Chapter 1
The Batmobile popped over the small crest of the hill and then it was rocketing towards Arkham Asylum. The castle on a hill. The Asylum had once been the mansion home of the Arkham family, but in 1842, the mansion had been converted into an Asylum by Doctor Amadeus Arkham and served as not only Gotham, but the Eastern seaboards' primary mental facility. Though Amadeus had eventually taken his own place in the Asylum, the Asylum had remained the primary psychiatric facility of the east coast. Over the last decade, since the first appearance of the Batman, Arkham had become home to many of the, so called, super-criminals he fought.
As the Batmobile flew towards the Asylum, a spotlight from a police helicopter followed it briefly. Inside the Batmobile sat Gothams' Dark Knight, the Batman. Dark, tall and encased in body armour. He was stoic as he guided the Batmobile with and expert hand. He wasn't the vehicles only occupant as beside the Knight was a man in a crumple purple suit. A small laceration above his left eye allowed blood to drip down his unnaturally pale white skin. A mop of green hair sat atop his head. This individual was the Joker. Archenemy of the Batman. A bright, red grin was painted onto the mans face, though his actual mouth was not curved upwards in a grin. Occasionally he would let out tiny, barely noticeable giggles. As they pulled closer to the Asylum, they passed a sign warning against picking up hitchhikers. The Batmobile flew under gates bearing the name of the Asylum. The Asylum resembled more of a medieval fortress than it did a Victorian era mansion. The mansion made up the central part of Asylum, there was also the medical facility, the penitentiary and the intensive treatment building. There were also numerous guard towers and a ten-foot wall surrounded the complex on all sides. A large clocktower dominated the mansions face.
As the Batmobile skidded to a halt outside the intensive treatment building, a sheer army of guards emerged from inside the building into the heavy rainfall. The guards were all dressed in cheap, yellow raincoats. Coats that swiftly were becoming slick with rainwater. Leading the way came Commissioner James Gordon. He was dressed in a brown trench coat and held a walkie talkie to his mouth. He was no doubt reporting their arrival. A dark-haired doctor stood behind Gordon, taking cover from the rain under an umbrella. Next to them shouting orders to the guards was Officer Frank Boles, one of the senior guards. Boles was blind in his left eye, blinded by Two-Face during an escape attempt. Unseen by Batman, another figure watched them. This figure stood inside the Intensive treatment building. He stroked a small goatee beard between thumb and forefinger and watched as the vehicle halted. Eyes hidden between rose tinted glasses, he smiled. The Batman never failed to disappoint. He was right on time.
The canopy on the Batmobile popped open and the dark armoured Batman stepped from within and headed towards Gordon. A small smile flicked over the Commissioners face at the approach of the Batman; "Are you alright, Batman? I heard it was quite a fight."
"Actually," The voice of the Batman was deep, almost robotic, the result of a modulator. His eyes were a deep hazel, almost black; "It was easier than normal. His followers put up much more of a fight than he did."
Boles crosses to the Batmobile, handing his rifle over to another guard that Batman recognised as Sergeant Emily Parker, and roughly grabbed the Joker and hauled him out of the vehicle. A pair of hand cuffs restrained the clowns hands. Three guards approach carrying riot control poles and one by one the three poles were attached to the cuffs. One guard on each side and one to the front would keep the Joker under control. Boles took a half mask, that resembled Hannibal Lectors and slipped it onto the Jokers' face. Securing it tightly. The three guards escorted Joker across towards Intensive Treatment as Boles and Parker followed, keeping his weapons trained on Joker. Batman and Gordon fell into step beside the two guards. The doctor watched them for a moment and then followed.
Inside the doors of Intensive Treatment, the group was met by a tall, bald man in a dark blue suit. Blue eyes were framed by blue square framed glasses. The man's eyes only glanced at the Joker. He appeared to be more interested in the man that had brought him in. A brilliant but ultimately false smile flashed onto the mans face; "Batman! I'm the new Chairman of the Arkham board of directors, Quincy Sharp. It's an honour to finally meet you." He held out his hand, but when Batman made no move to shake it, he slowly closed his fist.
"You Sharpie!" Joker giggled; "Moving up in the world I see." Sharps smile faded; "How's the wife and kids/2
Sharps smile dropped; "That's Sharp to you!" He snapped; "Officer Boles, keep that maniac away from me!" He instructed. Boles nodded at the order as the guards moved the Joker passed the Chairman. The Joker made a move and attempted to lunge at Sharp. The guards jerked him away and Gordon moved Quincy away from him with an expert hand. Boles reversed his rifle and smacked the Joker with the butt of his weapon.
"Do that again and I'll put two in your fucking skull! Consequences be damned!" Boles cursed at the Joker.
Joker, groggy from the strike, giggled softly; "I'll keep your name in mind next time I break out of here, Frankie."
The guards lead the Joker deeper into Intensive treatment followed by Boles and Parker. Batman and Gordon hold back for a moment. Gordon shook his head; "Joker invades city hall and holds the mayor as a hostage. Leaving me to juggle the SWAT, media and you! What a night." He shakes his head again.
"Something isn't right." Batman remarked slowly; "It's not like him to go down so easily."
Gordon glanced at his friend; "You think he's up to something?"
Batman was silent for a moment; "I better stay for a while. Just to make sure." He steps forward to follow the Joker. Gordon pauses a brief second then follows him.
"You've taken him this far."
Batman and Gordon caught up to the group just as they moved Joker into a lift and the lift almost immediately started to descend. It takes a moment for the lift to reach its' destination, and the doors slip open with a small metal grinding noise. The three guards' lead the Joker out of the lift. Two other guards are making their way down the hall towards them, pushing a bed. Ahead of them walks a tall, bald doctor in a white jacket with small, circular glasses on.
"Batman, Gordon, may I introduce you to our new head of intensive treatment, Doctor…" Sharp begins, but the newcomer finishes his sentence for him.
"…Hugo Strange." He bows his head slightly; "My job here is to study and rehabilitate the more violent of inmates. Such as the Joker."
The Joker starts laughing under his mask; "I'd like to see you try, baldie!"
Batman heeded the clown no mind as he locked eyes with Strange; "You really think you can rehabilitate the Joker?" As the doctor and the vigilante converse, the guards remove the poles and start attempting to strap the Joker to the bed. Joker doesn't make it easy for them as he wriggles and thrashes. They eventually manage to get the straps locked into place.
"Isn't that why you keep bringing him back here?" Strange asked; "To get the help he needs?"
"Don't underestimate the Joker." Batman warned Strange; "You wouldn't be the first doctor to do so."
"I take it you mean Doctor Quinzel?" Strange asked, his chest swelled with what might have been pride; "I assure you; I am more of a match for him than she was." He spoke so confidently that Batman was sure he believed his own words.
"Speaking of Harley, where is she?" The Joker asked, it was a question that went unanswered as those gathered elected to ignore him. He cackled out a bray of laughter; "That little destruction monger would love this." The guards finally manage to finish strapping the Joker to the gurney and they backed away.
"Rest assured Batman, this madman will never escape again." Sharp promised with a determined tilt to his voice.
"If you don't mind," Batman spoke, "I want to escort the Joker to his cell. I would like to hear more about the Doctors treatment plan."
"Of course." Sharp nodded; "Jim, want to accompany me to my office?" He asked; "I have a twenty-year-old bottle of scotch that will warm you after that rain."
"Thanks for the offer." Gordon spoke, shaking his head; "But I'm going with Batman."
Sharp seemed a little put out; "To each their own." He looked to Boles; "Boles, take Joker to Intensive treatment." He looked to the dark-haired doctor; "Doctor Young, can I have a word?"
"Of course, sir." Doctor Young responded.
Without another word, Sharp and Doctor Young turn and head back into the lift. The doors closed and Batman could hear the wine of the motor as the lift began to rise back towards the surface. After a few seconds, the guards begin to push the gurney deeper into the asylum. Strange, Gordon and Batman fell into step behind the guards; "I'm glad you're coming along, Batman." Strange spoke.
"You've piqued my interest, Doctor." Batman spoke.
"Professor, please." Strange answered; "I'm a big believer in more experimental treatments."
"Electroshock therapy?" Batman asked.
Strange shook his head; "No, no." He was clearly disgusted at the suggestion; "Nothing so barbaric." He smiled; "As the world has advanced so has medicine."
"Advanced?" Gordon asked.
Strange nodded slightly; "It is a new revolutionary therapy that deconstructs and reassembles the psych of a patient. This forces a change in them by forcing them to face their greatest weakness."
Joker laughed; "I'll spare you the trouble, Doc. My greatest weakness is an enema." He giggled; "I know. I know. How embarrassing." He cackled.
"I would be careful, Professor." Batman warned; "Your ideas for weakness are similar to those of Doctor Crane towards fear."
Strange scoffed; "I am neither a narcissist nor a madman like the Scarecrow." He spoke the name of Cranes' masked alter ego with disgust; "My purpose here is to heal the ill, not make them worse."
The small procession entered a room at the end of the hallway and moved into a room that housed a scanner. A dark-skinned guard turned from the scanners controls and looked at the newcomers; "Got your paperwork, Boles?" The guard asked.
"Right here, Cash." Boles handed a brown envelope over to Aaron Cash. Cash didn't even bother to check the paperwork. He activated a red button with his left arm. You couldn't call it his hand. His hand had been taken by the Killer Croc during a prison riot years back. A metal hook occupied the area where his hand had once been. The guards began to push Joker into the scanner. Batman and Gordon followed the guards into the scanner and the door slipped shut behind them.
The scanner sprang to life, bathing the room in blue light as the beams took everything in. Suddenly the blue light flashed red and a voice from out with the scanner spoke; "Multiple prohibited items detected."
"I want Joker searched again!" The second voice belonged to Cash.
"It's' not the patient." The first voice answered, "It's…"
The Joker let out a cackle. If he hadn't been strapped down, he would have thrown his head back; "Oooh Bats! What did you bring?! Batarangs, Batclaws, Batsnacks?!"
Once again, the Clown went ignored; "Status green on the Joker." The first guard announced, and the light faded as the door ahead of them began to slide open to allow them to exit the scanner. The conversation between Batman, Gordon and Strange resumed as the guards pushed Joker free from the scanner.
"And how are you going to cause this recovery?" Gordon spoke.
"It is…" Strange began, pausing for a moment; "…theatrical. We set the stage and allow the patients to play it out."
"You set the stage?" Batman asked and Strange nodded at the question but did not elaborate as the Joker was wheeled into another area that housed two lifts. A dozen guards stood facing the lift.
"Alert Intensive Treatment! Category six patient in transit. Pacification system active. Shoot to kill permission granted."
There was a grinding noise as a lift approached the floor they were on. The noise of metal on metal did not diminish as the lift grew closer. The sound seemed to be getting worse; "You heard the lady. We've got another psycho coming through." One of the guards slapped; "Weapons ready." The lift climbed closer, and Batman could see the form of Killer Croc in the lift. The doors opened and Croc stepped out. Waylon Jones' condition had grown worse since the last time Batman had seen him. The scales that crossed his body seem to have gotten thicker. As Croc exited the lift, he straightened up to his full height. Croc stood at just over nine feet tall, dwarfing even Batman. Croc was powerfully built at over a thousand pounds of muscle. He sniffed the air. Once, then twice.
"What is he doing?" One of the guards questioned as Croc turned to face Batman. A grin seemed to stretch over his animal mouth
"I've got your scent, Batman!" Croc growled; "I will hunt you down…"
"Get that animal under control!" Boles shouted and there was a quiet whining noise the collar around Crocs' neck activated and blasted over a thousand volts through Croc.
The animal let out a howl of agony as the collar blasted him; "This collar won't stop me from killing you, Batman!" Croc threatened though he did not make another move towards Batman and followed his captors away from him without causing more fuss. Once Croc has been escorted away, Boles motions for the group to continue and they enter the lift now vacated by Croc. Parker closes the door behind them and remains on the upper level. The lift begins to slowly descend, the metal noise absent this time.
Joker giggles; "It's a great night for a party."
Batman, for the first time, acknowledges him; "Not where you're going."
Joker chuckles softly; "The night is still young, darling. I still have a trick or two up my sleeves." If he hadn't been strapped down, he would have moved to show up his sleeves. His inability to do so seemed to disappoint him as his smile dropped momentarily.
"Tell me something." Batman looked into Jokers' eyes; "You've never let me catch you this easily. What are you after?"
Joker was silent, quietly regarding Batman, then a large grin spread over his face; "What do I want? Hundred dying in pain and agony? All while you are too powerless to stop me?"
Batman clenched his fists, hidden under his cape where no one could see. Gordon placed a hand on Batmans' shoulder; "He's only trying to rattle you, Batman."
Joker allowed the grin to drop from his face; "If I wanted to rattle anyone, I would've asked about your wife, commissioner. How is Barbara?" His grin slowly slipped onto his face once more; "She still having trouble reaching the cupboards?"
"You son of a bitch!" Gordon made to lunge at the clown, fists clenched but found himself held back by Batman; "Never talk about her again, you hear?!" The Joker just laughed throughout his outburst.
"Do not worry commissioner." Strange spoke, his voice breaking the spell the three men were under; "He will soon regret everything. Of that I promise you." Gordon slowly unclenched his fists.
The lift came to a halt and the doors opened into a small lobby. A nearby monitor displayed the Arkham logo. A voice spoke over the speakers as the doors opened; "Intensive treatment lower floors now at code amber. Level six patient in transit." The guards pushed the trolley out of the lift and into the lobby. Another guard and a doctor awaited them. The guard nodded at Boles as he approached; "Officer Boles, permission to receive your prisoner?"
Boles nodded; "Permission granted, Officer Green."
Franklin Green nodded at Boles; "Thank you, Officer Boles." Four guards started to unstrap the Joker as Boles took a straight jacket from green. The guards muscled the Joker into the jacket as Boles did up the lacings on the back of the jacket. When Joker was secured in the jacket, Green made to move the Joker ahead of him. Batman stepped forward to follow them. Green held up a hand to halt him.
"I'm sorry, Batman. Arkham staff only." Green spoke, his tone was apologetic.
Gordon frowned; "I assure you," He attempted to convince the guard; "If anyone is qualified it's…"
Green shook his head; "Listen, I appreciate the assistance," He smiled softly; "But he'll unsettle the more violent inmates."
Joker laughed; "I think he's talking about you!" He broke down into giggles; "Don't be a stranger, Bats." Green led the Joker through a inactive energy barrier. A barrier that sprung back online once Green, Joker and the doctor went through.
Strange gestured for Gordon and Batman to follow them into an observation room. A window separated the three of them from Joker. Batmans' eyes never left the back of the Jokers' head; "I need to interrogate him as soon as possible. Harley is still unaccounted for. So is half of his crew."
Strange folded his hands behind his back; "I'm afraid you'll have to wait. I'll try to arrange something as soon as possible."
"Tonight." Batman growled; "Whatever the Joker has planned it goes down tonight."
As the Joker and Green reached the centre of the room, Joker seemed to stumble. He fell to one knee. Green grabbed his arm; "Get up." He ordered.
What happened next happened so fast that only the Bat was able to account for it. The Jokers' seemingly secured arms came free as he pulled Green down and headbutted him square between the eyes. The doctor screamed briefly, but the Joker pulled Greens' gun free and planted a bullet into her forehead. As she slumped down to the floor, Joker turned the gun on Green and put a bullet between the eyes. He never stopped laughing.
Batman smashed his fist against the glass. The window cracked slightly; "The Joker is free! Alert the warden!"