The atmosphere in the Batcave was somewhat serious.
All the Robins stood in a line, with Batman pacing in front of them, all eyes rolling with Batman's steps. Some even looked at each other, raising their eyebrows and betting on when Batman would stop.
Batman's sharp, sword-like gaze rested upon Red Hood, who straightened up slightly, but still maintained a casual demeanour.
Then his gaze swept over Nightwing and Red Robin, as well as the smaller Robin beside them.
"I want to know what's going on."
Behind Batman, a photo of war-torn New City appeared on the big screen. There was even a scene of Red Hood flying past the sky in the Batplane.
"You didn't lock the Batplane!" Red Hood seized the opportunity and immediately raised his voice. Then he shut up under Batman's murderous gaze.
"The situation is a bit complicated…" said Nightwing.
"...Very complicated." said Dick.
"But it's not that serious!" said Red Hood.
"…Not serious." Jason added.
"Actually, it's easy to explain." said Red Robin.
"Quite easy...?" Tim looked at Red Robin.
Batman's serious gaze fell on him, conveying a message of "dare to bluff."
"Ahem…" Red Robin cleared his throat, looked away, and rolled his eyes.
"It's the lunatics from Arkham!"
"Clap clap clap clap clap clap", there was a round of applause in the Batcave. Red Hood and Jason high-fived, Nightwing and Dick shook hands, and Red Robin and Tim nodded to each other.
Batman squinted his eyes.
"That's what happened." Red Robin spread his hands and shrugged. "If you don't believe it, go check out Arkham Asylum. Everyone there has escaped."
"You didn't lock up Arkham Asylum either!" Red Hood again raised his voice, then shut up under Batman's gaze.
Everyone could tell that Batman was not in a good mood, but they weren't worried because they had a last resort — calling Mr. and Mrs. Wayne.
"Oh!" Red Robin suddenly shouted, even startling Batman.
He turned towards Dick and said, "Dick, have you done your French homework? Thomas will be home at five o'clock!"
Dick was just about to respond, but was elbowed by Jason. His tongue immediately curled and he had a sudden realization, "Oh- I have to go do my homework!"
Upon finishing, Dick turned around and ran, Batman tried to call him back but was met with Alfred's murderous stare.
"I haven't finished my homework either!" Jason followed, pushing Dick's back, and the two ran out of the Batcave.
"I have a book club to attend at four o'clock." Tim suggested diplomatically, "Today's theme is The Sherlock Holmes Detective Collection, I'm quite interested…"
Batman waved his hand, and Tim also ran out.
"Um… I… I also have French homework." Nightwing drawled.
"How do you say ballet in French?" Batman asked.
"Oh-" Nightwing let out a helpless sigh and dropped his arms.
"Er...me too..." Red Robin ventured.
"What's Holmes' first name?"
"...John?"
Batman gave him a look of disapproval.
"Well, that novel is too absurd, the greatest detective actually falls off a cliff! So stupid!" Red Robin lamented, then he added, "Even though you and the Joker are always jumping off cliffs together, almost every day…"
Nightwing saw Batman's growing displeasure and tugged at Red Robin's arm to make him stop talking.
"Speaking of the Joker…" Red Robin's gaze went around again, and he changed the subject: "He should be the main force causing the chaos, right? Why not ask him?"
Batman's eyebrows slightly furrowed.
He knew despite the three troublemakers in front of him being eager to get out and make trouble, not too eager to plunge headfirst into the mess below, spinning around three hundred times, but Red Robin was making sense.
Upon returning to Gotham, Batman immediately checked the situation at Arkham Asylum. All the inmates had escaped.
Nobody would believe that they had no connection with the war below, and Batman could even imagine how they were causing chaos somewhere, plotting to destroy the massive New City.
Especially the Joker.
Batman thought, it was not surprising for other madmen to commit several atrocities, but only the Joker, the source of chaos, could manage to make an entire city fall into chaos in such a short time.
Batman snapped back to reality, speaking to the group, "Keep an eye on Damian, stay here and wait for my return."
He knew they wouldn't obediently comply, but his words were meant for Alfred standing in the doorway, not them.
Sure enough, as Batman turned to leave, he heard Alfred block the three individuals behind him and earnestly suggest they finish their biscuits and sip some hot red tea while waiting for Thomas and Martha to return home.
Ignoring the wailing from behind him, Batman swished his cape and exited the door.
He had a hunch that all of this was caused by the epic battle he had instigated between another Batman and the Joker. Hence, he had to go find these two and figure out a way to turn the tide.
Reaching the Batplane hangar, Batman embarked on the jet, which swiftly soared into the skyline of New City like a falling leaf.
With the help of his tracking system on the Batplane, Batman located the Joker swiftly - who was on the run from someone.
Batman immediately pursued him, eventually finding the Joker leaning against a wall, panting heavily at the end of a destroyed street.
As the Batplane touched down, Batman moved cautiously towards the Joker. He was aware of the fact that what he saw where Joker was involved might not be the reality. Everything he saw could have been orchestrated by the Joker, his seemingly weakened state included.
Heart rate, breathing frequency, the extent of body tremors - nothing was off. But this was the Joker, Batman thought.
"Batman?!"
The Joker's peripheral vision caught Batman silently approaching. The moment the Joker cried out in surprise, Batman charged, catapulting himself in his direction.
It was a classic Batman-style "inquiry". The Joker was usually subdued first, beaten to a pulp, and then questioned.
The Joker turned to flee.
"Stop! Joker! You destroyed this city!!"
"Open your eyes. Am I the one who destroyed the city?!!" The Joker yelled back amidst his frantic run, "My house has been bombed! My hostages escaped! I've been chased three blocks by a squad of agents! And I've taken six rocket shells!!!"
"No excuses! Joker!" Batman was resolute.
In his agile form, Batman darted amidst the city's ruins, and the Joker was just a fraction away.
>The Joker, not much of a runner, was exhausted, still healing from his wounds, and slipped, landing on a pile of debris.
But contrary to Batman's expectations, he didn't scramble up to continue the escape. Joker merely stiffened for a moment, relaxed completely, and sighed deeply right there where he had landed.
Some ten minutes later, Joker, hands gripping the bars in the special intensive care unit of Arkham Asylum in New City, sported a big smile at Batman.
"You fool. I seldom use the word 'stupid' to describe you, Batman, but you've indeed made a ridiculously foolish decision this time! I am not destroying this city, but saving it!! I'm trying to save both you and me!!"
Batman paid him no mind, standing half a meter away from the cell door. He merely stared coldly at Joker and asked, "Tell me what has happened in this city."
"There's no need to ask me, there really isn't." The Joker shook his head, stepped back and shrugged in his narrow cell. "Because I have bloody nothing to do with all of this!"
"Then how did the city become like this?"
"I've said it twice. You should not have come to ask me." The Joker turned and sat on the narrow bed. "Oh, great detective, I must tell you, you will return because if you go and investigate the city, all the signs will tell you that all of this has something to do with my plans – a chain reaction leading to the current situation."
"But if you take this as a conclusion, then you're really a complete fool." The Joker showed his teeth, but it wasn't a smile, making him appear particularly ferocious. "You'd better give it all you've got, Batman. Our opponents this time are extraordinary. You'll come looking for me."
No matter what Batman said afterwards, Joker only remained silent. Clearly, Batman couldn't get Joker's words out of his head, so he almost immediately returned to the Batcave to get ready and start his investigation.
Sky City Gotham appeared only after the merger of the two cities, but Batman had a method to acquire all the clues from the moment the cities merged till now.
When did the chaos begin?
Broadly speaking, definitely from that moment the two cities merged. Although most people seemed quite unperturbed, the essential conflicts of interest allowed turbulent undercurrents to rampage beneath the calm surface, eventually leading to the surging waves at present.
Batman divided the time from the city merger to the present into three periods: the early stages of the merger, the Cold War period, and the Hot War period.
Next, he started to analyse all the clues from these three periods, looking to find the crucial matter that led to the current situation.
In the initial stages of the merger, all parties were divided into two camps, the Gotham Division and the New York Division. These parties were mostly fighting over the apex position of the metaphorical pyramid after the merger of the cities. All the conflicts erupted over the issue of who would be the boss.
The conflicts during this period were mainly among the upper class. These people were the ones most in need of upward mobility. They understood that the reshuffling of the deck meant an opportunity of a lifetime for advancement, and so, unrest arose.
This period was short-lived. Once these people figured out how to reap the most benefits for themselves, the Cold War broke out.
The parties elected their representatives and began a series of games. Initially, it was only negotiations and exchanges of interests but later evolved into an information gathering war, assassinations, and finally small-scale hot wars.
The full-scale Hot War broke out just a few days ago. However, what confused Batman the most was that, in the progression from the first two periods, conflicts and struggles were mostly confined to the upper half of the pyramid, largely a war among the upper class.
Up until the breakout of the Hot War, everything seemed normal, but with its initiation, the nature of the chaos completely changed. It morphed from the open and covert struggles of the upper class to a total war among the lower class, which was unusual.
No ruler wants to rule ruins. Their cold war actions were intended for profit, the resources for exchange not their own, so why would they refuse?
But if all the citizens genuinely took up arms against each other with buildings destroyed, streets ruined, people unable to work, no one would be able to make money. With the complete loss of order in the city, power would lose its meaning. For the rulers, this would be the worst possible outcome.
So to say that they were the main instigators of the Hot War was incorrect.
At this time, Batman remembered two significant events that happened right before the Hot War - the descent of Sky Island Gotham and the arrival of Shiller's student, Bruce Wayne.