Jason Todd

Jason Todd?

Miao Mu's eyes widened as he looked at the Jason before him. Hmm... wasn't this Batman's second Robin?

The Second Robin who had sold the Batmobile's tires for cash the first time he met Batman—Jason.

And among Batman's sidekicks, he seemed to have had it the worst.

He had traveled to the Middle East to find his birth mother, only to fall into Joker's trap and get beaten with a crowbar by Joker all night long.

When Batman arrived, Joker detonated a time bomb, setting the building ablaze, and Jason died there.

Later, he was resurrected by the Demon's Head, Ra's al Ghul, returned to Gotham, put on the Red Hood, and used killing to eradicate evil.

And for revenge, he captured Joker and beat him with a crowbar exactly the way Joker had beaten him.

He left Joker barely alive and waited for Batman to come, forcing Batman to choose: him or Joker.

Choose him, and kill Joker!

"Not killing" was Batman's unshakable final line, and it caused the two, who had been like father and son, to part ways forever.

The most interesting part was that when Joker heard Jason wanted Batman to kill him, he raised both hands in approval.

He had practically wanted to shove the gun into Batman's hand himself.

For the president of Batman's fan club, what could be better than watching Batman's steadfast bottom line be broken?

There was! That was... if the person Batman killed was Joker himself!

Batman's vow not to kill would be trampled, and Joker himself would become the first person Batman ever killed.

That excitement thrilled Joker even more than destroying the world!

But among the many parallel universes, the Batman of Earth-51 chose revenge because of Jason's death!

He slaughtered every criminal in the world and created a perfect world without villains. He himself became the last criminal on Earth, imprisoned alone in the Batcave.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. With his recollections ending there, Miao Mu rubbed his chin and looked curiously at this... wild second Robin.

Should he try to lure him in?

He might still be a kid, but within the Bat-family, Jason was definitely the one with the strongest combat ability.

He was also a firearms master. Once grown, his shooting skills could stand on the same level as Deadshot's.

"Hey, kid, want to roll with me? If I have a bite to eat, you'll have a share too."

"..."

"..."

Milo and Gordon, standing nearby, had no idea what expressions to make. That change of attitude had been a little too fast.

Milo especially had spent a day tagging along with Miao Mu, and every last bit of his heroic filter had been smashed to pieces. They were basically buddies now.

Gordon was only surprised for a moment, but remembering Miao Mu's background, he nodded with some emotion.

In his mind, Miao Mu must have heard about this child's background and been reminded of his own past. After all, Miao Mu was also an orphan who had clawed his way out of the slums.

Thinking about it that way, Miao Mu was actually a pretty good young man. Though he looked carefree and unruly, the justice in his heart couldn't be false. If he were one of those corrupt bastards who merely occupied a position and drew a salary—

There was no way he would rush to the front whenever trouble arose, much less risk his life amid bullets and gunfire. Besides, that carefree demeanor was just a bad habit formed in his youth. It wasn't a big problem.

Jason had no idea what the two of them were thinking. He merely stared blankly at Miao Mu. What had that phrase been?

If Miao Mu had a bite to eat, Jason would have a share too?

"I'm in!!!"

He might have been young, but his voice was anything but quiet. His shout even stopped the pounding music for a moment.

Miao Mu blinked in disbelief. Just like that... it worked?

What Miao Mu didn't know was that Jason had taken him for some big-shot gang boss, though... that wasn't too far off.

Given Gotham's cops-and-robbers situation, Miao Mu would at least qualify as the renowned top enforcer of a gang.

At least in Gotham, anyone with even slightly reliable information knew there was an incredibly fierce police officer in Arkham District.

He had led people in wiping out a squad of international mercenaries. That was an unprecedented feat in Gotham police history.

Even Loeb, one of the police department's big shots, had no choice but to grudgingly admit, "Detective Miao Mu deserves a great deal of credit."

"Two more drinks..." Miao Mu reached toward the bar for alcohol, then remembered Jason was still a child and changed his wording.

"Two glasses of milk, no sugar, please."

"Uh... okay." The waitress didn't know whether she should laugh or feel awkward. People coming to a bar for milk... such oddballs weren't unheard of. Last time, someone had even ordered coffee.

Before long, two glasses of milk were slid over. Miao Mu picked up one of them. "Cheers! Let's get properly acquainted. I'm Miao Mu."

"Miao Mu... Boss Miao Mu!" Jerry caught on quickly and immediately followed his lead, addressing him that way.

"Good grief, I thought you'd call me uncle. Even though I'm only... a lot older than you. I'm from the same generation as him."

Miao Mu pointed at Gordon beside him.

Gordon gave Jason a friendly smile. Jason nodded somewhat stiffly as he looked at him. He was a little afraid of Gordon—not of the man himself, but of how intimidating he looked whenever he put on a stern face.

And Gordon carried an air about him. How should he put it? Like a cop!

"Take it. Sit here."

Miao Mu handed the glass of milk to Jason, then patted the empty barstool beside him, telling him to sit down.

The two leaned against the bar and drank milk. Compared to everyone else drinking alcohol, those two white drinks looked especially bizarre.

"Right, what were we here for again?"

Gordon looked at the cheerleaders who had started dancing inside the octagonal cage and suddenly remembered—they hadn't come here to have fun!

"That's right! I forgot about that bald guy!"

Miao Mu slapped the table. He remembered as well.

At the same time, in a holding cell at the Arkham Police Department.

Hugo Strange crouched by the wall, clutching his bald head in both hands. His face twisted as he gritted his teeth and said, "Miao Mu! Just you wait!"

"La la la, I forgot the important business." Miao Mu smacked his forehead in frustration. With his blood rushing to his stomach after eating, he had forgotten something important.

Hugo Strange's situation still hadn't been investigated.

With that thought, Miao Mu quickly turned around and looked at the waitress standing behind the bar with her arms folded, a smile appearing on his face.

"Miss, have you seen a bald guy?"

The waitress gestured toward a nearby table with her eyes. "I wouldn't recommend saying those two words."

"Huh?"

Miao Mu and the others followed her gaze.

At a small table by the wall, a group of Russian skinheads were having a gathering. Each of them was downing a bottle of vodka, and one had a black inverted cross tattooed on his shaved head.

"I don't mean that kind of bald guy. I mean one who looks educated, refined, like... a scholar or professor."

Miao Mu described Strange based on his impression of him.

The waitress leaned on the bar with her arm, resting her cheek in her hand as she asked with a smile, "Why should I tell you?"

Miao Mu turned to look at her, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at the ample softness beneath her white shirt.

He puffed out his chest, making his already solid muscles look even more defined, and raised his eyebrows.

"What do you want? I'll give you anything."

"One hundred dollars." The waitress smiled and held out her hand.

Miao Mu looked at her hand and blinked. The confident smile on his face immediately turned into a pitiful pout.

"Can I pay with my body? I'm pretty confident in myself."