"Jason, Tim, and Stephanie, the three of you check out the places where the master was last seen."
"Damian and I will infiltrate Wayne Tower to investigate."
Dick, both in terms of seniority and ability, was qualified to take the lead. In some versions of the multiverse, he had even succeeded Batman.
"Report, I haven't been assigned a vehicle yet," Alan, still in his Batsuit, announced, clearly wanting to be integrated into the team.
Dick thought for a moment. "You should ask the Joker," he suggested. "The master went out to hunt him down last night."
"So, Batman ran off with the Joker," Alan said, a look of sudden, profound realization on his face. He clutched his chest. "Bruce would rather choose the Joker than me. You've changed."
Shet. The five young heroes felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment so strong it gave them goosebumps. They all turned and went about their business.
Alan watched them go, his heart nearly exploding with envy. Nightwing was driving a multi-purpose armored combat vehicle with Damian in the passenger seat. Tim and Stephanie shared a Batmobile. Jason had a cool-looking off-road motorcycle. Alan was left alone, standing there in a mess of his own emotions.
"I'm so envious. I want one so badly." It seemed Bruce hadn't prepared a mode of transport for him.
Alan looked at Alfred, who was dutifully cleaning a nearby table, and approached him with a sly look. "Butler, do you have any spare cars? You don't expect me to walk, do you?"
Alfred stopped what he was doing. "The master has many cars," he said calmly. "I will open the warehouse for you."
He pressed a button on the console, and a platform rose from a pool of water nearby. On it, secured by steel cables, were various vehicles.
"Wow, wow, wow…" Alan touched the cool-looking Bat-tank. "Knightmobile!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" He moved to the next one. "Dark Night Motorcycle!" This was the happiness of the rich: simple and unpretentious.
"What kind of car would you like to drive?" Alfred asked meticulously. "I can help you unlock it electronically and install a synced induction component in your gloves, so you don't have to worry about it being stolen."
Alan pointed to a compact, foldable electric bicycle. "I want this one."
"…"
Alfred paused, a look of deep confusion on his face. "Why?" You don't choose the tank or the motorcycle, so why were you shouting so excitedly?
Alan looked a little shy. "I don't have a driver's license."
"…"
After a long moment, Alfred managed to utter, with great difficulty, "You are a surprisingly law-abiding man."
In a dark, abandoned tunnel, the Joker and his gang had kidnapped the former underground king of Gotham.
"Joker, are you trying to disrupt the order? Do you want to be enemies with everyone?" the gangster boss threatened, his face bruised and swollen.
The Joker pointed a revolver at his head, a ferocious and terrifying smile spreading across his face. "I am the order."
Bang!
The sound of gunfire echoed through the tunnel.
The Joker put away his revolver. "And my order," he said grimly, "is chaos."
At that moment, a white light appeared at the far end of the tunnel, steadily approaching.
Beep, beep…
Soon, a horn sounded.
The members of the Joker Gang, on high alert, raised their guns and stared in disbelief at the person approaching.
Batman on an electric bike?
Yes, Alan had tracked them down. It wasn't easy to wander around Gotham City and find the Joker's hideout. Bruce had Commissioner Gordon to provide clues, but Alan had his own methods. He had spent a huge sum of five dollars to ask a homeless man about the Joker Gang's recent activities. Although five dollars was just relief money, it was the only money Alan had left. He had felt pained about it for a long time, which only strengthened his resolve to fight crime. He had then proceeded to beat up hundreds of gang members until he finally found their exact location.
"Joker, you have failed this city." Alan got off his electric bike, the light shining from behind him, illuminating his tall, narrow figure.
The criminal's nightmare, Batman, had appeared. The way he arrived on the scene genuinely shocked the members of the Joker Gang. He really did look like the embodiment of fear.
"Hehehe…" The Joker responded with a crazy laugh. He knew Batman was missing and that the man in front of him was just a fake. He didn't take him seriously at all.
"Hehehehe…" Alan's laugh was even creepier, more penetrating and terrifying in comparison.
"What are you laughing at?" the Joker asked in a low voice.
"If you laugh, I laugh." Who said superheroes couldn't laugh like villains? Alan quite enjoyed it.
"Alan?"
"It's me."
It turned out to be a fellow patient visiting. The Joker couldn't help but let down his guard. "Are you sick? Is that why you're dressed like this?"
"Do you have medicine?"
"…"
The Joker took a deep breath. He felt that the other party's condition was too severe for normal communication. He raised his hand, signaling for his men to open fire.
Suddenly, gunshots and flames intertwined in the tunnel.
When the gunfire subsided, the Joker could no longer see Alan. At the same time, all of his men had collapsed, passed out on the spot.
He felt a cool touch on his neck and heard a whisper in his ear: "Do you have medicine?"
The Joker shuddered in fear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alan sticking to the side of his face. Batman was a normal person, so the Joker was naturally not afraid of him. The problem was, Alan was a real psychopath. He had no idea what he would do.
"What do you want? I can give you money," the Joker negotiated, aggrieved.
"How much?"
"Ah!" Alan suddenly looked solemn. "Don't even think about using money to tarnish my principles of justice."
"Then what do you want me to do?" The Joker had the urge to cry. He was genuinely afraid that the psychopathic man's sense of justice would explode and kill him on the spot. No matter how much he jumped around in front of Batman, the prerequisite was that Batman had a no-kill principle.
"Good question." Alan snorted. "Where did you hide Ah Bat? He's not answering the phone or replying to my texts. Running away won't solve the problem."
"I don't know," the Joker denied flatly. "I haven't seen him in a long time."
"You don't want to say it, do you?"
Click.
At some point, Alan had taken out a lighter and lit it in front of the Joker. He licked his lips. "I just like your unruly look," he threatened. "I hope you can always keep it… hehehe…"
"What are you doing? Don't… don't!" As the flames approached, the Joker shouted anxiously.
Unfortunately, Alan remained indifferent and continued his actions. A burning smell entered his nose. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!" the Joker shrieked. If he didn't confess, all his green hair would be burned off.
Alan stopped the torture and waited patiently for the answer.
"Not long ago, a man came to me and offered me ten million dollars to guide Batman to the mezzanine between the twelfth and thirteenth floors of the Kline Building."
Click.
As soon as the Joker stopped talking, Alan lit the lighter again.
"No, no, no…" The Joker went on. "I sent someone to investigate. The man is a representative of the rich people in Gotham City. He's been helping them do their dirty work."
Soon after, Alan rode his electric bicycle out of the tunnel, satisfied.
The Joker, left behind in the tunnel, was crying in grief. His iconic green hair was now just a layer of charred scalp.
"I already told you everything… why did you still burn my hair? Why…"
***********
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