Batman: I Let My Guard Down

Ra's Al Ghul's talk of decaying civilizations and the theory of balance naturally contradicted the ideas and beliefs of the vast majority of people. After all, his concept of balance, as well as what Thanos referred to as balance, came at the cost of sacrificing the lives of ordinary people.

As an ordinary person, how can you guarantee that you won't be one of those sacrificed?

However, for the shy and introverted Arthur, he found this theoretical idea quite appealing. Yet, due to his reserved nature and the realization that his thoughts seemed different from other players, Arthur remained silent without speaking up.

The video on the screen had not ended yet when Ra Al Ghul graphically explained his purpose and plans in front of Bruce Wayne. He naturally believed he had outwitted Batman and, after speaking, arranged for his subordinates to launch a surprise attack from behind.

As a ninja master, his ability to seize opportunities was naturally strong. Taking advantage of the moment when Bruce Wayne was shocked by his words, he allowed his subordinates to suddenly backstab him.

But Batman was not to be underestimated. His reaction was exceptionally swift, and in just a couple of moves, he resolved the attackers from behind and seized Ra's Al Ghul's weapon, he said, "I will stop you!"

At this moment, Ra's Al Ghul adopted the demeanour of a master and criticized him, "You just can't keep your eyes on all six paths!"

After saying this, he pushed with all his might, and at the same time, a burnt wooden beam fell from above, striking Batman solidly, and knocking Bruce Wayne unconscious.

Seeing this scene, Peter Parker was astonished and opened his mouth wide. "Mr. Wayne... you let your guard down!"

He had fought alongside Batman more than once and had a great admiration for Bruce Wayne's combat abilities and awareness. Yet, in this parallel universe, Batman was defeated with just a few moves by Ra's Al Ghul.

The viewers watching this live broadcast were also left dumbfounded:

"No way, did Batman get defeated like this? He didn't even put up much of a fight!"

"Unbelievable! I'm starting to believe that this man is really Batman's mentor. He clearly saw through Batman and defeated him so easily!"

"Are you kidding me? Batman can even defeat Superman; why would he lose to this weirdo... No, I refuse to acknowledge that the Bruce Wayne in this video is Batman. He's just a copycat!"

"The ninja master is too cool, ruthless, and talkative. Haha, that's the way to do it. I never really liked Bruce Wayne; he claims to be a symbol of justice, but he's just another masked freak, not much different from the masked criminals in Gotham!"

Batman's fans were expecting their idol to beat up the pretentious Man, but to their surprise, it was Batman who got beaten.

After knocking Bruce Wayne down, Ra's Al Ghul left behind a parting remark: "Justice is all about balance. You burned down my home, leaving me no way out. Now, it's balanced."

With these words, he turned and walked away, leaving Wayne Manor completely engulfed in flames, gradually consuming the magnificent and historic building.

In the midst of the fiery chaos, Ra's Al Ghul, accompanied by his henchmen, left the engulfed Wayne Manor. He casually ordered, "Don't spare anyone."

Following that, he got into a car that had been prepared in advance, and surprisingly, it was a police car, complete with armed police officers!

However, these police officers, who were supposed to arrest the arsonist before them, had now become the bodyguards of the arsonist and the terrorists!

After the police car left, the video also came to an end.

Peter Parker shook his head and sighed, "This is terrible. Ra's Al Ghul has clearly infiltrated every aspect of Gotham, just like how Hydra infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D."

Commissioner Gordon sighed and said, "At least one thing Ra's Al Ghul said is true: Gotham has become extremely corrupt, and it didn't happen overnight."

To be honest, he wasn't surprised by this situation at all. Even the pawn of Ra's Al Ghul, the mere gang leader Falcone, managed to manipulate officials and control every aspect of Gotham, acting arrogantly without anyone to stop him.

And let's not forget about this even more formidable ninja master.

Bruce Wayne glanced at him and said, "But that's not a reason for him to destroy Gotham. A decaying Gotham needs salvation, real justice, not his so-called balance."

"Of course!" Commissioner Gordon had no objections to this, "This maniac plans to kill millions of innocent people in Gotham. That's absolutely unacceptable. Unfortunately, this future video isn't complete, and we don't even know what his specific plan is."

Bruce Wayne said, "Since this game is being broadcast, Ra's Al Ghul must have seen it. So he's likely to change his original plan. That's good news for us."

Peter Parker raised his hand and said, "Mr. Wayne, after his plan was exposed on the live broadcast, he may choose to launch it early! Our world has faced similar situations. Of course, this is just a possibility. Perhaps the quiz game could deter him."

Bruce Wayne contemplated Peter's words and thought it was a plausible possibility. Given his commitment to non-lethal justice, he likely had concerns about this mystical quiz game.

After this exchange, the three novice players entered a focused state. The third question appeared on the screen:

[Can Batman thwart the plot of the ninja master Ra's al Ghul to destroy Gotham City and kill him?]

[A: Yes

B: No.]

Peter Parker raised his hand to speak and reminded, "Um, Mr Wayne, I remember you uphold a 'no-kill' rule, right?"

Bruce Wayne nodded and said, "If I start killing, then many things can no longer be called justice."

Back in the day, he burned down the League of Shadows for the same reason. When they insisted on having him personally kill a criminal, Bruce Wayne refused to break his rule, which led to him torching the place.

Of course, the fundamental reason was their ideological conflict, but whether or not to kill was also an extension of that ideological clash.

Because of Batman's 'no-kill' rule, this question presented a bit of a challenge.

Peter Parker, of course, believed that Bruce Wayne would ultimately succeed in thwarting Ra's Al Ghul's plot, but would Batman kill him?