Arkham Alliance

Chapter 1: Lock Down

"I'm out…"

"Yeah…me too…"

"I got nothin'…"

Two-Face pulled the pile of chips towards him as he laid out his hand. Two pairs. Riddler scooped up the cards and began to shuffle. It was another boring afternoon in the Arkham Asylum Rec. Room. Harvey, Edward, Jervis and Scarface were playing poker for the fifteenth time this week and Harley and Pamela were watching a chat show on the tiny black and white TV. Jonathan Crane was sat in the lumpy arm chair, snoring quietly. As the two guards watched over the room, Riddler dealt the next hand.

"This place is getting to be really dull, don't you think?" he said, handing out the cards.

"What we need is a nice tea party to liven things up!" suggested Jervis.

"I don't drink tea. Don't drink coffee either. I can't decide whether to have it black or white…" muttered Harvey.

At that point Harley tipped her head back and sighed.

"If only my puddin' were here. He'd know how we could have some fun…

"Well he isn't here is he!" snapped Poison Ivy. "He escaped two weeks ago and we haven't heard from him since. Good riddance I say…"

Suddenly Dr Crane snored loudly and woke himself up.

"What?! What did I miss?" he asked.

"Nothing…as usual…" sighed Edward.

The next morning, whilst the inmates were eating their cheap cereal, one of the guards came rushing in. He whispered something to one of the other guards.

"Alright everyone! Back to your cells, we're on lock down, effective immediately!"

"But I haven't finished my Coco Snaps!" moaned Harley.

"Take them with you! Just go! NOW!"

The guards ushered the grumpy crowd back to the cell block. All the doctors were rushing about, gathering documents and running into their offices.

"Strange…what do you think is going on Jervis?" asked Edward.

"Not sure. We don't normally go to lock down so it must be serious. Luckily I got to grab my morning tea before we left the canteen." Jervis slurped his tea loudly as he wandered into his cell.

Riddler rubbed his chin. What could be happening? Was someone breaking out? Or maybe they were breaking in?

Many hours passed and still no one told them what was happening. The asylum was quiet, too quiet. Edward pushed his face against the glass of his cell and tried to see if anyone was around. He saw no one.

"Hmm…perhaps I should go and take a look for myself."

He went over to his bed and lifted the mattress. Underneath was his Riddler cane. He picked it up and placed it against the door. He pushed a button on the side and it began vibrating, stronger and stronger. Soon the door was creaking and groaning. Suddenly there was a click, and the door swung open.

"Good thing I saved this. I was going to use it to unlock safes."

He grabbed the cane and waltzed off down the corridor. As he reached the end he peered round the corner. Still no guards. He reached Two-Face's cell.

"How'd you get out?" asked Harvey.

"That's my little secret. How about we go and find out what's going on?"

Harvey pulled his coin from his pocket. He flicked it into the air. It landed in his hand.

"Bad heads. Fine, break me outta here."

"What if it had been good heads?" asked Riddler.

"Then I would have kindly told you to sod off!"

Riddler typed in the password and opened Harvey's cell.

"What's the password?" asked Harvey.

"22222 of course…"

The two men wandered along the many corridors. At every turn they checked for guards but none could be found. Suddenly Edward spotted something. Up in one of the many offices, a crowd of doctors, nurses and guards were gathered around a TV.

"Must be something good on tele…" joked Riddler.

Harvey frowned and wandered over to the armoured door that led out of the cell block. He gave it a shove but it didn't budge.

"Locked. I guess they mean it when they say lock down…"

"Allow me Harvey!"

Harvey and Edward span around to see Harley and Ivy standing behind them. Then they spotted Jervis, Crane and The Ventriloquist coming round the corner.

"But how did you…" Riddler started.

"We have our ways." said Harley, winking at Ivy.

She went up to the door and took out one of her hair bands. She peered through the lock and then fired the hair band through the hole. The door beeped and opened. Harley went through and retrieved the hair band from the floor, beneath the door release button.

"You can thank Mr J for these!" she giggled, redoing her hair.

The group moved through the corridors until they reached the rec. room. They entered and Ivy quickly turned on the TV.

"…and this unannounced attack on Gotham city has been so far unstoppable. The military are attempting to deal with the army of robots that are steadily approaching the inner city. The robots don't seem to be killing. They are only capturing anyone they come into contact with and are then taking them away to a large vessel flying over the mountains to the West. We have not yet been informed as to what this vessel is or why it is attacking. Back to you in the studio…"

"So, some chump with a bunch a metal goons is attacking Gotham…big deal!" moaned Scarface.

"Mr Scarface…umm…sir…" mumbled The Ventriloquist. "Maybe now would be a good time to escape…"

"Quiet dummy! I'm having one of those things…an idea! I reckon now would be the perfect time to get outta here!"

"Log head's right." said Ivy. "Now would be the perfect time to escape!"

"Yeah…but what about all the stuff going on out there?" said Riddler.

"Don't worry!" said Dr Crane. "We'll soon scare them off…"

The gang of villains soon made their way down to the Arkham Asylum Confiscation Room. Here they found all their costumes and weapons along with a key to Ivy's car. Now that they were in their villainous disguises once again they all felt a lot happier.

"This is much better than that dull old uniform!" exclaimed Harley, checking herself out in the mirror.

"Come on. We need to get going before security turns up!" said Two-Face. The group made their way down to the Confiscation Garage where all the vehicles were kept. Ivy jumped in her pink car and everyone else squeezed in. Two-Face shot a hole in the garage door and they were off into the midday sun.

"It's good to have the wind in my hair!" said Ivy.

"Where are we gonna go Red?" asked Harley, playing with the radio.

"Let's go my place!" suggested Scarecrow.

"No! Let's go to mine!" growled Scarface.

"No way! Why don't we all go to my place?!" said Riddler.

At this point a massive argument broke out. Ivy slammed her foot on the brake and everyone lurched forward.

"Enough! We are going to my place! Anyone who wants otherwise can get out of the car…" screamed Ivy.

"…sure thing Red…" mumbled Harley, who had stopped playing with the radio.

Soon they all arrived at a massive botanical greenhouse. Thick vines were protruding out of smashed glass panes and there were strange flowers all over the inside. Ivy led everyone in.

"If you feel something prick you, tell me. You may not have long…"

Deep inside the greenhouse was a small clearing with some laboratory equipment. On top of one of the counters was a safe.

"What's in there?" asked Scarecrow.

"All the wonderful things I've stolen! Let me show you." replied Ivy. She went over to the safe and covered the dial as she entered the combination. She opened the door and turned to see everyone's reaction. They all looked stunned, apart from Harley.

"That's Mr J's handwriting! My puddin' was here!"