*Chapter 3: Blood Ties*
"Are you now ready to talk?" Hugo asked, sitting across from Mia. He noticed that she hasn't touched her food they have given her. But she did drink her water. "I assume you lost your appetite because of Mr. Vanover?" Mia didn't say a word to him. "Let's discuss about your family. You lost your mother at age seven, and you were adopted by the McAdams. But you don't know anything about your real father, do you?"
"I'm not talking." Mia told him. "Leave my past and family out of this."
"Your adoptive father is in a wheelchair after the marines. His wife is a seamstress. And their son is a cop." Hugo said, bringing out the files. "And you become a nurse like you always wanted after you are-"
"You have been studying me a bit too much. But, you have studied others. Like Bruce? What else do you know?" Mia interrupted him.
"I know many things, Ms. Harlow. Before the incident at the asylum, I have been doing research. I spoke to Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter, to make me a device to mind control Quincy Sharp to have me in charge of Arkham City." Hugo said. Mia stared at him in shock. This was planned all along. "I want to wipe this city clean. I will be better than the Batman." Mia felt sick. Hugo is insane. From the beginning, he created Arkham City and the former warden was under his control to let him be in charge. Hugo will kill thousands of people in this prison. Some bad, some innocent.
"You won't get away with this, Strange!" Mia said.
"I already have." Hugo smirked. He stood up from his chair. He left Mia in her cell and lock the door. Hugo will speak with her again. The woman looked down at the meal she was given. It's cold. A steak. Mia wanted to use her fork to stab Hugo in the eyes, but she couldn't kill. Not again. Batman will come for her. He needs to get her out of here before Protocol Ten is activated in a few hours. Mia is very worried about Axel. She is praying that he is alive out there somewhere.
"Get back here, Harley!" Joker barked, making Harley turn back to him from trying to unmask Batman. Joker coughed a little, making Batman regain his consciousness. His head was hurting from Harley's blow. He is tied to a wheelchair.
"But I want to know who he is, sweetie." Harley said with a frown.
"No one's who you think they are, my dear." Joker told her with a grin. "Why spoil the fun?" How could he be fooled by this trick? Joker isn't really sick. What is his plan?
"It was all a lie." Batman commented. "There's nothing wrong with you."
"Nice of you to say, but..." Joker walked forward to Batman, revealing himself to the light. "You of all people should know... There's plenty wrong with me." His face looks different. His skin was riddled with boils and wounds, as if it was deteriorating away. Batman could tell that Joker doesn't look right. Maybe he really is sick. Joker brings out a bottle of his blood. "Take my blood for example. I wish somebody would... This stuff is killing me!"
"Why should I care?" Batman glared up at him.
"Because now there's a teeny little bit of me in you too, Bats." Joker laughed. Batman turned his head to the right, noticing the bags of Joker's blood injecting his. Joker's infected blood. "Oh, c'mon on. Don't tell me it's not what you always wanted." Joker commented as Batman struggles in the chair, but no avail. Of all the times like this, Batman had to be infected. Joker came towards his face. "Look, we're running out of time. I need your help. I nearly had the cure; it was so close and then it was taken from me."
"So, we both die." Batman spoke. "I'm fine with that." It hurts him inside when he said it. What would Mia think if she were here to see this?
"Are you?" Joker turned to him. "Imagine, sucking down that last breath, knowing that Gotham is doing the same."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, didn't I say?" Joker smirked as he sat on Batman's lap. "I've spent weeks shipping samples of my blood to emergency rooms all over the city." He stood up again and backed away.
"So that's Protocol Ten. Poison Gotham. I expected more." Batman said. Joker turned to him.
"Protocol Ten?" He gasped, pulling a face. His face fell. "Never heard of it." He leaned forward and whispered to him. "Hold tight!" He lifted his foot and kicked on the wheelchair as hard as he could, sending Batman flying out the window. "I'll be in touch!" Joker shouted, coughing a little.
XX
The ringtone is heard after the fall. Batman groaned and got on his feet, ripping the phone off his chest. He answered and see Joker's face on the screen. He glared at him.
"I'm listening." He said.
"Is someone feeling a little down?" Joker taunted.
"What do you want?" Batman asked, gritting his teeth. He looked up at the window where he fell from. It was now boarded up. He can't get back inside.
"Oh, Bats. Cheer up. It won't kill you. Oops." The clown chuckled darkly. Batman wasn't amused as usual. He is poisoned. He had no other choice but to help Joker get the cure for him and Batman himself.
"Where is the cure? Who has it?" He demanded.
"I had our cold-hearted Mr. Freeze making it. But he's gone dark on me." Joker replied. That explains why Harley ordered Joker's men to look for him. Mr. Freeze must've backed out at some point. But Batman will have to get the cure.
"I'll find him."
"I bet you-" Batman crushed the phone, not wanting to hear anymore of the clown. He took the hard drive from the phone and insert it in his glove. This night hasn't gone better. Mia will have to wait a little longer. Axel could be anywhere in this dangerous city.
"Alfred, Joker's poisoned me. He may have poisoned Gotham too. Mr. Freeze has the only cure." Batman spoke, looking over the water beneath him.
"What are you waiting for then? He's in Arkham City. Find him!" Alfred's voice said from the ear comm. Of course he's worried. "What about Axel? Have you found him?"
"No, but I am going to. And if only it were that simple to find Freeze. He'll be somewhere cold. He needs to be kept at sub-zero temperatures to survive." Batman replied.
"I don't wish to worry you, but it is the middle of winter out there."
"I noticed." Batman said, trying not to roll his eyes. It is December after all. He told the butler he calibrated the cowl to track heat signatures so he will find the coldest point in Arkham City. He is now scanning for the coldest point in this city to find Mr. Freeze.
"What do you think Penguin is gonna do to the kid? It's kind of funny to see a kid around here." One Penguin goon spoke. They are guarding the office, armed with guns. Batman made a look in his eyes when he overheard this. Axel was here, but taken. But where is Mr. Freeze? He is nowhere in sight. After silently taking down some of the goons, they are wearing the collars that Joker used from the asylum to alert Penguin. A man noticed he is alone and drop his weapon and surrendered.
"I give up! Look at me! I dropped my weapon. You don't need to hurt me!" He said, raising his hands. Batman grabbed him by the jacket and pin him against the wall.
"Where's Freeze? And where is the boy?" He demanded.
"They...they are in the museum! Penguin's got 'em!" The man said, frightened by Batman's angry eyes. Penguin's voice is heard.
"I'll have to cut that tongue out of your head, boy. I don't like people tellin' tales on me."
"No! I'm sorry, Mr. Cobblepot. He made me tell him." The man pleaded. Batman headbutted him to knock him out.
"You can 'ave him, Batman. I'm safe and sound here in my museum. Try and get me if you like. I've got plenty of surprises ready for you if you do, starting right now." Penguin said. The building started to shake.
"That doesn't sound good." Batman said as he started to rush out of the room.
XX
Batman stood on the rooftops by the old GCPD building and started to overhear Penguin and his men talking. Penguin got the bridge blown up. Some of Penguin's men are stuck on one side of the city so they couldn't go to the museum, but Penguin doesn't care. But he had to keep Joker's men out of Penguin's part of the city. A TYGER helicopter is over the destroyed bridge. Batman tried not to be spotted by one. He could hear the broadcast from the hard drive he took from the guard at the prison.
"It appears that Mr. Cobblepot has made his move." Hugo chuckled. Batman clenched his fists. "Leave them to it. It will be interesting to witness how things progress as we approach Protocol Ten."
"Affirmative. AT3, continue your patrol. Out." A man's voice spoke from the command center. Batman continued to get across the city to reach the museum. Axel and Mr. Freeze are kept prisoner. Penguin better not lay a hand on the boy. Time is running out, and Mr. Freeze must have the cure. Both Joker and Batman's lives depend on it.