172 Long Day Ahead #172
Arkham Asylum
East wing
Loud thuds could be heard in the east wing's halls as a large, red-skinned, muscular man stood rooted in place, slowly and methodically banging his head against the wall.
Every time he banged his head, the already dented wall would shake, and the damage would increase as he tried to shake away the disturbing images in his mind.
After inhaling a considerable dose of fear toxin over the past few days, Amygdala's simple mind couldn't keep up with the hallucinations as images of terrible monsters tormented him.
No matter how much Amgydala fought the monsters, no matter how hard he hit them, they would not go down, and every time he failed to beat one, two more would show up.
Simple-minded as he might be, Amygdala realized something was off and that it was all in his head. From there, the solution was simple; to turn off his head by knocking himself unconscious.
He had been banging his head against the wall for hours. Unfortunately, he was far too durable for something of that caliber to knock him out despite his persistence.
Suddenly a loud clanging noise of hollow metal hitting the ground sounded alongside the thuds, causing Amygdala to pause as he turned to investigate the source.
He saw a metallic canister rolling on the ground as it inched toward him, as he tilted his head in confusion. It soon stopped moving and exploded, releasing a brilliant light that temporarily blinded the hulking brute.
When he regained his vision, Amgydala found himself surrounded by eight machines that slowly morphed into vicious monsters, causing him to grimace and roar in anger.
He took a step forward, intent on charging the closest monster, only to freeze as all of them shot wires that stuck to his body. He halted again in confusion as he reached for one of them.
The wire sparkled before he could touch it, and Amygdala stiffened as electricity coursed through it and into his body, immobilizing him instantly.
He could do nothing but watch in abject horror as the monsters slowly inched toward him, sprouting misshapen fleshy appendages with sharp ends, dripping a dark purple liquid.
They closed the distance and started jabbing their limbs into his body, and he could only roar in anger and fear as his vision darkened and he slowly lost consciousness.
The machine monsters then tied him up and loaded him on the back of the closest one to the exit before continuing their march as the latter escorted the hulking brute outside.
...
Reception Hall
As he calmly walked into the hall, The Question promptly halted his steps as his mask turned green where his mouth was with grainy particles sticking to it.
He reached for the particles with his finger and raised it to his eye level, giving it a brief inspecting glance. "Fear toxin... Scarecrow..." he muttered as he rubbed his index finger with his thumb.
He looked around and immediately noticed an unconscious, seemingly malnourished man on the ground next to a dented wall, causing him to raise an eyebrow as he approached to investigate.
He kneeled next to the man to ascertain his identity. "Victor Zsasz... over a hundred victims..." he muttered as he raised the man's head and looked into his face.
The Question let go of the deranged serial killer's face and began inspecting his vitals. "Still breathing... but it's safe to say his serial killing days are way behind him..." he muttered, chuckling in amusement as he shook his head.
He got up and continued looking around, immediately identifying two ways to proceed.
"Eeny meeny mini moe..."
...
The outer gate
As she got off her car, Deborah froze and held her head in pain as the sudden movement caused her hangover to flare up and her headache to intensify.
She quickly gathered her bearings and scanned the area, sighing in relief as she realized police officers on the scene listened to her instructions and kept their distance.
Her relief quickly turned to surprise as she noticed Grayson standing in front of the gate and staring at the Arkham Asylum. Luckily for her, detective Montoya noticed her presence and was already on her way to explain the situation.
"So you're telling me he sent an army of robots to clear the Arkham Asylum...?" Deborah asked, sighing in exasperation as she felt her headache grow.
"And that The Question is in there too...?" she added, slightly rubbing her forehead as the detective nodded. "Is the commissioner here? Batman?" she asked, looking around the area.
"The commissioner is overseeing the search and rescue efforts in Old Gotham. He said you're in charge," Detective Montoya replied with a shrug of her shoulders as she shook her head. "As for Batman, no one's seen him in a while now," she concluded.
Deborah had many questions but didn't get the chance to ask as a commotion sounded from the gate's direction. She walked past detective Montoya to investigate and saw an insectoid-looking machine walking toward Grayson with one of Asylum's inmates strapped to its back.
Grayson waited for the machine to reach him before lifting the hulking inmate like he weighed nothing before applying a new set of bonds around his body and putting him on the ground.
He turned her and smiled as he approached her. "Been enjoying your day off, captain?" he jokingly asked as he immediately noticed Debroah's hangover, causing her to sigh.
"Let me help you with that," he added as he reached his hand toward her, and she winced as she noticed his missing finger, renewing her guilt that didn't even get the chance to die down.
She hesitated for a second before gripping his hand in a firm handshake, and her eyes widened at the tingly feeling coursing through her body before her headache dissipated.
"There. Good as new," Grayson said, still smiling as he let go of Deborah's hand, having expelled the alcohol out of her system with his metabolism manipulation power.
"I'll leave this guy to you," he concluded before Deborah could say anything, gesturing towards Amygdala before he stopped in front of the gate again.
"Right..." Deborah remarked, sighing as she turned to her subordinates, who had their hands on their guns as they cautiously eyed the unconscious Amygdala.
"Get this convict into a transportation unit and out of here," the police captain instructed, giving the police officers a harsh glare, causing them to jolt into action.
...
Arkham Asylum
The Communal Dining Area
The Questions' nose scrunched as he stepped into the canteen, catching the unmistakable scent of blood as he noticed the bodies of several inmates littered around the canteen.
"Knife wounds..." The Question muttered as he inspected the body, trailing off at the end of his sentence in confusion as he noticed something else.
"And bite marks....?" he remarked as he moved the inmate's sleeve upward and noticed a chunk of his flesh missing with teeth marks all over the area, causing him to frown.
His body stiffened as he heard a barely audible foot step and he threw himself to the side just in time to dodge a tall man with a bloodied face lunging at him with a knife.
"Fresh meat for the Abattoir..." said the man, hideously grinning and showcasing his bloodied teeth as he twirled the knife in the palm of his hand while watching The Question get to his feet.
"I see you've made acquaintance with my work..." the man said as he turned the dead body that The Question was investigating when the former ambushed him.
"I have taken their flesh, drunk their blood, fed on their wisdom, their strength, their POWER..." the man remarked, his tone growing louder and more passionate with every word.
"But it's still not enough... never enough..." the man said, his tone deflating as his shoulders slumped. "Perhaps you will be...?" he added as he looked at The Question, his eyes gleaming in hope.
"There's nothing scarier and sadder than a monster who doesn't know any better..." The Question said, his tone strangely sympathetic as he looked at the crazed killer before him.
"I'll put you out and yours and everyone's misery," he added, raising his hands into a battle stance as the man charged him with a maniacal cackle, knife in hand.
The Question stood his ground for the man to close the distance and stab at him before reacting. Victor caught the latter's wrist with his left before diverting the stab toward the inmate's neck.
The knife hit the man's neck, and he fell to the ground, blood leaking out of his mouth and throat as he unblinkingly stared into The Question's eyes, who took it upon himself to ease the former's fall.
The Question reached for the man's eyes and gently closed them, sighing as the latter breathed his last. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his leather gloves before sighing and getting up.
"This is going to be a long day..."
...
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