//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Into the Open Night // Story: Batmare: Arkham Asylum // by TheDarkMare16 //------------------------------// I spread my cape and glided into the night air. The air danced underneath cape, granting me enormous space and weightlessness of my gliding. I landed on the ground gently searching for any more Riddler trophies in the silence of the night. Unfortunately, I heard the intercom chime: “Hmm, Bon-Bon tells me that the Batmare’s car is still parked just outside of the Intensive Treatment building. Now, we can’t just have her up and leaves us, can we? Every thug, villain, murderer, and kindergarten teacher that isn’t carrying out Bon-Bon’s orders, should head down now and smash it to pieces!” I nearly have forgotten of my Batmobile, I forgot it to put it in safe lock. I bet that is currently being trashed by Blackgate dirt bags that is ordered to do so. Quickly, I gathered a Riddler Trophy on the top platform of the Arkham Mansion and landed on the ground. I heard the alarm of my Batmobile going off, being trashed by those lowlifes. I called Oracle. “Oracle, disable the Batmobile’s countermeasure system,” I ordered. “I saw the alert, what’s wrong? Where are you?” she asked. “I’m outside of the Arkham Mansion. Bon-Bon probably triggered the alarm, if she’s still got Armor with her, he could get hurt,” I replied. “Okay, done! The Batmobile is parked outside of the Intensive Treatment building in Arkham North. I’ve sent you the schematics of the entire island and I’ve also marked key locations just like your car,” Oracle informed. “Thanks, Oracle,” I said. I switched off and turned on the map of the entire island. The key automatically coordinates to the Batmobile’s location, in North Arkham. I need to get there to protect my Batmobile from further damage. I walked inside one of the cabins and picked up a Riddler Trophy. “Of course you’ve found that one easy, you were supposed to,” Trixie said haughtily. I galloped through the cemetery of Arkham. Decrepit gravestones marked the area, disturbed ground scattered the ground. I spotted a large tombstone with the coffin exposed, with the dirt rudely dug. The coffin is thankfully closed and the tombstone has a pony head on it. I know the pony: Amadeus Arkham, the founder of Arkham Asylum. I used the Environmental Analysis to solve the riddle: “The legacy of this island is well and truly buried”. “You are performing just below my predicted expectations. At this rate, you’ll never beat me,” Trixie said proudly. I galloped to the edge of the cliff hanging from the drop of the Equestrian River and spotted another Riddler trophy and picked it up. “That was one of the easy ones,” Trixie added. I galloped to the Arkham Mansion and grappled to the top of a stone pillar that s watching over a secluded area that was for recess back then. I glided to the ground and spotted another cryptic stone with the dead language of the chronicles at the wall of the Mansion. I used my Analysis to decipher the stone and listened to it: “My family’s blood ran through the heart of Manehattan. We were doctors, politicians, and teachers. We have been the organ, cleaning the arterial filth from the city. We have been the servants of the city and we gave it all we have. Yet it has still chosen to hurt us.” I grappled to the top platform of the Mansion to the gate that barricades the edge from a drop to the waters. I spotted another trophy and picked it up. “A challenge completed! Can you do more?” Trixie asked. I spotted my family’s tower in the distance, standing tall and proud above the skyscrapers of the city. I scanned the tower at the distance to solve another riddle: “Gotham’s greatest family Towers over the city.” “I’d have solved all the puzzles by now,” Trixie stated. I ignored her comments and continue to grapple to the upper platform of the Mansion to search for more riddles. I grappled even further until I reached the very top of the Mansion to continue my search. As I suspected, I switched to Detective Mode and spotted a green dot at the edge of the cement walkway. I looked down and spotted a ginormous question mark painted over the rooves of the minimal structures of the Mansion. I moved into position to align the two marks to solve the invisible riddle: “My challenge appears to those with the correct position in life.” “That could’ve been solved by a monkey, but good job nevertheless,” Trixie stated and thanks in a slightly annoyed voice. I spotted another trophy at the edge and picked it up: “So the Great Detective has solved a mere 10 percent of my challenges, are you ready to give up yet?” Trixie mocked. Likewise, I ignored her mouth and glided to a platform several stories below me and spotted another trophy and picked it up. “So what was it that gave it away: the big, green, glowing question mark?” Trixie asked haughtily. I grappled to another tower and glided from the platform. As the air soared in the air as I glided, I landed on the ground beside a guard watchtower. I grappled to the ledge and jumped over the railing on the walkway. I walked inside the small cubicle and spotted another Interview Tape. Likewise, I spotted another deceased guard sitting on the ground with his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Since Sweetie’s are inside the Intensive Treatment, I don’t know whose recording is this. So I listened. “Patient Interview, subject has no identity, aliased as the Mane-iac. In the room is Warden Sharp and myself, Doctor Evergreen,” Evergreen announced. I figured that a tape recording will have an interview with the most dangerous criminal of all times. “Ugh, is this another one of those boring psychic evaluation?” Mane-iac asked nonchalantly. “No, it’s not. So, you’re the one as the Mane-iac,” Evergreen replied and said. “In the flesh. So, Doc, do you want me to look at the inkblots again? The first one is a kitten I had when I was a child. The second one is…a dead elephant, the third is a-“ “Funny, now let’s skip the jokes,” Evergreen interrupted seriously. “Skip the jokes? Hey, Sharpie, did she skip on my permanent record?” Mane-iac exclaimed ghastly. “Be quiet, you clown!” Sharp barked. “Every doctor that has ever interviewed with you claims a different type of psychosis. Everything from multiple personality disorders to, well…the list is endless,” Evergreen mentioned. “I do my best,” Mane-iac complimented. “Well, I don’t believe it. Anything can be cured given the correct treatment,” Evergreen replied. “And…you think…you can cure me?” Mane-iac asked challengingly. “Oh, I know I can,” Evergreen retorted. The tape ends. I walked to a gate leading to North Arkham, inside, an archway made of stones and bricks hover over. In front, an ambulance is parked, with its lights blinking incessantly. I checked Detective Mode and spotted two armed Blackgate inmates on the other side of the archway, with a gate blocking the way. Unfortunately, the ambulance barricade leaves a guard dead from the gunshot wounds. Another guard is looking over the deceased comrade. “I can’t believe it, they killed Jackson,” the guard said quietly and shockingly. “Stay with your colleague, I’m ending this, now,” I ordered. I grappled to the top of the archway avoiding the armed threats’ attention. I leapt down to the ground behind them quietly. I snuck on one and muffled his muzzle and his throat, silencing his screams. He fell silently and I did the same to the other unsuspecting inmate. As the threats were taken care of, I walk through another mechanical door, automatically opening, leading me to North Arkham.