The journey from the airport to Arkham Asylum hadn't taken long.
A few tens of minutes after ending the video call with Bruce Wayne, Ethan Hunter finally saw the legendary Arkham Asylum before him.
He had only ever seen it in comics and games. Now, seeing it in real life, he couldn't help but admit—it was far larger than he had imagined.
The aircraft could take off and land vertically, but it was still massive. Yet Arkham Asylum had enough open space for it to park directly outside.
As soon as they landed, Ethan frowned.
Was security really this lax? A facility of this size, only sparsely guarded?
This place was supposed to be second only to the Phantom Zone in terms of containment.
"Welcome, welcome. I'm Deputy Director Jack Lawson. Mr. Wayne has informed us of your arrival. You must be Agent Hunter, right?"
"Yes. Please lead the way. I want to take Harley Quinn immediately, to prevent any unexpected complications." Ethan shook the deputy's hand. "After all, she's tangled up with one of Gotham's most dangerous criminals."
"You're right. The Joker is the purest form of lunacy—no one knows what he'll do next."
The deputy led the way, sweating under the dim lights, giving a lengthy, almost comically detailed tour of Arkham. Ethan, meanwhile, tapped on his Bureau-issued personal terminal, checking in with headquarters as a Level-7 agent.
Due to Harley Quinn's extreme danger and unique status, her room was located deep within the facility. Even with the deputy leading the way, it took a long time to reach her cell.
A heavy iron door bore the nameplate: "Harley Quinn."
"No patrolling guards inside, huh? And for someone this dangerous, you didn't assign extra security?" Ethan asked.
"You wouldn't understand," Lawson said nervously. "This cell itself is the best security. If she could escape, no ordinary guard could stop her."
Ethan nodded but remained skeptical.
Harley Quinn already had the physique of a gymnast and the training of a Bureau reserve agent. After her descent into madness, she seemed to ignore physical limits entirely—as if she had unlocked some mythical genetic ceiling. Her combat ability had skyrocketed.
Old veterans in the Republic often said the insane are born strong—and there was truth to it.
Still… that didn't justify leaving a human bomb like her practically unguarded.
"And it's better not to bring weapons inside. If she got hold of one, it would be bad."
"We're only transferring a patient. Where would we get weapons?" Ethan patted the inside of his suit, brushing over the Magnum tucked beneath. Before his crossing, he'd only ever handled one in video games. Now, it would be his bedtime companion, hidden under the pillow.
"All right, just be careful."
The deputy moved to open the cell door. Made of an advanced alloy, it resembled a bank vault door. Gears whirred as it swung open, revealing Harley Quinn's room.
"…You treat high-risk patients like this?" Ethan's lips twitched, trying to hold back a snort.
This wasn't a cell. It was a girlish bedroom.
A bedroom overflowing with all things pink and plush, furnished with high-end custom furniture. Even a hyena wearing a princess dress lay snoring on a cushion.
Except for the inability to leave or communicate with the outside world, this was a perfect nest for a homebody.
Ethan exchanged a glance with Ada Wong. He'd already noticed the oddities of Arkham—sparse guards, barely functional security systems. Now the reality hit him. Whatever was going on here, it wasn't normal.
And soon, the situation would escalate.
Because not long after stepping into Arkham, his personal terminal buzzed…