Whispers in the Dark: Arkham Asylum

~Eleanor Wayne/Nightshade's POV~

I opened the door that lead inside a pathway with aqueducts above me. The aqueducts were old and unused. They remained in stony lonesome without any water flowing through their grooves.

Grassy shrubbery was scarce in the area and cracks and crumbled walls threatened the instability of the area. Batman and I followed down a slope that lead to a door that connected to West Arkham.

The door opened and Batman and I were on the right track of following Commissioner Sheamus' Wild Country tobacco on the ground.

A stony archway was on my far left, over a shallow ravine. A wooden bridge was one of the leading pathways that lead to the Visiting Center on my right.

The Visiting Center was a place the builders added for hard-core prisoners incarcerated in the Penitentiary, next door of the Visiting Center, to well, you know, visits their relatives. Only the Spirits of Madness knows what Joker has done to it now.

On the far end of the segment, across from the Penitentiary and the Visiting Center was one of the biggest facilities of the Island: The Medical Facility. That is where Harley took Oracle's father.

Shrubbery had overgrown the ground and the walls of the Visiting Center. Bare brambles and lengthy vines covered the entrance of the Penitentiary. Above the Penitentiary was an upper floor that lead to a control room, barricaded.

One watchtower stood over the Western side of Arkham Island. Also, there was a flight of stairs at the very bottom of the island that lead to the upper platform that enters anyone in the Penitentiary. In addition, an inactive lift is placed at the bottom of the Medical Facility. But there was a flight of stairs in case the lift is not working.

I turned and spotted two henchmen at the Visiting Center, but they are not minding mine or Batman's presence. They appeared to be working on a constructive project on the entrance of the Visiting Center. Two Eponians, one Earth and the other a Unicorn, were hammering the nails of painted wood and boards on the frontal wall of the Center.

I felt Batman's aura tense, as if he was ready to attack, but I stopped him. "Leave these men be. I'm very sure they wont hurt us." I told him in a whisper, "But I sense Joker has something inside the Visiting Center."

"I'm going to see. You resume on the trail to Sheamus, or look for survivors." Batman told me.

I nodded, "Be careful, Dad. Only Discord knows what he has planned in there."

With that, Batman made his way to the Visiting Center and I ran to the watchtower to look for any survivors. I found another deceased body but luckily, I found another guard.

The guard turned to me and gasped, "Nightshade? How did you get here?" Then he shook his head, "Never mind. What's going on? The crazies are moving towards the Medial Facility. What's Joker doing?” he asked anxiously.

"He's trying to take control of the island piece by piece. It looks like Medical is his next target." I answered, then asked, "Has anyone got out of the building?"

"I saw a doctor trying to get out.... He was torn apart... Thrown in the water. He never stood a chance." The guard answered somberly.

"Wait here and stay safe. If you see Batman, tell him I'll be in Medical." I instructed.

The guard nodded returned to his hiding spot. I looked over to Medical and saw six Blackgate inmates. Three Eponians, one Zebran, one Griffon and a Changeling. They must be the ones that killed the escaped doctor the guard mentioned. I guess I had to deal with them before continuing. I made my way down from the watchtower when the distorted intercom chime rang.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having a great time." Joker started in a light tone, then grew in anger, "You guys just make it look too easy. Like you're not even trying. Which is now what I pay you to do. Find everyone. Now!"

I ran up the stairs to the main entrance to the Medical Facility. I threw a batarang at the Zebran inmate's head.

"It's Nightshade! How did she get here?!" He alerted, then dashed toward me to attack.

The others joined him, but I was able to fight back and take them out with a fluid motion of martial arts. Once all six inmates were out, I used my shadow matter to destroy three chattering teeth in front of the entrance. Really hard to think with all that repeated laughing and chattering.

The intercom chime rang again and Joker spoke again, "I just want everypony to know that I…I really appreciate all the hard work. You know, watching you guys is like a night-in, watching my favorite movie." Then he sounded in thought, "What’s the name of the movie again? Oh yes: Attack of the Stupid-Bumbling-Idiots-Who-Can't-Stop-An-Even-Bigger-Idiot-Running-Around-Dressed-Like-A-Bat-! Now get to it!" He yawned, "I'm getting bored."

I rolled my eyes and opened the door to enter the Medical Facility. Joker should have known I would never back down from a challenge, or leave my father to fight any criminal on his own. I know Batman can handle himself well, but he's not Superman! Or Martian Manhunter.

Inside the Medical Facility, I entered the Medical Foyer. The foyer was like your everyday foyer in any medical institution. A desk, chairs, and a small TV screen mounted on the pillars.

What I expected was Harley Quinn being there. Which she was. She is calmly sitting on the chair, humming a tune while filing her nails innocently. I noticed that an electrical barrier was the only protection between her and me.

She stopped her tune when she noticed me, "Nightshade? What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, then calmed and barked, "Who cares? Scram, Nightie. This is my 'me' time."

"Where's Commissioner Sheamus?" I asked darkly.

"Wouldn't you like to know-" She replied rudely before she was interrupted by another voice, "I'm over here!"

It was Commissioner Sheamus. He's okay! Thank Luna.

"Shut up!" Harley barked, throwing a cup of coffee across the room.

"Ow!" Commissioner Sheamus yelped, then hissed in anger, "You crazy bitch!"

Just then, the screen on the wall in front of me switched on to reveal Joker. "Harley!" He cried out.

Harley let out a startled shriek and turned to the tv.

Joker looked at me and exclaimed at Harley, "What's she doing here? It's too early!"

Harley got up from her chair and walked seductively to the tv, planting her gloved hands on the screen, "I'm sorry, pudding. Don't be angry with me."

She smooched the tv screen in a loving affection.

"Oh, you little minx. I can never stay mad at you." Joker replied in the same manner before switching off.

Harley turned to me, "Sorry, Nightie. You and B-Man will have to find another way." Then she waved, "Bye-bye now!" She turned around and did several back-flips, out of sight.

I balled my hands into fists. The electrical barrier was stopping me from following Harley. I had to find another way into the building.

The secondary roof! Of course!

One of the inmates tried to escape through the secondary roof a few months back. Ended up dying due to a malfunction with his bomb. It leads straight to the Maintenance Access! The opening should still be in reconstruction, knowing Cinch.

I exit the entrance to bump into my father.

"Dad. What took you so long?" I greeted.

"Did you find Sheamus?" He asked me, getting straight to the point.

I nodded, "Yeah, he's okay. But I couldn't get to him. Harley was there too. An electrical barrier is blocking the main entrance." I told him, "There's another route up in the secondary roof. It leads to the Maintenance Access, which goes straight to the Sanatorium."

Father put his hand over my shoulder, "Good work, Ellie. Let's go."

With that, he used his grapple to reach the roof. I lightly smiled. Father's face might have been the usual Batman-scowl, but his tone showed praised and his aura showed he was proud of me.

I quickly climbed to the roof and saw Batman use his Explosive Gel to force an entry through the wooden, weak concrete and cardboard covering of the hole in the roof. Reconstruction wasn't complete. As I thought.

I quickly followed my father through the door and into the Maintenance Access. The Maintenance Access was a series of ventilation ducts and girders for janitorial and custodial uses. Father and I climbed over the girder in front of us and spotted a ventilation grate.

Joker's voice gave me a small startle, as this time the intercom chime didn't ring, "I want all the doctors rounded up, search every inch of the Medical building!" Father pulled the grate from its bolts with powerful force, "I mean it; search every room, every corner, and every trash can!" Father and I entered the vent and followed it through, "If another doctor tries to run and get out of the building, then you don't! I'll just flood the room with Happy Gas and leave you to die! Hell, I might do that anyway, sounds fun."

Father and I followed through the vents and empty hallways until we reached the Sanatorium.

The Sanatorium was one of the biggest areas of the Medical Facility. The Sanatorium helps out patients, mild or hard-core, for patient interviews, examination, and mental treatments.

A walkway with two stairs and ladders connected the lower and upper platforms of the room. At the bottom, showers and an area with a gigantic cell in it.

Waylon's old cell, until they couldn't keep him in there anymore and dumped into the sewer network under Intensive Treatment.

On the far left of the Sanatorium were the examination rooms for interviews. There were five in total and one the far right, a small office-like box had all medications for the Facility. Enormous ceiling fans hung from the ceiling. It looked like one of the largest sanatoriums in your everyday mental institute.

I peered through a fence of the duct and spotted five armed Blackgate inmates holding innocent doctors hostage. One of the doctors was a female Pegasus Eponian with light blue fur, red mane and tail, tied in a bun, and sharp green eyes. Dr. Sarah Cassidy. She was trying to refuse their barked orders.

"Get off of me!" She shouted.

The thug ordered threateningly when he shoved her in front of the elevator, "Get down with the others, move it!"

Dr. Cassidy flinched from the gun aiming at her head, "Okay, okay. I hear you. I'm going."

She walked slowly with the gun at the back of her to the front of an elevator on the upper level of the Sanatorium. She curled into a tiny ball and cried softly amongst the other terrified doctors.

"Why does Joker need the doctors?" Father wondered.

"I have a hunch, but we have to save them first." I answered.

With that, Batman and I followed the vent to somewhere wide enough for us to split up and take out the henchmen quietly.

Batman continued to follow the vents, whilst I teleported to the gargoyles. I noticed three of the henchmen were staying near the elevator.

One in front of the elevator. One on the other side of the interview room and the other inside the medical supplies. I can take care of these three, while Batman can do what he does and take out the two roaming the levels.

I teleported to the gargoyle above the henchman guarding the elevator, used my tail to hang up-side down and took out the henchman with my own version of an Inverted Takedown.

Batman drops the victim and hangs him up-side down, so he could scream. I hang up-down and combine and Silent Takedown. One of the reasons they call me the Child of the Night. No-one knows it was me, until they put the pieces together.

Dr. Cassidy noticed the henchman dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. She looked and saw me behind her teared-up eyes and running mascara.

"Nightshade?" She asked quietly and shakenly.

I put my finger over my mouth and teleported to the gargoyles on the other side of the room. I snapped my fingers and the two bombs I set up in the weak concrete structures detonated, knocking the two other henchmen out-cold.

Taken the explosions as signals, Batman took out the other two henchmen in their startled and panicked states.

"The room's secure, you're safe now!" I called out, once everything calmed down.

"Hello? Is there a doctor in the house? No? Pity. I seem to have a pile of wounded henchmen that need medical attention." Joker spoke up from the intercoms.

I teleported and joined up with Batman and the doctors near the elevator.

"I don't know what happened. One minute, we were doing our evening rounds and the next, armed thugs burst into the room and took us hostage." Dr. Cassidy explained what happened that brought them to their previous predicament.

"Did they have anyone with them?" Batman asked.

"They took someone to the elevator, I couldn't tell who it was." She answered.

"They obviously didn't want to be followed. The elevator appears to be powered down." I summarized, then asked, "You're going to be okay?"

"We'll be fine." Dr. Cassidy answered.

"What about the others? We heard gunfire. They could be dead! We should go and help." A doctor in green nurse scrubs asked. I quickly recognized him as the Zebran doctor that examined Joker from the Cell Block Transfer, before all this madness started.

Then Dr. Cassidy gasped, "Oh no, I forgot! Dr. Kellerman is in the Observation Room and Dr. Chen went to Surgery."

"And Dr. Redheart went to X-ray." The Nurse finished.

"Okay, stay here. Batman and I will find the other doctors." I told the medical staff..

Dr. Cassidy nodded and walked over to the other staff that were strapped on the gurneys near the exit. Batman and I exit the Sanatorium and split up to find the other three hostages.

I exited out of the Sanatorium at the bottom of the area and entered the Upper Corridor that leads to these three medical examination rooms to rescue the three hostages.