A Blaze of Regret

The dark, heavy night was suddenly lit up by a searing crimson, and the deafening sound of the explosion nearly tore the air apart. The shockwave was so powerful that it created the illusion of the entire world flipping upside down.

Sykes, once merely one of Gotham's many crime lords, had thus managed to go out in a blaze of glory—albeit one that was also tragic. No one knew what he was thinking in those final moments, but his scream of "No!" made it clear that he met his end with immense regret.

Then again, this kind of man was likely destined for hell.

Originally hoping to bring down his rival, who had cost him everything, Sykes had intended to die together. But as fate would have it, he died alone. Avery had whisked Bruce and Dick out of the building with a second to spare before the explosion leveled it.

Standing on a grassy field a safe distance from the blast's epicenter, Bruce gazed silently at the distant explosion site.

Avery misinterpreted his expression: "I didn't deliberately leave them behind. It was a tense situation, and I only had time to get you and the kid out first."

There hadn't been enough time, and using magic to teleport that many people at once would have unleashed a significant amount of energy—enough to be detected by the magic compasses from that mysterious organizations. Especially with everyone in Gotham aware of the explosion, such detection would have compromised Avery's undercover status within the organization.

In short, he hadn't put in his full effort, opting to save his cover. After all, these criminals weren't worth enough for him to jeopardizing his identity and his larger plan.

Avery felt a slight pang of guilt.

Bruce, unaware of what his butler had been up to, was a mere mortal despite his sharp intelligence. For him, it was enough to feel reassured that Avery had taken his advice to heart this time.

As long as those around him didn't act with outright malice, Bruce generally maintained a flexible approach. His primary concern had been that Avery's recent tendency to let thugs perish in fire might indicate a softening of boundaries, especially given Avery's overall lack of respect for life.

Batman couldn't help but think, We grew up in the same environment. So why on earth, Avery, did you turn out so vastly different, like you'd enrolled in some suspicious extracurricular class behind my back?

Internally grumbling, he said nothing aloud. He merely glanced down at the unconscious Dick in his arms and muttered, "We should leave now. Hopefully, we won't have to spend the night at the police station; their beds are hard and terrible for sleep."

"Well, then, I'm afraid you might be disappointed." Avery glanced over his shoulder as he replied. Bruce followed his gaze and saw the red and blue lights of police cars piercing the horizon, creeping closer.

"Avery?"

Bruce called out, only to find that he was now alone.

Batman: He learned that trick from me.

When the Gotham Police arrived, they found a visibly shaken Bruce Wayne, holding a child who had passed out in fear—further proof of just how ruthless these kidnappers must have been.

But…where were the kidnappers?

After searching the entire area and finding no one but the Waynes, Gordon felt a sinking sensation. He surveyed the scene, now nearly leveled, and a grim suspicion started to form.

Looking Bruce Wayne in the eye, he asked, "Where are they?"

Gone, most likely scattered in the air around them.

Bruce answered truthfully, "He planted a ton of explosives under the factory, hoping to take Batman with him. Everyone else perished; Batman only had time to get Dick and me out."

This short explanation captured the essence of events, leaving Gordon momentarily speechless. He called for a forensic team to scour the site in case any DNA remnants could be found.

Bruce, as a witness, still needed to give a statement, but staying overnight at the precinct was just a joke. The GCPD wouldn't detain a high-profile citizen, especially one who'd just survived a traumatic experience. Once his account was on record, he was allowed to go.

Anticipating this, Avery had already returned home, taken off his armor, and driven to the station. His timing was impeccable: just as he parked, his phone rang with Bruce's voice on the line.

"Pick me up from the station," Bruce said.

"I'm already here," Avery replied.

Inside the car, Dick, who was now fully awake and seated beside Bruce, still seemed somewhat dazed by the recent ordeal.

Avery offered a quick reassurance, "Master Grayson must've been quite frightened. It looks like he might need a few days' rest at home before returning to school."

After Tony Zucco's capture, this outing had been meant as a small adventure, but Dick's new school was already lined up for him.

Dick, coming back to himself, didn't seem overly shaken. As a former acrobat and star in Gotham's circus scene, he was no stranger to dangerous situations. He'd even had his share of adoring fans; some kids came to the circus just to see him perform.

Though encountering kidnappers was a first, he wasn't overly rattled. In fact, he seemed more worried about his gentle adoptive father, who had looked rather frightened at the time. "I was fine. They mostly ignored me, but Bruce was nearly hurt by that guy."

His "fragile" father assured him he was fine, but Dick wasn't convinced and insisted Bruce follow up with a doctor.

Soon, they were home. Dick exited the car after Bruce, while Avery trailed behind, parking the vehicle in the garage before heading inside.

Just then, as if compelled by some unseen force, Dick glanced back at Avery. Avery met his gaze with that polite, practiced smile—not genuinely warm, but polished and dignified.

Somehow, his physique and build felt uncannily similar to Batman, the very same figure who'd saved him and Bruce today.

Dick quickly shook himself out of it, telling himself it was only wishful thinking. Just because he idolized Batman didn't mean he should start seeing him in everyone, especially not in someone like Bruce Wayne's butler. The idea was far-fetched—Batman being Bruce Wayne's butler Ridiculous.