Batman Arkham City Part 8: Protocol 10 Initiated

In Part 8, Batman enters the back entrance of the Steel Mill to track down Harley Quinn and Joker. As he navigates through the facility, Oracle informs him that her father, Commissioner Gordon, has been summoned to City Hall under strange pretenses. She explains that Hugo Strange reported to the High Council about failing to control illegal weapons within Arkham City and suggested that a mass escape and assault on Gotham could be imminent. Batman continues through the Steel Mill and is nearly attacked by a frightened Dr. Stacy Baker, who warns him about Joker’s thugs planting mines in the next room. After calming her, Batman defeats the thugs and disarms the mines. He presses onward and comes across Harley Quinn, who has been tied up. She reveals she stole a gadget from Mr. Freeze and locked it in the Boiler Room. Batman reaches the room below the manager’s office and defeats the thugs inside. Following a trail of arrows, he finds Joker—who appears to be deathly ill but then suddenly reveals himself to be completely healthy. Batman fights Joker, Mr. Hammer, a Titan thug, and waves of henchmen. Though victorious, he is buried under falling debris. Joker moves in for the kill, but is stopped by the arrival of Talia al Ghul, who offers herself to Joker in exchange for Batman’s life. She promises him the secret to immortality and shows Batman she has placed a tracker on herself before leaving with Joker. Meanwhile, Catwoman and Poison Ivy continue their tense alliance. Ivy mentions that her plant is in Strange’s vault, and Catwoman offers to retrieve it in exchange for help getting inside. Though reluctant, Ivy agrees and uses her plants to create a passage to the vault through the sewers. Catwoman sneaks into the security room, steals three required key cards, and defeats the TYGER guards to gain access to the vault. Just as she begins collecting valuables, she sees Batman trapped under rubble via a security monitor. Despite the temptation, she decides to abandon the loot and rushes to save him. Catwoman finds Batman alive but injured. He thanks her, and she urges him to stop Protocol 10. Batman calls Oracle and instructs her to shut down Protocol 10, but she and Alfred persuade him to stop it before continuing to track Talia. Batman realizes one of the attack helicopters carries the master codes needed to reach the top of Wonder Tower. He locates the correct chopper, downloads the codes, and tells Oracle to keep tracking Talia’s signal. Batman arrives at the area where he was first processed upon entering Arkham City. There, he finds political prisoners being tortured by TYGER guards. He defeats the guards and is then taunted by Hugo Strange, who appears on-screen holding another prisoner hostage. Strange mocks Batman for failing to stop him, blaming him for everything. Strange orders reinforcements, but Batman defeats them and prepares to head underground in order to reach the elevator that will take him to the top of Wonder Tower. Side Missions: I went to the Boiler Room to retrieve the gadget that Harley Quinn stole from Mr. Freeze which was the Freeze Cluster which has the ability to freeze opponents' feet. Viewer questions: 1. How did you feel about Talia al Ghul offering herself to Joker to save Batman? Was it brave, reckless, or part of a bigger plan? 2. Would you have made the same choice as Catwoman—abandoning the vault loot to save Batman? Or would you have left with the treasure? 3. What are your thoughts on Hugo Strange's manipulative tactics and the launch of Protocol 10? Is he more dangerous than Joker at this point in the game?