"What about the one under investigation now?"
"You've mentioned it's under investigation. If I collude with him, wouldn't Batman be upset with me?"
"You definitely can't collude openly," Shiller laughed, "and you can't initiate it either, or you'll easily be planted by Batman."
Bruce chuckled, bumped Shiller's shoulder, and said, "I didn't expect you'd take this job. I thought that old workhorse would handle it again."
"If the agent hears you talk like that, he'll definitely shoot you," Shiller rolled his eyes slightly.
"I know you're doing it for me," Bruce said, "How's it going? Have you found out his background yet? If Batman's been investigating him for this long, he must not be ordinary, right?"
"The quality seems okay," Shiller paused before saying, "Just bringing back relatives through revival and emotional manipulation is quite clever. If it weren't for that Batman in the cosmos being difficult, he might have succeeded."
"Well, his choice isn't great either, picking the toughest cosmos to deal with," Bruce said disdainfully.
Shiller shook his head and said, "The situation in that cosmos is indeed the worst; Batman's peak has already passed. If I hadn't gone over, their battle would be really hard. But because their peaks are staggered, everyone is very independent and strong. Just a little external interference and they can handle things on their own. So, the fact that guy can hang on with them until now is quite impressive."
Bruce nodded and said, "There's not much profit to squeeze from Barbados lately; this Dark Alliance is really tough to deal with. Even if he's not great, I have to make do with him."
"But the thing to note is, he's using Death's power, meaning resurrecting the dead. If you want to use him, you might need to die once first."
"If he can pull me back from Heaven and revive me, he's really something," Bruce said with a smirk.
"Should I set up a meeting between you two?"
Bruce shook his head and said, "It's not time yet; we need to wait for an opportunity, or you can create one for me."
"Alright," Shiller nodded, "I don't think it'll be long before they become anxious. How do you plan to show up?"
"I haven't decided yet. What do you think?"
"For now, practical value is more important; they're really short on hands. Plus, they don't want to expose superpowers, so they need someone powerful. Why not act as a super villain?"
"Are you saying superpower users? That won't work. If I'm too omnipotent, I'll be doing all the work. It has to be someone who can't act easily but is lethal when they do."
"You mean the old workhorse you mentioned," Shiller snorted.
"You're talking about the agent? Maybe it's doable..."
"Law enforcers won't work either; they won't trust you—it's better to be a hitman," Shiller said, "I'll create an opportunity for you to move. You just need to shoot; can you aim accurately?"
"Don't worry, I've been practicing my skills lately," Bruce said while shaking his neck and rubbing his wrists, "That metal shell is really tough. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the same species as him. If I keep training with him, I'll soon become Batman again."
Shiller knew he was referring to Arkham Batman. They've been at odds for a while. Arkham Batman is truly relentless in revenge; in the Battleworld instances, he's crashed into Bruce countless times, using Bruce's score to rank up.
Evidently, Bruce was also pushed to his limit. After all, he was once Batman, and if he trains seriously, he still has some skills. Shiller felt reassured and said, "Alright, wait for my message."
Later, just as Clark and Diana suspected, this whole sequence of events was orchestrated by Shiller, including the theft of artifacts and documents, Diana being framed, and the assassination attempt on the President. Objectives like creating pressure or finding evidence of impostors weren't significant. The most important thing was to set up a stage for Bruce to make his grand entrance and successfully join the God of Death's team.
Overall, the plan was going very well. Amanda was very enthusiastic about Bruce. Although this head agent lacks long-term vision and is quite evil, she's been in this industry for years and definitely knows talent.
That shot, in the eyes of professionals, was astonishing. If there were a ranking list for professional hitmen, Bruce could claim the top spot with that shot alone, effortlessly.
Among such top-notch individuals, even Amanda considers herself fortunate. In her career, she hasn't met such a top-notch hitman before. Even if it's not for assassinating the President, but for her future career, she's naturally attentive, eager to lift Bruce to great heights.
Of course, this is mainly because they're on the same inescapable pirate ship. The President assassination is too big of a deal; Amanda isn't like before, threatening people with leverage, precisely because of this. Just shooting at the President provided the biggest piece of leverage, so wouldn't the other side be at her beck and call? Showing some good face isn't a big deal; maybe she could drag a few more unlucky ones into it.
Precisely because this leverage is so significant, Amanda feels confident handing the lead role to Bruce. The discussion centers around him, with others providing cover, just to ensure he fires the final, crucial shot.
But clearly, someone wasn't satisfied with this arrangement. Without a word, Damian sat in his seat, staring intently at Bruce. He seemed to be lost in his memories, yet unwilling to let others see, his expression twisted to the extreme.
You see, when Damian was born, Batman was still very young, much like Bruce. This reminded him of those days. But it was impossible for his father to remain so young. So, this young man who resembled him so much might be his father's other son.
Thinking of this, Damian felt a surge of anger in his heart. He clenched his fists tightly. That rainy night, Batman's indifferent attitude and cold words when he saw him, his complete lack of concern—all of it made sense now.
He had other children who were more like him, more outstanding. A younger son who died early was not worth reminiscing over.
No wonder, he would say he lacked foresight, and conversations with him felt like a waste of time. Because he had no value anymore, he shouldn't have returned.
"Damian, what do you think? Damian? Damian?" Amanda threw down her pen in dissatisfaction, looking at Damian, "It's work time now, who are you putting that expression on for? If you don't want to participate, then get out..."
Damian threw down his pen as well and left directly. Amanda coldly stared at his back, then said, "Ignore him, he'll come back later. Let's continue."
After leaving the meeting room, Damian didn't know where to go. Although he was now a fugitive, he knew those police couldn't catch him, so inexplicably he left the base and looked in a certain direction.
The cold wind blew, and Damian gained some clarity. He realized something was wrong. If that person named Neway was truly Batman's child, how could he become an assassin? And even attempt to assassinate the president?
You know, Batman and Superman had always been partners. One would weave an enormous lie, while the other would work hard to cover it up, they were the perfect team. If he killed Superman, it could possibly ruin all of Batman's efforts.
Suddenly, Damian thought of a possibility; could it be that the surviving son also hated him?
Yes, such a person, with a mind full of crime-fighting, never caring about the consequences. Knowing Joker would throw him down, he even gave him a push. Who would like such a merciless person who caused the death of their own biological son?
Thinking about this, Damian felt a twisted pleasure in his heart. That's what he would do, pushing everyone around him away, eventually becoming utterly alone. This was his retribution.
Damian took several deep breaths. No, he had to go back and see. He needed to see with his own eyes the misery of that old bat, to let him know that it was all his fault.
Damian directly walked toward the direction of Gotham. They were actually not far from New Jersey State. It didn't take long for Damian to arrive at Wayne Manor.
He stood outside for quite a while, but he couldn't suppress the dark emotions within. After some time, he directly climbed over the garden wall and entered the living room. As soon as he entered, he saw Batman sitting on the sofa alone.
Batman turned his head and revealed a hint of surprise upon seeing Damian. But quickly, as if nothing had happened, he said, "You're back."
Damian felt his heart being suddenly wrenched. How could he be so nonchalant, as if he had just gone out to play and was now back, as if he had never left him?
"Batman," Damian shouted, "Is Neway your son?"
"Who is Neway?" Batman asked.
Damian wanted Batman to stop pretending, but then thought this might be an alias. So he said, "I saw a person who looks a lot like you, but very young. Is he your son?"
Batman thought briefly, then said, "You mean Bruce?"
Damian's eyes widened instantly, his breath momentarily halted. He said in disbelief, "You gave him the name?!"
In European and American countries, it is very normal for a father and son to have the same name. Or rather, getting the name of the grandfather or father signifies the emphasis they place on you.
The name "Damian" is quite nice. Although in Latin, it means "conqueror," believers usually take it to mean "angel" or "Lord's apostle." Such religious names are often laden with deep expectations. Similar to "Thomas," it can also be considered as inheriting a grandfather's name.
But that guy was also named Bruce! Bruce Wayne gave him his name!
Damian couldn't describe his feelings. He felt as if it were all fake. His father couldn't possibly do such a thing. It's like thinking someone is naturally cold and not good at caring, until one day you see how gentle and considerate he is to others, and your entire worldview collapses.
Batman was a good father, Damian had to admit. He was dutiful, never complaining, gave everything that should be given. Except for that last battle, where he didn't perform perfectly, the rest was impeccable, leaving nothing to criticize.
But now, he was more than just dutiful toward someone; it was blatant favoritism. And even after his death, he wasn't the least bit saddened by his departure, quickly finding a replacement, and even liking that one more. This was driving Damian crazy.
Those dark thoughts continuously surged, yet he couldn't muster any other emotions, only involuntarily trembling all over, and then burning up with an irresistible, blazing fury.