𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡

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HE BRIEFLY REMEMBERED BLOOD. A lot of it. It was painful and cold as he felt the wet leaves while his father held him tightly. He shuddered as his open wounds received the cold air. When he opened his mouth, he felt the words "I'm sorry" almost reach towards the tip of his tongue before he closed his eyes.

Then he remembered the sounds of ambulance sirens and yelling as he was locked inside the van. There were people discussing something about danger and the Willowhill psychiatric hospital. He remembered his Hyde taking over for a brief moment before everything went back to black. 

But when he woke, the loud voices were replaced by whispers and the tapping of shoes on tile floors, much different than the shuffling he heard inside the vehicle. There was no breeze where he was, instead the temperature nearly felt artificial to him. When he inhaled, he could smell faintly the Clorox wipes used to wipe down whatever was around them.

He finally opened his eyes and looked down to see his arms were no longer across his chest, but strapped to the chair he was sitting on. Above him were a few people in lab coats carrying clipboards and talking amongst themselves. They stood behind a thick wall of glass and were too engrossed in conversation to notice him. 

Below were medical instruments, a few more people similar dressed to the others, and posters along the wall that he could barely interpret. In front of him seemed to be a podium and a panel of buttons, with gauges he couldn't read. Red and black lines. Flashing buttons. A lever. Was this some sort of operating room? Maybe they were going to turn him into Captain America, though it wasn't the strength and power he needed from that kind of transformation.

Someone changed his clothes for him. It would seem he was in a medical office, yet they did not dress him in a patient gown. His clothes rather normal, a simple T-shirt in jeans, but definitely not the outfit he came in with the last time he was conscious.

"Hi, Mr. White?" someone called out, walking toward him while reading over her notes. When she was a few feet away from him, she said, "Glad to see you're awake. Welcome to Arkham Asylum."

The girl, too, had a lab coat on, but looked oversized on her as the bottom of the coat reached her ankles. Her dark, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders while her eyes continued to bore into his. She seemed composed and professional, yet he could sense that she didn't quite belong, considering how young she looked. Was she even supposed to talk to him?

God, did she look so familiar. Perhaps at one point he saw her in Jericho. Or maybe she just had one of those familiar faces. Either way, he felt less than comfortable in his seat as she continued to stare expectantly.

When he raised an eyebrow and said nothing, she shook her head. "I'm kidding, I'm sorry. Bad joke. Didn't you read the pamphlet before coming here?" She broke into a grin.

"The what?" he said.

"The pamphlet. It's on the table right next to you." Then she saw the restraints. "Ah. Sorry about that; it's safety protocol."

He could feel blood rush to his ears as she moved closer to him. He balled his fists and clenched his teeth under her gaze, uncertain of what to do next. All he knew was that he had to get out of there soon.

"Welcome to Victoire, Tyler Galpin," she said softly. "I know the circumstances of your arrival were less than optimal... but the doctors made sure to stitch you up to speed up the healing process before you came out of anesthesia."

"Who are you guys?" he spat out. "Why am I here? I need to go home."

"I'm sorry," she muttered and stepped back. "I'm just the greeter when new patients come in. You've been admitted to our medical facilities, where we specialize in treating people like you. Well, not exactly like you, but those who may fall outside the range of normie standards."

He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Why here?"

"Sometimes the hospitals back where you're from aren't wholly equipped to treat them. And we're miles away from Jericho," she said. 

He averted his gaze and continued to inspect behind her further. It would explain the lab coats, where people must have been doctors or assistants. It was a large room that made both him and the girl feel quite small. But the one door he did see had a code. Maybe if he let his Hyde out he could break out of the room and trample over everyone before—

"The doctor will be with you in just a minute," she said with a smile. "Please remember: they're only here to help."

When she turned her back, he smirked. Idiot.

While he felt his arm transform, he saw she had not left the room yet. She was still by the door, struggling to input the code. She looked around his age, definitely not one of the medical professionals. Maybe killing her wouldn't be the most moral thing to do. 

Still, he needed to get out of there. He let his Hyde start to creep out of him, eyes darkening and arms growing twice the size. The restraint on his right arm begin to stretch until finally it burst open. He had begun to remove the restraints of his left arm when he heard her curse loudly pressing the buttons. He caught himself snorting in almost amusement. Or perhaps he simply felt bad. 

But before she could finish her fifth passcode attempt, the door swung wide open to reveal a tall woman with dark glasses and a similar clipboard with folders. Tyler changed back quickly and looked towards another part of the room.

"Hi, Doctor," she swallowed and pressed the clipboard close to her chest.

"That'll be all, Mari. Thank you for welcoming him," she said. Mari quickly scurried out of the room before he locked the door behind him. 

"Tyler Galpin," announced the doctor. "I suggest thinking of a proper plan before turning into your Hyde and killing my employer's daughter."

Perhaps the doctor saw him try to change. Oh well, he'd get his way soon enough. 

"Why am I here?" Tyler asked.

"To save you," the doctor replied calmly, "by whatever means to get there."

"Save me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, let's see." The doctor angled her glasses lower and opened up the folder. "Your truck was headed to Willowhill Psychiatric Hospital where they admitted your mother. But after months of pursuing you with careful study and obtaining your mother's and your medical files, we decided that you were a good candidate to receive excellent care.

"What the hell, how did you get my-"

"We're professionals in more than just medicine, dear boy. And may I just say... murder is not a good look on you."

"I was under the influence," Tyler said coolly, resorting to his more shy demeanor he used to get his way. Perhaps returning to the shy persona he'd previously displayed in front of everyone would be the best move for now while he plotted his escape. "I didn't know what I was doing because of-"

"Your master?" the doctor finished. "Perhaps so. But alas, it is you who has the Hyde. And we are here to help you get better."

"Get better," scoffed Tyler. "I'd rather have rotted away in Willowhill. At least I'd know my mother was there at one point, too."

"They don't have the proper resources to take care of you or tend to you as an outcast. We do, Tyler. The most they could probably do over there is subdue you with medicine. And then what? Your brain, your body, your soul would eat away until you have nothing left."

Tyler paused for a moment before asking, "Where's Laurel?"

"No updates since the incident at Jericho. That means you have no master, even though your Hyde is now awake. That makes you dangerous but also vulnerable. But that means we're in unexplored territory here and you have the potential for so much development here. Don't you want to become better than your actions?"

Get out of here, Tyler. Get out of here.

Above the two in the glass room, the girl was watching. The speakers inside echoed the words her father and Tyler uttered.

"What do you think, Dr. Dolon?" Mari asked the woman next to her. 

"He seems to display relatively strong control of his emotions right now. But that's only because we haven't gotten past the surface. If Dr. Kane presses him too much this early, we may have to bring a body bag into the room."

Mari began to scratch her arm, slowly at first then faster, holding her breath and feeling her heart race as she watched the doctor move closer to him. Her habit was relatively routine, though not until very recently did she continue the habit.

"It'll be better for you and for society in the long run to receive rehabilitation now instead of later, when it becomes more difficult to manage your situation. Hydes are very elusive and destructive when not in check with their own emotions," the lady informed.  

He ignored her, demanding, "Where's my dad?"

"He knows you're in good care. Tyler..." the doctor said calmly, "You can learn to face what traumatized you and let it direct your Hyde. We here have complete faith you can do that without tearing people's limbs apart."

Tyler furrowed his brows and looked up, mustering his best pitiful look. "I don't remember ever doing that. Please... I'm scared."

His words seemed to soften the doctor's expression. She cleared her throat, saying, "Why don't we take the weekend to give you a tour of what we offer here, the testimonials from previous patients and those currently in our care? You'll get a chance to see the improvements patients have made here over the last couple decades. Just a couple days."

He said nothing, instead looking down at his new shoes. Get out of here, Tyler. 

"Right. We'll get you settled in. Some assistants will help transfer you to your temporary room before you get to see the rest of the facility." She then noticed the broken restraint lying next to his wrist and added, "Try not to kill them, please." 

With that, the doctor exited the room, replaced by a group of adults in protective gear and restraints

"That means you have forty-eight hours to convince him," murmured the assistant behind Mari as she watched below. 

When Mari could finally feel the blood start to bloom from her scratches, she followed the assistant out of the room.