"?"
Tim was stunned.
who I am
Where am I
Is this really the Batcave
Tim was lost in thought.
A violent brain storm swept through his mind. In these few short seconds, the mystery of the Big Bang was repeated in his human brain of only 1.4 kilograms. Tim felt a puff of steam rushing out of his head with a bang.
Chen Tao pulled him aside somewhat awkwardly.
"It's a necessary measure, just like an irresistible social engagement."
He explained:
"Baso Carroll (Clayface's real name) is a complete histrionic personality. I'm not sure if you fully understand his true nature—"
"I know very well, Batman. I completely understand the decision you made. It doesn't matter to me." Tim took two deep breaths and barely regained his sanity: "Remember the first time we faced him?"
"He pretended to be restrained by an electric current and then staged a lifelike death. Before that, he disguised himself as various people in Gotham City..."
Chen Tao added, "That's right. This is another kind of madness that cannot be explained by common sense. Baso Caro has no purpose. His only purpose is to play a role. And the ability to transform that his superpowers bring him also enables him to become the best actor in the world."
He continued in a low voice: "Under that shell, there was nothing in his life. After the accident, Basil Caro disappeared completely. What remained was a shell driven by a broken self in pursuit of pure performance."
"Upper-class gentlemen, sanitation workers sweeping the roadside, women, men, children eating lollipops, school teachers, doctors, no matter what the role is, as long as Baso Caro feels it is challenging, he will start to play these people in the next period of time..."
"He will beat up the original owner, then dump him somewhere far away from Gotham, in a messy place, and then take his place until the original owner comes back."
Chen Tao said: "He is pursuing an acting career, so I will just give him a script that is challenging enough."
Tim looked at the other man. There was a small performance booklet stuck to his huge palm. Tim glanced down and saw the words written on it:
From Arkham to the Batcave: How to Become Batman's Favorite Robin
The following subtitles are:
Baso Caro's Youth Robin Diary: A just life needs no explanation!
On the back it says:
How was Batman's favorite Robin created
What are the super rules to be Robin
How to win Batman's favor and make him regard you as his only one
All the answers are in this book. Everyone can become Robin, just read this epic novel!
"… "
Tim felt that he should be angry, and he had every reason to be angry.
But the strange thing is that the anger seemed to be suppressed by something else, so it didn't surge into my heart at all.
His eyes glanced at the book.
This book was written by Batman.
I don’t really want to know what’s written on it!!!
"Have you already written this book?"
"Yes, that's right." Chen Tao answered him. He was still immersed in his plan to manipulate the Clayface Man through various despicable means:
"I had written it before. As early as when I went to deal with the ventriloquist, I had thought about how to control the Clayface... For these mentally ill psychopaths, the core operating ideas are different, but they are the same."
He added:
"This book is written specifically to target Basocarlo's weaknesses. Everything in it is what Robin would do..."
Tim was no longer in the mood to listen to Batman continue.
"You have to show me this booklet later." He said righteously:
“I must make a profound criticism.”
Chen Tao didn't understand what the other party was thinking, so he nodded and said, "Okay. I'll open it on the Batcomputer and show it to you later."
"I want one too! I want one too!" Harley Quinn raised her hand excitedly: "Give me one too!"
She struck a boxing pose and laughed out loud: "The first female Robin in history, Harley Quinn's Robin career diary, please look forward to it, it will be serialized!"
It was silent.
As Tim looked at her with murderous eyes, her good friend Poison Ivy tugged at the corner of Harley Quinn's clothes.
"Why are you pulling me? I want to—wooooooooooooo!"
Before Harley Quinn could finish her words, Poison Ivy blocked her mouth with a bunch of plants. She smiled apologetically at Tim and made a gesture to continue.
Chen Tao ignored the little actions between them. He gave a few brief commands to the Batcomputer, and then dozens of hidden lift-type transparent glass cages rose from the underground of the Bat Cave Hall.
He called Killer Croc, Ventriloquist and Harley and asked them to stuff all the villains controlled by the chips in one by one.
While they were working, he made a video call to Alfred:
"Batman calling Penny-One. How long will it take for the Talon Assassins to be transported back?"
"There's still about an hour and a half left."
Alfred, who was facing the painting, pulled the joystick, and the mechanical arm of the Batplane grabbed a bunch of unfortunate claws that were still twitching and missing limbs, just like grabbing dolls in a claw machine. "There are too many of them. I have to grab them for a while longer."
"I can't believe I have to put them all together! I haven't played with construction toys in over 60 years, since I threw away my jigsaw puzzle at age 4. And now I have to put together hundreds of incomplete limbs at once," the old housekeeper exclaimed.
"… Thanks for your hard work."
Chen Tao said.
"It's not hard. This is what I should do, sir." Alfred shook his head and said, "They can help you, right? These claws can become your strength and help you fight against Bane, even if it only consumes a little of his physical strength."
He said, "They can make sure you don't have any more wounds on your body, right?"
"Yes." Chen Tao answered him: "The Claws are indeed a fighting force that cannot be ignored. They are very useful."
"Then what I've done is meaningful." Alfred said, "About that four days later... Promise me that you will come back safely, okay?"
Chen Tao was silent for a while.
Alfred was not the kind of person who would repeatedly emphasize his efforts to others, but today he was acting out of character. He knew what the other person was thinking.
The old butler was just trying to catch his poor little Bruce with his own efforts.
The old man just stubbornly wanted a promise, a promise of returning safely... Whether this promise could be fulfilled or not was not something he could decide.
He just wanted the promise.
"I will." Chen Tao assured him: "We agreed to live in seclusion, remember? I promised you. We will go to Fiji, or the Hawaiian Islands, or Metropolis... a place where no one knows us, after the matter in Gotham is over."
"I will retire with you," Batman promised. "I will return safely."
"I have a lot of Arkham Asylum villains right now, and they're going to get in before me."
Chen Tao said: "With them draining Bane's energy, I won't lose."
Alfred lowered his head slightly, making it difficult to see the expression on his face, and then the next moment, his smile turned bright like the clear sky.
"good."
"We agreed, Bruce... You must keep your promise!"
"good."
They hung up the communication.
Chen Tao took a deep breath, stood up, and walked into one of the transparent cages.
He snapped his fingers, and the prisoner in the cage was immediately freed from the chip's control.
"Harvey Dent, Two-Face, old friend." Chen Tao said, "I need your help."
"Don't even think about it. Even if I, Two-Face, die of boredom and jump off from Arkham, I won't help Batman at all!"
Chen Tao narrowed his eyes.
"That's not up to you. Hehehe..."