The Batmobile moved swiftly, and after a brief exchange between Robin and Batman, it sped out of Gotham's outskirts, heading toward the back mountain of Wayne Manor, which was built on an artificial lake. As the Batmobile approached, the two sides of the lake parted, and with a burst from the exhaust, the Batmobile shot forward, gracefully tracing an arc in the air before landing smoothly on the rising platform.
As the platform lowered the Batmobile, the lake rejoined, its water level unchanged. Inside the dark and deep Batcave, Alfred Pennyworth, the butler who had served the Wayne family for three generations, was waiting in casual attire for his master.
"Good evening, Master Wayne, Master Damian. It seems you both handled your tasks well." Alfred could tell, just from the atmosphere, that something had transpired between Bruce Wayne and Damian.
"Thanks, Alfred," Bruce replied, taking the towel Alfred offered. He removed his mask and walked directly to the Batcomputer; he had much to address.
Meanwhile, Damian, now out of uniform, headed towards the training room. It was only 2 AM, plenty of time; there was no reason to sleep so early.
"Alfred, take Damian to rest."
"I don't need rest!" Damian shouted angrily at Bruce.
"You have school tomorrow."
"What can those teachers teach me?"
"Order, self-restraint, respect."
Damian fell silent at Bruce's calm reply. Alfred, responding to Bruce's command, stood behind Damian, ready to escort him upstairs. Damian shot Alfred a disdainful look but followed him up to the Wayne Manor. He felt he could speak loudly to Bruce because his biological father had never fulfilled any paternal responsibilities. After being placed in Bruce's care, Bruce's indifferent attitude only deepened his dislike for the man who should have been his father, despite being praised by his mother and grandfather as the smartest and strongest person in the world.
However, when it came to Alfred, who treated him like a grandson, Damian couldn't act out. Alfred led him upstairs while Bruce sat at his computer, typing away as he entered all the files of the missing girls he had found, beginning his search.
"What do you want, Cobblepot? Tell me," Bruce murmured, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the computer process the search.
In the morning, Alfred knocked lightly on Damian's bedroom door, holding a breakfast tray prepared by the servants. "Master Damian, you should have come down for breakfast fifteen minutes ago, Master Damian?"
After receiving no response twice, Alfred sensed trouble and pushed the door open, only to find the bed empty. Feeling the cold blankets, Alfred realized something was very wrong.
"Master Wayne, Master Damian has left."
"I know; he took Robin's suit with him." Bruce, still in his battle gear, looked at the glass case where Robin's uniform should have been, now completely empty.
"Where could he have gone?"
"To Nashville; he's going to confront the mastermind behind this."
Bruce knew exactly what his estranged son would do—he understood him all too well. He had to stop Damian from what he was about to do. "Alfred, cancel today's board meeting. I'm heading to Nashville."
"Perhaps I can call Master Dick," Alfred suggested.
"What did you say?" Bruce, still in his gear, was about to activate the Batwing to fly to Nashville when Alfred's words halted him.
"Master Dick was your first Robin. Having trained under you, he might have more in common with Master Damian."
"You don't understand how dangerous Damian is, Alfred."
"But you don't understand how to be a true father, Master Wayne. You only see the danger in Master Damian, yet you haven't considered why he might act this way. Sometimes, all a parent needs is a conversation with their child. Perhaps you should try that, Master Wayne."
Alfred's words gave Bruce pause. The simple statement made him slow his rush to board the plane. Seeing Bruce hesitate, Alfred took charge.
"I'm calling Master Dick now, and you need to attend today's board meeting. Don't forget how your resources are sustained, Master Wayne." With that, Alfred walked away calmly, while Bruce remained silent for a few seconds before heading upstairs, changing into a suit, and preparing himself. He drove a Rolls-Royce Phantom toward Wayne Enterprises in downtown.
In Nashville, Dick Grayson, engrossed in reviewing cases, felt his pocket vibrate. Seeing the familiar name on his screen, he rushed to a secluded area to answer.
"Yes, Alfred." Upon receiving the call, Dick listened as Alfred explained the entire situation, his brow furrowing. Finally, he said, "I'll handle it, Alfred. Don't worry; I'll get that kid to behave and come home."
After hanging up, Dick cursed under his breath, realizing he couldn't escape Batman's shadow, even in another city. "Damn Batman! Fxxk!"
That night in Nashville, Kaito Haruno, clad in armor, was chasing a speeding car down the street. As for why this was happening, it was a mistake of his own; given that the system provided a deadline, he figured he should complete it within that timeframe. Besides, those little patrol drones were monitoring the city, helping him with positioning. That night, after a well-deserved break, Kaito, following TAKA's lead against the target of the night, was so accustomed to charging in wearing G3 armor that he didn't notice there was a superhuman among them. Although it was merely enhanced strength, it caught Kaito off guard. He had expected to take the guy down with one punch, but instead, he got kicked and slammed into a wall. By the time he freed himself, the guy was already making his escape in the car.
According to the system, as long as he hadn't taken them all down, the task wasn't considered complete. Thus, Kaito had to rely on TAKA's aerial mobility, running on the ground as he chased after the speeding car.
Just as he was closing in on the car, a tire on a nearby truck exploded, causing the car to lose balance and flip several times before coming to a halt. Looking at the wrecked car, Kaito couldn't help but feel pity for the unfortunate soul inside. Talk about bad luck—there was no saving them.
As Kaito prepared to approach the wreck to check on the unfortunate driver, a Batarang landed right in front of him. A figure, slightly taller than Kaito, dropped from the sky and landed on the car's roof, glaring at him.
"You're the new kid in town, huh? Doesn't look like much," Damian sneered.
With a voice still developing, Damian sounded somewhat hoarse, but his assertive demeanor radiated an unmistakable aura of arrogance.
[Everyone, tell me, what do I do when I encounter a brat? Waiting online, urgent!]
Regarding the relationship between Damian Wayne and his father, Bruce Wayne, feel free to watch the animated film "Batman: Son of Batman," which explains their origins.
(End of Chapter)