When one mentions Batman, the first thought is money, immense wealth, followed by his superhuman combat skills; he's a quintessential physical superhero.
Who would have thought he'd dabble in magic now, and magic from Lope no less.
But then again, it makes sense. Batman, with his connections and wealth, would certainly have avenues to learn magic. However, mastering it in a short span would be impossible, even for Batman.
So, what's the solution?
With the rise of magic, numerous criminals have begun using it for their illicit activities.
My father once said that only magic can defeat magic.
To counter these magic-wielding criminals, the best approach is to fight magic with magic.
Weighing the pros and cons, Batman opted for Lope's rune magic.
The best aspect of this magic is that it doesn't require the user to have high magical aptitude. One simply needs to throw out rune papers in combat while reciting the corresponding incantations. This was the fastest magic Batman could master in a short period.
However, this magic is sufficient against ordinary criminals, but it's rather comical to use it against Bai Qi now.
Even if Bai Qi stood still, all the rune papers in Batman's hands wouldn't even tickle him.
Fortunately, Bai Qi had no intention of killing him.
Bai Qi twitched a finger, and his telekinetic force enveloped Batman's body, slamming him violently into a nearby concrete wall.
By the time Batman recovered, he saw two shadowy ninjas dragging a comatose Superman into the Shadow Realm. By the time he tried to intervene, it was too late.
After Superman was taken, Bai Qi looked at Batman and said, "Your friend is imprisoned deep within the Shadow Realm. I assume you know the place—a land of absolute darkness where no light can penetrate. If you wish to save your friend, bring the Helmet of Fate in three days and meet me at the Empire State Building. A trade: your friend for the helmet."
Without giving Batman a chance to reply, he turned and vanished into the darkness.
"Damn it."
Cursing under his breath as he watched Bai Qi disappear, Batman got into his Bat-jet and rushed back to the Batcave.
In the Batcave, Robin was investigating the assassination of Ambassador Qirui. Beside him, the butler Alfred, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, said, "Young Master, you've been working for a long time. Have a cookie and rest a bit; let your brain relax."
At this point, Robin was the fourth Robin, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's biological son. His mother was the daughter of the infamous leader of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul—Talia al Ghul. He had been raised as a super-soldier since childhood. From the age of seven, his first task every morning was marksmanship practice. He could dismantle all conventional light weapons bare-handed and had considerable expertise with heavy artillery. Furthermore, his disposition was harsh and unruly. When Bruce was alive, he often fretted about Damian's future, and keeping him close was largely to prevent him from going astray and becoming a supervillain.
However, despite the talk of discipline, Batman was often overwhelmed by the fan clubs of Gotham City, especially the Joker, the leader of the fan club, with whom he had a love-hate relationship. Consequently, his discipline over Damian was noticeably lacking. Poor Damian was even frequently kidnapped by the Joker's fan club, used as a tool to enhance his relationship with Batman.
Although he harbored a thousand grievances towards his father in his heart, Damian knew that his father might not be a good father, but he was undoubtedly a great hero and a goal he aspired to. It was just that neither father nor son was good at expressing themselves, leading to many unpleasant disputes.
As Damian was frantically investigating the assassination of Ambassador Qirui, Batman returned. He took off his mask, handed it to Alfred, and then went to the computer. Without a word, he lifted Damian from his seat, set him aside, and sat down himself.
"What are you doing! I have very important work to do."
Operating the computer, Batman said without turning his head, "The case of Ambassador Qirui's murder is closed. It's confirmed to be the work of the Holy Lord, and the Qirui spaceships in orbit have been destroyed. This matter is concluded."
"What do you mean, 'concluded'? There are still many things uncleared. Why did the Holy Lord suddenly attack the Qirui? What was his objective? Even the Holy Lord couldn't kill an ambassador and destroy so many spaceships in orbit. Who was helping him? These all need to be investigated."
"Enough."
Batman's voice cut Damian off.
Alfred, watching from the side, couldn't bear it. The atmosphere was so tense, so he intervened, "Master, you shouldn't speak to Young Master like that. Young Master has proven himself capable of handling matters independently after this period of training. Why don't you tell him what you need to do? Perhaps he can assist you."
Hearing Alfred's words, Batman's hands paused on the keyboard for a few seconds before continuing to type, as if he hadn't heard a word. Damian, who had just perked up, became disheartened again at his father's attitude.
If there were better things to do, why would Damian bother with the assassination of an alien ambassador, a matter the government seemed so apathetic about, clearly a thankless task?
He had thought that with Alfred's suggestion, his father might let him join the case he was investigating, even if it was just to help. But now, it seemed... sigh.
Just as Damian was moping and preparing to distract himself with training, Batman spoke.
"Damian, how much do you know about the Helmet of Fate?"
Hearing his father's question, Damian instantly became energized.
It was simple: his father asking this question meant he had agreed to let Damian assist him.
He hurried forward and said, "The Helmet of Fate is the vessel through which Doctor Fate descends into the mortal realm. Whoever wears the helmet allows him to manifest in the real world through the wearer's body. After his previous wearer passed away, it was stored in Mount Justice. It has been worn by Kid Flash Wally, Aqualad Kaldur, and Zatanna. Currently, it is worn by Zatanna's father, Zatara."
Batman nodded. What Damian said was consistent with the information he had found in the database.
He continued to ask, "How do you feel about Doctor Fate?"
"Not very good." Damian had no need to hide his feelings from his father. "Doctor Fate is indeed a powerful sorcerer. To manifest in the mortal world, he ruthlessly separated Zatara and Zatanna. His actions are simply unacceptable to me."