___

Was I in Heaven? Or Hell? Maybe it was neither…

My consciousness returned slowly, greeted by complete darkness. At first, I truly thought I was dead. That I had crossed to the other side, a blank black void. However, my hand moved slightly, grazing across freezing cold tiles. That’s when I knew I was still alive. I could feel the ground, and myself.

I was lying on my stomach as I came to, pushing myself up slowly while my head was still spinning. My leg shifted up under my torso, lifting me off of the ground as I stood up slowly. The room was pitch black, rendering me blind. My hands came up slowly, to see if I could touch anything in front of me. Nothing could be felt by my fingertips, so I just gently waved my hands out in front of me. Cold air flowed up my arms due to the movements I made. My eyes were starting to adjust to the room, but just barely. I could only make out shapes in the room, but not enough to figure out what they were. The shadows were once again my enemy, working against me to conceal any possible threats that lurk within them.

Suddenly, a voice pierced into my eardrums, frantic and worried. The noise made me gasp out quietly, my head jerking up in a slight panic.

“Sarah! Entity! Come in, please!”

A frantic woman's voice echoed in my ears. I could immediately make out that it was Oracle, who sounded shaken up as if she had been trying to contact me for hours with no response.

“I-I… I’m alive. I think I was unconscious…”

I responded, still a little groggy from the event, trying my best to stop my head from spinning. To be on alert.

Oracle paused and became quiet for a somber moment.

“...We were worried you were dying… Your heartbeat slowed down for a while... Do you remember what happened?”

I tried my best to think of what happened. I could remember bits and pieces of it. I did what I could to piece it together from what memory I had.

“We… We went to the cell… Then one of the guards ran, and… locked us in the room I think. Then the room started filling with gas. I tried to get us out. But couldn’t… I wasn’t strong enough. I’m sorry…”

“It isn’t your fault. This was a trap. Someone had released certain inmates in maximum security and isolation before you got there it looks like. That guard that locked you in… Do you know who it was?”

“I… I think it was Xander?”

“I was right. Xander Higgins. He’s the one who used his clearance to release the inmates. Once they did, they took out some of the other guards and doctors, and no one can find them or get a hold of them. Some of the inmates got out through the back entrance. Nightwing came from Bludhaven to help track them down. Robin came as soon as I lost contact with you. He’s with the police now trying to get in to help you.”

“T-Trying to get in? I thought the lockdown was just inside…”

“It was… That’s the troubling part. Someone reprogrammed the lockdown procedure last week. The asylum isn’t just caged from the inside. It’s locked from the outside too. Someone’s been planning this…”

Oracle trailed off. My breath became shaky, unsure of what this meant. Once my gears were turning, I realized. I couldn’t get out, and they couldn’t get in. From her words, it sounded like dangerous inmates were now roaming free in the asylum.

I was trapped in here with them. All alone.

“Oracle I-I… What do I do? How can I get us all out?”

The panic started to settle in. What if I couldn’t handle them all? The inmates… What if I wasn’t strong enough? I didn’t want to die. The fear of death was taking over my senses. I needed to get support. Help to take back control of the asylum. I couldn’t do this on my own…

“While we speak, I’m doing my best to get into Arkham’s system to lift the lockdown procedure. However, they’ve really outdone themselves with their security, which normally is a good thing. Not so much right now, so it might not be possible without direct access to the system. From the looks of it, you were taken to the medical department, in the X-ray wing. I don’t know why you were. But I need you to find a way out of there, and make your way to the console room across the asylum on the third floor above research. Once you're there, I can guide you through lifting the lockdown to let us in. But be careful heading over… There might be a lot of dangerous people loose…”

I nodded to myself nervously, before peering back into the dark room. The walls were starting to become clearer but still blurred in the shadows. I turned around slowly, with my hands extended out, to try and find a door. I walked cautiously and steadily over to the direction I was facing. I at least thought, if I could get to a wall, I could find my way around the room easier. Step by careful step, I moved forward, until my hand brushed against a cold, smooth surface. I moved my hand down it to try and figure out what it was. Once I moved my hand down, my fingers now felt the texture of metal. Until finally-

A door handle.

Wasting no time, I tried turning it, only for the handle to resist my movement. I tried again, but it didn’t budge. I tried the other one next to it. Same thing

Locked. Damn, I thought.

I then remembered a nifty device Lucius told me about in my utilities. Explosive gel, only to be used in emergencies, with extreme caution. Well, if being locked in a madhouse with violent escapees wasn’t an emergency, I didn’t know what was.

I reached down to feel for my belt, only to feel the smooth texture of my suit, void of the rough metallic compartments clasped around my waist. I frantically felt all over, desperate to find it. Only to come to the conclusion it was taken from me, most likely when I was brought here in my unconscious state.

I sighed, frustrated, adrenaline starting to kick in. I turned away from the door, following the walls around the room, until I accidentally bumped into an object. I gasped out, as the abrupt collision caught me off guard. It was something odd, the top of the surface smooth and slanted. My fingers slowly went down it, trying to figure out what it was. I kneeled, as my hands traced the object. One traveled down, to feel the texture change to a metal stand, with rounded legs. The other stayed on the object, moving to the side where it met cold, rounded glass.

SCHHHHH!

The sudden deafening sound of loud static right in front of my face made my heart jump, followed by a glowing light emitting from the object. All of which made me fall back onto the ground. Spooked by the object - which I could see now was an old, small television propped on a metallic end table - turning on. My bones vibrated with adrenaline, which jolted me into a more alert state.

The TV, small in nature, displayed what looked to be an old medical operative room, taken over with neglect. The lighting was dim, which added to the unsettling atmosphere the image showed. With the glow of the electronic, I slowly looked around me to see my surroundings. Now exposed to the light, the room was clean and clear. My eyes darted around, seeing nothing more than a few things that had fallen onto the floor, perhaps during the rush of the lockdown. My glances went behind me, to see a dark hallway awaited me beyond. Right above it, ‘Interventional Radiology’ was on a medical sign in bold, white colors.

Footsteps echoing on the hardened floor came from the TV, which caused my head to turn rapidly back to the screen. That’s when I saw a tall, slender, and jovial man walk into the frame from behind the assumed camera. From the side, I could see his odd features protruding out to me. His clothing was beyond eccentric, wearing a purple, striped tuxedo suit, paired with a pumpkin orange dress shirt to adorn it underneath the jacket. His undershirt fluffing out of the wrist cuffs elegantly. His hair was short and colored a bright, toxic green, spiking lightly out the side and up on top of his head. A retreating hairline on the sides made his widow's peak highly pronounced in a wicked way.

When he was in view, he faced the camera directly, and my insides curdled at the sight of his face. His skin was a chilling white, like winter snow. His entire face contorted into a menacing smile which exposed his crooked, yellow teeth. The outline of his lips was painted red, with streaks reaching up beyond his ears, like a clown’s makeup. The outline of his angular face pointed down like a sharp edge, enhancing the unsettling features he already had. What was above the rest, however, were his eyes. The irises of his intense, haunting focus glowed a dark red, with his pupils shrunken into tiny dots.

He was overall, horrifying. Looking at his insane expressions made my blood run cold.

“Ah, I’m so glad you finally woke up!”

His voice was like a grater to my ears. Discomforting, yet, it sounded enthusiastic. Like a performer in a play, exaggerating his expressions and movements.

I didn’t say anything, only staring at the screen in silent horror. My breath shook as I exhaled, wondering what the hell I was watching.

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake up at all! You know, it’s rude to keep someone waiting… I’m willing to wager you haven’t got any idea who I am. Can’t say I blame you, for being stuck in the slammer. Still is a shame about that whole mess, really. Wasted potential if you ask me. You could have been the greatest local slasher in showbiz, kid!”

While he spoke his last sentence, he arched his elbow back to his waist, before hoisting it up diagonally with an ardent fist. His gestures were big, and his words were tremulous, like a game show host.

My eyes squinted in frightened confusion. He was right. I had no idea who he was, but I was glad I didn't, and wished I could keep it that way. I didn’t know why, but every warning bell in my head was blaring, advising me of this man and his true nature. He silently screamed danger with every gesture.

“Instead… You decided to join the noble ranks of Gotham’s beloved party-poopers. It really is adorable, little shadow-miss. You, playing dress up and pretending to be a hero. When deep down, you know your true nature. You know the beast inside you. Clawing at your insides, begging to come out and play, too. But you won’t let it, oh no no! You think you can use it to help people, to show them all you’re one of the ‘good guys.’ And no matter how many times you're slammed with the facts - and the bodies - you play dumb…”

He shook his head slightly, turning his head and leaning in towards the camera with the side of his eye gazing viciously into the frame. He continued to grin, before continuing in a mocking tone, as if he were trying to mimic me.

“If I pretend long enough, maybe I’ll start to believe it!”

He then laughed out, entertained by his mimicry. Who the hell is this, I thought? An escaped patient maybe? No… If he was freshly escaped, he would be in Arkham attire. He was a free lunatic. I couldn’t force myself to speak. Instead, I just watched on nervously, cautiously.

“Well. If you’re so persistent… Let’s put it to the test, shall we? Let’s see if you can really make the cut.”

The abrupt sound of Christmas-like lights flickering on caused me to whip my head behind me to look at the hallway, now lit up on the ground, lined with green lights that formed a pathway down the dark corridor.

“I decided to make a fun little activity, just for you! Tackling two important tasks all at once! One! Bringing you up to speed on who Gotham’s finest showman is! And number two! Seeing if you truly are bat-material! Can’t be a good-hearted samaritan-saver out there if you flunk in here. Ya got that, kiddo?”

He enthusiastically put his hands on his hips, leaning forward into the camera waiting for me to say something. As if it were a children’s cartoon feigning engagement. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move. I was too frozen, my body turning to stone, stuck where I was on the ground. Too shocked to utter anything. Too afraid.

“What’s this? Joker got your tongue?”

He said in a playful manner

Joker.

I recognized that name. It had been popping up since the day I learned about Batman. The man who inspired Candyman, the man who became obsessed with the fallen hero. This was him. The one Red Hood refused to mention, and I understood why now. His eerie, psychotic playful manner could make even the toughest man out there squirm. Now he’s back, free from the confines of death, ready to wreak havoc and destruction.

I then thought back to my encounter with Candyman, and the things he said to me right before he tried to blow us both up. His mentions of the resurrected foes, and the mentions of a plan.

My eyes widened as I put the pieces together. Tonight the asylum lockdown and releases were planned. At least a week in advance. The other night Candyman tried to kill me but told me he hoped he would lose. As that meant a "plan" would take place.

This was it. This was the trap I was meant to walk into, thinking I would be tackling a minor threat. I was ensnared, caught in the web of this lunatic. Now I dreaded to know what he had in store.

“Nothing? Well, guess in that regard you do remind me of Bats! Only he was more of the dark, looming type. Less jumpy. And made of finer steel. But no matter! We'll forge you to the fire sure enough! Onto our little game!”

He then started walking joyously behind the camera, before flipping the view over behind him. My breath stopped in horror once it did. Tied up in the back of the room, sat a group of gagged Arkham staff, huddled together, terrified. On both sides of them stood two burly men holding guns, keeping them herded like sheep. In the front left, I saw a familiar face- Dr. Chacon. I watched as tears rolled down her face. She looked over at the camera with fear. The woman who claimed she wasn’t scared before, was feeling fear for the first time, seeing the peril in this work. My heart slightly broke for her.

“No…”

I whispered under my breath.

Joker then skipped back into the frame, jumping ecstatically beside the group of hostages.

“Tonight, we’re going to take a little trip down memory lane! And to make it fun, I’ve got some juicy little surprises hidden for you. Think of it as an educational field trip, putting your hero training on trial, all while you learn something new! It’s good for you! But to get you motivated, I’ve conjured up a little prize for you!”

Joker, making playful gestures, then motioned towards the group he had taken prisoner, each of them squirming together to try desperately to get even millimeters away from the deranged villain. He just cackled at their misery.

“But you best get moving, Sarah! Or this little game could be minutes away from turning into a timed sport!”

The lunatic then slowly placed his finger on his wrist, to simulate pointing to a watch.

“Tick tock, tick tock. Or else our beloved guards and nurses end up on the chopping block!”

Joker then began laughing uncontrollably, walking towards the camera slowly as he did so. The closer his deranged smile got to the screen, the faster my heart beat in fear. Once his eyes were right on the camera, the TV shut itself off.

Silence plagued the room as I sat frozen, unable to move a muscle. Comprehending what I saw. It was only a minute or so, but it felt like an eternity of hell even just listening to him. My breath was becoming audible, heavy with the fear I felt.

This was a death trap. One I was afraid to play. As adrenaline pumped through me, waking me up to face this fight ahead of me, my heartbeat pulsated through me. It felt like the walls were closing in, constricting me as I looked slowly behind me at the hallway lined with lights, lighting the way to my doom. Then the faces of the captured Arkham staff came into my mind, replaying their terrified faces.

If I didn’t go, they’d die, wouldn’t they? I couldn’t let that happen. They didn’t deserve to be dragged into this. Especially Dr. Chacon. This couldn’t be how she died. Someone who cared about helping people.

I quickly activated my comms unit.

“Oracle! I-I know who’s behind the lockdown! It’s… It’s that guy named Joker… This was his plan. It was all the plan from the start. To get me here…”

Silence. Not a word spoken by her. This continued on for a moment. Which was odd. Normally Oracle was quick to respond. Finally, a voice came through. Not the one I was expected, however.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Sarah! You need to get out of there now!”

I froze in shock, hearing the familiar, distressed voice.

“S-Sydney? Is that you?”

“Yes! It’s me! Get out of there now! Lucius… Lucius, please do something! -I know I can’t be here, but damn it, you sent her there! - Lucius, you know I’ve known for years, don’t play this game now! - I heard it all on the damn police scanners, now you let me speak to her or so help me!”

I could hear muffled voices before Sydney came through again.

“I came as fast as I heard. I needed to make sure you are alright. But Sarah, if I heard you right… and you said Joker… You need to run…”

She sounded panicked, out of breath. I could hear her speak to Lucius quietly, as the two conversed in the background.

“What do you mean she’s trapped? -No… Can’t be… is there something… anything, Lucius… I am begging you… don’t let her die in there-”

I could hear Sydney start to sob, and I knew I needed to say something.

“Look, Sydney, I’m okay. I’m alright for now, just-”

“You don’t understand. If Joker's there… You need to go. Please. Just find somewhere to go, please!"

“Sydney, I can’t. He’s got the staff held hostage. He’ll kill them if I don’t-”

“He murdered my daughter, Sarah! And he’s going to kill you too- Oh God, Lucius!”

I froze, hearing Sydney’s frantic pleas. I could hear Lucius gently ask her to step away, so he can work on finding me a way out. Before I could say anything else, Oracle’s voice interrupted Lucius’ channel.

“Sarah. You need to get to that console room now. Do NOT face him on your own. If he… If he’s back and behind this… You’re in greater danger.”

I tried to shake away my shock but to no avail. I cleared my throat, trying to answer Oracle.

“T-The door out of the X-Ray wing- It’s locked. And my belt is missing… I could try to phase through the door... But he'll kill them if I leave... Is there another way out that I can get to, to try and get help?”

“I think… There’s an elevator right after the MRI room. Down the hall in front of you. You could try to sneak up there. It may not be functional, so you may have to use your grapples.”

I reached over to feel for my silver wrist bracers, only to find they too were missing. I was completely disarmed. Only suited for protection.

“Damn. Oracle they took those too. I have to hurry… He has the missing Arkham staff!”

“We’re doing everything we can, Entity. Just hold on a little longer. Let me see if I can get the elevators up. If not, you may have to climb…”

“That’s good enough for me.”

“Just be careful Entity… And if you see Joker, run! Chances are if he wanted you here, he’s got something horrific in store. He doesn’t look like much, but he’s beyond dangerous. I need to let Robin know… This doesn’t feel real…”

“It is… I don’t know how but…”

I responded somberly to her. From the way she talked about him, she was spooked. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I knew she was white as a ghost. I could feel it in her voice. Hearing the name Joker brought back something in everyone involved. This made my heart more uneasy about being locked in this asylum with him.

“Just hurry to the console room. Once we get the lockdown relieved, Robin will help you take him down, if it really is him… He’s familiar with the Joker.”

“Got it. I’ll let you know once I’m in there.”

With my final words, I walked slowly into the hallway, my path illuminated in front of me with shades of green. Somehow, the colors made the dark, isolated space more eerie, like walking towards a circus tent where my death certainly awaited. As I moved onward, cautious of the dark corners, I peered above the rooms to see their doors. I passed multiple X-ray rooms, waiting to read an MRI sign above one of them. I came to a stop once I saw the lights end at one room, leaving beyond it a darkened abyss. The room was an average X-ray room, but when I went to look through the window, the dim, leaded glass prevented me from peering into it to see what was inside. Once I stepped back, my breath quivered once I saw what was on the door.

Painted in wet, fresh blood, was an upward arrow. Indicating that is where I was supposed to go. To start the madman’s sick game.

Soon. I thought. I needed help first.

I walked on, past the creepy door. Adrenaline never ceased in its efforts to keep me wide awake with vigilance. The light began to fade as I walked away from the path, but I tried my best to keep reading the signs above the door. Finally, up above, I found the MRI room. Once I did, I lightly jogged to the other side, to see the elevator door installed right at the end of the hallway.

Rushing over to it, I at first tried to push the button. To no avail, of course. Oracle was right, seeing that the elevators weren’t working during the lockdown procedure. I didn’t have time to wait for Oracle to try and get them running again. Too many lives were at stake. Icouldn’t do this alone, however. I couldn’t face what was ahead without help. I couldn’t trust myself to do so without killing anyone.

I was afraid. Afraid of what was in store for me, afraid for the lives that hung in the balance, good or bad. I was afraid of myself, and what I could end up doing.

With that, I knew my only option was to climb. I had a lot of practice climbing during my time stopping petty crime, as well as training to build muscle strength. I wasn’t entirely good at it, but I knew I had to be in this moment. I couldn’t fail.

I walked up to the elevator door, using my fingers to try and wiggle my way into the slight gap between the two doors. Once I had it somewhat, I pulled. With everything in me, I pried open the doors. It took a second, but I got them open halfway eventually. It was good enough for me. I stood on the outside for a brief moment, looking into the elevator shaft to try and find the maintenance hatch. Even though it was dark, my eyes could see the rough outline of it above in the center. My right foot began moving to go into the shaft, until-

BOOM! BOOM!

Two loud shots rang out, from what sounded like above and outside in the elevator chamber. What followed was a loud, metallic creaking, before a sudden-

SNAP!

Suddenly, the entire elevator shaft went crashing from above me, falling down below into the basement level, with the elevator cable flailing after it. I jumped back, yelling out as panic washed over me, knowing I nearly evaded my death from being crushed by an elevator. The doors to the shaft quickly smashed shut, before a loud crackling sound erupted overhead, followed by a disturbing, familiar voice over what sounded like a speaker.

“Ah-ah-ah! Now don’t think you can cop out now by bringing in reinforcements! It’s an individual assessment! You, and only you! You don’t want to spoil the fun by bringing little Robin along to cheat your way through our little game… Now, hurry along through the other door! Your prize might not be here for much longer…”

God damn it, I couldn’t help but think to myself.

The dread started to settle in. Arising from the pits of my stomach, radiating in my mind. Doubt and fear mixed in with my overwhelming sense of impending doom. Feeling like hot coals in my stomach, climbing up into my throat. My heartbeat pulsated throughout every vein in my body, vibrating in my skin as the daunting burden fell on my shoulders.

I had to do this alone. No one could help me fight this. No one could help me stay in control. I was on my own.

The fear began to wash over me, with my soul drowning in the dread. A realization came to me, however, admist the panic. No one else in this moment could save those innocent souls. I was afraid to move, but the image of them all huddled together still burned in my mind.

I was the only one now who could save them, and I couldn’t let them die.

That’s when something lit the flame of courage in my heart. Though I didn’t know any of them personally, I thought of the families they had. The people who they care about, and who care about them. The lives they live, every day out there in the city. Some of them might be old, with children and spouses to come home to. Some might be young, with their futures ahead of them. I couldn’t be the reason that ended. I had to make it through this trap. So they could continue living. I knew that I had to put my life on the line for them and that I would do so despite my fear. All of this, even though I didn’t know the real reason, was happening because of me. I wouldn’t be the reason their priceless, precious lives would end.

I slowly turned my back to the elevator door, looking back down the hall at the bloody door. My hands shook, as I peered at it. I swallowed my fear, before activating my comms unit, letting my lungs release the trembling breath they held on to.

“Oracle… I can’t get up the elevator anymore, he destroyed the cable…”

I came across as numb, even though deep inside I could feel the anxiety and adrenaline taking over my body. Every negative emotion couldn’t compare to the fear I felt at that moment.

“Damn. Let me see if there’s a flight of stairs near-”

“I can’t… He’s threatening to kill the staff members if I bring anyone else. I have to go alone.”

“Entity, no! You don’t know what you’re up against-”

“No… I don't. But Oracle, I can’t let them die. Not like this.”

“If you go, you will get hurt. He’s… He’s always got something planned. And since the night with Scarecrow, you haven’t been-”

“I know. But I have to try something, Oracle… I have to play this… his game.”

“I-... Entity, I think you should wait…”

“I’ve gotten this far. But the more time we waste, the chance of them leaving alive gets lower… You, Robin, and Lucius… You’ve all been with me every step of the way. I don’t know how I'll repay you all...”

“Entity… We can talk about this later… But getting yourself killed trying to play his game isn’t-”

I cut her off, thinking about someone she knew. Someone who began the fight, and made the ultimate sacrifice in a similar situation.

“You knew Batman, Oracle… Think about him now! What kind of person would I be if I walked away now? How am I helping Gotham if I turn and run? He was your mentor, your friend. He started this, by risking his life for the people out there. Even with everything they put him through, he still chose to put others before himself… And he died doing that. He sacrificed himself to keep Gotham safe, to save lives. I… I’m willing to do the same… If it means others can live another day.”

Oracle was silent once again, taking in the words I had spoken.

“Scarecrow and the others are something terrible entirely on their own. But Joker… He’s done things… Unspeakable things. Even though Batman - Bruce - never let it show, it affected him. Out of everyone Batman fought, Joker was the one who got under his skin the most. If you go down there… I don’t know what he’ll do.”

“I’m not sure, either. But I have to face it. Alone.”

“You’re not alone. I’m with you. Every step of the way. Whatever I can do to help. Just please… be careful… Go do what you have to do.”

Oracle’s reassuring side returned, though her worry could still be heard in her voice. It was comforting, even if just slightly. Once we finished our exchange, I released my hand to my side, where both of my fingers still trembled. I took a deep breath in, before clenching my fists together to try and steady my arms.

Time to cross into unknown horrors.

I walked over to the door, still inked with blood. I carefully twisted the handle, pushing it open, and walking past the threshold. The X-Ray room was dark, so much so I could only figure out shapes. The light only extended a small help to the things directly in its path, but everything to the side was obscured in blackness. I walked towards what I could make out was the X-Ray table, seeing something on it. I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on the odd outline of the object, almost like a very large bag, full of stuff.

The door to the X-Ray room shut loudly and abruptly, locking me in, and making me almost jump out of my skin. Once it did, black lights switched on to give light to many X Ray images on the walls with doodled images of smiles and other crude things painted with neon green paint. My eyes peered around the room, and once my gaze returned to the table, my throat released a horrified gasp.

It wasn’t a large bag on the X-Ray table. It was a body. Crudely ripped open without care, revealing a gruesome, open chest. It felt like the breath had been knocked out of my body. By mistake I looked at the body’s face, into the sad, scared eyes of the lifeless victim. His shy, timid features were familiar to me, as I had seen them earlier in the night.

Xander. The guard who had locked us in the cell room.

I covered my mouth to try and hold back a petrified sob, instead choking it down my throat as I crouched down beside the windowed wall behind me. As I did, I looked down, a tear falling to the ground, where splashes, trails and pools of blood stained the floor. I looked up at Xander’s hand hanging off of the table, lightly dripping the last bit of his bodily essence on the floor. It was sheer carnage, no mercy given to him. Despite what he did, freeing those prisoners, he didn’t deserve this death.

No one deserved this gruesome end.

The intercoms above crackled, before the Joker’s chilling voice came through. Taunting me from an unknown location.

“Aw, poor little sucker! You know, all it took was a little blackmailing… Funny how one little picture can propel you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. But, I’m afraid poor Higgins didn’t get a seat for the show. Instead! He’s our officiator to get the ball rolling! Take a gander… You’ll see he’s got the heart for it!”

The intercoms went silent, and when they did, an electronic beeping started. The sound was coming from Xander. Mortified of what fate had befallen him, I managed to shake myself out of my terrified shock to get up. I walked over to the body, my boots now stepping in the thick pool of blood that had poured under him, feeling as though I was stepping in molasses. While my face was frozen into a frightened expression, I looked over into Xander’s open chest.

In the messy carnage of his body, someone had fixed a device where his heart would be. Displayed on a red screen, where numbers counting down from sixty.

Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight. Fifty-seven.

It was a bomb.

My breath began to pick up, panicked. Eyes widened, I raced to the door to try and get out, only to find the door didn’t budge. The intercoms crackled again, introducing horrific laughter afterward.

“No way out through there, Sarah! You’re going to have to think outside the box! Consider this the warm-up round! But… better hurry. I’d hate to lose you before the real fun begins!”

I still looked around the room, frantic to find cover. My head jerked towards the direction across from me, at the protective booth that shielded doctors from the X-ray radiation. Inside, I noticed something. Something light green, barely visible through the leaded glass. I looked back at Xander’s body, before bolting towards the booth. Inside, the computers were displaying the same glitching, grinning teeth icon that appeared on the locked door before I fell unconscious in the cell room. In the corner, was an arrow painted on the wall with neon green paint, pointing down. I went to the corner to investigate, only to find nothing. Nothing to aid in my escape.

I was about to run out in frustration and panic, but when I made my first large step, I felt a difference in the floor. Right where the corner was, it felt hollow, unlike the solid hard floor I had been walking on until this moment. Something was beneath this large square of floor in the corner.

I quickly dropped to my knees, looking closely at the floor. Sure enough, I was able to see a crack, and once I used my fingers to lift it up slightly, the heavy slab of loose flooring revealed a large flight of stairs deep below it, which led down to impenetrable darkness. I tried to lift the slab up fully, but it was heavier than it looked.

Damn it. Come on, Sarah, I thought.

The beeping from Xander’s body grew even louder, more aggressive. Indicating I was low on time. A sudden burst of adrenaline shot through my body, and because of it, I felt I had the strength of a thousand men. I lifted up the slab of tiles, quickly diving down into the dark below. The slab collapsed back into place once I did, fully encapsulating me in the black unknown.

I couldn’t see where I landed, but I could feel my feet falter under me once I did. Once I fell, I tumbled down what felt like a few steps before roughly hitting a dirty, musty floor. Pain radiated through my leg, as I landed on it harshly, but my adrenaline-induced state didn’t care. I got up as fast as I could, unable to see anything in front of me. Except, in the distance ahead, a flashlight lay on the floor, its dim light shining on a wall next to it, indicating there was a path ahead of me. I needed to run, needed to get far away from the room above me.

Blindly, I sprinted ahead, my eyes fixated on the flashlight. Faster than I’ve ever run before. I tripped over something on the ground, but I didn’t care. I just recovered and kept running. I was just inches away when suddenly the bomb went off.

BOOM!

The ground above me shook violently, the walls vibrating on both sides. The turbulence caused by the bomb made me to lose my balance, shortly after colliding with the wall next to me. The structure caught me, keeping me propped up and off of the ground. After the loud explosion, the shaking stopped, and silence took over. All I could hear was my loud, rapid breathing. My second brush with near death left my fight or flight response sharp and ready, unable to fade away. With my heart still racing, I took a moment to catch my breath in the silence, looking around at the still, sinister darkness. My breath started to regulate again, and once it did, I walked over to gently pick up the flashlight left on the ground.

Though the light was dim, it helped me make out my surroundings. I first pointed it beside me, to reveal rotting, neglected walls. When the light shone on the floor, it revealed gritty, unfinished tiles, destroyed with age. Behind me, where the flight of stairs I had just fallen down, which led down a corridor with rooms on either side. Medical equipment was scattered about, touched with the same disease of abandonment and filth. I slowly turned around to see what awaited in front of me, and that’s when I saw an arrow at the end, which pointed left where the corridor turned to. A gurney was left underneath it, rusted and ripped with carelessness.

This was a medical wing. The old one, I’m presuming. Built right between the basement level and the ground level. From its tattered, feral looks, it hasn’t been acknowledged or visited in a long time. In a way, this is what reflected Arkham best. Not the fake cleanliness they portray. But the filthy, rot and loneliness they hide.

I exhaled, my breath trembling, as I walked slowly down the corridor. I tried to focus straight ahead, with determination, but I still kept an eye out with my peripheral vision, paranoid and afraid. Once I reached the end, I maneuvered around the old gurney, careful not to disrupt it. Deep down, I didn’t even want to touch anything down here, in fear something might happen if I did so. Once my head slowly looked over to see where the corridor turned, my heart began pounding once again. Down a small flight of stairs, another corridor awaited, completely lit by black lights. The walls were splattered with paint, and drawings, though I wasn’t close enough to see what they were of. Sitting on the ground right in front of the stairs, however, was a small, old television.

I knew what it was there for, and with my hands shaking, I went over slowly to kneel in front of it, ready for what would happen next. Sure enough, shortly after I did, the TV came on with loud, piercing static.

SCHHHHHH!

A fuzzy image came into view on the small screen, with the menacing character in the purple suit staring into my soul through the TV, grinning wickedly. Instead of standing this time, he was perched against the old, decaying operating table, leaning on it eagerly.

“Well done! You’ve made it past initiation! But don’t fret, the party’s just getting started! I’ve got oh so much to show you! It’s going to blow your mind, kid!”

The petrifying image of Xander’s mutilation was still burned into my brain. The blood, the massacre. Before I was lost for words. Even now, I still struggled to find my bravery, but I managed to speak up, quietly, with a shocked, trembling voice.

“W-Why… Why did you do that?”

I looked at the screen, desperate to see anything. What could have warranted that? That disturbing display. That kind of death. I tried to peer into his eyes on the TV, desperate to see any method to his deadly madness. All I saw was the devil himself, with his twisted smile and amused face. He chuckled at my horrification, and when he did I got my answer.

He did it for my reaction. He did it to elicit this frightened feeling in me. He didn’t need any other reason or excuse. It was all for sending a message.

“Oh, come now, Entity dear. It’s all part of the fun! Show a little enthusiasm and a little gratitude! Takes a lot of effort to open a man up while he’s alive…”

“This isn’t fun! You just butchered someone!”

I managed to choke out in a disgusted fashion, trying to appeal to any humanity this monster might have left. The eerie remark he made about Xander being alive when he was mutilated shook me to my core. My hands trembled more, my heart beating faster once again. Still, I continued.

“What kind of… monster are you? Who can do that? And laugh about it!”

I was heartbroken for the poor victim. I was terrified and angry at this villain. Yet, he still smiled with his crooked teeth, energized by the reaction I was giving him. He knew I feared him, and he loved it. It was sickening.

“You’ll find out soon enough, Sarah! But all good things to those who wait! Best hurry along now… You don’t want to keep your surprises waiting. Follow the path! It’ll take you to our first challenge! It’s going to be quite the introduction!”

The screen then shut off with a loud click, causing me to flinch slightly. I couldn’t help but stare helplessly into the now black, empty glass. My stretched reflection revealed me to be disheveled, and worn out. From the incidents before, and after the Asylum lockdown. My hair was a tangled, twisted mess, flowing around me, obscuring my vision at times. The skin on my face that was exposed held small cuts and bruises due to the fights I had earlier. I peered into my eyes, and I could see how scared I was. My fear leaked through, in the form of glossy, wide stares, with my pupils dilated. I was trying to show courage, trying to show I wasn’t afraid, but I was.

I was always the scared girl.

The girl whose parents locked her in the dark. The girl who was almost killed by juvenile inmates. The girl who was injected with fear toxin for the first time. And now, I was the girl who would play Joker’s game. Part of me wanted to change that, but how could I be when I was constantly faced with the fear of death? I didn’t know how to fix that, or how to conquer the fears.

I knew I still had to press on, despite this all. I would have to endure the horrors that awaited me. No one else could save those hostages now. I slowly stood up, picking up the flashlight to hold on to. With my veins still coursing with adrenaline I descended slowly down the stairs, pressing on to see these terrible trials through. Determined to at least face the horror with some dignity.