DC: My Name Is Not Billy Batson [New]

"Did you get what you wanted?"

Outside Black Gate Prison, Catwoman leaned against the Batmobile, waiting for Batman's return.

Although he was in turmoil, seeing Catwoman there always brought a warmth to Bruce's heart. He soften his voice as he replied.

"I found it. This involves the Clayface."

With Clayface's abilities, it would be entirely possible for him to steal the coffins of the Wayne couple from the mountains behind Wayne Manor.

But the real question is: how did he know? Or, to put it another way, why does the man called hush know him so well? Not only does he know who Bruce truly is, but he also knows his deepest weaknesses.

Batman understood that his opponent's theft of his parents' coffins was a calculated attempt to mess with him. But he wasn't a robot; it was impossible for him to completely erase his feelings. Even now, he was struggling to hold back his anger.

He kept wondering, who could this person be? Who knew this much about him, and who was so determined to destroy him?

He were deep in thought as they drove back.

"Bruce? Bruce!"

Catwoman's anxious voice through communicator snapped him out of his contemplation. He had lost focus, something that would never have happened to the Batman of the past.

"What's wrong, Selina?"

"Look, look ahead!"

Batman glanced at the road and saw a figure at the distance. Using the in-car monitor, he zoomed in on the image. When he saw the face clearly, his body stiffened.

"Talia," he muttered. It was Talia al Ghul, Damian's mother, the daughter of a ninja master.

Talia stood there silently, as though speaking to him, but all he could do was read her lips. Long time no see, dear.

Then, to his surprise, she threw several palm-sized discs toward the Batmobile. Batman immediately snapped back to reality and slammed on the brakes. But it was too late—the discs slid under the chassis, where they attached themselves magnetically.

With a loud bang, the Batmobile was flipped over. In the middle of the roll, the roof opened. Batman saw the opening and, with right timing, curled into a roll and jumped out, spinning in the air before landing gracefully.

"As good as ever, my dear," Talia smiled, admiring his agility.

"Why are you back here, Talia?" Batman asked, his voice low with suspicion.

"For us," Talia replied with a smirk, "and for our children, of course."

At that moment, Catwoman arrived on a motorcycle. She had overheard the conversation and, displeased, interject.

"Your behavior just now didn't exactly show that you're someone with a refined upbringing," she remarked.

A cold glint flashed in Talia's eyes, Who does she think she is, interrupting our conversation? Talia didn't speak, but without warning, she drew her katana and slashed at Catwoman.

Catwoman wasn't caught off guard. She quickly drew the whip from her waist and lashed it out. However, Talia, with the grace and agility of a trained assassin, dodged the attack easily.

As the daughter of a Ra, Talia had undergone intense training, far more professional and disciplined than Catwoman's more instinctive and wild fighting style.

Talia wielded her katana with precision and fluidity. She read Catwoman's whip swings, dodging them with ease. It was as if she was dancing on a tightrope, effortlessly moving in and out of the whip's range.

Soon, Talia was close enough to Catwoman to threaten her with the blade.

A few quick strikes forced Catwoman to backpedal in defense, and it became clear that Talia was gaining the upper hand.

Batman, seeing, couldn't remain a passive observer. Realizing Talia's strikes could land on Catwoman's vital points, he intervened just in time.

With a quick movement, Batman's arm met Talia's katana, the "teeth" on his forearm locking the blade in place.

As Catwoman slipped out of Talia's reach, she shot her a smug smile, clearly pleased to have avoided her attacks.

This only served to drive Talia into rage. she swung the katana at Batman, aiming for him.

"That's enough, Talia, stop!" Batman shouted.

The situation between them was complicated due to Damian. Batman had mixed feelings for Talia. Though he had never fully accepted Damian as his son, deep down, he knew the truth: Damian was his child.

Batman had never figured out how to be a good father. But in this moment, he only blocked Talia's strikes, never once striking back.

Catwoman, seizing the opportunity, lashed out at Talia with her whip, landing several strikes.

To anyone watching, it appeared that Batman and Catwoman were teaming up against Talia, causing Talia's jealousy to boil over.

With an exasperated sigh, Talia stopped, sheathing her katana.

"If you've chosen this woman," she said coldly to Batman, "then I will take Damian with me—he will grow up as if he never had a father."

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Batman, panicked, quickly chased after her. He refused to admit it out loud, but in his heart, he had already accepted that Damian was the true heir to the Wayne legacy.

How could the heir to the Wayne family remain with the League of Assassins? There was no way Damian would turn into another assasin in the future—he would not allow it.

Talia and Batman moved too fast for Catwoman to keep up, leaving her standing behind, fuming with frustration.

"Damn rich people," she muttered under her breath.

While she and the they had to rely on high-tech gadgets to scale walls or swing between buildings, Catwoman's pace seemed sluggish in comparison.

Talia, having grown up in the League of Assassins, had honed her stealth skills to an exceptional degree. Even Batman could not claim to surpass her in that regard.

Soon, he had lost track of her. As Batman pondered Talia's words, a sense of worry gripped him. He quickly called the manor, where Alfred answered.

"Lord Wayne."

"Is Damian at home?" Batman asked.

"He should be resting in his room," Alfred replied. "Please hold on."

Batman waited anxiously for a few minutes. Soon, Alfred's voice returned, but it was frantic.

"Master Damian is missing!"

Batman's fists clenched tightly in anger.

"I'll find him, Alfred," he said before abruptly hanging up the phone.

"First Dick, then my parents, then Damian?"

He clenched his teeth, thinking about who could be next.

"Barbra? Or Alfred? Or…"

"Selina!"

He dialed Catwoman's number immediately, but it went unanswered.

"Damn! Is Talia involved in this plan, too?"

His mind reeled back to Talia's suspicious appearance. She had seemed too sure of their path. It was all a carefully laid trap!

Batman raced back to the site of the overturned car, but Catwoman was already gone. All that remained was the long whip she often used.

He could feel the sting of being played, but it was mixed with a deep, icy feeling of betrayal. His thoughts spun, the tension making him feel like he was suffocating.

The people he cared about seemed to be slipping away, one by one, and the true face of the mastermind still eluded him.

Just as he was about to dive back into his spiraling thoughts, an unfamiliar video call came through. He connected without hesitation.

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Bruce."

Batman's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man on the screen.

"You don't even want to call me 'teacher' anymore? That really makes me sad," the man said with a sinister smirk.

"I'm sure you're looking for something. I thought you might want to come over and chat with an old friend."

Batman's voice was cold. "Did you do all of this?"

"Don't always ask, think more, kid."

The man on the screen chuckled darkly.

"I'll be waiting for you at the former ACE Chemical Plant."

The call ended.

At the ACE chemical plant, the man, with a bandaged head, turned to a nearby figure.

"Good luck, huh?"

"Yeah, good luck," the other man replied with a smile.

Behind them, a pool of Lazarus water glowed ominously, its surface rippling with a greenish hue. Hanging above it were two coffins, stained with mud.

On the other side of the pool, Catwoman hung unconscious, her body limp as she dangled from the ceiling.