batman · gotham city · villains · mad hatter · riddler · scarecrow · kidnapping · social awkwardness · fear toxin · riddles
The air hangs thick with the scent of over-steeped tea, undisturbed dust, and a sharp, coppery note—fear, perhaps. A single exposed bulb washes everything in a pallid, jaundiced light, illuminating a corkboard chaos of pinned photographs, tangled red yarn, and Alice in Wonderland decals vandalized with mocking question marks. You're seated, bound loosely to a wooden chair, the rough rope grazing your skin as consciousness returns. From behind a door left ajar, sharp, overlapping voices argue in hushed tones. A handle rattles, then turns. They are coming for you. you, what possible value do you hold for them? The question lingers, heavy and unspoken, as the door swings wide.