go we're going to be overwhelmed by our feelings."

"I wonder what's behind all the doors…" Ally pondered aloud. "Sorrow?"

"Well, don't touch anything." Gleeson warned. "We need a plan."

Arthur calmed down. "Let's try a door and see what happens."

He pulled one open and immediately recognized what he saw… A sad scene from his past. He was a very small boy. Around six years old. Not too long after he'd moved to the farm to live with his grandfather.

He was sobbing and carrying a little dog… It was dying in his arms, all bloody.

He remembered it well. He was still getting used to his new life, his new community. He was wandering around in a daze. People spoke only English here and very rapidly. He was distracted… looking around…

The small dog had wiggled free from his arms and had started running around the street all hyper and excitable… running through traffic… It darted right underneath a passing truck, between the wheels…

He'd desperately called it and called it, sensing what was going to happen, but it hadn't been properly trained. His parents had never gotten the chance to train the damn thing before they…

Bisou! Ici! … BISOU!

The dog had dodged the first wheels… but not the second…

The sound had pierced Arthur to the marrow. Just horrible.

The dog had scurried off the road in agony. Yelp after yelp of agony. He'd tried to calm it down. It was in very rough shape!

He was worried it would bite him when he tried to lift it. It was in too much pain to think clearly. It wouldn't want to be touched!

But the dog started dying abruptly and the boy was able to pick it up… He walked briskly… He cut through yards…

And this walk was the scene Arthur was seeing now. He was seeing the SAD part. The bloody, tearful aftermath.

He saw himself carrying the little dog in his arms to the vet's place. It was just a few blocks away. A few more doors…

The dog died in his arms as he knocked on the front door…

The vet opened the door and saw a little boy with clothing soaked with dark blood. Hands glistening. Smears of blood on his face.

"My God!" The man was shocked.

Adult Arthur closed the door on the memory. "OK…" He said awkwardly, realizing everyone had just watched that. How embarrassing. But he was more stunned than anything. He'd practically re-experienced that moment! He'd almost completely blocked that terrible morning out, now it was back.

"Was that YOU?" Tim blinked.

"Ya. That was my memory." Arthur said defensively. He felt his face flush.

"You were so little!" Summer was shocked. "Why were you all alone to deal with that? What happened?" She couldn't believe it. He'd been what… six years old, maybe?

Arthur suddenly felt very judged and it angered him. All he'd had left of his old life was that damn dog and he hadn't been able to keep it alive either.

He'd made a mistake and it was a terrible way to begin a new life in a new place. What a first impression to make. He'd felt so judged by the gossipers.

Reeves collected himself and replied coldly, "I should have had him on a leash. Lesson learned."

Ally ended the tension by opening another door.

A scene existed inside in which he was sitting in a dark bedroom… he was also a little boy… clutching a man's cap and crying…

Knox looked at the others sadly and then slowly closed the door. "This is a place for sad memories." He said with a quiet gloom.

Tim realized how dangerous it was for him to open any doors. It might reveal to the others that he was Robin. That was a constant danger for him. To reveal he was Robin in front of two media legends, a city councilman and a top cop! Oh my GOD! He'd never really thought of it like that. They were the worst possible group of people to discover he was Robin! They all had a vested interest in determining Batman's secret identity. They'd make the obvious link to Bruce and his billions of dollars. It was a very scary thought.

"Are we supposed to go INTO the memories? We can't just keep wandering through these hallways like this." Summer wondered.

"I feel as though… we're supposed to find the right door. We're just to keep opening doors and by chance hopefully find a way out of here." Tim said, thinking it out slowly as he spoke. He was distracted by his worry.

Arthur opened another door and this time it revealed another hallway of doors. "I think you're right, Tim." He pointed.

"But the dragon is gonna be behind one of these doors. Or hiding in one of these memories." Ally said nervously.

"It's all a matter of luck, really." Arthur said gravely.

---

Klarion swung his poker as he marched towards the gallery…

"Joker's in there?" Jace sounded nervous.

The boy wasn't really listening. He was thinking to himself seriously. And then he said aloud, "Drats. We really should have made a banner or something. You should be like my herald. We're marching into battle totally unprepared… Hmm… my face is red…"

"Umm…" Jace frowned, confused.

"You really should be flying my colours." The boy turned to him.

"Which are?" The cameraman asked.

"I haven't decided yet." Klarion said dismissively with a very trivializing gesture. "They should be flown nonetheless."

"Uh-huh." Jace bit his tongue and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well…" Klarion summoned himself to his full height. "We're nearly there, Jace. Be sure to stay back out of harms way. You're not the warrior type. You're bound to be… oh, decapitated or something…"

Jace followed along, shaking his head in disbelief. Oy.

If he'd paused to reflect, he would have realized how significant it was that Klarion didn't want him to get hurt. But he didn't really notice.

---

Two Face was applauding slowly and deliberately. "Well done, Harv. You've got more lives than a cat, my friend."

Bullock's heart sank. Every single time he thought they were safe… Every time he finally started to relax and think it was over… it was never over… He just wasn't meant to live.

Two Face came forward and nudged Brown with his foot. "Hm… Execution by Russian Roulette. An old favourite of mine. Appeals to my love of chance."

Bullock said nothing. He just watched Two Face, trying to mask his intensity… expecting a bullet to fly unpredictably. He couldn't survive ANOTHER shot. He was probably bleeding out already.

Dent checked out the damage on Brown. "Eesh. Triple wounded and you're still a monster." He said approvingly. "You are one scrappy bastard, Harv."

And then he picked up Bullock's fedora and handed it to him. "Maybe someday I'll get ya on my side." And with that he started walking away.

"Maybe somebody you'll come back to my side." Bullock muttered.

Two Face smirked and ruffled the detective's hair. "Nah."

And then he headed out of the lab, calling back, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch. Sounds like someone's having a little engine trouble."

Bullock watched Dent walk away. And then he stared at the fedora that had been respectfully handed to him. It took him a minute to fully process what had just happened. But then it hit him like a ton of bricks. WOAH.

He'd just been spared in a big way. It wasn't like Dent to show mercy. He hadn't even bothered to flip his coin. He'd just… well…

He supposed it came down to history. And respect. But he couldn't count on that ever again.

That was the kind of card you could only play once.

---

They walked into the next hallway, unable to find a plaque that determined the theme.

"Maybe not all the halls are themed collections of memories." Arthur shrugged.

He hated the fact that he'd shared such a private, personal memory with these people. Even if he was starting to feel ok with them. He was sort of starting to… well… LIKE was too strong. CARE was too strong. But something positive, he supposed. He didn't want to lose them, anyway.

"I want to do one of those cool upside-down staircases we saw." Tim announced. "You know, like in those messed up paintings."

"I just want to go home." Ally said quietly.

It was unusual for Ally not to be excited about an upside-down staircase.

Arthur glanced at Knox uneasily. "We're not in the sad hall anymore, Ally."

"This whole place is sad." Knox mumbled to himself.

"Well…" Bullock looked displeased. "We'd better start checking random doors for our next move."

Nobody volunteered.

"I've risked two." Arthur said defensively. "Time somebody else showed a little soul."

Summer opened a door apprehensively and then relaxed. She and some girlfriends were painting each other's toenails on her bed in early high school. They were nonchalantly chatting about their lives… It now all seemed so cliché now.

"Hmm…" She said absently. "I haven't painted my nails in a long time."

Bullock rolled his eyes and pulled the door closed. "NEXT."

Tim realized he needed to come up with a very good reason for not opening doors. Everyone else was doing it. UM…

Ally opened a door. He looked about 20 years old. His red curls were a little longer and shaggier and all over the place carelessly. He looked happy.

"Hey! Check this out!" He was climbing up a tree.

"Ally…" His girlfriend said nervously. "Come on. You'll fall."

"RELAX." He said dismissively.

Ally closed the door. He smiled fondly, "I fell and broke my arm."

Arthur shook his head in disbelief. That wasn't how you climbed a tree! Knox was lucky he hadn't broken his neck! There was a way to do it. Growing up on the farm Arthur had been able to scramble easily to the very, VERY top of virtually any tree. Even in flip flops.

But he didn't say anything. He was done being so critical. There was just no need for it. He was sad and tired. It just started arguments.

Bullock and Tim still hadn't opened any doors. And Reeves didn't want to anymore. Well, nobody really wanted to. It was embarrassing! This was probably the whole point behind it. They would never escape because nobody wanted to reveal their most private, private… ERRR… It was AWFUL!

"This is a masterful way to imprison someone." Arthur had to admit.

They all stood in silence for a moment. No one wanted to go next.

And then Reeves had it. He smiled.

He opened a door very quickly and closed it again right away. "See? That's all that's required. Just a quick check to see if it is a memory or a pathway… or a dragon, I suppose. Just open and close. We don't all have to watch everything. It isn't efficient to do it that way anyway. Let's all just open as many doors as we can really quickly to get through this maze."

"Ya, that's much faster and no one gets uncomfortable." Summer liked this very, very much. Nothing embarrassing or secret would be shown.

Arthur started opening doors rapidly. "We're looking for another hallway or place to go. So keep looking quickly until you find the next pathway."

Tim looked very grateful. "Good idea, Reeves."

"Thank you. I'm full of them." Arthur smirked.

They all started opening doors all over the place. There were dozens of doors in that hallway alone. They saw flashes of their lives all over the place, but no one was stopping to watch anything anymore. They were disciplined and they were looking for a way out…

"Try to be systematic about it." Arthur called. "We don't wanna miss anything."

"This is one way to stop the dragon from pouncing." Ally's voice came cheerfully from the other end of the hall. "Slam the door in his face!" He liked that notion very much. He was sounding more like himself now.

"I don't actually SENSE the dragon." Tim admitted, closing a door loudly. "He must not be around here right now."

Arthur envisioned the dragon chasing Hatter. Hm, maybe Hatter was a team player after all… OK, not funny. He wouldn't say it out loud. He wasn't in the mood to have Summer start up again. His spirits were too low for it.

"Maybe that's why Ally's happier…" Summer whispered, motioning to Knox.

"I got a feelin'… Woo hoo… That tonight's gonna be a good night. That tonight's gonna be a good night…" Knox was singing to himself as he playfully opened doors in all sorts of silly ways as quickly as he could. He was suddenly enjoying himself again.

Tim ended up near Arthur during the search. The boy couldn't silence his curiosity. So he said carefully, "Was that your dog?"

"Ya." Arthur said bluntly, opening doors without looking at Tim.

"What was his name?" Tim couldn't imagine Arthur Reeves liking a dog.

"Bisou." Arthur said without feeling. He was surprised he remembered. It was a lifetime ago. A totally different life that was hard to recall.

"HUH?" Tim said disbelievingly. Sounded pretentious. He doubted he could even pronounce that! Arthur had said it with a hardcore accent, in fact. His voice had sounded totally different.

"What?" Arthur was offended by Tim's attitude about it. It was an extremely common dog name! Or… at least… Right. It probably wasn't used here. English dog names were like… Rex, Rover, Fido, Spot… That kinda weird stuff.

They just stopped talking. It wasn't worth it.

They continued to check door after door after door. It was getting tiresome. This whole Wonderland experience was one exhausting test after another. And if you stopped to rest, you died. Lovely.

"I'm so thirsty." Tim told Summer sadly.

"Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Saturday and Sunday." Ally continued to sing to himself as he moved down the hall.

Bullock caught himself quietly humming. He sharply stopped himself. ERR. Montoya always turned up the volume for this one. And it was played several times a day on the radio right now. In the office, in the cruiser. It tended to run through his head for a while after he heard it. It was catchy like that. Damn.

Ally continued to work his way down the hallway… "Let's live it up and do it. And do it. And do it…Let's live it up and…"

"I'm glad someone is in high spirits again." Arthur sighed tiredly.

"I thought you found it ANNOYING." Summer reminded him.

Arthur for once was left without a comeback. It had been annoying… and now it was… well, sort of reassuring.

He turned to Gleeson, "Someone needs to be optimistic. He's grown on me. What can I say?"

"BINGO." Bullock swung a door wide open.

Sure enough, another hallway was in that opening.

Bullock and Reeves started through the door… but almost immediately after they passed through…

"OH NO!" Summer panicked, afraid to follow them.

They turned and realized the doorway was shrinking rapidly behind them.

"Come back!" Tim freaked.

"Come through!" Arthur also freaked.

The door was getting too small now. And it continued to shrink and shrink!

Tim might have been able to still squeeze through, but he hesitated, uncertain which side to go with. And then he missed his chance.

Reeves and Bullock could see the faces of the others in the little opening as it shrunk… It was so disheartening!

Arthur had Tim's hand… That's all that would go through now…

"Timmy!" Ally flipped out. "It'll eat your hand!"

And then they had to break apart and the opening was gone. Vanished.

"SHOOT." Bullock kicked the wall, pissed off.

"It happened too fast." Arthur sounded shocked. "I… I dropped the ball."

"It was only a matter of time." Bullock snarled angrily. "Every single time we start to get the hang of something another curb ball gets thrown at us!"

---

"What do we do now?" Tim turned to Summer and Ally.

"I don't know." Gleeson looked helpless. "I… I guess we continue on. And just try harder to stick together. We enter all doorways together from now on."

"Should be easier with only three." Tim admitted. But he had his doubts.

The end of this hallway opened up into a room with all sorts of wonky staircases.

"Hey…" Tim looked at Ally. He tried not to smile, but he WAS just a kid.

"We've got to stick together!" Summer warned them.

They started on one flight of stairs only to find themselves pass through an opening and come out somewhere else upside-down… Or sideways… or slanted or… WEIRD…

"This is like that movie." Ally sounded nauseous. "I'm gonna hurl…"

"Hey… I'm going BACKWARDS!" Tim's voice echoed.

"We're getting separated." Summer called to them, sideways on another wall.

"I'm gonna try something!" Ally shouted, echoing.

He jumped off the stairs and fell slowly through the air past all the stairs, hoping to land on the regular floor. It was probably the only way out of this weirdness…

But he just landed on another flight of stairs. "OH. That sucks." He said.

He looked straight up at Tim Drake who was looking straight down at him.

"OY…" Tim looked queasy.

"Don't you dare puke on me, Timmy." Ally warned him.

"Guys! I can't get to you! No matter what a try…" Summer sounded hopeless. "I can't get ANYWHERE!"

"Where are you?" Tim called, getting dizzy.

"OVER HERE." She waved to him. "I can see the BACK of you."

"HUH?" Tim turned around. But he could only see the BACK of her. What the heck? This place was really screwy.

"Summer…" Ally called down to her. He was above her somehow suddenly. "How did I get up here?"

"I don't know. I want out of here." Summer said desperately.

"HEY!" Tim was suddenly under them both. "I see the bottom of your shoes! How freaking COOL!"

"Tim…" Summer was not impressed. "This is NOT cool, ok? I want-"

And then she stopped talking. She froze. A look of terror on her face.

"WOAH." Tim swallowed nervously. "Do you guys… sense that…"

Ally had also froze. "OH… MY…"

"RUN!" Tim panicked. He started sprinting.

The dragon. They sensed the dragon monster. There was a presence in the room. A darkness. Something was wrong. They couldn't SEE it, but they knew it was there. And they had to escape somehow.

The three Gothamites starting running for their lives and they were popping up here and there and everywhere. There was no escape!

"We can't get out! We can't get out!" Summer was panting, losing her mind.

---

Reeves and Bullock had started out together. They'd been trying different doors. Now and again they'd bicker. Typical for them.

But then the hallway spit into many different passages. Things became confusing very, very quickly.

Walls starting MOVING. One second there was a wall there, the next there wasn't. But there'd be a wall somewhere new and unpredictable.

Parts of the floor began shifting and changing and… Everything kept moving. It became virtually impossible to stay together!

It wasn't long before they ended up sectioned off from each other completely. Out of sight.

Arthur looked down all the different hallways open to him… He wasn't sure where to go. He wasn't sure where Bullock was.

"Bullock!" He shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the hallways. The word bounced off wall after wall…

"BULLY!" He tried harder, exasperated.

"Don't call me Bully." There came an annoyed Jersey accent from behind a nearby wall. "You're too much of a pansy ass to pull it off, Artie."

"Where are you?" Reeves looked relieved. It was a handsome look for him.

"I dunno. You sound like you're on the other side of this wall." Bullock grumbled, knocking his fist on the wall loudly.

"Keep knocking! I'm coming." Arthur headed towards the sound.

Sure enough, they came to a wall that they could hear one another through. It was clear to each that the other was on the opposite side.

"OK…" Arthur scratched his head. "This wall seems to be… unattached to any other wall… Just kinda hovering, eh?"

"Should be able to walk around it." He heard Bullock coming towards him.

But somehow it didn't work. Bullock went all the way around the wall and never came across Reeves. What?

"HMM…" Arthur started walking as well. How did this work?

They both kept walking around the wall, never finding each other.

"Hey!" Arthur thought he saw a shadow at the other corner. "I think I saw you!"

They both kept speeding up as they went around and around the wall. But they were never able to catch one another! It was like a dog chasing its tail!

"I'm switching directions." Bullock turned around. But that didn't work either.

"OK. Don't move." Arthur sighed. "I'm going to try to come to you again."

But just as before, this failed to work. They could NOT reach one another, no matter what they tried. And they really tried hard.

They both stopped and stood still, directly opposite one another.

Reeves was out of breath. He put his forehead against the wall, tiredly. "This is just stupid." He said sadly.

Bullock sighed, hands in his pockets, and moved his feet as he looked up to the ceiling. OY…

Forehead still against the wall, Arthur said quietly, "I don't actually believe any of us are going to get out of this place, Harv. I never have."

Bullock felt a pang of discomfort. He felt awkward. "That's the right attitude, Artie." He scowled sarcastically. He didn't know what else to say.

Reeves stepped back, "Do you think we're going to die?"

Harvey sighed audibly. "I dunno." He admitted.

"I've never been able to picture an EXIT, ya know? If we're going to be rescued… something has to happen out there. In the real world. The answer won't come from within this dream."

They stood in silence for a while… Bullock cleared his throat. "We're not getting anywhere by just standing here, Artie. We're going to have to face facts and just split up. Capisce?"

"There's got to be some way to get to you." Arthur stood back and looked up. "There's GOT to be…"

"Nah, bud. You know how this works. There's nothing for it. We've gotta part ways."

Arthur sighed. He knew this was the truth, but he really didn't like the idea of being all ALONE in this place. It was creepy. And there was a dragon lurking around murderously…

Arthur looked down all the hallways around him and felt more certain than ever that death was imminent. Death was imminent!

"We're not going to talk again." He stated a simple fact. Looking tired.

"Probably not." Bullock admitted with indifference.

"You know…" Arthur frowned. "I don't hate you. You're a good guy."

"ACK." Bullock said dismissively. How awkward! "Pansy ass, Artie! COME ON. Man up here."

"Well, seriously. This is it. Our arrivederci, as you'd say." Arthur frowned.

"Arrivederci." Harvey corrected his Anglo pronunciation impatiently.

"YOU'RE ragging on MY accent?" Arthur was peevish. "Have you heard your English, buddy? Holy HELL…"

There was a grumpy silence between them. And then Reeves sighed, "Look. I'm just trying to end of a good note here, OK?"

Bullock rolled his eyes. "I get that. But there's no need to be all dramatic about it… We're not exactly friends, ya know…"

That actually bothered Arthur. That statement. For many years Bullock had been the only person in the police department he could turn to. The only cop in town he trusted. Reeves and Gordon were on bad terms, so he'd always gone to Harvey. They had worked together many, many times over the years. Bullock had had his back against Gordon and Mayor Hill more times than he could count. And yet…

Sure. They weren't FRIENDS. They weren't friendly guys. But… well, Arthur wasn't the type to have friends. In his universe, people like Bullock – allies, he supposed – were the closest thing he HAD to friends.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Ya, well. Thanks for all the times you had my back. We've seen eye to eye on a lot of stuff and I've always appreciated your help. And well… Sorry I threw you under the bus a couple of times by betraying your confidence. I know you weren't happy about it. But that stuff needed to be said."

Bullock was dismissive. "MEH…" He wasn't a goodbye person. Especially with MEN. Jeez.

"You're the only cop I could count on, Harv. Good luck to you."

And with that Arthur turned around and walked away.

Harvey could hear his shoes on the tile…

Awkwardly, he said, "Hey, Artie. Sorry for all the punches, eh? There were a couple you didn't deserve. I'm pissy like that."

Arthur stopped and looked back…

And then they both walked away. Harvey refused to say anything else. He'd admitted he'd been wrong at some point and that was all Reeves was getting. He hated awkward moments of FEELING, especially goodbyes. EESH…

---

Firefly landed offside to catch his breath. This battle was INTENSE.

And then he heard a soft ticking sound… Hmm?

"Do you hear that?" He asked himself. "Yes, yes, I do." He answered.

He wandered over to where the sound was coming from. Hmm…

He lifted some debris and underneath he discovered an enormous detonator.

The digital screen on it read: 9:07… 9:06… 9:05…

"UMMM…" Firefly stood up straight. "People? … People?"

---

Tim, Ally and Summer were all running around the staircases like headless chicken. They were panicked and there was absolutely no way out. Everywhere they ran they just popped up somewhere else randomly, unable to ever actually escape.

It was like the caucus race… or any other danger in Wonderland… Once you made the mistake of springing the trap, good luck ever escaping it!

"Damn you, Eddie Nygma!" Tim snarled, running out of steam.

---

Meanwhile, Edward and Ivy sat in the court room dozing off…

Riddler's hat had slipped down over his eyes. And it continued to slip further and further until it was down his nose… And as it rested for a long while on the very tip of his nose, irritating his nose and tickling him…

ACHOO! He sneezed. The violent reflex fortunately snapped him back.

For a moment he looked around, very confused. An empty courtroom? He'd been in many courtrooms over the past few years, but…

UH! He suddenly remembered where he was and how deadly it was to fall asleep. If he hadn't been jarred back to the present by a sneeze he'd… He didn't even want to THINK about what would have happened. He was a very, VERY lucky little Eddie. Yikes!

He turned and saw that Poison Ivy was snuggled up against him.

Ed smirked and watched her sleep for a minute. She was cute. When she wasn't being a total psycho bitch, of course.

He shook her, "Ivy." Hmm… She was too far gone to be woken normally.

He felt awkward about HURTING her… He didn't feel BAD, per say… Just awkward. He didn't like it or something. He wasn't a brute, after all. Violence wasn't exactly his thing.

But he slapped her across the face nonetheless. The sound cut the air.

Nothing. HMM… He'd seen the idiots burning each other… Too bad he didn't smoke. That sketchy detective probably carried a lighter. His clothes smelt of cigar smoke. Blah.

He had dropped her back in the glade. That had worked. He could crack her across the back of the skull. But he was weary of that idea for some reason. Probably because it was DANGEROUS. Duh.

Hmm… He decided to look around the courtroom. Maybe the king had left that mallet. That annoying, annoying… Ah, there is was. PERFECT.

"Sorry, Red. I'm sure you'll forgive me when you realize you aren't DEAD." He braced himself to strike her leg. He hoped he didn't break anything. But he really needed to give her a good smack.

CRACK! The mallet connected and Ivy screamed in pain. Wide awake now.

"SORRY." Ed cowered, seeing her crazy coming out. (Never let your crazy out all at once, he'd always teased his fellow mental patients.)

Ivy snarled dangerously, springing to her feet… but then she realized she couldn't really walk very well. UH OH.

"I had to wake you. You were entranced. You fell asleep and were brainwashed." Ed said quickly, awkwardly.

Ivy scowled, "Where's the charismatic, confident ladies man, Eddie?"

Edward paused and was suddenly self-aware. OH. He was coming across as a real loser right now. Like the original Edward that nobody liked. Right. It was time to pull back up the Riddler persona. Show that sexy smile and dazzling wit… right?

Eddie cleared his throat, "Listen, Ivy. We can't just sit around this courtroom. We'll fall under the spell again and next time I may not be able to snap us out of it."

"So what do you suggest?" She hobbled forward bitterly.

"I suggest we keep moving around and hope someone defeats the Joker. If we can hold out long enough I'm sure the Cape Crusader will deliver. He always does, after all." He added the last part rather bitterly.

"Unless he's succumb to this virus." Ivy smirked darkly. "I'd HATE to think the one time Batman fails and dies is precisely the time we NEED him to win."

Ed smirked back. "Come along, my dear. We can only cross the bridges we come to, hm?"

He took hold of her and started to help her walk. He didn't have to. He could just leave her behind. But he didn't want to. He would stick with her. Hopefully they could keep each other awake.

She limped along. "My face stings." She muttered. "Did you slap me?"

Ed whistled innocently. And then he cleared his throat, "Did you think I'd START with the mallet? I mean, REALLY, Ivy. I am a gentleman."

"I wonder what happened to the others?" Ivy struggled through the heavy oak doors with her hurt leg.

"Know not, care not." Ed said quickly and cheerfully. "HMM…" He looked down the long, long hallway of doors. "Let me see…"

"What?" Ivy frowned.

"Well, Ivy, my sweetheart… my pretty red rose…" He faced her.

"WHAT, Eddie?" She skeptically raised an eyebrow at him.

"How are you at slaying dragons. Hm?" He smiled handsomely.

---

Tim stopped to catch his breath. "Where is it?" He wheezed. "Where-"

And then the black dragon tore right through all the staircases simultaneously. It blasted everything in its path and it broke its way into their space. It was far larger than they'd ever envisioned. The whole place crumbled from the massive eruption…

The three Gothamites all began to freefall… The scene was obliterated…

They saw the glowing, flaming eyes of the monster above them. They heard it's hideous, monstrous screech… the way dinosaurs in movies sounded…

They kept falling in slow motion… Watching the debris fly in darkness…

Tim realized they were going to land on their backs and probably-

And then they hit the ground hard. It hurt like hell.

The boy just lay there, dazed senseless and staring up. He slowly realized there was another white ceiling over him as there had been before. Things seemed normal again.

He blinked and slowly remembered himself.

"Everyone ok?" Ally asked groggily.

"I'm ok." Summer whispered.

"Me too." Tim sat up slowly. OW. He was sore. What the hell?

Ally rolled onto his side and said to Tim seriously, "So was there anything on the bottom of my shoes? Ya know, like… anything yucky?"

"ALLY!" They heard Summer's disgruntled voice.

Knox smiled and jumped to his feet. He then courteously helped Summer to her feet. "That was really close." He stated the obvious. "I'm glad we didn't die."

"You've mastered the understatement, Ally-boy." Tim said flatly.

They were in another hallway. But this one only had one doorway. A very large revolving door.

"We don't want to go through there." Summer frowned. "We'll get separated for sure. We'll all shoot out at random probably."

"It's the only way out." Tim shook his head. "We've got to. Even if it means getting separated."

"Let's try for the same compartment, at least." Summer suggested hesitantly.

They all held onto one another and tried to enter a section of the wheel.

"No, no." Tim pulled away. "The sections are too small. There's no choice. Hopefully I'll see you on the other side."

And with that he quickly went through.

Summer grabbed Ally tightly around the middle. "I don't want to get separated." She was frightened.

"I like you too." He smiled fondly.

The joke helped calm Summer. Ally Knox had always had that affect on her. She turned to him sadly, "I hope you get your brain back, Ally. You were so savvy once. I liked you."

Ally gave her a squeeze around the waist. "I'm happy either way."

She shook her head tiredly. He'd always been such an upbeat guy. She loved that about him.

"Ok…" She said. "Let's try to enter the same section. If we squeeze together as tight as we possibly can… we should be able to stay together, Ally…"

"You used to call me Alex." Ally said in that random way of his.

She blinked, "What?"

"It was this unspoken thing between us. I kept trying to get you to call me Ally, but you evasively kept calling me Alex all the time. It was more formal and professional, I guess. You've always been uptight like that."

Summer looked very surprised. "You remember that?"

He shrugged. "Ya, I guess."

She shook her head, "Well, you're definitely an ALLY. I see that now."

There was an awkward silence. And Summer cleared her throat, "Tim might be waiting over there… Let's try this…"

They coiled around each other as tightly as they possibly could. The scandalous position actually made Gleeson blush. Fortunately, Ally was oblivious in his cheerful, Wonderland way. So it was ok.

"We shouldn't need excuses to hug." He said absently.

Summer was red in the face. "Ok. Ready?"

And they squeezed tightly into the section. She buried her head in his chest and they started to turn… and turn… and turn…

"Woah. We need to get out." Ally felt sick. But they were SO squished.

She was hiding her eyes in his shirt. "What are the odds of getting out where Tim got out?"

After a moment, they forced their way out of the spinning door…

Ally hit his knees and threw up.

"That's… very… attractive… Ally." Summer was disgusted.

"Sorry." Knox looked miserable. "Between the crazy stairs and this spinning… BLAH… I've always had a weak tummy for the dizzies. I was always car sick as a little guy."

Summer looked around gravely. No sign of Tim Drake.

"We've lost Tim." She was monotone.

Ally wobbled to his feet. "I love fun. I really do. But let's not do that again."

She shook her head. "You were so hyper and childish bouncing around here… I figured you'd love this stuff and be all addicted to it."

Knox shook his head. "I dunno. I'm losing my nerve, I guess."

"You're starting to remember things. Like childhood car sickness. And working with me… and… There may be hope for you yet."

Knox rubbed his face, groggily. "There's this terrible nervousness that keeps looming over me. I try to ignore it, but it keeps coming back. I think it's the dragon. I know when it's nearby."

"Why? Do you feel it right now?" And then she froze, "OH NO."

"What?" He looked at her seriously.

And then he felt it too. He froze and tried very hard to LISTEN.

"Do you hear that?" Ally frowned.

Summer didn't hear anything. She just looked anxious. She FELT it.

And then Ally motioned to a puddle on the tile nearby. "Look…"

The water was pulsing. Every few seconds there was rippling on the surface. It would freeze and then ripple… freeze and then ripple… As though…

"Something's coming." Summer realized.

"We know EXACTLY what's coming." Ally stepped back gravely.

The vibration got worse… more noticeable…

"Which direction?" Knox wasn't sure where it was coming from. Where should they run? It was impossible to tell what was happening!

"Do you think it's killed anyone yet?" Summer's voice broke. Her eyes were wet. They didn't know where anyone else was. Maybe it got Tim!

And then they heard the first THUMP. And things really vibrated. The lights hanging from the ceiling shook!

THUMP.

"Where's it coming from?" Knox asked intensely.

THUMP.

"Ally…" Summer backed up nervously.

THUMP.

"ALLY!" She grabbed him.

---

Killer Moth landed beside Firefly. "What's wrong?"

"Well…" Firefly pointed to the bomb. 9:03…9:02…9:01…

"BOMB, PEOPLE!" Killer Moth roared at the top of his lungs.

Everyone froze and stared at him. It was almost comical to freeze that chaotic battle. Super villains, killer mutants, killer plants, killer rats…

"NINE MINUTES!" Killer Moth announced loudly.

Everyone stopped fighting and started fleeing like MAD!

"Why does nobody listen to ME?" Firefly sounded sulky.

And then he clicked the button on his wings again for some music.

Appropriately, the theme for Final Countdown began to play melodramatically.

---

Batman and Batgirl were attempting to crawl through the ventilation shaft to end up BEHIND their attackers in order to take them by surprise and neutralize them. It was the best plan they could come up with…

They waited for the right moment and then silently dropped behind their enemies and brainwashed allies…

Harley Quinn turned around a fraction of a second too late. A cord flung at her and she was instantly hitting the ground, tied up. AH!

Clock King dodged the cord coming for him. He jumped behind a pillar and tried to quickly reload his revolver.

Mayor Hill dropped to the ground, also tied up. His crowbar clanged loudly as it hit the tile. He looked dazed and confused.

Gordon and Montoya started firing.

Batman hurled a batarang and knocked Montoya's gun out of her hands. The uniformed officer charged at Batgirl and engaged her in hand-to-hand combat.

A second batarang had come at Gordon, but he'd managed to dodge it and take cover. He and Clock King continued to fight on, firing on the bats.

Batgirl needed to take cover or she'd get shot… but Montoya wasn't about to let her… This was CRAZY dangerous all over again! AH!

But then the front door burst open.

And most unexpectedly… A little boy with a black pot on his head, swinging a fire poker walked into the room arrogantly. Followed by a nervous looking young man in a bucket hat…

"Fall on your knees, mortals! Klarion the Witch Boy has come to defeat you! Surrender now or be destroyed!"

---

Note: Thanks for reading! Not sure how many chapters it will take to finish this story. If you want more, please review and let me know you're reading. :p