Shadows and Suspicions

Their personalities didn't match at all. Batman had a stoic, almost cold demeanor, while Avery was the opposite: refined, aloof, and prone to deadpan jokes that no one found funny. With his unmistakable British mannerisms, how could Avery possibly be Batman?

And yet…

"Mr. Wayne, care to explain why tech developed by Wayne Enterprises seems to be ending up in Batman's arsenal?" The police officer's question from earlier echoed in Dick's mind, causing him to replay the events in his head.

The atmosphere in the interrogation room had been intentionally tense. Only a dim incandescent light illuminated the space, a common tactic to pressure suspects into honesty. It felt odd, though, to use such a setup on a billionaire who couldn't be coerced into anything, regardless of what he said.

Dick had sat beside his adoptive father, feeling a surge of nervousness as the police questioned Bruce. But what followed surprised him even more.

"Because I've been secretly funding him," Bruce answered calmly.

Dick's eyes went wide in shock.

The two officers exchanged a look, momentarily taken aback. Then, recalling Sykes Stone's live-streamed threats on the news, they seemed to piece it together.

Why did Batman reappear in Gotham right after Bruce Wayne's return?

How could Batman access WayneTech's advanced gadgets, seemingly without limit, demolishing expensive cars and then getting replacements with ease?

Bruce Wayne himself had just given them the answer: he'd been covertly supporting Batman all along.

It all added up.

One of the officers, taking notes, pressed further. "So why fund him? Batman may be fighting criminals, but he regularly breaks the law in the process. You must realize that."

Bruce's expression shifted slightly. He fell silent for a moment, and just as the officers were about to push for more, he spoke quietly, "My parents were murdered right in front of me…"

Everyone in Gotham knew this story.

The two officers exchanged another glance. Hearing Wayne's explanation, it no longer seemed surprising that he'd choose to fund Batman.

Bruce continued, "I left my hometown for many years, carrying that memory, until one day I realized I hadn't even begun to give back to the city that raised me."

"I've been committed to charity for a long time, but we all know it's not enough. So when Batman emerged, exactly when he was needed, I didn't feel I had another choice."

One of the officers seemed ready to interject, "But…"

Bruce cut him off.

The young, charismatic billionaire seemed to recall something as he looked at the officers and said, "I heard you're considering setting up a Bat-Signal to call him? Honestly, I think that's a solid idea."

Dick couldn't remember much of the conversation that followed, but it seemed cordial. However, he clearly remembered one critical detail: Bruce had openly admitted to funding Batman.

So, when Bruce had told him he didn't know Batman, it had been a lie. The entire rescue had been planned between Batman and Bruce, who had chosen to keep it from him.

There was nothing left to say about that—except for one question: did Bruce know Batman's true identity?

As his benefactor, he probably did.

So, who could Batman really be?

Turning this over in his mind, Dick's gaze gradually drifted back to Avery. From across the spacious living room, he caught sight of Avery preparing a late-night snack for him and Bruce in the kitchen. There was nothing remotely "Batman" about his butler, with his calm, collected manner.

He felt a bit silly. Why would Batman spend his days so close to Bruce Wayne? Batman would likely have little contact with his adoptive father, given his commitments to fighting crime.

Yet, right at that moment, the stack of dishes beside Avery's right hand suddenly began to topple. The stack, precariously high, wobbled and was about to crash into a mess of ceramic shards across the floor.

But Avery merely shifted his body with a quick, subtle lean, extending one long arm to catch each plate as they slid down, one after the other, his hand steady as he deftly returned them to their place before calmly continuing his task.

Just then, the elegant, poised butler seemed to notice Dick watching him and turned, flashing him a polite smile.

In an instant, Dick's gaze turned razor-sharp.

The next morning, newspapers were buzzing with news of the previous night's events. Alongside this, Gotham's streets were alive with rumors about Bruce Wayne and Batman's supposedly "close" relationship.

When Avery shared these tidbits with Bruce, his face was filled with amusement he could hardly suppress. He even jotted down some of the juiciest gossip in a notebook, reading it aloud with a low, pleasant voice that, considering the content, somehow sounded hilariously inappropriate.

"Some people believe Batman isn't one person at all but rather a private army you're training to gain control over Gotham," he read.

In other words, a wildly imaginative theory that was laughably off the mark.

Avery then moved to the next note. "Others believe the kidnapper was just some deranged individual, and Batman doesn't actually exist."

A more sensible guess, Avery thought.

Flipping to the next page, he continued, "And quite a few people think you and Batman are romantically involved, which is why you fund his endless supply of gadgets—and why he was so quick to rescue you."

Now, that was utterly ridiculous!

And yet, it had gained the highest number of "likes" on Gotham's news networks, proving how much the public adored a juicy scandal.

Hearing this, Bruce kept a straight face, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. He seemed to be mulling something over before looking at Avery and remarking, "In a way, they're not entirely wrong about the last one."