章節 66: Secrets and Revelations
Avery didn't linger to gauge their reactions. He had his tasks, and though he typically stuck to the essentials, he added helpfully, "I've knocked him out. He won't be waking up for at least twelve hours."
With that, he turned and vanished, leaving the Arkham staff exchanging bewildered glances.
"Wasn't the Joker just on TV?" one of the guards asked in disbelief.
"How'd they catch him so fast?"
"And who was that guy? Where's Batman?"
The older guard, hands shaking as he struggled to keep hold of the Joker, finally yelled, "Forget who's who and just help me get Joker back to his cell, alright?"
The staff quickly snapped out of their daze and hurriedly began to haul Joker back to his specialized holding cell.
Outside Arkham, Avery glanced at the overcast sky, brushed off his coat, and set off for Wayne Manor.
Meanwhile, Gotham PD had received the all-clear regarding the bomb—relieved at first, only to reel in panic upon hearing Joker had used lethal laughing gas instead. Upon learning the specific locations, Gordon and his team quickly suited up with gas masks and boarded a transport plane to get there as fast as possible.
Not only was the plane faster, but Gotham's earlier chaos had caused severe traffic jams, making it impossible to reach the sites by car in time.
The plane's rotors whipped up a gust of wind as it lifted, carrying them high above the city, flying swiftly over the towering skyline.
At the same time, back at Wayne Manor, Avery reached the entrance to the Batcave. He pressed a concealed button to open the hidden door and was surprised to find none other than Dick, furtively poking around with the elevator open in front of him.
Dick froze. "…"
Avery raised an eyebrow. "Skipping class, kiddo?"
Dick momentarily forgetting he'd been caught, reflexively blurted, "I wasn't skipping!"
"School's canceled because of the Joker's bomb threat on TV."
Due to the chaotic situation outside, the school had ushered everyone into a bunker for safety—only allowing parents to pick up children individually. Alfred had called the school to let the teachers know he couldn't come, but Dick had remembered the secrets hidden at home and snuck back by himself.
It wasn't exactly skipping, but it wasn't exactly the best thing either, Dick thought with a flash of guilt.
After searching the entire manor and finding no one, he'd found his way to the one room he suspected held Batman's secrets. He'd come by secretly many times before and already knew the entry code, so he entered without hesitation—only to get caught in the act by Avery.
Avery knew the situation likely wasn't as innocent as Dick claimed, but there was no time to argue. "In that case, young master, why don't you go elsewhere to play? I still have a few tasks to handle."
He gently moved Dick aside and prepared to take the elevator down to the Batcave.
"Is this to turn into Batman and save Bruce, stopping the Joker's scheme?" Dick suddenly blurted, startling Avery.
Avery's hand froze mid-press, and he turned around slowly, utterly taken aback by the boy's words, wondering how Dick could've reached such a conclusion. He thought through every moment Batman and Dick had met and recalled the time he, as Batman, had rescued Bruce. Avery couldn't remember giving anything away. It was natural for Dick to pick up on oddities around the manor, but how had he imagined that his quiet, polite butler could be the somber, intense Batman?
As Avery processed this, Dick, afraid this might be his only chance to voice his request, summoned his courage and said, "I want to be like you. Could you let me join you, even if it's just to help with small things? I want to be useful."
This was Dick's longstanding wish, spurred on since that dark moment when his parents were killed and Batman had suddenly appeared from the shadows. Perhaps it was partly because of that moment's influence. But more than that, to Dick, Batman's work was clearly honorable, the work of a hero.
Living alongside someone like that, yet keeping their lives as separate as parallel lines, felt as challenging for Dick as if someone placed a delicious cake before him and forbade him to eat it. It was just too tempting. So, he seized his chance and bravely voiced his request.
He didn't believe he could bring down criminals or have a huge impact, but he was sure he could be helpful in small ways that were within his abilities.
Be like me? Avery thought to himself, wondering if Dick meant becoming a butler, learning magic, or... betraying a mentor? Avery let out a slow breath and ultimately decided that Bruce would need to explain the truth to Dick himself after he returned—Bruce was, after all, the root of all these misunderstandings.
So Avery replied, "Listen, Dick, I don't have much time to explain, and we're on a tight schedule. Right now, just stay put and don't cause trouble. If you still want to be involved, talk it over with Bruce when he's back. If he agrees, I have no objections."
With that, Avery closed the elevator doors, leaving Dick outside, looking quite pleased with himself as if he'd just been given a ticket to join the team.
"Something interesting seems to have happened just now," came Alfred's amused voice as Avery entered the Batcave. Alfred was standing by a bank of monitors, one of which displayed the security footage near the elevator, making it clear he'd seen the entire conversation.
"You didn't stop him?" Avery asked, heading over to the locked glass cabinet where the various antidotes for Joker's laughing gas were kept, each labeled clearly so he could find the right versions easily.
Alfred chuckled, "Young Master Dick is part of this family too. It's only natural he knows a bit more. He won't go spreading secrets."
Spread what, exactly? That he thinks I'm Batman? Avery thought, feeling a twinge of exasperation over Dick's mistaken assumption. "Well, at least I won't be the one facing the awkward questions later," he muttered.
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