Chapter 155: Batman's Gift Package
In a luxury hotel suite, Jake sat on the sofa with Mia nestled in his arms, both watching the television.
They were like honeymooners—the final barriers between them had been broken down, and their relationship had finally crossed that ultimate threshold.
An urgent breaking news report dominated the screen: "Police have confirmed that multiple armed suspects have taken hostages at the Gotham City Stock Exchange."
"According to eyewitnesses on the scene..." the reporter's voice suddenly became electrified with excitement. "Scott, are you seeing this?!"
"I'm seeing Batman!"
"This is unbelievable! A figure who appears to be Batman is actively pursuing the suspects!"
"Batman is back!" Jake breathed deeply, feeling his pulse quicken. Witnessing his favorite superhero's return in real-time was incredibly thrilling.
On the television screen, from the news helicopter's aerial perspective, the black night sky hung heavy over Gotham City.
Batman, astride his Batpod motorcycle, had stopped in the middle of a major intersection, completely surrounded by police vehicles.
Multiple concentric circles of squad cars hemmed him in.
The flashing warning lights formed continuous streams of color, painting the dark sky in alternating red and blue.
Batman calmly raised his head toward the powerful searchlight illuminating him from above, completely unconcerned by the attention.
Even though nearly a hundred armed police officers were rapidly approaching his position!
Sirens wailed throughout the night air.
He pivoted the motorcycle around—its sleek, aggressive design twisting as he fired a grappling hook at a construction truck in the distance.
The Batpod was equipped with serious tactical weaponry!
The truck's flatbed was yanked violently, crashing to the ground and forming an improvised ramp.
The motorcycle's engine roared as it accelerated wildly, and this Dark Knight—who'd been active for less than five minutes—suddenly shot forward, launching off the makeshift ramp and soaring through the air!
Was he seriously going to escape again?
"After him! Don't lose him!"
The police vehicles flashed their emergency lights once more and resumed the high-speed pursuit.
The elevated highway was packed with civilian traffic as dense as a swarm.
The entire GCPD fleet relentlessly pursued the black-caped motorcycle racing ahead.
Soon, they successfully cornered Batman into a narrow dead-end alley.
Police cars quickly formed a crisscrossing barricade, blocking every possible escape route.
"We've got him now—there's nowhere left to run," the lead detective announced confidently through his megaphone.
But before he could finish his declaration, a blinding beam of light blazed from deep within the dead end!
The thunderous whoosh of powerful turbine engines echoed through the confined space.
"Sir, with all due respect—bats and rats are completely different animals," said the veteran Gotham officer beside him, a lifelong Batman enthusiast who'd never forgotten the vigilante's capabilities and mystique.
Clearly, this Batman—now returned to active duty—was even more formidable than before.
Powerful downdraft whipped up debris, hurling dust and trash into their faces.
A sleek, futuristic aircraft rose vertically from the alleyway!
Painted matte black and shaped unmistakably like a bat, its thrust came from massive turbofan engines—making it faster and far more maneuverable than any police helicopter!
As ground-based officers, they could only watch helplessly as the aircraft—dubbed "The Bat" by the media—disappeared into Gotham's night sky...
At Wayne Manor
Batman, having just returned to his underground base in the aircraft, was shocked to discover unexpected guests waiting at his estate!
The young man he'd met previously, and the female cat burglar who'd stolen his fingerprints and his mother's pearl necklace.
They were currently enjoying tea and pleasant conversation under the gracious hospitality of Alfred Pennyworth, his loyal butler.
However, the location of this casual tea party was distinctly inappropriate.
This was Bruce Wayne's secret Batcave—Batman's most classified operational headquarters!
"What the hell is going on here?" Bruce demanded, rushing over to confront his old friend without even bothering to remove his cowl.
He absolutely refused to believe Alfred would betray him—that was even more absurd than the idea of Bruce himself abandoning Gotham forever.
Could this somehow be the young man's doing?
Alfred smiled warmly, his weathered face beaming with barely contained excitement. "Mr. Jake has brought you something absolutely extraordinary, Master Bruce!"
"Extraordinary?" Removing his mask, Bruce Wayne approached Jake directly and asked, "What is it?"
"A healing compound that can instantly eliminate physical trauma and resolve chronic injuries. It's been called 'holy water' in some circles, though I find that term a bit pretentious, don't you?"
Seeing that Bruce remained skeptical and silent, Jake pressed on. "Your legs... they can't handle much more strenuous activity, can they?" He stared pointedly at Bruce's lower body, clearly aware of the mechanical leg braces hidden beneath his pants—advanced orthotics that substituted for damaged ligaments and allowed his compromised legs to function.
"You're well-informed," Bruce Wayne acknowledged, glancing down at his legs. The assessment was entirely accurate.
"Consider this a gift—and an apology for my girlfriend's previous... unauthorized borrowing of your property." Jake produced a small vial containing a modest amount of translucent liquid and offered it to Bruce, gesturing for him to drink it.
Batman remained visibly skeptical, but seeing Alfred's encouraging nod, he understood that his butler must have already witnessed the effects of this so-called healing potion to recommend it so enthusiastically.
Moreover, Bruce was acutely aware that he wasn't getting any younger, and his body harbored numerous chronic injuries from years of brutal vigilante work. If these underlying problems weren't addressed soon, his future mobility would become severely compromised.
With that pragmatic consideration in mind, Bruce Wayne uncapped the bottle, tilted his head back, and swallowed the healing compound in one swift motion.
Then his eyes suddenly widened as an extraordinary sensation flooded through his entire body!
His previously injured abdomen, damaged right leg, and chronically painful knee were being gently suffused with soothing warmth...
He immediately removed the support brace from his leg and attempted an experimental jump.
While he couldn't quite match his younger self's athletic prowess, his body felt remarkably healthy and pain-free!
Was he actually cured?
"Congratulations, Mr. Wayne," Jake said with a genuine smile.
"No—I should be thanking you," Bruce replied, rotating his shoulders and testing his newly restored mobility. "This medicine alone is worth far more than some fingerprints—hell, it's worth more than all of Wayne Enterprises combined."
The medical technology of this world couldn't heal Batman's accumulated damage—otherwise, why would he need mechanical braces at all?
"Within reason, I can grant you a request in return," Bruce said firmly. As a billionaire and a man of principle, he despised being in anyone's debt.
After carefully studying Bruce for a moment, then glancing at Mia standing beside him in her Catwoman persona, Jake nodded decisively. "Then I'll take a complete set of your Batman equipment."
Catwoman had looked incredibly badass using Batman's gear in the original film, and Jake saw no reason to pass up that opportunity.
However, Batman—demonstrating his characteristic caution—set his jaw and nodded reluctantly. "Agreed. But you cannot use it for criminal purposes, or I'll come after you personally!"
Jake was confident he could handle Batman in a fight if necessary, but he nodded respectfully anyway. "Don't worry—we won't cause trouble without damn good reason."
And just like that, the complete Batman gear package was obtained.
While Jake and Mia inspected and familiarized themselves with the equipment—trying on the tactical suit, testing the grappling gun, and examining the Batpod motorcycle and the Bat aircraft—on the other side of Gotham City, Bane had already made his next devastating move!
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