The Gendarmerie descended into the underground chamber, their footsteps echoing against the vast walls of the secret base. As they explored, the soldiers quickly realized they had entered a sophisticated subterranean fortress, built deep beneath Wayne Manor, its network of tunnels extending in every direction.
The room was filled with high-tech equipment: monitors lined the walls, the Batmobile rested in its charging station, a secure safe sat tucked away, and in the far corner loomed a massive mechanical dinosaur. A cylindrical glass case containing a black mannequin, likely reserved for Batman's suit, stood empty. A spiral staircase wound upward, presumably leading to the study above. Alongside it, a surgical table bore the marks of Alfred's meticulous work, a place where Batman's injuries were patched up—sometimes by Alfred, sometimes by Batman himself. The duo's versatility was unmistakable.
Bang!
The basement door opened, and Amanda Waller, commander of the Suicide Squad, descended with calculated poise. Following Adrian's orders, she and her team had been tasked with clearing the manor after Cyborg and Batman vanished.
Surveying the room, Amanda's eyes widened. Bruce Wayne, Gotham City's elusive playboy, was Batman. The revelation struck her, momentarily freezing her composure.
Taking a deep breath, she regained control. "Continue the search. Every corner must be checked for clues," she instructed.
Suddenly, the massive mechanical dinosaur stirred. Its enormous frame loomed over the soldiers as it stepped forward, jaw opening wide.
Bang!
The first soldier fell victim to its crushing bite, ripped in half instantly.
The remaining soldiers scattered, guns firing, but the dinosaur's agility and resilience rendered their bullets nearly useless. It bulldozed through the ranks, knocking the closest soldiers aside and crashing into a steel shelf, sending it and its contents tumbling.
"Damn it!" Amanda cursed. The mechanical behemoth had clearly underestimated them. "Not a bat… a dinosaur. Bruce Wayne truly has eccentric tastes."
She dispatched more soldiers to contain the threat. Using coordinated attacks, one soldier targeted the dinosaur's lower chest, creating an opening. Agile operatives leapt into the gap, daggers sparking against metal, disabling its systems. Bullets followed, striking exposed wiring and machinery, until finally the dinosaur collapsed, sparks flickering like fireworks.
Amanda descended the stairs, surveying the subdued creature. "Take everything from this base, including the dinosaur," she ordered. The gendarmes quickly mobilized, clearing the space.
"Is this… the end of Batman?" Amanda muttered, her eyes lingering on the empty base.
She had always believed metahumans were unpredictable, dangerous forces, better controlled by the state than left to a masked vigilante. Though she had once viewed Adrian with similar skepticism, his emergence as a self-appointed enforcer and societal regulator had shifted her perception. Now, her loyalty to him was absolute.
"Yes, he's finished," Amanda whispered. Her voice carried conviction.
"Yes, he's finished," Alfred echoed quietly.
"What?"
A young man in a black suit, marked with a blue flying eagle emblem, glanced at Alfred.
"The dinosaur in the Batcave has been subdued. We need to move quickly, Master Grayson," Alfred said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.
Dick Grayson, first Robin and future Nightwing, absorbed the news with a mix of disbelief and dread. Batman had sent him ahead to secure Alfred, ensuring his escape from Wayne Manor before Adrian's forces arrived.
"It's just a mechanical creature," Dick said, attempting bravado. "When we return, I'll fix it. Back at the circus, I wasn't just an aerialist—I also repaired the equipment."
Alfred's expression darkened. He lowered his gaze, the weight of what he was about to reveal pressing down.
"Master Bruce may have met with misfortune," he said quietly.
Dick froze, horror dawning. "What?"
The short stick he held slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. He collapsed onto the cold floor, tears streaming down his face. "Impossible… Bruce would never…"
Memories of his mentor surged—both father figure and partner in justice, someone who had understood the tragedy of losing parents. Now that world seemed to collapse.
"Who… who did this?" he demanded, voice trembling, looking to Alfred for answers.
The butler's eyes were heavy with grief, but he maintained composure. "Homelander," he said, naming Adrian. "But you cannot seek revenge yet. Acting now would be suicide."
Dick's heart twisted. "So… I do nothing?"
Alfred's hands produced a thick, rough-covered notebook. "Before leaving, Master Bruce entrusted me with this for you, Master Grayson. Study what he left behind. Let this guide your next steps, not impulse."
Dick clutched the notebook, his grief tempered by the weight of responsibility.
===
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