The effect was immediate.
Detective Ramos stormed into the precinct, slamming his badge on the desk.
"Who the hell spread my name as a traitor?!"
Lorrick snarled, "Sit down, Ramos, before I—"
"You think I don't know you're selling us out to the Russians?!" Ramos shot back.
The office exploded with shouting.
Meanwhile, in a smoky bar, the Dark Silent Gang argued bitterly.
"Boss, the Russians are planning to screw us!"
"Lies!" the boss barked. "They're just trying to split us!"
But none of them truly believed each other anymore.
Ryotaro sat in his room, sipping tea, Frog Pod replaying the chaos for him like music.
"…So easy. Lies spread faster than bullets."
[Host's manipulation efficiency: 92%.]
"Not bad," Ryotaro whispered with a grin.
But that night, as Ryotaro patrolled Blüdhaven's rooftops, something felt… off. The air was heavier. The city was quieter.
He crouched, using the Denden Sensor to scan the area. Nothing unusual. And yet—
"...Someone's watching me."
He moved across rooftops, his steps silent. He deployed the Bat Memory into the sky. The device scanned… then glitched.
"System?" Ryotaro frowned.
[Warning: Unknown interference. Signal disrupted.]
Before he could react, a shape moved in the darkness. A cape, black as the void, unfurled against the skyline.
Ryotaro froze. His breath caught.
"Oh...Batman."
The figure landed silently on the rooftop opposite him, the city's dim glow outlining the sharp silhouette. No words. Just that piercing gaze from beneath the cowl.
For the first time in Blüdhaven, Ryotaro realized—
The game board was no longer his alone.
Batman's voice cut through the night like gravel.
"You're clever. Too clever. The gangs tearing each other apart. The cops fighting themselves. That's not chance—that's you."
Ryotaro forced a calm smile beneath his mask. "Funny. I thought Blüdhaven was just naturally chaotic."
Batman didn't flinch. "You're smart. Strategic. But you're reckless. People get hurt in your games."
Ryotaro said with a smile. "I don't hurt them. They hurt themselves. Also you are not wrong about one thing. I am clever but I also don't think you are coming here for this mess. So,tell me what is your game. Batman"
Inside his mind he is thinking about how to make this situation in his favor. After all, Batman must be already thinking about my power and planning his contingency plan. Maybe I tried to play a game with cops and gangs like a some master mind type shit must be too much. This must be because of the puberty.
Batman's silence stretched, heavy as the night itself.
Ryotaro could almost feel his brain working—analyzing, weighing, dissecting.
And then Batman said quietly, "If you're clever enough to manipulate gangs and corrupt cops, you're clever enough to know this won't end without consequences."
Ryotaro tilted his head, smiling beneath the mask. "Consequences, huh? Is that a warning… or a promise?"
Batman didn't answer. Instead, a flicker of red and yellow moved in the shadows behind him. A figure leapt from the darkness—young, agile, trained.Robin. He must be the same age as me.
Robin landed lightly on the rooftop rail, his cape fluttering, his eyes sharp. "You've caused a lot of chaos in this city. Batman wanted to talk. I want to fight."
Ryotaro straightened, the Joker Memory humming faintly at his side. "So… the apprentice makes the first move."
"Don't underestimate me," Robin snapped. Then, with acrobatic grace, he flipped forward, escrima sticks flashing.
Ryotaro moved just as fast, ducking under the swing, his hand snapping out to block. The impact rattled through his arm.
'Strong. Fast. But young… predictable.'
He twisted, sweeping Robin's legs. But Robin flipped midair, landing behind him and striking again. Sparks flew as stick met armored gauntlet.
"Not bad," Ryotaro muttered. "But you're not used to someone who doesn't play by the rules."
Robin grit his teeth. "Then I'll force you to."
The rooftop exploded with motion—Robin darting in with lightning speed, Ryotaro countering with raw strikes and the subtle unpredictability of the Joker Memory.
A punch cracked the air. Robin blocked with both sticks, but the force shoved him back.
'He's holding back. He is trying to test me, not finishing me. Batman's watching, always watching. Cute.
Robin lunged again, aiming for Ryotaro's side. This time, Ryotaro didn't block—he let the hit land, then caught Robin's wrist and twisted, flipping him onto the rooftop.
Robin groaned, but rolled to his feet instantly, glaring.
"You're tough," Ryotaro admitted. "But tough isn't enough."
He surged forward, delivering a sharp knee, then a backhand that sent Robin skidding across the rooftop.
Robin's sticks clattered to the ground. He was breathing hard, shoulders rising and falling.
"Not bad," Ryotaro said softly. "But I'm done playing games."
Batman had not moved. He stood in silence, cape shrouding him like a wall of shadow, as his sidekick staggered back to his feet.
Ryotaro adjusted his mask, his voice calm but firm.
"I don't play games with children. And I don't play games with the Bat either. Not anymore."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"Then you are leaving just like that. This is the mess you started."
"Maybe. After all,you guys are going to do the job better than me. So, Bye bye."
For a moment, the city was silent. The wind swept across the rooftop.
Ryotaro turned away, the Joker Memory humming as he disengaged his transformation. The armor dissolved into the night.
Then, before Robin could move again, Ryotaro leapt off the rooftop, his coat whipping in the air. Moments later, the roar of the Hardboilder echoed through the streets as he disappeared into the Blüdhaven night.
Robin wiped blood from his lip, frustration flashing in his eyes. "He got away."
Batman's gaze lingered on the rooftop edge. "He's not just another vigilante. He's something different. Clever and young."
Robin frowned. "Do we stop him?"
Batman's answer was quiet, thoughtful. "…Not yet. For now, we watch. A game this boy thinks he's playing may end up swallowing the whole city."
And with that, the Dark Knight melted into the shadows once more.
*********
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