novelhk Chapter 418 Barbara berates Batman
Chapter 418 Barbara berates Batman
Chapter 418 Barbara berates Batman
Bruce told the driver to go back first.
In the short time it took Rune to glance back at the departing car, Bruce had already transformed from a playboy into a superhero in casual clothes.
"Impressive," Rune praised. The Flash could do that too, but only with the help of the Speed Force.
Batman showed no expression; he simply led the way into the apartment.
Rune then encountered various traps and mechanisms, but most of them were melee weapons, and they were quickly stopped, clearly because Barbara recognized Batman.
Rune followed Batman, saying with a wicked grin, "She should know that this won't stop the Joker from kidnapping her, right? Maybe even someone like the Ratcatcher could walk right in."
The rat catcher Rune was referring to was a Gotham native named Otis Flanigan. His profession, like his codename, was always a dutiful job, but such people in Gotham usually don't have a good ending.
He witnessed a murder and was terrified. At the time, Gordon was just an ordinary police officer, and Batman didn't exist yet. The Gotham police thought he was easy to bully, so they arrested him, tortured him severely, and then sent him to Blackgate Prison.
As everyone knows, those who can get out of Blackgate are all ruthless characters. The Ratcatcher confessed to the rats in prison, believing that the rats he had eliminated were innocent, and that the real threat to Gotham City was the humans living there.
His actions unexpectedly won the favor of the Red of All Beings, and thus the rat catcher gained the ability to communicate with and control the rats.
Batman did not refute it, because Rune was right.
The various traps here are actually quite well laid out, but they can all be overcome by sacrificing lives. Whether it's humans or rats, they can effectively deplete the traps set by Barbara.
As for what will happen in close combat—even though Barbara was trained by Richard Dragon, a top DC fighting master, her wheelchair still limits her performance.
A dozen or so henchmen couldn't do anything to her, but when facing the likes of Bane and Poison Ivy, Barbara could probably only adjust her posture to make sure that the way she was tied up wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
But a dissenting voice came from upstairs.
"Hey, that's not funny!"
"Yeah, and it's not funny to have someone paralyzed from the waist down living upstairs." Rune nodded. "Looks like your dad doesn't want you to move out, right?"
A woman with red hair poked her head out from the stairs. "I'd rather you call it fatherly love."
Barbara seemed to have let go of what the clown had done, and she didn't even care about Rune's teasing.
Rune could sense that Barbara had indeed forgiven the Joker and didn't care about being in a wheelchair, providing Batman with hacking support as an oracle.
But this doesn't mean she forgave Batman, because she used a very sensitive word for the superhero. Barbara was once Batgirl and knew Batman's true identity, so it's impossible that she didn't know this word.
But Barbara did say it, and Batman was powerless against her.
If a typical villain were to utter keywords like "parents," they would already be riddled with fractures by this point.
That's how Batman operates. He doesn't kill people, but he severely injures the ringleaders. Most people would be taught a lesson after being beaten like that once, but Gotham people are more resilient, which is why there are many villains who go down a dark path.
Batman and Rune went upstairs, and Barbara's entire body was exposed to them.
"Sorry I'm still in my pajamas, but I hardly ever go out," she shrugged, "so I'm used to wearing pajamas."
As she spoke, Barbara pushed her wheelchair and took out several bottles of Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator on this floor, handing them to Rune without showing any anger at Rune's previous offense.
Rune politely accepted the drink, but did not drink it.
This stuff tastes like carbonated fritillaria syrup, which he found terribly unpalatable, but most Americans love it.
Moreover, the United States also has beverages with flavors like sparkling ginger juice and sparkling medicated oil. At least in terms of beverage flavors and gender, the United States is quite tolerant.
Oh right, actually I wasn't so tolerant of gender issues later on.
Rune nudged Batman. Ever since stepping into Barbara's house, Batman had been like a puppet, saying nothing. Only after being nudged by the sorcerer did he seem to wake up and walk up to Barbara.
"Barbara—" Batman's voice was processed with a voice changer, but even Rune could hear the hesitation in his voice.
Facing this figure in a black bodysuit, who was like another father to her—at least that's what Barbara once thought—the former Batgirl pushed away her wheelchair and continued looking at the three computer screens.
"What's the matter? I can only provide some technical support here right now, and Gotham is relatively safe. If you just came to check on my safety, you can leave now."
Is it still considered safe?
Rune blinked, carefully sensing the gang fight in the distance, the murder somewhere, and the human smuggling at the docks. Indeed, Gotham was safe tonight.
At least the other villains were all quiet and didn't cause any trouble, and there were no wizards trying to summon demons or anything like that.
Batman didn't answer; he placed a bottle of white liquid on Barbara's desk.
Barbara sighed and glanced back at Batman and Rune.
"Although I have a guess what this thing is, to satisfy you guys—well, tell me what it is, I'm really curious."
"A colloidal solution of an extract." Batman chose his words precisely; he had analyzed this miraculous drug before. "A magical potion. I've tested it for you; it can reconstruct damaged neural pathways."
Barbara's gaze fell on the potion, just as expected, wasn't it?
This wasn't the first time Batman had tried to get her to stand up; it would be hypocritical for her to say she didn't want to drink it, but she was too tired to stand up again.
During her time in a wheelchair, she realized that in the game between Batman and the Joker, she and other members of the Bat-Family were just pawns in the Joker's game.
Unfortunately, Batman cannot guarantee that he will win back all his chips every time.
Sometimes Batman loses some of his chips, but sometimes Batman loses everything.
"The risks are manageable, we can—"
"Us?" Barbara spun her wheelchair around abruptly, her eyes blazing with fury. "No, I'm not part of your 'us,' but the Joker is, isn't he?"
Her voice was filled with grievance and resentment.
All it would have taken was a single shot, a single stab, or even just a hint to Diana from the Justice League to kill that creepy guy who was obsessed with testing humanity.
"These are your legs—"
Batman's response was weak and ineffective. In front of other criminals, he was the embodiment of fear, and language was one of his weapons to spread fear. But in front of Barbara, he was just a father.
He was still an incompetent father.
"No!" Barbara's response was crisp and decisive. "This isn't my leg; this is my choice."
As she spoke, she pointed to the screen, "You, and everyone else working hard for this city, need me, the Oracle, sitting here. They no longer need that bat girl who can run and jump again but has forgotten the lessons of the past!"
Rune thoroughly enjoyed watching this argument, or rather, Barbara's one-sided outburst of anger towards Batman. No wonder Batman was so hesitant, not daring to utter a single word upon arriving here.
This is what they call "one thing subdues another".
Finally, having vented her frustrations, Barbara refocused her gaze on the computer screen. "My value is no longer in my legs. Please take that bottle of false hope with you, and don't forget to close the door behind you. It's not convenient for me to close it for you."
What a great ending, brilliant!
But next, it was Rune's turn.