I know who he is...

"So that's what we're doing, huh? Thank God..." Ky whispered, closing his eyes as he let out a sigh of relief. His eyelids then parted and his eyes were gleaming with excitement as he reread the words written across the system's display in front of him. 

[Canon Shift: Become a Metahuman]

[23:59:48]

"Wait, I only have one day!? If this is anything like Solo Leveling, I definitely don't want to let that timer tick down. I better get a move on. That sounds easier said than done..." he muttered-- his voice trailed off as he leaned forward in the creaking desk chair and toward the boxy computer screen. The pointer glided across the screen, stopping atop a link to the article about awakening one's Metagene. Ky's pointer finger clicked the left mouse button-- immediately he reeled backward upon seeing who exactly this aforementioned Arkham inmate was. "Psimon..." he repeated the words headlining the article. Below the bold and black words was the image of a man; his brain was exposed through the top of his skull and his face was withering as an old man's would. "Can't say I've ever heard of this guy. Must be a deep-cut villain."

Ky leaned back into the old, unstable chair, folding his arms behind his head. "How the hell am I going to get this guy to help me? Do I just break him out of Arkham? I mean, that type of thing happens in the comics all the time, but that sounds easier said than done. I only have a day to get it done too... A prison break, huh?"

Ky's fingers, as if magnetically attracted to the keyboard, began typing in the words 'Arkham Asylum' into the search bar. "If I can find out who's been admitted recently, I could at least figure out who else is in there..."

Ky let out an impatient groan. "No, that's stupid," he whispered. "What, am I gonna ask the Joker to help me out? Maybe I can get an employee to do it... An employee..." a sly grin crept up Ky's face. "Hugo Strange. I bet he could pull a few strings for me. As for what I can do to get him to do it... I guess I'll figure that out." 

Ky pushed the creaky, archaic chair backward and rose to his feet. With both hands tucked into his jeans pockets, Ky stepped out of the library and began his trek toward the only place he knew he could find Mr. Hugo Strange. 

It wasn't long before he ended up in front of the Asylum itself. The black, victorian building looked more like a castle and a rehabilitation hospital. The windows were blocked by steel bars and the front door was made of metal. Rain assaulted his already-soaked body as he stood beneath the blackened clouds that were occasionally illuminated by booming flashes of lightning. "Dramatic," he whispered, approaching the gate and pressing the call button. The button chimed, and then a voice could be heard coming from a speaker beside it.

"Hello..." a hesitant and confused voice called out. 

"Hi, I was wondering if it would be possible to speak to Dr. Hugo Strange. I'm currently going for my bachelor's degree in Psychology and one of my assignments is to interview a psychologist that I know. Dr. Strange was the first to come to mind," Ky explained.

"You're telling me, you came to the Arkham Asylum for an interview? Sorry kid, the world doesn't work like that," said the voice. Ky's shoulders lowered, 'Figures,' he thought.

"Please?" Ky begged; though he could hear the line being cut off through the intercom.

"Of course," Ky whispered. 

Ky's eyes checked each corner of the asylum and it wasn't long before he spotted a transportation vehicle pulling behind the building. With nothing to lose and the timer ticking down, Ky jumped the fence and made his way toward where the vehicles were headed. 'Considering the fact that Batman's villains escape all the time, the security measures must be trash,' he thought. 

With his back against a brick wall, he peeked around a corner to see inmates being dragged out of the vehicles before receiving an injection in their neck. Immediately, their bodies would go limp and their agonizing screeches would cease. 'I'm starting to wish the readers chose the Star Labs option...'

As an inmate was dragged into the building through a side door, Ky followed behind them, peeking through the cracked door before taking a step inside. Swiftly, he opened a nearby door and slipped through a door leading into another room. The door shut behind him, and he found himself in a room with an Arkham employee, wearing a lab coat. The man didn't turn around, but he did speak.

"That was fast, go ahead and put it on the table," he said calmly, tinkering with what looked like pieces of brain matter on a tray. Ky said nothing, grabbing a glass beaker on a nearby table. Still, he spoke not a word as he stepped closer to the distracted man, raising the beaker over his head. 

The scientist stopped for a moment, turning his head toward Ky. However, before he could call out, scream, or react, Ky slammed the beaker into his face, knocking the doctor out cold. His body hit the ground with a loud thud, accompanied by shattered glass and Ky's harsh breaths. Victorious, Ky stood over the doctor's body before kneeling down and checking his pulse. "Still alive. Phew," Ky whispered. "I'm not a pussy, okay? I just don't wanna kill random people like a psychopath, alright. This guy would probably deserve it though. Why the hell am I talking to the damn readers?"

Swiftly, Ky took the doctor's lab coat and badge before wearing them for himself. With haste steps, Ky fled from the room. entering the hallway where a few other employees were walking toward the exit he'd broken in from. "Good evening," Ky said, nodding and keeping his head down. The employees' curious eyes watched him for a moment, pondering, until they inevitably continued with their task.

Head down, Ky wandered through the asylum itself, checking maps and eavesdropping until he obtained enough information to track Dr. Hugo Strange. Before long, Ky found himself inside the building's break room, finding the doctor sitting alone eating a tuna sandwich. 

"So, you're the kid who wanted to interview me," he said, taking a sip from his glass. "How does he know?" Strange said aloud, predicting what Ky was thinking. "Well, I heard there was some kid trying to talk to me and I don't recognize you. I'd remember if we hired a teenager recently. That badge isn't yours either."

Ky's heart was pounding; Hugo Strange's potential experiments were running through his mind. However, Ky calmed his trembling body and became still as water. Thoughts of experiments were replaced by pathways to lead the oncoming conversation through and a gust of air burst through his nostrils. 

"Yeah, that was me. I wanted to talk to you, but not necessarily for an interview. I want to ask a favor of you," Ky said calmly. 

"Oh? And what exactly could I do for you?" Hugo's voice was cold, calculated, yet curious. He raised a brow, crossed his legs, and interlocked his fingers as he glared at Ky through his round, tinted glasses. 

"There's an inmate here. His name is Psimon. Batman recently brought him in," Ky said.

"I know of him. What about him?"

"I want to ask if you could release him on my behalf. In exchange, I can give you information. Valuable information," Ky propositioned. Strange leaned forward, intrigued but cautious. 

"And what information could you have that would possibly be of use to me?" Strange asked. 

"I know the identity of Batman himself, I know where he lives as well," Ky confessed. A grin formed across Strange's face, that grin turned into a hearty laugh of disbelief. 

"And how would you know Batman's secret identity?" Strange asked.

"I have ways of gathering information. Supernatural methods. For example, I know some things about you. You grew up in an orphanage, growing up with a traumatic past that led to you getting a doctorate in psychology. You were a professor for a while until your experiments got you in some trouble. Now you conduct those same experiments on the patients here because who gives a fuck about some lunatics getting tortured, right? I also know that you've been trying to find out Batman's identity for however long he's been running around Gotham in his PJs. It's almost like your life goal." Ky's explanation made the smile on Strange's face disappear. His look was serious, perhaps sinister. 

"Why do you want Psimon?" Strange asked.

"I want him to turn me into a metahuman. I'll even bring him back when I'm done if you'd like,"

Strange grinned and exhaled from his nostrils. "In exchange for Batman's identity, I will release the patient you are requesting. Now, tell me. Who is Batman really?"

[Commencing Canon Shift]

[Whose name should Ky reveal? Readers, make your choice by leaving a paragraph comment on your desired outcome. Every power stone given will count as an extra vote for that person. For example, if one were to vote for DC and then give three Power Stones, that would count as four total votes! Comments left on this paragraph will be discarded.]

[Bruce Wayne- Comment Here]

[Someone else - Comment Here]

[Choose wisely, readers! Ky's fate is in your hands!]