"Bruce! What in the world is going on?! Why does it know all my moves and weaknesses? What is this robot, 'Fault Insurance,' anyway? I feel like it knows us really well!"
Tim, bruised and battered, lay on the ground, two short batons clutched in his hands, speaking weakly into his comms.
"Cough, cough, cough! I'll figure something out, Tim. Quickly, try to contact the Justice League. I can't handle this guy."
Bruce Wayne, clad in a tattered Bat-suit, sat in the Batmobile, looking in the rearview mirror at Fault Insurance speeding down the road behind him.
He honestly hadn't known about Fault Insurance's existence, but the moment it attacked him today, he instantly recognized its origin.
It truly was something he had created himself.
Many could create powerful robots, but only he, Batman, could create such a powerful robot that knew the Bat-Family so intimately.
However, that Batman wasn't Bruce Wayne.
Or rather, not entirely.
As it pursued them, Fault Insurance seemed to unlock more functions, plasma beams shooting from its legs, causing it to accelerate.
Bruce Wayne's heart sank.
To evade Fault Insurance's pursuit, he had already sustained serious injuries, and all the ammunition loaded in the Batmobile had been used up.
In a few more seconds, it would catch up.
Just then, the roar of a motorcycle sounded. Nightwing, riding a custom motorcycle with the Bat-symbol, sped head-on toward the Batmobile.
"No, Grayson, you're no match for it."
"And you are? Right now, you're the one who got beaten the worst."
Nightwing retorted, then pressed a button on his motorcycle.
Just as the motorcycle was about to collide with the Batmobile, it leaped high, soaring over the Batmobile and hurtling toward Fault Insurance.
The next second, the explosives loaded in the motorcycle detonated, smoke rising.
Nightwing executed an elegant backflip in mid-air, landing perfectly.
Then, a black metal foot, easily size fifty-plus, kicked him flying.
Unscathed by the smoke, Fault Insurance emerged completely unharmed, kicking Nightwing aside, then continued its pursuit of the Batmobile.
The poor Bat-kid only managed to hold off Fault Insurance for less than a second.
"Now you're much worse off than me, Grayson. Also, Tim is the one who got beaten the worst among us."
Batman's words were sharp, but he didn't slow down, controlling the Batmobile as it sped toward an old Batcave outside the city.
He knew that among everyone, he was actually the most likely to be killed by Fault Insurance.
A Batman who had somehow been deemed to have triggered a "fault."
"Tim, Grayson, I'll lead the robot to Batcave Four."
Batman floored the accelerator, successfully entering the Batcave and activating its defensive modules before Fault Insurance could catch him.
These defenses could only delay it for a short time.
But Batman knew how to defeat this formidable robot.
Explosions continuously echoed from the tunnel entrance. Batman, dragging his injured body, pulled an iron box from a corner of the Batcave and opened it.
Inside was a new Bat-suit.
But unlike the previous Bat-suits, which were predominantly black and grey, this one was primarily purple and red.
Batman quickly stripped off his clothes and put on the suit.
"It's your turn to deal with this, my other self."
As the purple cowl and suit covered his skin, Batman's demeanor instantly transformed.
This was his alternate personality, Zur-En-Arrh.
From the day the Justice League was formed, Batman had prepared plans for every member, including himself, in case they ever lost control and went rogue.
He was more concerned about himself losing control than any other Justice League member. So, he revisited the mind-control techniques he had learned in Asia during his youth. After a series of operations, he created an alternate personality, Zur-En-Arrh, which served both as a defense against mental attacks and a means to restrict himself.
Everything Batman could do, Zur-En-Arrh could also do.
It was another Batman created by Batman himself, to prevent Batman from turning dark and crossing the line.
Zur-En-Arrh had also created Fault Insurance as a means to deal with Batman, and had actively blocked its own memory during that time.
Should Batman cross the line and turn dark, starting to kill, the carefully crafted Fault Insurance would activate.
They were both Batman, one with a plan and one without. The unprepared Bruce Wayne was no match for Fault Insurance; he could only try to call upon Zur-En-Arrh.
Since Zur-En-Arrh had always been hidden within him, it would know whether Batman had crossed the line.
In such a situation, it would help Batman.
"You must have a contingency plan for Fault Insurance. Tell me what it is."
In his subconscious, Batman's primary personality spoke to Zur-En-Arrh.
"On the Watchtower in space."
Zur-En-Arrh stated.
The next moment, the door burst open, and Fault Insurance, its entire body flashing with red warning lights, strode towards the Bat-God.
Outside the Batcave, Nightwing and Tim, having quickly tended to their injuries, arrived, weapons in hand.
For powerful reinforcements had arrived.
As if a background track had begun, Wonder Woman, clad in armor, wielding her sword and shield, and with her lasso at her waist, gazed resolutely into the Batcave.
She had arrived so quickly because she happened to be in Gotham.
Earlier, she had asked Qingshui and Batman to gather information on artifacts related to the ancient Greek gods, and today was their agreed-upon meeting time.
...
...
Meanwhile, Qingshui's private jet was steadily flying on its route from Metropolis to Gotham.
Qingshui had just finished his work and was about to eat lunch.
No sooner had he put on his napkin and picked up his knife and fork, poised over the steak on his plate, than he heard the electronic sound of Watos from his watch.
Received distress signal from Batman.
A distress signal from Batman?
Qingshui raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked out the airplane window as if sensing something.
A muscular man in a red cape and blue tights burst through the clouds, gave Qingshui a slight nod, then plunged downwards, flying towards Gotham.
He even called Superman?
It seemed it was indeed no small matter; Batman couldn't handle it alone, which was why he called for strong reinforcements.
But with the current lineup of the Justice League, unless it was a multiverse-level event like an invasion by Barbatos or Darkseid, or Batman suddenly went insane and tried to wipe out the Justice League, they should be able to handle most threats on Earth.
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