Road to Arkham City
"Mary get up," Strange ordered.
"No," Mary moaned, not moving from her bed.
"Get up right now, or I swear I will use a stun stick to get you up," Strange threatened. Mary sighed and started to move away her blanket.
"Alright, alright." It had been many months since the Arkham Asylum incident and things hadn't changed terribly much for Mary. She still hadn't been outside since the Asylum incident (for which she had spent four weeks in solitary confinement for her escape attempt), she was still living in her cell, and she was still imprisoned. The only thing that had changed was Professor Strange's treatment of her. He'd been letting her out of her cell occasionally, had been giving her certain patients files to read and study, and had even given her clothes other than her prisoners' uniform: a pair of black pants and a black long sleeved button up dress, both cotton and probably very cheap, but both well and truly hers. A small part of her felt she should be grateful for his somewhat kinder attitude toward her, while another, larger portion of her said he was trying to Stockholm Syndrome her into becoming his lackey.
"What is going on Professor?" Mary asked once she'd brushed her hair and tied it back with a black ribbon.
"Transfer to Arkham City," Professor Strange explained. He quickly opened her cell door, Mary following at his heels. They stopped in the main lobby and Mary sat on a bench attempting to keep herself entertained while the Professor attended to last minute business. A while later, Strange approached Mary, his hands behind his back. "I believe this may help you in you studies," he stated, handing her something. Mary's face lit up upon realizing what it was.
"My book!" she squealed, reaching for it. He pulled it away at the last moment and gave her an expecting look. She sighed and murmured, "Thank you Professor." He smiled and handed the book to her and she wasted no time smelling it, running her hand over its hardcover, before she opened it and started to pour through its pages with glee.
"What is it about that book that intrigues you so much child?" Strange inquired.
"It's my favorite book," Mary stated, not looking up from her book. "It is a book full of fairy tales, fables, and nursery rhymes, and it is from this book that I quote the nursery rhymes that I use to describe people. Plus, it was a gift from my brother and is the only thing I have of his."
"And the Doctors at the Asylum did not want you to have this because–"
"They believed allowing me access to this book would encourage my use of my abilities," Mary cut him off. "And I assume you giving me my book means that you hope to do the opposite."
"Glad to see you understand Mary. But," the Professor said, covering Mary's book and forcing her to look at him. "I would like to explain my point of view: you are not mentally unstable. Your abilities simply make you volatile and difficult. However, by encouraging use of these abilities and helping you to use and discipline the use of them will make you much more stable." Mary looked at him and nodded. Professor Strange smiled and removed his hand from Mary's book, which she immediately turned back to. There she stayed for a good while until the Professor deemed everyone ready.
"Come along Mary," Strange said and Mary got up and into the awaiting black car with tinted windows, nose still buried in her book. Strange got in after her, the doors locking after him, and the car started. Mary finally took the time to look up from her book when she realized where she was.
"We are… leaving the Asylum?" she inquired.
"Yes," the Professor replied and Mary nodded slowly in understanding before she brought her book back up to her face in an attempt to hide her smile at finally leaving that dreadful place. The car quickly navigated the dark and rocky roads of Arkham Island and made its way into the city streets, making Mary put down her book.
"Wow," Mary whispered, gazing at the surrounding skyscrapers, bright streetlights, bustling shops, and shiny cars and trucks that made up downtown Gotham City. Strange smiled.
"It is something, isn't it?" Mary nodded in reply not taking her eyes off of the city. They eventually drove up to a towering walled enclosure that reminded Mary of the Dark Castle in her book and couldn't help but feel her heart stop as they crossed the bridge and entered. The door closed behind them, the car stopped, its doors unlocked and Mary got out, looking back at the closed door with a disappointed expression.
"You will help me with psychological analysis of the inmates of Arkham City whenever I require it and you will join me for meals. All other times you will be confined to you room or, if you are on good behavior, allowed to certain rooms and areas under the supervision of the TYGER guards," Strange stated, starting to walk away.
"What areas am I allowed to visit while on good behavior?" Mary asked, following him.
"The observation deck, the Security Control Center, the Tower Foundations, and the library." Mary froze.
"The Library?" Mary repeated, unsure that she'd heard him correctly. She moved forward tentatively. "Am I on good behavior now?" she asked carefully. The Professor sighed.
"Very well. I'll leave you to the TYGER guards."
"Thank you sir," Mary said and walked over to a TYGER guard. "I would like to go to the Library." The guard nodded and began to escort Mary to the Library. After wandering through the halls of the facilities, the guard opened a door, let Mary in, and locked the door behind her, no doubt keeping guard outside. Mary looked at the room she was currently in and gasped. She spun around, gaping, unsure whether she was dreaming or not. Books. So many books. More than she'd ever seen in her entire life. Carefully placing her own book down in an old fashioned cushioned chair, she raced off to see all the books. They weren't fictional books like the ones she'd read when she was younger, but nonfiction books about history, psychology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, philosophy, business, politics, and so much more. In other words, books on things adults did in the real world. Shrugging to herself, Mary opened a book and started to read. For hours and hours, she poured through volume after volume, storing all the information in her mind for potential use later. Philosophy made her head hurt, and she hesitated before picking up the psychology books, but she read everything she could get her hands on, knowing that the more knowledge she obtained, the more prepared she'd be for whatever came her way. Several hours later, a knock interrupted her studies.
"Miss Noble, Professor Strange wants me to collect you," a TYGER guard called and Mary sighed, closed the book she was reading with a snap, and got up, taking her own book with her. The guard then led her up to the Security Control Center, where the Professor sat at a table, already eating the chicken set out. Mary sat down and put her napkin on her lap like the Professor had taught her, and carefully served herself and began eating.
"Did you enjoy the Library Mary?" the Professor inquired. Mary nodded.
"I did indeed sir. I hope that I will be allowed to use it again."
"As long as you behave." Mary nodded and the two finished the meal in silence. Once the dishes had been cleared, Mary elected to stay in the Security Control room to get used to her surroundings. As she walked toward the window, a ray of bright light hit her face, making her flinch and back away. She looked back to see something shinning through the clouds, high in the sky.
"What is that?" Mary asked the Professor.
"What's what?" he inquired, not looking up from his files.
"That?" Mary said, pointing to the bright shiny thing in the sky. The Professor glanced up at where she was pointing, sighed agitatedly, and replied with, "It's the sun."
"The Sun?" Mary murmured.
"Yes." Mary looked at it and swallowed.
"Can I… go outside?"
"Very well. Just don't bother me and don't fall over the edge." Mary nodded and wandered out onto the balcony, and into the sunlight. She folded her arms and placed them on the railing, turning her face up toward the sky and closing her eyes as she absorbed the sunlight. So this was what the sun feels like, she thought. It's so warm… and bright… I forgot that it was possible to feel like this. She slowly opened her eyes and started to take in the view of the city. Wayne Tower pierced the smog in the distance along with many other buildings that towered. Hundreds of cars sped across the roads below, reminding Mary of ants she used to watch on the sidewalk when she was free. She turned to look over Arkham City, the helicopters keeping close watch over the inmates below. The Professor probably feels like God, sitting so high above the normal people, thinking he's better than all of them, Mary noted. She looked to the coast and a strip of land in the distance caught her eye.
"Is that Arkham Island over there?" she asked Professor Strange, leaning a little farther over the edge.
"Yes," Strange answered back shortly and Mary felt like hitting her head against the rail. All those years in that accursed prison and when she finally left… she could still see it from her new living space.
"Come along Miss Noble. We have much work to do," Strange ordered. Mary took one more look at the view from Wonder Tower, before she sighed and turned her back on the sight of the outside world and made her way back into her gilded cage.