"What?!"
Dick's eyes widened in shock as the weight of Bruce's words finally hit him.
He turned sharply toward Alfred, his voice filled with urgency and disbelief.
"I… I didn't know about this! How is Barbara now? Why didn't she call me for help?"
There was a tremor in his voice.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Guilt.
Alfred looked at him quietly for a moment before speaking in his usual calm tone.
"Master Richard, we only received the information recently as well."
He folded his hands behind his back and continued.
"Miss Barbara was attacked by the Bat-Monster last night. She only regained consciousness earlier today. After that, she contacted Wayne Manor to explain everything."
Dick swallowed hard.
"She's… not in critical condition, is she?"
"No," Alfred replied gently. "Fortunately, her injuries are not life-threatening."
A faint sense of relief passed through Dick—but it was quickly replaced by something heavier.
Alfred sighed softly.
"Commissioner Gordon has chosen to suppress the news."
Dick frowned.
"Suppress it?"
Alfred nodded.
"If word spreads that even the police commissioner's daughter was attacked and unable to defend herself… the people of Gotham would lose what little sense of security they have left."
He paused.
"Panic would follow."
Dick lowered his gaze.
"Yeah… that sounds like Gotham."
Alfred continued.
"For the sake of stability, Commissioner Gordon had no choice but to conceal the incident."
Dick clenched his fists slightly.
"So… Bruce thinks this is my fault?"
His voice was quieter now.
More uncertain.
"I was busy chasing Kaito Kid… while Barbara was fighting that thing alone…"
His head lowered further.
The guilt was beginning to settle in.
Alfred stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on Dick's shoulder.
"You misunderstand him."
Dick looked up.
Alfred's expression softened.
"Master Bruce is not blaming you."
A pause.
"If anything… he is blaming himself."
Dick blinked.
"He believes that if he had returned sooner… perhaps things would have been different."
The words hung in the air.
Dick slowly exhaled.
"Yeah…"
He nodded slightly.
"I know how he is."
There was a faint, tired smile on his face.
"He doesn't say what he really feels. He never has."
Alfred gave a small nod.
"But…" Dick continued, his tone growing more serious, "he was right about one thing."
His eyes sharpened.
"I've been too focused on Kaito Kid."
Alfred remained silent, letting him speak.
"I treated him like a priority target," Dick said. "I spent months tracking him, analyzing him… trying to understand him."
He shook his head.
"And because of that… I ignored other threats."
His voice grew heavier.
"Barbara told me she was investigating the Bat-Monster case."
He clenched his jaw.
"I should have gone with her."
A pause.
"Or at least… stayed ready to back her up."
He looked down at his hands.
"But I didn't."
His voice dropped.
"I didn't even believe the Bat-Monster was real."
Silence filled the room.
Dick continued slowly.
"I knew Kaito Kid wouldn't kill anyone."
"He steals, sure—but he always returns what he takes."
"In terms of danger…" Dick shook his head bitterly, "he's less threatening than the average thug in an alley."
His lips curled into a faint, self-mocking smile.
"And yet… I treated him like Gotham's biggest problem."
Alfred listened patiently before speaking again.
"No one can predict everything, Master Richard."
His tone was calm, steady.
"At the beginning, no one believed the Bat-Monster truly existed."
He looked directly at Dick.
"You are not omniscient."
Dick didn't respond.
"This is not your fault," Alfred added softly. "And Miss Barbara would never blame you."
Those words finally seemed to reach him.
Dick took a deep breath and straightened his posture.
"…Thanks, Alfred."
His expression relaxed slightly.
"You always know what to say."
Alfred gave a small, knowing smile.
"Then I suggest you go to the Batcave now."
His voice regained its usual composed tone.
"Master Bruce does not like to be kept waiting."
Dick chuckled lightly.
"Yeah… that hasn't changed."
He turned toward the exit.
"But this time…" his expression hardened, "I won't fall behind again."
As he left Wayne Manor, the evening air of Gotham greeted him—cold, heavy, and filled with unease.
---
Descent into the Batcave
Dick moved quickly through the hidden passage beneath Wayne Manor.
The familiar path felt different tonight.
Heavier.
More serious.
As he stepped into the Batcave, the dim glow of computer screens illuminated the vast underground space.
Bruce Wayne sat in front of the Bat-Computer.
He was already suited up.
The Batsuit clung tightly to his body, emphasizing his powerful build. Only the cowl was missing, resting beside him.
Even without it, the presence of Batman filled the room.
"You're late."
Bruce didn't turn around.
His eyes remained fixed on the screen.
"Lateness is one of the most shameful flaws a soldier can have."
Dick rolled his eyes slightly.
Same old Bruce.
If anything, that blunt, emotionless tone was more familiar than the earlier confrontation.
"Good to see you too," Dick muttered under his breath.
He walked closer to the Bat-Computer.
"What are we looking at?"
Bruce didn't answer directly.
Instead, he played the video again.
The moment Dick saw the footage—
His expression changed.
---
The Bat-Monster
The creature on the screen was… unnatural.
Terrifying.
It stood upright—over two meters tall.
Its wings stretched nearly four meters wide, casting a massive shadow under the dim streetlights.
At first glance, it looked like a giant bat.
But the longer Dick looked—
The more unsettling it became.
Its lower body was almost human.
Two legs. Muscular. Structured like a man's.
But its feet—
Claws.
Sharp, curved, predatory.
It even wore torn remnants of clothing—ragged pants barely clinging to its body.
Its torso was human-like too.
Broad chest. Defined muscles.
But from its arms stretched massive bat wings, connecting all the way down to its sides.
Its hands were claws.
Its head—
Dick felt a chill run down his spine.
A bat's head.
But enlarged.
Distorted.
Grotesque.
It wasn't just a bat.
And it wasn't just a human.
It was something in between.
Something wrong.
Dick leaned closer to the screen.
"…This is what attacked Barbara?"
"Yes."
Bruce's voice was steady.
"She recorded this before losing consciousness."
Dick's expression grew complicated.
"…This thing…"
He hesitated.
"…it looks too human."
Bruce didn't respond immediately.
He stared at the paused frame on the screen.
Then—
He spoke.
"Because it might be human."
The words landed heavily.
Dick turned to look at him.
"You're saying…"
Bruce didn't look away from the screen.
"I'm saying this is not just a monster."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"It could be a person."
Silence followed.
Dick felt a strange unease settle in his chest.
A human… turned into that?
Or something pretending to be human?
Either way—
This case had just become far more dangerous.
---
Meanwhile… Gotham City Library
While Batman and Nightwing prepared for the night ahead—
Elsewhere in Gotham, another story quietly unfolded.
Dean walked into the Gotham City Library just as the evening light began to fade.
He didn't go home after school.
He rarely did.
Especially on days like this.
Not because he had a new heist planned.
In fact—
After successfully stealing a legendary gem, Dean had decided to take a short break.
Even Kaito Kid needed rest.
But that didn't mean he stopped preparing.
Dean walked through the shelves with familiarity, selecting a few books before heading toward a quiet corner.
This was his routine.
At least once a week.
Sometimes more.
Magic wasn't just about tricks.
It was about knowledge.
Psychology.
Physics.
Chemistry.
Understanding how people think.
Understanding how the world works.
Dean didn't need to master these fields.
He just needed to understand them enough to use them.
That was the essence of illusion.
Information asymmetry.
What you know.
What others don't.
That gap—
Was where magic lived.
Dean checked the time.
4:15 PM.
Plenty of time.
The library closed at 8 PM.
Four hours of uninterrupted learning.
Perfect.
He sat down in a quiet corner and opened his book.
He preferred isolation while reading.
Less distraction.
Better focus.
Gotham's library was never crowded anyway.
Peaceful.
Silent.
Until—
Clang!
The sudden sound broke the silence.
Dean looked up.
A chair scraped against the floor across from him.
Then—
Thud.
A heavy object hit the table.
Dean blinked in surprise.
Sitting across from him was a girl.
Fourteen, maybe fifteen.
Black hair.
Dark eyes.
Her appearance gave off a subtle, familiar feeling—something Dean couldn't quite place.
But what stood out most—
Was the book.
It was massive.
Thick enough to look absurd.
The girl struggled slightly to set it down properly.
The title caught Dean's attention.
"The Complete Guide to World Major Language Vocabulary."
Dean raised an eyebrow.
"…Seriously?"
He couldn't help but feel curious.
Who reads something like that?
And why sit directly across from him… in an almost empty library?
For the first time that evening—
Dean's attention shifted away from his book.
Because something told him—
This meeting was not a coincidence.
------------------------
🕷️ End of Chapter
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