BATMAN: ARKHAM UNLIMITED
ARKHAM ASYLUM - MADHOUSE OF MONSTERS
A/N: Welcome to my first story in a series I'm planning called Batman: Arkham Unlimited. I chose the name because the main inspiration for the series comes from the Arkham video games but isn't going to be totally beholden to them. The Unlimited part refers to this. See the notes at the end of the chapter for more.
Also, this story is based on the Arkham Asylum game and the first chapter will look very familiar to fans but the subsequent chapters will be MUCH different.
Chapter 1
Welcome to the Madhouse
The sun had barely gone down behind the horizon when the Joker made his move. Within minutes City Hall was in chaos, people were dead and the Mayor was being held hostage, strapped to an antenna on the roof surrounded by enough explosives to send him straight to the moon.
Fortunately, Gotham's Dark Knight had been waiting for something like this to happen ever since the Joker had broken out of Arkham Asylum one month ago. It hadn't even taken a lighting of the batsignal, as soon as reports began broadcasting over the police band, Batman, who was already on patrol, swiftly made his way to City Hall to confront Joker. He managed to catch the Clown Prince of Crime off guard and was able to wrest the detonator away from him. Joker being Joker he'd had a second detonator on him but Batman was able to knock that one away as well with a well-timed throw of a batarang. Now the Joker was trussed up like a chicken, stuffed into the passenger seat of the batmobile as Batman drove to Arkham Asylum as fast as possible. It was a dreary night in Gotham, raining in fitful bursts, as if the weather was unsure whether or not it wanted to commit to a full storm. Batman didn't care one bit for the weather though; all it meant to him was that he had to exert a little more control than normal as he drove the Batmobile down the damp road to the Asylum. The Joker sat beside him, giggling and mumbling to himself.
"Stand back fool! I've got a bomb! Oh wait, he he…"
Batman grimaced. Normally he preferred to spend as little time in proximity to the madman but he didn't trust anyone else to deliver him to Arkham. Gotham PD may be much more respectable than when he first started out, but there were still a lot of cops that would happily kill the Joker, even if it meant going to prison.
As he drove, his headlights picked out a green reflective road sign that said, in bold capitals, ARKHAM ASYLUM, 1 MILE. WARNING: HITCHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPING PATIENTS.
It wasn't a joke. Arkham had a rather poor reputation for patients and prisoners escaping its walls. The new Warden, Quincy Sharp had undertaken an aggressive campaign to modernize and maximize the old Asylum's security (with healthy donations from the Wayne Foundation), but as the Joker's latest escape proved, even the best security system wasn't foolproof, especially against the Joker's particular brand of chaotic madness.
At last the Batmobile came to the single bridge that led to Arkham Island. Arkham Island was one of three islands located around Gotham proper, the other two being The Narrows and Tricorner. Being located on an island was supposed to make the facility harder to escape from. It did not.
As Batman drove closer to the Asylum, he saw that guards had already opened the gates for him; someone, likely Commissioner Gordon, had already let them know he was coming. He pulled the car to a stop outside the Intensive Treatment ward in the central part of the island and popped open the vehicle's canopy.
"Oh are we there already Bats? I was just getting to enjoy the ride. How many miles per gallon does this thing get?"
"Shut up," was the Batman's succinct reply.
He undid the Joker's ankle cuffs (one can never be too careful) and then shoved him towards the armored double doors that led into Intensive Treatment. They began opening even before the Joker collapsed to his knees before them. Inside the entranceway, Batman could see that there was already a welcoming committee waiting for them including Warden Quincy Sharp and a small platoon of Arkham guards, armed and armored.
"Hey there, Sharpie!" the Joker said, leering at the Warden. Quincy Sharp merely gestured at one of the guards, Frank Boles, who strode forward from the group to take the Joker from Batman's custody.
Batman hauled the Joker to his feet and shoved him forward.
"He's all yours."
"Yo Fran-kay! How's the wife and kids? Ya miss me?" sneered Joker.
"Shut it, Clown!" snarled Boles, grabbing Joker by the lapels of his purple, pinstriped suit. "A lot of people here really want to talk to you. So let's get going!"
At a gesture from Sharp, guards immediately hauled Joker into a mobile restraining chair.
"Really, I don't mind walking," grumbled Joker.
"Get that filthy degenerate out of here," Sharp commanded. Batman watched somewhat uneasily as they began to wheel Joker's gurney away. He'd been on edge ever since he'd caught Joker and he couldn't shake it.
"Warden, something's not right about this. I'm going with him," he said.
The Joker's escort, with Batman in tow, rolled him into the main hall of Intensive Treatment where spotlights where shone down on them from the guard tower in the center of the room.
"Heh heh, Sharpie loves his cameras, don't he? Hey Sharpie! You getting my good side?!" Sharp merely scowled at Joker.
"I want him securely locked away this time! Another escape and I will lose support for my Mayoral campaign!"
Batman glanced at Sharp as he said this. When he'd rescued the Mayor earlier His Honor had already said that he was going to get the hell out of Gotham. Batman figured that it was just adrenaline. Considering the election was getting close maybe it wasn't all bluster.
Batman considered Sharp; he was an older man that was a full foot shorter than Batman but still broad in the shoulders. He was dressed in neat pressed gray suit and wore a pair of thick square-framed spectacles. He was balding with a thin fringe of salt and pepper hair around the sides and back of his head. He carried a cane that had a transparent crystal top containing the Arkham logo inside it. Sharp didn't actually need the cane; he merely carried it as an affectation. All in all, despite his stature, Sharp looked every inch the politician. That was tempered with an ironclad resolve to protect Gotham from the super-villains and criminals that plagued it. It might be surmised that that would make for an excellent Mayoral candidate but Batman had been disappointed in supposed good men before. Harvey Dent and Ferris Boyle came to mind.
Still, compared to the current Mayor, Batman figured that Sharp would do much better than most and if he ever came up short, Batman and Commissioner Gordon would be there to pick up the pieces.
"Don't worry, Warden," said one of the guards, the only one in a regular uniform, "I have every guard on duty stationed here."
"I hope it's enough Officer North. For your sake," responded Sharp. "Joker is our most challenging patient. Curing him will cement my reputation."
Batman almost snorted at that. Joker had been treated by dozens of psychologists and psychiatrists over the years and they'd come up with almost just as many diagnoses for the madman. But if Sharp wanted to try, Batman certainly wouldn't stop him.
The guards wheeled Joker onto a lift that lowered down into Central Receiving.
"Ooh, look at all the extra security. How's a guy supposed to break out of here huh?" said Joker, aiming an extra-wide grin at Batman. Batman merely continued to stare at him. They then wheeled the Joker into the scanning tunnel that was used to detect if incoming patients had hidden weapons on them…anywhere.
"Tunnel's full! Start the scan!" commanded the voice of the Chief of Security, Aaron Cash, blaring over the facility's PA.
As the scanners whirred, Joker giggled, "You know, I always did prefer the good 'ole cavity search. Much more personal! Ha ha!"
Suddenly the lights blared red and an alarm went off.
"We've got a red light," came the voice of the operator, "Multiple prohibited items."
"I want Joker searched again!" demanded Cash.
"Er, it's not the patient, sir, it's… um…"
"Ooh, whadya sneak in with ya Bats? Come on, tell me, tell me! Batarangs? Bat claws? Bat-snacks?!" cackled Joker.
"Alright, get him outta there!" said Cash. The other end of the tunnel opened, along Joker and escorts to exit. Outside, Aaron Cash was waiting for them, assault rifle in hand.
"I want weapons on him at all times! Do not take your eyes off of him!" he commanded.
"They'll be time enough for you later Cash," said Joker menacingly, "Speaking of time: tick tock, tick tock, is that a crocodile I hear?"
Cash merely glared at the Joker, his left arm, which ended in a prosthetic hand, twitched slightly.
As they rolled Joker into the Transfer Corridor, Batman saw Arkham's Head Psychologist, Dr. Penelope Young, escorted by a pair of guards. Joker caught sight of her too and smiled at her with his demented smile.
"What's up doc? Pencil me in for Thursday. We have a LOT of catching up to do, heh he he he."
Batman didn't like the emphasis that Joker had put on that and he definitely didn't like how Dr. Young seemed to be cowering away from the Joker. But there was no time to stop and talk; the guards were wheeling the madman further onwards.
"Oh look! It's my favorite show!" Joker crowed as the flat screen monitors in the Transfer Corridor flashed to life, playing an orientation video featuring Warden Sharp. "I'm Warden Idiot!" said Joker, doing a bad imitation of Sharp, "You'll never escape! Blah, blah, ha ha ha ha!"
The Transfer Corridor was split in two by concrete pillars and iron bars and Batman saw that a second set of guards was escorting a small group of prisoners in the opposite direction, probably back to the island's penitentiary.
"Joker! Joker!" called one of them.
"We'll get ya out boss!" said another.
"The state of these Federal facilities I tell you!" piped up the Joker. "Why, my boys there could have been hurt in that unfortunate fire at Blackgate."
Batman's eyes narrowed. One week ago, a fire had broken out at Blackgate prison. It had been ruled as arson but the culprit had never been found. Since the Joker was at large, Batman was sure that he'd been behind it and now the madman had all but confirmed it.
The retinue stopped at the steel security doors at the other end of the corridor where more guards and an orderly were waiting.
"Just have to check your prisoner, Officer Boles," said the orderly cheerfully, an attitude that seemed pretty out of place in Arkham Asylum.
"Just hurry it up will ya?" grumbled Boles.
"Ok… hmm, seems the patient has suffered some contusions and lacerations, probably sustained in the last few hours…" The orderly leaned forward to examine Joker's left glove, which had been torn earlier in his scuffle with Batman and stained with blood. Batman was about to warn him to stay away when the Joker jerked forward and shouted "Boo!" into the orderly's face. The orderly jumped back with a yelp, which caused the Joker to howl with laughter.
"He's all yours, Officer Boles. Get him outta here!" snarled the orderly.
In Secure Transit, the party was held up as the elevator was in use.
"Alert in Intensive Treatment!" announced the PA system, "Category 9 patient in transit! Shoot to kill permissions granted."
Batman made it his business to know what Arkham's patient classification system was and there were only a few Category 9 patients in Arkham. Given how slowly the elevator was moving, Batman was sure that it contained only a single large occupant.
"Heads up!" said one of the guards, "We got another psycho on the way."
The elevator ground to halt and the lattice door slid open, revealing a massive bulk of green, scaled flesh.
"Croc old boy! Is that you?" cried the Joker happily. Killer Croc unfolded himself from the elevator, standing to his full nine-foot height
"He looks angry," whispered one of the guards. Croc cocked his head, taking great sniffs of the air.
"What's he doing?" asked another guard nervously.
Then Croc caught sight of Batman and his monstrous face, half-man half-reptile split into a gruesome grin.
"I've got your scent, Batman," he growled, his voice sounding like it came from some Netherworld demon.
"Power up the collar! Get that thing under control!" cried the guard who had let them into Secure Transit. Croc snarled and bowed as the stun collar he wore around his massive neck sent a jolt of electricity into him. The guards began prodding him to head over into the other corridor, away from Batman and Joker.
"Grah! A toy collar won't stop me from killing you Batman! I will find you! Eat your bones!"
"That reminds me, I really need to get me some new shoes," said Joker as Croc left the room.
Once they were in the elevator and heading down to the lower levels of Intensive Treatment, Joker stretched as much as he could in his secure gurney and grinned madly.
"Great night for a party!" he said.
"Not where you're going," replied Batman, sharply.
"The night is young, Bats. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. I mean, don't you find it just a little bit funny that a fire caused hundreds of my crew to be moved here from Blackgate?"
"I thought I told you stay quiet!" snarled Boles, leveling his rifle at Joker.
"Oh Frankie, you really should learn to keep that fat mouth shut. It could get you into trouble," replied Joker, his voice slipping into a menacing timbre he didn't normally use.
"Tell me something," Batman broke in, "You've never let me catch you this easily before. What are you really after?"
"Oh, not much. Hundreds dying in pain and fear, all their meaningless lives brought to a horrifying conclusion. All thanks to you and a book of matches. Was that the answer you wanted?" he said gleefully. Before Batman could respond, the elevator jerked to a halt and the lights blinked out, plunging them into darkness.
"What the hell just happened?" yelled Boles. "Get a light on Joker!" But just as one of the guards pulled out his flashlight, fumbling with it slightly because of the darkness, the lights came back on and the elevator jerked into motion again. Batman had Joker by the throat, holding him place.
"What? Don't you trust me?" gurgled Joker. Batman merely slammed him back into his chair as the elevator came to a stop on the floor they wanted.
The door slid open and they were met by a sour-faced guard who was glaring at the Joker in undisguised hatred.
"So… you're back. You killed three of my men when you busted out of here and if you give me even the slightest reason, I'll put you down as well," snarled the guard as they wheeled Joker out of the elevator.
"Only three? I'll have to try harder next time. What say we aim for a hundred?" cackled Joker.
They now entered the Transfer Loop and in the lobby they found Police Commissioner James Gordon, filling out some paperwork.
"Long night, Jim?" asked Batman of his long-time ally. Gordon glanced at the Joker and frowned.
"Hmph, between juggling SWAT Teams, the Mayor, the media and you… yeah it's been a helluva night."
"Hopefully the last we'll ever have with him," Batman said.
As they entered the Transfer Loop's patient holding area, one of the uniformed guards stopped them in front of the security gates.
"Sorry, Batman, Arkham staff only beyond this point."
"I assure, if anyone's qualified…" began Gordon but the guard cut him off.
"I understand but it's Warden Sharp's orders. He'll unsettle the more violent inmates."
"Don't be a stranger Bats!" called Joker as they unstrapped him from the gurney and hauled him away, "You're always welcome here. Gotta say, it's good to be back!"
As they watched the guard and a doctor take Joker away, Gordon noticed Batman's tenseness.
"Something wrong?"
"He surrendered almost without a fight. I don't like it."
"At least he's back where he belongs."
Joker meanwhile had stumbled to the ground, apparently having tripped on something.
"Get up!" commanded the guard, pulling on Joker's arm. But this was the exact opportunity that Joker had been waiting for. Joker snapped his head forward, head-butting the guard in the face. While the guard was reeling from that, Joker twisted around behind him, getting his arm out of the guard's grip and wrapping the chain of his handcuffs around the guard's throat.
"Joker's loose! Alert the Warden!" commanded Batman. He then slammed a mighty punch in the glass window separating him from Joker.
"Hurry, we're loosing him, doc!" cackled Joker as strangled the guard, the doctor trying desperately to loosen Joker's grip. Joker shoved the guard forward, unbalancing the doctor and then kicked the doctor right in the solar plexus.
"The choke's on you!" grinned Joker at the now-lifeless guard. Cackling and dancing madly the Joker pointed towards the security gate that led out of the holding area.
"Honey, I'm home!" he called and then the electric field that comprised the security gate switched off, almost as if Joker had willed it so. Batman finally crashed through the window into the holding area, but the electric field went back up just as he landed. The Joker laughed and said, "Welcome to the madhouse Batman! I set a trap and you sprang it gloriously!"
A/N: Now that we're through the first chapter, I feel there are some points that should be clarified concerning both this series and this story.
-As mentioned at the start, the subsequent chapters of this story will NOT be a 1:1 retelling of AA. In fact a lot of them won't even be from Batman's POV ;)
-This series is basically my attempt to spin my own little Batman universe which will borrow from many different works that feature Batman, such as the Arkham video games, Batman TAS, The Batman, Beware The Batman, some bits from the movies, some bits from the comics etc. ad nauseum. This series will even feature superheroes from outside of DC such as Iron Man and Spider-Man.
-I'm working on this series on the initial assumption of a 15 year timeline. For now, where Bruce/Batman is concerned he went on a five year journey immediately after graduating high school, studying abroad and learning martial arts, criminology and pathology and all the skills he would need, returning to Gotham at age 23. This story takes place in the fifteenth year of that timeline, making Batman 38. Perhaps that might be abit on the old side but... well he IS Batman you know. :) I've got a plan for the age thing that will come later. And that was how old Neil Armstrong was when he stepped on the moon.
And yes, I know it does make the implication in Arkham Knight that it's only been 10 years since Bruce became Batman. That's their idea, not mine.
-Having said that, don't expect every single major or relatively minor character to show up. Please don't whine at me if I don't include your favorite character, just because it's your favorite character doesn't mean it's MY favorite as well.
-As an addition to the above, I'm just going to state this here because I'm sure it's going to get commented on at some point anyway. And that thing is: Jason Todd and Stephanie Brown aren't going to be in any of these stories. At all. And no it's not because I don't like them or hate them or any of that. I just don't want to write about them. Honestly, I think Jason Todd is better as a dead example. And I actually did like when Stephanie became Robin... you know for all of about 5 minutes before DC reneged on that. :( I was on the fence about Damian but he actually will be showing up later on.
And of course I could change my mind later, who knows?
-This is a bit of an early spoiler but yes, that will mean that the Arkham Knight won't be Jason. I am STILL pissed that Rocksteady out and out lied concerning that.
-I think that's about everything I need to cover for now. Anything else will be expounded on later. For now, please enjoy the story. :)