TEN

February 2006, Arkham Asylum, Arkham Island, Gotham City.

(MC's POV)

It as been a year since I last killed a member of the false face society. Yeah Baby Doll and Metal head were my last kills. After crippling the penguin and forcing him to donate money to orphans all over Gotham, I returned to plan how to finish off the final member of the society. But fate had other plans, Blackmask knew I would hunt him down wherever he hid himself, so he didn't hide, he just got himself arrested and locked up in the one place I'm not sure I could easily break into and leave, Blackgate prison.

That didn't last long though, as my father had him killed in prison. Burnt to death in solitary confinement. Yeah it was brutal, but scum like him do not deserve anything else.

During this time, my father and I grew closer as we grew stronger bonds between us. He told me how he found out I crippled Two face on my first outing, turns out it was Joffrey, my butler. He was placed within my mother's manor to watch over me and make sure I didn't get hurt, either by others or myself. I understand him informing my father for my safety but still the betrayal led to me confronting Joffrey. Guess what he said, "I'm sorry master Ray" WRONG! He said "Young master Ray, I wiped your buttocks while you were a child, and if you decide to not accept my reason for tattling to your father about your nocturnal activities, I'll be forced to whoop it". The audacity, but that was the end of it anyway, it's not like I'm scared of Joffrey kicking my ass, no I'm scared of kicking his ass.

Father also told me the reason he was wiping out the false face society, apparently the Roman Empire is going through a transition. Not just change in who holds power but also change in the business itself. And the only way to do that safely is with the death of Gotham's number one crime organisation. As long as they existed they would be a threat.

The entire Roman Empire, were going into full on legal businesses. The Gazzos are going into the fast food industry. The Sullivans into the private security and protection sector, the crime families still need protection after all. The Maronis into wineries industry, they owned large amounts of orchards so it was pretty easy. And finally, the Falcones were going into a variety of industries. From clothing & fashion, to racing & automotive, to construction & real estate. Our family is much richer than the other three put together. That didn't mean they were poor though, they just didn't have the same resources or want to enter as many businesses as we did.

Now all isn't rainbow and happiness, well not for my family anyway. You see old man Carmine is thinking of retiring and moving to Italy. That is where our automotive industry and Formula 2 racing track is. He's moving there with my niece Kitrina, says he doesn't want her in Gotham.

The problem our family is currently facing is who will take over as head of the family. Now usually, there is no question who should be head. Mario is the oldest and as been with dad the longest, but I'm just much better than him and father still isn't sure who to choose. No one knows what his will is like either, it's a mystery even to me, but our recent closeness makes me feel I will win out as head of the family.

Still, there seems to be a family war brewing with different factions opposing each other. Even fatty sophia wants a large cut of the cake, that bitch is so fucking annoying. I do know one thing for sure, there is no way I'm coming out of this the loser.

Now, why am I in Arkham asylum. It's more like why are father, Kitrina and myself in this shit hole. Well, we are here with Kitrina to pay a final visit to her father, my other older brother Alberto Falcone AKA Holiday killer.

We walked through rows of cells, heading to the special section reserved for the likes of Joker and big bro. So yeah we going to the OG psycho den, how people decide to work in this dreary place despite the meager pay is shocking.

We finally arrive at the special needs section and walk towards a cell numbered 1203, the cell that houses my brother. With a glance from my father towards the security camera, the door clicked open and with a hiss shifts open to reveal a well groomed, tall and handsome man with features resembling mine. It's no wonder dad says I remind him of Alberto sometimes. If only this city didn't turn him mad, I would've gladly left the seat of family head to him.

Alberto walks out of the room with a smirk and greets father with respect, he turns towards his daughter and turned uncomfortable. Even if she visits often, they still aren't close at all, in fact the only reason she visits if because the old man forces her to. Finally, he turned towards me, scrutinises me for a few seconds and gives me a cheeky grin and wink as he recognized my madness hidden under a calm and nice facade.

One of thee asylum's guard directs us to a room we could sit and talk in. Our personal guards (Sullivans) also stands guard outside the room. You couldn't have thought we came to this mad house without extra protection, only myself isn't enough for what could happen here. Sure I won't get hurt but dad and Kitrina are an old man and a teenage girl, so very high on the can be hurt list(MC has forgotten he's also a teenage boy).

Talks lasted for about half an hour, when the event we prepared for finally happened. You see Carmine Falcone going to Arkham asylum means security became sharper, but all of that focus is placed on Carmine Falcone and his guards not the inmates or patients of Arkham asylum. It would seem someone realised this and seize their opportunity to escape.

Kitrina was just beginning to give her father 'the goodbye forever', when an explosion rocked the building and sent the guards into a panic. The alarms blared and swirling red light filled the hallways. Rushed pounding of footsteps and orders being shouted are all that I can hear for a moment. But that moment passed and the door to our room slides open.

Seeing the door open, I stand as a shield in front of Kitrina and dad, with a gun aimed at who stood on the other side. The guard who led us here is our new guest and stands with his arms in the air, scared as he stared the barrel of my gun eye to hole.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"I'm here to return patient 1203 back to his cell as protocol dictates." He replies. I stare at him for a few seconds before giving him a nod of acceptance.

He walks towards my brother and begins to lead him out of the room, and it is at this instance, that I and the Sullivans let our guards down.

A bomb of sorts is thrown into the room and explodes releasing green coloured gas into the room. A sniff of it and a few seconds later, an irresistible urge to burst into laughter fills me. The others fared worse as they had already began laughing seconds before me.

Seeing this, while I try and failed to control want to laugh my guts out, I know who our current attacker is, The Joker. His mad cackle is what i here next, as my body slowly builds an immunity to the Joker toxin. Unfortunately the immunity building is too slow, and I'm unable to do a thing as Joker and Harley Quinn slowly saunter into the room with crazy smiles on their faces.

"Haha hahaha, well looky here Harley, Carmine Falcone and holiday on their knees, worshiping me in the only way they can. By being happy. Hahaha." Joker says.

"Oh I sure see it pudding. I've already told you that you are the best there is, oh yeah the best." The stupid bitch beside him replies.

"When this gets out, everyone will know I'm an unstoppable force. Hmmm no, I'm a god. Harley, my weapon of godhood please." He demands his right hand stretched towards Harley Quinn.

"Here you go Mr. J." She replies, while handing a gun to him.

Joker takes the gun and points it at father's laughing skull. My body was almost in total control now, just a few more seconds and I'll rip them to shreds. Joker begins to speak again,

"I heard your family is going through a new phase, let's see if they will still go through with it after I kill you. Ciao papa Falcone." With a bang, he fires a bullet to my father's skull and I leap with all the strength I have regained to block the bullet with my body.

The expected pain of a bullet tearing through my flesh and muscles does not come and I open my eyes, only to see the bleeding body of my brother Alberto in front of me. He also jumped and blocked the bullet, how he did it I do not understand, but he did it.

White hot rage fills my body, as he drops dead to the ground. I did not know him well enough to care so much about his life, but that could have been me or dad or Kitrina or anyone I cared for, lying dead on the ground.

With an enlightened mindset, I stand up and Joker being the smart guy he is, notices that staying here would be his death. He quickly runs out of the room, Harley Quinn in tow. I turn to look at my father, and somehow he has also beat the effects of the Joker toxin, as he cradles my brother's corpse a single tear drops from his eyes. I turn to check if Kitrina is fine and see that she is, even as the effects of the toxin on her seems to be reducing now.

I look at my father again and see him staring at me now. Understanding the vengeance painting my eyes, he gives his blessing for me to search for it with a nod of affirmation.

I begin to depart the room to search for those bastards, outside the room the Sullivan guards are not their knees, laughing their ass off. I pull out my mask from my suit and using it to call on my glider. As I began to get farther from the room, I hear my father's voice scream at me,

"Raymond, be careful."