Volume 4: The Last Day Chapter 64: Deadly Joke: Power Up Edition
"???"
When Damian next to him heard the old man say the name "Martha", his eyes widened for a moment.
The little madman stared at his "grandfather from another world" with an expression that said "I must have heard it wrong, you must be kidding", and the old man looked down at him and put his hand on Damian's shoulder to prevent the child from getting scared by the cruel fact and running away.
After all, in the conversation just now, it was not just Damian and Mason who were getting intelligence from the old man. The old man also quietly got a lot of information from Damian.
For example, he already knows that in Bruce Wayne's world, the Joker is Batman's most terrifying enemy, and he has almost brought the Bat Family to the brink of destruction many times.
In this situation, when Damian learned the explosive truth that his grandmother was a clown, his reaction was naturally within the old man's expectations.
Now the little madman finally understood the meaning of the strange look that Mason, the evil guy, gave him before getting off the car.
asshole!
That guy knew it a long time ago!
All kinds of noisy sounds were coming from the ward in front of the two people, which was originally extremely gloomy. Just by listening to the noises, one could guess how panicked the people inside were.
It's like the scene where a young man lying dead suddenly receives a call from his parents saying that they have arrived at the rental house where he lives alone. The messy room needs to be cleaned up, the clothes that are scattered around need to be sorted out, the bowls and plates from three days ago need to be thrown into the sink, and the dirty floor has no time to be swept so he can only mess around.
"No! Don't let him in!"
Martha Wayne's scream was piercing at this moment, echoing through the room amid the chaos. She shouted:
“Thomas! Give me a few more minutes, this is such a mess… Oh my God! No! Water, I need water, these damn paints… No, my wound.
Oh my god.
My son’s bloodline came back to see his grandma, oh my god, it’s a dream come true.
Yet I have become a... monster.
He'll be terrified.
No, Thomas.
Take him away!
Martha has left, Martha is dead, and the only one left here is Zhou Keer.
I can't see him.
I can’t…”
The sound in the ward became lowered.
But a woman's suppressed crying sound rang out from it, and in the surrounding darkness, the sound alarmed the hopeless patients in other wards.
Seeing that the Joker, the "Arkham female bully", was actually crying, these bastards suddenly started to make a noise. They banged on the cell door like crazy and made all kinds of strange noises, taunts and provocations.
This dead silent and hopeless place suddenly became lively as if it were New Year’s Day.
"Bang"
A bullet flew out of the old man's gun and hit the iron door behind him. Amid the harsh sound, the old but strong knight of revenge said in a hoarse voice:
"Be quiet! Or I'll help you be quiet!"
Thomas Wayne in this world's Gotham City is not known as a playboy. Judging from what he has done over the years, he should have his own "VIP room" in this bustling place.
Therefore, this shout was filled with a certain kind of tyrannical deterrent force, which made the chaotic noise suddenly quiet down a lot.
Old Man Thomas looked at Damian. He squatted down, put his hand on Damian's shoulder, and looked at the complicated look in his grandson's eyes.
He whispered:
“Don’t be afraid, Damian. She is your relative. No matter how crazy she is, she will not hurt you. I brought you here not just to satisfy my guilt or resentment towards Martha.
There are also very practical reasons.
I didn't tell that cunning Mason some truths, the entire Assassin's League are my 'peers'.
The news of your presence will soon be noticed by the Black Arrows, and with them pouring out across the east coast, I cannot guarantee that I can protect you in this city.
I need Martha's strength, which was impossible before.
Bruce's death created an irreparable rift between her and me, and her malicious murder of Harvey Dent and Gordon in a fit of madness made me completely despair of her.
For the past decade or so, she has been my most troublesome opponent.
It's like the Batman and Joker story you're familiar with, but the relationship between her and I is obviously much more complicated."
The old man sighed, put the gun in Damian's hand, and said:
“But your appearance is an opportunity. Only you can temporarily bridge the terrible rift . As long as you make a request, she will never refuse.
Child, listen to me.
You are in a very dangerous situation now!
You must get her help, but I will not force you to do these things. I will leave all the choices to you."
The little madman glanced at the gun in his hand, then looked at the old man in front of him who finally showed anxiety and worry when the two were alone. He pursed his lips, put his hand on the door lock, took a deep breath, and said:
“Mason is a pain in the ass, but he can be trusted.
We are not here to do any harm, and if even half of what Mason claims is true, then he will do his best to help the world.
And from what I've seen so far, you really need help.
We need all the help we can get...
My grandpa taught me this.”
"Your grandfather is a dangerous man. He has instilled in you some very dangerous ideas. You should learn from your father."
Thomas took out a key and opened the closed door in front of him. He said to Damian:
"Go in, I will protect you here, don't be afraid, remember! Men of the Wayne family never lack courage."
Damian nodded.
He looked at the room in front of him that was so dark that no light could be seen, and walked into it. The floor of the not-so-big room was littered with all kinds of debris.
The things that Martha broke when she was nervous and crazy just now turned this place into a garbage dump.
Right in front of Damian, a person wearing a dirty purple vest with a green shirt underneath was hunched over, with all kinds of spilled paint next to her hands. She heard footsteps behind her and covered her face with shaking shoulders.
She screamed hoarsely:
"Don't come over here! Baby, don't come near me, I will hurt you... Get out! Get away from here with Thomas! Thomas, you disgusting piece of trash!
Take him away!"
The voice was full of hatred and malice, and indeed resembled the terrifying sound that the legendary clown would make when he went crazy.
But the more she resisted, the more the fear in Damian's heart dissipated. He could feel the struggle in the heart of this crazy relative in front of him.
After falling into chaos for many years, this might be the first time that she tried her best to maintain her shaky sanity, just hoping not to scare her lost and found baby.
That attitude was almost humble.
"I'm right here."
Damian put the gun on the ground and reached forward to place his hand on the Joker's shaking shoulder.
He tried his best to make his voice sound gentler. His mother had arranged for him to take various professional courses since he was a child, and he knew very well what he should do in this situation.
He said:
"Martha…you won't hurt me. I know you care about me. I'm here, and I'm real. This isn't a fantasy or a dream."
Damian's other hand rested on Martha Wayne's arm which was covered in paint or blood.
This action made the latter pull her hand back as if she had been electrocuted, but Damian held her wrist.
He whispered:
"Look, I'm real, don't you want to hug me?"
"You are not him!"
Martha Wayne, who was crying just now, suddenly said in a cold voice:
"My son is not that strong, you are lying to me, you little bastard!"
"Damian! Come out! Quick!"
Thomas at the door was startled and rushed into the room immediately but was stopped by Damian.
His wrist was held tightly by Martha, and her nails dug into his flesh, causing him pain. However, he did not fight back but took a step forward. Being so close to her made Martha lower her head to cover her face.
She was really afraid that Damian would see her face.
"I'm not Bruce Wayne."
Damian gestured to the old man not to come closer. He gently hugged Martha in front of him and explained:
“I am his son. I grew up in another world. I only found out not long ago that my last name is Wayne, but I didn’t get to see you and Thomas in that manor.
In our world, you and Thomas protected Bruce in that alley.
He survived, but you died.
I know Bruce misses you very much. He has grown up but is still trapped in the nightmare of the past. I didn't lie to you, Martha.
Your son really needs your help.
I will take you to see him, but now I need you to help us, there are people who are trying to stop you from seeing your son and my father again, and those people want to kill me."
Damian whispered in Martha's ear:
"They want to take me away from you again . They want you to never see your Bruce again..."
“They dare!”
Martha let out a shrill scream from her shaking body, but then, as if she was afraid of scaring Damian, she patted the little lunatic on the back with her backhand in a soft voice.
She hummed a lullaby, and under the old man's gaze, she reached out and truly hugged Damian.
In this dark and cold place, she sat on the ground holding Damian in her arms, her face, which was covered with paint and terrible scars, was filled with a deep and twisted tenderness.
As for the little lunatic...
He now felt like he was being held by a tigress and could be bitten to death at any time, but he had to stay calm.
"Come……"
Damian, who was being hugged, waved softly to the old man.
The latter hesitated for a moment, but finally stepped forward.
As he approached, Damian could clearly feel Martha's muscles tensing up as she held him, like a mother animal protecting her cubs, ready to attack at any time.
But with his pat on the shoulder to comfort her, and when the old man squatted down and placed his shaking hands on the shoulders of the two women, Martha finally did not stab out the prison knife hidden in her sleeve.
"I have a plan, Thomas..."
Martha, holding Damian, licked her lips in the darkness and said in a hoarse voice:
"Go and release those bastards in the cells next door. Someone is trying to hurt my little baby. I want to give them the warmest welcome."
"Those criminals will get away, Martha."
Damian immediately knew what his "grandmother from another time and space" was going to do. He said with some concern:
"Perhaps they will take advantage of the chaos..."
"No, my little Bruce, let your grandparents worry about these troubles. My little cutie, it's late now, you should go to bed and have a rest."
Martha stretched out her paint-covered finger and gently placed it against Damian's lips.
She covered her face and said in a hoarse voice as if coaxing a child:
"You never have to worry about these things. Grandma is back and she will protect you. These bastards will be obedient. They all know who I am.
If they dare to escape, I will...
hehe.
They dare not.
Well, I need a basin of water, a set of clean clothes and an assistant. Look at my hair, how can I take care of my little Bruce?"
——
“These Amazons trust us very much, but Queen Diana is a cunning leader. She is currently recovering from the poison. I guess she will find a way to find out about the three of us after she recovers.
In addition, the Amazon warriors on the island have begun to gather, and it seems that they are preparing for a formal battle with the Atlanteans. "
Talia's calm and indifferent voice came from the communicator.
After Catwoman's warning, the aspiring Queen of Assassins wasted no time in contacting Mason and relaying the information she had gathered to the captain.
"I see."
Mason's heart sank.
Just as he was about to continue asking questions, he heard a loud explosion in Arkham Asylum in front of him, which made Mason realize that something had happened there.
He gave up the idea of asking for more details, rode his motorcycle to the burning asylum, and said:
“Talia, I’m not sure whether Barry Allen is dead or alive, and I don’t know where he will go next, but if I were him, after escaping from an attack in a strange world, I would definitely look for my teammates first.
Therefore, it is possible that he will appear on Paradise Island.
If you or Selena encounter him, remember to keep him steady.
I am following your two father-in-law's lead to find the truth about the end of this world. I will inform you in time when there is news. As far as the current situation is concerned, we can cooperate with Barry Allen.
The premise is that the young man must calm down first, or at least see the situation he is facing clearly. "
"What do you mean by 'our two fathers-in-law'?"
Talia asked back in an unhappy tone:
"Just because Thomas Wayne is Bruce's father doesn't mean he is my father. Bruce and I no longer have any relationship. I am not a pathetic woman like Selina who is willing to give up her independence and depend on a man.
You'd better not challenge me on this, Mason.
But if Bruce really knew that we found his father, he would be very happy, although this Thomas Wayne sounds very dark and evil and is very suitable to join the Assassin's League. "
"You'd better forget it. If the old man joins your Assassin's League, I'm afraid you won't survive the first night... He is not someone you can easily control."
Mason sneered at Talia's tone and said:
"And I think the 'surprise' Bruce can get in this world may not be as simple as finding his father.
In short, establish stable contact with the Atlantis teammates as soon as possible. I need some intelligence from the bottom of the sea to support my current assessment of the situation."
"Okay, I will pass on any news from Bane as soon as possible."
Talia responded:
"But if I want to form a second team for Team K after I go back, I will need some helpers. There are many Amazons here who cannot get what they want under the rule of their queen..."
"It's up to you."
Mason descended from the sky on a motorcycle.
Seeing Penguin hiding behind a luxury car and shooting at the soldiers rushing out of the burning Arkham Asylum, he shook his head and said:
"As long as you have the ability to empty the entire Paradise Island, I won't stop you. That's it. We'll talk next time."
The moment the communication was cut off, Mason jumped off the motorcycle, pulled out a silver pistol and fired forward.
The Penguin Butler was suddenly relieved of the pressure by the shooting support of the man falling down, but before the two of them could catch their breath, they heard a more violent explosion.
Amid the flames, Mason looked up and saw an old man and a woman in a robe walking out of the burning Arkham Asylum, one on each side.
And between them was Damian Wayne, whose hands were held.
If the old man and the old woman hadn't each been holding a gun, and if there hadn't been a lot of strange-looking guys behind them cheering and burning and looting, this scene would have been like a family returning from an outing and could have been truly healing.
This is especially true for the Wayne family.
"Click"
Mason quickly took a photo to keep as a souvenir.
But the next moment, he had a pearl-handled black revolver pointed at his head, and the green-haired woman who wrapped her whole body in a cloak looked at him with vicious eyes.
After a few seconds, she exchanged glances with Damian beside her, and threatened in a hoarse voice:
"You're the one who's been bullying my little Bruce? You're the one who dragged my little baby into this damn danger? Do you want me to let you taste the bullet?"
"It's me, that's right."
In the light of the burning fire, Mason spread his hands to indicate that he meant no harm, and said softly:
"But on the bright side, it's me who brought your family together, it's me who gave you the chance to see baby Bruce again and I'm happy to do it.
So, Mrs. J, put the gun down, okay?
A shot now would only make matters worse for me.
What I mean is, you don't want to have to deal with your naughty grandson who has learned to secretly tell tales to his parents with a face that can scare a child to tears, right?
You are obviously suffering from a serious illness, and I have medicine here. I am an alchemist. I can't cure you, but at least I can make sure that you don't scare your son when you appear in front of him.
Martha! Martha...
I'm your friend, and I really don't want to kill another clown."
