Chapter 1472: Birds and Return (Seventeen)

Damian Wayne first appeared in Batman: Son of the Devil, but this does not mean that his race is a demon or has any deep connection with the so-called demons in the occult world. The demon here is just an adjective.

After the New 52 reboot, the history of the Teen Titans has changed. Before the big event, they did not have much intersection with the Dark Justice League or the occult world, so this is the first time Damian has seen a real demon.

The power of the demon carries a kind of shocking evil and terror, which is the gift of the demon race, but unlike the fear and rejection from the depths of the soul when Red Hood and Red Robin just saw the demon for the first time, Damian had deep doubts after the initial shock.

Did he see it wrong? Why did this demon force a little smile after seeing Bruce? Why did the unbridled evil power that was originally surrounding him withdraw in an instant?

After being separated from the majestic energy and the blazing hellfire was extinguished, this demon looked... a bit like a kid.

Damian really didn't mean to belittle him. The fact is that the demon standing in the middle of the room is just an upright black goat after removing those fancy special effects. It is just a little bigger than the goats on Earth, but judging from the development of the goat's horns and hooves, it is probably still a lamb.

Red Hood and Red Robin also breathed a sigh of relief. Red Hood supported Red Robin and walked over, looking at Bruce Wayne and asked: "Oh my God, Batman, what is going on?!"

"This hospital, the murderer in the hospital, the messy corpses, the heart of the sinner, the anatomy class, and this... Sorry?"

"Djeru is a black demon, that is, the demon whose body is a black goat that is often mentioned in human myths and legends."

"Okay, this black demon, what are you doing?"

Red Hood actually had one more sentence that he didn't say, that is, why did he always feel that what they are doing now is more evil than the horrible serial killers' back-chilling limbs and the demons themselves that represent the most primitive fear of mankind?

"I will tell you the truth, but it's better after everything is over." Bruce said so.

The demon almost trembled and agreed to Bruce's conditions. When he left with two boxes, he was panicked as if he was fleeing.

Constantine and Harley went to the next room to divide the accounts. Bruce asked Deathstroke to put the bill on the Wayne Group, and the mercenaries left with satisfaction.

Red Hood stepped forward and just wanted to ask, Bruce waved to them and said, "Let's go to the office upstairs to talk."

"But outside..."

"I have a special elevator."

Bruce hugged Damian, and Red Hood and Red Robin followed him to an office upstairs.

Red Robin sat down on the sofa and saw Bruce coming. He thought Bruce would sit opposite him, but unexpectedly, Bruce pushed away the coffee table in front of him and half-knelt in front of him to check the wound on his leg.

Red Robin took a breath of cold air. Just as he was about to speak, Bruce asked without looking up, "You should have understood part of what I'm doing, right?"

Red Robin was silent for a while, but still spoke out his own inference.

"If I understand correctly, you built a mental hospital, gathered villains and killers from all over the world, used the bodies of gang fights to provide them with research materials, and then used these killers to dig out organs from the bodies and sell them to the demons who need them."

Bruce nodded, he still maintained a half-kneeling posture, but raised his eyes to look at Red Robin, and when he met those blue eyes, Red Robin's heart skipped a beat.

He saw praise in Batman's eyes.

He really should be praised, right? Red Robin thought so. They strayed into an unfamiliar environment and were hunted by a serial killer. He was the most seriously injured, but he was the only one among the three of them who could still think calmly. He should deserve this praise.

But Red Robin still felt incredible. He never thought that he was the one who could get special treatment from Batman, because he was not special enough, at least he thought so.

He did not have the long-term intimacy between Nightwing and Batman, nor was he related to Batman like Damian, nor did he make Batman feel guilty like Red Hood. He was even the only one among all Robins who still had a way out. He still had parents and family.

Tim always felt that there was a barrier between him and Batman that ordinary people could hardly see. They were a little strange in their intimacy, and a little polite in their familiarity. They seemed to be the most compatible, but they were always the farthest apart.

Tim was not sure what position he held in Batman's heart. If his intelligence could really make the equally smart Batman more affirmed and loved him, why had he never received any special expression?

But now he got it, because of his intelligence, because he and Batman had the only thing in common, Batman admitted that wisdom was their common point.

It was like an anchor, bringing an unparalleled sense of security, and even making Tim feel no pain from the wound.

"You are very smart." He heard Batman say this.

Tim even thought the wound should hurt a little more so he could sit here and watch Batman observe his wound longer.

It's hopeless, Tim realized clearly, but he couldn't help himself.

Then, Bruce opened his mouth again, and another shock and surprise burst out from Red Robin's heart. Could he still discuss this topic with Batman? Wouldn't his attention be diverted to other people?

Could he even hear Batman's more in-depth analysis and get guidance that no one else had?

"You only saw half of this industry chain, or maybe one-third... Do you know what the soul dust that the devil can provide is used for?"

The fantasy became a reality. Red Robin knew that Batman didn't want to answer, but wanted to explain to him. He would get Batman's explanation today, and it was an explanation to him alone.

This sentence echoed in Red Robin's mind, and even made him have no time to think about anything else until Bruce's voice came again.

"There is a winding river in hell. Souls that have been torn into pieces in long-term torture will eventually flow into this river, and the sand in this river will grind the souls into the most original energy and return to the origin of the universe. This is the final destination of most evil people."

"Soul dust is the finest sand in the river. Because it has been grinding various souls for tens of millions of years, it has many magical properties. They can settle in the complete human soul and increase the weight of the human soul."

"When humans die, the dust in their souls will begin to grind their souls, retaining the most refined sins and good deeds in their organs."

Red Robin began to feel cold all over. Every scene he experienced in the New Arkham Psychiatric Hospital kept replaying in his mind. His memory and detective talent far beyond ordinary people allowed him to recall every detail.

Countless fragments were connected in his mind, and he seemed to have become a giant standing above Gotham, overlooking the countless people on the ground.

He knew that it was his reasoning talent that allowed him to gain the perspective of the great planner, that is, the perspective of Batman.

So, Red Robin began to narrate the incident from this perspective, and his voice attracted the attention of Red Hood standing by the window and Damian leaning against the sofa.

"Gotham is the place where human sins gather." There was a strange tremor in Red Robin's voice, which was not fear, but more like excitement.

"There has never been a city as sinful as this one. The sinners created by the endless sins cannot be exterminated. When they flow out of the warm lake in their mother's womb, they are destined to flow to the river of hell."

"These souls should not be wasted like this, I think... So I built a ranch and let all the lunatics who committed serious crimes come here, not only to control them, but also to shepherd them, feed them with luxurious buildings, abundant resources and abundant death."

Red Robin looked up and saw Bruce's hopeful eyes. Bruce's hand was on his knee, which was a manifestation of pressure, but Red Robin was ecstatic about it.

Batman was looking forward to his answer, Batman was eager for his understanding, Batman was... loving him.

He couldn't stop shaking all over, his Adam's apple moved up and down, and he uttered another sentence: "And, and soul dust... I feed them with gravel from the river of hell."

"All the sins on them will settle in their souls, and be constantly washed and polished by the gravel of soul dust, becoming heavier and more refined - extreme sins are another kind of treasure."

Bruce was still half-kneeling on the ground, but he stretched his hand upward and wiped off the dust and blood on Red Robin's face with his fingers.

Red Robin trembled all over, as if he was about to cry, not because of the touch brought by this closeness, but because of the fear from the heart and the irrepressible joy that came with it. He was almost forcing himself to continue speaking.

"I know who needs this treasure - the devils in hell are always pursuing sin. They even spend years luring people in their dreams and making them commit crimes, just to get a sinful soul."

"Since they regard sin as a treasure, I will exchange it with the lambs I raised with my own hands. I hold the reins of the most precious lamb in the world, so the devils must also worship me and pray for my blessings."

"This darkness is a rare and precious treasure to me. Now, I bring you here to let my devout believers see this miracle - to let them understand me, respect me, and... love me."

After spitting out the last sentence, Red Robin seemed to have lost all his strength and curled up weakly.

Bruce finally got up, but bent down and hugged him again. In Batman's arms, Tim felt an indescribable relief.

Robins always think that Batman is an omnipotent god rationally, but they must accept emotionally that he is a person who makes mistakes, and pain comes with this contradiction.

But when they know and understand that Batman is the distant and unattainable great patriarch, all emotions turn into "belief". At this time, all hesitation and self-doubt can be thrown behind, and the world becomes simple and pure.

Gotham gathers the sins of the entire universe, and the culprit who spreads darkness here will never think that this young bat, who was once full of anger, will spread his bat wings and feed fat lambs with the rain of sin in Gotham in a more terrifying posture, and sell them for a good price.

When Red Robin's breathing became more and more stable, the three Robins seemed to see the huge and terrifying bat wings stretching out from Bruce's back, covering not only the dark room, but also the entire city and the world.

At this moment, they knew that they had to respect him because he was Batman.

Also because this Batman found a twisted, terrifying but effective solution to the deepest madness in the world. He was crazier than madness.