"Could it be other students..."
"Students can't do that!" Little Bruce was very certain: "This requires an immense amount of power, magical power to be specific. Or more accurately, astonishing divine power!"
"Tap, tap, tap."
Footsteps echoed from behind the curtained wall, and the three children simultaneously turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
The secret door in the wall slowly swung open, and a figure in a black cloak appeared from behind the wall. Instinctively, Barry shouted, "Professor Rodriguez?!"
"No, it's not him!" Harley grasped Barry cautiously and pulled him back. The figure before them was tall and thin as Professor Shearer, but obviously wasn't the man she knew so well.
When the cloaked figure removed his hood, everyone was stunned. Simultaneously, Harley and Barry exclaimed his name.
"Roy?!"
"Is this your other pawn?" Shearer turned and asked Bruce.
Not feeling obliged to hide anything, Bruce nodded and said, "A few days ago, Roy approached me, saying he wanted to study some green lantern energy, to see if there was a way to alleviate Gotham's traffic problem."
Strange slightly furrowed his brow. Bruce noticed his reaction and continued, "That's all. As he suspected, most mages throughout the universe hold the belief that magic should be minimally involved in the daily life of the ordinary people. Magic is not intended to be exploited by the common folk."
"In some sense, that's correct," Constantine lit a cigar and inhaled deeply. "I can't think of any way that green lantern energy could help ease traffic congestion."
"Quite simply, a portal."
"God!" Constantine exclaimed, almost hurling out his cigar. He smirked at Bruce and said, "You gotta' be kidding me! Even mages don't have the luxury of using portals; he actually wants to use portals for cars?!"
"Which is why he's an ordinary person," Bruce nodded. "The minds of ordinary people are often filled with such peculiar ideas."
"It's not feasible." Strange shook his head, "Even in the cosmos where I'm from, where magic energy is abundant, it's still difficult to significantly incorporate it into public use. One reason is that this energy is ultimately limited and should be used where it's needed most. The other reason is it's too unstable, and ordinary people are too frail."
"But surely Gotham's inhabitants are an exception," Bruce sighed slightly. "They're the only creatures in the entire cosmos who couldn't care less about their vulnerability. They don't see the value in certain things and if such things could somehow make their life better, they would stop at nothing to obtain them."
"So you made a deal?" Shearer lightly tapped the cigar in his hand.
"Yes, we made a deal."
"Miss Harley, you should be clear about whom you, or rather, all of you, eventually stand with," Roy's gaze intensely fixed on the three kids, "Are you ready to dive into the world of magic once and for all? Are you ready to bear the future of the magic realm?"
"Regardless, this isn't why you're here trying to steal the Magic Stone!" Barry waved his fists in anger, glaring at Roy, "I agreed with you when you declared on TV that Gotham should be changed by Gothamites themselves!"
"That is precisely my intention." Roy walked forward a few steps to the other end of the magic array. Facing the three kids, he said, "You've witnessed how much Gotham has changed. The tourism industry could be the most crucial force reshaping the economy here. I have to solve the transportation issue before the music festival begins. I have no other choice."
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Little Bruce asked with knitted brows.
"Give me the Magic Stone." Roy shifted his gaze back to Little Bruce.
"Did you destroy the Magic Array?" asked Little Bruce.
"Yes, I did. I arrived here earlier than you all."
"But you shouldn't be able to do that."
With a smirk, Roy raised his chin and took one step forward, "Such a clever kid, just like your father. Bruce Wayne is your father, right?"
"He's not."
"So, it's Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne then."
"Don't mention my parents!"
"But that's exactly what they would have wanted." Roy advanced again, almost crossing over the Magic Array to stand before Little Bruce. He stared sternly into his blue eyes and said, "They strived their whole lives to transform Gotham, and now they're on the verge of success."
"Roy, you should cool down." Harley took out her shotgun from behind and aimed at Roy.
"Who should cool down?!" Roy turned around with a cold gaze and said to Harley, "All of you came to the inner world to build your fantasy Magic Kingdom, leaving the real Gotham to rise from the ashes. If that's the case, why can't I get what I want?"
"Mages? Ha." Roy gave a dismissive snort, "They haven't contributed anything to the world... Give me the Magic Stone!"
"You made a deal with an angel," Little Bruce looked at Roy's face with certainty.