Chapter 22 Arkham
Chapter 22 Arkham
Tonight, Gordon and Quinn did not return home, and Barbara had dinner alone because they went to a special place.
The prison car carried Quinn and Gordon to the outskirts of Gotham, a place rarely visited by people, not only because of its remote location and inconvenient transportation but also because it housed the most deadly (and famous) building in Gotham.
"Arkham..."
Looking through the car window at the towering walls on both sides and the searchlights on the watchtowers shining on their car roof, Quinn had learned about this building from various sources and had imagined scenes of himself coming to this place.
But even when he actually arrived here, Quinn still felt a bone-chilling coldness.
Gordon patted the young man's shoulder, "Feeling scared, huh? I felt the same way when I first came to Arkham. Relax."
"The defense here seems even stricter than Blackgate Prison."
Blackgate Prison was located on an isolated island with an excellent geographical position, while Arkham's defense was built entirely with manpower and money.
"Arkham houses many inmates with severe criminal tendencies and those with mental illnesses, and half of them were sent here by Batman.
They are extremely dangerous, and some, like Poison Ivy, have superhuman abilities, so Arkham has to strengthen its defenses."
Gordon led Quinn inside, where a chubby guard greeted them, seeming very familiar with Gordon.
"Gordon, bringing someone to Arkham again, huh?"
Gordon sighed at the guard's enthusiastic greeting, "Ham, how do you maintain such a good mood in this place?"
Ham, the guard, chuckled, "You have to find a way to keep your spirits up in a place like this, or else I would have become one of them long ago."
He looked at Poison Ivy being carried in, "Poison Ivy? Batman was pretty ruthless this time."
"No, it wasn't Batman's doing."
Ham was surprised, "Not Batman? My, have you guys upgraded your armament?"
It's not that Ham looked down on the Gotham police; as a collective, they had too many limitations compared to the individual super-criminals captured by Batman.
"As you know, Ham, the police budget was reduced by another 10% this year. Where do I get the money to upgrade our equipment?" Gordon wore a bitter smile, but it was also mixed with pride.
"The one who brought back Poison Ivy is this police officer behind me, Officer Quinn Sullivan." Gordon introduced his valued subordinate to his old friend.
"Police officer?"
Ham didn't understand why Gordon emphasized this, nor did he understand why the highly regarded Quinn had the lowest rank.
Quinn looked pale and weak, as if he had been drained of energy, "Yes, it was me."
"Young man, you should be full of energy. Catching Poison Ivy is a great achievement, and you should be smiling."
Quinn forced a slight smile, then quickly let it fade, "Mr. Ham, it's best not to smile in this place."
"Why?"
As soon as Ham blurted out the question, a burst of manic laughter came from deep within the building.
"Uh, you're right. I should smile less here."
After a body search, Quinn was allowed into the area where prisoners were held, and Gordon did not accompany him.
"You'll be coming here often, I'm sure."
Quinn was speechless. Gordon's words made him feel like he was not the Commissioner Gordon, but the next Two-Face.
The guards pushed Poison Ivy, who was tied to a bed, and Quinn followed behind to ensure that the guards didn't do anything stupid .
He didn't trust anyone in Arkham, especially those who smiled.
"Hey, look who's here?"
The nearest prisoner to the entrance taunted loudly.
"Isn't that Poison Ivy, who escaped not long ago? Batman caught her again!"
"She deserved it. She refused to let us go together back then, that selfish bitch!"
Some were gloating, others mocking, "Poison Ivy is a plant supremacist. If you were a grass, she might have taken you out, haha!"
"A young cop comes in, do you want Uncle to teach you how to become a good cop?"
The medical staff accompanying them had long been used to such antics, and Quinn wasn't afraid of these loud-mouthed individuals who were regularly injected with psychotropic drugs and still babbled.
Bastards, they're all bastards, killing bastards = points, who knows how many points one's worth.
Those who wanted to mess with Quinn found that he was not scared at all; instead, he looked at them with a hint of desire, causing them to shut their mouths and shiver.
Quinn asked the accompanying doctor, "Is Arkham always this lively? Won't it disturb the rest of the other patients?"
The female doctor glanced at him, "They're not criminals; they're patients. But it is indeed strange. They used to be quiet under the influence of medication, but recently, they seem unusually excited, and sedatives don't seem to work on them."
"Another 'abnormality,' huh..." Quinn scanned his surroundings, imprinting the faces of everyone in his mind.
Super villains like Poison Ivy were held in a deeper and more secure special ward. At least if he didn't use the Omnitrix, he wouldn't be able to escape.
On another note, Manaphy was left outside with Gordon. Quinn didn't want Arkham to corrupt her pure heart.
The heavy metal door opened, and as Quinn stepped inside, numerous eyes first glanced at Poison Ivy and then gathered on Quinn's unfamiliar face.
Mainly because of the police uniform Quinn was wearing, which attracted hatred.
Quinn slowed down and took a look at each "ward."
"Roar!"
A strong stench assaulted him, and an upright crocodile kept scratching the iron bars. However, the metal bars were extremely sturdy, and the crocodile's claws and bites could not even shake them.
Facing this bloodthirsty monster, Quinn approached curiously, "You must be Killer Croc? You look really handsome, but your mouth smells a bit strong. Don't they give you a toothbrush?"
Quinn showed a toothy grin showing his white teeth.
Killer Croc was stunned. No one had ever complimented his appearance before, and he could tell that Quinn didn't mean it sarcastically but rather looked at him with genuine curiosity, which made him uncomfortable.
He made a few menacing moves towards Quinn, but when he saw Quinn was about to applaud, Killer Croc felt that he was making a fool of himself, so he turned his back on Quinn and crouched in a corner, reminiscing about his time in the circus.
The female doctor was very surprised, "How did you manage to calm down this beast? The sedative has little effect on him."
However, Quinn covered his mouth and muttered, "I've been using Lake Toya too much lately, and the side effects are a bit severe."
The style of the situation had been brought off track; he was supposed to be a serious character; how could he be so playful!
"Officer Quinn?"
"Oh, just talk to him more. If you can improve his cell... I mean, ward environment, that would be even better. Let's start with giving him a toothbrush that suits his needs."
Quinn couldn't control himself; or maybe he was just naturally mischievous.
"Bed..."
A dull voice came out of Killer Croc's mouth. He grabbed the bars and stared at the female doctor.
"I don't want a toothbrush; I want a bigger bed. I can't sleep on a normal-sized bed!"
Seeing Killer Croc react so intensely, the female doctor seriously considered Quinn's suggestion. It seemed feasible. Medication was never the main method of treating mental illnesses; it was only an auxiliary measure.
Improving the patient's living environment could help them relax and bring the doctor closer to the patient.
Sometimes treating everyone equally is not a good approach, especially for individuals like Killer Croc, who have special physiological needs. We should make special arrangements for them.
Decision made, let's use Killer Croc as a test case. Later, I'll ask the director to customize a set of toiletries for him so that we don't have to endure his bad breath. Everyone will agree to it.
What? Precedent of someone using a toothbrush as a weapon? Look at Killer Croc's physique; does he need weapons? Even if he sharpens the toothbrush, he can only use it for teeth cleaning!
Many things considered contraband for ordinary prisoners are meaningless for these super villains, especially in terms of escape. Whenever a major event happens, Arkham is breached.
Quinn continued walking forward and unexpectedly saw someone in the next ward - himself.
Another Quinn was wearing a straitjacket, bound to the wall, looking down at Quinn with pity.
"You're locked up; how pathetic."
Although it was him who was bound in the ward, he said Quinn was the one locked up.
Quinn looked at the man who looked exactly like him and suddenly thought of a character in Gotham.
"Clayface? The rumors say you can transform into anyone, even at the genetic level. Can you transform into a woman and get pregnant too?"
As soon as he said this, the female doctor's friendly gaze turned to disdain, and Clayface's expression twisted.
Gritting his teeth, Clayface, Karlo, said, "You dare to mock me! I'll remember you. When I get out of here, I'll come find you."
"By then, anyone around you could be me in disguise. I'll torture you, make you suffer..."
"Can you transform into Angelina Jolie? I promise I'll be completely defenseless!"
...
Clayface's attempt to imitate Quinn's appearance to mess with him backfired, leaving him frustrated.
At this moment, the female doctor looked at Quinn as if he were scum. She couldn't understand why Commissioner Gordon, a man of integrity, would let such a scum enter Arkham... Perhaps he wanted him to get a preview of the future ward?
No wonder he suggested improving the patients' living environment. The female doctor suddenly realized that everything made sense.
Unaware of the doctor's thoughts, Quinn intentionally provoked Clayface because he was confident he could beat him, but he didn't have a good solution for Killer Croc.
"Here we are, put the person in."
The previous room where Poison Ivy was confined had its walls smashed by wild plants, leaving it empty.
The medical staff lifted the white cloth covering Poison Ivy, revealing her green body - she never wore much clothing.
With her heart wound now exposed for all to see, Clayface stared wide-eyed, his chin trembling uncontrollably.
"God, Poison Ivy's heart seems to be gone - Batman killed her!"
With a scream resembling that of a woman's, Clayface seemed to see doomsday and began to struggle within the straitjacket.
"What? Batman killed her?"
"That guy actually kills people?"
All the wards echoed with Batman's name at this moment because they were all shrouded in the shadow of the bat.
Until the person in question spoke.
"Karlo, stop spreading ridiculous rumors based on your twisted brain."
A pale face appeared under the light, fixated on Poison Ivy.
"What's Poison Ivy compared to me? The only one who can make him break his principles is me, you bunch of ...huh?"
The Joker's gaze towards Poison Ivy was blocked by someone, and Quinn approached him.
The Joker was tied to an electric chair, with only a railing separating the two.
Bending down, driven by an inexplicable impulse, Quinn did what he had always wanted to do but didn't dare.
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