"Jason, Tim, Stephanie, the three of you will check the places Master stayed, one by one."
"Damian and I will infiltrate Wayne Tower and investigate."
With his seniority and abilities, Dick was qualified to take the leadership role.
In the multiverse, Dick had once succeeded Batman.
"Reporting in, I haven't even gotten in the car yet."
Wearing a Bat-suit, Allen naturally wanted to fit into the team.
After a brief thought, Dick suggested, "Go ask Joker. Master went out last night to hunt him down."
"So Batman eloped with Joker."
Allen looked suddenly enlightened, then clutched his chest in anguish. "Bruce would rather choose Joker than me. You've changed."
Shit, one more second here and the awkwardness would give him goosebumps.
The Five Robins turned and went about their respective tasks.
Watching every member of the Bat-Family get transportation provided by Master, Allen was so envious he felt ready to explode on the spot.
Nightwing drove a multifunction armored vehicle, with Damian in the passenger seat.
Tim and Stephanie rode together on a Bat-motorcycle.
Even Jason had a cool-looking off-road motorcycle.
Watching the Five Robins drive out of the Batcave, Allen stood alone in the breeze, completely disheveled.
"So jealous. I want one too."
Apparently, Bruce had not prepared any transportation for him.
Allen looked at Alfred, who was clearing the table, then sidled over with a sly grin. "Butler Batman, do you have any cars left? You don't want me walking on my own two legs, do you?"
Alfred paused what he was doing and answered candidly, "Master has many cars. I'll open the garage for you."
Alfred merely pressed a button on the console, and a platform rose from the water nearby.
On the platform, steel cables secured all kinds of vehicles.
"Wow, wow, wow..."
Allen ran a hand over the sleek Batmobile and said excitedly, "Knight Rider."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."
"Night Rider."
This was the joy of the rich—simple and unpretentious.
"What vehicle would you like to drive?" Alfred asked with impeccable seriousness. "I can unlock it electronically and install a paired electronic sensor in your glove, so you won't have to worry about it being stolen when you go out."
Allen pointed at a lightweight, foldable Electric Bicycle. "I want that one."
"..."
Alfred's expression froze as he asked in confusion, "Why?"
If he wasn't picking a car or motorcycle, why had he been shouting so excitedly?!
Allen twisted awkwardly, looking embarrassed. "I don't have a driver's license."
"..."
After a long while, Alfred managed to say, "You truly are law-abiding."
Inside a dark, abandoned tunnel.
Joker led his gang as they dragged in the man who had once been Gotham City's underground king.
"Joker, you're disrupting the order. Do you want to make enemies of everyone?" the bruised and battered mob boss threatened.
Joker raised a revolver to his forehead and smiled with terrifying savagery. "I am order."
Bang!
The gunshot echoed through the tunnel.
Joker put away his revolver and said coldly, "My order is chaos."
At that moment, white light approached from the distant tunnel.
Beep beep beep...
Before long, a horn blared.
The fully alert members of Joker's Gang held their guns and stared in disbelief at the person arriving before them.
Batman was riding an electric bike?
That was right. Allen had tracked him here.
Wandering around Gotham City and trying to find a hiding Joker was no easy task.
Bruce had Commissioner Gordon as an informant to provide clues, but Allen had clues of his own.
He had spent the enormous sum of five dollars to learn Joker's Gang's area of activity from a homeless man.
Although five dollars was a white-collar relief payment, it was all the money Allen had left. His heart had ached for ages afterward, making him even more determined to fight crime.
Whenever he caught a Joker Gang member, he would beat him without mercy. Thus, after beating up more than a hundred gang members, he had finally found the exact location.
"Joker, you've betrayed this city."
Allen walked up to the electric bike. Light shone from behind him, casting his tall, lean figure into silhouette.
The nightmare of criminals—Bat-Man had arrived.
His entrance alone truly intimidated Joker's Gang members. He really did look like the embodiment of terror.
"Hehehe..."
Joker answered with a manic laugh. He knew Batman had vanished, and the one before him was merely an impostor, not worth taking seriously at all.
"Hehehehe..."
Allen's laughter was even more chilling, far more horrifying by comparison.
"What are you laughing at?" Joker asked darkly.
"You laughed, so I laughed."
Who said superheroes could not use a villain's laugh? Allen simply liked laughing that way.
"Allen?"
"It's me."
So it was Fellow Patient paying him a visit. Joker could not help relaxing his guard as he asked, "Dressed like that, are you sick?"
"Do you have medicine?"
"..."
Joker took a deep breath. He felt the other man's condition was far too severe; they had reached the point where normal communication was impossible.
Then he raised a hand, signaling his men to open fire.
At once, gunfire and muzzle flashes intertwined in the tunnel.
When the gunfire finally ceased, Joker could not see Allen anywhere. At the same time, his men had collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
A cold sensation touched his neck, and a whisper sounded beside his ear. "Do you have medicine?"
Joker shuddered. From the corner of his eye, he saw Allen pressed against the side of his face.
Batman was sane, so Joker was naturally not afraid of him. But Allen was a genuine lunatic. Joker had no idea what he might do.
"What exactly do you want? I can give you money," Joker pleaded.
"How much?"
"Pah!" Allen's face suddenly turned solemn as he lowered his voice. "Don't even think about using money to tarnish my principles of justice."
"Then what do you want with me?"
Joker felt like crying in panic. He was truly afraid this lunatic's sense of justice would flare up and get him killed on the spot.
No matter how much he danced around in front of Batman, the premise was that Batman had a no-killing rule.
"Good question."
Allen snorted. "Where did you hide Batsy? He doesn't answer calls or reply to texts. Running away won't solve the problem."
"I don't know."
Joker immediately denied it. "I haven't seen him in a long time."
"So you won't talk?"
Click.
At some point, Allen had taken out a lighter and lit it in front of Joker. Licking his lips, he threatened, "I like that defiant look of yours. I hope you can keep it up. Hehehe..."
"What are you doing? Don't... don't!"
As the flame drew closer, Joker shouted in desperation.
Unfortunately, Allen remained unmoved and continued what he was doing.
A scorched smell drifted into his nostrils, and Joker hurriedly cried, "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
If he did not confess soon, all his green hair would burn away.
Allen stopped his scalp-burning torture and patiently waited for an answer.
"Not long ago, someone came to me and offered ten million for me to lure Batman to the space between the twelfth and thirteenth floors of Klin Building."
Click.
The moment Joker stopped speaking, Allen lit the lighter again.
"No, no, no..."
Joker continued, "The results of my investigation showed that person was a representative of Gotham City's wealthy, someone who had always done their dirty work."
Before long, Allen rode his Electric Bicycle out of the tunnel, thoroughly satisfied.
Meanwhile, Joker remained in the tunnel, weeping in utter despair. His signature green hair was gone, leaving only a layer of charred black scalp.
"I told you everything. Why did you still burn my hair? Why..."
Before you continue