The Death Knell

The current of the Gotham River is not fast. Its surface is wide and calm, like a large mirror.

Because the whole city can actually be seen as three large islands and a bunch of small islands, the river is more like the sea water surrounding the city and then returning to the sea.

Of course, this coming and going has added many characteristics of Gotham, such as the colorful wastewater integrated into it, and a large number of corpses with varying degrees of decay flowing into the river along the sewers.

The famous Asylum is located on Arkham Island, just below the Three Gates Bridge across the Gotham River, like a triangular wedge, stuck between New Town and the Upper East Side.

The overall area of ​​this island is much larger than Manhattan in New York, but due to the rugged geological conditions, there is not much land that can be utilized.

The most elite part was built as a sanatorium covering about one-third of the island to accommodate Gotham's top talents. There are fully armed security guards 24 hours a day to take care of their lives.

The De'Angelo Sewage Plant is also on Arkham Island, and Batman also knows that there is a secret passage there that can be used to cross the Gotham River through a cable and go to the Gotham Power Station on the other side of the river.

But he couldn't move because he was paraplegic.

He could only lie on the bed in the nursing home, fixed by more than a dozen belts and chains.

Thomas' plan to rule Gotham in partnership with Bane failed. He had a chance of winning, but the good situation was destroyed overnight by the death knell from another world.

Among them is his good son, who still doesn't understand his painstaking efforts.

Bane, the ventriloquist, and many others who had just been released are now back in this hospital and imprisoned in the darkest place.

In fact, Thomas's injury earlier was not that serious. Although Bruce hit him, it only deprived him of his ability to resist, rather than killing him.

But one night after being imprisoned, Bain bribed several guards, slipped into the infirmary where Thomas was at that time, and broke the old man's spine with a classic wrestling move.

Since then, Thomas has been lying in the intensive care unit with a catheter inserted and listening to the ticking heartbeat monitor.

Except for his eyes, tongue and facial muscles, no other parts of his body could move. He felt like he was just waiting to die and rot in this place full of dregs.

Now, he has a lot of time to think about Gotham's policy of 'villain autonomy'.

In the 'City of Bain', he wants to convert the villains into the city's ruling class, hoping that they can manage their property well as vested interests.

But he forgot the most important thing, that is, Gotham on Earth 0 is crazier and darker than the city in the Flashpoint world.

Everyone here is crazy, no matter the good guys or the bad guys, the whole city is like a living crazy monster that will tear everything apart.

It's easier to destroy your own things, and you don't even have to worry about Batman stopping you.

So failure is doomed.

Thomas was wearing a ventilator mask, but his eyes were wide open. In the dark ward, he couldn't tell the time outside, and he couldn't sleep at all.

It wasn't that he was thinking about his failure and serious injuries, but that his mind was filled with thoughts about Bruce's current situation.

He knew what happened to Perpetua. He originally planned to let his son retire and fight the evil god with the Justice League, because it was too dangerous and his father should face it. The child just needs to stay at home. .

It's a pity that the plan can't keep up with the changes.

Still, he thought about his son, hoped that he was now safe, and that Perpetua had been defeated.

But since this morning, the sound of gunfire in the city has not stopped. Alarms have also sounded in the nursing home. The guards running past the door have panic in their footsteps.

But he couldn't do anything. Even if he shouted as hard as he could, no one would pay attention to him.

So he knew that what Bruce bought him should be the 'fully enclosed' package.

"What a good son, hum!"

He muttered something vague, and his difficulty in breathing made him unable to pronounce it. However, he tried to use his tongue to stir up the air supply pipe in his mouth. As long as it was disconnected, his heartbeat monitoring would soon detect abnormalities, and then he would definitely Paramedics arrived.

They are the money, and if they stay there for a day, Bruce will give them money for the day.

This is the value, which is now Thomas's bargaining chip, his own life.

It is very difficult to push open the tape with your tongue and pull out the tube inserted in the trachea. It is even impossible for people who have not exercised. But he is Batman, and his willpower is enough to support him to make such an action.

After constant attempts and repeated work, he soon achieved his goal. As the feeling of suffocation came, he felt that his eyes were gradually getting dark, and at the same time, he also heard the alarm sound of the heartbeat monitor.

A few seconds later, as expected, there was a voice outside the door. A panicked person was rummaging for the key, and then turning it to unlock the door.

Someone came in.

Thomas could barely see the tall figure, and the lack of oxygen made his vision slightly blurry, but it didn't seem to be a medical staff.

In Arkham Sanitarium, everyone wears white coats, whether they are real doctors or perverts who study psychology under the guise of doctors.

But now the person who came to re-intubate Thomas was an invisible guard wearing a riot helmet and heavy body armor.

After the guard entered the room, he closed the door and suddenly became more leisurely. His steps were no longer hurried, but became like dancing.

"Bump, click, click, click, click... spin, jump!"

It was really dancing. The guard stood on tiptoes and danced like a swan to Thomas' bedside. With a funny mid-air twist, he landed like a small top with wind.

"Hmm?"

The patient asked. He had a slight sense that something was wrong.

But the guard just tilted his head and picked up the breathing tube that fell on the pillow. At this time, Thomas saw a few fingers exposed under the opponent's tactical gloves, and the skin was astonishingly white.

Immediately, the strange guard spoke. Even though his voice sounded a little dull through the helmet, the feeling of happiness and madness could not be concealed.

"Oh, you vomited out the oxygen supply pipe yourself? You're so naughty, quack quack..." The guard skillfully dug out some tools from a nearby truck and re-inserted them within a few seconds. Thomas finished the intubation, and then he sat down on the edge of the hospital bed, turning slightly sideways, as if he wanted to lie on the patient: "Actually, I understand you, the machine is always cold and impersonal, or After my head was chopped off by the death knell last time, I realized how smooth breathing can be, hehe."

"Huh?" Thomas asked, biting the ventilator tube.

This simple cry was understood by the other party. The person beside the bed reached out to clasp the lower edge of the helmet and slowly opened it.

He revealed his blood-red mouth, grinning almost to the base of his ears.

and a pointed-eared hood with a steel ring that completely covers the eyes.

"surprise!"

The grimace came close to Thomas, the messy yellow teeth opened and closed, and spit out the corrupt breath in his mouth:

"Do you recognize me now? Father, I am Bruce, and I am also Batman! But don't be moved to tears just yet. I have prepared a better celebration plan for your recovery and discharge from hospital, hahahahahaha.... ..”