After opening Arkham Asylum, Bruce didn't choose to get in the car. Instead, he once again donned the long-abandoned bat suit and returned to the dark night of Gotham.
Walking out from Arkham Asylum would lead to the edge of the East District, further south along the edge would lead to the territory of the Tail Gang. This place can be perceived as the secondary center of the East District, an erging active area, excluding Living Hell and Green Street.
The water on the main road has been mostly discharged, but in the small alleys near the street, many puddles still remain. When one steps on it with boots, it could splash high.
The roads of Gotham actually can't bear so many overly heavy trucks, hence many places are severely damaged. So truck drivers, in order to take a shortcut, deliberately choose small lanes. Here, the road quality is worse, and there is even more accumulated water.
The children of the Tail Gang have all been sent back to their turf without any trouble and Jason was taken to the hospital. By now, he might have been discharged. Standing on the wall of the alley, Batman's gaze aimlessly searched. He wanted to see a familiar face, but Jason did not appear in his line of sight.
He knew that he couldn't just enter the territory of the Tail Gang, burst into their base and look for Jason. After all, he was not a child anymore, he did not belong here. Breaking their rules and norms would only bring deeper disasters to the children.
A little further east from the Tail Gang's block is Green Street. This is where the East District mobs originated from and where the esteed gangster families used to reside in their wealthy area.
However, that was all in the past. All the houses here now look extrely old and run down. It's sparsely populated, and at the end of the streets, the bouncers at the entrances of the few nightclubs are bored. It's been a long ti since they've seen a guest worth flattering.
Batman walked over the rooftop patios above their heads, following the neon lights all the way to the surroundings of Living Hell. This place was bustling with activity. From afar, one could see the distinctive building of the Living Hell Area; the combined residents' block.
The entire Living Hell area was comprised of a single block of buildings; they were all interconnected at various angles - quite like an independent world.
Standing at the foot of the steel giant, Batman could see silhouettes moving to and fro within the various narrow corridors.
He was sure he saw smiles on the faces of the residents here, but it seed absurd to him. The living conditions here were not good; the per capita living space was less than 10 square ters, the structurally narrow passages required one to stoop to get through in so places.
Yet, the people here seed to consider themselves very fortunate and proud. Why was that?
Batman thought, maybe it's because they live better than anyone else here, they felt more happiness.
Batman felt it was unfair. The people from here had not seen a wider world since they were born. They didn't know what true blissful living should be. Happiness derived from being insufficient compared to the top and excess compared to the bottom, felt fake to him. They had too many unsatisfied needs.
However, Batman knew that the reconstruction project of Living Hell had exhausted almost all the liquid funds of Wayne Enterprises back then. One could say that this architectural spectacle was built with his blood.
Logically, he had saved so many people, improved their lives, made them feel happiness. He should feel very proud and suppose his compassion was satisfied.
After all, he had given so much. He didn't have to do all of this, these people dying or rotting here had nothing to do with him. Yet now, he saved them and they wouldn't even show gratitude, perhaps they might even curse him a couple tis upon seeing the news in the paper.
Batman's rational mind was telling him these actions were aningless, but a certain emotion was arising within his heart. At that mont, he suddenly understood sothing Clark had once told him.
"Because I am stronger, smarter and can fly, they consider a god, but I really don't like it because just being strong, smart and being able to fly doesn't make soone a god."
"If a person can save everyone and make everyone obtain the happiness they desire, only then can he be called a god. I can't do that, hence I don't wish for anyone to call a god."
"Or rather, I fear this title. If they hold such expectations for and I fail to et them, they would be disappointed, and I would feel humiliated."
Batman wasn't sure if Clark realized that he could save all of humanity when he said those words. But now as Batman thought about it, he knew that he had the ability to do that.
So why hadn't he done it?
What was the emotion welling up inside him?
What was the thought that prevented him from giving Shiller a solid answer?
It could be human nature, Batman thought. Or perhaps it's humanity's most basic instinct for self-preservation. His emotions were telling him that he did not want to lose the luxurious Wayne Manor, the Batcave filled with high-tech equipnt and Wayne Enterprises that provided him with constant funding...
Was it worth it to exchange all these things for the minor happiness of others who had nothing to do with him?
User Comments
0 comments from readers