This chapter took a while but between work and the holiday I didn't want to rush it and make the chapter worth the wait. But another chapter of the madhouse and Pyrrha feeling the pressure that working in such a place will bring. Will she be able to handle it? Will Batman learn anything from Pyrrha and will they stop all this madness? Well all but one of those questions will be answered so…here…we…go.

Also, shout out to Sai Kunai Blade for the challenge and for everyone supporting it. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer; Blachkeart0009 and I do not own Pyrrha from RWBY nor do I own Batman Arkham series. The closest is the games themselves but I don't think they count.

The Invincible Girl: Arkham Asylum

Chapter 3: To Escape the Madhouse

Pyrrha felt several emotions run through her as she stared at the locked steel doors separating them from Joker. She felt frustration at the fact the manic was still free and can hurt more innocent people. She felt ashamed that she let him get away when she had a chance and she felt a bit of dread of what more the clown would do. Even as she felt this Pyrrha couldn't help but wonder if this what her friends from team RWBY felt when Roman Torchwick escaped capture from them the first time and second.

Her eyes studied the door, wondering if she can use her semblance to get the door open so they can continue to chase Joker but dismissed it at once. Not only she wasn't sure she would be able to force the doors open with her semblance but even if she did neither she nor Batman had a way to follow with no pathway they can travel on. She was so focus she jerked when Batman placed a hand on her shoulder, his face seldom yet understanding. "It's okay, we'll get him soon enough."

Pyrrha sighed and unclenched her fist. "I know it's just…"

Batman nodded before he glanced at the fallen giant they just fought and studied it with his cowl to scan the body. Pyrrha followed his gaze and frown at the decease man, or rather what use to be a man. "We didn't…I mean, we couldn't have…"

Batman shook his head at the unfinished question, "no, whatever Joker did to him, his heart couldn't take the pressure and ruptured. Our fighting sped up the process, but he wouldn't have survived long anyways."

Pyrrha nodded, part of her relieved that she wasn't responsible for the man's death. Even if the man attacked them and was certainly a criminal that didn't mean she was willing to take his life so willingly. A groan got their attention and they turned to see a guard inside the lock security booth was slowly standing up. "Ahh, my head" he muttered to himself before standing up straight. He noticed them and made his way over to a large keypad, "quick, get in here before more of them come."

They walked into the booth after the security field dropped down. Batman walked to the guard to get information while Pyrrha checked the second guard who was slumped on the floor. "They came out of nowhere," the guard said to Batman. "I dragged Jerry in here and powered up the gate. Must have passed out."

"You saved your friend's life," Pyrrha said after seeing the newly named Jerry was alive as well.

"Joker went through that door," Batman said, pointing to said door, "What's on the other side?"

"We call it Extreme Isolation. Only way in is via the transport system."

This caused Pyrrha to frown. From the sounds of it Joker has nowhere else to go, so why did he want to trap himself in there. Either he knew another way out that no one else knows about or he has something planned there. Either way she has a bad feeling about this. If Batman shared her concerns he didn't show it but ordered the guard, "open it."

The guard nodded, "not a problem. I just need to call another cell."

The guard walked over to a console and started to type away. "Okay…something's wrong here. The main security loop is locked."

"Joker," Pyrrha guessed to which Batman nodded.

One of the computer monitors lit up and Joker peeked into view. "Having a little trouble up there?"

"Joker," Batman growled.

"You were maybe expecting Two-Face?" Joker joked, almost disappointingly at Batman.

This caused Pyrrha to blink. "Two…face?" She glanced at the guard who had a grimace on his face. The guard shook his head and muttered, "You don't want to know."

Batman ignored them as he had more pressing matters. "There's no escape Joker."

"Silly Bat!" Joker proclaimed happily. "I don't want to escape. I'm having way too much fun. I even have you and the kid here to keep a smile on my face."

"Not for long," Batman told him.

"Really?" Joker joked at him. "We'll see. Ta ta." And he started to walk off screen but took a step back to face them again. "Oh I forgot to say." He took the camera and turned it to face another monitor where a new video feed was playing. "Just in case you were planning on following me, I've arranged a little insurance. Gordon is on his way to Harley as we speak."

They watched as the feed showed the guard named Boles smack Gordon hard in the back of the head, knocking the man down. "Officer Boles," Batman growled at the betrayal while Pyrrha herself scowled at the fact one of the guards was working for the Joker the whole time.

Joker laughed at this, finding the whole thing funny. He turned back and pointed to them through the camera, "if I see either of you trying to follow me, he dies. Harley is looking forward to it. Maybe I'll film it and post it on the internet." With the warning done the screen faded out as Joker laughed at the idea.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth, appalled at the idea of filming someone's death and posting it for their own amusement. Batman looked as stern as well but even then, he knew what he and Pyrrha had to do. The guard was working on the console, "the transport system is down. But I can do is open the door you came in. Sorry."

"Don't be," Pyrrha told him, "we need to head back anyways."

Batman nodded, "we need to get back to the holding cells. Boles wasn't too smart, he'll have left a trail for us to follow."

They left as soon as the large metal door open. As they did Batman got a call from Oracle. "Batman, what's happening?"

"Joker's escaped" Batman informed her. "He's sealed himself off. He's got Commissioner Gordon."

While he felt Pyrrha was at least trustworthy with basic knowledge as well as hold her own enough to go with him, it didn't mean he was going to give any important information about his allies.

Oracle grimaced over the comm, "dad."

"Don't worry we're getting him back," Batman reassured her.

Oracle sighed, "okay I know but…"

"Oracle, I'm getting him back. Joker will not win. I won't let him." Batman said sternly and Pyrrha could tell he felt responsible for this. "We're starting where he was taken. A guard named Frank Boles attacked him. If we find Frank, we find Gordon."

"Bruce hurry please."

"I will, did you find anything of what I ask you?"

"Not yet, I'm still going through the League database."

Batman ended the call, glancing at Pyrrha but she was looking ahead, keeping back with him as they moved through the halls again. In one hall the row of monitors turned on to show Joker. "I bet you're wondering how I did it. Was it a clue the great detective miss?"

Here he laughed but that didn't make the heroes slow down, in fact they speed up. Joker went on with his story. "Oh, me and Frankie go way back. I got him out of a spot of…bother a few years ago. So when I need security codes or an old man to be clubbed to the ground, I know just the man to ask."

They turned the corner as Joker finished taunting his foe and cut off the feed. Batman knew they were nearly there but saw two inmates standing over two guards on the ground. They were laughing, not doubt amused at what they did. However, it seemed they didn't notice the pair yet which they used to their advantage. Batman met Pyrrha's eyes with a glance and nodded towards the inmate on the left. Pyrrha nodded and they both moved as one.

The two inmates didn't even see it coming. Pyrrha went low and did a sweeping kick to knock the left man to the ground, continuing with the momentum Pyrrha spun around at the man's level and slammed the face of the shield to his face, knocking him out. The second barely had time to react to his partner being attack when Batman caught the swinging arm by the wrist before he jabbed his elbow hard into the man's sternum. With the air knocked out of him the inmate didn't had time to counter before a second blow knocked him out like her partner. The two heroes left them there as they had a more pressing matter to deal with.

They walked through the security door and ended up back in the first control room for the holdings cell, right where they all started at in the first place. Once there, Batman went onto his comm, "Oracle, I'm at the holding cells. I'm setting up a crime scene."

"So what's the plan?" Oracle asked him, "Isolate something in that room unique to Boles?"

"Exactly," Batman agreed before he stepped into the room.

Pyrrha paused in the doorway, not entirely sure about the plan from the one-sided conversation. "What are we looking for?" she asked as she didn't want to stand around doing nothing.

"Anything left behind by Boles," Batman explained, using his cowl to scan parts of the room. "Something unique to him that will allow us to track him."

Pyrrha frowned and glanced around, not seeing anything different from the last time she was here though it was barely ten minutes, so she wasn't count herself an expert. "You sure he left something?"

"I do," Batman said as he spotted something on the ground near the corner by the consoles. "And here it is."

Pyrrha raised a brow and followed Batman to see a silver flask on the ground with a spilt content dripping out. From the smell she barely picked up she knew it was bourbon. "A flask?"

Batman nodded, standing up and adjusting his cowl's sensors. "Boles is known for drinking his bourbon, even while on the job."

Pyrrha frowned, clearly not please with someone with an important role with be drinking while on duty. But something came to her mind, "How will this be able to help us find Boles?"

Batman explained as finished adjusting his scanners. "I can follow traces of alcohol from Frank's Bourbon in the atmosphere."

This took Pyrrha by surprise, "You can do that?"

Batman nodded, his scanner showing the room in a purple tint where small wisps of alcohol became visible. "I got it" he said before calling to Oracle, "Oracle I've got a trail."

"That's great" came the reply. "You follow it. I'm grabbing every reference to Arkham I can find. Might be useful for later."

Batman walked out of the room, following the trail with Pyrrha right behind him. They pass through the heavy door once again and stepped over the incapacitated inmates. Batman led one, following the trail down the long hallway till they entered a processing lobby with a large desk, computer and files. Nothing to be found but a few Joker teeth chattering away on the floor, but they were quickly broken.

They barely give it much of a glance before they walked through a security door towards the elevators. Only one guard was visible, trying to work the control panel and call the elevator down. "What's wrong with this thing?" he muttered as they walked closer.

Pyrrha glanced at the guard who was still muttering as he worked, not even noticing them. Part of her was glad it was only them and not more inmate since it could be dangerous for him if it was. Batman ignored the guard as his scanners saw the traces of the alcohol where the elevator would be and then stopped. The guard finally noticed Batman and asked him, "How did Joker get free? What's going on?"

"Be quiet," Batman ordered as he scanned the area, looking up and guessed Boles took Gordon towards the surface via the elevator.

Then to everyone's surprise someone dropped down and landed on the counterweight for the elevator. Pyrrha recognized her from the short video before as Harley. The woman sat down on the counterweight and taunted them "uh, uh, uh, uh B-man! Mr. J doesn't want you following us just yet."

"And why's that?" Pyrrha asked her if nothing else to get some information or to distract her.

"You'll see," Harley said as she pulled a detonator out and pressed the button.

This cause the bomb placed on the top of the elevator to beep and then explode, causing the metal cage to be free and come crashing down. The pull on the cable cause the counterweight to rapidly shoot up, Harley riding up, laughing and cheering as if she was having fun. Both heroes realized what was happen and moved to protect the guard. They both pushed him down and jumped away. The elevator crashed hard, sending bits of metal flying.

Batman got up, showing a small rip in his cap and uniform. But he looked to the guard and Pyrrha concerned for their safety. Pyrrha herself knelt before the guard to cover him, her shield in front of her face and body which blocked most of the debris as well as holding her hand up next to the shield. She stood up, showing neither she nor the guard had a scratch on them. While part of him was relieved he found it odd they didn't have any sign of debris flying at them, not even Pyrrha who was defending the guard. Sure the shield protected her important head and torso but her expose legs should have a scratch on them. He narrowed his eyes slightly seeing a barely noticeable glow around Pyrrha's out stretch hand. It possibly could be a trick of the light but he doubted that.

"What the hell happen?" the guard asked with a groan, getting up from his fall.

"How did ya like that B-man?" Harley asked over the intercom system. "No way you're following us now. You're trapped down there with Mini Red till me and Mr. J are ready for yea."

"Harley destroyed the elevator," Pyrrha explained, "no doubt hoping it will slow us down."

"Commissioner Gordon was taken up to the surface using the elevator," Batman pointed out, starting to walk ahead. "If we want to follow them, we need to do it the old fashion way."

And with that Batman pulled out his grappling hook and connected the claw to one of the steal platforms where he pulled himself up. Pyrrha followed without a word, jumping up to a steel crossbeam before jumping once more to land behind Batman. The man took the lead climbing to a second platform before jumping across a gap and grabbed onto a ledge by what Pyrrha guess was a large vent. Pyrrha waited for him to climb to the side to make room before she followed after him. Batman found an opening large enough for them to climb up, crouching down and walked through an open vent.

"Hey Bats!" Joker called out over the speakers. "I know you can hear me. I got a little something for you to listen to."

"Kinda hard not to over the speakers," Pyrrha pointed out, unable to help herself. "He really does like to hear himself talk."

Batman nodded, pushing his foot against the grate and breaking it open. "He likes to toy with the minds of those around him, victim or ally it doesn't matter. He's trying to distract us."

"Harley and Frank are nearly out of the building with the old man. How are they going to get past all those guards? Let's have a listen, shall we?"

Pyrrha had a bad feeling about this, following Batman as he used his grappling hook to reach two higher levels. As they jumped across a gap something else came over the speakers. A male voice Pyrrha didn't recognize said, "Hey! Frank, where you been?"

Frank's voice came on next, "Joker's got more men on the way. They're coming around the front of the asylum. Gotta stop them getting in. Get over there!"

Pyrrha barely held a small gasped as she realized what was about to happen. She forced herself to keeping up with Batman as he climbed up to a new level before ducking under some expose vents. Over the speaker one of the other guards swore, "Damnit! C'mon, everyone! Cover the man entrance!"

"How many are there Boles?" A different guard asked. He then paused as he realized something, "wait, hang on. How the hell do you know what…"

But he was cut off by the sound of a faint gun shot over the speaker. Pyrrha gritted her teeth in anger, forcing herself once more to keep going and follow Batman as he held onto an expose ledge and shimmied across. Pyrrha couldn't believe what he did, betraying his comrade and then shooting them in the back. It got worst as the others realized what is happening. "Boles! Frank what are you doing!? No! Put that down!" Bang! Bang! "Frank! What the hell!" Bang!

"Quinn! It's clear! Get your ass in here" Frank said after he was done.

Harley could be heard now. "You're some piece of work, Frankie. A girl could fall for someone like you."

Pyrrha was taken aback from this as it sounded like it was flirting. She didn't comment on this as Batman held onto her before shooting them up several levels with his grappling hook. Joker clearly noticed and wasn't amused, "Stop flirting with the hired help Harley!"

"Don't worry sweetie," Harley assured him. "You know I only have eyes for you."

"I feel that is going on more then it should," Pyrrha muttered softly, crouching down to walk through a vent. Ahead of her, Batman made a small grunt in agreement. Throughout their climb as well as listening the whole ordeal, Batman was glancing back at the young girl to gage her reaction. To get a better feel for her character to see if everything so far was an act, and from what he has seen the reaction of horror and anger was genuine. That showed he can at least trust her to help stop Joker at least.

Joker was on the loud speakers again. "Did you hear that Bats? Sounds like Frankie is working out just fine. Another valuable employee for the organization."

"Despicable," Pyrrha all but spat out when they reached an opening and able to stand up. "How can he? He betrayed his comrades…killed them in cold blood."

Batman turned and placed a hand on her shoulder consolingly. She looked up into his visible eyes and saw not pity but understanding. "We can't save everyone," he stated sadly, and Pyrrha could tell he understood this very well. "No matter how hard we try, but we still try so anyways."

"I know," Pyrrha said, clenching her fist. "It's just…"

"We will stop Joker and Boles," Batman said firmly. "And they'll get justice for what they have done. We just need to get to them first."

Pyrrha nodded and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry."

Batman nodded, "I would be more concern if you didn't feel this way."

Pyrrha had a small smiled before she followed Batman once more, though the man paused before the next turn and Pyrrha looked to see why.

A large slab of stone was sticking out of the wall, giving the appearance of possible a grave or tomb marker. In the center was a carving of a stone scarab sticking out with a ring of writing around it, in a language Pyrrha didn't understand. "What is this?"

Batman scanned the stone as his computer deciphered the written message, "A inscription claiming to be from the spirt of Amadeus Arkham, the founder of this place. Apparently, these spirals were made to tell his story to those willing to find them."

"I see…" Pyrrha said, partially confused. "Seems like a strange place to put one if this spirit wished them to be found."

"It's not important right now," Batman said, turning and marching ahead, "we got work to do."

"Yes sir," Pyrrha agreed and followed quickly.

Luckily the end of the elevator shaft was just around the corner with a large open space for where the elevator would have sat. they however could hear someone say from the open space of the waiting room on the other side, "Those guards didn't put up much of a fight."

Pyrrha blinked before she realized that up ahead wasn't the Arkham guards. She turned to Batman who placed a finger to his lip to silence her. After that he pulled his grappling gun and pulled himself and Pyrrha across without making any noise. They grabbed onto the ledge and peeked over into the lobby. The body of several guards were on the floor and standing over one in a circle were five inmates, talking to each other. "Joker is right, this is easy."

Batman glanced at Pyrrha, "take care of them."

Pyrrha was taken aback, "I'm sorry?"

"I want to see how you can handle yourself on your own" Batman explained simply.

Pyrrha nodded and pulled herself up into the room, getting the attention of the inmates, before she pulled her weapons free. Still hidden Batman called Oracle, "Oracle I want you to record this."

"On it," came the reply. "So, this is her huh? Can she handle herself?"

"We're about to find out," Batman started his eyes firmly on Pyrrha, ready to study her fighting style and skill.

"Who the hell is that?" One inmate asked, causing the rest to turn and face her. None of them looked ready for a fight, not seeing Pyrrha as a threat.

"You lost little girl?" one taunts her with a chuckle.

"You can get hurt in the place like this," another added, all looking very amused.

Pyrrha didn't look threaten however. "Surrender now and I won't have to hurt any of you."

"Okay I don't feel bad anymore," one of the inmates said, his smile dropping into a scowl.

"Don't die as fast as these guys did sweet cheeks," another said, cracking his knuckles and then throwing a punch at her.

Pyrrha however lifted her shield and allowed his fist to catch the front. The metal gave a small clang as the man jumped back, holding his fist, "OW! What the hell!?"

Pyrrha didn't give him a chance to recover as she shifted her weapon into a spear and caught his legs, sending him to the floor. She didn't give him much thought as she moved to the rest of the inmates. Some were backing away at the sudden attack while others brought their fist up and tried to attack. Pyrrha twirled her spear on one hand, transforming it back into a short blade and went on the attack, meeting on attacking inmate head on. His attacked was countered before Pyrrha unleashed several slashes from her sword. The prisoner jerked and staggered at the rapid hits before he was knocked down by a kick to the chest. The other inmates were being cautious now as they moved to surround her. Pyrrha wasn't discouraged however as she spun around, twirling her sword around her head and neck as it extended into a spear. Some tried to back away at the sudden extra range and one staggered and fell on his behind. With more room Pyrrha used her momentum to spin and throw her shield like a disk. The shield smacked right into the face of one inmate, sending him to the floor and causing the shield to somehow bounce back towards Pyrrha. The warrior however ducked, allowing the shield to continue its momentum and smack the inmate trying to attack her from behind. This knocked him to the ground, the shield bouncing up allowing Pyrrha to rise up and catch it with ease. Pyrrha then jumped to one of the down inmates and smacked her weapon to the side of his head, knocking him out. Once done she lashed her leg out, catching one inmate trying to get back up. After he was tripped over she slammed her shield onto his chest, knocking the wind out of him as well as causing him to black out.

"Who the hell is she?" One inmate asked his buddy, getting slightly scared. "She fights like the Bat."

"I don't care," his friend grumbled angrily. "She's dead."

He charged at her with an angry roar, Pyrrha having her back to him as she landed a powerful hit with her weapon to an inmate's jaw, knocking him out. Pyrrha knew of her new attack and jabbed the pole end of her spear behind her, catching the charging man right in the solar plexus. He hunched over, grasping new injury before Pyrrha spun again and caught his face in a rising knee kick. His nose broke on impact, felling backwards and didn't get back up.

Pyrrha raise her gaze to her only remaining opponents, who was panicking and taking a step back. "Fuck this shit I'm out," he said aloud before he booked it towards a staircase. Pyrrha didn't give chase, instead flipped her weapon around and transformed it into a rifle. With quick aim she fired rapidly. Bam! Bam! Bam!

The three dust rounds struck the fleeing man in the back; but left no wounds, only sparks on impact and small burn like patterns on his shirt. The impact sent the man jerking, causing him to smack into the wall next to the stairs before dropping down out like a light.

When the fight first started Batman studied Pyrrha's moves, seeing effect of extensive training. Over his comm he heard Oracle whistle, "She's good. Can give what Dick and I use to do a run for our money. Probably would've been able to take us both on. Hell she could possibly give you a good workout."

Batman made a noise in agreement. Whatever she trained at it did wonders for the girl. From what little fighting style and techniques the Amazons use he could see herself holding her own with the best of them, second only to perhaps Diana who had god like powers. Still he felt better now that he didn't have to worry about the girl not being able to handle herself if things get worst.

Then the biggest surprise came when not only did Pyrrha weapon turned into a gun but also fired it. He had suspected the end of her weapon was a booster of some sort even if she has yet to use it but he never expected the weapon to become a fully armed rifle. He didn't have time to pull himself up when she fired at the remaining inmate, much to his horror. But before he could take Pyrrha down, his cowl and scanners found something that truly stunned him. The inmate was not only alive but unharmed because from bruising. "She shot him," Oracle started, just as stunned as he was.

"I know," he growled back, pulling himself up.

"…and he's not dead."

"I know."

"…How?"

"I'm about to find out" Batman stated, walking over to Pyrrha, determined to see if he should allow her to still fight or not.

Pyrrha smiled when she turned to see Batman walking towards her. "Well?" She asked him, knowing he was judging her.

Batman said nothing for a minute, before he held a hand out. It took a few seconds for Pyrrha to realize what he wanted before she placed her weapon in his hands, still in gun mode. Batman studied the weapon, his cowl scanning the material for more details. After a moment of studying he found the way to eject the ammo magazine and inspected it. His scanners went over the slightly glowing material in more detail once expose but even then, the combination of the elements used could not be identified. After a moment he glanced at her, wanting answers "what is this?"

"Hmm?" Pyrrha hummed, not expecting this before she replied, "oh…it's called Dust. I only have my standard cartages it seems but enough to last."

"Is it lethal to humans?" Batman asked, wanting to make sure to get all the information before passing judgment as well as before his bias against firearms clouds it.

Pyrrha took a minute to explain proper, seeing Batman was on edge with her weapon. "If ingested or injected into someone's body it can be very deadly, even standard dust. But most humans are naturally resilient to damage from Dust even without aura or armor. Allowing it to spread across their body with impact damage unless it has other element effects added to it."

Batman was quite before he handed her weapon back to her. "If it's not lethal then you can still use it. Just don't try and not use it so much" He order with an unspoken 'in front of me' to himself. He turned the magazine in his hand, "Do you mind if I keep this? I wish to study this Dust."

"Sure," agreed Pyrrha, as she reloaded her weapon.

Batman placed the Dust into an empty pouch of his belt. "Check the doors, I need to talk to Oracle."

Pyrrha nodded before walked off to check the two metal security doors. Once she left Batman turned and started to walk away to give him so distance, "What do you think?"

"Just by the scans shows unknown elements" Oracle explained. "If you bring that sample to the Batcave we should be able to run more heavy scans and test. I'm still surprise the inmate was practically unharmed."

"So am I," Batman admitted. "We're getting closer to your father's trail. I'll contact you once we do."

"Please do," Oracle asked softly, worry in her voice. "I'm nearly done with my search. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Batman nodded as Pyrrha walked back to him. "The doors are both locked but there's a vent near the door that I opened up."

Batman nodded, "good work. I'll take point."

Pyrrha agreed and followed the larger man as he crouched and entered the vent. They turned a corner and followed the vent until they passed another corner. As they did so they can hear the sound of gunshots and a scream. Someone pleading to someone, no doubt the shooter. "Please, I have a kid! You don't have to…"

Bam!

Pyrrha held her gasp as she heard the second shot and the man's scream. A second voice came next, "You're right, I don't have too. I just want to."

Pyrrha grits her teeth when she heard this, barely noticing that Batman was slowly pushing the vent open with barely any sound. She could hear the murder give order to no doubt others near him. "Okay, boss says no one gets pass here. Anything moves, shoot it!"

"You got it!" One of his buddies answered. "Anyone coming this way is dead."

Pyrrha crawled out of the vent, the side where they came out of allowed them to be out of view of the inmates. Pyrrha didn't even listen as Batman called Oracle to update her on the situation, her gaze was locked on the dead guard not far from her. She thought of how he was killed in cold blood, how his child would never have their father return home, how the man that killed him laughed and enjoyed doing it. Her clenched fist shook, and she felt her aura and semblance act up. Pyrrha saw the black outline of several metal object and shook ever so slightly from the pull. She stopped it but still felt the anger burn through her. If she was going to use her semblance, she decided, might as well use to to take down the treat.

With a determined look on her face Pyrrha marched pass Batman and into the open. The larger man finished speaking to Oracle and was about to tell his plan to Pyrrha when he saw she all but ran right pass him. "Pyrrha Wait!" He shouts, but she was already in view of the inmates.

The first inmate smirked darkly and lifted his shotgun up, "eat lead bi-hey!"

Before he had the chance to fire his weapon jerked out of his hands and landed on the ground by Pyrrha's feet before the girl tackled him with her shield in his gut before her knee slammed into his jaw. The other inmates quickly lifted their weapons to kill the girl, not caring their fellow inmate was in the way, but Pyrrha swiped her arm and their weapons jerked out of their hands. Pyrrha was already upon one before they had a chance to react, the staff of her spear catching one gut and lifted him in the air while Pyrrha threw her shield at the other. The shield knocked the other down as Pyrrha turned her body with the inmate still caught on her weapon, jerking him over her shoulder and slamming him into the ground hard enough to knock him out. Pyrrha stood up and caught her shield with ease, just as the inmate it had struck hit the ground. Said inmate was dazed with his vision spinning. When it started to clear he found Pyrrha's angry face over him before a solid kick to his face caused him to black out.

Pyrrha stood over the down prisoners, panting more out of anger rather then the sudden activity she just preformed. Batman himself stood, completely stunned at what he saw. Pyrrha not only did what he thought was a suicide charge but disarmed all three of them (somehow) attacked and took all three of them down in the span of a few seconds. It was done with such speed and skill he felt it could have been done by himself or any of his wards, former or current. But even as he could admire the skill he still marched over to her, ready to rip her a new one. With a hand he turned her around by her shoulder and demanded harshly, "what were you thinking? That was nothing short of suicide. You could have easily been killed."

Pyrrha took some deep breathes to control her breathing, breaking her gaze with Batman to look at the fallen guard. "They just killed him" she finally said turning her head back to Batman, her eyes burning with small tears starting to pool. "He begged and they still killed him. They enjoyed it and laughed when…"

Batman stared, his own eyes went a bit wider as he saw something else. Overlapping Pyrrha's form was a younger male wearing a mask and red uniform with a R patch over the left breast. Their eyes were the same with both the conviction, hurt and determination all mixed together. The male then changed to a slightly different form, different style hair and eyes but the same uniform before changing one more time. It took all Batman had not to let out a small gasp seeing his wards in the same moment Pyrrha was in. Dick, Jason, Tim, the boys he took under his wing, to be trained to also be defending of the Gotham. He lifted his hands and gently sets them on her shoulders, a soft hold in a form of comfort. Pyrrha herself seemed surprised by this and looked up into his eyes. They weren't the look of pity or anger as she expected but understanding. "It's not easy," he told her softly. "It hurts when you see this, and realize you weren't fast enough, that you weren't good enough."

Pyrrha said nothing, just nodded as the tears started to fall. Her thoughts went back to home, how she sent Jaune off for his own safety. How she faced Cinder on top of that tower, fighting her hardest only to end up dying. How many people were hurt when she failed, how many died because of her. Batman's next words made her look up, "But we can't stop. Because doing nothing hurts much, much worst then failing to do something."

Pyrrha felt these words were more personal, as if something he knew first hand. She couldn't help but smile, "and we don't stop. We will stop Joker and all the men he has hurting people."

This caused Batman to smirk, glad his partner for now has her spark back. Even if he barely knew he for a hour or so, he was confident she will at least help him end this madness. Now that the personal issue was dealt with, on to other pressing matters. Batman released Pyrrha and glanced down at the down criminals and how she manage to disarm them so fast when they had more then enough time to shoot her. "How did you disarm them?"

Pyrrha looked embarrassed but held up a hand, facing one of the guns. Batman saw her hand glowed a black light outlining it before the same could be seen for the gun. The weapon then lifted into the air and floating easily into Pyrrha's open hand. Pyrrha grabbed the weapon and the light faded, "it is my power. My semblance is polarity."

Batman studied her, thinking rapidly. While the wording of her power seemed strange, he focused on the power itself. He thought back and several clues started to click into place. When they were transferring Joker and he asked if his restraints felt tighter, he knew she had her hands. How Pyrrha was easily able to unlock the handcuffs and gather her weapons in the span of seconds when she wasn't attempting to do so beforehand. And the elevator crash, how she didn't have a scratch on her nor the guard she was protecting not to mention that glow was the same he saw before hand. "And interesting ability" he admitted. "I assume you have trained with it."

Pyrrha nodded, "I have excellent control over it, though I prefer to only make slight adjustments, so I don't have myself relay on it like a clutch. Though I can go all out and lift heavy metal objects if needed."

Batman nodded in approval. "Good, I've seen too many allies and enemies relay on their powers too much and they end up in worst positions for it." His eyes turned stern, "But you will not be doing that again. You were lucky that time but the next can leave you or others dead. You're going to have to learn how to use stealth."

Pyrrha did a small wince here, "stealth…isn't something I have trained in."

"Normally I would never teach in such a setting and conditions," Batman explained feeling he had no choice in the matter. "If you're going to assist me then you need to learn there will be times we can't go fighting head on." He activated his cowl and scanned around him before he found another armed inmate, already adjusting his cowl to identify which ones were armed or not. "There's an inmate armed, up ahead in a room by some stairs. I want you to take him out without you alerting him."

Pyrrha was quiet for a moment before she nodded and started to walk in the direction Batman had indicated. Batman followed her while also giving some more instructions. "You are not to make any sudden movement or sounds until you strike. Crouch down and walk in slow movements while using what you can for cover. Once you do strike you must disable him without making a sound. He is alone now, but there are times when he won't be and any unnecessary noise will alert his comrades."

Pyrrha took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she stood in front of Batman in front of the stairs Batman indicated before. She crouched down and slowly climbed up the stairs, trying not to make a sound.

Batman watched her climb up the stairs, backing up she couldn't hear him while also keeping an eye on her. He puts a finger by his come and called Oracle. "So what do you think?"

"A skilled fighter that uses her power as a minor tool rather then their main fighting style" Oracle summarized briefly. "If I still was Batgirl I might have been worried I would be replaced."

Batman had a small smirk at her joke, "did you find anything else?"

"I finished going through the League's database," Oracle started started to say before she paused.

This cause Batman to be weary, "and?"

"…Pyrrha doesn't exist."

"What?"

"There is nothing in the database, which has all the league's information on allies, villains and potential allies, enemies or persons of interest. I even check the police report and traffic cameras when she was picked up. Pyrrha Nikos might as well have popped out of no where."

Batman frowned at this, finding more to the mystery that was becoming Pyrrha Nikos. He wondered if she was perhaps an alien but then how did she end up in Gotham? He thought back to when he and Jim first asked where she came from. 'You would believe me if I said I had died?' Was her responds

Batman frowned on thought, thinking of an old enemy that was able to come back to life and wondered if it was something similar for her. He took a quick glance to see her completing objective and went to followed after her.

As Pyrrha climbed the stairs, she could hear her target talking to someone. "No problem boss. The boys are just finishing off. The Arkham chumps never stood a chance."

When she reach the top she paused before peeking around the corner to see the inmate in question, before three monitors with the Joker's face on them. "Good," the madman said through the speakers. "Our friendly neighborhood rodent and his spunky new sidekick are on their way. You need to set a trap. They must not leave this building."

Pyrrha paused seeing while the inmate has his back to her, Joker would not doubt see her coming. After waiting a few seconds she decided she couldn't disappoint Batman seeing as he was testing her and slowly crept out from the stairs, towards the inmate. She could see Joker had noticed her but didn't say a thing to warn his goon. In fact he sounded harsh when he demanded, "Do you understand me!?"

Pyrrha heard the man gulp before he replied, "…yes boss, the Bat and whoever is with him are as good as dead."

Pyrrha took her chance and lunged forward; wrapping her arms around his neck, kicking his legs out from under him, knocking his gun aside and pulled back. The man struggled for breath, his hands trying to either pull or smack her arms away. After a minute he passed out from the maneuver and Pyrrha lowered him to the ground before turning towards Joker. The clown chuckled in amusement. "Not bad kid. I see Bats is already starting to make you another one of his sidekicks. Personally I would have slit his throat with that weapon of yours."

"She's not you Joker," Batman said coming around the stairs after seeing Pyrrha did her silent takedown.

"Oh look who it is as well," Joker said with another chuckle. "Are your pointed ears burning? I suppose I'd warn my boys you two are on your way…" He paused in thought, "Hey…maybe I won't…it'll be a nice surprise."

And with that he turns the screens off after giving a nice laugh as he did do. Pyrrha frowned, staring at the blank screens. "Why wouldn't he let his men know?" She asked as Batman broke another set of teeth, "It would only make things harder for him wouldn't it."

"It's all a game to him," Batman replied evenly. "He knows his men will slow us down so he can do what he wants. We can't waste anymore time, lets go."

He walked over to the vent off to the side and pulled it off. Taking point turn Batman crouched inside and took the sharp turn in the vent before it incline up followed by a few more turns. Batman could hear Pyrrha was right behind him even as he tried to speed up as much as he could inside the vent.

"Ding ding ding dong," Joker said over the speaker mimicking a really signal for an announcement. "Arkham Asylum is how under new management. Here's a quick update on what's going on.

"Attention! We have some escape patients. Dresses like a bat, what an idiot. The other wearing a revealing armor like Wonder Bread. Both should be considered costumed and dangerous."

An inmate stood over to dead guards, cocking a gun ready for more action. Batman opened the vent without alerting him before he crept behind the man and caught him in a sleeper hold. A moment struggle and Batman lowered him to the floor.

"Personally, I think the best solution is to put them out of their misery. It's the only reliable cure."

Batman did a scan of the room before he took something from his belt. "Put this in your ear," he instructed, holding out a small commlink.

Pyrrha looked confused for a second before she did as instructed. "What is it?"

"A way to communication," Batman explained, getting his grappling hook. "We're going to have to split up to take everyone out safely. We can strategize even when we are apart."

He grappled up to a gargoyle and took a view of their targets. Seeing the nearest one he contacted Pyrrha, "There's an inmate on the catwalk with his back facing you. You can use the stair in front to sneak up on him. Take him out."

Pyrrha nodded even if she wasn't sure Batman could see it. she quietly climbed up, staying lower over the cover of the guard rails. She saw her target which was facing the front with his weapon drawn. Pyrrha turn the corner without him noticing and caught him in a sleeper hold, knocking the man out in a minute. "Good work," Batman said to her. "Now get on the roof of the scanner control office. You can use that as a tactical high ground."

Pyrrha did as she was instructed and jumped up onto the roof, seeing a cracked glass window view into the control room below her but the glass still supported her weight. Even so she stood on the solid stone part before glancing around to find Batman again. She turned to see Batman glided down and took out another inmate without making a sound. Just as easily as he came, he grappled back up as the Joker said over the loudspeakers. "Did you think it was going to be that easy Bat's? I've sent a few more of my boys your way. Let's see you and the kid handle these odds."

Pyrrha looked towards the front door where she and Batman first entered the building to see several more armed inmates come into the room. She also could see something but even as she squinted, she couldn't make it out. She could however hear one of them instruct the others. "Joker wants them found, spread out."

"He could be anywhere," of them said, an edge to his tone showing his freight.

"What about the girl?" another questioned, "boss said some lady was with him."

"She won't be a treat," the leader assured him with a scoff. "It's the Bat we need to take down. We can kill her afterwards."

Pyrrha couldn't help but have a small smirk come on her face. It was very rare that she was ever underestimated and honesty she wasn't complaining. She pressed a finger to the commlink and told Batman, "We have three more coming from the entrance."

"Good," Batman said as he confirmed with his own scan. "There's one heading towards the office, I'll take the one near me and then we can plan for the last one."

"Affirmative," Pyrrha replied as she watch one inmate climb the ladder onto the catwalk leading to the office. She found that the man wasn't looking up where she was visible before she allowed him to pass underneath her. Once he did so, she lowered herself down by the edge of the roof and landed with barely a sound.

Batman watched as Pyrrha drops down behind the inmate, knowing she had that one handled. With a glance he saw his target walking underneath his position on a gargoyle. Using his grapple, he flipped so he was hanging upside down in an almost ironic way like a bat. Once the man was right beneath him, Batman's cord loosens enough to reach the man before grabbing him in a swift motion that covered the man in his arms and cape. The man screamed as he was dragged up onto the gargoyle with the cord now around his ankle. "Help!" the man shouts in horror as Batman drops in, the cord allowing him to hang with ease.

The last inmate heard this and came running. Batman however swung to a different gargoyle before gliding down behind the man. he had no time to react as Batman caught him in a hold.

With the last man down, the speaker came alive again. "Oh those were the easy ones," Joker teased over the loud speaker. "I'm just playin' with ya. You'll see."

Batman glided down towards the entrance where he signaled Pyrrha. She quickly leapt from one of the catwalks and landed next to him. There they found several more dead bodies of guards and some joker teeth going. But in the front on a stretcher much like the one Joker was brought on, was Frank Boles himself, and he was dead. Chained to the stretcher, a painting of a body chained to his legs with words of 'Dead End' marked over it. Bole laid with a look of horror on his face, how, cheeks and jaw was covered in a green paint to match Joker's own twisted grin.

Pyrrha gasped, seeing the man in such a state while Batman scowled, "Joker must have figured out how I was tracking Gordon. Boles Must of out lived his usefulness to Joker."

Pyrrha grits her teeth, her anger at Joker increasing ever more. It took a moment to calm down before she asked Batman, the man breaking the set of teeth around them. "What do we do now?" she asked him.

Batman started towards the main scanner room when both their commlinks gave off a noise, irritating them before Batman did a quick check before finding a new voice was coming over their channels. "…Can you hear me Batman? I know you can."

"Umm," Pyrrha was confused at what was happening and Batman's scowl told her this shouldn't be happening. Batman starting to type away at his wrist computer to start a track on the transmission, all the while the man kept talking.

"Yes it is I, Edward Nigma. The Riddler and more importantly your intellectual superior."

"…I'm sorry?" Pyrrha couldn't help but ask aloud.

"My genius has allowed me to easily hack into your primitive communications. My goal is simple. You complete a series of amusing taxing challenges and, well, you'll see."

Batman said nothing as he finished the command, seeing the program would need time to break through Riddler's encryption. He wasn't planning on responding to the man right away since not getting the most attention aggravating. That is until Riddler's next words got his attention. "And don't think I don't see that new sidekick Batman. Training a new one unless you are accepting your inferior abilities and begged one of your friends borrow one of theirs. Considering her uniform, it is a reasonable conclusion."

Pyrrha still seemed to be the only one out of the loop and was starting to get frustrated. "What is going…"

But she was cut off by Riddler speaker over the commlinks. "Well my dear, if you wish to drag yourself with an inferior teacher like Batman then you should also be tested. I expect you to fail but I do believe I should give you the same treatment to your defeat."

Pyrrha blinked at this, not sure what to take from that other than the man's attempt at insulting her. "…I'm sorry?"

"Here's the first one. Don't CUT yourself on this SHARPLY observe portrait." Riddler asked her before adding. "And no helping Batman; you have to let other students try too."

"Help isn't really needed since the answer is the portrait of Warden Sharp," Pyrrha replied over the commlink so Riddler can hear her. She noticed the portrait when they checked out the area after regrouping and made the connection easily.

The man seemed amused said condescendingly. "Ah, so you did it! Well done. I'd expect a child half your age to figure it out, so thank goodness you were able to."

Pyrrha shrugged, suspecting that this man is able to see them through the building's security cameras somehow. "Well to be fair you did make it less difficult and challenging yourself."

"…excuse me?" he asked after a moment of silence, an angry edge to his tone.

Batman gain a small smirk as Pyrrha clarified for the man, which unknowingly made him angrier. "You put too much zealous on the words 'Cut' and 'Sharply'. If you wish them to be more of a challenge, then you shouldn't do things like that."

"…How dare you imply my riddle wasn't any sort of challenging! That a man of my genius isn't capable of such a thing! Someone of your intellect can't comprehend my riddles! You wish for a challenge? Well you'll see girl…you'll see."

And with that he cut off the connection, leaving a very confused Pyrrha, a feeling she been having for the past few minutes since this conversation started. "Who was that?" She finally asked Batman, if nothing else then to make sense of all of that.

"Edward Nashton." Batman explained. "Calls himself Edward Nigma, otherwise known as The Riddler. He pulls crimes with a series of elaborate traps and riddles. I usually have to solve them. He's obsessed with proving he's smarter than everyone and has a compulsive need for attention." Here he smirked, "and you really got under his skin with how you treated him."

"I see," Pyrrha said, thinking over the whole ordeal. "Do you think it would help if I said I was sorry?"

This caused Batman to chuckle, something his closet working associates would say is near impossible. "It wouldn't." He became serious as he looked back to Boles. "We need a new lead if we want to find Commissioner Gordon."

The heavy clanking of a door caught their attention, causing the two heroes to peer over the ledge to see a door on the ground floor open up, revealing a guard. The guard glanced around, seeing the knocked-out inmates before seeing them up top. "Batman! Over here!"

The heroes jumped down and followed the man through the door. They stood in a small side office with several lockers, and a security feed station. Another guard was slumped over by a desk, Pyrrha seeing the trail of blood showing he had already died when he friend dragged him into the room. Batman was talking to the guard to find out his story. "It was a massacre. Boles came walking in telling everyone to cover the front entrance. Said something about Joker's army coming through the main gate. Two of my guys moved to the exit and Frank shot 'me dead. They never stood a chance."

"Was Boles alone?" Batman asked him.

"Thought he was, then I saw Harley Quinn. She was surrounded by Blackgate prisoners. They were just killing everyone in the room." His voice shook for a second as he explained, "I had no choice! I got in here, locked the door. I could see them through the security feed. They had someone with them. It looked like the commissioner."

"No one blames you," Pyrrha said, though she knew there would be barely any comfort from her words.

"Boles is dead," Batman clarified for him. "They carried on without him. Must have outlived his usefulness."

"Good," the man spat out, "he was scum."

Pyrrha agreed even if she didn't wish for the man's death. Batman however knew they needed to get back to trying to find Gordon and walked pass the two to the second exit of the office. Pyrrha followed, though not before hearing the guard they left behind quietly saying apologizing to his dead friend. Pyrrha felt for the man and felt new determination to stop this madness.

The second exit lead to a door which Batman opened quickly and took point. He passed seeing a riddler trophy behind a grated section with no way to get it though Batman noticed the stone wall next to the grate looked weak and unstable. Putting it aside for now Batman marched down the corridor, pass expose pipes and fans until they entered a shower and locker room. It was empty but on one of the benches a radio was on and a special report was playing. "We apologize for this interruption to our regular broadcast. Jack Ryder is live from the Gotham Bay Area with some breaking news."

They heroes paused to hear if there was some possible new intel. "This is Jack Ryder with breaking news in the Gotham Bay. We got reports of an arm siege on Arkham Island. Two minutes ago, Joker broadcast to all new channels this chilling message."

Joker could then be heard over the radio, no doubt the message he sent. "Greetings Gotham. This is the voice of your new master. Oh, hang on…I've skipped a bit." He cleared his throat and started again. "Joker here! I'm on control of Arkham Island and you can all it out of bounds. If I see any lawmen, vigilantes or do gooders in tights coming this way, I'll start detonating random bombs around the city. What'll it be? A kindergarten? A hospital? A billionaire's mansion? Choices, choices, choices."

Pyrrha scowled at the message while Jack Ryder came back on the air. "All access to the island has been restricted, airspace is cut off and early reports that Batman himself is trapped on the island.

"We'll be right here, reporting live on any development. Back to the station."

"Thanks Jack, more as it happens."

"Nothing we don't already know," Pyrrha said to which Batman nodded. "You sure Joker really doesn't have any bombs in the city?"

Batman nodded, "It's all a decoy to keep others from stopping him from the outside."

He walked off again, searching for something. Pyrrha followed before she said, "They're wrong about one thing." This made Batman pause and look back at her. "Out of everyone on this island, you are the only one not trapped."

Batman smirk as he agreed. "Not for long."

Batman glanced around and found what he was looking for, which was a supply closet. Once inside he went over and pulled a grate for a vent and crawled inside, Pyrrha right behind. The younger member of the team once again mentally wondered why this place has such big vents as well as strange places where they can be accessed from.

Not for the last time.

After a short trip through the vent, Pyrrha was in disbelief where they ended up. It looked like a small cave with roots and vines growing around them, now feeling a breeze coming through it. 'Why is there a vent connecting to some sort of cave?' she asked mentally, too astonished to say it aloud.

She noticed Batman was moving and followed a short distance before seeing the man using a grappling hook to reach a higher ledge. After giving him some space, she jumped up there to a wider cave with an opening at the end where she can see the dark sky outside as well as the tower of a building. She followed Batman to the exit and stood next to him on a ledge overlooking a wide-open yard.

Pyrrha looked to see an old spooky looking mansion, a large building that looked like a garden, a small graveyard (which stunned and horrified Pyrrha at it being there and what it implies) and the building and lights of a city can be seen from across a water's edge. It was lightly raining, and the full moon shined brightly overhead, (another hint Pyrrha was no where on Remnant was the moon showing no sign it was broken.

Her breath was taken away at the sight before she realized what just happen. They both are free and onto the island.

Woo! Finally finished! Man I feel like this took way too long but this is one series I don't want to leave any details out. It makes it feel more fleshed out but I'm bias. We have Pyrrha go through some emotional moments and Batman learning more and more of Pyrrha. They even had a somewhat touching moment. Will be truly be able to trust her or will he find something he cannot allow. So tell me how badly I messed up and how much you all hated the chapter for taking too long. Remember; all Flames will all used to keep the inmates of Arkham warm at night so bring it on.