When Batman sealed off this cave, he really spared no expense. This short stretch is practically a world exhibition of security equipment.
Starting from the outermost national treasury-grade doors, everything followed—scleral recognition, gait recognition, gravity sensors, and other defensive measures.
Despite not installing automated machine guns in the defenses, he did set up stun guns and hypnotic gas canisters, along with vacuum traps—many pieces of equipment that even Su Ming hadn't seen in the "Mission: Impossible" series.
Unfortunately, while these things are advanced, under normal circumstances, getting in quietly is practically impossible.
However, in front of a rule-breaking item, all these things are mere decorations.
As long as Oliver holds the key walking in front, doors open one after another in front of him like hotel entrance automatic doors, providing no obstruction.
"This feels kind of novel, like an invisible person is helping open doors for me," Oliver even has the leisure to turn his head and chat with the others.
Su Ming, just a step behind him, shrugged upon hearing this: "Not exactly, just that the one helping you is called God. He doesn't just force people to use windows; he also helps open doors."
"Spare some time to tell me about the Magic Realm. It seems I'll no longer be able to shake these things off in the future." Green Arrow shook his head, knowing that for every benefit, there are consequences. The Key of Heaven has brought him benefits, so naturally, he will pay an unseen price.
Su Ming nodded in agreement, planning to leave the storytelling task to Little Fortune Ape when the time comes.
As for the cost, there indeed is one, but that's a matter after death. The Key of Heaven's holder, after death, their soul will go straight to Hell, with no chance of going to Heaven. The key will be handed to the next Inquirer.
In Su Ming's opinion, this price is no big deal. After all, as Albella once said, Heaven isn't exactly a fun place—boring to the point of explosion.
So boring that even Lucifer, who once resisted the temptation of the 'snake,' couldn't endure it.
And behold, as they say in the Celestial Dynasty, "Fortunes follow disaster; disaster lurks within blessings." Green Arrow's luck hit rock bottom, but now, bearing endless sins, it seems to have returned to the level of an ordinary person.
Not as lucky as Vico or Harley, but for someone used to bad luck, this is already pretty good.
"Hmm, Batman's arrangements are over. What's left are the original Laughing Bat traps. His stuff looks kind of eerie."
After passing the final door, the scene before them suddenly changed style, from the original dark seriousness to indescribable terrifying humor.
Combining cruelty and humor into one Bat-style, that's Laughing Bat.
"Last time during the confrontation with Barbatos, you missed it. Laughing Bat is like this; just be slightly cautious. But you've reminded me; this time I need to watch out for the comical version of mechanical dinosaurs."
Su Ming drew out his weapon, golden light immediately brightening the dark passageway, illuminating faces with a shine, wet from either rain or sweat.
However, it's likely that Batman harmlessly modified Laughing Bat's devices, as the original meat grinders and rocket launchers didn't activate, smoothly allowing the group into the Bat Cave from the rampway.
The place still looked the same as Su Ming last visited, even with the traces of the Great Sword on the damaged Brother Eye host machine.
He covertly wiped something in the corner, finding his black gloves covered in dust, indicating no one had been here for a long time, though the drainage worked fine, keeping it dry even in surrounded by a soggy world outside.
As for how Laughing Bat achieved this, there's no need to ponder, since he's Batman too.
Harley tucked a finger in her mouth, turning her little head around, soon displaying a disappointed expression.
"Sigh, more boring than I imagined. He's neither Batman nor Joker; it feels a bit off here."
"Now is not the time to discuss aesthetics. Spread out, search for clues, Diana and Harley check the structures above, Ivy block the entrance, Green Arrow check this floor, and I'll check below; there should be cells there too."
Su Ming patted her shoulder, turned her around, and pointed at the stairs leading upwards.
Diana nodded, pulling Harley away. Green Arrow watched them ascend the strung steel mesh layer built into the cave and whispered to Su Ming: "The Bat Cave has cells at the bottom?"
"Is this even a secret?" Su Ming curiously asked back. This central place—dark and eerie—would be a waste of geographical advantages not to have a dungeon, right?
"I wouldn't know," Green Arrow mused. In theory, his intelligence work is among the top in the Justice League.
Su Ming shrugged: "Seems like our Batman's great at confidentiality. The Bat Cave has a compartment downstairs; it used to store the Hell Bat Armor. After it was scrapped, Batman converted it into a luxury cell specifically for Joker. The defenses were top-notch, but the key security was Batman himself. In the current situation...it's entirely unsafe. As for the cell's existence, besides me, Damian, Blue Beetle, and Hal know."
Green Armor casually sifted through the files, sounding a bit jealous: "Why would Hal know? We all wear green, and he doesn't show up often... Wait, why do you know?"
Su Ming smiled at him, turning toward the underground stairs: "Secrets make men more manly."
............
"Master, what's wrong with you? And Miss Selena... Was this all done by the Joker?"
Alfred approached with a trembling voice, seeing the two being carried by several people in the spacious, historically-rich hall of Wayne Manor.
Wally and the Giant Spirit were the fastest, having delivered the Joker to Arkham. Upon returning, Damian and the others hadn't gone far, despite Wally spending considerable time coordinating with the guards.
In Gotham, whether it's Black Gate or Arkham, the guards clearly lack experience dealing with Speedsters. If it were Midtown, a criminal suddenly appearing in the cell wouldn't prompt any questions from the wardens; they'd just proceed according to protocol.
Damian was responsible for bringing back the Bat Flying Vehicle, so he came out from inside the house with Ah Fu. Unfortunately, he hadn't figured out how to speak, so he remained silent towards the old man.
But now the facts were laid bare in front of them, he finally could recount the previous events, while Ah Fu listened to Damian's narrative as the kids moved Batman onto the Final Machine.
As Batman received treatment, his gaze fell on Selena's corpse, and he let out a deep sigh.
The master's girlfriend... always seemed to face such a fate. Compared to the others, Selena was quite resilient, having lived until today.
Those previous women, dating Bruce for a few days, would be killed by villains. Except for Vico Vale, who is still alive, others bold enough to appear in Gotham ended up dead.
The old butler did know of some resurrection methods, such as the Pool of Lazarus, White Lantern Ring, Reversed Speech Magic, and the like.
But these methods each have their own drawbacks.
The Pool of Lazarus is the easiest to acquire, even if Talia and Leixiao Gu are unwilling, Damian could sneak some water from the springs.
Yet its most notorious side effect is that it drives people into a blood-hungry frenzy, losing their original personality, becoming blood-thirsty monsters, needing a lot of killing to calm down.
Neither him nor Batman would let Selena use this method.
The White Lantern Ring bears the same trouble; though it grants the power of resurrection, it turns the wearer into the ring's slave, driven to undergo 'tests'. Moreover, the Spirit of Existence has turned into Earth's will. With the Origin Wall fractured, it has recoiled like a hedgehog, incapable of providing any power.
That Otherworldly Deathstroke does have a White Lantern Ring, but whether it can resurrect people lies with the Spirit of Existence, not at the discretion of the ring possessor.
The most feasible method might be magic. Zatanna has an ambiguous relationship with the master; she might be willing to help.
Selena had been dead once before, saved thanks to Reversed Speech Magic and Midnite Strange Doctor, having received a new heart.
However, that was long ago. Now the Magic Realm's sky has changed. It's said that the newly ascendant magic concept is an extremely cold monster, demanding equivalent exchange plus interest, akin to a reincarnated black-hearted capitalist.
Simply put, the cost of casting resurrection is a life for a life, and substitutions aren't allowed. The Inverted Man needs to consider the caster's personal pain and sacrificing belief as interest.
These avenues seem all blocked, and the old butler couldn't think of any solution. He could only first send Selena's corpse to the big freezer, to be frozen together with the Sharp Claws.
During the Night of the Owls, the Sharp Claws assaulted Wayne Manor, and after Batman defeated them, due to Amber Gold, he could only freeze them, putting them back into dormancy.
"Young Master, tell me, was the Joker captured?"
Damian watched the mechanical arms of the Final Machine moving back and forth in Batman's abdominal cavity, and he nodded: "Yes, the Justice League arrived at last."
He didn't mention Harley or the Otherworldly Deathstroke, not wanting the old man to know he was associating with those people.
The old butler deeply inhaled and said, seemingly blaming himself: "It's my fault, the Joker interfered with all nearby surveillance and communications, and I couldn't help at all."
"This has nothing to do with others; Batman wouldn't blame anyone. Even in his view, it's only that he's not skilled enough." Damian turned his head, walking towards Brother Eye, the monitoring device still running, where most of Gotham's neighborhoods were visible.
Just like the old butler said, surveillance and communication near the subway station were disrupted, with only a screen of static showing.
Damian set down his suspicions, having seen the likes of Nameless imposters, he even had doubts about the old butler.
In the past, not to mention him, even Batman was deceived by Earth-3's Alfred. Today's events further awakened Damian, never to let his guard down.
He felt little towards Selena's death, knowing that if he spoke, the Otherworldly Deathstroke would surely find a way to resurrect someone.
Though they hadn't interacted much, he could always sense that kind of care and protection, that seemingly young man might really be... father?