Batmare: Arkham Asylum

by TheDarkMare16

Chapter 8: On the Trail of Shining Armor

At the Secure Transit, I spotted a guard fiddling with the elevator’s panel to turn it on. I walked besides him. He is angrily mumbling as it continues to respond to any codes he types in.

“Stupid, unreliable-how did Mane-iac get-,”

“Be quiet,” I ordered, holding my hoof at him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. I ignored his question and continued to scan the area with Detective Vision still active. The traces of the alcohol are leading up the elevator shaft. Next thing, a pony landed on the emergency exit shaft of the elevator. It is the mare that freed the Mane-iac and the one of the very few ponies I show pity: Sweetie Drops aka Bon-Bon.

“Ah ah ah, B-mare. Mrs. M doesn’t want you to follow us just yet,” she said as she slid off a pole support seductively. She pulled out a remote, appearing to be a detonator and pressed the button. The guard and I saw dynamite strapped to the elevator crosshead and the dynamite beeped ominously. The crosshead exploded, no longer control the support of the elevator’s slings and suspensions, making the elevator at the upper level drop at hazardous speeds. Bon-Bon laughed excitedly as she hold on to the hoist cable of the emergency exit. The elevator begins to drop at terminal velocity!

“Get down!” I shouted and pulled the oblivious guard out of the way. We jumped clear form safety as the elevator crashed on the lower level violently. Sparks flew out from the crash and dust rose up from the site. The elevator is mangled beyond repair; it’ll take months to repair the elevator. The guard and I rose up from the dust. The destruction of the elevator puts a miniscule part of my suit is scratched up, exposing an extremely negligible part of my chest.

The guard groaned. “What the hell happened?” He rose up and walked to a nearby chair and sat to relax from the sudden fright. Soon, the crazed harlequin called from above.

“How’d you like that, B-mare? No way you’re following us now; you’re trapped down there until me and Mrs. M is ready, ha ha ha!”

I narrowed my eyes in aggravation as the elevator is no longer in use. I looked around the Transit to find another way to get to the upper level of the Treatment facility.

“Shining Armor was taken to the surface above the elevator. If I have to follow them, I need to this the old fashioned way,” I said to myself. I walked to the guard, Henry Smith, who is continuing to calm down.

“I take it this is Mane-iac’s doing,” he said gruffly.

“Who else?” I asked nonchalantly.

“I told them, she’s a monster! They should fry her!” he exclaimed angrily.

“Calm down, I’ll stop her,” I said.

Before I progressed, I ran to a control box above me with the electrical barrier down. I galloped up to the room controlling the elevator’s shaft and saw a film reel that belongs to an old-fashioned movie projector. I collected the reel and played it with my magic and listen it. I read the cover and it said “Interview Tape of Sweetie Drops”, who was employed to Arkham before she met Mane-iac. So I listened:

“Sweetie Drops?” an elderly mare voice asked, most likely Dr. Whistler.

“Call me Bon-Bon, Everypony does,” a younger mare replied.

“I’m surprised that you wanted to work here at Arkham,” Whistler said.

“I always have a thing with extreme personalities: You can’t deny that there is an element of glamor to these super criminals,” Sweetie replied.

“I’ll warn you, right now: these are hardcore psychotics. Most will likely try to kill you than to speak with you,” Whistler warned.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, doctor,” Sweetie said innocently.

“They’ll eat you for breakfast. I mean it, one or two of them will enjoy doing it, be careful,” Whistler added sternly. The tape ends, I know I need to find more of these reels to listen more of these Arkham inmates and their secrets of Arkham. I left the room and begin to progress to follow my brother who was taken by those animals.

I spotted a railing on my upper left and grappled up there. I walked on the pillar and spotted a ledge that leads to a ventilation shaft, I could shimmy on the ledge. I ran across the platform and jumped to the edge, activating a mechanism that could release five digits to grab hold. I shimmy on the ledge and climbed to a small opening of the ledge that leads to the shaft. I begin to crouch and crawl through the ventilation and before I know it, the murderous clown begins to talk again.

“Hey, Bats, I know you could hear me. I got a little something for you to listen to. Bon-Bon and Frank are nearly out of the building with the old pony. How did they get to make it past those guards? Let’s have a listen, shall we?” she called out and asked. I crawled to the end of the shaft and pushed the grate off until I exit out of the narrow shaft. I spotted another platform and grappled up to listen to whatever Mane-iac mentions about how did those two partners in crime get past those Arkham guards who were oblivious to the fact that Boles is one of Mane-iac’s inside ponies. I ran to another platform and climbed up to progress further.

“Hey, Frank, where have you been?” a guard asked.

“Mane-iac’s got more henchmen along the way. They’re coming to the front of the asylum! Can’t let them get in, quick get over there! Dammit, come on, everypony, cover the main entrance!” Frank ordered abruptly, gaining their trust until he turns his back on them. I begin to climb up platform by platform, gaining altitude to the upper level of the Transit.

“How many are there, Frank? Wait a second; how the hell did you know-?”The guard asked suspiciously after listening to Frank’s orders about the exact amount of more ponies and creatures coming to the asylum. Before he evens finished answering his question, a violent static noise filled the entire Transit area and gunfire was being heard. I could think of the many ways I could make Frank pay for killing those innocent guards.

“Boles, Frank, what are you doing? Put that down!” another guard shouted before the noise filled the intercom, signifying more gunfire.

“Frank, what the hell?” More gunfire rang the intercom until it becomes clear.

“It’s clear, Bon-Bon, get your ass in here!” Frank ordered to the stupidly gullible clown. I continue to crawl in tight spaces and climbing to more platforms to get further to the upper level to follow the bourbon in the atmosphere.

“You’re some piece of work, Frankie. A mare could fall for somepony like you, ahh,” Bon-Bon said flirtatiously.

“Stop flirting with the hired help, Bon-Bon!” Mane-iac barked.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you know I only have eyes for you,” Bon-Bon replied dreamily. I felt sickened to the fact that somepony as her could fall for a murderous, hateful, and evil clown like Mane-iac who protected her true nature over a shield of false love and lies.

“Did you hear that, Bats? It sounds like Frankie is doing just fine. Another valuable member of the organization,” Mane-iac said before switching off from the intercom. I shimmy on another ledge to a platform adjacent to the one I was on. I grappled up to the pillar and begin to crawl in a shaft. No long, the intercom chimed again, I pray to Celestia that it is not the clown again but for some strange relief, it is the female voice, warning me of another threat emitting.

“Warning, multiple security breaches on level B4.” When I finally reach an area where I could easily gallop, I spotted an irregular object in front of me before reaching the last platform to gain access to the upper floor.

The object is a trapezoidal shape, made of stone. What’s eerie about it is that the relic has a beetle on it, symbolizing one of the former founders of Arkham Asylum’s logos. Around the beetle in a circle are ancient inscriptions in some dead language. The language is way older, probably more than the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians. It’s a terrific thing I spent five years on multi-linguistics in all 64 languages including hieroglyphics, cuneiform, and other dead languages of cryptology. I could use the Environment Analysis tool of my Detective Vision to decipher the language to know what it is saying. Is it a story by one of the founders, a warning, or a message? I activate my Analysis and scan the writing to find out.

The Analysis begins to decipher the inscriptions. Peculiar and unnatural ethereal whisperings in the language are being deciphered and translated into English. The whispering continues to become more clearer and clearer until the whispering begins to say these two words until it becomes clear to listen to: “Amadeus Arkham, Amadeus Arkham, Amadeus Arkham, Amadeus Arkham”. Not long, I begin to listen to the scribe. An elderly stallion voice is being heard throughout the intercom and my communicator:

“I am the spirit of Amadeus Arkham. Through my actions, I begin to save this cursed city, and my curse is forever remained in the shadows. My story is carved into the very soul of Arkham and it would only be revealed to those dedicated enough to discover it.”

Amadeus Jeremiah Arkham was the founder of the Arkham Asylum of the Criminally Insane Institute. He used to help patients to become sane to gain further studying to the limitations to the pony mind. Until, when his family was killed by an insane killer, he became an executioner to the inmates he founds disgusting, eventually, he grew ill himself and became a prisoner in his own facility he built. I know there are several of these cryptic symbols scattered around the island and inside more facilities. I need than want to know more of this story of one of the founders of Arkham to uncover its secrets. Everypony and everything has a dark secret they don’t want the public or the dedicated to know.

I gallop out of the tunnel and saw the upper floor. I spotted five Blackgate inmates surrounding a dead security guard. I could handle these thugs.

“The guard didn’t put up much of a fight,” one of the thugs said.

“Mane-iac was right, this is easy,” another one said. Two Earth ponies, one Unicorn, and two Griffons. One leaning on the wall, two kicking the deceased pony, one levitating a metal pipe and one with his talons crossed.

“Bring it on!”

“They don’t stand a-, she’s here!” a thug shouted when he spotted me climbing up. They turned their heads and began to ready themselves for a world of pain.

I threw a batarang at one and begin punching him, with another thug trying to hit my blind spot. I countered it by throwing off his punch, kicking him in the crotch, and punched him square in the chest, knocking him down. An Earth pony tries to kick me but I simply grabbed his leg and threw him over.

I punched two more and kicked one griffon that is trying to pull a metal piece from the wall to use as a weapon. They can do anything to win, even use any environmental weapons they could find to fight me. I know better. I performed a Ground Takedown on the knocked down thug and I grabbed the Unicorn’s leg, spun on the floor to knock him down and stood up, still holding his leg. I twisted his leg with his painful screams. Two down, three to go.

I punched one thug with an overhead and countered another one by throwing him off. I kicked the third to the ground and punched one thug trying to get up. I picked up the Earth pony and threw him across the room. I performed a Ground Takedown on the second thug I took down and countered a griffon by grabbing his arm, kneeing him in the stomach, and double punched him on the chest. I performed a Ground Takedown on him and did a roundhouse on the last thug, ending this effortless fight.

“Batmare, how’s it going? Any sign of Dad?” Oracle asked after being inactive.

“Not yet, but I’m getting close. Bon-Bon tried to slow me down, dropped an elevator on me,” I replied.

“Did it work?” she asked.

“Heh, of course not. I’ll get back to you when I reached the end of the trail,” I smirked. I turned off my communicator and reached for the door to enter the Cell Block Transfer but the red light is on, meaning it’s locked. I spotted a grate and begin to rip it from the wall and begin to crawl to reach one that’ll be at the Cell Block Transfer.

Before I opened the grate at the Transfer, I heard a shotgun being fired. I saw two guards; one of them got one and one backing up, sounding totally defenseless and at the verge of crying. I stopped to listen who is doing this atrocity.

“Please, I got a colt, you don’t ha-,” his pleads was shot down, figuratively and literally. I listen to who will reply to his pleas and was surprised that it was a Blackgate inmate.

“You’re right, I don’t have to. I just want to,” the thug replied then laughed maliciously after killing the defenseless guards. I quietly opened the grate and slid it without any noise and stood up.

“Alright, boss said no pony gets past! Anything moves, shoot it!” he ordered to his fellow comrades also armed with shotguns and machine guns.

“You got it, anypony coming this way is dead!” another one replied back eagerly.

I turned on my Detective Vision and spot four inmates holding or levitating guns. I turned on my communicator to inform Oracle.

“Oracle, Mane-iac’s crew had taken control of the Cell Block Transfer corridor.”

“That’s not good. I’ve patched in into a guard radio and it sounds like that Mane-iac’s crew got their hooves on weapons,” Oracle informed.

“I know, I’ll calibrate the cowl’s vision mode to isolate armed henchponies,” I added. I switched off my communicator and calibrated the cowl’s Detective Mode and made armed threats red instead of the unarmed blue. I spotted gargoyle vantage points above me.

“The direct approach is suicide. I need to be smart, find a different way past them.”

I switched between the vantage points until I came to one that is directly above the armed inmates, completely unaware of my presence. I dropped down without making any noise and crawled creepily to one Unicorn levitating a shotgun. I had to take them out without getting in their peripheral vision.

I snuck behind him and performed a Silent Takedown, covering his muzzle and wrapping my arm around his throat, muffling his screams. He immediately dropped his gun, not gaining any attention to the other two armed lowlifes. He kicks his hind legs on the ground, trying to break free but only hardens and tightens my grip. He stopped protesting, trying to let go from my iron grip but fell flat to the floor, unconscious.

I snuck behind a changeling and punched his back, dropping his gun. I wrapped my two front legs around his head and neck, muffling him. He tried to claw his way by flailing his arms and trying to pry from my grip but no help. I dropped him until his breathing becomes shallow and his form is no longer moving except his chest.

I snuck to the one who shot those two guards. I kicked the Pegasus thug in the back of his hind legs and grabbed his head and neck with my legs. He dropped his gun and held his front leg in the air, trying to get help until his muffled screams are no longer hearable. I dropped him and gallop quietly to the last one on the control booth on the other side of the corridor.

The last thug is an Earth pony, who has his back turn, talking to the irksome clown in charge of this insanity. I snuck in behind him without any noise, listening to the conversation:

“No problem, boss. The boys are finishing off. Arkham chumps never stood a chance.”

“Oh, good! Our friendly neighborhood rodent is on her way. You need to set a trap; she must not leave this building. Do you understand me?” Mane-iac said and ordered.

“Y-yes, boss. The Bat is good as dead,” the thug replied nervously.

“I hope you can keep your promises, boy. I hate that I have to go to punish your family just to teach you a lesson. Now I could promise you, they won’t be laughing!” Mane-iac warned and laughed at the bad joke.

“But Mane-iac!” the thug pleaded, not wanting his family to be killed by this maniac.

Mane-iac stuttered mockingly to his comment. “Just do it and have fun. I know I will.” She laughed afterwards.

I crouched to the unsuspecting thug, punched him in the back and wrapped my hooves around his head and neck, with his hooves flailing in the air, desperately wanting to grab some air, but he fell to a deep sleep.

“Oh, look who it is! Are your pointy ears burning? I suppose I better warn my boys that you’re on the way, but I won’t! It’ll be a nice surprise!” Mane-iac laughed at the end. She is sitting at some makeshift throne and the screen has Mane-iac TV crudely written in some font I don’t even know. I walked to the grate that’ll lead me to the Lobby. I ripped the grate open and crawl in the ventilation shaft. Not long after leaving the booth, Mane-iac is back on the intercom.

“Mane-iac here with a quick update, of what’s due in the asylum: Some idiot is running around in the asylum, dressed like a bat! I know, crazy! Stop her, before she gets somepony hurt! Really, it’s for her own good.” Mane-iac laughed manically afterwards.

Author's Note:

Presto Change-o! Another chapter!