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Chapter 386 Wayne
Helena Wayne was furious. It had been a long time since she had been this angry.
Her father's sacrifice during the counter-attack on Apokolips was the greatest pain of her life. Although she had inherited the Old Bat's proud and standoffish nature, she rarely showed it in front of others, not even with Karen, her close friend with whom she could share her innermost thoughts. But not showing it didn't mean she didn't grieve.
The truth was, even after all this time, she still hadn't escaped that shadow. Just as the Old Bat had been forever trapped in Crime Alley from the age of eight, unable to break free, Helena's time seemed to have frozen at the moment of her father's sacrifice.
When Karen insisted on returning to save their hometown, Helena didn't object, but she wasn't particularly enthusiastic either. Because here, she was forced to face the reality that her family was gone.
On the neighboring Earth, she could at least see her father's shadow—even though she knew it wasn't the same person, and he always treated her with cold indifference.
This was why she was so enraged to find an imitation in a Batsuit upon returning to her hometown.
She would make this arrogant fool understand that not everyone was worthy of that emblem and this suit.
But she had to admit, this Batman's skills were also fast. The sneak attack with the arrow had missed, and her pounce was also dodged. She landed firmly, and without even looking, she spun around with a predictive roundhouse kick, as if she had anticipated that he would attack the moment she landed off-balance.
But to her surprise, this Batman dodged it with a backward lean. Helena's boot swept past, almost brushing the tip of his nose.
This astonished her.
Either his combat awareness was astounding, having anticipated her anticipation and dodged the kick, or his reactions were incredibly fast, seeing through her move the instant she made it and retracting in time to avoid it.
But if that were the case, his reaction speed was inhuman.
Helena was inwardly surprised, but having been trained by the best martial arts master since childhood, she knew better than to hesitate in battle, even amidst unexpected turns. Her first kick having missed, she immediately switched legs for a high sweep. She initially aimed for his mid-section, but halfway through, her attack pattern abruptly changed, shifting from a mid-level front kick to a high roundhouse kick. It was a remarkably fast and variable kicking technique, a fairly advanced skill.
But Batman remained standing calmly. He blocked the front kick with a downward parry from his lead hand, then used his rear hand to block the shifting roundhouse kick as she turned her hip, sealing off its attack route.
His ability to read her movements was astonishing, and his stance was unbelievably stable. Although her kick had been blocked, Helena was confident in the power of her legs. Yet, he had taken her combination of kicks without moving an inch.
Helena kept up her rhythm, preparing to follow up with a flying double kick. She was not only a student of the top martial arts master, Batman, but her mother, Catwoman, was also a skilled fighter. She had absorbed the strengths of both masters since childhood, and most of her flexible and varied kicking styles were taught by her mother.
But this Batman was faster. Before her next kick could land, his right hand shot out like lightning, his five fingers clamping around her throat like sharp claws.
The immense pressure nearly squeezed all the air from her throat, and she was unable to continue her follow-up attack. Batman lifted her up with one hand, his eyes narrowing as he studied her for a moment.
Then, in the next instant, he seemed to see something in her eyes. He involuntarily loosened his grip and set her down, speaking in astonishment.
"You... you're Helena?" He took a step back in disbelief. "Helena Wayne?"
Released, Helena knelt on the ground, clutching her chest and coughing violently. Realizing he had intentionally held back, she frowned and looked at him. "Who are you, old man?"
After confirming her identity, this Batman was deeply moved. He stood stunned for a good while, as if struck by lightning, before slowly removing his cowl.
Beneath the cowl was an aged face, weathered by hardship, like an oil painting that had settled over the years. Every deep wrinkle was a trace left by life's tribulations. The face was like a time-worn rock, baptized by wind and rain, honed by the years. The skin was as rough as the bark of an ancient tree, covered in mottled marks.
But on that face, Helena was surprised to find a trace of familiarity.
She was certain she had never seen this old man before, yet she inexplicably felt as if she had known him her entire life.
"I am your grandfather." The old man clutched the bat-cowl, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. "...I am Thomas Wayne."
Helena: "!!?"
Her mind went completely blank.
A voice in her heart told her he was telling the truth.
Perhaps it was some connection through their bloodline, or maybe it was just a woman's intuition. The feeling was as if her very soul was whispering to her, urging her to go and embrace the only family she had left in this world.
Of course, she was Batman's daughter; she wasn't foolish enough to trust only her intuition.
So when the old man tried to take a step forward, she raised her crossbow again, pointing it at his nose.
"My grandfather died a long time ago," she said in a low voice. "That's the very reason my father became Batman. I've never met him in my life."
The man who called himself Thomas Wayne sighed softly.
"That's how it should have been, but many things happened... I should have come back sooner. I should have stood with my family. When I learned you were all gone, I thought I had nothing left to live for.
"I put on his suit, to carry on his unfinished work, because I had no other purpose in life... but I never imagined... I at least still have you..."
A commotion sounded from outside the gate, as if people were gathering.
The man looked toward the entrance, frowned, and put his cowl back on.
"I would love to tell you everything, Helena. I can't wait. But not now. They're about to come in, and I have important business to attend to here."
Helena pointed her crossbow at him for a moment, hesitated, and finally lowered it.
"You found the engineer who designed the World Army base and found out about the existence of this facility," Helena asked. "Why did you keep pursuing them after that?"
"It wasn't me," that Batman said flatly. "I did inquire about this facility, but I never went after them again.
"But I'm not the only one interested in this place. Apparently, after I asked, someone else wanted to know the secrets here—perhaps some cannon fodder organized by Apokolips from among the human traitors."
"But why here?"
Helena followed behind him, glancing at the rows of tanks all around them as she walked.
"Who are these people? Why are you all so interested in this place?" Helena asked.
"Because the people imprisoned here are the most dangerous and unstable individuals on Earth, but in the face of doomsday, they might become Earth's last hope.
"Because before this place was converted into a World Army base, this hidden, underground restricted area was originally part of another facility... If you had noticed the name of this World Army base, you would understand."
Helena paused. She really hadn't paid attention to the base's name.
Batman paused, then said, "...This place is called the 'Arkham Command Post'."
(end of chapter)
Helena Wayne was furious. It had been a long time since she had been this angry.
Her father's sacrifice during the counter-attack on Apokolips was the greatest pain of her life. Although she had inherited the Old Bat's proud and standoffish nature, she rarely showed it in front of others, not even with Karen, her close friend with whom she could share her innermost thoughts. But not showing it didn't mean she didn't grieve.
The truth was, even after all this time, she still hadn't escaped that shadow. Just as the Old Bat had been forever trapped in Crime Alley from the age of eight, unable to break free, Helena's time seemed to have frozen at the moment of her father's sacrifice.
When Karen insisted on returning to save their hometown, Helena didn't object, but she wasn't particularly enthusiastic either. Because here, she was forced to face the reality that her family was gone.
On the neighboring Earth, she could at least see her father's shadow—even though she knew it wasn't the same person, and he always treated her with cold indifference.
This was why she was so enraged to find an imitation in a Batsuit upon returning to her hometown.
She would make this arrogant fool understand that not everyone was worthy of that emblem and this suit.
But she had to admit, this Batman's skills were also fast. The sneak attack with the arrow had missed, and her pounce was also dodged. She landed firmly, and without even looking, she spun around with a predictive roundhouse kick, as if she had anticipated that he would attack the moment she landed off-balance.
But to her surprise, this Batman dodged it with a backward lean. Helena's boot swept past, almost brushing the tip of his nose.
This astonished her.
Either his combat awareness was astounding, having anticipated her anticipation and dodged the kick, or his reactions were incredibly fast, seeing through her move the instant she made it and retracting in time to avoid it.
But if that were the case, his reaction speed was inhuman.
Helena was inwardly surprised, but having been trained by the best martial arts master since childhood, she knew better than to hesitate in battle, even amidst unexpected turns. Her first kick having missed, she immediately switched legs for a high sweep. She initially aimed for his mid-section, but halfway through, her attack pattern abruptly changed, shifting from a mid-level front kick to a high roundhouse kick. It was a remarkably fast and variable kicking technique, a fairly advanced skill.
But Batman remained standing calmly. He blocked the front kick with a downward parry from his lead hand, then used his rear hand to block the shifting roundhouse kick as she turned her hip, sealing off its attack route.
His ability to read her movements was astonishing, and his stance was unbelievably stable. Although her kick had been blocked, Helena was confident in the power of her legs. Yet, he had taken her combination of kicks without moving an inch.
Helena kept up her rhythm, preparing to follow up with a flying double kick. She was not only a student of the top martial arts master, Batman, but her mother, Catwoman, was also a skilled fighter. She had absorbed the strengths of both masters since childhood, and most of her flexible and varied kicking styles were taught by her mother.
But this Batman was faster. Before her next kick could land, his right hand shot out like lightning, his five fingers clamping around her throat like sharp claws.
The immense pressure nearly squeezed all the air from her throat, and she was unable to continue her follow-up attack. Batman lifted her up with one hand, his eyes narrowing as he studied her for a moment.
Then, in the next instant, he seemed to see something in her eyes. He involuntarily loosened his grip and set her down, speaking in astonishment.
"You... you're Helena?" He took a step back in disbelief. "Helena Wayne?"
Released, Helena knelt on the ground, clutching her chest and coughing violently. Realizing he had intentionally held back, she frowned and looked at him. "Who are you, old man?"
After confirming her identity, this Batman was deeply moved. He stood stunned for a good while, as if struck by lightning, before slowly removing his cowl.
Beneath the cowl was an aged face, weathered by hardship, like an oil painting that had settled over the years. Every deep wrinkle was a trace left by life's tribulations. The face was like a time-worn rock, baptized by wind and rain, honed by the years. The skin was as rough as the bark of an ancient tree, covered in mottled marks.
But on that face, Helena was surprised to find a trace of familiarity.
She was certain she had never seen this old man before, yet she inexplicably felt as if she had known him her entire life.
"I am your grandfather." The old man clutched the bat-cowl, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. "...I am Thomas Wayne."
Helena: "!!?"
Her mind went completely blank.
A voice in her heart told her he was telling the truth.
Perhaps it was some connection through their bloodline, or maybe it was just a woman's intuition. The feeling was as if her very soul was whispering to her, urging her to go and embrace the only family she had left in this world.
Of course, she was Batman's daughter; she wasn't foolish enough to trust only her intuition.
So when the old man tried to take a step forward, she raised her crossbow again, pointing it at his nose.
"My grandfather died a long time ago," she said in a low voice. "That's the very reason my father became Batman. I've never met him in my life."
The man who called himself Thomas Wayne sighed softly.
"That's how it should have been, but many things happened... I should have come back sooner. I should have stood with my family. When I learned you were all gone, I thought I had nothing left to live for.
"I put on his suit, to carry on his unfinished work, because I had no other purpose in life... but I never imagined... I at least still have you..."
A commotion sounded from outside the gate, as if people were gathering.
The man looked toward the entrance, frowned, and put his cowl back on.
"I would love to tell you everything, Helena. I can't wait. But not now. They're about to come in, and I have important business to attend to here."
Helena pointed her crossbow at him for a moment, hesitated, and finally lowered it.
"You found the engineer who designed the World Army base and found out about the existence of this facility," Helena asked. "Why did you keep pursuing them after that?"
"It wasn't me," that Batman said flatly. "I did inquire about this facility, but I never went after them again.
"But I'm not the only one interested in this place. Apparently, after I asked, someone else wanted to know the secrets here—perhaps some cannon fodder organized by Apokolips from among the human traitors."
"But why here?"
Helena followed behind him, glancing at the rows of tanks all around them as she walked.
"Who are these people? Why are you all so interested in this place?" Helena asked.
"Because the people imprisoned here are the most dangerous and unstable individuals on Earth, but in the face of doomsday, they might become Earth's last hope.
"Because before this place was converted into a World Army base, this hidden, underground restricted area was originally part of another facility... If you had noticed the name of this World Army base, you would understand."
Helena paused. She really hadn't paid attention to the base's name.
Batman paused, then said, "...This place is called the 'Arkham Command Post'."
(end of chapter)
