Chapter 1458: Birds and Returns (Part 3)_1

Red Robin began to feel a headache coming on.

Given his wisdom, he of course understood that at the point Batman just graduated from college, most of the Batman family members were probably still children, scattered across Gotham or even further away.

Not to mention the Teen Titans, it was even unsure whether Batman even had his first Robin at this point.

At that moment, the mansion's front door was opened again, and Dick walked in carrying his dance costume. All of the Batman family members shot surprised looks at him.

Dick was taken aback by the stares. He took a few seconds to think whether the appearance of these strange-looking people in Wayne Manor had some deeper meaning that he didn't understand, but all his thinking ended up as a yawn.

It was almost nine o'clock now, and he was exhausted from dancing. He was both tired and sleepy, his French homework was still unwritten, so he decided to go upstairs to sleep and wake up early to finish his homework.

After Dick finished yawning, he squinted and waved at Bruce, saying, "Hello everyone, you too, good evening."

As he spoke, he started to walk upstairs, Bruce turned his head to look at him and asked, "Have you finished your French homework?"

"No, I plan to wake up early tomorrow morning to catch up."

"Well, you better get up early. Thomas will be back to pick things up at seven in the morning. If he finds out you haven't finished, we both will be in trouble."

"Don't worry, my biological clock will save you."

After saying this, Dick vanished at the top of the stairs. Bruce shifted his gaze back to the others and said, "I don't care how the Wayne Manor in your universe operates, but here everyone must sleep at nine."

Barbara's eyes widened. She stepped forward and said, "So you let your Robin go to bed at nine, and then you go out alone as Batman? He would be heartbroken!"

"Firstly, what is Robin?"

Nightwing gave a somewhat awkward look, he nudged Barbara's arm and said, "I didn't become Robin the moment I entered Wayne Manor, this Dick might just be his adopted son."

At this moment, the front door was slammed open, and Jason and Tim tumbled in, bundled together on the floor.

Jason was the first to stand up. He grabbed Tim's scarf and pulled him back, saying, "Not teaming up with me in the wrestling game was the biggest mistake you made! You'll learn soon enough!"

"You're the best at getting angry when you're embarrassed!" Tim shot back. "You're trying to take revenge on me just because you didn't win the match, tomorrow I'll shout it out loud in the hallway in front of your class! You're done for, Jason!"

Tim pulled back his scarf with a strong tug. Jason staggered and fell sideways, not noticing what was behind him, he rolled backwards.

As a result, the long hem of Jason's coat slid into the fireplace. The flames flared up instantly, and Tim's eyes bulged, pointing at Jason's back, shouting, "You're on fire!"

"Trying to trick kids? Come on!"

"You really are on fire! Put it out quickly!"

Looking at Tim's horrified expression, Jason looked back and instantly jumped up in even greater horror. Tim was directing him, "Quickly roll to extinguish it!"

"That would set the carpet on fire too, you idiot!"

"Hurry, I'll use the pillow to put it out!"

Bruce let go of Aisha, and walked quickly towards the fireplace. He grabbed Jason's collar and ripped off his coat, throwing it on the floor and stomping out the flames.

"Didn't I say that you were stupid? You really tried to make me roll on the floor? Obviously, we should take off our coats first!"

"You managed to set yourself on fire and you have the nerve to call me stupid?"

At this moment, Alfred who had parked the car walked in. He looked at the ruined hem of the coat on the floor and the soot-stained carpet, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, the watching members of the Batman family had their hearts in their mouths. Red Hood and Red Robin looked at each other, instantly communicating through their expressions - "You're really brave," "Aren't you the braver one?" "I think you're done for," "We're both done for."

"Have you guys finished your homework?" Bruce asked.

"Almost," Jason dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I finished mine, Tim is still a bit off, he's two lines short on his essay. He can't think of anything, so he will finish it tomorrow morning."

"Thomas will be back to pick up things tomorrow morning."

Tim immediately sucked in a breath of cold air, grabbing Jason's arm and sprinting upstairs, all the while saying, "Hurry, help me think of some words! Otherwise Thomas will tell my dad and my dad will tell my mom and my mom will tell my aunt and my aunt will relate all my faults back to when I was four and didn't attend an etiquette training class! I can't let Thomas and my aunt talk to each other!"

"She wouldn't happen to be one of those people who've never experienced elite education but worship it like the oracle, would she?!"

"She is!"

The two struggled up the stairs and disappeared at the top. Alfred cleaned up the traces on the ground, Bruce looked at the clock again, it was already ten past nine.

"Alfred, take them to the guest room upstairs, prepare some daily necessities, and then make sure they sleep."

"Batman, we should talk..."

"Go to bed!"

Both of them stood rooted to the spot, speechless. Bruce cast his gaze over them, sighing helplessly. He stretched out his hand and gently patted Aisha's back, instructing, "Aisha, herd them back to their rooms."

The members of the Batman family didn't have time to react when a shadow zipped over quickly. With a few crisp clicks, Fang bit off half of Red Robin Tim's cape.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!"

"Help! What's wrong with this little girl!!"

"Don't come near me! Ah ah ah!!!"

"My clothes! My... Ahhhhhh!"

About three minutes after the sporadic cries of panic subsided, the world calmed down.

Bruce reached the door of the guest room on the fourth floor, knocked on each one, and said, "Go to sleep! Go to sleep...You, close the door, stop looking, and go to sleep!"

Finally, when all the rooms went quiet, Bruce took Aisha back to her room, told her a story, and coaxed her to sleep before he went back downstairs.

He let out a breath and said to Alfred, "I'm sorry, Alfred, but you may have to double your workload because I have to help look after another Universe Batman's children."

Alfred's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked at Bruce and asked, "How long will this be?"

"It won't be permanent, Alfred. Thomas's elite education doesn't need any more victims."

Alfred grumbled and walked away. After a while, he returned with a set of clothes. Bruce took off his sweater, changed into a cotton long-sleeved shirt, put on his jacket, rain boots, and then took the umbrella from Alfred and walked out of Wayne Manor.

In Gotham's thick night, at the end of the dark street, the round light from a truck's headlights shot past the street corner, forming a column of light in the darkness.

Staring at Bruce as he walked towards the column of light, a small figure emerged from one of the guest rooms on the fourth floor and smirked, "Think you can contain me? Not so easy! I'll be the first to figure you out!"

Bruce switched the umbrella to his other hand and pushed open the gate of the manor. As he was about to step out, he heard a voice call out, "Stop, Batman, where are you going? Are you planning to trap us?"

Bruce turned around to see a small figure standing behind him. Upon recall, the child seemed to be Damian, the biological son of another Universe Batman.

So he stopped what he was doing, closed the gate, and looked at Damian, "Why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing here?"

"Of course, I'm here to prevent your evil plan! Don't think I don't know. You must be planning to build a series of traps and imprison us overnight, and then interrogate us in the cells!"

"We won't tell you anything about our Batman! You're delusional if you think you can interrogate us!"

"I don't plan on building any traps."

"Lying to a kid!"

"Alright, I plan on building traps. What are you doing about it?"

"Of course, I'm watching you! I won't allow you to have your way!"

"Are you coming with me?"

Damian suspiciously stared at Bruce's face, as if trying to read his mind for any sinister plots. He highly doubted that Bruce would pull out countless weapons and capture him as soon as he took a step forward.

Bruce, seemingly impatient with this standoff, pushed the gate open and said as he walked out, "They seldom agree to go with me because it's too noisy there, and some people cheat at cards."

"Who are they? Your Robins?"

"I don't have a Robin."

"Then you..."

Damian stepped forward hesitantly, but still followed Bruce. In a voice characteristic of interrogation, he asked, "Why don't you allow them to be Robin?"

"I don't even know what a Robin is."

"Robin, of course, is Batman's sidekick."

"Batman doesn't need a sidekick."

"Why?"

Bruce paused in his step, and only after Damian walked up to his side did he turn and look down at Damian, "I don't think posing on top of a building needs a sidekick. The one flying around taking pictures seems to be quite busy, though."

"Don't think you can distract me with your nonsense!" Damian countered, walking beside Bruce with his arms crossed, "These idiots probably just want to observe the situation for the first night, but I know that now is the best time to act! I've got you tonight, and I won't let you out of my sight!"

"That's good. You can help me carry things later."

"You expect me to help you? Don't even think about it! Even if you're Batman, I..."

Damian's voice trailed off abruptly.

Because, in the truck's lights, he saw a chalky white face and its signature, blood-red smile.

"J-Joker!"

Damian let out a twisted scream. He was terrified and froze on the spot, only a yard away from the truck.

Unable to overcome this instinctive rigidness. Even though his mind was clear, his body couldn't move. Then he felt Bruce pick him up.

Great! Damian thought. Batman will save him! Batman never loses to the Joker!

Then Batman walked towards the Joker, carrying him.

The truck door opened, Bruce sat Damian in the passenger seat, closed the door and said,

"My son... From another universe."

Damian, trembling, turned his head, only to come face to face with the Joker, who flashed him a brilliant smile.