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Chapter 712: Damian Wayne
Dark clouds hung heavy over Gotham City, as if a torrential downpour could begin at any moment.
The city was always like this, perpetually shrouded in gloom, as if brewing some kind of monster. It brought a sense of oppression to the city's tens of millions of residents, like an invisible finger stirring the rage and sensitive hearts of every inhabitant.
Its reputation as the "City of Crime" stubbornly persisted in Gotham City, its persistently high crime rate maintaining the city's immense notoriety.
To be honest, if it weren't for Wayne Enterprises stabilizing the situation, the city's economic strength would plummet significantly.
Wayne Enterprises is a behemoth that devours everything. Its presence is felt in all sectors of Gotham City's economy. Top billionaire Bruce Wayne is a business genius; Wayne Enterprises, under his control, participates in most of Gotham City's commercial activities.
By day, the city was filled with glittering lights and vibrant nightlife; by night, a heroic shadow roamed. The Dark Knight, as always, protected the city, its recognized guardian.
"My Young Master, are you going to be a superhero again today?"
Old Butler Alfred placed a glass of milk and a slice of bread gently in front of Bruce.
Bruce stared at the screen, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long pause, Bruce said, "This world is far from peaceful, Alfred. I always feel like I'm suffocating."
"Are you sure it's not the Joker giving you the illusion? Speaking of which, that guy hasn't shown up in a long time since he made his last threat, which is completely out of character for him," Alfred said.
"The reason is simple: that guy is preparing an even bigger surprise for me. I just received news that he's with a woman he brought out of prison, named Harley Quinn. My gut tells me there's new trouble brewing. Anyone who teams up with the Joker always becomes trouble."
Bruce rubbed his temples, his fatigue evident. Only in front of his trusted old butler did he allow himself to show a less rigid side.
"You didn't say that last time when the Joker went looking for trouble with A.R.G.U.S. and almost got himself killed."
Alfred chuckled teasingly and naturally sat down at another computer desk, helping Bruce organize the complex intelligence. In life, he was Bruce's loyal butler; in his work, he was Batman's super assistant.
There was no helping it; Batman deeply distrusted artificial intelligence and scoffed at anything related to Iron Man, so Alfred became Batman's most capable assistant.
Compared to artificial intelligence, Bruce felt it was more reliable to have a living person as an assistant.
Bruce offered Alfred a strained smile.
Last time, the Joker, for some unknown reason, had a fit of madness and felt that Scarecrow Crane's mind held a certain madness that appealed to him, believing Crane should be his partner.
The outcome was obvious: the Joker almost died. A.R.G.U.S. pursued him relentlessly, with a multitude of skilled individuals swarming him. The Joker, despite being at the peak combat power of a mortal, was nearly obliterated.
If that scoundrel Deadpool hadn't suddenly appeared and, after receiving a promise of a large sum of money from the Joker, decisively carried the Joker away to escape, the Joker would have been dead long ago.
He would have had to make way for the other two Jokers to continue their love-hate relationship with Batman.
"Look at this, Alfred, I'm more concerned about the Artifact Crane used when he personally hunted the Joker."
Bruce pulled up a blurry video.
Crane, glowing with yellow light, raised his hand to create a gigantic fist that slammed into the Joker, smashing through the wall in the process.
Slam!
The image froze.
Bruce pointed to the item on Crane's finger: "A yellow Power Ring. Its design is very similar to the Green Lantern Corps' Power Rings. Crane's form is very similar to Hal Jordan's when he was possessed by Parallax back then."
"So, you're starting to worry that A.R.G.U.S. has a Yellow Lantern Corps in its hands?" Alfred's expression remained unchanged, still wearing his signature smile.
"Exactly. We must be wary," Bruce stated without hesitation.
"How do we guard against it? Do you intend to create an army capable of fighting A.R.G.U.S.? That would be illegal, sir, and for now, it doesn't seem necessary."
Bruce remained silent, watching the screen wordlessly, replaying and observing the footage repeatedly, lost in thought.
...
Just as Bruce was falling into deeper anxiety, in the depths of a desolate desert, the crisp cry of a baby echoed.
"It's born! It's born! It's a boy!"
"Mother and child are safe. Ra's al Ghul will surely be pleased!"
A group of assassins carried out their preparatory work methodically, each step executed to perfection. For these elite assassins, who were masters of human anatomy and physiology, delivering a baby was incredibly easy.
"Talia al Ghul, quickly, look, this is your son."
Lady Shiva Sandra, holding the newborn infant, brought him closer to Talia al Ghul for her to see.
Talia al Ghul was covered in sweat, and she weakly gazed at the infant, a rare smile gracing her lips. It had been a long time since she had last smiled.
Lady Shiva held the crying baby, observing him for a moment before saying calmly, "He truly resembles his father. When do you plan to take this child to his biological father?"
"No, never. This is *my* child; he has no father! I will personally train him and make him the strongest assassin in the world!" Talia al Ghul bit her lip, speaking stubbornly.
Lady Shiva sighed, wiping the sweat from Talia al Ghul's forehead. "The League of Shadows is no more, and your father has been dead for a long time. There's no way to achieve resurrection anymore. You don't need to live such a burdened life."
Ra's al Ghul was able to live until now entirely due to the Revival Fountain granting him a long lifespan, but the Revival Fountain was the whisper of a demon, a possession of the Archdemon Trigon.
When Trigon descended upon the Main Universe, everyone in the League of Shadows who had touched the Revival Fountain suffered bodily collapse and died completely.
Including Ra's al Ghul.
As Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia al Ghul was unwilling to see the League of Shadows collapse like this, so she painstakingly propped up the decaying and chaotic organization.
Until now.
With her own child, she seemed to have found a new purpose.
"If you can't bring yourself to seek out that man, I can help you. You know very well how much I yearn to personally twist that man's neck. I have a thirst for killing all martial arts masters in the world," Lady Shiva said.
Talia al Ghul silently shook her head, focusing her gaze on her child, lost in thought. After a moment, she regained her usual composure and said indifferently, "I will raise this child to be a powerful assassin, and then I will have him personally seek out that man."
"Very well, if you insist on doing so... have you thought of a name for the child?"
Talia al Ghul lowered her head and thought for a moment. "Damian Wayne... He will be called Damian Wayne."
(end of chapter)
Dark clouds hung heavy over Gotham City, as if a torrential downpour could begin at any moment.
The city was always like this, perpetually shrouded in gloom, as if brewing some kind of monster. It brought a sense of oppression to the city's tens of millions of residents, like an invisible finger stirring the rage and sensitive hearts of every inhabitant.
Its reputation as the "City of Crime" stubbornly persisted in Gotham City, its persistently high crime rate maintaining the city's immense notoriety.
To be honest, if it weren't for Wayne Enterprises stabilizing the situation, the city's economic strength would plummet significantly.
Wayne Enterprises is a behemoth that devours everything. Its presence is felt in all sectors of Gotham City's economy. Top billionaire Bruce Wayne is a business genius; Wayne Enterprises, under his control, participates in most of Gotham City's commercial activities.
By day, the city was filled with glittering lights and vibrant nightlife; by night, a heroic shadow roamed. The Dark Knight, as always, protected the city, its recognized guardian.
"My Young Master, are you going to be a superhero again today?"
Old Butler Alfred placed a glass of milk and a slice of bread gently in front of Bruce.
Bruce stared at the screen, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long pause, Bruce said, "This world is far from peaceful, Alfred. I always feel like I'm suffocating."
"Are you sure it's not the Joker giving you the illusion? Speaking of which, that guy hasn't shown up in a long time since he made his last threat, which is completely out of character for him," Alfred said.
"The reason is simple: that guy is preparing an even bigger surprise for me. I just received news that he's with a woman he brought out of prison, named Harley Quinn. My gut tells me there's new trouble brewing. Anyone who teams up with the Joker always becomes trouble."
Bruce rubbed his temples, his fatigue evident. Only in front of his trusted old butler did he allow himself to show a less rigid side.
"You didn't say that last time when the Joker went looking for trouble with A.R.G.U.S. and almost got himself killed."
Alfred chuckled teasingly and naturally sat down at another computer desk, helping Bruce organize the complex intelligence. In life, he was Bruce's loyal butler; in his work, he was Batman's super assistant.
There was no helping it; Batman deeply distrusted artificial intelligence and scoffed at anything related to Iron Man, so Alfred became Batman's most capable assistant.
Compared to artificial intelligence, Bruce felt it was more reliable to have a living person as an assistant.
Bruce offered Alfred a strained smile.
Last time, the Joker, for some unknown reason, had a fit of madness and felt that Scarecrow Crane's mind held a certain madness that appealed to him, believing Crane should be his partner.
The outcome was obvious: the Joker almost died. A.R.G.U.S. pursued him relentlessly, with a multitude of skilled individuals swarming him. The Joker, despite being at the peak combat power of a mortal, was nearly obliterated.
If that scoundrel Deadpool hadn't suddenly appeared and, after receiving a promise of a large sum of money from the Joker, decisively carried the Joker away to escape, the Joker would have been dead long ago.
He would have had to make way for the other two Jokers to continue their love-hate relationship with Batman.
"Look at this, Alfred, I'm more concerned about the Artifact Crane used when he personally hunted the Joker."
Bruce pulled up a blurry video.
Crane, glowing with yellow light, raised his hand to create a gigantic fist that slammed into the Joker, smashing through the wall in the process.
Slam!
The image froze.
Bruce pointed to the item on Crane's finger: "A yellow Power Ring. Its design is very similar to the Green Lantern Corps' Power Rings. Crane's form is very similar to Hal Jordan's when he was possessed by Parallax back then."
"So, you're starting to worry that A.R.G.U.S. has a Yellow Lantern Corps in its hands?" Alfred's expression remained unchanged, still wearing his signature smile.
"Exactly. We must be wary," Bruce stated without hesitation.
"How do we guard against it? Do you intend to create an army capable of fighting A.R.G.U.S.? That would be illegal, sir, and for now, it doesn't seem necessary."
Bruce remained silent, watching the screen wordlessly, replaying and observing the footage repeatedly, lost in thought.
...
Just as Bruce was falling into deeper anxiety, in the depths of a desolate desert, the crisp cry of a baby echoed.
"It's born! It's born! It's a boy!"
"Mother and child are safe. Ra's al Ghul will surely be pleased!"
A group of assassins carried out their preparatory work methodically, each step executed to perfection. For these elite assassins, who were masters of human anatomy and physiology, delivering a baby was incredibly easy.
"Talia al Ghul, quickly, look, this is your son."
Lady Shiva Sandra, holding the newborn infant, brought him closer to Talia al Ghul for her to see.
Talia al Ghul was covered in sweat, and she weakly gazed at the infant, a rare smile gracing her lips. It had been a long time since she had last smiled.
Lady Shiva held the crying baby, observing him for a moment before saying calmly, "He truly resembles his father. When do you plan to take this child to his biological father?"
"No, never. This is *my* child; he has no father! I will personally train him and make him the strongest assassin in the world!" Talia al Ghul bit her lip, speaking stubbornly.
Lady Shiva sighed, wiping the sweat from Talia al Ghul's forehead. "The League of Shadows is no more, and your father has been dead for a long time. There's no way to achieve resurrection anymore. You don't need to live such a burdened life."
Ra's al Ghul was able to live until now entirely due to the Revival Fountain granting him a long lifespan, but the Revival Fountain was the whisper of a demon, a possession of the Archdemon Trigon.
When Trigon descended upon the Main Universe, everyone in the League of Shadows who had touched the Revival Fountain suffered bodily collapse and died completely.
Including Ra's al Ghul.
As Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia al Ghul was unwilling to see the League of Shadows collapse like this, so she painstakingly propped up the decaying and chaotic organization.
Until now.
With her own child, she seemed to have found a new purpose.
"If you can't bring yourself to seek out that man, I can help you. You know very well how much I yearn to personally twist that man's neck. I have a thirst for killing all martial arts masters in the world," Lady Shiva said.
Talia al Ghul silently shook her head, focusing her gaze on her child, lost in thought. After a moment, she regained her usual composure and said indifferently, "I will raise this child to be a powerful assassin, and then I will have him personally seek out that man."
"Very well, if you insist on doing so... have you thought of a name for the child?"
Talia al Ghul lowered her head and thought for a moment. "Damian Wayne... He will be called Damian Wayne."
(end of chapter)
