Dick and the others instinctively drew out their weapons and stood on guard, eyeing the motionless Batmen around them.
Even as the elevator came to a stop, these Batmen merely stood still, silently watching them without making any further movements.
Although they knew these were just fakes, the familiar outfits and gazes still made the three brothers uneasy.
The Batmen slowly parted to create a path, moving in perfect unison, as if they were well-trained soldiers.
"Master is waiting for you," a deep voice came from among the Batmen.
The group exchanged glances, tightening their grips on their weapons as they cautiously moved through the opening, making their way to the central control area of the Batcave.
"You've arrived," said a voice, and the group froze in shock.
Standing before them was Chino, the man whose head had been severed earlier.
And standing beside him were Venom and Pamela, who had previously collapsed on the floor.
"What's going on? Didn't I see your head get cut off?" Dick exclaimed, disbelief and confusion filling his voice.
"That was just a decoy, meant to draw the Court of Owls' attention. You guys ruined it," Chino said flatly, showing no anger.
"Who are you exactly? I've never heard of anyone like you in the Wayne family," Tim asked warily, his eyes locked on Chino. He'd already searched for information on him but found nothing.
"I'm Bruce's cousin. You can call me 'Uncle,' and these two are your aunts," Chino said, gesturing toward Pamela and Venom.
The group stared at his youthful face in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?"
Jason didn't want to hear any more of this nonsense and was about to take Chino hostage.
"Such bad manners. You're worse than Damian," Pamela remarked as thick vines shot out, quickly wrapping around Jason and lifting him into the air.
"This guy died holding a grudge and was then dipped in the unrefined Lazarus Pit. It's perfectly normal," Venom said, his voice laced with amusement as he observed Jason hanging like a caterpillar.
Just as Dick and the others were about to rush over to save Jason, several Batmen appeared and gripped their wrists with powerful hands, their cold gazes as sharp as ice daggers.
"Enough, let them go. They are my nephews," Chino said.
The Batmen released them but took away Oliver's weapon.
Oliver, noticing that Dick and Tim were still motionless, felt a bit frustrated. Still, he began to believe that Chino didn't mean them harm.
Dick tried to ignore Jason, who was spinning in the air, and took a deep breath. "Why did you have your men impersonate Batman? And where is Bruce?"
"What are you talking about? I'm old, I didn't hear you," Chino replied, turning his head as if he hadn't heard.
Dick's lips twitched in annoyance, then said helplessly, "Uncle, hello."
"Ah, and how are they?" Chino raised an eyebrow.
"Hello, Aunt," Dick said obediently.
"Good boy," both Pamela and Venom replied.
Chino then turned to Tim.
"Uncle," Tim said nonchalantly.
"Hello, Aunt," he added.
"Mm," Chino nodded in approval and then looked at Oliver.
"I'm not part of the Wayne family… Uncle, Aunt, hello," Oliver finally said, though he still felt a bit embarrassed.
"Such good children, except for this rebellious phase," Chino remarked, eyeing Jason, who was spinning wildly.
"Uncle, please answer my earlier question," Dick urged.
"We didn't impersonate Batman. We were authorized by him. After Batman disappeared, we stepped in to replace him."
"As for where Bruce is, I don't know," Chino said, shaking his head, his expression calm.
This contradiction made Tim furrow his brows. "You were authorized by Batman? Then you must have met Bruce. Why don't you know where he is?"
"Do you know the history of the Wayne family?" Chino asked, his eyes becoming deep.
"We know," Dick responded.
"Somewhat," Tim added.
"The Wayne family dates back to the tribal era..." Chino's voice echoed in the cavernous Batcave.
The others' attention was immediately drawn. Tribal era? That was ancient.
"Between the late 19th century and early 20th century, a large-scale death event occurred in the Wayne family. The family head, Allen Wayne, noticed something was wrong and began investigating in secret. This was when Gotham's first Batman emerged."
Chino paused before continuing.
"And then?" Dick asked impatiently, feeling like he was uncovering a long-buried historical secret. His heart raced.
"Well... my shoulder's a bit sore," Chino said, stretching his neck.
Tim immediately moved behind Chino and began massaging his shoulders.
"How's the pressure, Uncle?"
"Perfect, just right," Chino nodded with satisfaction, then continued, "Afterward, it was discovered that the dark source of Gotham was..."
"The Court of Owls," Dick said, finishing the sentence.
"The Court of Owls has long been manipulating Gotham, from training assassins like Talon, to controlling the economy and political decisions to shape the direction of the city. They control numerous industries and secretly influence policies, making Gotham's social structure more and more distorted, increasing the gap between the rich and the poor, and fostering more crime.
At the time, Allen Wayne was fighting them. Just when he was about to destroy the Court of Owls, he discovered a massive power behind them, something that no one in Gotham could ever hope to defeat."
Chino's voice fell silent as a serious expression appeared on his face.
Dick and the others held their breath, staring intently at Chino, eager to hear the next part.
Jason, despite the dizziness, focused all his attention on listening, temporarily forgetting his discomfort.
Venom had stopped, watching Chino's performance, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"At that time, Allen Wayne made a decision. He split the Wayne family in two. One half stayed to protect Gotham, while the other went abroad, traveling East, to investigate the power behind the Court of Owls."
Chino's voice echoed in the silent Batcave.
"Based on years of investigation, the Court of Owls is just a branch of the Owl Council."
"That's impossible. How can a branch control the entire city of Gotham?" Oliver, being a billionaire, understood just how difficult it was to control a city through both economics and politics.
Quote: "Sometimes the darkest secrets come from those who once swore to protect."