"Good thing Bruce has two fucking planes," Jason says sarcastically. "I mean, it'd be downright disgraceful if he only had one."
Dick smirks, shaking his head. "Well, he does have billionaires of dollars at his disposal."
"Lucky bastard," mutters Jason.
A snort bursts from Dick as he guides the small plane over the waters bridging the gap between Gotham and Arkham Island. The sky is cloudy, giving them cover as they make their way towards the island.
Observing his brother, Dick is rather surprised with how…at ease Jason seems to be, considering their destination. But it soon becomes clear to Dick that Jason's humor is there only to conceal his true anxiety. It's subtle, but the physical hints are there. The stiffness in his movements, the slight favoring of his right leg, the way his eyes continue to revert back to the miles marker, keeping track of how close they are. Dick wishes he could somehow calm Jason's mind, but he knows nothing he could say would do so, so he stays silent.
Dick reaches out, pressing one of the cockpit controls in front of him. He glances at a screen, reading the numbers there. "We've got sixty-three seconds until we hit the outer air sensors of Arkham's security." He presses two more buttons, and a message reading AUTOPILOT ENGAGED lights up the center screen on the instrument panel. "The plane will turn north in forty-three seconds and head back to Wayne Manor, where Alfred will remote land it."
"Seriously, Alfred has the best butler job in the world," Jason says. He picks up his Gotham Knight helmet and tugs it over his head. "I've got the DPVs set to go. You ready?"
"Course," Dick replies with what he hopes looks like a confident smile. He stands and steps away from the pilot's chair, pulling out a small underwater respirator. Together the two make their way to the side door of the plane.
"Maybe you should make a helmet of your own, Dick," says Jason. He stoops and picks up two diver propulsion vehicles, handing one to Dick. "Then you wouldn't have to bother with the respirator."
"And hide my good looks?" replies Dick. "Pass." He throws a smirk Jason's way and secures the respirator over his mouth.
Jason laughs and hits a large button on the wall in front of them. The side door slides out and to the left, revealing the dark night before them and the waters below.
For the slightest moment Jason is frozen, staring at the distant outline of Arkham Island. Then he shakes his head and steps forward. "Let's go, spandex boy," he says. He tosses his propulsion vehicle through the opening and jumps out after it, forming a perfect dive into the water below.
Throwing his own DPV out of the plane, Dick follows, hitting the water only seconds before the Batplane above them turns north and begins its flight back to Wayne Manor.
The two boys retrieve their equipment easily enough and swim to each other's sides. Silently, they turn so that they're directly facing Arkham Island. Then they dive below the waves.
Dick keeps an eye on an electronic band on his wrist as they descend through the murkiness. The moment the counting numbers on the band show that they're reached a depth of twenty-five feet Dick holds his hand out, signaling to Jason. Now below the reach of Arkham's underwater scanners, they turn on their DPVs, allowing the propulsion vehicles to pull them through the water. Normally they simply would have swam to the island on their own, but time is too much of the essence for them to not use the assistance.
They make it to the shore of Arkham Island in ten minutes. Keeping low as they surface, the two boys eye the beach for any guards; it looks fairly deserted.
"You're right," Dick murmurs as he pulls off his respirator. "This curve on the northern part of the island isn't very well guarded." He tugs his DPV closer to him but winces suddenly, clutching at his left arm.
Concern flashes in Jason's eyes. "You okay?"
Dick grimaces. "Yeah. It's fine."
"Your burns –"
Dick gives a quick shake of his head. "They're bandaged. And Alfred gave me the strongest painkillers we have. I promise, I'm fine…as long as I don't jump out of anymore planes."
Jason doesn't look convinced. But he doesn't argue further, and together the two make their way up the beach. Keeping low and to the shadows, they hurry to a massive cluster of boulders that are piled up against the slope of the cliff leading to Arkham Asylum. Hiding their DPVs amongst the rocks, they pause, tilting their heads back to stare up at the looming cliff. The wall of the cliff seems to be made up of mostly embedded rock slabs, with the occasional tree roots jutting out and twisting themselves down to the sandy ground below. Despite the seemingly smooth wall, Jason walks forward, studying it with a critical eye. He moves a little deeper into the cluster of rocks…and then disappears into the wall.
Dick blinks in surprise. "Jason?"
Half of Jason's armored body reappears, and Jason waves his hand impatiently. "Come on."
His brow creasing, Dick goes over to where Jason is, and then his eyes widen in realization. There is a narrow opening in the cliff wall, but it's cleverly hidden by a simple illusion. By standing back and staring at the wall as a whole, it looks as though all of the rock slabs are one. But if one positions themselves in the right position, they are able to see that in actuality part of the wall curves outwards, leaving space enough for a small opening. It is impossible to see from all but one exact angle. Impressed, Dick squeezes through the opening and follows Jason inside.
Jason's flashlight is already on, and Dick flicks his on as he enters, holding it out to examine the low ceiling and close walls of the tunnel they're standing in. He looks over at Jason, who stands completely still as he gazes into the beckoning darkness.
Dick frowns. "Jason, how did you know this was here? I thought you had never left…that room."
Jason is quiet for a long minute. He shifts uncomfortably, as though debating whether or not to answer. Then he lets out a low sigh. "I spent most of my nine months in that room," he answers softly. "But one night Joker and his men brought me to the northern beach, using this tunnel to get there. Joker must have paid off some guards to clear this area, since no one came when the screaming began." He pauses. "I was forced to watch as the Joker gutted one of his men right on the beach and dumped the body in a shallow pool. Then he held my head in the bloody, intestine-filled water for what seemed like hours afterwards."
A beat of silence follows, with Dick unable to say anything in his horror.
Jason swallows. "I always wondered why he had bothered bringing me out here to do that when he could have just as easily have done it in the room." He fidgets with his flashlight, turning it over in his hands. "I think he wanted me to see Gotham. It had been a new moon, and the sky had been so overcast that not one star was visible. The only light there was came from Arkham's security gates from up on the cliff…and from Gotham's shoreline."
Jason's voice trembles as he continues. "Seeing those tiny lights in the distance…knowing that there were people out there who knew nothing about what was happening, that Bruce was out there, and you, and Alfred…" The words die on Jason's lips, and he takes a moment to compose himself. "It was the worst feeling in the world. That was Joker's whole point. All of Gotham was right there, only a few miles away, and here I was, completely alone." He sucks in a shaky breath. "I made sure to remember what that beach and the opening to the tunnel looked like. It was burned into my memory forever, out of a desperate hope that maybe I could use that information someday to escape."
Tears well in Dick's eyes as he steps forward and places a hand on Jason's arm. "I'm so sorry, Jason," Dick whispers.
Jason's jaw tightens, unable to speak within the wake of the emotions consuming him. His hand twists around his flashlight, and he finally straightens. "We're wasting time," he says tightly. "We should keep going."
Dick hesitates, not yet releasing his hold. But then Jason shrugs him off, and Dick is forced to let the matter go.
With Jason leading, the two of them head down the tunnel, forced to go single file due to the closeness of the walls. The tunnel is fairly straight, and after a while it begins to curve upwards before eventually turning into crudely carved steps. At the top of the staircase is a wooden trapdoor built into the ceiling of the tunnel. Jason jams his elbow into it, breaking it free from years of dirt and mold, and pushes it open.
The boys climb up through the trapdoor, entering what was once a small storage room. Dust and cobwebs have long taken hold of the place, and the shelves are empty of almost all the cleaning or medical supplies that must have once stocked them full.
Jason pushes open the storage room's door and leads Dick out into a hallway. With only the beams provided by their flashlights to see by, the two continue on. They go only a few yards before coming upon a massive pile of dirt and plaster choking up the entirety of the hallway, leftover from some kind of cave-in. Broken ceiling beams frame the mess, which Jason gives a half-hearted kick to.
"I guess we found where Bruce sealed off the damn place," mutters Jason.
Dick glances at a door to his right. "Whatever room is behind this, I'm wondering how long it goes. Maybe it stretches far enough alongside the debris pile that we could make a hole in the room's wall on the other side of the wreckage and get to the end of the hallway."
Jason shrugs. "It's worth a shot, I guess."
Dick reaches out and grasps the door's handle. He gives it a hard shove, breaking the door free from the moldy doorframe. The old wood creaks loudly as its swung open, groaning in protest from being moved after so long. The sound sends a chill up Jason's spine, and a sudden twinge of dread sparks inside of him.
"Jason?" Dick turns, looking back at Jason questioningly.
Jason flexes his fingers, trying to ignoring the faint throbbing in them. "Yeah," he says. "Yeah, I'm coming." Gripping his flashlight tightly, he follows Dick into the room.
/
"Stay close, Robin," says Batman.
Robin nods, glancing about them for any signs of movement as the two proceed towards Arkham's main Secure Treatment Transfer Room. They had been walking for a while now with a disturbing lack of interruptions, from either Arkham security or Joker's men. If Batman seemed unnerved about it, he made no comment of it to Robin.
Together, the two turn a corner, and then freeze at the sight before them. Sprawled throughout the hallway is about ten security guards, all lying motionless. Blood pools out from beneath the bodies, and their limbs fan out at awkward angles in their stiffness.
"Crap…" Robin mutters, kneeling down before one of the men. He places two fingers to the man's throat in vain hope, but there is no pulse to feel. Swallowing, Robin glances up at Batman, who is scanning the hallway with his heat sensor.
Batman shakes his head. "I'm picking up no body heat signatures," he says grimly. "They're all dead."
His expression grim, Robin reaches down and unclips the security tablet and electronic access card from the guard's belt. He straightens and scans the card into the tablet. "Maybe I could do something with this," he says. The tablet blinks to life in recognition of the card and pulls up various files for Robin to choose from. He opens up the security codes file and begins to type on the touchscreen. "If I could rewrite the codes in here, maybe I could trip the system by sending in a foreign set of codes, like a virus. That might help weaken whatever firewall Joker has up right now."
"Do it while walking then," says Batman. "We have to keep moving."
Robin nods, not taking his eyes off of the screen as he follows Batman down the corridor.
Batman pushes the door open at the end of the hall, going in first to check the room before allowing Robin to enter. They walk only a few feet before pausing, staring in confusion at what is before them.
They're in the Secure Treatment Transfer Room, but it's completely empty. There are no guards lying dead, no Joker men waiting in the shadows…only a large, iron mobile security cell hanging in the center of the room. Dangling from massive chains about a foot off of the ground, the cell looks to be at least nine feet in height, and five feet wide. From what Batman and Robin can tell, there is no movement within it.
Cautiously, the two walk further into the room. Then the room's door swings shut behind them and immediately locks itself. At the same moment, the security monitor attached to the far wall comes to life, revealing an ecstatic Joker.
"Bats! What took ya so long?" Emitting a gleeful chuckle, the Joker looks at Robin. "Heya kiddo! I was hoping you'd be tagging along. We all know I just can't get enough of you birdies."
Batman clenches his fists. "There's no escape, Joker," he growls. "I will find you."
Joker laughs. "I'm counting on it! Just not yet."
There's the sound of loud gears turning from within the hanging cell. Batman and Robin snap their heads to watch as the door to the cell creaks open and a large, clawed hand grasps the edge of it, pushing it open the rest of the way. A massive foot steps onto the floor of the room, followed by the body of something neither Batman or Robin has ever seen.
In some ways, the thing looks similar to a human. It has arms, legs, and a head, and it stands upright. But that's really where the similarities stop. Its pale, discolored skin appears bumpy and warty – almost diseased – and the enormous muscles encompassing the creature's body are unevenly distributed, giving it more weight on the right side of its body and even furthering its disfigured look. Protrusions that look like bones stick out through the skin all over its body, clustering for the most part along the spine. Glowing green eyes swivel about the room until they finally land on the only two figures in sight. Letting out a furious roar, the creature takes a heavy step forward, shaking the ground beneath its feet.
"Oh-ho!" Joker cackles. "Watch out there, Dark Knight and Boy Blunder! He's a big one!"
"What the heck is –" is all Robin can sputter out before the creature rushes right at them. The two immediately shoot their grappling hooks into the ceiling and propel themselves over the creature, which slams into the wall behind them.
Roaring in anger, the creature turns and swipes at Robin, but he easily ducks the swing, pulling out a smoke bomb as he rolls out of the way. He throws it at the creature's eyes and the bomb explodes, blinding the thing momentarily as Batman flips into the air and delivers a hard kick to the creature's head, snapping it back.
The thing snarls viciously and charges once more at Batman and Robin, but the two dodge to the sides of it and simultaneously kick it in the back, throwing it forward. It slams into a glass wall sealing off the room from a small chasm made for the air conditioning system, and the glass cracks at the sudden impact. Batman repeatedly punches the creature in the face, smashing the back of its head into the cracking glass over and over. The creature then swipes out his arm, knocking Batman off of his feet and sending him flying at least fifteen feet.
Running forward, Robin brings up his bo staff and smashes it down on the creature's head. The thing stumbles back at the impact, but it recovers quickly and reaches out a large hand, enclosing it around Robin's waist. Robin raises his bo staff as he's hoisted into the air, jamming it down into one of the thing's eyes.
Howling in pain, the creature fails to notice Batman as he rushes forward and slams his shoulder into the it's stomach, sending it reeling back. The heavy body slams into the glass wall – completely shattering it.
Millions of shards explode backwards in an earsplitting crash, and the creature begins to fall into the opening behind it, its hand holding Robin swinging out dangerously. Robin rips his grappling hook from his belt and shoots it upwards, attaching it to an overhead pipe. But the creature's arm not holding the boy flails about wildly and hooks itself onto the rope, tearing the entire device from the Robin's grasp.
Batman immediately shoots his own grappling hook around the creature's waist and tugs hard. The creature is jerked forward, but at the same moment it reflexively opens its hand, releasing Robin.
A small gasp of surprise is all that emanates from the boy as he plummets into the chasm, disappearing from sight.
"Robin!" shouts Batman. He immediately rushes towards the shattered wall, but before he can jump after Robin the creature throws itself forward, regaining its balance and swiping its arm at Batman. Batman dodges to the side and pulls out a Batarang, aiming for the thing's head.
Suddenly, the creature chokes and staggers forward, clawing at its chest. Moaning grotesquely, it stumbles about for a few seconds before falling forward and collapsing at Batman's feet.
For a stunned moment, all Batman can do is stare at the motionless form.
"Well!" comes Joker's voice. Batman spins around to see Joker looking mockingly shocked from his place on the security monitor. "That was unexpected, wasn't?" He rubs a hand across his forehead in an exasperated-like manner. "Note to self: need stronger test subjects. Speaking of…where has little Boy Blunder gone?"
Terror leaps in Batman's chest as he turns back to what is left of the glass wall. He sprints forward, picking up his grappling hook as he runs. Please no. Not Tim. God, please no.
The Joker's dark chuckle echoes out from the room's speakers. "Now, now, Batman, let's not get our tights all in a pinch. I'm sure the boy is alright. Why don't you let me find him, while you take care of the rabble?"
The door to the room opens, and eight Blackgate prisoners come streaming into the room – heading straight for Batman. Batman continues to rush towards the open chasm, but as he jumps into the air a large hand grasps his ankle, yanking him back. He crashes to the floor with a heavy thud, the impact knocking the air out of him. Eight faces loom over him, all grinning maliciously.
"Place nice, kids!" the Joker exclaims. The video feed cuts out.
"Alight boys," one of the prisoners says. "Let's have some fun."
Batman reaches for one of his Batarangs. "Sorry," he snarls. "I'm not in the mood for games."
Another prisoner laughs. "We'll see about that."
Gritting his teeth, Batman leaps to his feet and takes out one of the men with his Batarang. The other prisoners rush forward, fists raised and shouts of exhilaration spouting from them as they join the fight.
In the distance, laughter echoes faintly through the asylum's halls.