The Scarecrow was right: if it had been Bruce, he would never have killed someone so easily.
But Kara is different. When she heard that the Scarecrow's real name was also Jonathan, she silently held a grudge in her heart.
So, the moment she had the chance, she stomped him to death without hesitation.
"Tch, I don't want to dirty my boots, even though they're Bruce's," Kara muttered in disgust as she glanced at the blood inevitably staining her feet.
But really, would anyone want to dirty her boots on purpose?
After finishing off the Scarecrow, Kara turned around and leaped back in the direction she'd come from. Then, she propelled herself into the air once more and began gliding.
Although the original bat suit has the ability to glide, it can't take off on its own.
In other words, it works like a parachute: it allows for controlled descent, but not ascent.
That's why Bruce can jump from great heights and glide without getting hurt, but in reality, Batman doesn't have actual flight abilities.
However, Kara was different. She used her own flight powers to soar into the sky, and after identifying her destination, she quickly headed in the direction Bruce had pointed out earlier.
Finally, Kara landed on the roof of a nearby building. Here, Bruce had rescued his dear childhood friend, Rachel, who was holding a small boy in her arms.
"Is that your child?" Kara asked Rachel as she landed lightly on the edge of the roof.
Rachel quickly explained, "How could you think that? He's a child I happened to meet on the street. I couldn't let him walk around alone, could I? By the way, since when does Batman have two people?"
This was the first time Rachel had seen such a thing.
Because Batman had always been just one person. Bruce had brought Kara along for help.
"Stay here and don't do anything reckless," Bruce interrupted Kara before she could say anything else. He stepped forward to shield her, speaking to Rachel with concern.
Rachel, in turn, was worried about them: "What about you? You're still fighting the enemies? It's too dangerous."
"Miss, that's what we're here for," Kara shrugged. Bruce hadn't brought her along just to find Gordon or
"Let's go," Bruce said, flicking his cape and signaling Kara to follow him.
Rachel shouted after them as they moved away: "Wait! At least tell me your names. You know the next fight could be deadly. At least let me know who you are. If something happens, I want to remember you."
This woman really doesn't know how to talk, Kara thought with some irritation.
An accident? Don't jinx them like they're destined to die. What a pessimist!
But Bruce spoke. He had already leaped to the edge of the building. At that moment, he turned back, half-crouched, and looked seriously into Rachel's expectant eyes before saying, "It doesn't matter who I am under the mask. What I do is what matters."
Rachel was taken aback and subconsciously murmured, "Bruce?"
But Bruce had already jumped.
Kara raised her right hand, making a gesture with her index and middle fingers to her temple. "Goodbye, miss."
"Are you Kara?" Rachel called after her as Kara followed Bruce, as if she had already guessed her identity.
This annoyed Kara. She quickly caught up to Bruce and asked, "Did you do that on purpose? You definitely made me expose my identity on purpose!"
Bruce had done it deliberately, because he wasn't sure he'd win this battle, much less make it out unscathed.
Rachel's words had touched him. He wasn't yet the experienced Batman of later years. At this point in his life, Bruce was still a hero in the making, filled with doubts and insecurities.
He still made mistakes, and there were times when he lacked confidence. So, when he felt that this mission might be his last, he wanted the woman he loved to at least know who he was, to understand why he gave his life.
Kara was frustrated and threatened him: "You're going to have to sit down for an interview with me as Batman, Bruce, and just so you know, Rachel already has a boyfriend."
Bruce responded without hesitation: "That man is dead."
"Damn, are you seriously going for a widow?" Kara scolded him. What about Jennifer? At least, in her opinion, Jennifer was far more beautiful than Rachel. She was also determined, and had held onto her love for Bruce all these years.
What a jerk, Kara thought, irritated.
At that moment, the two had become bat-like shadows, crossing nearly half of Gotham without even realizing it.
As they flew through the sky, the people below, under the effects of the fear toxin, saw them as terrifying figures. Many fainted just from seeing the two silhouettes pass overhead, slowly calming Gotham Island.
After crossing more than half the island, they finally arrived at a train station—the only high-speed rail line leading to Gotham City.
No one cared what the train had been used for in the past. Maybe it had replaced the subway, or maybe it was for cargo.
At the station, Bruce landed first, followed by Kara.
Both of them wore bat helmets and sturdy suits of armor. Long, wide black capes hung from their shoulders, unfolding into what resembled bat wings.
The two wore identical battle suits, with only slight differences in their bodies, and even their heights were similar.
Kara stood 6'3" (1.90 meters), while Bruce, according to the original comics, stood 6'2" (1.88 meters).
When they arrived at the station, they saw another group of people in front of them: Ra's al Ghul's men, the League of Shadows.
At that moment, they were attempting to load a device onto the train. Despite the sudden appearance of the two Batmans, Ra's turned around but allowed four of his men to continue loading the equipment.
That device was the microwave emitter.
Kara and Bruce exchanged glances.
The latter nodded slightly, signaling his understanding.
They had developed an unspoken rapport over time.
Despite the sudden arrival of the two Batmans, Ra's seemed unfazed. Looking at Bruce, he commented, "Didn't you take my advice about theatrics a bit too literally?"
Kara, curious, asked Bruce, "What advice is he talking about?"
Bruce shot a look at Kara, clearly exasperated. Did she really need to bring up the time Ra's mocked him?
Ignoring Kara, Bruce turned to Ra's and declared, "It's time to end this."