___

I sprinted down the corridor, hopping down over the flight of descending stairs to save time. As I landed in the darkness, I looked ahead to see another hall in front of me, which led to what looked like a decayed balcony, made with chipped, filthy, rotting wood. Without another thought, I kept running towards the hostages in need.

When I crossed the threshold, a blinding light hit my eyes while I stepped out of the darkness. A massive room came into view when my eyes adjusted, and I looked around frantically to see my new surroundings, seeking my prize within the old walls of this unfamiliar room. I stood atop a balcony, walking past many rows of broken-down, uninhabitable benches. A railing in front hid what was down below the platform I stood on, so I crept up to it to see what awaited me there.

Below the balcony resided a circular platform atop old tiles, in which an old rusted operating table resided in the center. Overtaken with dust, and age, the rusted and outdated medical surroundings below showed signs of not being used or even found in years. It came to my realization that this was, indeed, a room for medical observation back in the day. I was standing in Arkham’s history, whether I wanted to be or not. As I peered into the space below in awe, I beheld the miraculous sight of everything I sought.

There, backed into the top left corner of the room below, sat a group of tied-up men and women. Looking around in desperation and fear, waiting for help to arrive. Some of them looked as if they had abandoned hope, their eyes void of light. I could feel my fists clench seeing this, angry that this night of terror was what befell them.

I wouldn't let it continue any longer, I thought. It was time to free them from this nightmare.

With a sprinting start, I quickly ran at the railing, before using my strength to hop over the wooden railing. I soared through the air for a brief moment, my mess of hair flying down with me. The stale, musty air filled my nostrils as I fell down. To absorb the landing impact, I rolled forward onto the platform below before steadying myself, disturbing the filth of the neglected area. I quickly surveyed the surroundings, and when I concluded that the rest of the area below was clear, I looked over at the hostages. All of their eyes lit up when they saw me land, and all of them looked at me, begging for release and freedom. With a quick head count, I identified twenty hostages in total. One familiar face, however, was missing amongst them.

Marie Chacon, the doctor I encountered earlier in the night.

Without wasting time, I quickly ran over to the hostages, beginning to undo the binds of the first man I reached.

“It’s okay! You all are safe.”

I called to the hostages, who were all scooting closer to me in hopes of being released next.

Once his hands were free, the man, a doctor by the looks of it, quickly undid his gag.

“Oh thank god! Thank you, lady!”

He cried out, grateful. The man appeared to be sweaty, and slightly dirty, most likely due to sitting in these filthy surroundings.

I quickly told him to help unbind the others, and within a few minutes, most of the hostages were free and unbound. Some looked to me in concern, as if unsure to trust me. Others looked around, looking for the first sign of an exit.

I looked around for Dr. Chacon, desperately trying to find her. The doctor saw what I was doing, and walked back up to me.

“They took three of us! Dr. Taft, and one of our officers at the start of it all, but Dr. Chacon was taken only after she got free and tried to attack one of the men keeping us contained… They took her through those doors.”

The man pointed toward a set of double doors just beyond the platform. Hearing the name Dr. Taft made me think back to the unfortunate victim of the lunatic I first encountered. I also remembered the body I had seen in the irrigation tunnels, the realization dawning on me that the officer, at least, was dead…

I looked over at the doors, my heart sinking with desperate, fleeting hope.

Dr. Chacon was still missing, and I could only hope that she didn’t befall a similar fate.

I looked to the doctor.

“I found the doctor and guard…”

“Are they alright?”

He asked quietly.

“Dr. Taft became… brainwashed, of sorts. But he’s still alive. I had to leave him unconscious after he attacked me… And your security guard…”

I managed to sputter out, trying to explain the strange circumstances I had found both of them in.

“Is he…”

I nodded slightly at him before he could finish his thought. This caused him and a couple of other nurses to cover their mouths in horror. Flashes of the guard's body in the irrigation tunnel violently flooded my mind. I closed my eyes in disappointment, feeling guilt wash over me.

It was all my fault, wasn’t it? I didn’t get through it in time, did I? These thoughts continued to plague me as I looked on to the hostages, some of them breaking down in shock and panic.

I couldn’t let them die, I thought. No more death…

I was going to get them out of here. My nostrils breathed in a sharp breath of courage and promise, determined to help these poor souls. My heart wanted to give them all the time they needed to process and mourn, but they weren’t safe in this room. They weren’t safe anywhere in this place.

I quickly spoke up, my eyes darting amongst the group of survivors.

“I-I know it’s a lot to take in, but I need you guys to think. The way I came in collapsed in an explosion. Do any of you know a way out of here?”

One man in a guard’s uniform spoke up, coming to me directly.

“T-That psychopath took us all here from that way!”

Once again, the double doors were pointed to, indicating that they were the way out.

I nodded at the group, before stepping up on the platform to get the attention of the scared mass of hostages. Whatever it took, I was going to find a way out for them. When I thought of what to say, I spoke out to them. Firmly, but sincerely.

“Everybody, listen up! I’m going to get you out of here. I’ll lead you through those doors-”

“What about Dr. Chacon?”

A man called out, interrupting me.

I thought for a moment, before speaking again.

“Once I get you guys to safety, I’ll come back and find her.”

“What about the Joker? He’s still out there!”

I looked at the woman who just spoke. Her brown eyes were wide with fear. Mascara leaked down her face, her expression conveying her petrification.

My heart broke for her, and I felt something light within me seeing how scared she was. It was the same fire I’d felt all night. When I was all alone, facing all of those trials, it wasn’t as strong as it was now. Now that I was here, staring at those I was trying to save, it burned within me. The need to make sure they were protected. To save them above myself. I would do everything in my power to make sure this woman, that all of them, saw another day.

My gaze made its way to hers. A promise -

“I’ll protect you.”

I saw her body relax a bit, her eyes now telling me they trusted me to do so.

I was about to speak to the group again, before a sudden and familiar high-pitched voice pierced through the room from above us, causing me to whip around in panic.

“Will you now? That’s very interesting!”

With my blood turning cold with dread, I looked above me, seeing the face of the man who spoke. Sure enough, even with the shadows playing with my vision, I could spot the familiarity of bubble gum pink and neon cerulean attire, and recognize it anywhere.

“I sure hope you weren’t thinking about taking our hostages, now!”

Candyman stood on the balcony, propping one knee up on one of the benches above. His mask remained fixed on his face, concealing his crooked features. I stood there plainly, staring him down with cautious eyes.

Why was he here? I thought. My trials were done, my tests were over!

My heart sank deeper than it had before when I witnessed more men file into the room on the balcony, each wearing their own respective masks. Some built like an ox, having the upper hand in strength. Candyman laughed, taking his knee off of the bench before coming closer to the railing.

“No… Our Clown Prince said these were our hostages. Right boys?”

The men cheered, howling taunts and yells down below at us. I looked around at the balcony above, filling up with clown-masked men. My heart started to pound yet again, anxiety filling me to the brim.

Why is this happening? I wondered.

The realization hit when I heard the Joker’s voice come through the intercom, his haunting chuckles causing the hostages to cower and scream in fear.

“That’s right fellas! Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Bonus Round! If our dear little hero wants to keep her prize, let her fight for it! Whattya say?”

The clown-masked men cheered again, causing a pit in my stomach to form. Some pumped their fists into the air violently, while some banged their weapons on the railings. They started creating a ruckus, causing some of the hostages to cry out in fear.

“Well, you heard the boss, boys! Let’s play!”

Candyman yelled out, before lifting up his thumb over the balcony. Slowly and cruelly, it twisted to the middle, just like Bill had taught me to do. Only this wasn’t light-hearted fun, this meant life or death. My heart froze, the ice of dread corrupting my veins. I noticed that most of the men weren’t focused on me but instead on the room around me strangely. I looked over to the hostages in desperation when I realized what new game I was playing now.

He was going to be sending them after the survivors. Not me…

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I looked over to see only one flight of stairs leading from the balcony to the bottom level, and they resided right in front of me. One group of men began descending them, looking at the survivors with murderous intent.

Get ready, Sarah, I thought. My pulse picked up again, my breath became heavier while adrenaline rushed through me.

“Quick, everyone get behind me!”

I yelled out to the hostages. The scared survivors gathered behind me, huddling to the best of their ability behind my small body. Without a second thought, my arms instinctively flew out, as if to try and create a protective wall around them all. My arms were too small to reach around them all, however. Regardless, I kept my arms there while staring at the clown-masked henchmen that descended the stairs.

Twelve in total.

More resided on the balcony, but they stayed put, only observing the show. Probably waiting, in case reinforcements are needed.

My chest rose with every breath I took. I could feel the overwhelming sensation of my possible defeat. How could I take them all on at once, while keeping them away from the hostages?

At that point, I realized that I needed to be ruthless. Nothing was going to touch these survivors, I thought. Whatever it took, whatever non-lethal force there was I could use, I would do it.

I could feel my abilities call out to me, begging to be let out. Part of me objected, not wanting to cause another massacre. Ultimately, I knew they were my only chance of beating this impossible game. My abilities were the only upper hand I had against these burly men.

The men suddenly stopped before fully descending the steps, looking to Candyman for a signal. My hair jerked along with my head as I turned to do the same. I gazed upon his menacing stature, his red eyes staring daggers into mine. He cocked his head slightly at me as if to silently torment me, telling me I was about to feel his wrath. His magenta dreadlocks fell down past his shoulders as he tilted his head. My eyes widened watching his hand turn slowly. His thumb, once situated in the middle, was now pointing downward.

Candyman giggled hellishly, but he was shortly drowned out when I heard the war cries of several men. All twelve began to charge at me and the hostages. My neck quickly snapped back to look at them approaching. I could feel my heart pound as I began to run at them too. Shadows began to encase me as I sprinted in their direction.

They weren’t going to hurt these survivors, I thought. I would die before I let that happen. Like a soldier in war, I kept charging, ready to die for this cause.

The first guy ultimately had some lean muscle to him, but ultimately wasn't the strongest of the bunch. We both met just a few yards from the survivors and the staircase, right in the middle of the circular platform. Beside us stood the operating table, rusted and coated in filth. Shadows completely covered me, indicating my abilities had taken effect. Not wasting a second, I swung a rough fist right at the man’s stomach.

The man keeled over, not expecting me to swing right away. With my heart and body in adrenaline’s overdrive, I didn’t stop there. I noticed a group of four coming up behind him, so I aggressively took the man’s shoulders while he stood bent, kneeing him in the middle. With him now folding like a ragdoll in my hands, I roughly swung him around, causing him to fall into two men behind him. The other two came running, splitting off past me to try and reach the hostages. One of them had a crowbar in his hand, beginning to swing at the woman with mascara running down her face.

A fire of rage lit inside of my stomach, and within seconds I had reappeared to him. The clown-masked man looked at me with a startled demeanor, seeing the monster made of black smoke before him. Reaching for his crowbar, I headbutted him back, twisting his arm free of the crowbar. He staggered back, crying out in pain.

Something about the way I was fighting now was different. All night it’s been about my survival, so I can live to free the hostages. I fought for my own life, scared of my own safety. Now, I fought with a recklessness and strength that I hadn’t before. The only thing on my mind was protecting these people, and that made me hit harder than I had all night.

Throwing the crowbar to the ground, I gave a quick nod to the woman with the tear streaks, as if to acknowledge the promise I made to her. I heard a scream from the other side of the group, causing me to sprint in the direction it came from.

A doctor was being grabbed by the other clown man who split off from me. I quickly disappeared away from where I was, reappearing beside him. This man seemed to expect me, as the minute I appeared, he dropped the doctor and swung a backhand in my direction. It collided with my cheek, sending me back a few steps, causing me to switch back to normal after losing focus. I shook off the assault, swinging a fist back at the man. He was fast at dodging them, putting his hands up like a boxer, lifting his hands ever so slightly to block my attempts. Eventually, I just got tired of trying, so I recoiled my leg before kicking him in his unprotected torso. He crumpled like a paper under a weight, and to make sure it stayed that way, I swung my leg up, kicking him upside the chin. He fell with his back flat on the ground. Just in time too, as I noticed the man who attacked the woman before was recovered. I noticed more men from the group of twelve come down too, making a large circle around the group and me.

Shit, I thought. There were too many of them, and now they’ve surrounded them. Panic started to set in, unsure of how I was supposed to protect them all like this. Ten men now resided, beginning to close in the gaps of space between us all and them.

I looked at the circle and noticed there were fewer clown men in the back. Three in total, looking like they were ready to pounce. With that revelation, I had a plan in place. If I could push the group of survivors to the wall, that would at least give me a fair chance to better watch after them. I just needed to get the three out of the way first.

I exhaled sharply, focusing on appearing where the three men closed off the group. When I was at my destination, I wasted no time in kicking the first clown-masked man I saw back. He was skinnier, and shorter, quickly falling into the others with ease. A larger clown man pushed the smaller one off of him just as fast, swinging a knife right before my face. Surprised, I stepped back just in time, gritting my teeth as I did so. Focused intently on him, I dodged more of his slashes, trying to predict his moves. Ultimately I failed, as the man roughly slashed at me, hitting the weak spot between the armored shoulder and arm plates. I let out an excruciating cry when I felt the sharp pain reverberate in my arm. I could feel blood begin to flow, but I didn’t have time to focus on that, as the man made a harsh plunge aimed at my eye with the knife. Instinctively, my wrist came up, blocking his attempt, his forearm clashing with mine.

After blocking his move, I desperately kicked him back. When he saw how wide my eyes were from the close call, he chuckled. After initially kicking him back, I lost balance for a brief moment in time, staggering back in order to gain it. He took the opportunity of my distance to slash at one of the nurses, his knife slicing her across the cheek.

“NO!”

I screamed out, hearing the terrified and pained shrieks she gave as she stumbled back into her fellow survivors. She covered her face, crying out in agony, tears falling from her frightened eyes.

Rage filled my being, as I ran right at the perpetrator. I could feel myself lose control for a brief moment, blinded by my anger. In shadowed form, I extended out my claws, right as he swung his knife at me again. Seeing what move he was making, I sharply maneuvered my hand upward. With a quick swipe of my claws, the clown-masked man screamed like an animal in excruciating pain. I didn’t even see that I had dismembered the man’s hand above the wrist, until I kicked him back, seeing the detached body part fly across from me. With my assault, he flew crudely into the last henchman, making the way finally clear.

When I saw the hand, I wanted to panic. I had severely harmed someone. I had lost control again…

Damn it, Sarah, I thought.

Doubt crept in again, icing my veins with guilt. I froze in place, thoughts flooding my overwhelmed head. Everything was quickly pushed out of my head when I saw two men in the front of the circle pounce at the survivors. I yelled orders at them, trying to herd them to safety.

“Everyone move to the wall!”

With my demands heeded, the group moved hastily to the wall. The two men who pounced managed to grab a man before he made it.

“Let him go!”

I yelled harshly at the men, even though I knew they wouldn’t listen. I tried to disappear, but I found my shadows only flickered in and out of existence.

No, not now, I thought.

I didn’t have time to ponder it. Instead, I rushed over to free the doctor, sprinting over to the two men who were beginning to drag him back into a chokehold. I jumped up, swinging a flying fist at the clown-masked man who held the doctor. He let go with a second fist to the face, and when the doctor was released, I quickly grabbed him while swinging him back behind me as the desperate hands of both henchmen reached to grab him back. I backed up with the doctor, getting him back to the wall with the others.

Now that I had a better grasp of the situation, and there were no blind spots, I could see where each henchman was. They made a moon shape around us. With five in total down, there were seven left.

I can do this, I thought.

A short, but muscular man leaped forward, trying to swing at one of the security guards. I jumped into the air, flipping my body over to the area. Blocking his path, I swung my forearm at him, smacking him across the face. Just as I noticed he staggered back, another man on the other side ran for a survivor. I ran over, punching him back. A pattern kept forming, of men reaching for the survivors, and I thwarted their attempts. Much like a twisted game of whack-a-mole., I kept alternating, doing everything in my power to keep the men back.

With my body tired but my will unbroken, I kept them back. No matter what I did, however, they kept recovering. I only had time to hit lightly before the next henchman struck. I tried to reappear multiple times to help me take them on, but I found I was now struggling to maintain my abilities. I cursed at myself, needing help more than ever now.

One clown henchman came forward, wielding a baton. He swung it right at me, trying to hit me directly. I swerved to the right, dodging the attack. As I did so, an idea came into my mind. With instinct, I made a grab for the baton. My fingers clasped around it, but the man did not relent it easily. With a couple of clean headbutts, however, he relinquished it into my possession. When he let go, I smacked him across the face with the blunt object, and he went tumbling down to the ground.

This was what I needed to hit harder, I thought. Without the extra strength in my shadowed form, I could use this to possibly keep them down.

Six remained, and one man stepped forward to grab at another survivor. I ran at him, grabbing his hand before it could touch the hostage. With two swift strikes, I hit him on the head with my weapon, causing him to jump back in pain.

Another henchman made the same mistake, only he attempted to use a baseball bat. When I got to him, I grasped the baton on both ends, creating a bar to block the bat. The impact made a sharp cracking sound, as the wooden object collided with the metal weapon in my hands. I grit my teeth as I pushed away his instrument of destruction with the baton, before swinging my weapon down on his shoulder. When he recoiled from the impact, I used the butt of the baton to hit him across the temple. He went down with ease, falling onto his knees before collapsing on the rough surface.

The game of whack-a-mole continued, until eventually the enemies fell, feeling the sting of the blunt object in my unrelenting hands. Man after man was defeated, until one was left. When he saw his fallen friends, he looked at me with concern. His demeanor told me he didn’t want to continue fighting, but still, he charged at me. I let out a yell as I ran at him, landing a flying kick to his chest. He went flying back, colliding and crashing into the old medical table in the center of the platform in front of us. I heard him groan in pain before there was finally a stillness in the air.

All I could hear was my breath, along with the whispers of the frightened survivors. I closed my eyes, filling my lungs with air as I dropped the baton. I threw my head back in exhaustion, resting for a brief second. Until I heard a strange noise behind me.

CLINK!

I opened my eyes turning around to see what had caused the strange disruption. I heard a gasp from the crowd of survivors. When I saw what had made the noise, I gasped too.

A small, pink circular object resided right in front of the hostages.

Blinking with a bright red light.

I looked up sharply, knowing exactly where it had come from. Seeing Candyman’s hand retract from his pocket just in time.

He had just tossed one of his explosives in front of the survivors

The blood in my body turned cold, and I felt my reality warp with anxiety. My thoughts shut off, and my body began to move towards the explosive as if I were on autopilot.

My heart pounded against my ribcage, sending shockwaves throughout my body. Time seemed to slow around me as it became crucial. My body quickly slid across the floor, reaching out desperately to the explosive on the ground.

Just like that, this was the most reckless I had become. Grabbing a live explosive and holding it in my hand. Running with it away from the survivors.

What was I thinking, I thought. What are you doing, Sarah?

My heart overrode my overthinking mind. My instincts guiding me to make these dangerous decisions that put my life in peril. Self-preservation became a second thought to me when these survivors’ lives were threatened.

There was no way I was going to let these hostages die. They were more important than me. This now came down to self-sacrifice instead. To save a life, I’d risk mine.

It was at this moment I knew I had crossed the threshold of my being a hero. This moment was like a rite of passage, and I now completely understood what being a hero meant. I understood the stories that were told to me, and the vigilante those stories were about.

Before this, I had saved many lives doing what I did, but it never occurred to me just how important it was to put their lives before mine. When I started, it was the desire for redemption that drove me, then it was the thrill of the work, and then it was the thought that I was part of a better cause. Now, I had found my footing, reconnecting with the part of me that wanted to protect others.

I was ready to accept my own demise, but when I looked up at the balcony, I noticed there were still more men. If I died now, they would still perish after me. Anger and anxiety rose up in me, and I could feel it all beginning to tip out. When I looked over to Candyman, I could hear his laughter, enjoying the show of my soon-to-be murder.

No, I thought. You won’t win, you sadistic bastard.

In a moment of heat, I quickly threw the explosive up at the balcony, aiming for an empty space. The pink sphere soared in the air, with time constricting. I could feel the tension in the air, feeling the seconds slip away before the explosion. As if shocked by my action, Candyman began to run from the now dangerous space, trying to get out of the area. The men on the opposite side of him looked confused. Until they too saw what had caused their eccentric leader to scatter.

I realized what I had done, and I turned to run back to the survivors, bracing for the destruction above that would come. My pulse aligned with each second gone by, until ultimately-

BOOM!