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As I crossed the bridge that led to Arkham, I ended up having to walk the rest of the way due to the lack of things my grapple could attach to. Picking up the pace to a brisk walk, I couldn’t help but look out into the black, vast waters. Waves crashed around the island rocks, growing in size with the aid of the tempest winds. Rain jetted from the abyssal clouds, cryptically forming what looked like a swirling vortex right above the asylum. Glows of lighting could be seen through the wispy sky, as if it was a thin veil that covered their streaks. Arkham’s surroundings screamed in omens, warning me not to get close.

I hate this place. Gazing upon it again made the hair on my neck rise.

Something about the exterior screamed out to me to abandon hope. Even though the enormous structure looked new, save for the wild, feral vines that crept to the roof, it still looked as if entering the building would steal your soul. Your very essence.

I felt the sharp bullets of rainfall on my face once again, as I looked up at the towering establishment that was Arkham Asylum. Massive walls were built in place, like a prison for the most corrupt souls in the city. However, the architecture tried to keep a hint of class, and elegance. As if to hide a sinkhole with bits of lace. I felt the pit of my stomach distort me as I gazed upon Arkham, warning me about something deep within. The caution in my blood rushing through me to keep my heart and mind sharp.

It’s just because of what happened with Candyman, I thought. The dismay in my gut being just the restlessness I felt with the entire situation. This is just one inmate. A simple, quick task. Once I do this, I can leave this place behind for tonight and focus on solving our growing urgency.

My legs picked up to a jog as I made my way to the building. Working my way up the cement steps, my heavy boots made light strides. Now that I was away from the path, and away from the trees that overtook the edges of the island, I had no cover standing directly in front of Arkham. The wind blasted across my face, making my hair fly rapidly in the direction it blew. The storm was now officially at its peak, raging fully onto Gotham.

It was almost cosmic, I thought.

I pondered about how long ago, had fate not intervened, I would have been locked away in this very place. To be forgotten by everyone and everything in Gotham. At this moment in time, in a twisted sense of destiny, I've come full circle.

Before I walked to the locked gate, I looked upward again, to look at the structure fully. My gut feeling still didn’t shake, and my hands almost vibrated from the anxiety beneath the skin.

Let’s get this over with, I thought.

I used the palms of my cold hands to push open the large mechanical gate once Oracle had allowed my access. I walked up the large path towards bronze doors, decorated with elegant patterns. They swung open heavily, and as I rounded the wall that revealed the receptionist's desk, I came across three security guards keeping watch over the three entrances to the different sections of the massive facility. Pacing in the middle of the room was a lean, well-built woman who was dressed in a burgundy business skirt with heels to match, who turned to face me as soon as she saw me round the corner.

“Oh! How did you get in? Are you an officer? Who am I kidding, no cop dresses like that! You guys always seem to show up faster than the Five-Os, which really says something if you ask me."

The lady's words were like rapid fire, spewing out in chaos. She extended a hand out to me, as she introduced herself. Her nails were neatly manicured, and her skin glowed radiantly. Reluctantly, I took her hand and shook it slowly.

"I’m Dr. Marie Chacon. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before! Are you new?”

I was taken aback by her odd bubbly nature at a time like this. I shook Dr. Chacon's hesitantly and slowly, trying to process all of her questions.

“Yeah… Nice to meet you?”

“Pleasure! Normally, I’d be more than willing to offer a tour of the new and improved Arkham Asylum. But… You know… Things happen.”

She smiled and chortled awkwardly, shaking her head. She then turned to face the three guards, talking directly to them.

“Alright, guys! Lockdown is in five! Just keep an eye out here in case Phil comes through those entrances. Once the doors lock, you guys know the drill. Those with high enough clearance, start searching around the building. Those without, get to the designated safe havens. Good luck!”

Once she finished, I watched each of them confirm her orders, before she turned back to me. Her cheeks rose as she smiled brightly. Brown eyes stared back at me with warmth and welcoming, with dimples reiterating the hospitality. Hanging on her slender shoulders was her pearly white lab coat, buttoned closed on her torso. The top half of her golden hair was parted and pulled behind her in a ponytail, letting the lower half flow down her back. She radiated with grace, warmth, and positivity.

I would be lying if it wasn’t offsetting. She seemed too happy for a place like this.

She motioned for me to follow her, walking up to large, metallic doors before holding up her palm to a scanner. Once the device scanned her handprint, a bar recoiled from across the enormous doors, slowly opening them. I followed her through the threshold, trailing behind her down a gloomy hall. It seemed as we went farther from the entrance, the filthier the asylum got. As if it hid away the worst parts from view. My muscles stiffened as I walked in through the creepy surroundings, on guard for potential lunatics that could jump out at any minute. Or pop from any more overly joyous remarks from Dr. Chacon.

“What happens when the building is on lockdown?”

I asked nervously, following her quickly down towards the cells.

“Oh! That’s the new and improved security system we have! I had a small hand in coming up with the idea. Whenever events like this happen, our main goal is to do everything possible to prevent our charges from escaping out into the city again. So, we implemented a new system. On top of the new hand scanner locks, voice commands, and remote control devices, we have the lockdown procedure. Once we find an inmate has escaped, we set off the code, and in thirty minutes the entire place becomes locked from the inside out. Specially trained personnel then keep searching after lockdown, while others find shelter in the saferooms to keep them out of harm's way. Can’t get out until we either find the inmate or conclude they’ve escaped. We found though, that in most escapes, they often are still navigating the asylum in the first thirty to forty minutes. So far, this has been a huge success for us!”

Crap, I thought. Not only do I have to be here, I now get to be locked in here until we find the escapee.

“That’s… excessive.”

I said quietly. We rounded another corner and made our way down another hall.

“Well, after all of the screw-ups from the previous handlers, we needed to take bigger strides. I’m just glad I could be a part of that change! I’ve been there since the new building renovations were announced. Now we’re three years strong, and I’ve got big new ideas treatment-wise. I’ve just signed off for my department to start a new advancement called music therapy! It’s been groundbreaking for trau-”

“Wait, your department? Are you… the head here?”

I asked, puzzled. When it came to the ones in charge, I pictured old men, taller and more bitter. Not tiny, and happy-go-lucky.

“One of them! Head of Psychology here. Got my Ph.D. at nineteen a few years ago, from extensive credits in high school boosting me up in college. Now I’m here, living the dream! Since it’s one big building now after they tore down the old asylum, we call them departments. There’s security, psychology, medicine, and research!”

“Old building? I… I thought Arkham was always this way?”

“What, no girl! Of course not!”

I slightly felt my insides wither away at her joyful tone, as she giggled slightly.

“Do you live in a cave? It was all the craze when they decided to rebuild Arkham. Used to be just these three buildings. Now it's one massive building. Welcome to Arkham!”

She said gleefully. She shrugged her shoulders suddenly in a carefree tone.

Her demeanor was off. I didn’t understand how she could be so bubbly at this time or place. Part of me didn’t want to comment on it, but I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Why are you so… cheery? During a situation like this? Shouldn’t you be scared?”

I turned towards her as we walked across the dirty marble floor, just a few feet now from the door leading to a section of cells.

“Well, I’m not scared. The others and I have been through the procedure many times, and we’re all pretty comfy with it. Me, I just like to keep it positive. It’s easy to be glum in a place like this. Or, a city like this in fact. Easy to be scared of the people in here too. But, I don’t like to be tied down like that. These guys are just lost souls waiting to find their way back. If I let them spook me into giving up on them, they won’t ever get that chance, will they?”

“I… guess?”

I raised my eyebrow at her before turning to face the door. It made sense, to a certain degree. I thought about Candyman, and Scarecrow, however.

Are they really just lost? I asked myself.

No. They were beyond lost, I thought to myself. Something evil hollowed them out and took up residence in their rotting minds. They weren’t lost just anywhere. They were lost in hate, and in madness.

Dr. Chacon unlocked it, then motioned for me to walk first. I went ahead looking out into the vast space. My head slowly turned upward, seeing a row above stacked on the ground cells. The ceiling was glass, dripping with the rainfall above it, shielding us from the cold drops.

“C’mon! The cell's this way! Figured you’d want to start here.”

She zipped down towards the end of the cells on the first level. As we walked, I heard weird, shouting noises, on top of twisted threats. Of inmates inside their cages trying to taunt me and the doctor.

“Well, ain’t you a pretty twig for me to snap!”

“I can m-make you perfect if you let me!”

“Hey! Both of you!”

“It’s here… It’s here!”

My eyes darted across the room, trying not to make eye contact with the yelling inmates. The remarks made my skin crawl, but Dr. Chacon seemed extremely unphased. She just strutted along to the end cell, humming slightly as she went.

Once we got to the cell at the end, I noticed a blinking red electrical palm print flashed on the hand lock system affixed to the outside of the cell. The metal door was swung open, and inside revealed a tattered cell, void of a prisoner. Dr. Chacon tapped a button on the hand lock, which then revealed a mugshot that was displayed on the lock device.

“This is Phillip Russo. He’s fifty-two, but somehow still has the back strength of his youth!”

She snickered slightly, before speaking again.

“We were trying to get his little cell neighbor there, Parks, secured in after his therapy session with Dr. Mali. Apparently, it was a rough hour because he got a little unruly with the guards. They were able to get him in, however, one of the guards was a little clumsy and accidentally released Phil. Being the little weightlifter he is, he managed to throw one guard before making a run for it.”

She motioned for two guards in the corner to come over. They did, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I know you guys already told me everything, but could you tell this one here what happened after that?”

One of the guards nodded, stepping forward slightly.

“I’m… I’m so s-sorry, ma’am…”

He said, speaking to me. It felt awkward. Not by his shy stature. Instead, by the fact he called me ma'am like I was an authoritative figure.

I wanted to be kind, and extend some sympathy to the guard.

“I-It’s okay…? I just need to know where you guys saw him go.”

The other guard spoke up.

“I didn’t see where he went. Phil practically threw me across the way. Would’ve been Xander who saw where the guy ran.”

I turned towards the other guard, before looking back at the one who called me ma'am. He was scrawny, but ginormous in length, which is probably how he got the job despite his lack of muscle. He looked down at the ground, making an odd whimper, like a puppy who had done a dastardly deed afraid of punishment. He anxiously tapped his foot as he huddled together. He remained silent.

“It’s okay, we aren’t here to judge!”

Dr. Chacon patted him on the arm, due to her unable to reach his shoulder, and smiled reassuringly. My gut began to swirl with dread. No… he wasn’t embarrassed. Something about his posture, his odd noises… It sounded more like guilt.

I squinted my eyes at him, trying to get a better read on him. Just when I was about to ask a question, to begin the interrogation. He blurted out a sentence nervously, practically shouting it.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Before he spun around rapidly, bolting for the security door.

“Xander, man! Where are you going?”

The other guard called out to him.

We all stood there, stunned. My feet refused to move for a good second, as my brain processed what was happening. I blinked suddenly to snap out of it, however and began sprinting after him.

Something wasn’t right.

Before I could reach him, he managed to get to the other side of the door, unlocking it with his palm, and locking it back up again on the other side. The inmates started hollering, becoming more rowdy. My heart started beating, my adrenaline pumping through my veins. My insides cried out that something was wrong. That something was terribly wrong.

“Move!”

Dr. Chacon yelled out urgently, as she came running over, her heels clacking against the hard floor. I stepped to the side, practically leaping so she could unlock the door. The other guard came running too. Right before Dr. Chacon put her hand on the locking system, it mysteriously glitched, revealing a green screen instead, which then portrayed an icon of grinning teeth glitching in and out of frame.

“W-What is happening?”

Dr. Chacon’s eyes widened at the hand lock, slowly backing away from it. She no longer sounded like her peppy self. Instead, she now sounded shocked, and uneasy as her voice quivered. If I didn’t have reason to be on edge before, I had one now, after the bubbly woman who vouched for positivity in the toughest situations, was now shaking at the hands.

Suddenly the lights began flashing red, with a loud alarm blaring in the building. A loud crashing sound frightened me from above, and as I flung my head up to see what it was, I watched as the night sky was slowly being clouded by sheets of metal slowly locking into place automatically around the glass. My eyes then darted to the windows at the end of the room, where metal bars came down in front of them, before metal locked in place over them.

“Crap, lockdown’s started! And I can’t get the door open!”

Dr. Chacon was trying to place her palm over the hand lock system, frantically trying to get it to read her prints. Instead, the system still gave a green screen, flashing that same smiling icon.

I needed to get to the other side, I thought. I needed to use my abilities.

Hurry, I told myself.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus. The world around me distracted me, however. The inmates, the alarm, the sounds of pounding metal from the lockdown. Everything began closing in.

Just then, a sharp hissing sound jolted my eyes open. I looked over at the vents at the bottom sides of the walls in the room, where the loud noise was coming from. Creeping out of the slants, came a light brownish gas. Almost like clouds, pouring into the room.

“What the hell is that?” The guard yelled.

My eyes widened seeing this. My muscles tensed with panic, and my chest felt like it was going to burst. The gas started spreading in the room as the inmates yelled, beginning to gag and cough.

Oh no… This wasn’t good.

Dr. Chacon began banging on the door hopelessly. The lean woman was pounding on the metal surface, unable to even scratch it. I quickly rushed over to join her, seeing if maybe I could be of help, attempting to kick the locking bar. The secured doors wouldn’t budge under my foot. The gas started to overtake the room, and its strong chemical odor began to burn my nostrils. My lungs felt heavy, and my airways were corrupted by the gas. I began hacking and wheezing, wincing from the pain of how hard I coughed. Hurry, I told myself. I cried out as I made one more desperate attempt to kick the lock bar.

I had to do something else. The door wouldn’t budge.

The other security guard was trying his best to hold his breath, covering his nose with a handkerchief. He knelt down in front of the vents, trying to either kick or pry them open. After watching him struggle, coughing and choking, he managed to pry one corner open.

Yes! A way, I thought! I began walking over to help him while gasping for clean air. I stopped in my tracks as I witnessed a small puff of green spray right in front of the guard’s face, resulting in him screaming out as he fell back. I ran over to him to see if he was alright, my lungs filling with sharp pain.

The guard looked up at me with terror as I knelt beside him on one knee, trying to shake him up. His pupils shrank to tiny black pins in his hazel eyes, his face slowly turning white. I felt his arm twitch before his entire body twitched.

“Sir? Hey! Sir!”

I propped him up with my arms, trying to stabilize him.

Suddenly, his face slowly curled into a smile. Before his smile expanded into a terrifying grin. His mouth muscles stretched painfully from ear to ear, exposing his full smile wickedly. My blood froze, and my heart sank in fear as I witnessed this. He then began to laugh. Lightly at first. Then it gradually got louder over the next few seconds. A sudden roar of laughter from him startled me, causing me to jolt up, and back away from him.

He stared up at me, laughing uncontrollably. I gasped from the gas still, coughing and heaving in desperation. My eyes widened, horrified at the sight of the poor security guard. I was scared, confused, overwhelmed by it all, his tortured smile and laughter haunting my mind. My head turned over abruptly when in my peripheral vision, I saw Dr. Chacon collapsed on her knees, grasping desperately at her throat as he choked on the air.

I had to do something. For both of them. For all of the inmates in here. My vision started to blur, and the room started to spin. I quickly staggered my way back to the door.

Come on, Sarah! This can’t be how I go, I thought.

The laughing from the security guard only got louder, the alarms blared on, and the red flashing lights made my surroundings distort even more. On top of that. I could hear the suffocating inmates in the cells, along with Dr. Chacon by my feet. I leaned against the door for support, panting and coughing heavily.

I cried out silently, in my mind. My insides screaming for help. I needed to change. Into the monster I was so uncertain of. So afraid of losing control. A monster was our only hope to get out.

“Please…” I whispered out.

Suddenly, something rang in my ears.

“I will help you.”

I felt my body swarm with shadows. Black smoke flickered from me, as I weakly looked at my hands, to the door. I let my hands grow my grotesque, dark claws, warping from a hand into five blade-like digits. I released a yell, like my desperate swan song, as I swung my monstrous hand down on the metal door. The metal made a loud scraping sound as I did so.

I had barely clawed through it. The only marks were five shallow slashes in the metal.

I tried again, and again, and again. To no avail. The metal doors were too thick to cut through.

I looked over at Dr. Chacon, who was lying on the ground now, her coughing ceasing. The other guard still hollering with laughter, coughing desperately as he did so without mercy.

This can’t be it, I thought. Please!

I collapsed onto both of my knees, my hands returning to their normal shape. I coughed and wheezed, feeling the world dance in circles. Vertigo overtaking my senses. I tried to phase, to protect myself by stopping myself from inhaling the gas, but I couldn’t focus enough to make it stay. Instead, I flickered from solid, to non-solid, unable to keep myself stable in either one. Until eventually, I collapsed on the floor. My eyes heavy, my lungs sore. The world turned black, as I closed my eyes to the sounds of the security guard’s terrifying laughter.