As Oswald and Victor spoke about their ambitions, flames flickered in the shadows behind Selina. In an instant, Axel emerged, his presence announced by the faint glow of fire.
Selina paused mid-action at the electronic lock, glancing back at him with mild surprise.
"Back already? I was planning to steal your favorite plane as a gift."
Axel smirked. "Really? That is thoughtful. A massive plane that shoots blue flames sounds perfect."
He pulled her into a brief hug before letting go, his attention shifting to the complex lock system in front of them. A web of devices was connected to it, each one carefully arranged.
"How long have you been working on this?" he asked.
Selina exhaled in frustration. "Wayne Enterprises does not play around. The security here is intense, and the firewall is worse. Even for me, this takes time. I have been at it for twenty five minutes already. Give me three more, I will crack it."
She returned to work with full focus.
Axel watched her quietly for a moment, then clicked his tongue. A serious woman did have her charm. He reached out, letting his hand slide lightly across her back.
"Selina, I just got something interesting. A set of nano material clothing, it can merge and separate. Want to see it?"
"I would rather see the person wearing it," she shot back, slapping his hand away without looking.
Axel tried again. She slapped him again.
Time passed.
An hour later, Selina leaned heavily against him, breathing unevenly. She clutched his shoulder, clearly exhausted.
"Take me home. I am done for today. I will come back tomorrow."
Axel chuckled. "Of course."
With a flicker of flame, both of them vanished.
They reappeared instantly in the bedroom. Selina looked around in shock before grabbing his arm.
"You can teleport people now?"
"Yes."
He grinned. "Tested it earlier. Used a leopard first. It survived, so I figured you would too."
Selina frowned and pushed his hand away. "So I am just your test subject?"
"You are also the first human. That counts for something."
She shot him an annoyed look and stepped away, steadying herself.
"I am sleeping in the other room tonight."
Axel shrugged. "Fine by me. Your breathing gets pretty loud anyway."
Selina turned sharply. "That is not snoring."
"Still loud."
"Go to hell, Axel."
She grabbed her things and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
The room fell silent.
Moments later, Axel's phone rang.
He picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. Alfred.
"Alfred, what is it?"
The voice on the other end was urgent. "Something has happened to Master Bruce. Where are you? Are you near Arkham Asylum?"
Axel paused briefly. "I am home."
"You are home?"
"Yes. Just got back."
There was a short silence before the call continued.
Earlier that night, Bruce had left the Iceberg Lounge and made his way toward Arkham Island.
From a rooftop near Arkham Asylum, he observed the area carefully before focusing on a specific car parked on the south side. It belonged to Dr. Jonathan Crane.
Bruce had not initially investigated Crane. However, after noticing Axel had once used that same vehicle, he had looked into it further. What he found was far worse than expected.
Rachel had mentioned Crane's suspicious behavior, protecting criminals and sending them to Arkham under false diagnoses. But Bruce's deeper investigation revealed more.
Over the past three months, several homeless individuals had disappeared near Arkham. Security footage showed patterns, even if it did not directly capture the culprit. Each disappearance aligned with late night ambulance movements from the asylum.
Crane's schedule made it even more suspicious. On nights he worked late, no ambulances left Arkham. On other nights, they did.
That was enough.
Bruce did not need courtroom level evidence. He needed certainty.
And he had it.
After waiting half an hour, he finally saw Crane leave the asylum, carrying a silver briefcase.
As Crane entered his car and started the engine, he suddenly froze.
A hand shot forward from the back seat, locking around his neck.
Bruce's voice was cold. "The missing people. The criminals you protected. You will answer for all of it."
He tightened his grip.
Crane gasped, struggling for air, but managed to open the briefcase. As Bruce glanced at it, Crane triggered a hidden switch.
A dense cloud of gas burst out instantly.
Bruce inhaled it.
In seconds, the world twisted.
He was no longer in the car. He was back in that alley.
Gunshots echoed. His parents fell. His mother's blood filled his vision.
Bruce staggered. "Fear toxin..."
He kicked the car door open and fell out, clutching his head.
Meanwhile, Crane injected himself with an antidote and quickly recovered. He put on his Scarecrow mask and approached Bruce with controlled confidence.
But then he noticed something.
Bruce was reaching for something at his lower back.
Crane moved fast, pinning him down and grabbing the item.
An antidote.
Crane examined it, then smashed it away.
"This is mine... but better."
He pulled out a pistol and fired.
Two shots hit Bruce in the back, sending him to the ground.
Crane approached, forcing Bruce's mouth open. "Where did you get it?"
Bruce did not answer.
Instead, he activated his grappling hook.
The cable shot out, pulling him away instantly.
Crane fired again, but Bruce was already gone.
Barely conscious, Bruce activated his communicator. "I am poisoned... Fear toxin... I cannot find the antidote..."
His body slammed into a wall, then dropped onto a billboard below.
Pain surged through him.
He searched desperately for the antidote, but it was gone.
Just as his vision began to fade, flames flickered beside him.
Axel appeared.
Without hesitation, he injected the antidote.
Bruce's breathing steadied as clarity slowly returned.
Axel crouched beside him, a grin forming.
"Not bad for a first experience."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Congratulations, Batman. You just leveled up."
===
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