Bang!
The instant the shotgun fired and the muzzle flash flared, Merkel saw what was happening inside the manor. Every leaf on every plant began to sway and stretch, spreading toward him.
Realizing the gun was useless against the plants, Merkel did not panic. He grabbed the bag of powder he had just scattered and rapidly spread it across the ground around him.
He retreated toward the manor building while scattering the powder along the ground in his path. Once he had backed inside, another bang rang out as the shotgun struck the powder before the door. The sparks from the bullet ignited the chemicals specially made for burning, and flames surged up in an instant.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows and watching the garden blaze, Merkel let out a deep sigh. Then he walked into the hall, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello, Mr. Alfred? I have some very bad news. I just burned down my employer's entire garden..."
At Wayne Manor, Alfred set down Aisha, whom he had been holding in his other arm. Rubbing his forehead, he said, "Good heavens! You haven't called for so long that I thought you had finally become a competent butler!"
"I never expected you to prepare such a huge surprise... A reason? What possible reason could you have for burning down the grand garden of a manor?! The garden at Rodriguez Manor is famous even among Gotham's private estates, and you burned it down?!!!"
"All right, listen, Merkel. You are a butler—a butler, for now. If you still can't adapt to this profession, then I can only contact... What? The plants attacked first??"
Alfred raised his voice. "You haven't been drinking, have you? That is a serious violation of professional ethics! You cannot—"
"Argh!!!"
A scream came from the back