Asylum Knights

chapter 1: One Knight youll never forget.

On a dark and stormy night, deep within the crumbling walls of Arkham asylum, something was not quite right. The air was thick with the unpleasant smell of dampness and decay. Down the unusually silent corridors there was the distant wail of a single, blood curdling scream, one of which had never been heard before... until now that is.

Deep within the darkness of the hollow shell which concealed the violent wards of the great asylum, was a remote padded cell. Considered "home" to one of the most insane super-criminals known in Gotham city, a new guest was trapped and confined within its old, towering walls.

A mass jail break attempt had been reported. The dark knight himself, along with his teen sidekick, received the urgent call for help. They arrived, guns blazing, and quickly vanished within the sea of bodies. As they punched and kicked their way through the waves of thugs and psychos, blood lips glistened in the searchlights.

With wild eyes ablaze, the shadowed figure watched with sheer delight as he looked down upon the ocean of mayhem. He pulled out a flair gun, aimed it up high and pulled the trigger... Suddenly a blood red spark lit up the blackened skies above.

Everything was then silent; hordes of inmates then suddenly stopped dead. One by one they slowly backed away creating a mass wall of muscle and bone, trapping our heroes within.

Batman and Robin were surrounded, back to back, their eyes frantically observing their surroundings. Batman was not so sure, he was alert but not alert enough... Suddenly they were attacked from behind and brutally overpowered by a swarm of prisoners all of whom were wearing gas masks - a haunting sight to behold.

The figure, who was perched high above the mayhem, let out a sinister and diabolical laugh and from his hand launched something into the centre of the crowd. The silver canister hit the cracked cobblestone below and hit it hard. It bounced and rolled until it came to a stop at Batman's feet. Alas, it was too late; the canister ruptured and let out a hiss of smoke.

"GET DOWN! GAS BOMB!"

The canister then exploded, releasing a green coloured gas into the midnight air. Out of nowhere a huge rip roar of laughter echoed throughout the courtyard. Batman coughed and spluttered as he collapsed to his knees, he tried to hold his breath but he could only hold it for so long. His lungs were bursting as he began to drown within the toxic green smog as it engulfed him.

"Can't... B...reath!..."

The henchmen giggled as they watched over him with their wild eyes. The fallen knight finally collapsed onto the cold, solid, rain soaked ground and then slowly his eyelids gave way as he slipped into unconsciousness and then into utter darkness.

The shadowy figure's teeth filled laugh echoed throughout the grounds. He then raised his cane and swiftly pointed towards the main entrance of the asylum. The henchmen then grabbed Batman's lifeless, limp, limbs and slowly dragged him into the darkness of the asylum.

Batman was hurled into the dark, damp padded cell, imprisoned by a blood stained straight jacket and iron collar tightly clamped round his neck. Batman was helpless, still unconscious and trapped within this psycho hell hole! Robin was missing, inmates were running wild and the Joker was free...

Everything was dead quiet, until suddenly from the darkness of the cell, life was finally heard.

Batman awoke, his head was throbbing and his vision was blurred. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the mind-splitting dizziness, a common after-effect of the horrific gas. His mouth was dry and sore, his eyes were distant as they loomed with tiredness, he slowly came to realise the situation he had become entangled deep within. Batman was weak and barely able to move, the chains and buckles which had had been incarcerated in jingled with every little movement, he was also unaware of how long he had been out for. Despite all this he was determined to stop the Joker, find Robin and solve the case.