Chapter 1138 Professor (Part Ten)

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"Your father is Drake..." Batman's deep voice echoed in the dark alleyway.

He recalled that Drake was a famous businessman in Gotham, and the Drake Family was also a well-known business family in Gotham, originally from the U.K., and now engaged in the automobile import business.

Because he was always complaining about the difficulty of driving left-hand drive cars, he was given the nickname "Right-hand Drake." He was simple-minded and helpful, and of course, he was able to thrive in the city of Gotham, and had close relationships with the leaders of the gangs, often helping them obtain various luxury cars.

Drake protected his family very well, so the outside world hardly heard about his family situation. If Tim hadn't brought it up himself, even Bruce wouldn't have known that the Drake Family was an only child.

This was not common among the wealthy in Gotham. In a city with such a safe environment, having only one child was very likely to result in the family line ending. However, Batman soon discovered that this son of old Drake was not simple.

Tim first quickly introduced his own situation, then leaned out from beside Batman and shouted towards the end of the alleyway, "My goodness! Is that Dick? Dick Grayson? Aren't you the little ballet boy from Palm Tree Middle School? Were you attacked too?!"

Tim ran quickly towards Dick, and even Batman couldn't catch him. After reaching Dick, he helped him up. Dick was still a bit dazed, but then recognized Tim's face and said, "I remember now... you're the little Drake from the elementary school. On the third day of school, you came in a luxury car."

"Correct, it's me! But that wasn't my doing, it was my dad's idea to give me a boost." Tim had a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face.

But Dick was even more embarrassed. He didn't expect to run into an acquaintance here, and was his awkward state just now seen by Tim?

Tim supported Dick and walked back to Batman's side, quickly telling Batman, "Dick and I used to be classmates for a while, but he soon transferred away. I remember he was good at studying, could dance and sing, and was especially liked by the teachers."

When Batman heard this, his brows relaxed slightly, but the next sentence from Tim made him frown deeply again. Tim released his grip on Dick's arm and shrugged, saying, "But you know, in middle school, children like that are not popular with their peers. My friends in the higher grades gave him a nickname, calling him the 'little ballet boy,' saying he was effeminate. But I didn't think so, because I was also sent to learn dance when I was young, and to do good ballet, you need a lot of strength."

Batman's gaze fell on Dick, but Dick turned his head away without looking at him. Tim noticed the awkward atmosphere between them and said in surprise, "Oh, so you two know each other? I thought you were just passing by and Batman happened to save you."

Dick then remembered that he couldn't let Tim discover that he was actually Batman's adopted son, because that would expose the fact that Batman is Bruce Wayne. So he turned his head and coughed a few times, then casually glanced at the limp figure on the ground, asking, "What exactly happened? What is that monster?"

Batman looked at Tim, and Tim scratched his head, saying, "I don't know either. I'm supposed to attend a party tomorrow, so tonight my dad was going to pick me up. Palm Tree Elementary School isn't far from here, but we had a flat tire right after leaving school."

"My dad's driver, Uncle Veratti, got out to check it. He found it seemed someone had scattered nails on the road. We changed the tire, but were worried about blocking traffic if we stayed on the main road, so we drove into this alleyway. But then this monster suddenly dropped from the sky and attacked Uncle Veratti."

Looking at Tim's appearance, he might only be in the third or fourth grade of elementary school, but his speech was always very fast, with each word clearly enunciated and his expression very logical, completely unlike a child of that age.

At this time, the limping Veratti came over. His expression still had a hint of fear, and he carefully avoided the monster as he walked. But when he reached Tim, his plump figure deliberately blocked the view between Tim and Batman.

"Sir, thank you so much for saving me and little Tim. I'll definitely go back and tell Mr. Drake to properly thank you!" 

"But it's too late now, I must hurry and take him back to the Drake Manor, or his parents will worry."

He gave Batman an ingratiating smile, appearing somewhat servile, but Batman had no intention of letting him leave. Instead, he looked into Veratti's eyes and said, "When you got out of the car to check the flat tire, where did the monster drop down from?"

"Uh, I don't know." Veratti shook his head, looking a bit troubled. "At the time, I was about to open the trunk to get the spare tire, when I heard a noise behind me. Turning my head, I just saw this terrifying monster."

"I let out a scream and was about to turn and run, but I tripped and fell to the ground. That's when you all arrived."

"If you were trying to turn and run, but tripped and fell, then why were you lying on your back when we got here, and not on your stomach?" Batman narrowed his eyes, staring at Veratti.

Veratti paused for a moment, then said, "I only tried to turn, but didn't succeed. I was initially lying on my side, but I tried to move backwards, so I ended up sitting on the ground."

"Since you saw the monster's appearance after hearing the noise, why did you scream and almost faint when we arrived?"

"Uh... because that monster is really terrifying, and... and when I first turned around, I didn't get a good look at it. But when you shone the flashlight, I saw the details, and it was really frightening, wasn't it?" Veratti explained.

"The most suspicious thing is..." Batman stepped forward, looking at Veratti, "Why are you standing here, submitting to my interrogation, instead of reaching into the car next to you and pulling out a gun to point at my head, telling me not to waste your time? Are you really a Gotham driver?"

Veratti's face gradually darkened, then he revealed a cold and cruel smile that felt familiar to Batman, slowly taking two steps back while looking at Batman's face, saying, "You live up to your reputation, Batman."

"To dare to be a vigilante in the city of Gotham, you must have some skills." Veratti continued to back up, almost bumping into Tim behind him. Just as Batman was about to pull out a batarang, Veratti said unhurriedly, "You wouldn't want the young master of the Drake family to become a part of my lovely work, would you?"

"Bang!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

The once smirking Veratti fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. Behind him, the small Tim held a hunting rifle completely disproportionate to his size, looking at the writhing, moaning Veratti with a mocking expression.

Dick and Bruce's eyes widened, but Tim calmly put down the gun, looking at Veratti and saying, "You didn't think you'd been discovered, did you? You might have fooled my dad, but you can't fool me."

"You deliberately staged a car accident, killed my dad's original driver, and took over the task of driving me to and from school."

"One night, I saw a figure sneaking through the garden towards the garage from the upstairs window, and I immediately recognized it was you, because when you walk, your left foot always steps a little bigger than your right."

"The next day, I encountered a car explosion on the way home from school, and you risked your life to save me, earning my dad's trust."

"But what you didn't know is that I've been exposed to all kinds of cars with my dad since I was little, and I'm very familiar with vehicle structures and parts."

"When you pushed me to the ground, I happened to see that the chassis had been tampered with, and you were the only one with the garage key, and your suspicious movements gave you the opportunity to commit the crime."

Tim smiled, reaching out a hand and flicking two fingers against the surface of the car window behind him, saying, "I pestered my dad, saying I liked this car, not because I really liked the color, but because there's a gun hidden under the backseat... that I hid there."

Veratti pounded the ground furiously, his face flushed and veins popping out. He gritted his teeth and said, "You damn brat!!"

The next second, Tim raised the gun again, aiming it at Veratti's head and shouting, "If you don't want your brains blown out, watch your mouth, you pathetic outsider!"

Dick was stunned by the unfolding scene. He couldn't understand how the situation had suddenly developed this way. The seemingly kind-hearted, chubby driver, who appeared to be the victim, was actually the culprit, and the elementary school student Tim, who looked powerless, had pulled out a large gun and shot him, and was now threatening to blow his brains out.

Batman reached out to stop Tim's action, just as he was about to go and grab Veratti, the seemingly motionless puppet on the ground suddenly rolled over and pulled a smoke grenade from his chest, throwing it to the ground.

Instantly, smoke filled the air. Batman's movements were a step slower, and a dark figure emerged from the wall on the right side of the alleyway. Veratti surged forward, staggering to the wall, where the dark figure grabbed him and pulled him over the wall. The puppet also disappeared.

When Batman pursued them, he found the three had vanished. He considered going after them, but then remembered there were two children left in the alleyway, and it might be a ploy to lure him away, putting Dick and Tim in danger. After some thought, Batman decided to return.

By then, Tim had already opened the car door and tossed the gun back inside, then turned to Batman and Dick, saying, "Let's go, drive my car."

Batman got into the driver's seat, while Dick and Tim sat in the back. As soon as the car started, Tim looked at Dick and said, "Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, right?"

Dick's expression immediately froze, but Tim shook his head, saying, "It's not hard to guess. When the smoke grenade went off, you took a defensive stance, similar to the Robin kid who often follows Batman around Gotham."

Batman listened to their discussion as he drove, not denying it. Tim then chattered on, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You're so lucky! To be able to be Batman's assistant, I've dreamed of doing that!"

He then leaned forward, grabbing the back of the front seat, and said to Batman, "Can I really not be your assistant? I admire you so much!"

"No." Batman refused without hesitation. "I'm taking you home now."

Tim immediately drooped, but his next words made Batman waver slightly.

"I've been interested in murder cases since I was little. When I see photos of crime scenes and the sequence of events, I mentally simulate how the killers carried out the crimes, and when I see the solutions, I find they're pretty much what I imagined."

"Sometimes I get so frustrated with the police, they can't even see such simple clues. Sometimes I wish I could just take action myself."

Batman was about to speak, but Tim's next sentence made both him and Dick break out in a cold sweat.

"Sometimes I even think, if those cops are so stupid, I could probably commit the perfect murder if I tried!"

Suddenly, the car made a sharp turn, and Tim was thrown against the car door. He rubbed his head and looked out at the street, asking, "Why did we turn? Aren't we going to my house?"

"Your house is too far. You'll stay at Wayne Manor tonight, and I'll contact your father to pick you up in the morning."

"Okay, but can I really not be your assistant?"

"...We'll talk about it tomorrow."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 1139 Professor (Part 11)