New Lead
This was one of dozens of Batcaves scattered throughout Gotham City. Batman maintained these secondary bases in every corner of the city. Mad Hatter sat bored in the cage. He had been confined in this oversized, oval-shaped transparent capsule cell for over 16 hours. After escaping Arkham Asylum, his plan was to host another grand tea party, recruit more powerful followers, and cause some mayhem. But just as he'd gathered his henchmen and mind-controlled pawns, they were all wiped out by Deadshot, hired by Adam at a hefty price.
His followers were taken away by the police, and he found himself in the luxurious confines of the Batcave. Luckily, unlike his underlings who were riddled with bullets from unseen angles, Mad Hatter had surrendered quickly when confronted by the police, escaping unscathed. Of course, he ended up in Batman's hands again. Upon arriving in the Batcave, Robin had given him a good thrashing, even asked him "What is your plan" while beating him. 'It's so unfair! He did have some plans, but he was captured before he could put them into action. Why beat me up for something I didn't do'?
Bang!
The hall lights flickered on, and Mad Hatter squeezed his eyes shut. After a while, his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. With a mechanical sound, the transparent door in front of him slid open, revealing Batman standing before him.
"..."
Adam was pondering how to get the villain talking. Of course, he hadn't had Deadshot capture Mad Hatter for no reason. According to the comics, Mad Hatter currently possessed a...
Bang!
Just as Adam was thinking, Robin leaped forward, punching Mad Hatter in the face and kicking him to the ground. The boy then produced a crowbar from somewhere and began mercilessly beating the villain. "Still not Talking?" Adam gulped, secretly horrified. Robin was a psychopath! What kind of parenting did Batman practice? This was bordering on violence! The relentless thudding, mixed with Mad Hatter's screams, created a disturbing rhythm. Reality was definitely not an all-ages comic. Even Robin, during interrogations, was not the quiet, handsome boy he usually appeared to be.
"Help! I really have nothing to say!" The more Mad Hatter screamed, the more excited Tim seemed to get. The 15-year-old Robin swung the crowbar with wild abandon, a twisted grin on his face, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. "You filthy, disgusting, scum! I'll break every bone in your body, then crush them into pieces!" Mad Hatter crawled on the floor, tears and snot mixing with the pain. He collapsed at Adam's feet, clutching his cape. "Please, stop hitting me!" Tim gave him a swift kick in the rear. Adam noticed that a part of the crowbar seemed to have snapped from the excessive force.... Well...Mad Hatter let out a blood-curdling scream. Damn it, the crowbar was useless now.
"Oh God! What do you want me to say?" Mad Hatter was losing his mind.
"!"
Adam suddenly realized he hadn't even asked a question yet. Stop it! Mad Hatter trembled like a terrified hamster, trying to flatten himself against the wall of the transparent cell behind him. Adam organized his words. "Jervis, don't be afraid. Because it's useless to be afraid." Adam immediately regretted saying that. "Even though Robin looks a bit fierce, he's actually quite kind." Tim slammed the crowbar to the ground with a resounding clang. Mad Hatter, terrified, curled up on the floor.
"..."
Adam gave up on comforting the villain. He got straight to the point: "You captured the redbird, Bane's subordinate Birdman, used to spy on you and put a tracker on it. You know where Bane is, Jervis. Your plan was to gather people, send out invitations, and play your twisted Alice in Wonderland game again. Then, you'd find a capable person, give them Bane's location, and use them to test Bane's strength." Adam, he recapped the comic's plot, carefully observing Mad Hatter's reaction. Frankly, he wasn't sure how far Mad Hatter had progressed or if he'd already located Bane.
But Mad Hatter's reaction was practically a confession. Perfect, he does know where Bane is. "Jervis, my patience is wearing thin." Robin raised the crowbar once more. 45 minutes later. "Gordon, you need to move faster, preferably before Bane can react. Of course we need heavy firepower! Just contain him and evacuate the civilians, then we can level the place with artillery. Is the National Guard still short on. Exactly. Force Bane into a direct confrontation, but be wary of surprise attacks. If he goes after the officers."
Beep - Adam hung up the phone.The look on Bane's face when he found himself surrounded by tanks would be priceless.
"May God forgive you, as you forgive others. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May your soul find peace in heaven and your labors cease. "The funeral for Azrael was brief. Adam and Robin stood at the edge of the cemetery, sheltered by black umbrellas, watching as the priests and Alfred dug a grave large enough for the coffin. In the original timeline, Azrael had taken over the mantle of Batman after Bane broke his spine, successfully defeating the villain. However, over time, he had descended into villainy, ultimately being defeated by the Batman. But now, that possible future had vanished with each shovelful of dirt.
In a way, it was still a butterfly effect caused by the time traveler. Unlike the original Batman, Adam wouldn't be constantly chasing criminals. This gave Azrael an opportunity. He continued the Bat-Family's proud tradition of "disobeying Batman's orders" and donned the Batman suit in secret—Only to be intercepted by Bane. His headless body was returned to Wayne Manor the next day. This future villain, who played a major role in the "Knightfall" saga, was dead just 4 hours after Adam's arrival, never to reach his full potential.
Adam didn't feel any regret. Azrael had been brainwashed by the Order of St. Dumas for a long time, making him mentally unstable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have turned to the dark side so quickly. Tim, however, was heartbroken. He had a close relationship with Jean-Paul. He placed flowers on Jean-Paul's grave and spoke, "Bruce, there's something I need to tell you."