To Barbara, the most intimidating feature of the asylum so far were the hallways. They seemed designed to miles, and she imagined that navigating this building every day must be a nightmare for those who worked and lived there. It hardly seemed therapeutic. If anything, it probably induced terror in damage minds. Eventually she decided to ask Dr. Quinzel about it and raised her hand.
"The house was built by Elizabeth Arkham, whose husband, Jeremiah, was an arms contractor." Dr. Quinzel explained. "She believed that the ghosts of those killed by the the bullets her husband built were haunting her. She constantly made additions to the house in the hope that the twisting layout would confuse evil spirits. This actually made it much simpler to convert the house into a mental hospital after she died. "
Barbara felt a bit uncomfortable as they continued the tour of the building in relative silence. Dr. Quinzel had an unsettlingly cheery attitude that clashed dramatically with their surroundings. She had a bright, cheerful smile and an upbeat tone of voice that didn't seem to belong in a building devoted to madness.
Another figure in a white coat approached the class, a clipboard tucked under his arm.
"This is Dr. Cavendish, one of the head psychologists here at Arkham." said Dr. Quinzel.
"Thank you for introducing me Harleen," said Dr. Cavendish. "I don't have too much time to spare, but does anyone have any questions for me?"
Helena's hand shot up. "Are you the guy who replaced the Scarecrow?"
Cavendish frowned. "If you're referring to Professor Crane, yes. I did replace him, and he is actually one of my patients now. I'm afraid I can't say anything more on that subject."
"He seems like a happy." Babara turned around to see Dick looking down at her. It was an unusual sensation, since she was always used to looking down on him. The boy had climbed atop a bust of Amadeus Arkham when nobody was looking.
"Better than Quinzel, who looks way too happy to be here."
"I think I read that she's the one assigned to looking after the Joker. Maybe his charming personality has rubbed off on her."
"I hope not," said Barbara. "And get down from there, monkey-child."
Dick smiled petulantly. "Make me. You know what they say, you can take the boy out of the circus..."
"This whole building was built to ward off ghosts. You can't just go climbing around on it!" said Barbara in a harsh whisper.
"Says who?" said Dick, his boyish grin growing wider.
Suddenly, Helena yelled, "Mrs. McGillicuddy, Grayson's climbing on stuff again!"
The teacher gave Dick a stern look and he reluctantly descended from his perch.
The class continued on the tour. They came to a cross-shaped intersection in the hallway. At the end was a foreboding gate with heavy industrial locks.
"Over there is the maximum security wing," explained Dr. Quinzel. "That's where we house the patients who are deemed likely to escape and pose a danger to themselves or others. We won't be going though there, for obvious security reasons."
A couple students sighed simultaneously in disappointment. A stark frown grew on Alberto's face.
"Now, over here is the recreational center," Dr. Quinzel continued. "Here patients exercise and relieve stress."
They kept walking, and eventually even Barbara found herself getting bored. Quinzel's disconcertingly upbeat attitude made it hard to care about anything she said. The intern had a tendency to sugarcoat some of the darker sides of the asylum, making the whole trip feel like a perverse theme park rather than a mental hospital.
Suddenly, there was a loud, booming sound, followed by alarm klaxons. Red light filled the halls and a hushed wave of panic descended over the students.
"There's no need to worry," said Dr. Cavendish, desperately trying to reassure the students, if not himself. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure security has this under control. They deal with this kind of thing all the time."
As if on cue, the sound of terrified screams rang out from across the building, only slightly muffled by the thick walls. The students huddled together in a corner and waited. Nobody dared venture away from the group. They stood in silence for a few minutes, their inner thoughts drowned out by the alarms. Then they heard the laughing.
It was a laugh everybody had heard on the news. A throaty, high-pitched laugh. There was something almost alien about it. it lacked the emotion and mirth usually associated with laugher. The laughing grew closer and closer until a gaunt man with pale skin and green hair approached. he held a switchblade in his right hand.
"Hiya, kiddos!" His perpetual smile held the same emotional depth as his laughter. "I'm pleased to say your field trip just got a lot more interesting. The fun has arrived."
In the corner of her eye, Barbara saw Dick trying to slip off unnoticed. He had avoided the Joker's gaze so far, Barbara held onto a fleeting hope that he might make it. That hope was shattered when a man with bandages covering his face grabbed onto Dick's collar.
"Hello, Richard." His voice was muffled by the bandages, which strained as his lips moved.
"He-hello Dr. Elliot." said Dick, his voice lacking his usual confidence.
"Please, you can call me Tommy, like Bruce does. Or like the newspapers, you could go with 'Hush' or 'the Identity Thief Killer'. Take your pick. I don't really care. Names and faces are meaningless these days."
Hush pulled Dick along and pushed him in with the rest of the students. The boy shot a disappointed look towards Barbara.
More men wearing Arkham's maroon jumpsuits emerged out of the shadows. She recognized them all from the news, her Dad's files, or personal experience.
Harvey "Two-Face" Dent had torn his jumpsuit to shreds on one side, but left the other immaculately cleaned and pressed in an attempt to reflect his scarred face. The former district Attorney was flipping his trademark coin in the air and muttering to himself. An assault rifle, presumably taken from one of the guards, was slung across his back.
Jervis Tetch, a small, ratty man who believed himself to be the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland stood next to Dent, a .38 revolver in his hand. Atop his head was a comically large green top hat.
The largest man had to be Waylon Jones, a.k.a. Killer Croc. The massive man's skin condition had been altered by some sort of mutagen, leaving him looking like more of a reptile than a man. He gnashed his needle-like teeth at a handful of students, who cowered in fear.
The last member of the escapee was wearing an unfastened straightjacket. The long sleeved torn at the end by the scythe-like claws the man was wearing. Jonathan Crane, psychiatrist turned psychopath, was hidden behind a burlap sack wrapped around a gas mask.
"I assume you recognize most of us from the news and whatnot, so I'll skip the introductions." said the Joker. "Thank to a well-placed explosion and Dr. Crane's fear gas, we are pleased to present an... interactive element to your educational experience. Today you all get a first-hand look at the psychological dynamics of hostage situations. Sound like fun?"
Nobody spoke and the Joker chuckled to himself.
Please," stammered Dr. Cavendish. "These students mean nothing to you. Let them go, and the Police will be more willing to negotiate."
"Shut up." murmured Hush. He aimed a black pistol at the psychiatrist and fired.
Barbara's ears rang. She wasn't used to hearing gunfire up so close in such a confined area. A trickle of blood emerged from the hole between his eyes as his corpse fell to the ground.
"He always was a terrible doctor. I'll miss him." Mock sadness filled Joker's voice as he had to keep himself from giggling. He ultimately failed, and cackled like a hyena for a good twenty seconds straight.
Mad Hatter slipped between the student, unnoticed in the commotion, and snuck up behind Artemis. he ran his fingers through her golden hair, prompting her to gasp.
In a raspy voice, he said, "ShE iS mY aLiCe. ShE mUsT cOmE wItH mE."
He pulled her by her ponytail. At first she struggled until he pressed his pistol into her cheek. He dragged her into a staircase and shut the door behind them.
"In my professional opinion, it is for the best to allow Mad Hatter to act on his own." said Scarecrow.
Joker shrugged. "We don't really need him anyway." the clown turned back to the student's and said, "Who wants to play truth or Dare?"
Barbara kept her eyes on the locked door to the staircase. After a few minutes, she saw a bright flash through the window and heard a gunshot.