"In the dark of night, I drive back all the villains—countless superheroes… and I'm the best one…"
Ben hummed the LEGO Batman battle BGM under his breath while he patrolled Arkham's wards, checking the rooms one by one and confirming which inmates were still missing.
"Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Riddler…"
He paused mid-step.
"Wait—why is Riddler still here? I don't remember seeing him earlier."
Ben stopped at Riddler's cell.
The door was open.
And yet Edward Nygma was still lying on his bed like he owned the place, reading with the calm of someone vacationing at a resort.
Ben stared for a second.
Something about the sheer audacity was almost admirable.
Almost.
"Heh. New guy?" Riddler looked up, smiling. "You Killer Croc's cousin or something?"
That relaxed tone didn't sound like a prisoner talking to a threat—it sounded like a host greeting a guest.
Ben's curiosity kicked in.
"Look, I'll give you a free tip," Ben said, leaning on the doorframe. "Go back inside and close your door. When Batman gets here, you'll be eating concrete."
Riddler's smile didn't move.
"Batman's busy cleaning up the gang war outside," Ben continued. "He's not coming right now. You're not going to take the chance to run?"
"I asked Batman to put me in here," Riddler replied, flipping a page. "Why would I leave?"
Ben blinked.
"You people really treat Arkham like a holiday resort?"
Riddler finally closed his book and sat up, posture straightening as if the conversation had finally become worthy of his attention.
"This place is safer than the alternatives," he said matter-of-factly. "I made a small mistake out there. Compared to everywhere else? Arkham's… comfortable."
Ben's eyes narrowed behind the mask.
"Comfortable, huh."
Riddler's arrogance wasn't random. He was one of those "high-functioning" Gotham lunatics—smart enough to plan ten exits before breakfast, smug enough to believe nothing could reach him.
And he wasn't completely wrong.
Because there were people who could reach him.
But they didn't usually do it here.
Riddler's eyes glinted.
"You see, someone I annoyed has reach. But even they can't just waltz into Gotham and erase me. Amanda Waller has hands everywhere… but not here. Not in Arkham."
Ben's mouth curled under the faceplate.
"Actually… inside isn't safe either."
"What?"
Riddler's smile twitched as Ben stepped across the threshold and into the cell.
Riddler tried to rise.
He didn't even get the chance.
A blur.
A few brutal impacts.
Darkness.
As Edward's consciousness collapsed, the last thing he heard was a furious shout echoing through the room:
"Riddler—get out of Gotham!!!"
Ben exited the cell and resumed his sweep.
With his personal score settled, he finished checking the remaining wards at full speed.
Conclusion:
Confirmed missing:
Joker
Harley Quinn
Poison Ivy
Before he could track their movement, his communicator crackled with Robin's voice.
"Ben! Flash—did you lock down Arkham? Joker just showed up in the Theater District. If he got from Arkham to the Theater District that fast, it's got to be Reverse-Flash!"
Before Ben could answer, the communicator picked up Flash cutting in—breathing controlled, voice tight with speed.
"This is Flash. I'm chasing Reverse-Flash. We've already left Gotham. Be careful—there might be more than one Reverse-Flash in play!"
Ben's expression sharpened.
Speedsters didn't just run fast.
They could run through time.
If Reverse-Flash was reckless enough to time-hop, he could create time remnants—not clones, not illusions, but the same man from different moments overlapping in the same timeline.
Each one with the same hatred.
The same power.
The same intent.
Flash avoided time travel after the Flashpoint disaster.
Reverse-Flash had no such restraint.
Ben keyed his mic.
"I'll take the Reverse-Flash in the Theater District. But Arkham's missing two more—Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are still unaccounted for."
"They're on me," Robin replied instantly. "I'll track them."
Ben could almost hear Robin already pulling up Arkham's camera feeds and running data like a machine.
Theater District — Frontline of the Gang War
The Joker stood on a rooftop in his classic suit, grinning down at the chaos.
Reverse-Flash had dropped him right into the heart of Gotham's gunfire.
Below, the Penguin's forces were in trouble.
Their best muscle was missing.
Their boss was missing.
Under sustained pressure from a coalition of rival gangs, they were losing ground fast.
Even the Iceberg Lounge—their "safe" backline—had become a place nobody wanted to approach.
Every runner sent to "check what's going on" only came back as a scream.
On the frontline, the goons felt the fear creeping into their bones.
Sure, Penguin had bought them Wayne Industries medical coverage—
but insurance didn't stop you from dying.
And tonight was starting to feel like the kind of night that ends with bodies stacked like cordwood.
Joker yawned theatrically.
"So boring," he sighed. "Why is it all pew pew pew? We need some real fireworks."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a compact, customized bomb.
He polished it with care, then exhaled on it like it was a prized trophy.
It wasn't as "fun" as the dirty bomb Batman had once stopped—
but Joker had filled this one with laughing gas.
Once it went off…
the street below wouldn't be a battlefield anymore.
It would be a laughing sea.
And that's when the night would finally get interesting.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( Ending )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin