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Chapter 325: Bat-Dad
The turn of events happened in an instant.
It came without any warning and even seemed to defy all logic from the perspective of this battle. Just as the two top tactical masters on Earth were locked in a battle of wits, countering each other's moves until the final moment, a yellow ring appeared out of nowhere and, without any explanation, slipped onto Batman's hand.
The next moment, the energy that burst forth from it enveloped his entire body. Driven almost by instinct, yellow light erupted from Batman's hand, transforming into a pair of virtual hands that snatched the counter-device from Deathstroke's grasp and disarmed the bomb.
"What!?"
Deathstroke was shocked and immediately drew his dagger to counterattack. However, another hand split off from the yellow light and easily snatched his dagger away, as effortlessly as taking a toy from a small child. This was followed by a yellow palm, which slapped him silly with a loud *smack*.
Three seconds. In that brief instant, Batman, riding the golden light, landed on the ground, disarmed the bomb, and captured Deathstroke. It all happened so fast that even he looked on with a blank expression, unable to comprehend the situation.
Deathstroke was completely dumbfounded.
They had exhausted all their schemes and fought a battle of wits, only for it to end in such a manner. The feeling was like playing poker, thinking you had an unbeatable royal flush, only for your opponent to slap three Blue-Eyes White Dragons on the table...
How the hell are you supposed to fight someone who's openly cheating?
Deathstroke's single eye widened, filled with unwillingness. "Don't tell me this was also part of your calculations, Batman."
"This has nothing to do with you, Slade."
Batman knocked Deathstroke unconscious with a kick, then frowned, looking at the Power Ring that had suddenly appeared on his hand.
"...Bruce Wayne of Earth, you have been summoned. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps."
The Power Ring spoke again, followed by a great surge of golden light. The blinding light released by the ring enveloped his entire body, as if trying to lift him into the air.
At the same moment, Batman seemed to sense something else. The emotion of fear, accompanied by an imposing command, and the domineering image of a red-skinned individual appeared in his mind, as if trying to breach his mental defenses, speaking to him in a deep voice: "Yield to me."
"No!"
Batman let out a low shout, clutching the Power Ring on his hand, and then forcibly yanked it off his finger.
"Error... *bzzzt*... error. Massive willpower detected. Emotional conflict... *bzzzt*... sentient being location failed."
The Power Ring suddenly flew from his fingertip, paused in mid-air for a moment, as if giving Batman one last look, expressing its dissatisfaction.
The meaning was something like: you were perfectly happy to use me to solve your problems just now, but the moment it's over, you turn your back on me...
How unreasonable.
After giving him a resentful glance, it then shot into the air, transforming into a streak of golden light and vanishing into the sky without a trace.
"What was that...?"
Batman pondered for a moment, looking in the direction the Power Ring had disappeared.
"Young Master, Young Master, are you still there?" Alfred's voice came through.
"I'm here, Penny One," Batman said, pressing his earpiece. "Patch me through to the Justice League. I need to speak with Hal Jordan. Something strange just happened here. My gut tells me he might have some answers."
***
"The Emotional Spectrum is becoming more active."
Orin Vale floated in the air, surrounded by a circle of complex, layered projection interfaces and control devices, musing with his chin in his hand.
"This conclusion comes from observing the Emotional Spectrum as a whole. Ganthet and I developed the Blue Lanterns, the appearance of the Star Sapphire... perhaps none of these were coincidences."
Pal added from the side, "We just intercepted a call from Batman to the Justice League. It seems a Yellow Lantern ring chose him, sir."
"A Yellow Lantern? Batman?" Orin Vale raised an eyebrow. "And then? Did he go report to the Sinestro Corps?"
"No, he used his willpower to escape the ring's hold and called Hal Jordan via the Justice League to ask about the situation."
"With willpower..." Orin Vale was speechless for a moment.
For some reason, this immediately reminded him of a scene from that classic parody animation online. Thanos snapped his fingers and turned half the universe to dust. At that time, more than half of Batman's body had already started turning to ash, but then he suddenly yelled, "I'm Batman!" and, defying the rules of the Infinity Gauntlet, forcibly reverted his ashen body back to flesh.
It's not very scientific, but it's very Batman.
Just then, the laboratory door opened, and Kara flew in. "Ah, I knew it. I knew you'd be here."
"Finished with your project?" Orin Vale glanced at the young girl who was wandering around.
"Just taking a little break," Kara said, stretching luxuriously. "I'm running a few simulations; it still needs some time. Stryker is keeping an eye on it for me. He's amazing now; he's progressing quite fast. He can already build a warp drive from scratch."
Orin Vale nodded.
Sounds like he's already a qualified Dr. Cat. Excellent, excellent. It seems our cat food hasn't been wasted.
"Are you still researching the Emotional Spectrum?" Kara asked, leaning over curiously to look.
"The Emotional Spectrum is a huge subject. My current understanding is just the tip of the iceberg. And recently, it's been getting restless. It might mean something big is about to happen," Orin Vale said.
"Is that so..."
Kara nodded thoughtfully, then, remembering something, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, right, a couple of days ago you went to the Flash's laboratory in Central City? That thing you mentioned, about Batman's daughter... Did they meet? How did it go?"
Kara's eyes were shining, sparkling with the fire of gossip unique to a girl her age.
It was no wonder, though. After hearing Orin Vale mention Helena, everyone had shown great interest in "Batman's daughter."
First of all, the phrase itself seemed very odd. You could have "Batman" or "daughter," but the two seemed to be mutually exclusive phrases. Putting them together just felt strange.
"It went okay, I guess. They got into a fight."
Kara froze.
"You mean Batman and..."
"The daughter who isn't his daughter, yes. Batman didn't trust her and wanted to collect her DNA for testing. And Huntress... um... I think maybe she just wasn't on good terms with her old man to begin with."
Orin Vale thought for a moment, then said.
"Though I'm guessing it might have something to do with her dad throwing her out of a plane into the sea when she was twelve."
Kara was even more stunned, as if she couldn't quite understand.
"You said her dad did what to her?"
"Threw her out of a plane into the sea. It's not that strange, is it? It's like how some fathers, to teach their kids to ride a bike, will secretly let go from behind and let them fall."
Kara's mouth fell open. "That's not the same thing at all, is it??"
That falls into the category of insanity, right?
Orin Vale said, "He's Batman."
Kara tilted her head in thought, and the cowlick of hair sticking straight up on her head immediately went limp.
"That's true..."
Batman is, after all, insane.
Thinking about it that way, it actually seems reasonable...
"No wonder that girl doesn't like him," Kara muttered. She figured she probably wouldn't like such a bizarre father either.
"Sir, an emergency communication from Huntress," said Pal.
"Huntress? Calling me?" Orin Vale frowned slightly.
Speak of the devil.
"Patch her through."
As soon as the communication was connected, Orin Vale could hear the sound of explosions from the other end, as well as the sound of something heavy impacting. It sounded like complete chaos.
"Huntress? What's the situation?"
Huntress sounded out of breath.
"Emergency, need... help," Helena said, gasping for breath. "It's Karen. Karen's lost control!"
(end of chapter)
The turn of events happened in an instant.
It came without any warning and even seemed to defy all logic from the perspective of this battle. Just as the two top tactical masters on Earth were locked in a battle of wits, countering each other's moves until the final moment, a yellow ring appeared out of nowhere and, without any explanation, slipped onto Batman's hand.
The next moment, the energy that burst forth from it enveloped his entire body. Driven almost by instinct, yellow light erupted from Batman's hand, transforming into a pair of virtual hands that snatched the counter-device from Deathstroke's grasp and disarmed the bomb.
"What!?"
Deathstroke was shocked and immediately drew his dagger to counterattack. However, another hand split off from the yellow light and easily snatched his dagger away, as effortlessly as taking a toy from a small child. This was followed by a yellow palm, which slapped him silly with a loud *smack*.
Three seconds. In that brief instant, Batman, riding the golden light, landed on the ground, disarmed the bomb, and captured Deathstroke. It all happened so fast that even he looked on with a blank expression, unable to comprehend the situation.
Deathstroke was completely dumbfounded.
They had exhausted all their schemes and fought a battle of wits, only for it to end in such a manner. The feeling was like playing poker, thinking you had an unbeatable royal flush, only for your opponent to slap three Blue-Eyes White Dragons on the table...
How the hell are you supposed to fight someone who's openly cheating?
Deathstroke's single eye widened, filled with unwillingness. "Don't tell me this was also part of your calculations, Batman."
"This has nothing to do with you, Slade."
Batman knocked Deathstroke unconscious with a kick, then frowned, looking at the Power Ring that had suddenly appeared on his hand.
"...Bruce Wayne of Earth, you have been summoned. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps."
The Power Ring spoke again, followed by a great surge of golden light. The blinding light released by the ring enveloped his entire body, as if trying to lift him into the air.
At the same moment, Batman seemed to sense something else. The emotion of fear, accompanied by an imposing command, and the domineering image of a red-skinned individual appeared in his mind, as if trying to breach his mental defenses, speaking to him in a deep voice: "Yield to me."
"No!"
Batman let out a low shout, clutching the Power Ring on his hand, and then forcibly yanked it off his finger.
"Error... *bzzzt*... error. Massive willpower detected. Emotional conflict... *bzzzt*... sentient being location failed."
The Power Ring suddenly flew from his fingertip, paused in mid-air for a moment, as if giving Batman one last look, expressing its dissatisfaction.
The meaning was something like: you were perfectly happy to use me to solve your problems just now, but the moment it's over, you turn your back on me...
How unreasonable.
After giving him a resentful glance, it then shot into the air, transforming into a streak of golden light and vanishing into the sky without a trace.
"What was that...?"
Batman pondered for a moment, looking in the direction the Power Ring had disappeared.
"Young Master, Young Master, are you still there?" Alfred's voice came through.
"I'm here, Penny One," Batman said, pressing his earpiece. "Patch me through to the Justice League. I need to speak with Hal Jordan. Something strange just happened here. My gut tells me he might have some answers."
***
"The Emotional Spectrum is becoming more active."
Orin Vale floated in the air, surrounded by a circle of complex, layered projection interfaces and control devices, musing with his chin in his hand.
"This conclusion comes from observing the Emotional Spectrum as a whole. Ganthet and I developed the Blue Lanterns, the appearance of the Star Sapphire... perhaps none of these were coincidences."
Pal added from the side, "We just intercepted a call from Batman to the Justice League. It seems a Yellow Lantern ring chose him, sir."
"A Yellow Lantern? Batman?" Orin Vale raised an eyebrow. "And then? Did he go report to the Sinestro Corps?"
"No, he used his willpower to escape the ring's hold and called Hal Jordan via the Justice League to ask about the situation."
"With willpower..." Orin Vale was speechless for a moment.
For some reason, this immediately reminded him of a scene from that classic parody animation online. Thanos snapped his fingers and turned half the universe to dust. At that time, more than half of Batman's body had already started turning to ash, but then he suddenly yelled, "I'm Batman!" and, defying the rules of the Infinity Gauntlet, forcibly reverted his ashen body back to flesh.
It's not very scientific, but it's very Batman.
Just then, the laboratory door opened, and Kara flew in. "Ah, I knew it. I knew you'd be here."
"Finished with your project?" Orin Vale glanced at the young girl who was wandering around.
"Just taking a little break," Kara said, stretching luxuriously. "I'm running a few simulations; it still needs some time. Stryker is keeping an eye on it for me. He's amazing now; he's progressing quite fast. He can already build a warp drive from scratch."
Orin Vale nodded.
Sounds like he's already a qualified Dr. Cat. Excellent, excellent. It seems our cat food hasn't been wasted.
"Are you still researching the Emotional Spectrum?" Kara asked, leaning over curiously to look.
"The Emotional Spectrum is a huge subject. My current understanding is just the tip of the iceberg. And recently, it's been getting restless. It might mean something big is about to happen," Orin Vale said.
"Is that so..."
Kara nodded thoughtfully, then, remembering something, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, right, a couple of days ago you went to the Flash's laboratory in Central City? That thing you mentioned, about Batman's daughter... Did they meet? How did it go?"
Kara's eyes were shining, sparkling with the fire of gossip unique to a girl her age.
It was no wonder, though. After hearing Orin Vale mention Helena, everyone had shown great interest in "Batman's daughter."
First of all, the phrase itself seemed very odd. You could have "Batman" or "daughter," but the two seemed to be mutually exclusive phrases. Putting them together just felt strange.
"It went okay, I guess. They got into a fight."
Kara froze.
"You mean Batman and..."
"The daughter who isn't his daughter, yes. Batman didn't trust her and wanted to collect her DNA for testing. And Huntress... um... I think maybe she just wasn't on good terms with her old man to begin with."
Orin Vale thought for a moment, then said.
"Though I'm guessing it might have something to do with her dad throwing her out of a plane into the sea when she was twelve."
Kara was even more stunned, as if she couldn't quite understand.
"You said her dad did what to her?"
"Threw her out of a plane into the sea. It's not that strange, is it? It's like how some fathers, to teach their kids to ride a bike, will secretly let go from behind and let them fall."
Kara's mouth fell open. "That's not the same thing at all, is it??"
That falls into the category of insanity, right?
Orin Vale said, "He's Batman."
Kara tilted her head in thought, and the cowlick of hair sticking straight up on her head immediately went limp.
"That's true..."
Batman is, after all, insane.
Thinking about it that way, it actually seems reasonable...
"No wonder that girl doesn't like him," Kara muttered. She figured she probably wouldn't like such a bizarre father either.
"Sir, an emergency communication from Huntress," said Pal.
"Huntress? Calling me?" Orin Vale frowned slightly.
Speak of the devil.
"Patch her through."
As soon as the communication was connected, Orin Vale could hear the sound of explosions from the other end, as well as the sound of something heavy impacting. It sounded like complete chaos.
"Huntress? What's the situation?"
Huntress sounded out of breath.
"Emergency, need... help," Helena said, gasping for breath. "It's Karen. Karen's lost control!"
(end of chapter)
