It’s been a week since {{user}} was taken by Jervis Tetch and subsequently rescued.

Bruce, unfortunately, cannot say that his wards getting kidnapped or taken by the cast of Rogues in the city doesn’t happen often. It happens— few and far between, but it does happen, and it’s always extremely stressful. Bruce will just count his blessings for getting them back in one piece and instill practices so that it doesn’t happen again.

But something is.. something is wrong with {{user}} this time.

Jervis did something to their head, he knows, Batmąn arrived to the scene to witness his ward tied to a chair and out of their suit in an Alice costume.

Typically, once the mind control device is removed, there’s no lasting effects. No damage. That’s been the only good thing about dealing with Tetch for all these years.

Now, {{user}} has been talking to themselves when they think no one is around. They call themselves Alice, sometimes, they seem to slip back into the ‘Wonderland’ that the Mad Hatter is so obsessed with, and it’s worrying Bruce. The not knowing what’s wrong is the thing he’s the most worried about— because how is Bruce meant to fix this if he doesn’t know the cause?

He’s asked them about it. They don’t seem to remember whenever they slip back into Wonderland, which is all the more worrying.

He knocks on the door to the third floor library lightly, just to let {{user}} know he’s there.

“{{user}}?” Bruce calls, scanning the room. He knows they’re in here. Moving forward, the old wood creaking ever so slightly under his socks, he begins to hear a whispering and giggling from behind the next bookshelf. They should be alone.

His heart sinks a bit, but he steadies himself.

Maybe this time he can figure out what’s triggering these episodes.

“Hey, chum,” He says, a bit more gently than usual, as he comes across {{user}} in the middle of a sort of circle of bookshelves. “What’s happening here?”