Dark clouds hung over the disconsolate building, not wanting to let the rays of the morning sun in. The only thing missing was a clap of thunder and lightning to complete the overall picture. Nothing had changed since my last visit.
Arkham still enchants with its crazy atmosphere of absolute despair and hopelessness. Chic and glitter, as they say... Enough admiring the views, it's time to plunge into this madness headlong.
Today I came here to talk to Poison Ivy again. I don't know if I'll be able to convince her to trust me this time, or if I'll have to return empty-handed again.
At the entrance I ran into my bosom friend again... I have no idea what his name is, but I think it makes us even more related.
"Hello, buddy," I shouted to the stern guard. "How are you doing? Did you miss me? I certainly didn't!"
"I also pray that you don't die soon." said the man, whose left eye began to twitch involuntarily. "Show me your pass, documents, and a paper about your medical condition. In particular, about your mental illnesses."
"Hey, I'm completely healthy!"
"The fact that you don't know about your illnesses doesn't mean that they don't exist," the impudent mug snapped.
"Excuse me, can you fill in the gaps in my memory about where exactly it was stated that I needed to show something other than a pass?"
Real lightning started sparking between us.
"Your companion's pass," the guard turned his gaze towards my bodyguard.
"You didn't think that I would come to this place without any security, did you?"
During my last visit to this "wonderful" establishment, I was on edge. That's why I couldn't resist the pleasure of taking someone along for company. How lucky I am that I hired Bordeaux, now we'll be suffering here together. I'm sincerely glad that I'm not suffering alone.
"Of course, here's her pass, and mine too," I handed him the papers he needed so much.
"You can come in," concluded the guard, whose face became gloomier than the clouds over Arkham.
"Come on, why are you so serious? Better tell me, how do you like working here?"
"None of your ass's business," he said, his irritation level growing.
"I understand, you don't have to explain... It's clear from your face that you're a loser in life," I said in an unperturbed tone. " But that's beside the point. Listen, friend... Em, I forgot your name."
"Aaron Cale," the guard introduced himself.
"Yes, that's right Aaron. Meet my bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux. Sasha, this is my dear friend Aaron," I introduced the two people.
"Don't mind the fact that we constantly bicker, in fact, Aaron dotes on me."
"If it were up to me, I would turn him into fertilizer for Amadeus' tree," he pointed his thumb towards the huge sequoia growing right in front of the hospital building. "It was planted by the founder of this hospital, Amadeus Arkham. Rumor has it that it grows thanks to the unfortunate people buried right under its roots."
"A nice tree," Bordeaux commented with a mysterious grin.
"Oh, come on," I intervened. "Cale, I have a small favor to ask of you. Please help a friend out. We've been through so much teasing, discussions and bullying together... Peace?" I extended my hand in friendship.
"What do you want?" Aaron asked, ignoring my kind gesture.
"It's simple, could you…"
*******************************
The "customs control" was left behind, and here we are with Sasha inside the psychiatric hospital. Perhaps it's time to stop contemplating the bare walls and go look for the employees in white coats. Last time I didn't get to meet the head of this madhouse, and thank God, I didn't.
To be honest, I'm not at all eager to meet him. Why, you ask? Because I don't want to meet a psychopath who could be thrown into one of the cells here. I'm talking specifically about one of Gotham's most dangerous criminal figures – Hugo Strange.
It would be better if we never cross paths at all. Here's the right office, I think I'll find someone here who can arrange a meeting with the clinic's patients for me. Well, let's go in…
"Damn it… That feeling when you mention shit and the shit's behind the door," I whispered under my breath.
A bald man with bushy eyebrows, thick glasses and a thick beard was walking towards us. Like the other employees of this institution, he was wearing a white lab coat.
"May I ask you anything you would like?" The man spoke politely, with a proud posture. "I'm Hugo Strange, the head doctor and manager of Arkham Asylum."
"Nice to meet you, my name is Alex Reath," I returned the polite address.
"Oh yes, I was informed about you. This is not your first time here, is it? Unfortunately, I was absent last time and could not greet you."
"It's okay, I'm sure you had a good reason. I came today to meet some patients."
"The same as last time?" Hugo clarified, obviously having found out the details of my last visit.
"Allow me to ask why such an interest in these mentally ill people, Mr. Reath." Strange asked, clasping his hands behind his back. " Any man in your place would stay away from those who took them hostage. And it is not worth talking about the one who is able to subjugate any man to her will. But still, here you are."
"I do not like to follow the sheep's path. I have my own thoughts about my actions."
"Okay," said the head doctor, clearly dissatisfied with my answer. Ah, it's always , I was just counting on the fact that this two-faced figure might not be here, but here he is. Just like clockwork... Doctor Hugo Strange is a very ambiguous person. I can't even describe him clearly.
His plans are always chaotic and often unclear. He conducts various experiments on his patients. For what purposes exactly is not entirely clear. Perhaps he wants to find out all the intricacies of the human soul.
After all, where else is knowledge unknown to ordinary mortals buried, if not in the human soul. Knowledge is one goal that this schizophrenic with a doctorate tirelessly pursues.
Another goal is the Gotham Bat. As Hugo himself said: "Batman is the only man with enough imagination to sense the true nature of our plans." That is why he is so obsessed with them. I think the most accurate way to describe this character is with the words - a cunning, slippery bastard.
By the way, in the comics he is one of the few who was able to reveal the identity of the Dark Knight. Hmm, let's hope that here he hasn't figured it out yet.
"Mr. Reath, is it true that you want to let Poison Ivy leave the walls of the asylum?" the doctor asked as we walked to the ward of one of the patients.
"You are well informed. That's right, I hope I can help her realize her mistakes and improve."
"You're being very stupid to think ," Strange reproached me in a dark tone. "You don't realize the scale of the disaster that Ivy is capable of creating."
"I will take full responsibility for her future actions…"
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