Ding-dong, ding-dong...
Allen politely rang the doorbell of Wayne Manor.
Alfred, Butler Batman, came to open the door and said gentlemanly, "Sir, the young masters and young ladies have been waiting for quite some time."
The moment Bruce returned home last night, he pulled up Allen's information from Arkham Asylum and specifically instructed Alfred not to neglect him.
However, judging from the records, Allen seemed to have appeared out of thin air in Arkham Asylum and had only existed recently. There were far too many inconsistencies.
Because they had known each other before, and Bruce felt that Allen harbored no ill intentions, he did not investigate further. More importantly, he had other matters demanding his attention.
"Alfred, this is my first time visiting. This is the gift I prepared."
Allen pulled a strawberry cake from his clothes. On the way here, he had casually farmed some mobs and picked up free supplies.
Alfred accepted the cake, whose box had already been crushed out of shape, with awkward but impeccable courtesy.
It had to be said that Wayne Manor was extraordinarily imposing. Its scale had been modeled after a Europa aristocratic castle.
Led by Alfred, they took the lift platform down into the Batcave.
At this moment, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Damian, and Batgirl were already waiting.
In truth, the Bat-Family had quite a few more members, but Bruce felt there was no need to summon everyone. After all, escaped criminals were not exactly a major incident.
Having been toyed with last night, Damian had no pleasant expression for Allen, especially when he remembered that hamburger kept warm in an armpit. The thought alone made his stomach churn.
"Everyone's here. Let's first analyze Master's route of movement."
Nightwing removed his mask, revealing a ruggedly handsome face. His real name was Dick Grayson, Bruce's legitimate adopted son.
However, once his wings had grown strong, he had joined the Teen Titans. Normally, he stayed in other cities, fighting evil and upholding justice.
In civilian life, Dick was a police officer. He had specifically taken annual leave to come help this time.
Dick skillfully worked the console and brought up Bruce's route from last night, using it to analyze useful clues.
"You guys carry on. Let me know if you find anything."
Allen knew absolutely nothing about encrypted computer equipment and wandered around the Batcave by himself.
Given Bruce's cautious nature, the electronic devices installed in his headquarters had certainly undergone special encryption. Even the keyboards differed in minute details, preventing outsiders from breaking in and stealing information.
"Starting at one thirty in the morning, Master's tracker coordinates made repeated stops between high-rises downtown, ranging from over half an hour to just over ten minutes. It looks like he found something important. Then the signal disappeared near the Wayne Group building..."
Dick organized the data into a complete route and ultimately pinpointed the suspicious location.
The problem was that the Wayne building belonged to Master himself. It was practically like being kidnapped in his own home.
'Justice League connection request...'
At that moment, a pop-up appeared on the screen.
Everyone exchanged looks, hesitating over whether to answer it. Normally, Bruce was the one who took these calls and attended the meetings.
"Answer it. There might be something important," Damian said.
With Master absent, his son had the right to make the decision.
The video connected, displaying several faces.
Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and other core Justice League members.
"Is Bruce not there?"
Clark looked doubtfully at the group of teenage heroes.
"My fath—"
"I'm here."
Just as Damian was about to explain, a deep response came from beside him.
The familiar Batman walked over to the seat, and Nightwing promptly stood up to give it to him.
"What do you need me for?"
Batman clasped his hands beneath his chin and asked about the meeting with a stern expression.
The Bat-Family members beside him quietly breathed sighs of relief. Master had suddenly returned safe and sound, and the weight in their hearts immediately lifted.
Since the Justice League meeting was underway, it was inconvenient for them to ask what had happened.
Clark briefly described the situation. "We detected unusual energy fluctuations in the Southern Hemisphere. A shielding magnetic field has formed in the Akhenia region, and we're preparing to gather and investigate."
"Sorry, I can't make it."
"Why?" Clark asked with a slight frown.
"I'm feeling a little unwell. Men have a few days every month when they're not feeling well."
In an instant, the corners of the mouths of everyone in both the Justice League and the Bat-Family twitched uncontrollably.
What the hell did a grown man have to feel unwell about?
Wait, he wasn't Master.
Dick suddenly looked around and realized that Allen was nowhere to be seen.
His gaze shifted to the person in the seat, and he immediately understood that Allen was impersonating him. One suit of armor was also missing from the equipment corner.
Dick leaned closer and covered for him. "Criminals from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison escaped. We're tied up in Gotham City for the moment. Master inhaled poison gas while pursuing Joker, and his mind hasn't returned to normal yet."
It was a forced explanation, but the Justice League members had no time to verify it.
Batman was, after all, only an ordinary man. He relied on equipment to withstand blades and bullets, so getting caught off guard by poison gas was entirely possible.
"Rest well, then. You don't need to participate in this operation."
The Justice League members disconnected one by one, leaving only Green Arrow's video link active.
"You're not Bruce."
Oliver and Bruce were friends who had faced life and death together. They had trained together in The League of Assassins, plotted together to chase a pair of sisters, and shared the kind of bond where they could stand back-to-back.
"Green Arrow, I will not admit that I'm Allen."
Allen folded his arms, wearing a smug and punchable grin.
"Allen?"
Oliver pulled back his green hood and said in shock, "You're not dead? That's great. I've been using every connection I had to look for you for over ten years."
"Why were you looking for me?"
Allen asked warily, "It's not like I owed you money."
"..."
That was right. It was that missing man.
That utterly incurable mental state felt exactly right.
"Where's Bruce?"
Oliver rationally avoided being dragged into Allen's rhythm and asked the key question.
"Now that you mention it, I'm pissed."
Allen said indignantly, "He ran off with Catwoman behind my back and even left behind five deadweights. Tell me, isn't that infuriating?"
"..."
Did he even hear what he was saying?
Batman had run off with Catwoman.
And behind his back?!
Nightwing could not bear to watch any longer and explained what had happened.
Oliver neither confirmed nor denied it. He could not spare the time to help search for Bruce; he had an incident concerning an entire region to resolve, with the lives of tens or even hundreds of thousands at stake. Besides, the Bat-Family was already on the case, so there was no need for him to step in personally for now.
The video call ended.
The five of them glared furiously at him in unison.
Batgirl Stephanie said angrily, "So we're deadweights now, huh?"
"Oh, darlings, you're all Daddy's precious babies. How could Daddy ever dislike you?"
Seeing Allen's shameless grin, with his gums showing, The Five Robins could no longer endure it. They all drew their weapons and began beating him up.
'Avengers connection request...'
Just as chaos was about to break out, another notification popped up on the screen.
The scene instantly returned to calm.
In recent years, superhero teams had sprung up around the world. Among them, the Justice League and Avengers were undoubtedly the most prominent. Friction and cooperation between the two were inevitable, though they regarded one another merely as rivals, not enemies.
The moment the connection went through—
Captain America appeared on the screen.
"Batman, I heard you guys are in trouble. Need us to come in as reinforcements?" Steve asked.
Allen froze, then immediately stood up and fired back. "Old man with the perky ass, who are you calling a sissy? I'll untie Diao Chan from my waist and give you a set of Five Consecutive Lightning Whips."
As he spoke, Allen began undoing his tactical belt, preparing to unleash The Wrath of the Serpent.
The Five Robins hurried forward to stop him.
That would never pass review.
The call connection was cut off.
Meanwhile, at Avengers Tower, Steve's eyes widened as if he had seen something terrifying.
Tony, who was adjusting his armored gauntlet, asked in confusion, "What's wrong, buddy? You look scared stiff."
"Tony, I saw your uncle."
Clang!
The next second, Tony dropped his screwdriver in shock.
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