//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: To the Batcave! // Story: Batmare: Arkham Asylum // by TheDarkMare16 //------------------------------// Now that my brother is out harm’s way, I need to focus on the Titan formula Dr. Evergreen stated back in the Upper Corridor of the Medical Facility. “Oracle, go through the city’s computers. Pull up on what you can find on Dr. Evergreen. I’ll go through anything you can find once I get to the cave,” I said, contacting the computer expert. “A Batcave, on Arkham Island?” Oracle asked, perplexed. “I built it years ago. It’s best to plan ahead for situations like this.” I added. “How did you manage to keep this a secret?” Oracle asked. “It’s me, remember?” I answered smugly. “So do you think Dr. Evergreen’s been experimenting on Venom, the same chemical that turns Iron Will into that animal?” Oracle asked. “Yes, I’m worried. Iron Will seems to be more powerful than usual. Mane-iac wants the Venom and that could only mean trouble. I’m heading to Dead Pony’s Point in Arkham North, I’ll contact you once I get to the Batcave,” I replied. I switched off my cowl’s communicator and galloped up the hill and spotted three Blackgate thugs in the crossroad of Arkham East and the Medical Facility. The thugs hadn’t heard my approach but they were shocked to see that one of their comrades has been knocked down by a particular bat-themed projectile. They swiftly turned their heads in surprise. Two Pegasi and one griffon, all holding metal pipes. “She’s here!” one cried out. I quickly punched one of the thugs twice and roundhouse kicked him. I threw an overhead punch to the other thug, too delayed to react to my move. I quickly kicked the third thug that was knocked down. I landed on one and knocked one out with a Ground Takedown. A Pegasus flew at me to land one but I countered his punch by sweeping his legs. I spotted the second thug, which is trying to kick me. I kicked his shins and head-butted his face, making his nose bleed. He grabbed his face in pain with both of his hooves to ease the pain. I grabbed both of his hind legs, pulled them up, making him drop on his back. I grabbed both of his ankles and a sickening crunch followed after I twisted his ankles. He cried out in agony before passing out. I quickly jumped over to the last thug and land a right-cross on his jaw, knocking him out. I cracked my hooves and walk up the ramp leading to the Visiting Center. I used my Detective Vision, which is set to its normal blue hue since my brother is found. I counted five convicts in front of the Center. I walk casually up the ramp and threw a batarang at a thug, alarming the four griffons. “It’s the Bat!” one shouted. One charged at me but I landed a quick series of punches on his face but it was interrupted by one thug but I countered his attack by punching his gut twice and landing a blow on his back. I kicked one thug to the ground and roundhouse another thug to continue my streak. I grabbed a griffon’s leg and spun on the ground like a snake, spinning him until he is lying on the ground. I still have a hold on his leg and I yanked the ankle to the side, putting him in a screaming episode and a goodnight’s sleep. I threw my cape to one thug, stunning him momentarily. I kicked two thugs and countered a fourth thug by kicking his shin, knee and kicking him in the head with a pinwheel kick. The third that was about the get up from the last attack exclaimed in panic as I lifted him up and threw him at the wall of the Penitentiary. I punched the second one with an overhead and right-cross the first thug. I knocked him out with a Ground Takedown and quickly countered the thug was thrown across by holding his leg up and kicking in his groin three times. I landed a left hook on the second thug, knocking him out of submission. I threw a quickfire batarang at the fourth thug that is trying to pick up a pipe. I jumped in the air and knocked him out with a Ground Takedown. I finished the brawl by kicking the last remaining thug with a roundhouse. After finishing the fight, I galloped through the Visiting Center walkway with the unfinished construction project in display. I opened the door to enter the room to listen to the demented clown’s remarks. Back in the Visiting Center, I spotted the Mane-iac’s mannequin sitting casually in the chair with its hoof laying on the chair and the other drooping. Beside me in a case is another mannequin, standing on its hind legs with its front hooves crossed. As I walk to the case, the small TV switched on to the purple face “You’re late for your appointment, very rude. Well, as seeing as you’re here now, we might as well get started. Tell me about your childhood, anything stands out? Ooh, is that a tear I see, too painful? Haha, we’ll come back to it later, then.” “How about Willy boy, then? I bet you were shocked to see him, weren’t you? Personally, I was hoping he’ll fold you like a piece of paper and let me stamp you crazy but even I don’t get everything I want. So what was he doing here, oh questions questions questions!” The TV switched off after the message. I took in the insane but yet perplexing message: why Iron Will is here in Arkham Island and why does he have to do anything with Dr. Evergreen? I’ll find out later once I reach Dead Pony’s Point, so I turn around and left the room. Unknown to me, the standing mannequin moved with its hoof on the side and the one sitting in the chair is gone. Back out in Arkham West, I galloped out of the Visiting Center and headed to the door leading to Arkham North. The door opened automatically and I gallop up the hill to the entrance of Arkham North. I noticed more of the faux chattering teeth on the hill as I reach the top. I destroyed them with the batarangs as I opened the door leading to the passageway I accessed with my Explosive Gel hours ago. “What’s the deal with Dead Pony’s Point? It’s been a favorite suicide location in Arkham Island for a hundred years,” Oracle asked and stated. “Yeah, I know. I once saved an unfortunate inmate from leaping off into the rocks below,” I said, remembering six years ago I rescued a suicidal paranoid schizophrenic from leaping into the jagged rocks. “I found the cave entrance and over the years have moved a number of supplies here. It’s a regular home away from home,” I added. I switched off my headpiece communicator as I entered Arkham North, in front of the Intensive Treatment building. As I suspected I counted four rejects in front of an iron gate leading to Dead Pony’s Point besides the building. I spotted one Changeling, two Earth ponies and one high security convict. This time, it’s a Pegasus wearing a tank top wielding knives in between his feathers. I threw a batarang at a thug, gaining their attention. “She’s here!” one cried. They readied themselves for combat, correction: they are readying themselves for a beating of a lifetime. I countered one attack from a thug by avoiding his attack swiftly and elbowed his back three times and countered another attack by head-butting his face, elbowing his neck and kicking his knee, knocking him down. I quickly stunned the knife-wielding thug with my cape and punched him down. I quickly kicked the other two thugs to keep them down. I landed a right-cross on the Changeling’s face, spinning him around. I grabbed his hind legs and kicked the back of his front legs, landing him on the ground. I pushed his hind legs to his back, breaking his shins with a painful and brutalizing crunch of his shins. He cried and screamed in unbearable pain before passing out. I used my Cape Stun to disorient the high security thug, flip-kick another thug and punching the two thugs altogether. I took out the wielding Pegasus with a Ground Takedown and kicked the second thug, knocking him out and overhead the last thug to the ground and ending the brawl with a Ground Takedown. Another flawless performance. I galloped to the gate and climbed over the short wall to reach Dead Pony’s Point. The clear yet mossy passageway leads to a cave entrance to the cliffs on the other side. I entered the cave entrance and grappled up a ledge to gain higher ground. The cave entrance is held by support beams, meaning that this entrance has been synthetically made for other reasons. After grappling up, I spotted another cryptic trapezoidal stone with the same inscriptions written with the beetle in the middle. I used my Environmental Analysis and scanned the writing to listen to another recording of Amadeus Arkham. “ They brought the animal before me. Shameless and barking like a mad dog; and what felt like days, I endured his bursts. He took pleasure recounting his actions, cataloguing his estranged crimes. What should have been revenge turned to pity. This poor dog needed my help.” The recording stated that Amadeus’s family’s murderer has been brought in the newly built asylum. Amadeus felt pity towards the insane criminal, instead of exacting revenge. I am slightly relieved that Amadeus didn’t take out his revenge towards the dog but I need to find more of the cryptic figures later on. I opened a door leading to another cave with skulls and skeletons mounted in the middle of the area. A small mist hovered in the ground, giving it an eerie background but I spotted another ledge above me. I noticed a weak wall that can be accessed with my Explosive Gel. I sprayed the gel on the wall and pressed the detonator, blowing away the rubble away. As I known, I spotted a green question mark. I picked it up. “That was one of the easy ones,” Trixie teased. I grappled up the ledge and walk up a small hill to reach the point. Water dripped from the ceiling of the cave as fresh air hit my face. In the distance, I see the luminescent lights of the city beyond the Equestrian Bay with the lighthouse oscillating its light, keeping watch of ships and boats. Below me, the raging and roaring waters churned at the jagged and jutted rocks, with white foam spraying over the cliffs. The hundred foot drop over the deep waters and deadly rocks is fatal. I readied myself on the cliff and jumped at the ledge. I opened my cape into the currents of the wind, flying in the air. I soared over the suicidal point into another cave entrance below the point of the cliff. I landed firm on the ground in the entrance. I walk slowly to the overgrown cave, which it has no entrance. I walk in front of the rock and a blue scanner hummed as it scan for identification. The rock finished scanning me and accepted my presence. I set up a new rock with computerized settings to allow secret entrances in case somepony spotted the entrance, so I covered the cave with the rock. Identity confirmed: Disabling countermeasures, security deactivated. The rock lowered into the ground, gaining entrance. I walk in the cave entrance, polished, clean, and freshly cut. Lights and lanterns mount on the walls as I gallop through the entrance with some cobwebs in the way. I heard the all familiar roaring of water as I approach my secondary Batcave. The water cascaded down from the ceiling of the cave and sprayed over the awning entrance to the cave. I walk on the walkway hovering over a drop to the waters below, but I like it that way. “On,” I commanded. The entire cave lit up and hummed as the electricity switched on. I glided briefly to the center of the cave and walk up to a computer with multiple monitors and high-performance hardware. Crates with Sparkle Enterprises covered the other entrances and exits of the cave. Some of the crates laid beside the computer for supplies, thanks to Zecora. I walk up the stairs to my computer and sat down. I typed in the files of Dr. Evergreen that Oracle sent me. The digitized folder showed up on screen with multiple paragraphs of notes and catalogues of the notes by the doctor. I looked into the Titan project Evergreen mentioned back in the Medical Facility. “Dr. Evergreen was heading up a project; it was big, lots of external funding. Here are the last notes she’d filed. I can’t make sense of it, what does it mean?” Oracle stated and asked about the incomplete files that are logged in. “Looks like she was experimenting on the Arkham patients. This new chemical only barely resembles the original Venom compound. There are a number of changes that appear to amplify the strength of the drug, multiple references to the Titan formula. Even a small amount can trigger a Venom-like transformation in the host, eliminating the need for the storage tank Iron Will requires,” I explained. The computer showed the Titan and Venom compounds to their basic chemical compositions. The Titan compound has spikes, containing multiple concoctions of elements to amplify the Venom, said for increasing and regenerating the brain’s synapses and functions. I spotted some similarities of the compositions of the compound by breaking them down to the smallest atom. I ponder throughout the scan to look for any difference or abnormalities of the Tian formula. That much Titan is plentiful enough than Iron Will’s Venom storage tank, easily can transform the host’s cells and functions to massive proportions. I noticed some irregularities in the file. “Hang on, these notes aren’t complete, the formula is missing, that must be the secret Dr. Evergreen is hiding! If Mane-iac gets her hooves on them, she would create an army of a thousand Iron Wills,” I said with a slight alarmed tone. The comparison of the compounds beeped with X’s on the screen, meaning that the final product and formula to complete the Titan compound is absent. The Titan formula in the incomplete state can disfigure the host’s body and transform them into Iron Will’s mentality and physique. I need to find Dr. Evergreen and the formula so I can get rid of it before Mane-iac finds it before this gets catastrophic. “My Celestia, is Mane-iac crazy enough to do that? Oh, what am I saying, you got to stop her!” Oracle exclaimed. I walk up to a table to obtain another gadget to help me gain an advantage in combat, predatory and environmental wise. The table hissed and lifted up a three hooked piece for my Grappling Gun. I attach the hook to the top hole of my Grappling Gun to create the Batclaw. This Grapnel attachment can be used to grab and pull objects from a distance and can also attach to enemies. I observed the attachment and put it in my utility belt. I readied myself to find Dr. Evergreen in the Arkham Mansion and stop Mane-iac from finding the formula before she does. She’ll create thousands of monstrosities that will terrorize Manehattan if I’m too late. I need to find her and stop her.