"You should've asked me before coming to Gotham."
After closing the suite door, Batman faced the three of them. His voice stayed low, controlled—yet the displeasure was obvious. He didn't like heroes from other cities waltzing into Gotham on their own initiative.
Billy—still irritated about missing a great play—spread his hands helplessly. "We just came to watch a game. Who knew this would happen?"
Batman believed him. Even standing in front of Batman, Billy's eyes kept drifting back toward the field like a true fan.
But Ben was different.
Based on what Batman had learned about this kid, Ben didn't show up unless there was something entertaining about to explode.
"Don't look at me," Ben said, shrugging. "I just wanted to watch the Joker pull something stupid. Who would've thought the Penguin had the nerve to try and do business with us?"
He held up both hands as if he were the one being wronged. "Seriously, I didn't see that coming. If Cyborg hadn't dug into it, I wouldn't even know who was behind it."
"Clever and deceitful," Batman said, "Cobblepot is one of the most troublesome opponents I have."
Even if the Penguin had looked pathetic just now, Batman knew better. For someone who still kept a line he refused to cross, Cobblepot was a nightmare—because as long as Batman didn't kill him, Cobblepot always had a way to wriggle free.
Ben snorted. "That's only because you won't go all the way. Taking him out isn't exactly hard."
As far as Gotham villains went, the Penguin was a classic mobster type—no real personal strength. If someone with a darker moral code had wanted him dead, Cobblepot would've been a headless headline a long time ago.
"I don't kill," Batman said. "That's my line."
He paused, then continued—more tired than angry.
"I'm already stretched thin. And even if I removed Cobblepot, his people don't disappear. I can't kill everyone."
The Penguin and his crew were like a swamp of filth baked into Gotham itself.
If Batman tossed a bomb into that swamp before he had a way to drain it, all he'd get was mud splattering everywhere—while the swamp remained exactly what it was.
"Until Gotham loses the soil that grows crime," Batman said, "I need someone keeping those thugs in check. Cobblepot is the most 'principled' among them. For the sake of his business, he'll even cooperate when it benefits him."
Among the shameless, bottomless monsters Batman dealt with, Cobblepot was—relatively speaking—still human.
Beat him up once in a while, squeeze him for underworld intel, and Batman saved himself time.
Ben waved a hand. "Enough about that penguin. What about the Joker? Did you catch him?"
Ben sat back on the sofa and sipped what was left of his oversized slushie. "Did you solve the 'big stunt' he set up for you or not?"
"I handed the Joker over to Gordon and had him taken to Arkham," Batman said. "But the dirty bomb he stole is still missing. Do you have any leads?"
Batman had caught the clown thanks to Gordon's information, but the real headache remained: nobody knew where the dirty bomb was.
It could poison half the city beyond repair—and the only people who knew where it was were lunatics.
If Ben didn't have something, Batman was honestly going to have to borrow Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth.
Ben didn't answer immediately. Instead, he named his price.
"I want to drive the Batmobile."
"I can have Alfred drive you back," Batman countered, brow tightening. He tried to bargain—offering one of the luxury cars at Wayne Manor, with Alfred as chauffeur.
"I want to drive the Batmobile."
Batman's offer didn't even register. Ben repeated himself without blinking.
"Do you even have a license?" Batman asked, testing whether Ben actually knew how to drive.
"I don't care. I want to drive the Batmobile!"
Ben dug in, unreasonably stubborn, refusing to budge until Batman paid up.
To Batman, the Batmobile wasn't some sacred relic—he had more than one. The issue was that he didn't want someone doing reckless driving in a weaponized tank through city streets.
"Get your license first," Batman said at last.
Ben's face lit up instantly, like he'd just won a lawsuit.
"Deal!" he said brightly. "You said it!"
Outside the stadium, Cobblepot climbed into his luxury car the moment he left. He needed to get back to his base and figure out how to contact his next "partner."
Amanda Waller wasn't a good option.
But aside from that disgusting politician, he was running out of choices.
On the ride back, Cobblepot unbuttoned his suit jacket to breathe easier. He lifted his cigarette holder, and his secretary immediately leaned in to light it for him.
"To hell with Batman," Cobblepot muttered.
He took a long drag, blew out a few rings, and kept ranting.
"That damn bat—and all those freaks and monsters—turn Gotham upside down, and who keeps the underground stable? Me! If I wasn't holding things down, would Gotham look this 'good' right now?"
He hadn't even finished fishing for agreement from his secretary when—
BANG.
Something slammed down onto the roof with enough force to cave it inward. The car jolted and stopped abruptly, as if pinned by an invisible weight.
"What the hell?" Cobblepot snapped, startled. "What's going on?!"
He barely had time to process the question before a hand punched straight through the window glass, seized his collar, and yanked him out through the opening like he weighed nothing.
Dazed, Cobblepot looked up at the man who'd grabbed him.
Tall. Powerfully built. Wearing a bat-suit he'd never seen before.
And in the other hand—
A gun.
The barrel pressed against Cobblepot's forehead.
Thomas Wayne.
Flashpoint Batman.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 120)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 100)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 100)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter89)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter86)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter63)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter75)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 53
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 57
From Junkman to Wasteland 35
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