NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: **Chapter 11: The Arkham Gambit**
Chapter 11: The Arkham Gambit
The dimly lit corridors of Arkham Asylum stretched before Ethan and Batman like a twisted labyrinth of nightmares. The distant, bone-chilling laughter of the Joker reverberated through the facility, intermingled with the distant echoes of prisoners raving in the dark.
"We're walking into a trap," Ethan muttered, his grip tightening around his weapon. "You know that, right?"
Batman's eyes remained fixed ahead. "We don't have a choice. Whatever Cipher and the Joker are planning, it starts here."
Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing the uneasy feeling twisting in his gut. He had fought in brutal battles before, but Arkham had an aura of madness that set it apart from anything he had ever faced. This wasn't just an enemy stronghold—it was a living nightmare.
Moving deeper into the asylum, the two navigated through broken security gates and flickering emergency lights. The power grid was unstable, and the security systems were either fried or repurposed for something sinister.
"Joker's definitely had time to play decorator," Ethan muttered, eyeing the crudely drawn smiley faces painted in blood along the walls.
As they neared the central wing, the facility suddenly locked down. Massive steel doors slammed shut behind them, trapping them in a long hallway lined with reinforced observation rooms. A voice crackled through the asylum's PA system.
"Gentlemen, welcome! So glad you could join the party!" Joker's voice rang out with manic delight. "I've prepared a little… entertainment for you."
With a loud buzz, the observation room doors slid open one by one, releasing a flood of violent, drugged-up inmates. Some wore tattered straitjackets, others had crude weapons fashioned from cafeteria trays and metal piping.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He fused a shock baton with a pair of brass knuckles, sending electric arcs dancing across his knuckles. "Alright, let's dance."
The first wave of inmates rushed forward, shrieking like rabid animals. Ethan met them head-on, weaving through their attacks with precision. His punches sent shockwaves through their bodies, knocking them unconscious in an instant. Beside him, Batman moved like a shadow, countering attacks with brutal efficiency.
Joker's laughter continued to echo overhead. "Oh, you boys are so much fun! But let's raise the stakes, shall we?"
A reinforced door at the end of the hall slid open, and a massive figure stepped out—Bane.
Ethan barely had a second to react before Bane charged like a freight train. He dove to the side as the monstrous enforcer crashed through the hallway, sending debris flying.
"Of course he's here," Ethan growled, rolling to his feet.
Bane cracked his knuckles, his venom tubes pulsating. "You are not prepared for this fight, niño."
Batman barely dodged Bane's next swing, countering with a precision strike to his pressure points. Ethan seized the opportunity, fusing a flashbang with a sonic emitter and hurling it at Bane's face.
The resulting explosion of light and sound sent Bane stumbling backward, roaring in pain. Ethan lunged, delivering a brutal strike to Bane's ribs, feeling the impact reverberate up his arm.
Bane recovered too quickly, grabbing Ethan by the throat and lifting him off the ground. "You are strong," Bane admitted. "But strength alone is not enough."
Before he could crush Ethan's windpipe, Batman struck with a well-placed batarang to Bane's venom supply. The tubes ruptured, sending the massive brute into a momentary frenzy as his strength fluctuated wildly.
Ethan used the distraction to break free, slamming both fists into Bane's skull with a fused impact gauntlet. The blow was enough to send the titan crashing through the weakened floor, disappearing into the depths of Arkham.
Breathing heavily, Ethan turned to Batman. "Please tell me that was the hardest thing we'll face tonight."
Batman's expression darkened. "It's only the beginning."
Pushing forward, they followed the trail of Cipher's operations deep into the asylum. Each room revealed more horrors—failed experiments, mutilated inmates, and cryptic notes scribbled in blood. The deeper they went, the more it became clear that Cipher wasn't just funding Joker for chaos.
He was searching for something.
A final security door stood before them, its rusted frame barely holding together. Beyond it, they could hear Cipher's voice in conversation with Joker.
Batman glanced at Ethan. "We go in fast and hard. No time for hesitation."
Ethan nodded. "Let's end this."
Together, they burst through the door—straight into the heart of Cipher's grand plan.