"Surveillance hasn't spotted Robert, so I didn't notify the master..." Alfred looked apologetically at Batman, "But now, we've located him through the phone. He's not too far from us."
"Send me the location. I'll fly there." Batman nodded, summoning his Batplane and swiftly flying towards Robert's location.
Soon, the always catching-up Batman reached Robert, his plane hovering directly in front of Robert, utilizing some unknown advanced technology.
"Do you want to come aboard?" Batman's voice emanated from the plane, prompting Robert to raise an eyebrow, noticing the plane's abundant energy source.
"No need. Where's the demon? I can't sense its location?" Robert, however, was more concerned about the mission than the plane, as he hadn't detected any demons or shadow troops mentioned by Batman since arriving in Gotham, almost as if they didn't exist.
"Sensing?" Batman thought for a moment but decided not to comment, instead suggesting, "They come out at night, or perhaps heading to their lair would reveal their location..."
"Hmm?" Before Batman could finish, Robert's gaze suddenly shifted towards the ground, where a shadow abruptly emerged, emitting an aura identical to the shadow ninjas, instantly alerting Robert.
With a swoosh, Robert vanished from mid-air, startling Batman inside the plane with Robert's speed, surpassing his recorded expectations. Even the Batplane's locking system, designed to counteract Robert, couldn't keep up with his velocity.
With a snap, Robert on the ground seized the emerging shadow warrior, who disintegrated into smoke in his grasp without Robert even exerting force, and the other shadow warriors nearby vanished as well.
"What does this mean? They're running away?" Robert, surprised by the fleeing shadow warriors, wondered if the controller of the shadow troops was actually cautious, or if his power wasn't as great as Batman believed, possibly due to Batman's own perceived weakness?
Thoughts raced through Robert's mind as he extended his senses, detecting a few demonic auras but no significant threats or shadow warriors in sight.
Meanwhile, at Arkham Asylum, the Joker received intelligence about Robert. Displeased with Batman seeking external help, Joker saw Gotham's conflicts as a personal game between him and Batman, and any third-party interventions, even demonic, were unwelcome.
"Hehe, since you've broken our unspoken rule, don't blame me for changing the game. I was planning to continue playing, but now, I'll switch things up!" The Joker's face bore a gentle smile, but the General Ikari mask on his face trembled, sensing a terrifying dark consciousness rising within him, using the mask as a medium to control the dark power.
"You've been spotted?" Batman, looking at Robert who returned to his side, asked with a furrowed brow.
"Seems like it. The shadow saw me and died before I could react, with the rest disappearing. Did you leak the info?" Robert spread his hands, denying responsibility for any security breach.
"It's likely he's been monitoring me..." Batman mused, suspecting the Joker's minions might have discovered his Batplane.
Without needing shadow warriors or demons, mere gang members or bribed civilians could stealthily relay information to the Joker, beyond Batman's constant surveillance capabilities.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Robert, impatient with Batman's hesitance, decided to seek out the target himself, aiming to eliminate a few causing chaos in Gotham.
"Come with me!" Watching Robert vanish and the Batplane display his elimination of Gotham's demons, Batman sighed, touched his belt, and flew next to Robert, saying, "Arkham Asylum?"
Arriving outside Arkham Asylum, Robert, recalling Clark's words, fell silent, contemplating another encounter with the mentally unstable, wishing he could simply obliterate them, though not all would be as bothersome as Wade.
"Ah-choo!" Meanwhile, in distant Los Angeles, Wade, fully suited as Deadpool, sneezed and scratched his head, wondering, "What's going on? So many sneezes today. Must be someone important thinking of me..."
Before he could finish, a demon's claw pierced his stomach.
"I'm gonna die!" Wade panicked, his body shaking on the demon's claw, until Slade's annoyed voice followed by a swift blade action saved him, "Next time you act crazy like this, I'm not bringing you out to earn money, and forget about plastic surgery!"
"You couldn't wait for him to retract his claw before cutting it?" Wade complained, pulling the embedded claw out, "What if it leaves something dirty inside me and I get infected?"
"As if you could get uglier!" Slade scoffed, continuing to fight the demon.
"How could that be? I'm still better looking than this demon, right?" Wade exclaimed, regretting not being able to locate "dad" to escape demon hunting with Slade, feeling underpaid for their efforts.
"Really think he'd come help you? Anyone sane would stay far away from you!" Slade retorted, dodging and defeating the demon.
"Why don't you stay away from me?" Wade gleamed at Slade, "I knew you loved me most, cousin! Sadly, you're not my favorite..."
Slade stiffened, narrowly avoiding the demon's attack, before solemnly admitting, "But you're right, the pay is too low!"
Back at Arkham Asylum, Batman, controlling his Batplane remotely, prepared to scout the area.
Drones flew towards the asylum for reconnaissance.
However, a demonic roar echoed, and a shadow demon emerged, crushing the drones and menacingly facing Robert and Batman.
"Strong!" Robert's eyes lit up, sensing the shadow demon's power surpassing the Holy Master with all twelve spells, his fighting spirit surging, seeing this as a worthy challenge despite Gotham's madness.
Holy Master: Have I become a unit of measurement?
"Strong? Can you handle it?" Batman, hearing Robert's enthusiasm, asked seriously, suggesting retreat if they were outmatched.
"Let's fight and see!" Robert charged at the shadow demon without waiting for Batman's plan, leaving Batman frustrated by his reckless teammate.
Sensing Batman's attempt to assist, Robert warned, "Don't come; you're too weak..."
With a boom, Robert's punch clashed with the demon's claw, creating a massive shockwave, sending Robert back and Batman scrambling to avoid the impact.
"Too weak..." Batman reflected on Robert's words, resisting the urge to use his last resort...
Because the Joker hadn't shown up yet. The shadow demon was merely one of Joker's minions; the real threat was the Joker himself, now a formidable opponent even in Batman's eyes, potentially more dangerous than the demon before them.
"Hehe, Batman, breaking our rule by seeking outside help, and uncontrollable at that. You've fallen! Have you forgotten Gotham is ours?" Joker's taunting laugh echoed, disappointing Batman for not managing even a single human.
"Enjoy this demon's strength. After devouring so many demons in Gotham, it's said to have reached a Hell Lord's level. I wonder if your helper can withstand it?"
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