KyokaSuigetsu
patreon
Chapter 69 – Batman: The Dark Knight
🕑 Added 2025-05-07 11:11:39 +0000 UTCThe temperature inside the car dropped sharply, like they'd suddenly stepped into a freezer.
Leo couldn't hear the encrypted comms in Batman's earpiece, but he could feel the change—Batman had instantly gone tense.
[How long? How accurate?]
Batman spoke with concise urgency, deliberately avoiding any unnecessary detail.
Alfred, ever the consummate butler and confidant, understood exactly what he meant without asking.
[Commissioner Gordon sent out an alert through police channels. The Joker's targets are Judge Surrillo, Commissioner Loeb, and Harvey Dent.]
[He's already sent people to protect the first two. But Harvey is attending your fundraising gala. I know it's not my place to say this… but perhaps you shouldn't have left to handle personal business.]
[In any case, you need to get back. Immediately.]
Batman's breath grew heavier. The thought of Alfred, Rachel, and the promising Harvey all being present at that gala—within the Joker's reach—left him uneasy.
Leo, still seated nearby, got hit with an unearned death stare.
[Keep me updated. I'm on my way.]
VROOOOM—!
The roar of the engine shattered the stillness of the night.
The Batmobile launched from the alleyway, tearing through Gotham's streets like a black predator.
Leo was slammed into the passenger seat by the intense G-force. His face lit up as he watched the city lights blur past the window.
Forget F1. This was way more thrilling. And the one at the wheel? Gotham's wealthiest man, the legendary Batman.
The richest driver in the entire DC Universe. Not only was the Batmobile a masterpiece of engineering, but Batman's driving was insane. They wove through traffic like ghosts—screams and shouts echoing around them.
"Holy crap, the Batmobile!"
"Look—it's Batman! BATMAN!!"
Some hardcore Gothamites, probably members of the Bat-Fan Club, waved frantically, whipping out phones to record everything.
One even gave a salute—arm up at a 45-degree angle, fingers pointed straight forward… Wait. That didn't look very appropriate.
Batman, of course, didn't have time for bystanders. He was focused entirely on the mission.
But within minutes, traffic began to thicken. It was clear—something was wrong.
Just as Batman was about to contact Alfred, Leo spoke up casually:
"Joker's goons are stirring up chaos on the roads. Maybe even some of Maroni's people too. Classic move—draw the cops away."
Batman shot him a glance. "How do you know?"
Leo leaned back, completely relaxed. "Unfortunately, we haven't built enough rapport for me to answer that. Gotta raise our friendship level first."
He grinned.
He could play dumb all day long. Batman didn't kill, and Leo had no criminal record. What could he really do?
"Of course, if you're willing to pay for intel… or maybe partner up in business… then we can talk."
Batman's only reply:
[Prep the Batwing. We're taking the straight path.]
Traffic wasn't going to clear anytime soon. If the Joker reached the skyscraper first, the elevators could become deadly traps. Climbing stairs was the only option—but this was the Illinois Center Tower. The gala was on the top floor.
[Already done. But what about your guest?]
Alfred's voice came through again.
Batman glanced toward Leo, checking the cuffs one more time to be sure they were secure.
[Engage autopilot. Send him back to Wayne Tower. Keep an eye on him. Don't let him out of your sight.]
He didn't bother whispering—Leo heard everything. Just to rub it in, Batman added coldly, "Don't try anything. Next time I won't be so polite."
As he spoke, a violent draft of air began to swirl around them.
Batman popped the canopy, grabbed the lift cable, and soared upward like an actual bat.
He disappeared into the Batwing, its silhouette melting into the night sky.
Leo sat back, sighing enviously. Now that's wealth. That's power.
The canopy closed shut again, sealing him inside the Batmobile.
The dashboard display switched to autopilot mode.
Then Alfred's voice came through the speaker—gracious but firm: "Please follow Master Wayne's instructions. He's not always this… lenient."
Leo chuckled, closed his eyes, and leaned into the seat. "Relax. I'm reasonable. It's a traffic jam, I'll take a nap."
No reply came. But Leo knew Alfred was watching him via the onboard cameras.
So what?
Eyes shut, Leo synced to Pure White through his neural link. With his cybernetic eye, he could watch movies if he wanted.
And the movie playing now? The Dark Knight.
[Pure White, did you finish cross-checking those character profiles?]
[Most of them match. A few discrepancies, but nothing major.]
Pure White projected several images into his vision—
Harvey Dent: handsome, righteous, but that "butt chin" was a bit distracting.
Commissioner Gordon: not a big guy, but his sharp gaze and firm expression gave him plenty of presence. The glasses and mustache added a cultured touch.
Rachel… nothing much to say. Definitely prettier than her movie counterpart. Currently Harvey's girlfriend—and Bruce Wayne's ex. Poor Batman.
Leo skimmed through their profiles and confirmed it: this timeline matched The Dark Knight.
Specifically, the early parts. All the real chaos was still ahead.
As for the bank heist he'd witnessed during his first crossing? Yeah. That crew of amateur robbers was just one of the Joker's smokescreens. The real job likely went off somewhere else—probably a big one, too.
[Well, what's done is done. Let's focus on what's next for Batman…]
The movie jumped forward to the gala scene.
The Joker crashes the fundraiser, "greets" the elite guests, Bruce knocks out Harvey to keep him hidden, then suits up and fights Joker and his men.
In the chaos, the Joker kidnaps Rachel and demands Batman reveal his identity—or she dies.
Batman hesitates. Joker says, "Screw it," and drops her out the window.
Batman dives after her—resulting in one of those cartoonishly impossible "fell 30 stories and walked it off" moments.
Later, Rachel's only question: "Is Harvey okay?"
Smack.
Leo slapped his own forehead. If he had a green marker right now, he'd write the word "TRAGIC" across Batman's forehead.
Seriously. That level of emotional resilience? Couldn't be him. He'd have rage quit.
But before he could watch more, time ran short.
[Batman just took a dive off a skyscraper. There's no way he's unscathed. Pure White, what if I went to help him out? Wouldn't that be a nice gesture?]
[He'd probably get even more suspicious of you—and start designing some kind of anti-Leo contingency plan.]
[Pffft. Who cares. In Gotham and Night City, it's not "treat first, punch later"—it's the other way around. If you don't flex, you get stomped. I'll play nice with Batman… but not at the cost of my pride.]
Leo fast-forwarded the movie, stopping at the Joker's infamous "pencil trick."
[Hey Alfred, you there? Wanna see a magic trick?]
