Chapter 1: The Road To Arkham

Here is another story for those of you out there! This is a story about... well, Young Justice. It's kind of a story with a Batman: Arkham Asylum vibe, but it's still my story. It has a few elements from good ol' Batman: Arkham Asylum (hence the title of this chapter), but with my own concepts. The story follows the same structure as Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth; Joker and a bunch of other crazies create a riot in Arkham. The main objective? Stop them.

Now this prologue? Well, I have to say this: it is based on the prequel comic Road to Arkham; ALL OF IT. One of the few similarities.

I would also like to note that Zatanna and Rocket are not in this FanFic. This fic does in fact happen after Wally's broken arm mends, though, so he could be in this story. Other than that, I really don't care about the timeline.

Well, enough of my talk. Time for the Disclaimer:

I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE, BATMAN: AA, A SERIOUS HOUSE ON SERIOUS EARTH, OR ANYTHING ELSE. I merely own some of the concepts in the storyline, besides that? Zip! Zilch! Nada!

The Road to Arkham

GOTHAM CITY

November 24, 8:09 PM

Batman and the Joker were in the Batmobile. Batman had just captured him, and was escorting him to the Gotham Bay.

Hardly any traffic tonight, which is good. The faster I get to the Bay the better.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" the Joker kept chanting, much to the annoyance of the Dark Knight.

I'd been hunting the Joker for nearly two months. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the Earth. It's good when he's quiet—but not that quiet.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we—"

Crnch!

"Mmph!" Joker let out in pain. Batman had clocked him in the face with the back of his hand, knocking him out instantly.

I'd heard he'd gone back into the chemical business, but the clown's had a lot of time to make mischief.

Suddenly, a voice came through the radio in the Batmobile, "Master Bruce, how goes your transportation of the Joker to Arkham?" It was Alfred as usual.

"Fine," answered Batman, "Inform Commissioner Gordon that we'll have the Joker at Arkham in fifteen minutes. Has the Team made it there yet?"

"Affirmative," he replied before continuing, "This has been the third criminal mastermind that you've brought in this month. Are you positive Arkham has any vacancies left?"

"There's always a room ready for the clown." Bruce deadpanned; his frown grew grimmer.

Alfred sighed before stating, "Master Richard and the rest of the Team are awaiting your arrival. Are you sure you want them to go through with this, Bruce?"

"It's only a simple transportation mission, Alfred," Bruce assured. "They'll only be escorting Joker to the Intensive Treatment Center — they'll be able to handle this." Although Batman was assuring Alfred, there was a hint of… bother in his voice.

Alfred finally took notice of this. "Is there something bothering you, Master Bruce?"

"All of these arrests were the result of anonymous tips. What's the chance all three would pan out? It's too… clean."

"Is there a connection?"

"They all came from the same source. Someone with deep ties to the criminal underground. Someone who wants to clear the playing field."

"Who do you think is the most likely candidate?" he asked, "It could have been anyone — though, you've pretty much captured and locked away everyone."

"Someone's behind it," Batman said before continuing, "Remember the first tip? Police found it in Doctor Sarah Cassidy's office after her abduction. It led to the old County Hospital… Zsasz had taken her there for an unscheduled surgery."

—

Zsasz had Doctor Cassidy strapped to a surgery stretcher, savoring the moment as he prepared to kill her.

"Remember how you poked and prodded my brain at Arkham, Doctor?" he whispered in her ear, rubbing her flowing auburn hair gently. He grabbed a scalpel and moved it to her forehead, laughing as he saw her squirm—tears and sweat drizzled down her cheeks— he was ready to kill her. "I thought I'd return the favor."

Tap-Tap-Tap

"Hm?" Zsasz turned around startled, hearing the sound of footsteps.

"Had I gotten there any later—

He turned to see Batman, who delivered a swift punch to his face.

—he'd already have cut a new notch on his skin."

—

Batman continued, "I had taken Zsasz by surprise—and he wasn't happy about it. Can't say the same for the next one…"

—

"… This tip came in the form of a test tube left anonymously at Police Headquarters. There was a note attached. The vial was to be given to me. I wasn't surprised to discover the test tube contained a colorless, odorless fear gas, similar to Scarecrow's previous toxins—but even stronger."

"So strong that a few molecules of the compound got through my vacuum seals and affected me. It took all my willpower not to succumb. The questions were—could I come up with an antidote before he struck? And who would be his target?"

Later

He had finally found them.

CRASH!

Batman crashed through the glass window, having finally found Scarecrow and his hostages. He quickly took down Crane and provided an antidote to his hostages.

"Not surprisingly, it was Jonathon Crane's state-sponsored psychologist. Crane detested others psychoanalyzing him. But by that time I had the antidote, Crane was finished… though he wasn't acting that way.

"What are you going to do, Batman?" Crane taunted, ignoring the fact that he was being hand-cuffed, "Send me back to my cell? Is that going to make everything nice and calm again? Or maybe this is only a prelude to utter chaos."

—

"I still wonder who could have gotten close enough to Scarecrow to get a sample of his gas," Batman said aloud to Alfred.

"What about the fact that Crane and Victor Zsasz attacked their doctors? It seems like a pattern of some sort."

"Ahh…" Joker groaned, he was finally beginning to wake up.

"Except the Joker broke it," Batman reminded. "He went after the Mayor."

—

"The police received the 911 tip only seconds before the assault."

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, if anyone wishes to address me or the council on city business—" the Mayor of Gotham City began, before he was rudely interrupted.

"I do, I do!" chirruped a voice. "It's come to my attention, Mister Mayor, that there's a paucity of parking spots designated for clown cars. I tried to park in handicapped, but they said I wasn't sick enough. Can you imagine?" The voice turned out to be none other than the Clown Prince of Crime himself!

"G-good heavens!" stuttered the Mayor, "Someone get the police!"

Joker pulled out a vest from a bag, it was grey with black straps. In the middle were three chemical cartridges: one containing red chemicals, the other containing white chemicals, and the last one containing blue chemicals.

"Why, Mister Mayor, you look like you could explode." joked the Joker as they kidnapped the Mayor.

Later

Joker and his men had wrapped the Mayor around a satellite antenna, a bag over his head, and the vest Joker had earlier around his chest.

"Just think—one push of this button, and all those chemicals will mix together to create one big bodacious burst of patriotism! You'll light up the sky Mayor!" laughed the Joker with great excitement . He had a detonator in hand, and was ready to start the fireworks at any minute now—he checked his watch, Batman still hadn't arrived. "Drat! I was hoping he'd be here by now. Guess he's not the patriotic type."

Suddenly, a Batarang was sent flying into the detonator, destroying it.

"YAAAH!" Joker yelped, surprised by the sudden Batarang.

The vest was then cut off the Mayor, it began falling towards the thugs, one was quick to react.

"Izzat him?!" he yelled flailing his semi-automatic into the air, sending bullet caps flying everywhere as he shot bullet after bullet at what he thought was Batman.

It was actually the vest! The containers broke as he shot them and the chemicals mixed! It caused an enormous explosion!

KABOOM!

Everyone of Joker's thugs were knocked off their feet by the intensity of the explosion.

Batman was gliding from the antenna, having saved the Mayor before he fell to his death.

"I have had enough of this city! I QUIT!" yelled out the Mayor in all of his anxiety.

Batman didn't have time to listen to him, he had to take out Joker, who was escaping via parachute.

"HAHHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed the clown as he descended to another building—his laughing was haltered however—Batman came down through the parachute, landing on Joker's back in the process.

"AAEEII!" Joker yelped in pain. He had lost once again.

—

"Actually, it was one of the easier takedowns I've had lately," noted Batman.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." smiled Joker mischievously.

"Think you can I.D. who made the 911?" he continued speaking to Alfred, ignoring the Joker.

"I will try sir, but you do know that all these tips could be unrelated?"

"Maybe, but my instincts still say it's one person."

—

Batman and Joker had finally made it to the Bay. He could see the Team waiting for them.

"Oooh, you got me here safe and sound, Batsy. And before my curfew. Daddy will be so pleased. Maybe he'll let us go out again."

Batman again ignored Joker again. He was too busy thinking. It's all too easy, Batman thought to himself, this night… these arrests… Something's off.

—

In Arkham Asylum

"Is everything ready? Are you in?" asked a voice through a walkie-talkie.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm in," replied the voice, obviously a woman. She looked at the many security monitors and mechanisms—from here she had complete control.

"Well, now all we can do is wait. For his arrival.."