Batmare turned Discord into the infamous Arkham Asylum. Discord breaks out, kills the faculty and takes control of the entire asylum. Can Batmare stop the insane clown and various escaped inmates before Discord fulfills his insane plan?
Batmare turns the Discord in to Arkham Asylum, the nesting ground of Manehattan's supervillains and cesspool of insanity and madness. Suspicious of Discord's easy surrender, Batmare walks with him through the asylum until Discord broke out of his bonds and took over Arkham Island. Running around the island are his henchmen that came from Blackgate Prison, several of Batmare's rogue gallery villains, and him constantly throwing Batmare with trap after trap.
Can Batmare uncover Discord's insane plan that will cost Manehattan's demise and stop him or will she succumb to the numerous criminals running around the entire island, through every section of the asylum trying to find and kill her before she can stop him? Read to find out!
(This story is a remake of my previous story, with better grammar, longer chapters, more dialogue and better story. I deeply apologize of my three year hiatus, I really don't like how my previous story is structured. This story is inspired by Batman: Arkham series with the gameplay of Batman Arkham Videos, story of the comics and dialogue from the game, enhanced by yours truly)
I do not own Batman or My Little Pony. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro and Batman is owned by DC Comics.
Rain poured heavily upon the ominous city of Manehattan, thunder booming the sky and lightning crackling and flashing the darkness hovering above the city. The residents of Manehattan sheltered in their homes to keep themselves safe from the storm that is raging outside. As everypony are locked in their homes from any outside danger, a beam of light brightened the sky. To everypony else, it appears to be another strike of lightning but from everypony else that are working in the pouring rain, the light shows a symbol. But not just any symbol, but the symbol that promises protection and justice for the innocent and punishment and fear to the guilty. That symbol is the Bat-signal. As everypony are sleeping in during the storm, sirens blared throughout the slums section of the city.
“All units proceed to Manehattan Hall. The Discord has been apprehended, Batmare is now en route to Arkham Island,” a radio voicepony announced to the Manehattan Police Department. After the annoucement, many MPD police cars raced to the city hall where the incident happened. Sirens blared loudly throughout the entire city as they are approaching the center of the city. As they race through the slums, a long, black vehicle jet past them, leaving a red light trailing behind it. The vehicle is on it's way to the island to drop off the criminal that almost killed the mayor and the council tonight.
‘Hardly any traffic tonight, good.The faster I get to Arkham Island, the-,’
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” a cheerful, eager and maniacal pony asked repeatedly.
‘Better,’ I finished thinking to myself.
I drove past the MPD through the middle of Manehattan to drop him off back to Arkham Island, again. Tonight, I stopped him from killing the mayor at the Mayor Hall, without any civilian or police casualties, I defeated him when I snuck up behind him. Strangely though, I would’ve expected him to fight back but tonight…he just gave up and wanted me to take him back to Arkham Island.
This thing, who or whatever he is, he is no pony or living thing, that is for sure. Too many times he broken out of Arkham and continues to wreak havoc upon the city and endangering many lives in his wanton path. Too many times I failed to save lives as I wanted too, to keep anypony from suffering any worse from his chaotic destruction. Too many times I stopped him from causing any more death and violence and too many times I brought him back to the island to be locked there. I wonder if this is the last time he’ll be locked away, but frankly, I’m not too hopeful on it.
The thing that I am bringing back to Arkham is an amalgamation of many animals. A draconequus to be more precise, I wanted to say a chimera, but a chimera at least is made up of three animals.He—is not. He has the head of a pony, that’s for sure .Everything else: a lion, an eagle, a goat, a bat, a deer, a snake, a horse, and even a Pegasus. There is one feature that always get me, his jaundice-colored sclera and his beady, lifeless, dark, evil red eyes.
Those eyes are unlike anypony I’ve ever seen, they have no life. No mercy, no emotions, no light, just…they are red portals of nothing. Stare into them and you will be looking at the numerous atrocities he has committed throughout my career and his life.The number of lives lost in those eyes, just pure chaos and evil personified. No name, no former life, no occupation, no origin, no family, like he just appeared out of nowhere. There is only one name that he goes by, a name that strikes fear into everyponys’ hearts, a name that infuriates me and torments me in this life-and-death rivalry we have.The name?Discord.
‘I’ve been hunting the Discord for nearly two months. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth,’ I thought to myself again.
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Discord annoyingly asked repeatedly. His hands are cuffed.
‘I like it when he’s quiet—,’ I pondered to myself.
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we--,”
*CRNCH*
I punched his face with the back of my fist, shutting him up. ‘But not that quiet,’ I finished thinking to myself. ‘He’s gone back into the chemical business, but that clown had way too much time to make mischief.’
“Hey, it’s Oracle! Heard you had a busy night,” a voice coming from the Batmobile radio called out.
“Yes, indeed. Inform Commissioner Armor and Warden Mare I’ll have the Discord at Arkham in fifteen minutes,” I replied and ordered.
“Already done. You know, this is the THIRD big gun you’ve brought in this month. I wonder if Arkham has any vacancies left,” Oracle said.
“There’s always a room ready for the clown,” I said.
“You don’t sound happy,” Oracle implied.
“All these arrests in the month, these came from three anonymous tips, and all of them panned out? That’s too…clean,” I replied back.
“What do you think?” Oracle asked.
“That they came from the same source, somepony with deep ties to the criminal underground, somepony who wants to clear the playing field,” I answered.
“Well, it can’t be Two-Face, she’s still in the hospital from you last…encounter. Black Mask has retreated to Mludhaven, everypony else you’ve pretty much locked up,” Oracle added.
“Somepony’s behind it,” I said.
“Remember the first tip? Police found it in Dr. Sweetheart’s office after her abduction. It led to the Old County Hospital,” Oracle asked, telling me about the first tip that happened earlier this month.
I narrowed my eyes as I remember of the incident that almost had Sweetheart killed that day.
FLASHBACK
Saturday, October 6, 11:45 p.m.
Four weeks ago, I found the first tip at the office where Dr. Sweetheart was interviewing with a patient but moved for a weekly leave due to her past…interview with the patient that left her greatly disturbed. Dr. Coldheart became her replacement after her leave. One day later, the patient escaped from the asylum and walked to Sweetheart’s apartment and abducted her to the old hospital. The patient was Prince, sorry, former Prince Blueblood, a rich and well-known pony from Canterlot City but lost all his fortune to gambling.
He became a thing that is close to the Discord’s level of insanity and twisted view of life. He views life as meaningless, unworthy, a nihilistic view of it. So, he believes he was purified from life’s grasp and decides to “liberate” others from it. By liberate, he kills them gruesomely with a knife and the worst part, he leaves the bodies in life-like manner, doing daily chores or anything a normal pony would do. He is never indifferent to any of his victims.He kills stallions, mares…even little colts and fillies.
Blueblood is a white stallion with icy blue eyes. He used to have long, wavy, blond and pampered mane but he cut it off after he discovers his new “purpose” in life. The one feature that always crawls his victims’ skin is the number of tally marks that tattooed all over his body. Hundreds of lives lost to his delusion, hundreds I could’ve saved. Truly, he is a heartless and emotionless monster that only cares about body count and tally marks.
Sweetheart is a plump, medium pink colored mare with fuchsia and white colored mane and tail. She has a white nurse symbol for a cutie mark and has white freckles on her cheeks.
I used the Batwing to fly to the abandoned hospital where Blood is with Sweetheart. The MPD followed along to get Sweetheart to safety.
“Remember how you poked and prodded my brain at Arkham, Doctor?” Blood asked to the terrified doctor.
Dr. Sweetheart is strapped on a patient’s gurney, mascara dripping, her eyes filled with indescribable terror and fear of the mad pony that is intent on killing her.
“I thought I’d return the favor,” Blood said with a sickening and deranged smile on his face. Blood picks up a scalpel and pointed it close to Sweetheart’s forehead. Sweetheart’s face is marred with sweat and tears, all she can do is muffle and whimper in fear. As Blood is closing in on her to tear her forehead open—
*CRASH*
“Hmm?” Blood asked and turned his head around.
“If I had gotten there any later—”
*CRUNCH* “Mmm!”
“He’d already have cut a new notch on his skin,” I said.
After knocking the insane pony out, I handcuffed him to a steam pipe. I took off the restraints from Sweetheart and comforted the traumatized doctor. She hugged and grasped me tightly, sobbing heavily from the near-death experience. I glared at the now awake Blood, screaming and cursing at me from stopping him from earning a new mark.
“I had taken Blood by surprise, he wasn’t happy about it. Can’t say the same for the next one,” I finished thinking to myself. Police sirens blared outside the hospital, they took Blood away and comforted and took Sweetheart in to be taken care of. The next tip started two weeks afterward.
FLASHBACK II.
Wednesday, October 17, 9:24 p.m.
I was doing my daily rounds of securing and looking at the city before heading off back to the Batcave. I turned and saw the Bat-signal in the distance, I knew something will come up.
I dropped by the MPD rooftop and spotted my brother, Commissioner Shining Armor.He is holding a tube in his hand.
“After I came into the main hall of the MPD, an officer gave me this package. I asked who was it from and he replied, ‘I don’t know’. Thinking it is a trap, I carefully opened it with my gun in hand and all I see in the box is a tube of a sudden. It has a note in it and it says it’s for you,” Armor explained.
I took the test tube back to the Batcave to check what was in the tube. I did a computer analysis and put the tube in a container and ran tests to see what was inside. I wasn’t surprised to discover that the tube contains a colorless, odorless fear gas, like Scarecrow’s previous toxins—but this version is stronger.
As soon as the gas leaked out, I saw horrific visions of monsters and hydras coming at me from all angles. The atmosphere changed to an ugly orange shade with billowing smoke coming from the shattering ground. The monsters roared and growled at me, fully attempting on devouring me alive.
It took almost all my willpower to defeat the monsters and wake up from the twisted warp of reality. I traced the tip back to Arkham Island, and as I suspected, I found Dr. Zecora already tormenting her interviewing doctors. Zecora doesn’t like it when other doctors are psychoanalyzing her.
The doctors, one is Dr. Stable and the other two are therapists helping Stable keeping notes of Zecora’s mind. They were clawing and screaming and crying in agonizing pain as they tried to fend off their darkest fears, both physical and psychological. This version of her fear gas vastly surpassed her formula she used years ago by miles.
I stopped Zecora from torturing the doctors even more and the Arkham guards burst in to restrain the drugged doctors from harming themselves more. This time, when I captured Zecora, she wasn’t seething in irritation and anger; she was smiling.
Hiding behind her sack of a mask, her twisted smile battles my scowl. She laughs even though she is beaten for the umpteenth time.
“What are you going to do, Batmare? Lock me up in a cell again and everything will be calm? *cackles* Oh, my sweet, delusional bat…this is only the prelude to the utter and complete chaos of what is about to come!”
I growled after she said those words. Not wanting to hear anymore of her fear-based drivel, I knocked her out with a right hook to her head. I looked at the restrained victims and told the guards to keep them strapped up until I came with an antidote to kill the gas in their bloodstreams. Hours later, I developed the cure and calmed the distressed doctors down. The guards locked Zecora in extreme isolation again. I can’t help but keep thinking of what Zecora said. Normally, I ignore my enemy’s last words but these words, what if she is telling the truth? The first tip and now this in a short amount of time?What is going on?
END FLASHBACK II
I continue to drive the Discord back to Arkham at high speeds. I sped past the sign that was put up months ago to warn visitors or any other people about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers, potentially an escape inmate. Glad that he quieted down from his constant and annoying babble. But like always, he never stays quiet. He is always—
“Stand back fool, I got a bomb!Ah…no, wait.*giggles*,” Discord says to himself.
*sigh* loud.
“I still wonder who could’ve gotten close enough to Scarecrow to get a sample of her fear gas,” I said.
“Is it the fact that Zecora and Blueblood both attacked their doctors? Seems like a pattern,” Oracle added.
“Yes, that’s what I thought also, but the Discord broke it. He went after the mayor,” I said.
“Also, he also set a fire at Blackgate prison before he came by city hall to get the mayor. Discord’s rarely been to Blackgate, hell, he’s been there once. The only time he went there was two years during that prison riot you stopped. Why would he go back there and start a fire?” Oracle said and asked. I knew the answer to that question.
“To set his henchmen free, Discord has a lot of inmates in his crew. Question is, why would he set the fire and he came by city hall with only four henchmen?” I replied and asked.
FLASHBACK III.
TODAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 10:12 p.m. .
Luckily, the MPD received the third tip only seconds before Discord’s assault. The mayor was having a conference room meeting on Manehattan’s business and future events. Everypony in the council came by tonight regarding the planning.
“And now, fillies and gentlecolts, if anypony wishes to address me or the city council on city business—,” the mayor asked before he was interrupted.
“I do, I do!” a foreign voice cheered. Instantly, machine guns were raised at the confused and terrified mayor and council. Discord walked through two of the armed Blackgate stallions.
“It’s come to my attention, Mr. Mayor, that there’s a paucity of parking spots for designated clown cars. I tried to park handicapped, but they said I wasn’t sick enough. Heh, can you imagine that?” Discord announced.
The mayor shivered in complete terror of the disturbed thing that came in the hall and threatened them with ponies armed with guns, ready to turn them to Swiss cheese at any time.
“Why, Mr. Mayor, why you look so excited? You look like you could explode,” Discord said.
Discord raised up a bulletproof vest lined with highly explosive chemicals at the breast area. He walked up to the terrified mayor and ordered his henchmen to knock him out and hold the rest of the traumatized council hostage. Discord brought the unconscious mayor outside and brought him up to the top of the city hall building and strapped him on the needle top of the hall. His goons tied him up with the explosive vest on with a sack with a crudely drawn happy face on it with eye holes cut open.
The mayor groggily woke up and tried to move but he is unable to. Once he got bearing of his surroundings and saw where he’s at, he panicked and screamed. Unfortunately, his screams are muffled by the sack covering his head.
“Don’t be so scared, mayor! You’re about to be the main event to tonight’s celebration! Just think about it—one push of this button and all those chemicals will mix together to create one big, bodacious burst of patriotism! You’ll light up the sky, Mr. Mayor!” Discord called out to the terrified mayor. The mayor’s response to his impending demise are only muffled cries and screams.
However, Discord didn’t press the button to blow up the mayor, instead, he is waiting for a certain pony to show up.Discord looked at his watch and hummed impatiently.
“Hmmm, drat! I was hoping she’d be here by now. Guess she’s not the patriotic type. Oh well, guess the mayor will go out with a bang without her,” he said.
As Discord was about the push to button to kill the mayor, the remote shattered. He looked down and saw a bat-shaped projectile destroys the remote.
“Hmm?” Discord asked in confusion.
BATMARE’S POV:
Luckily, I destroyed the device and swooped in and unstrapped the mayor from the tower and the explosive vest. I looked down at the demented clown and his goons and was ready to take them down. Once I saved the mayor, Discord’s goons spotted me.
“Is that her?” one of them asked. They shot at me, trying to kill both me and mayor. They are terrible at shooting but one of the flying bullets hit the falling vest and shot through three of the highly explosive chemical containers. The vest exploded in red, white and blue colors, colored smoke billowed from the explosion. Discord and his goons ran away from the blast radius. The mayor and I were several feet above the explosion. I floated down to take down the clown and his goons. The mayor climbed up the tower in fright and decides to make an early resignation.
“I’ve had enough of this city, I quit!” he cried out.
Discord pulled out a large parachute that protected him and his goons from the explosion. I stepped on the parachute with enough force to take the three of them down. Strangely enough, I expected a fight from the clown, but this was the easiest takedown I’ve done this month.Three consecutive tips, I’d expected Discord of all the criminals that committed the tips to be the hardest to take down, yet he gone down so much without a fight. Something is going on, and I’m about to find out once I get this demented clown back to Arkham.
END FLASHBACK III.
As I continue to race back to the asylum with the cuffed clown, I continue to talk with Oracle about the situation.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Bats,” Discord said. Likewise, I ignored him.
“Think you can I.D. who made the 911?” I asked to Oracle.
“I’ll try, but you know, all these tips could be unrelated,” Oracle replied and said.
“Maybe, but my instincts still say it’s one person,” I said.
I raced through the ominous thicket in the heavy rain. Hopefully, the answers to all of this going on will appear once I get to the asylum. The sooner I get to the asylum—
“Ooh, Bats! Have you ever tried to stay and maybe, not stop me from turning our beloved, dear old mayor into our country’s pride and joy? I mean, it could’ve been so amazing! Still, I should’ve expected the party to be ruined by Miss. Dark and Brooding. Ha!” Discord exclaimed happily.
*sigh* the better.
Meanwhile, in Arkham Asylum
Inside the asylum, many ponies wearing military vests and protective armor lined and surrounded the pony in charge of the asylum. Every guard is armed to the teeth with stun guns, batons, machine guns and various rioting equipment for the asylum. The security at the asylum upgraded from normal security to military grade. The pony that allowed such tight security is ordering the guards about their assignments once Discord comes back.
This pony is Warden Filthy Rich, the pony that allowed Arkham Asylum to re-open after Discord’s riot at Blackgate two years ago. He wears a black suit with a red neck tie. He wears black rimmed rectangular glasses and carries a cane with a red ornament with the Arkham logo in it. He is a middle age mayor, with black mane and tail with gray streaks, curled up in nice fashion. He wears a stern and strict look on his face as he is addressing the new security of what is about to happen.
“I need not to remind you of my frustration when you allowed the Discord to escape the last time. I will not tolerate such incompetence, not under my watch. We have a reputation to restore, do you understand me?” Rich announced and asked sternly.
“Sir, yes sir!” the guards cried out. Rich nodded and called them up in line to ready themselves for Discord’s return.
“We straighten out Arkham today, we straighten out Manehattan tomorrow,” Rich finished. Meanwhile, across from them, a stallion wearing a blue vest with a pistol and spear at the holsters sips a cup of hot coffee.The stallion is the husband of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, father of Flurry Heart and Twilight Sparkle’s older brother, Commissioner Shining Armor.
“Hmm, sounds like Warden Rich’s running for office,” a regular security guard remarks.
“No kidding,” Shining replies as he sips on his coffee.
During this, in a dark room in an unknown location, a door opens. A pony walks up at the doorway, standing with a seductive pose. Hardly can tell who the pony is, but we know that it is a mare. Inside the room, a bed with numerous tubes hooking up to a patient that is in the bed. The patient sounds sickly with the tubes sticking in the patient.
“Who, who’s there,” the male patient asked feebly.
“Me? Just your perky, rehabilitated nursing assistant,” the female pony replied in a perky and upbeat tone.
The mare walks up to the bedded patient and came into light. The mare is pink, she wears her poufy mane in pigtails; she has light cerulean eyes. She wears a sexy nurse outfit with a white unbuttoned dress shirt, leaving her cleavage open to the imagination. She wears a red and purple lacy bra, revealing her perky breasts to the pony who sees her. Around her waist, a black Victorian-style corset tightens her waist, enhancing her hourglass figure.
On her exposed stomach, a black, lacy G-string is on her hips. She dons a mini-skirt with fishnet stockings and black and red high heel boots. What really stood out is her face. She has white make-up on and black lipstick. Her eyes are covered with a black mask; she puts on a smirk on her face as she pulls up a syringe.
“No icky bedpans this time, mister, we got visitors. So, we want to make sure you’re nice and quiet,” she says. She pushes the plunger and the liquid inside the syringe glistens in the dimmed room. The patient tried to back away from the syringe but couldn’t because he is strapped tight with tubes running through him.
BACK TO BATMARE
I finally arrived at the asylum. I drove past the two pony statues that stood creepily at the gate. The asylum still stands at it’s unsettling glory. The late Gothic style architecture stood tall above the night sky. Surrounded by the Manehattan Bay, the asylum represents the solitude and emptiness once the bridge connecting to the city and Arkham lifts. Many buildings of the asylum are sectioned off into four main quadrants: the north, south, east and west wings. Better organization, better for the faculty to keep track of what is happening at the asylum. The main tower that stood amongst the buildings of the asylum is the mansion, which houses many archives and books that holds records of the asylum’s past and current history; from the mid 1800’s to today, over a century of history held in the mansion. It is also where the warden lives in.
‘It’s all easy, too easy. The night, the arrests, everything,’ I thought as I stopped in front of the building where the patients are housed at: the intensive treatment.
“Oooh, you got me home safe and sound, Batsy, and right before my curfew.Daddy will be so pleased, maybe he’ll let us go out again,” Discord said giddily.
‘Something’s off,’ I growled to myself. Narrowing my eyes, I stood out of the Batmobile and took Discord out of the passenger seat and walked him in front of the intensive treatment entrance. Whatever is happening, whatever Discord is planning, I am about to find…and I am going to stop it.
The automatic door to the entrance of the asylum whirred and opened as Discord and I stood outside. I’d put Discord in a kneeling position to restrain him from pulling any tricks, yes, he can do something dangerous, even cuffed. As the door opened, I picked Discord up from the ground and pushed him inside the building. The second Discord and I appeared behind the door, the armed guards of the asylum raised their weapons at Discord, intent on killing him if he pulls anything. The door behind us shut close, muffling the thundering storm outside, giving the inside of the asylum a creepy atmosphere. While we’re walking down the walkway, the guards steadily followed their weapons at Discord. I saw at the entrance of the intensive treatment wing the new warden, Mr. Filthy Rich. He looks sternly at Discord as we’re approaching closer to the entrance.
Beside him, a guard stood without the protective helmet waits for us to come. He is a golden flower stallion, his sapphire mane is shaven to a buzzcut, and what’s most noticeable about him is his left eye. A scar ran down his left eye, making his cornflower blue colored iris an arctic blue shade. I looked at his nametag and it read ‘Sentry’. He also wears a scowl on his face once he saw Discord.
Discord chuckles softly as we walked towards them and stopped. “Hey, Richie, love what you’ve done with the place,” he says.
Rich adjusts his tie while keeping his glare at Discord. “That’s WARDEN Rich to you,” he says strictly. “Flash,” he barked. The guard Flash Sentry nodded and walked up to the demented clown.
“Yooo, Flashy! How’s the wife and kids, did you miss me?” Discord asked teasingly. Flash walks up and angrily grabs Discord by the collar with both of his hands.
“Shut it, clown! A lot of ponies here really want to talk to you,” Flash growls. Flash grabs Discord and walks him to a gurney waiting for him in front of the intensive treatment entrance. Discord chuckles as he is walked to the gurney.
“Really, I don’t mind walking,” Discord said, irritated that he is being handled angrily. One of the guards uncuff him and Flash puts Discord on the gurney. The guards begin to securely strap his arms and legs so that he won’t try to pull anything.
“Heh, not so tight boys, you’ll crease the suit,” Discord laughs.
The warden and I walk up to the demented clown. Rich angrily scowls at the clown.
“Get that filthy degenerate out of here,” Rich hissed venomously. I narrow my eyes at Discord, something is going to happen.
“Warden, something’s not right, I’m going with him,” I said. The warden looks at me and nodded at my insistence of escorting Discord to his cell along with the guards.
The entrance to the intensive treatment opened as we begin to walk Discord back to his cell in a cautious and vigilant manner. Two guards stood outside in front of the entrance, security cameras hummed and whirred, keeping track on us as we entered the main lobby. Guards are kept at the corners in the entrance hall leading to the main building in the lobby with their firearms raised.
I walked up to one of the leading guards of the facility. He is a bald, pale yellow stallion with blue eyes and a shaven brown tail. Unlike his fellow guards, he is wearing a blue dress shirt with a black tie, black trousers and shiny black loafers. I looked at his badge; his name’s Northwood.
“Is Commissioner Armor here yet?” I asked him.
“Yes ma’am, he’s waiting for you down at Patient Handover. He got here just before you did,” he replied. I nodded and continue to walk with the squad of guards.I smile inwardly, my brother finally got to a place before I did. The headlights brightened as we approached the lift that leads to the lobby’s ground level.
“Richie loves his cameras. Hey, Richie, you getting my good side? What the heck, they’re all good, aren’t they?” Discord called out to Rich.
“I want him securely locked away this time. Another escape and I will lose support for my mayoral campaign,” Rich tells the guards.
“Don’t worry, Warden. I have every available guard stationed here, sir,” Northwood added.
“I hope it’s enough, Officer Northwood, for your sake,” Rich replied, warning him.
“Discord is our most challenging patient, curing him will cement my reputation. Inform Dr. Redheart her patient is here,” Rich said and ordered.
As we stepped on the lift, the lift lowers us to ground level of the lobby. Discord smiles as he looks around the entire lobby. “Hmm, look at all this new security. How’s a guy supposed to break outta here?” Discord asked.
We all ignored him and walked up to the scanning tunnel. More guards kept their guns raised at Discord as we walk. The intercom chimes in as we approach.
“New patient in the Intensive Treatment Lobby.All non-essential staff to vacate the area,” the automatic female intercom announces.
We walked in the tunnel and mist clouded and obscured our vision. I kept a much closer eye on Discord as we are in the tunnel. I still couldn’t shake my head of what Discord has planning; whatever or whenever it happens.
“It’s always nice to return to my sweet, little, ha-ha-hacienda,” Discord says.
We walked through the misty entrance and the mist clears as we enter the scanning tunnel. The door closes behind us and a masculine voice came up from the other side.
“Tunnel’s full, start the scan!” the voice ordered.
“Scan initializing,” another male voice said.
The circular rim at the end of the tunnel whirs with a blue holographic light hum and moves through the tunnel in an up-and-down motion. The scanner is there to make sure anypony outside of guards and faculty members are carrying no weapons.
“You know what? I preferred the good ol’ cavity search, much more personal,” Discord yaps.
Discord is clear of any weapons, we made sure of that…however--the scanner beeps alarmingly and the blue light turns red after it finished scanning.
“Got a red light, multiple prohibited items,” the operating pony said.
“I want Discord searched again,” the leading pony barks out. The scanning rim whirs back to the exit of the tunnel.
“Umm, it’s not the patient…it’s err,” the operating pony hesitates.
“Oooh, what’cha sneak in with you, Bats? C’mon, tell me, tell me! Batarangs, batclaws? Ooooh, bat snacks?” Discord asked me. I only looked at him.
“Scan is green on Discord,” the operating pony says.
“Open the gate, get him out of there!” the leading pony orders.
The gate open and we continue our trek on taking the clown behind bars. Various guards stood out with their firearms ready. The leading pony is a red stallion with shaven blond mane and tail. He, like Northwood, wears the usual faculty member dress suit and tie. With his green-blue eyes glaring at the murderous draconequus, he has his hand resting on his pistol.
What stands out of him is his left hand. His left hand is a hook, he lost his left hand due to a certain patient’s attempted escape and he almost bled to death. The officer’s name is Big Macintosh, or Mac for short.
“I want weapons on him at all times, do not let him our of your sight,” Mac orders. Discord sneers at Mac and smiles darkly.
“There’ll be time enough for you later, Mac. Speaking of time, tick-tock, tick-tock…is that a crocodile I hear?” Discord said darkly.
Big Mac narrows his eyes and scowls. I took notice as his left arm stiffens a bit at the mention of the nursery rhyme. As we walk out of the lobby, a white doctor with pink mane and tail in a bun hides behind the two guards standing in front of her. The pony has a clipboard to her chest and peers behind the guards and looks at Discord with caution and disgust and...fear. The doctor is Dr. Redheart, the recently new doctor added to the faculty.
“What’s up, doc? Cancel me in for tomorrow at 4, we got a lot of catching up to do,” Discord says to the doctor. I took a quick glance at my peripheral and saw Redheart’s face turn cold of what Discord said to her. I know a threat when I hear one, and what Discord said frightened her. Those two have some history, and I’m going to find out.
We walked out of the lobby and entered the Intensive Treatment Corridor, a long walkway that leads patient for a quick medical examination procedure before heading to the transit. Amongst the columns by the left, TV recording monitors are mounted on the walls. The monitors turn on and Warden Rich appears, a past recording giving out the new patients the introductions to the asylum in a typical fashion.
“Hello, fellow patients. This is Filthy Rich, warden of Arkham Asylum and-,”
“Ooh, it’s my favorite show: “I’m Warden Idiot, you’ll never escape,” Discord mocked. During our walk, we heard some voices coming from the other corridor. I spotted several burly stallions walking with the guards aiming at them cheering Discord’s name. These are the Blackgate inmates that are being transferred here momentarily until the penitentiary repairs because of a certain somepony burns the prison, releasing them.
“Discord! Discord! Discord! Discord! Discord!” the inmates cheered. Discord turns his head and spotted his crew. Their smiles were plastered on their decorated faces as they spotted their boss.
“Shut up and keep walking!” one of the guards barked out at the inmates. The inmates shush themselves, so that they won’t get shot.
“Discord!” one inmate shouts out before the line turns quiet. The guards escorting them grew more irritated at their cheering.
“Keep walking!” the guard snapped. We ignored them and continue moving forward to the transit entrance. Discord smiles widely as he sees his crew being walked.
“I’m telling you, the state of the wiring in these federal facilities is shocking. My boys over there could have been hurt in that unfortunate fire,” he said.
We stopped in front of more guards armed with a doctor standing with them. The guards protecting the doctor packed stood side to side with the doctor.
“Just got to check your prisoner, Officer Flash,” the doctor said.
“Whatever, just be quick!” Flash said impatiently.
The doctor walks up besides the cuffed clown. “Only following procedure.Hmm, patient seems to be in satisfactory condition. Looks like he suffered minor lacerations, probably in the last two hours. There seems to be-,”
“Boo!” Discord shouts. The doctor and all the guards were startled by his scare. The guards stood back and raised their weapons at the dangerous madman, ready to shoot if he pulls anything. Discord cocks back his head and cackles; I’ve been fighting this thing for a long time. All I did is narrowing my eyes and stare at the guffawing clown.
“Need to take my temperature? I’d be happy to drop my pants,” Discord asked and suggested. Disgusted at the clown’s suggestion, the doctor finished his procedure and turns to Flash.
“Ugh, he’s all yours. Get him out of here,” the doctor spat.
“He’s good, get the door open,” one of the guards called out to the pony controlling the door. The door opens and the guards in the corridor relax as we walk to the transit. The intercom chimes again.
“Alert in Intensive Treatment. Category 9 patient in transit, pacification system active. Shoot to kill permissions granted.”
We walk in the transit, waiting for one of the elevators to come up. Several guards are there waiting for the patient to come up for transit. One of the faculty members stood in front of the pack waiting for the elevator to arrive.
“You heard the lady, we have another psycho on the way!” the stallion called out. The elevator is taking longer than usual, the line looks like it’s about to give out. Then, a putrid stench hits all our noses. The guards covered their snouts to lessen the pungent smell. I grimaced a bit from the foul odor, Discord sniffs around, apparently unaffected by the offensive smell. We both know who…no, what, exactly what it is that is emitting this smell.
“Can you smell the excitement in the air? No? Well, it must’ve been one of the guard--, Croc old boy, is that you?” Discord rambled and asked to the arriving patient.
The elevator slowly reveals the abomination that is in the elevator. This thing’s scales are harder than a dragon and a rhino. The creature wears baggy pants with a makeshift rope for a belt. Around it’s thick neck is a pacifying collar to keep it in control. The former stallion’s name was Garble Jones…now, there’s only one name that everypony refers it by: Killer Croc.
The elevator came to a complete stop. The creature inside breathes and growls softly and ominously, putting the guards on edge.
“Get ready! Keep your weapons trained on it, at all times,” one of the guards signaled. The guards raised their weapons on the creature that is slowly stepping out of the elevator. The elevator is only 9 ft tall, so the creature must hunch over to fit. The thing steps out and stood at it’s full height, a towering 11 ft tall.
Chains were wrapped around its ankles and wristbands, securing it. The thing stretched out from the cramped elevator and breathes deeply. The guards are starting to sweat from the thing’s unsettling and frightening appearance.
“It looks angry,” one of them whispered. Croc sniffs around the area and looks at his target. Not the guards, not the faculty members, nor Discord…me. I looked up at the creature and the both of us have a staredown. My eyes are matching with his sickly yellow, reptilian ones, rows of razor sharp teeth, drooling and ready to rip apart anything and anypony his jaws catch on.
“What’s it doing?” the guard asked cautiously. Croc turns his whole body to the front, the floor rumbling from his footsteps.He continues to glare at me as he opened his enormous mouth.
“I’VE GOT YOUR SCENT, BATMARE. I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN,” Croc growls. One of the guards yell out.
“Turn that collar on, get that animal under control!” The collar powers on and a strong electric shock harms the cannibalistic monster. Croc roars and growls in pain as the collar shocks him, stopping him from doing anything that’ll cost lives.After the collar finished shocking him, Croc turns his head at me for the last time.
“Get that thing outta here, now!” the leading pony orders. All the transit guards are ready to escort the thing down to wherever their destination is.
“A TOY COLLAR WON’T STOP ME FROM KILLING YOU, BATMARE! I’LL RIP YOU APART, EAT YOUR BONES!” Croc stomps away with the guards behind him. The horrific odor of rotten flesh and old excrement wans away as the thing is gone. The guards took off their masks and pulled a deep breath of fresh air. I’ve fought that thing more times I could count and sometimes…the stench can sicken me a tiny bit.
“That reminds me, I really need to get me some new shoes,” Discord babbled. The leading guard turns to us and gave us the okay to enter.
“Okay, move forward,” he says. We walk right in the tainted elevator, still lingering with its leftover odor. The elevator closes behind us and the car starts to go down to the main cells of the intensive treatment. As we descend, Discord opens his mouth but this time it is not his usual or unusual banter.
“Whee, great night for a party!” Discord cheered. I look at him and narrow my eyes at him.
“Not where you’re going,” I retorted.
“Ahh, the night is young, Bats. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. I mean, don’t you think it’s a bit funny how a fire at Blackgate caused hundreds of my crew to be moved here?” Discord asked. Right before I reply, Flash snaps at Discord.
“I thought I told you to stay quiet!” Flash barks angrily. Discord turns his lanky head at Flash and an unusual frown forms on his porcelain face.
“Oh, Flashy, you really should learn to keep that fat mouth of yours shut. It’ll get you into trouble,” Discord says ominously. Something’s not adding up; Discord usually plays, teases or threatens a security guard but I’d never see or heard Discord speaks to a guard at that level of tone and authority.
“Tell me something; you’ve never let me catch you this easily. What are you really after?” I asked Discord. Discord’s attitude does a complete 180 and smiles at me.
“Oh, nothing much. Just thinking of hundreds of ponies dying in pain and fear, all their meaningless lives brought to a horrifying conclusion. All thanks to you and a book of matches,” Discord replied. The book of matches was the third tip I found before Discord did his attempted murder of the ex-mayor of Manehattan.
“Was that the answer you wanted?” Discord asked, interrupting my thoughts. During this, the TV in the elevator turns on back to Warden Filthy Rich.
“All patients should avoid contact with prisoners from Blackgate Prison Facility. Their presence in our institution is…” Suddenly, the elevator’s light flicker on and off, Discord cackling during this. The two guards are on edge of what is happening, I kept my ground and focused more on the clown laughing and cackling. Then, the TV and lights shut off and darkness is in our vision.
“What’s he doing?” Sentry asked cautiously.
“Stay where you are,” the other guard orders. As Discord continues to laugh at this, his laughs turn to choking and gasping, trying to breathe in fresh air.
“Get a flashlight! Get a light on him!” Sentry orders. Right before the other guard pulls a flashlight, the elevator’s lights flicker back on and the TV’s static noise turns back to Warden Rich. I wrapped my hand around his skinny throat, stopping his annoying cackling. Discord grimaces in slight pain as he is being choked. The TV’s audio comes back on warbling until its back to its usual audio.
“—their presence in our institution is temporary. Once again, I emphasize, all Blackgate prisoners should be considered dangerous and must not be approached.”
“W-w-what? D-don’t you trust me?” Discord choked out, still smiling. I slammed his head on the gurney and let go of his neck. After that little incident, we finally arrived at the lower level of the Intensive Treatment. More guards are lined up at the entrance to the holding cells.
“Our guest has arrived,” one of the guards said. He pressed the button and the elevator gate door opens. The intercom comes back on as we walk out.
“Intensive Treatment lower floors are now at level Red Alpha.”
We continue our trek and the guards raised their weapons on Discord. The leading captain of the team walks by us and growls at Discord in disgust and anger.
“So, you’re back. You killed three of crew when you busted out of here,” the captain guard said disgustingly. Discord only smile.
“Only three? I’ll be sure to try harder next time. What say we aim for a hundred?” Discord asked.
We finally arrived at the holding cells to lock up the clown. By my left side, I spotted my older brother and commissioner of the entire MPD and Royal Guard, Shining Armor. Like me, he aged more than me, though, he’s more on the late 30's side of him. He doesn’t know of my double life…yet. But that doesn’t make me love him less, it makes me love him even more.I smile slightly at him as we spotted each other.
“Long night, Arm?” I asked. Shining walks up and we shook hands. Like me, he’s happy to see me.
“Discord invades City Hall and holds the Mayor hostage, leaving it to me to juggle with the Royal Guard, the media and you. Yeah, it’s been a helluva night,” he chuckles.
“Hopefully the last one we’ll ever have with him,” I replied.
Unknown to either of them, they are being watched by a security TV monitor and a pair of red and purple boots are propped up on the table. The pony stares at the TV and smiles.
“Yeah, right,” the mare says.
As Shining and I walk to the holding cells, the pathway is locked by pairs of neon blue lights, capable of pacifying any escaping patients that attempt to break out. The path is blocked by a guard and a doctor.
“Hold it there. Sorry, Batmare, Arkham staff only,” the guard says. My brother frowns at that mention.
“I assure you, if anypony’s qualified, it’s—”
“Listen, I appreciate the assistance, but she’ll unsettle the more violent inmates,” the guard interrupts and reassures himself. I only nodded at the mention, Armor calmed down at the clarification.
Discord laughs behind us. He is being led by Flash in handcuffs to the cells. “I think he’s about you, Bats!” he smiles. He leans his face closer to mine and continues to walk by Flash. Flash gives Discord to the guard and leads him to a cell.
“Don’t be a stranger, you’re always welcome here. Got to say, it’s good to be back!” Discord said. I don’t like this one bit. Shining notices this and looks at me.
“You okay?” he asked.
“He surrendered almost without a fight. I don’t like it,” I replied.
“Hmm, at least he’s back where he belongs,” Armor added.
We walk up in the control room of the area and view Discord’s walk through a bulletproof window. As Discord continues to walk, he collapses.
“Get up! Now!” the guard ordered. Discord looks up and growls at the guard. Then, that’s when all the chaos and mayhem happened at that moment. Discord headbutts the guard and comes behind him and begins to choke him with the chains of the handcuffs. I knew something’s going to happen, they should’ve let me come with them!
“Discord’s loose, alert the warden!” I ordered. Shining Armor turns to Flash and the other guard and they try to alert the warden of the escape attempt but to no avail. I growl at how Discord is killing the guard, the doctor trying to calm Discord, but he laughs at his face.
“Hurry, we’re losing him, doc!” Discord teased. I punch the plexiglass with only a splintered crack as the result. Discord manages to uncuff himself as he finishes killing the guard. Discord walks up and headbutts the terrified doctor: hard. He prances and twirls around, happy and relieved he is free again. He looks down at the deceased guard and smiles at his lifeless face.
“The choke is on you,” Discord puns. He dances and cheers more and points at a monitor looking at it. “Tada! Honey, I’m home,” Discord said. Behind the TV, the mare watching smiles lovingly as she watches Discord free from his bonds and looks at her.
“Come on in,” she replies. She pulls out a security card and unlocks the other pacified door. Just as Discord is about to leave, I finally broke through the glass by jumping through it.
I look at the two broken bodies on the floor, I snarled at the demented clown. Two lives I should’ve saved, lost to this madman. Discord smirks and runs up at the ramp on the other side. The pacifying gate turns back on, separating us two. Discord spreads out his arms and smiles at me.
“Welcome to the madhouse, Batmare! I set a trap, and you sprang it gloriously!” After his speech, the holding cells that held some of the Blackgate inmates that are Discord’s crew walks out. They smirk and cracked their knuckles, preparing for a fight.
“Now…let’s get this party started,” Discord smirks. He runs in one of the control room and decides to watch the oncoming fight.
I count three of the released inmates, they’re in an amateur boxing position. I look at one of them, deciding to make the first move.
“Fillies and maniacs, I apologize for this interruption to your regular entertainment,” Discord said through a mic. I counter the stallion’s punch and pushes him behind me. I punched his back and send him flying. The other two surprised and angry of that, one of them runs toward me. I kick him and lift the third one up and punch him in the stomach.
“Up until a few seconds ago, I was going to kill everypony in the room and then watch cartoons, but then…well…you know how I do love a captive audience,” Discord continues.
I easily took down the three ponies with no difficulty. I stretched my arms and look up at Discord. He shakes his head and grins.
“I’m just warming you up, Bats!Fresh from Blackgate Correctional Facility, with a combined sentenced of 752 years. Ding, ding, ding ding ding, it’s round 2!” Discord announced.
After that, Discord released four more prisoners, ready to throw down. I punch, kick and counter them with ease. The prisoners staring at each other, trying to come up with a way to defeat me, but…you know…it’s me.
“Sorry, Bats, gotta run. I’ve got places to go, ponies to slay,” Discord says. He runs out of the room and down the hallway. I fought these ponies as fast as I could so that I can catch up to the clown. I broke the prisoners’ bones and bodies, leaving them in piles of groaning and moaning bodies. After the little scuffle, I look at the monitor and see my brother there. Him and the two guards are in there with him, good.
“The system’s jammed, we’re stuck in here. Discord’s in full control of the security gates,” Shining said.
“I’ll find a way. Shining, try and contact the warden, let him know what’s happened. I’ll be back,” I said and ordered. The monitor switched from Shining to Discord, who is still running through the halls of the building. He looks up at me and the monitor zooms in on him.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Bats. I’m in control of the asylum, you’re not going anywhere I don’t want you to. Understand?” Discord said and asked menacingly. I gritted my teeth at the sick madman.
“If you think I’ll let you run--,”
“Oh, blah blah blah, always with the hero speak! Ooh, I’m getting bored of watching you. Why don’t you just come find me?” Discord interrupted and asked. The gate that leads to his direction is off, allowing me to go to him. Knowing him, I’m not going to like of what I’m about to see. The monitor switches back to Shining Armor.
I ran through the open gate and head on to chase after the murderous clown. I grit my teeth in fury when I see the first thing during my trek: a dead security guard lying down on the wall with a chattering, wind-up teeth beside it. The guard appears to be killed by blunt force trauma, no doubt beaten to death. I threw my batarang at the chattering teeth and continue my chase.
If I could describe an emotion going through my head right now, it is unbridled anger. Down the long hallway, I see more deceased security guards lying down the hallway. The macabre sickens me to my stomach; if I should’ve thought ahead of Discord’s plan, then they wouldn’t have died in such gruesome ways. I could’ve save them.
“These poor guards never stood a chance,” I growled to myself. But I shouldn’t focus on the unfortunate deaths, I should focus on stopping Discord. The sooner I stop him, the more lives I could save. As I ran, security alarms blare loudly throughout the halls of the intensive treatment. I looked up at the security monitors and saw several of Discord’s crew running through various halls of the facility.
“Warning: security breach in level B3,” the intercom alerted. I ran faster through the halls to catch to Discord in time while keeping in mind that I’ll be encountering more of Discord’s henchponies any moment.
Just as I thought, I spotted two of the escaped inmates running from the corner. They furrowed their eyes and snarled as they spotted me. I can’t waste any time with these lowlifes. I kicked one stallion with a karate kick, knocking him down. The other stallion was shocked at how fast his partner is knocked out; furious, he threw a punch, but I pulled his offending arm, brought him closer and knee him in the abdomen. I finished them off with quick and powerful punches on the head.
“Warning: security breach at level B2.”
After finishing them off, I heard a voice calling me from the end of the transit hall. It is a security guard who survived the onslaught, he has a few bruises but nothing life-threatening, glad he made it out alive.
“Warning: security breach in level B8.”
“Warning: security breach in level B1.”
“Warning: security breach in level B6.”
I look up and saw one of the inmates looking at the security camera in one of the halls. His burly and ugly face obscures the view of the hall as he stares at the camera. He grunts as he attempts to pull the camera from the wall; he succeeded into pulling the camera, causing all the security monitors to go static.
I run up to the guard at the end of the hall. He pulls the face guard from his muzzle, revealing his navy-blue coat, cerulean eyes and slightly bloodied face. I read his name tag and it read ‘Noteworthy.’
“What happened here?” he asks.
“Discord happened, you’re lucky to be alive,” I reply.
“That damn clown! He must’ve gone this way, the door’s jammed. I’ll try to get it open,” he says. Before he does, a panicked voice is coming from his walkie talkie.
“We need backup in Pacification. I repeat, we need backup in Pacification, can anypony hear this?” the voice calls out.
Noteworthy takes his receiver and taps on it to hear the call better. “Hello, can you hear me?I’m here with Batmare, hello?”
Whatever is happening in the Pacification unit, I need to go and help them. “Where are they?” I asks.
“Back down there, need any help?” Noteworthy answers and asks, pointing at the other end of the hall.
“No, I work better alone,” I said.
“Blood is free! Oh, my God, he’s got Caramel!” the voice screams out. On the other end, we hear electricity charging and a garbled voice screams in pain.
“Hey, Franky, can you hear me? If you can, help is on the way,” Noteworthy replies to the cry. I run to the right side of the transit hall to help the guard in trouble in the Pacification unit. I decide to call one of my trusted allies as I walk to the unit.
“Oracle, can you hear me?” I ask in my communicator.
“I hear you loud and clear, what’s up?” Oracle asks.
“Discord’s escaped custody, he’s running free in Arkham,” I reply.
“Do you need anything? Is my…dad still there?” Oracle asked worryingly.
“Commissioner Shining is safe. Discord’s not far ahead, I’ll stay in contact,” I reply back and said.
“Okay, good,” Oracle sighs in slight relief. “Let me know if you need anything.” I hummed in response and turn off my comm. Once I reach the Patient Pacification Chamber, I spot two guard standing in front of a pacifying doorway, speaking to Blood on the other side. I see Franky, wearing the dress suit and tie. He turns to me, sweat dripping from his face, eyes filled with fear and anxiety.
“Let him go, you’ll only end up in more trouble if you continue!” the guard cries out, warning Blood. Knowing Blood, he never listens, he never does. His unpredictability rivaling close to Discord’s, there’s no telling what will happen.
‘Thank God you’re here! It’s Blood, he’s got Caramel! He’s strapped him to a chair, Blood has totally lost it!” Franky cries.
“Don’t worry, wait here,” I said. Franky shakes his head.
“You can’t go in there, he’ll kill Caramel if he sees anypony trying to get close,” Franky denies. I narrow my eyes in response.
“He won’t see me,” I said lowly. I run up the stairs leading to the upper floor that oversees the room. On the other side, Blood is wearing prisoner shorts with numerous locks around his waist, forearm and his neck. He wears a sadistic, cold, and maniacal look in his eyes as he watches Caramel trying to break free of the bonds. Tired from the brutal shock, Caramel pants as he tries to gather his lost breath.
Blood’s smile widens crookedly as he holds the remote. “If I see anything that looks even a little bit like a bat, this guard dies. Do you hear me?” Blood asked evilly. He pressed the button and shocks Caramel. Caramel screams and gargles in pain from another shock, Blood cackling madly as he is doing this.
“Make Blood pay,” Franky said angrily. He and his fellow guard continues to distract him for me to approach him. I reached the upper floor of the room and spotted Dr. Coldheart, the elderly psychiatrist that replaced Sweetheart as Blood’s therapist after the incident. She is working on more documentations on Blood and grunts in frustration at how Blood is acting. She notices my presence and turns her head at me.
“This is disgraceful, how did a patient like Blueblood got free?” Dr. Coldheart asks.
“We’ll worry about that later, doctor,” I reply. Dr. Coldheart pushes her glasses in response.
“Be careful, Batmare.He wants to kill the guard, he needs to kill the guard,” Dr. Coldheart warns, emphasizing on needs. True, Blood thinks that his life’s goal is to kill anypony, regardless of age, sex, or any other background, freeing them from life. His nihilistic viewpoint makes him unpredictable and murderous, I need to stop him before he claims another mark.
I walked to the edge of the balcony overlooking Blood and the captured guard. I’m in front of Blood but Blood is only paying attention to the guards in front of him, good. A guard besides me turn his head.
“Blood’s got my buddy, do something, please,” the guard begs.
“Keep him occupied, I’ll handle this,” I said, calming the guard down. The guard nods and turns around to distract Blood. I look up at the ceiling and spot several gargoyle statues at each side of the room. Perfect.
“These old gargoyles should be able to support my weight if I grapple on to them,” I thought to myself.
I grapple up to the nearest gargoyle and sat on it. I look down at the floor and spot Blood. I’m at his side, he still hasn’t noticed my approach. I grapple up to the adjacent statue and landed on one that is directly behind Blood. Blood is walking side to side behind the terrified guard, still arguing with the guards behind the pacifying gate, distracting him. I glide down and kicked him behind his head, knocking him down. To make sure he’s down for good, I punch him on his temple, putting him to sleep.
The guards sigh in relief as the crazed stallion is down. Franky smile and nodded to his fellow guards inside the room.
“Somepony, put that animal back in his cell,” Franky order angrily. I stood up and was ready to head back where Noteworthy is at, but I see that the TV screens in the room starts to turn back on.
“Can ya hear me? Is this thing on?” a perky female voice asks. I knew who this pony is, in better term, was. This pony was one of my best friends after my time in Ponyville. During my career, she chose the psychiatrist route for fun, but not every job is all fun and games. She was spoon fed with lies, deceit, and honeyed venomous words by a certain killer clown. She instantly became one of my most notorious villains in my rogue gallery. Sadly, that pony speaking is-
The TVs turn on and the mare is in full display. She wears her poufy, pink mane in pigtails. She wears a seductive nurse outfit with a red Victorian corset around her waist. The white dress shirt is very short, exposing her belly, with a black lacy G-string on her hips. Wearing thigh high fishnet stockings and boots, red and purple in color. She wears forearm length red and purple latex fingerless gloves in their opposite colors. Her pink face is coated in porcelain-white makeup with a black mask around her eyes. Holding at her right hand is the warden’s staff, which means he’s been captured. She smiles as she sees me after fixing the TVs.
“Hiya, B-mare!” the mare cheers. I deeply sigh at the mare looking at me, oh, how far she is gone.
“Pinkie Pie,” I said, masking my anger, disappointment and above all, sadness. The mare named Pinkie Pie claps her hands in excitement after my recognition of her.
“OOOOOH! Yay, you remember me! What do you think? How do you like my new uniform? Pretty hot, huh?” Pinkie exclaims excitedly. She twirls around when she asks about her costume.
“Oh, I forgot!I got something to show you.One second, B-mare,” Pinkie says. She walks off screen for a second and pushes something in front of me. The pony in the chair is Filthy Rich. His arms are tied, his mouth is taped shut. His face is slightly bruised and bloodied from the inmates and Pinkie’s assault. The glasses are lopsided and broken. He grunts, trying to shout but the tape muffles his outbursts.
“Ta-da!” Pinkie cheers, showing me the injured, captured and frightened warden. I narrow my eyes of what is happening in front of me. Pinkie walks back on screen. She wraps her arm around Rich.
“I’m now subbing for the old man!Old Richie’s never been happier,” Pinkie says, patting his head and posing in a sultry manner. She walks directly in front of the camera, facing me.
“Anyway, in case ya ain’t figured it out, today is Discord’s big homecoming, and you’re the guest of honor,” Pinkie explains, leaning on the cane.
“You have one chance to surrender, Pie,” I warn. Pinkie smirks and stood up.
“Tempting, Bats, but no dice. Now the inmates are running the asylum, well, technically they’re Discord’s goons shipped in from Blackgate, but you get the idea. Bye-bye for now!” Pinkie further says and cheers. She uses the cane and smashes the camera, putting the TVs back into static.
I need to get back on track. After the guards free the captured guard, they check up on the unconscious maniac, making sure he won’t wake up.I heard my communicator coming on.
“Hey, Batmare, you’re picking this up?” Oracle asks.
“Oracle, I’m here,” I reply.
“Arkham Asylum has just vanished off the network,” Oracle says. We both know what happened.
“Discord’s in control of the security system, probably isolated it from the grid,” I deduce.
“That’s not all he’s done. All police feeds are reporting he’s placed bombs all over Manehattan. Says he’ll detonate them if anypony sets foot on Arkham Island,” Oracle adds. I shook my head after she mentions Discord’s threat.
“It’s being suppressed now, but the story will break any time soon,” Oracle finishes.
“He’s lying, it’s just a diversion to keep ponies away,” I said.
“How do you know?” Oracle asks.
“I know him,” I answer back. I turn the com off and search a way out of the room. The guards are having trouble trying to open the gate.
“The room’s locked down, I can’t open the gate. We’re trapped in here,” a guard calls out. I spot a ventilation grate at the far left of the room.
“Try the radio, control should be able to shut down the gate,” another guard orders.
“Pinkie thinks she has me trapped in this chamber. She never was very bright,” I said to myself.
I pry the grate open and crouch in the ventilation shaft to get back on track. I crawl in the tight vent path to lead back to the corridor where Noteworthy is.
“She’s got out, Batmare’s found a way out!” one guard calls. As I crouch through the shaft, I heard my com back on.
“Batmare, I’m patching you into the guard radio feed,” Oracle says, keeping me up to date of what’s happening right now.
I heard noise on the feed and several voices. “Steve, more Blackgate prisoners, by the boiler!” a guard warns to a guard name Steve.
“Who’s that behind them? Oh my God…it’s Discord. He’s free, how did he break out?!” the guard asks and cries out. I hear gunshots and banging after the guard’s panic then I hear static. More lives lost, I need to finish this now.
“Sorry, feed’s down. Comms are going up and down like crazy, it’s not good, I’ll keep trying,” Oracle apologizes and switches off. I continue my trek in the shaft and saw the other grate that shows the other end of the Processing Corridor. As I push the grate with my leg, I see Noteworthy trying to unlock the jammed door. Finally, the door opens and Noteworthy rushes through. I push the grate out and jump down to the floor and follow him.
I reach the Decontamination section and spot Noteworthy at the window looking at the room. Inside the room are several guards trying to get out. They spot us and call us out.
“Ugh, it’s sealed, no way in or out! Dammit, they’re trapped in there,” Noteworthy remark in frustration. The decontamination chamber turns on, which means…oh no.
The intercom chimes back on and announces the words that seals the guards’ fate in the chamber.
“Warning: Decontamination room. Toxins detected.” Green gas fills in the room where the guards are. The guards choke and bleed as they suffocate in the toxic fumes. The most gruesome part of this gas is that the guards begin to chuckle; then the chuckles turns into maniacal laughter. The guards cackle madly in pain as they finally succumb to the gas in the room. I snarl as I see the guards died a horrible and agonizing death. Noteworthy saw his buddies’ deaths and was horrified.
“Warning: Decontamination room. Area sealed,” the intercom announces. The windows begin to seal shut, blocking some of the succumbing guards’ demises from our eyes.
“Oh, dear God, what is that stuff?” Noteworthy asks, appalled by the deaths.
That gas is Discord’s signature weapon, a gas that is a cocktail of several lethal chemical compounds: hydrogen cyanide, strychnine, nitrogen oxide, methamphetamine and MDMA. Paralyzing or killing victims by causing severe spasms of the organs and muscles, suffocating, and causes them to laugh until their faces are tightened into rictus and grotesque smiles.
“Discord Venom! Listen, that room is filled with that gas, anypony caught in there is dead,” I reply.
“Are you going in there and help them, Batmare? Please, there may be some in there are still alive,” Noteworthy pleads. I nod and grapple up a shaft above us that leads to the upper floor where engineers fix the engines and room controls.
I tear a grate and crouch through the shaft and exit out. I hear a voice crying out, I spot a guard clutching on the edge of the upper rail for dear life. I pull him up to safety.
“You’re going to be fine, stay here,” I said. The guard sighs in relief after he’s been saved. I jump across the gap to another walkway, above the sickly green blanket of death. I see two more guards on the railing, one of them is climbing up the upper one of the chamber. Suddenly, the ladder explodes, causing the guard to fall. Luckily, he grasps the edge, saving himself from the fall and his oncoming death.
The guard besides me brightens up as he sees me. He calls out to his fellow guard.
“Batmare’s here! Just hang on a little longer, Steve!” the guard cries out. I internally smile as I know that the guards had survived Discord and his goons’ attack. I grapple up the upper walkway to save the named guard Steve.
“I-I can’t!I’m gonna fall!” Steve panics. I pull Steve up to safety.
“I’m going after the animal that did this,” I said. The guard below us calls out to me.
“Batmare, the extraction system! Steve was trying to get to the control panel at the end of the room!” he shouts. Steve sits down and tries to calm down from the near-death experience. I look down and sees the control panel and flew down the lower walkway grate. At the edge, I see one of Discord’s goons hanging on for dear life above the cloud of toxic gas. He growls and spouts out profanity that he’s been left behind. Even though he deserves everything he’s done, I shouldn’t leave him behind.
“Grr, I can’t believe he left me in here, that son of a-,” the guard growls. He looks up and sees me. He smiles sarcastically.
“Great, all I need, Batmare,” he remarks. I pull him up to safety and once he turns to see me, I punch him in the face, knocking him out.
After saving the stragglers in this contaminated room, I see the panel down on the floor. To avoid risking going in and do it manually, I threw a batarang at the panel and the panel turns on. The extraction system turns on and begins to suck in the poisonous fumes in the ducts, clearing the entire room, leaving the stricken bodies of both the guards and some of Discord’s abandoned goons behind.
“Attention: air purity is now at normal levels,” the intercom announces. I jump down to the floor and proceed to stop Discord. After that, the intercom switches from the monotone female voice to a maniacal, craze laughter. Discord cackles after I purified the chamber.
After Discord’s laughter, the intercom switches back to normal. “Attention: Decontamination room access is now permitted.” The doors that leads in and out of the room are unlocked, allowing me to exit the chamber…not until I hear a few words of encouragement.
“Whoo, go Batmare! You rock, Discord doesn’t stand a chance!” Noteworthy cheers. I ran through the exit of the room and enters the maze-like Transfer Loop. Once I enter the loop, I look down and see spray painted, green arrows pointing in the direction where Discord is at. The portraits of Filthy Rich are crudely violated with the spray paint, with dots for eyes and the Glasgow smile plastered on them.
“Ooh, what are you waiting for, Bats? I’m so close, you could almost taste me,” Discord says. Don’t worry, Discord, I’m closer than you think.
I follow the arrows leading me in his location until two of his goons ran around the corner, trying to sneak attack me. I block a stallion’s punch and gave him three jabs to the jaw and kick him down. I trip the other stunned stallion and punch him in the stomach.I punch them in the temples to knock them out.
After finishing them, I continue to run towards the end of the trail Discord laid. At the end of the path, the door is painted with Discord’s disgusting face on it, mocking my attempts of stopping him. I stop in front of the door and it open, allowing me to confront the clown to stop him from committing any further chaos.
The first thing I see is Discord, standing on top of an isolation cell, parked in front of a railing. Over the railing is a deep, precarious drop to the waters below. Laying on the floor are more dead guards, I see a guard in one of the office spaces that controls the cells in the room, thankfully, he’s unconscious. I am directing my focus on the demented clown in front of me.
Discord walks up to the edge of the cell. “What took you so long, Bats?” he asks.
My response is taking a batarang and threw it at him, he ducks from it, the batarang hits the chain railing holding the cell over the drop. Discord laughs mockingly at my miss.
“Whatever it is you’re planning, Discord, this ends tonight. I will stop you,” I call out. Discord grins widely.
“Ooh, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, I’m counting on it, Batsy. Just not yet!” Discord replies. Discord stomps at the edge of the cell. The cell door hisses steam and falls on the floor of the room. I couldn’t make out of who or what is in the cell, but I got my answer in a disturbing manner.
A giant, mutated arm grasps the edge of the opened door. Black fingernails and multiple cysts and pimples grossly appear on the arm. The arm is massively out of proportion with a…horn? The arm glows a sickly green glow, something is inside whatever the thing is bloodstream. The left arm grasps the door and it is extremely skinny and lengthy to its meaty and gigantic right arm.
The mutant finally revealed itself and by the making of its clothing, it appears to be a stallion, one of Discord’s henchponies…well, was a stallion. The beast’s head is mounted on its disfigured body. The beast’s eyes are a pale green, glaring murderous intent at me. Small horns are mounted on the head, shoulders and back with giant cysts and fluid filled pimples. Whatever Discord did to the former stallion is grotesque beyond imagination.
“Ooh, he’s a big one!” Discord exclaims excitedly. The monster growls at me, I took some steps back to gain some distance. The beast jumps out of the cell and onto the floor. I finally see the thing’s back, and it is indescribably disgusting. The beast’s spinal cord is exposed with the vertebrae of the spinal cord to mutate, giving the beasts spikes. The thing’s right and left legs are their opposite proportional sizes of the arms; the left leg giant and the right small.
Discord cackles as he’s ready for the beast to tear me apart. The beast stomps to a dead guard and grabs it. I swiftly dodge out of the way when the beast threw the guard, hitting the wall like a ragdoll. The beast growls in anger and roars at me. The beast charges at me, so I throw a batarang at the thing’s eyes, blinding it temporarily. I dodge out of the way of the beast’s path, hitting the wall.
Still blind of the attack, the thing clutches its face and punches at air. Giving me a chance, I ran up and punch the stunned beast several times before the thing regains its sight.I jump out of the way when the beast roars again. I got away several feet before the beast punches the ground, sending out a small shockwave.
Ready for another charge, the beast runs to me, trying to plow me down. I threw another batarang at it, and I punch it again once its blinded. The beast recovers and roars loudly. Something isn’t right, the beast’s roars. They don’t sound animalistic or feral, well, they do. But the thing’s roar is filled with something that I haven’t notice until now. The way the thing recovers, the way it staggers a bit, the way the thing breathes, the sweat dripping. It's obvious: the beast is in pain, whatever it is inside of the beast is severely damaging its insides.
I was right. The beast clutches its chest, where the heart is. The thing staggers and falters, trying to gain ground. The monster grabs its head in pain, I hear the thing’s heartbeat. The heart beats irregularly at an abnormal fast rate. The beast growls in pain as the fluid inside of it is killing it. I hear a sudden pop and the thing’s eyes exploded. Yep, you hear that right. The monster’s eyes just exploded, leaving its empty sockets to the open. The monster lets out one last growl of pain before it collapses, dead.
Discord scratches his head at the beast’s demise. “Well…that was unexpected, wasn’t it? Oh, well.” Discord pinches the bridge of his nose. “Note to self: need stronger test subjects.” Test subjects? That stallion was a test subject of an experiment? The most important question is there any more beasts like that around Arkham? Have they been made, are they already been made? What did Discord used to mutate the stallion?
“Seeing as how I’m feeling generous, I’m giving you this one for free,” Discord continues. He walks up to the edge of the cell and opens his arms, leaning forward over the deadly drop.
“Knock me off, I dare you. End this, pull the plug, stop me once and for all. Do it, KNOCK ME OFF!” he screams out.
I pull out my batarang, ready to finish this madness. Then the thought ran through my mind. If I throw it, he’ll fall, and he wins the rivalry. Every time we’re at it, he causes death and misery, I stop him. This psychological war will never end; until one of us dies, I will never stoop beneath him, I made a promise and I intend on keeping it, no matter how difficult the situation is. I sigh as I put away my device. Discord starts to bellow into his signature and annoying cackle from his throat. I scrunch my face at his mocking laughter.
Discord rubs his eyes, wiping away the tears. “Oh, you’re getting too predictable, Bats. Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a party to organize.” The cell begins to move and the massive gates behind him opens. The cell moves back into the area where the cell was with Discord on it for the ride.
“I’ve got guests flying from all over Arkham! You’ll see,” he finishes. He snickers as the gates close once he enters the area. This is my chance to go after him!
I look over to my side and sees the unconscious guard waking up. He grabs his head in dizziness and regains his senses. He spots me and calls out. “Batmare, over here!” He unlocks the pacifying gate and I enter the office. I see another passed out guard laying on the wall.
“Ugh, they came out of nowhere. I dragged Jerry in here, I must’ve passed out,” he groans. I need to get to Discord immediately.
“Discord went through that door, what’s on the other side?” I ask urgently.
“We call it Extreme Isolation, only way is via the transport system,” the guard answers.
“Open it!” I order.The guard nods.
“Not a problem, just need to call in another cell,” he says. The guard walks up to the controls and types in the order to bring in another cell. I can ride on the cell and follow Discord in the isolation unit. I can stop him right before he does more damage.
“Huh, something’s wrong here. The main security loop is locked,” the guard says worryingly. The computer monitor turns on and we see the porcelain face on the screen. I seethe my teeth in frustration as the clown is once again, a step ahead of me.
“Having a little trouble up there?” Discord asks teasingly.
“Discord,” I snarl.
“You were expecting Two-Face?” Discord asks rhetorically.
“There’s no escape, Discord,” I growl.
“Silly Bats, I don’t wanna escape, I’m having waaaay too much fun!I even have you here to keep a smile on my face!” Discord smiles.
“Not for much longer,” I answer back.
“Really, we’ll see.Ta-ta!” Discord stops in his tracks before he leaves. “Oh, I forgot to say.” Discord turns the camera to another TV showing the intensive treatment office where my brother and Flash Sentry are.
“Just in case you were planning on following me, I’ve arranged a little insurance. Shining is on his way to Pinkie as we speak,” he continues. I look at the TV and once Shining turns around after talking with Flash, Flash pulls out a truncheon and struck Shining on the head, knocking him out. My eyes widen in shock as I see my brother knocked down by the corrupt guard.
“Officer Flash,” I growl angrily. Discord laughs as he sees Flash walking around my fallen brother. He walks up in front of the camera and smiles sinisterly.
“If I see you trying to follow me, he dies. Pinkie is looking forward to it! Maybe I’ll film it and post it on the internet!” Discord warns and laughs. He shuts the camera off, leaving me a very livid mare. My new priority now is to save my brother from the clown’s clutches. After that, I will find Pinkie Pie, the escaped inmates and Discord. Once I see them, I will make them pay.
I couldn’t help but growl to myself in frustration that the maniac is again one step ahead of me. Sometimes throughout my career, I began to have the slightest of doubts as to why I’m doing this repeated cycle of death and violence. Times when I question that my deeds are doing anything to save this city rise from its pitiful cesspool of crime. Even there were times, dare I say it…that I question if my actions are pleasing to my parents’ spiritual eyes. Times when I question that the words that comes out of my mouth about my actions are pleasing to their spiritual ears. Times when I almost cry to myself if I am doing the right thing by presenting myself as an agent of not only justice…but vengeance.
But I always reassure myself of my ramblings by remembering the promise I made to them. The promise that even through the hardest of times, the darkest of hours, the number of lives I lost, and the blackest of days…that I will never, ever, ever, EVER, fall into the pit of darkness that my enemies are in. A promise that I will help clear this once majestic city from its filth and disgust. A promise that I will NEVER let this deranged madman win!
My inner disputes were interrupted by the guard pony that was trying to pry through the Extreme Isolation security systems. He turns to me with an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, but the best thing that I could do right now is to open the door you came in. I wish I could do more,” he apologizes. I won’t let my frustrations out on this guard pony, he and his fellow partner, who is unconscious by the way, are one of the few guards in this facility are still alive.
I rubbed his shoulder in a comforting manner. “Hey, now’s not the time to sulk. You did all that you can to try help me catch up to Discord. I’ll stop him, don’t worry. Once your partner is awake, find the safest place away from the chaos. Do not engage any of the escaped inmates.”
The guard smiles softly and opens the door that leads back to the transit loop. His smile turns to a small smirk. “Make sure you get him one for us,” he says.
I gave him a smirk in response and walked out of the room, leaving the two guards and the deceased body of the monstrosity Discord unleashed. Once the door is closed, I begin to think on how I track down and save my brother.
“I should get back to the holding cells, Sentry wasn’t too smart. He would’ve left a trail for me to catch,” I said to myself.As soon as the door closes behind me, my comms turned on. Oracle…she would be heartbroken if I tell her that her father is kidnapped by the madman and the corrupt guard. But I will never comfort her with a lie, I will do my absolute best to find her father or die trying.
“Batmare, what’s going on?” Oracle asked with concern.
“Discord has escaped from me, he sealed himself off from the island…and he’s got your father,” I answered back with slight urgency in the last bit of info.
“Oh, sweet Celestia, daddy,” Oracle gasps. Immediately, I answer back.
“Don’t worry, I’m getting him back,” I said. Oracle sighs in worry and slight panic. Fear for her father’s well-being is starting to fill her veins and cloud her mind. I have to say something else to put those toxic thoughts out of her mind. “Yeah, I know I know, but what if—”
“Oracle listen to me. I am getting him back, I won’t let Discord win, and he will be back safe and sound,” I told her with a firm and comforting tone. Hearing that she stopped her worrying, I continue. “I’m going back to the cells where he was taken. A corrupt guard named Flash Sentry attacked him and sent him to Discord. If I find him, I’ll find your father.”
After finishing my claim to save my brother/her father, Oracle sighs. Anxiety is laced in her voice. To her, her dad is the world to her. Everything she's done, everything she's doing, the very state she is in right now is thanks to her dad’s undying love. And if I say anything bad that is happening or happened to him, she will be in panic mode. However, she knows her dad is a tough nut to crack under the likes of Discord, but even she knows there’s a limit.
Oracle relented and sighs in calmly but with slight trepidation. She says these words before she cuts off and these words intensifies me: “Twilight, hurry please.” She cuts off after saying those words. After our talk, I ran down the maze-like loop to find the door that leads to the holding cells of the intensive treatment. As I continue to run down, the TVs turn on with an all-familiar, disgusting porcelain face and his crooked, yellow smile.
“Ooh, I bet you’re wondering how I did it.*gasps* Is it a clue that the world’s greatest detective missed?” *mad laughter* “Oh, alright alright, I’ll give you a clue. Flashy and I go way back, I helped him out a spot a few years ago…I think?So, when I need some security codes, island access, or an old pony clubbed to the ground, I know just the pony to ask.” Discord finished running his mouth on how him and Flash had a connection and switched off. I took some of the stuff he said about Flash and my brother in mind, but the rest I tuned out.
Along the way back, I spotted two inmates standing with a few bodies of the poor faculty and guards that met their untimely demise. They mock and laugh at one of the corpses sitting on a wall with a bucket on his head with the same crudely painted smiley face on it. My blood boils when I see trash like them mocking at the good ponies that are doing their best to make them redeem themselves, giving them a chance to live right.
“Kaha, that was hilarious when he looked at you before you smashed his brains out!” one of the thugs jeered. The other thug smirked cruelly as he poked the bucket with his bloodied pipe.
“Yeah, the way I swung that pipe into his gaping face was the funniest part. Working with Discord does make this hilarious,” the killer thug replied back. Unaware to them, a black shadow walks up behind them with its eyes narrowed in cold fury.
“It does, doesn’t it. Welp, let’s go find more ponies we can-,” the thug didn’t finish as his face was slammed against the cold floor. Hard. The sickening crunch of his skull resonated throughout the halls, his screams abruptly cut off from the slam. The shadow narrowed its eyes at the down thug, glaring at the other one that stood like a statue with shock, horror, terror, and disgust froze on his face.
The thug shakenly looks down at his buddy who met the floor in a bloody puddle. He raised his weapon to fight whoever or whatever that knocked his friend out. He looked behind him and failed to make out whoever it was because his vision was changed to black. Both of their bodies hit the floor with loud thuds. The shadow stepped out from the darkness and relaxes a bit after knocking out the two thugs.
I look down at the poor deceased stallion that met his grisly fate. I removed the bucket from his head and saw his disfigured face. Horror, pain, and fear is marked on his face, his eyes are pinpricks, rolled up in the back of his head. To add more insult: his tongue is lolled out. I know I will see more deceased ponies through my mission, but the more I let these deaths continue to get me down, these deaths will be in vain.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. I closed his eyes, mouth and set his face upright. At least he looks respected enough.
After giving this pony my prayers, I continue my trek through the halls and finally arrived in the holding cells area. I look around the control room where Shining Armor was assaulted and taken away.
“Hmm, Sentry isn’t smart. He would’ve definitely leave something behind for me to track him down.” I turned on my detective vision and as I was scanning, I smell something. It smells strong, coffee like…then it hit me. I scanned down where the source of the smell is coming from and saw a spilled bourbon flask with the alcohol forming a small puddle.
“Sentry’s bourbon, ugh…sloppy. Good start for me to begin my search.” I said to myself. I scanned the flask and isolated the air for me to start following the trail of Sentry’s bourbon-flavored breath.
“Oracle, I isolated the air for me to trail for the bourbon in the atmosphere. It’ll lead me where Shining is,” I said to Oracle on the comms.
“That’s great, Batmare. I’m also grabbing every reference and key maps of Arkham Island, it’ll be useful later. Good luck and be careful,” Oracle answers and switched off.
I kept my detective vision on and ran through the loop to trail the alcohol vapor on. The vision is a dark, purple, borderline to the burgundy with the vapor traces a light pink. I follow the trail as it leads me to the other end of the hall. The trail leads me to the entrance of the elevators. Before I continue, I hear a phone ringing at the reception area.
“Hello, hello? What’s happening there? I’m trying to contact Steve, is he there?” A mare asks urgently. After her request of trying to get a touch on Steve, a familiar, venom laced voice answers back.
“Hold on for one second…I’ll see if I can find him,” Discord answers.
*deep sigh* “Thank you, thank you so much,” the mare thanks him.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am, I looked everywhere…but I can only find is his head,” Discord says sinisterly.
“W-w-w-w-what?!!? Oh my, God!” the mare exclaims, horrified by the terrible lie.
“I’ll get back to you once I find the rest of him!” *mad cackle* The phone call abruptly cuts off from my fist smashing it. I shook off the dark thoughts of choking and beating him senseless of the lie he told her. I continue my trail of the bourbon laced atmosphere and enter the secure transit. I’m at the lower floor of the intensive treatment alongside with a guard trying to call an elevator down. The trail leads me here, but that can only mean one—
“Stupid, unreliable,” the guard grunts. He notices me and calls for my attention. “Hey Batmare, how did Discord be able to—”
“Quiet,” I ordered quietly.
“W-what’s going on?” the guard asks with edge.
I continue looking at the trail at the elevator shaft and look up at the trail. Sentry and Armor went up to the upper floor.Question is: how do I get there? But my answer comes in unannounced. A certain pink, harlequin themed mare jumps from the upper floor and landed on top of the guide rails of the elevator that is at the higher level. She twirls in a seductive fashion and looks down at me with a playful grin on her face. I turned off my vision and got my ready for whatever tricks Pinkie has up her sleeve.
*tuts* “B-mare, I’m terribly sorry to drop in but I’m afraid Mr. D doesn’t want you to follow us…yet. So, he sends me to drop you off a gift for making it so far,” Pinkie says. Then, she pulls out a remote and pressed the red button. My eyes widen in surprise as to what Pinkie did.
At the upper level of the facility, a loud ticking noise is emitting from a dynamite lace bomb that is strapped at the door motor of the parked elevator. The timer ticked to zero and the bomb explodes, echoing throughout the area. The parked elevator begins to drop to the lower floor at dangerous speeds. Sparks flew everywhere from the cable lines that connects the elevator. As the elevator continues to plummet, Pinkie rides on the guide lines on the other cable line. She whoops and laughs as she surges above the lower floor away from the soon to be crash site of the elevator. The cable lines begin to give in the searing heat of the plummeting elevator, noises of scraping metal and the falling elevator is a cacophony of destruction and death. Suddenly, the cable line snaps from the heat and plummets with the elevator, threatening to lop off a body part or head of any unfortunate pony near the deadly whip. My eyes widen as I hear the plummeting elevator’s screeching getting closer and closer! We won’t survive if we are near—the guard!
“GET DOWN!!” I cried out.
I hastily grabbed the shocked guard and jumped away from the elevator. Just in time, the elevator crashed onto our level. Sparks fly everywhere from the elevator. The falling cable line holding the elevator hits the car like a giant whip. Hail of shrapnel and jagged metal scatter like a grenade. The shrapnel manage to nick me on my chest, I wince in pain from the lethal, sharp projectiles. Dust clouds billow from the wrecked elevator, obscuring our view. I look down at the terrified guard and check for any injuries. He is alright, physically, mentally, he will remember this for a long time.
I look down at my chest where the shrapnel slashed me. It is a minor cut, no metal embedded in me, but I ignore the slight sting of the pain and the small trickle of blood. I stand up from our position and observe at what that crazed pony had done. I lift my head up at the upper floor, thinking how I am going to head back without the elevator. The guard that was crouched down gets up slowly, shaken from the near-death experience.
“W-what i-i-in the…what the hell?” the guard stammers. He wobbles to a chair and sits on it, trying to recollect and calm down. As we starting to get our surroundings, the intercom comes on and the annoying sidekick’s voice chirps on.
“How did you like that, B-mare? You have no way up and you just must wait until me and Mistah D. are ready. Ha ha ha!” Pinkie taunted until the intercom abruptly cuts off.
I look at the destroyed elevator car from it’s height. The car is mangled from the crash, electricity crackles from the site. I look up at the railings and platforms surrounding the entire area. I internally sigh to myself, it may be slower and tedious, but anything to catch up to the killer clown and his looney sidekick.
‘My brother is taken to the surface in the elevator, then Discord sent Pinkie to slow me down by destroying that elevator. *sighs* If I’m going have to follow them to save him, I have to go up…the old-fashioned way.’ I thought to myself.
I begin to look around on where to start my ascent to the upper floor. I spotted the nearest platform above the destroyed elevator that is within my range. I pull my grappling hook and carried up to the platform. Across from me is a small passage that leads to a vent system. Carefully, I backed up and ran to the edge of the platform until I jumped off and grabbed the edge. Once I found my balance and ignoring the fact that I am dangling from a drop that’ll start this ordeal again, I shimmy across the edge until I climb up and crawl in the vent. Once I start to crawl through the short vent, the intercom comes on again with an all-familiar manic voice.
“Hey, hey bats! Wow, rude much? I know you can hear me, I got a little gift I want you to hear,” Discord says before he’s been cut off and a live feed from somewhere in the facility turns on. I begrudgingly listen to the live feed while continuing my ascent up.
“Hey, Flash, what’s going on?” a guard asks.
“Pinkie Pie and her goons are starting to come into the lobby! Hurry, we need ponies by the main entrance!” Flash alerts urgently.Those poor guards, they never knew of Discord’s mole in their own ranks.
“Hurry up, get your asses over there!” Flash hurries.
“Alright, you got it Flash—hey, hang on a second…how in the hell did you know exactly where—” one of the guards replies and asks suspiciously. His question was answered with multiple gunshots. I grew darker as I heard his body dropped to the floor. I hear Flash’s gun cocks back.
“What the hell?! Flash, why did—” another guard exclaims before he too joined his friend on the cold floor in a puddle of his blood. That is where the screaming starts.
“Flash! Why are you—please don’t!” a guard cries before his pleas turn into death gurgles and rattles until they’re silenced by more machine gun firing. I grew more and more furious as I hear the screams and cries of fear and pain turn into gurgles of death. After the machine gun firing stops, after the chaos stops…after the screaming stops, I heard the gruff voice of the murderous Flash.
“There, it’s clear in here.Pinkie, get your ass in here now!” Flash barks loudly. Then multiple grunt voices and footsteps are heard in the lobby. Then, the perky voice of Pinkie is heard.
“Hmm, you’re some big piece of work, Flashy. A mare could fall for someone like you~,” Pinkie comments and moans.
“Stop flirting with our help, Pinkie,” Discord orders with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
“I’m so sorry, baby.You know I only have eyes for you~” Pinkie apologizes with mock hurt and shudders.
“You hear that, bats?Another hard-working employee for the company. Well, I gotta go, ta-ta!” Discord says before he cuts off the intercom.
As I inch closer to the upper floor of the transit, I couldn’t help but grow livid when Flash murders his partners with no remorse but with servitude for that insane clown. Once I save my brother/Oracle’s dad, I’m going to rend them apart, piece by piece.
But I shoved down those dark thoughts of beating Flash, Pinkie, the goons, and Discord black and blue and steel my focus on saving my brother from the clutches of the deranged draconequus as I’m close of finishing my crude ascent to the higher level to continue my trek to save my brother and stop Discord.
