Though he had expected to receive some sort of acknowledgement from the man responsible for his appointment to the symbol of Gotham's inability to save itself, John Dustin was still surprised by the contents of Penguin's email.

For while he had expected the avian obsessed crime lord to applaud his efforts in a manner that couldn't be traced back to him, case in point being that he had used an obviously fake, and probably nigh intractable email address to send him a message, the middle aged widower was caught off guard by the unmistakable order that was otherwise hidden in the message.

Dear John.

We're all happy with the progress you've made during the initial stages of your therapy. And we hope that you continue to receive the help in recovering from what is understandably a...unpleasant time in your life.

You've already taken the important step by acknowledging you not only need help, but that you have to do most of the work yourself. So to that end, I will provide you with some advice on what you can do next.

When you feel that your beginning strain under the stress of your circumstances, the best thing to do is sit down and have a cup of tea.

I'm sure that one of your... group members would tell you the same thing, but in case they don't, just wanted to alert you to that fact.

Anyways, hope your week will be as successful as the last. But keep in mind to take things slowly. Always found that one's progress can be set back if you don't take the time to consider all the angles of your plan.

Sincerely Robin Blackbird.

Of course that email had deleted itself as soon as he read it, but he understood what Penguin was getting at.

He was pleased with the death of ZSASZ, and wanted his next target to be someone whose craziness was perhaps as dangerous as the Clown Prince of Crime.

Which meant that he would have to do some thinking on how to best remove the man, if he could even be called that anymore, in a way that didn't cast any suspicion on himself.

For his actions had already attracted the interest of the ineffective child endangering vigilante. And since he wanted to destroy as many monsters as possible before he got caught, preferably after he had avenged his family, he would have to tread very carefully.

Which is why he would seek help from perhaps the only lunatic in Arkham who could not only help him achieve his aims, but could also perhaps be willing to accept the blame for his actions.

The problem was, what was the best way to go about getting their help without drawing the suspicion of the Bat?

...

Humming a tune that many would be shocked to hear coming from a violent lunatic, though her mental facilities were far above those who described her as such, the red haired villainess barely looked up from her gardening magazine as she addressed the man who had begun to prune Arkham of its most diseased growths.

"Well well well. Look who it is. The new guy. Got any apples today? Gotta be careful. While it is true what they say about keeping the doctor at bay, I doubt its valid if you over indulge. Especially if you accidental consume the seeds".

Smiling as her words caused the new prison guard to halt his movements, Ivy rolled her eyes as the murderous mammal did what most males did when caught with something they had tried to keep secret.

Act like nothings wrong.

"Is that a fact Doctor Isley? Well, I'll make sure to stick to one a day then".

Laughing at the man's attempt to appear ignorant, though she noted that he acted like he had expected this conversation to happen, the red haired villainess quickly sported a smirk as she proceeded to let him know that she knew what he was up to.

"Oh I don't think you have the stamina…or the balls, to repeat your actions more than once a week. Especially since using the same methods might result in you taking some time off at Blackgate".

Having expected the man to either angrily deny the accusation, or just walk away, Poison Ivy found herself surprised by the response she received.

"Which is why I thought it best to seek the advise of someone with both the intelligence and track record I need to ensure my success. Especially since I suspect they may be tempted by what I have to offer in return".

Eye's narrowing in suspicion, for this was not the first time men had sought to flatter her, Ivy kept her tone flat as she sought to clarify what she could benefit from this gender flipped version of Silence of the Lambs.

"And what can a man like you possibly offer a woman like me"?

And with a smile that was sincere, albeit on the blood thirsty side, John Dustin told her.

…..

Though his current stay in these dreadful facilities ensured he lacked access to his preferred brands of relaxation, the diminutive man nevertheless looked forward to the part of the day when his jailers rewarded him for his 'good' behavior.

Of course they would never trust him with the materials to concoct his own liquid creation, and ruined the flavor by using styrofoam cups instead of proper china, but in Akrham, beggars couldn't be choosers.

But instead of being comforted/disgusted by the first sip of the hot liquid his jailers insultingly enough called tea, the violent criminal, for the first time in what felt like decades, felt a degree of clarity that most had assumed to be impossible for a man like him.

However, this new feeling of sanity came with a cost.

For the first time since he had undergone his 'transformation', he experienced an emotion that greatly surpassed his disappointments in failing to recreate that special day.

Hundreds, if not thousands of innocent lives had been ruined, if not outright lost, because of his inability to accept that he would never be like anyone else. And thousands more remained at risk so long as child sized body continued to draw breath.

Knowing that his new sense of guilt could vanish at any moment, which would result in him continuing his madness once he escaped the confines of this woefully inadequate facility, the theme obsessed villain waited for the guard to leave before frantically embarking on his quest to find redemption.

For while the staff at Arkham had done what they could to ensure that their…guests couldn't escape down the one venue that was beyond even the Bat's ability to pursue, they had a tendency to underestimate the creativity of their more driven patients.

Something which he intended to prove once again.

Albeit in a manner that no one could have predicted.

And the last thing Jervis Tetch thought before taking that final step into oblivion, was that his death would result in the following headline.

MAD HATTER FINALLY FINDS THE RIGHT RABBIT HOLE

…

ANNNNNND that's done. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Took a while to find the right motivation/character to have as my next 'victim' but pleased with how it turned out.

Must admit, the Mad Hatter wasn't orginally going to be the second choice, but after re-reading the story where he kills one of the few women in Batman's life who he geniuely likes/revealed his secret to (The Ukranian Pianist) felt the need to bump him off.

Also, pleased to see that I am not the only author on this site who has a simmilar idea regarding 'Superhero' justice. Highly urge you all to read the Venom (2018 film) story where he forms his own crew XD.

And just as a warning, at this point, don't feel like bumping off the joker, at least for a while. Recently saw the new film, and gotta say, it makes you feel for the guy. Much more than the killing joke since it is much worse than 'A single bad day can change your life'. So for now, the Joker isnt going to be harmed anytime soon til my emotional state gets over that film XD.

Anyway, please review. No flames.

Til next time.