Meanwhile, the battle on the other side of the battlefield was drawing to a close in the most brutal way.
The Batman Who Laughs moved like a ghost. He paid no attention to the blood-red longsword that Damian had knocked away. With Bruce Wayne's unparalleled fighting skills, he toyed with Damian at will.
"Pfft--"
The Nth Metal longsword was taken from him, and then he mercilessly pierced Damian's own abdomen.
Blood dripped down the blade, Damian's body stiffened, staring incredulously at the terrifying, white-painted grin that stretched to the ears.
"Sleep, Damian, my dear son." The Batman Who Laughs cradled Damian's chin, his scarlet lips almost touching his ear, whispering in a voice that sent Soul Stone down one's spine.
"When you wake up, you will be my Robin again... the best one."
call out--!
Just then, a sharp whooshing sound rang out.
An arrow, also made of Nth Metal, pierced through the polluted air and aimed precisely at the back of the Batman Who Laughs's head!
The Batman Who Laughs didn't even turn around; he simply raised his hand and grabbed the arrow, powerful enough to pierce a tank, firmly between his fingers.
He turned around and saw Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, kneeling on the rocks in the distance, holding a compound bow.
"Release Damian!" Oliver drew his bow again, the arrowhead aimed directly at the Batman Who Laughs's forehead. "Otherwise, I guarantee your head will explode next time!"
"Oh? Oliver, your boring little tricks are still so... unoriginal." The Batman Who Laughs let out a low chuckle, not letting go, but instead pulling the heavily injured Damian in front of him, using him as a human shield.
He grinned and mouthed a defiant gesture to Oliver: "Shoot."
Oliver's pupils suddenly contracted, and his fingers gripping the bow turned slightly white from the force.
Damn it! he cursed inwardly.
He had sworn to Bruce that he would take good care of this stubborn and difficult child. However, he broke his promise.
This was the second time Damian had suffered a major blow in front of him, and he was powerless to do anything about it.
Just as Oliver was caught in a dilemma, a resolute and ruthless glint flashed in Damian's eyes, who was being used as a shield.
He gritted his teeth and, with the last of his strength, thrust the long sword that was piercing his abdomen backward once more!
He intends to use his own body as a medium to send this Nth Metal longsword into the heart of the Batman Who Laughs!
However, the Batman Who Laughs reacted even faster than him.
Just as Damian unleashed his power, he had already taken a step back, narrowly avoiding the potentially fatal blow.
"What a ruthless heart, Damian." He looked with interest at the boy who had collapsed from exhaustion, his sickly smile growing even brighter. "Now I believe you will be my most outstanding... Robin Hounds."
Damian was panting heavily, unable to utter a single word.
The excruciating pain from his wound and the loss of blood made his vision blur. He had failed.
Not only did he fail to harm the enemy, but he also worsened his own injuries.
" Damian!" Oliver roared, but dared not make another move.
Swish!
Suddenly, a golden bolt of lightning flashed across the battlefield!
It was so fast that even the Batman Who Laughs' enhanced dynamic vision, enhanced by the darkness, could only barely catch a fleeting afterimage!
The next second, Damian had vanished from the Batman Who Laughs's grasp and reappeared a hundred meters away, held firmly in the arms of the Flash Barry Allen.
However, the Batman Who Laughs showed no surprise whatsoever.
He didn't even look at Damian who had been rescued, but instead leisurely looked at Barry, who had stopped, his mouth agape even wider.
" Barry... Barry... you never learn."
"Cough... cough cough!" Barry Allen was about to say something when a strange burning sensation welled up in his throat, followed by a violent cough.
He looked at the Batman Who Laughs with suspicion and uncertainty. "What... what did you do to me?"
"Just a trivial trick." The Batman Who Laughs spread his hands as if displaying a work of art. "An upgraded version of laughing gas and Fear Toxin, specially prepared for guests like you. What do you think? I think you'll really like this gift, won't you?"
After saying that, his figure seemed to blend into the shadows, slowly fading away and disappearing into the chaotic battlefield, leaving no trace.
" Barry! Damian!" Oliver rushed over and caught the two swaying men.
His heart sank to the bottom after just one glance.
An unnatural flush began to appear on both of their faces, their expressions shifting between pain, fear, and a bizarre ecstasy.
"I'm sorry... child..." Oliver reached out, his hand trembling as he stroked Damian's cold cheek, his voice filled with endless regret and self-reproach, "I couldn't... keep my promise to Bruce."
"Kill... kill me..." Damian clearly felt the terrible changes happening within his body. With his last shred of sanity, he gripped Oliver's arm tightly, his nails almost digging into the latter's armor. " Oliver... quick! I don't want... I don't want to become that monster's henchman!"
"Me too!" Barry on the other side also spoke with difficulty, his eyes filled with unprecedented fear.
He had seen it, he had witnessed firsthand the terror and despair of his other, evil self—the " The Red Death " fused with Bruce Wayne.
He couldn't let that happen, especially now that the tide of battle was turning; he absolutely couldn't bring devastating disaster upon his teammates.
" Oliver, please... while I'm still conscious..."
Oliver Quinn looked at his two comrades pleading in his arms and felt a sudden dizziness.
The bow he held was clearly light, but at that moment it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
How could he do such a thing?
One of these two men was the son of his close friend, and the other was his comrade-in-arms who fought alongside him!
Just as he was sinking into the abyss of despair, a familiar, deep, and hoarse voice rang out behind him.
" Oliver, hand Damian over to me."
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, instantly drowning out all the noise on the battlefield.
"Now it's our turn to fight back."
Oliver Quinn's body jolted, and he stiffly, inch by inch, turned his head around.
Behind him, three figures appeared out of nowhere.
The leader was wearing Bat-Armor he had never seen before. The armor was no longer a somber, pure black, but shimmered with a bright silver metallic sheen, and golden light, like that of a newly born star, flowed from the seams of the armor and the bat emblem.
Beside him, Superman Clark Kent had also changed into a suit of the same style, with the silver S emblem and golden energy patterns complementing each other, making him look like a true Sun god.
Beside them stood another tall figure, also dressed in a Bat-Armor. Although the style was slightly different, the silent yet powerful aura made Oliver momentarily think he was seeing another Bruce.
That was Batman had been missing for a long time.
He's back.
Oliver's lips trembled. He instantly realized something, and his voice changed. "You... you succeeded?"
Batman didn't answer; he simply stepped forward and took his blood-soaked, barely breathing son from Oliver's arms.
His movements were very gentle, as if he were holding a rare treasure.
"Yes." He glanced down at Damian, then looked up, his gaze passing over Oliver and landing on the Kryptonian beside him.
" Clark, the rest is up to you."
Superman Clark Kent nodded emphatically.
The next second, his figure transformed into a silver-gold afterimage and vanished from the battlefield in an instant.