The Death knell

The car swayed left and right on the muddy road, making the three passengers in the back bump into everything around them. From time to time, the burly man, Pete, let out cries of pain.

Albert had the urge to tell him, "Stand still!" But in the end, he decided to just ignore it.

He couldn't help but complain in his heart—Emima is so rich, so why hasn't she spent money to repair the road outside her house? On rainy days, even the Batmobile would have a bumpy ride.

Cindy seemed very familiar with this place. She expertly navigated left and right, taking a narrow path. Trees surrounded both sides, their thick branches and vines blocking visibility. The road ahead was barely discernible.

Branches slapped violently against the windshield, and some tough ones even made it through the open window, striking the armor of the two men inside. The car was soon filled with dripping rainwater.

Albert remained silent, choosing instead to put on his helmet. Since Cindy insisted this was the way, he decided to trust her judgment.

The car continued down the invisible mountain path and soon entered a small valley. Due to the storm, the valley's water level had risen significantly, carrying large amounts of yellow mud downstream.

An ordinary driver would never dare to proceed under such conditions. If the car broke down, they would all be washed away by the flood, eventually becoming food for the fish.

However, Cindy showed no hesitation. She simply downshifted, waded through the rapids, and within minutes, drove into a cave.

Inside, the environment changed dramatically. The rugged exterior gave way to a smooth, paved road. The concrete passage stretched deep into the cave, illuminated by a series of overhead lights.

Following the road, they soon reached a steel gate. However, it appeared to have been destroyed during a previous visit. Twisted, scorched metal lay strewn across the entrance.

Cindy showed no courtesy whatsoever. She parked the filthy van beside the pristine Batmobile, turned off the engine, and knocked on the partition behind her.

"We've arrived at our destination! Which lucky passenger booked a one-day tour of a mysterious location?"

Albert jumped out of the van, took off his helmet, and finally breathed in the dry air inside the cave.

Stretching his limbs, he immediately walked over to the Batmobile. He had admired it for years in movies, and now, here it was—right in front of him.

He took off his gloves and ran his fingers along the sleek, cold surface of the machine. Thanks to Alfred's meticulous maintenance, the Batmobile looked as pristine as ever. Its black paint gleamed under the dim lights, and every sharp edge and detail was masterfully crafted.

At the rear, a massive turbojet engine sat between bat-wing-shaped fins. The wide, anti-skid tires and the elongated, armored body made it look both elegant and deadly. Compared to Cindy's battered Jeep, this was on an entirely different level.

It looked slightly different from the movie version, likely due to variations across parallel worlds. Here, Emima's Batmobile had a much more militarized appearance.

"Don't even think about it. I wanted to drive it away earlier, but I couldn't even open the hatch," Cindy commented as she approached. She imagined how amazing the Batmobile would look with a few coats of bright orange paint.

"It must be controlled by the main computer," Albert replied, tapping the glass. "Both the Bat and the butler are geniuses with that kind of tech."

Cindy scoffed. "If I get the chance next time, I'm taking it. I just need to find the right hacker."

Albert smirked. "You already know the best hacker out there."

"You mean Gordon's daughter?"

"Exactly. Even if she arrived late in your world, her talent is undeniable. She's one of the best hackers in Britain."

Cindy nodded thoughtfully. "And what about in your world?"

Albert clicked his tongue. "You wouldn't dare mess with her in my world. Try anything funny, and within minutes, a dozen Bat-clad vigilantes will be after you."

He chuckled, knowing that besides Barbara's Birds of Prey, even the Justice League would step in if she were threatened.

"Well, that makes her even more valuable," Cindy mused. "I should get on her good side—she might come in handy someday." She then glanced at Barbara, who was still unsteady from the bumpy ride. "That is… if we even have a future."

"It's not too late," Albert assured her. "With Barbara and the Batcave's resources, finding information should be easy."

The rest of the group exited the van, looking around with curiosity.

Though the cave was dimly lit, their cameras illuminated the area, revealing an array of metallic platforms embedded into the stone walls. Rows of computers and devices lined the space, but the Batmobile remained the most eye-catching feature.

"Oh… this place is incredible! Turn on the camera—I need to record this!"

Johnson immediately sprang into action, instructing Pete to get the camera rolling while he took out a mirror to fix his makeup.

Though this wasn't his domain, Albert was feeling generous. He gestured around the cave.

"Feel free to make yourselves at home. Welcome to the Batcave! Oh, and Johnson—recording rules still apply, got it?"

"Uh-huh," Johnson replied absentmindedly.

Albert wasn't sure if she was listening, but judging by Pete's terrified nodding, at least someone got the message.

Barbara, meanwhile, seemed uneasy. "What should I do?"

She hadn't expected the so-called 'secret location' to be Batgirl's personal base. Did Albert and Cindy already know her? And more importantly, could she find clues about her father's disappearance here?

"Oh, come with me," Cindy said, leading her toward a row of computers. "There's a server here. If you can crack its firewall, you'll have access to all of Gotham's data."

Barbara inspected the massive setup. A giant screen dominated the wall, surrounded by dozens of smaller monitors. The console in front had hundreds of buttons, all unmarked and identical.

No wonder Cindy couldn't start the system before.

Barbara quickly located an external port and connected her laptop, launching her cracking program.

"How's it going?" Cindy asked eagerly.

Barbara kept typing. "So far, so good. Batgirl's external firewall is solid, but her defenses against direct physical connections are lacking."

She silently apologized to Batgirl but pushed any guilt aside—this was for her father.

Albert nodded, stepping back to let her work. Rather than hover over the computers, he took the opportunity to explore the Batcave.

An empty cylindrical glass cabinet caught his eye. A black mannequin stood inside—probably where Batgirl stored her suit. However, the proportions were… off. The mannequin's chest was comically large, throwing everything out of balance.

A winding staircase led to the upper levels. If his guess was right, it connected to the study in Wayne Manor. To access the Batcave from above, one would likely need to play a specific piano key.

Nearby was an operating table. This was where Alfred patched up Batman's wounds after battle. The butler truly was a jack-of-all-trades.

Then, his gaze landed on something unusual—a massive dinosaur model.

At first glance, it seemed like a simple decoration, but Albert knew better. In the comics, this was actually a security feature—a mechanical Tyrannosaurus programmed to incapacitate intruders.

Something wasn't right…

"Cindy~!" Albert called out, narrowing his eyes. "Did you disable the dinosaurs here?"

Cindy was chatting with Barbara, trying to build rapport. She absentmindedly replied, "What dinosaur?"

"Emmm…"

Albert's instincts kicked in.

Something was definitely wrong.