Chapter 811: Red Hood (Part Five) (Patreon)

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One couldn't help but acknowledge that Evans was indeed a very diligent student, and he had a good understanding of Schiller's teachings. The suggestions he had made to Schiller made him feel somewhat justified.

Schiller had decided to give Bruce a decent grade, not out of guilt or sympathy, but because he genuinely believed Bruce deserved it.

In the course of a person's life, there are regular changes in emotions and psychology. Often, ordinary people may think that time is the best healer for wounds, but that only applies to emotional pain, not to diseases.

Psychological issues and mental illnesses do not weaken over time. On the contrary, many people remain unaware of their own mental state and allow themselves to stay in potentially stressful environments for extended periods or repeatedly expose themselves to traumatic stimuli. Without proper treatment, the overall trend is a decline in mental well-being.

For a person with a severe psychological trauma, it is nearly impossible to overcome the troubled state on their own. It's like asking someone to fly by standing on one foot and hopping on the other; it's not something you can just "get over."

But Batman had genuinely turned things around.

Regardless of how he achieved it or whether he applied the specialized knowledge he had acquired in school, he had indeed worked a miracle. He not only healed himself but also took a significant step forward towards mental stability and logical coherence.

Such achievements should have been enough for him to graduate, but the problem was that he was lacking in credits to the point where the usual graduation process couldn't be followed. Schiller needed a legitimate reason to grant him graduation.

It was not unheard of for undergraduates to receive a Bachelor of Science degree through exceptional circumstances. Schiller had witnessed two or three such cases himself. However, granting an exception required presenting some achievements. Bruce's experience in the slums might have helped him personally, but it couldn't be considered practical experience for graduation purposes. Besides, his slum experience had been too tragic, and even if Schiller wanted to use it as a reason, Bruce would likely disagree.

Given this, Bruce needed to take an additional examination to meet the graduation requirements. Since his theoretical performance was far behind his practical skills, an additional practical exam seemed appropriate.

Initially, Schiller planned to send Bruce back to the slums and have him repeat his previous experience, but this time, armed with a strategy, he could achieve an outstanding result in a very short time, just enough for graduation.

However, Schiller reconsidered. Many other students at Gotham University came from the slums, and this experience wouldn't be convincing enough. It might make them think, "Isn't he just making something out of nothing in the slums? My relatives could do that too." So, Schiller had to raise the difficulty level.

He believed that Bruce's initial poor performance in the slums was not due to lack of ability but because he hadn't embraced the reality of living below the moral standards of everyone here. After all, in a normal city, where everyone follows the law, such behavior wouldn't be a problem. But Gotham was the complete opposite, where law-abiding citizens were a rare breed, and conforming to norms wouldn't help Bruce compete with these people.

So, Schiller decided to elevate the class level to a place with some order but not too much, where Bruce could fully utilize his theoretical knowledge, understand the rules, and quickly integrate into a group.

And this new setting was Gotham Gang.

Even among the lower ranks of Gotham Gang, there were rules, and it had a bit more order than the slums. The difficulty wouldn't be too high, and it would allow other students to see Bruce's capabilities. With this plan, he should have no trouble graduating.

Once the decision was made, Schiller went to Bruce's hospital room. Due to the lizard serum injection he had received earlier, Bruce's most severe wounds had already healed, leaving only surface scars yet to fade completely.

Bruce now only had external injuries left, and when he heard the news while lying in his hospital bed, he felt a slight mental trauma, causing hallucinations.

Schiller was actually letting him graduate?!?!

Bruce closed his book and looked at Schiller, saying, "Professor, if you genuinely feel sorry for my fall into the chemical pit, there's no need to resort to such measures."

"You've made several mistakes in that statement," Schiller replied calmly, glancing at his notebook. "Firstly, it wasn't me who caused your fall into the chemical pit; it was the Joker. Secondly, even if it were me, I wouldn't feel sorry for it. Lastly, this isn't a negotiation; it's a notification. If you don't intend to participate, then don't graduate."

With that, Schiller tossed the notebook, filled with well-known exam requirements, to Bruce. First, Bruce couldn't use any of his existing science and technology devices, such as the Bat-suit or the Batmobile, but he was not restricted from inventing new ones. Second, he must not reveal his identity since many people in the Gang already knew who Bruce was. Finally, and most importantly, the passing criteria were stated clearly: "Successfully join the Gang and remain a member for one month without being expelled."

Considering he could invent freely and utilize his genius to make money, Bruce felt insulted by the requirement. He suspected Schiller of favoritism and had evidence to prove it.

Bruce had no intention of stopping at just these tasks. Even if Schiller hadn't arranged this exam, he still wanted to venture into the Gang.

As an integral part of Gotham, Gang culture was its foundation and lifeline. Bruce was curious about it, and he knew that sooner or later, he would have to visit. Moreover, he didn't just want to join the Gang; he wanted to make a name for himself within it.

Now was the perfect opportunity, as his appearance hadn't fully recovered, and more importantly, his voice had changed.

After falling into the chemical pit, he had swallowed some water, and his throat and vocal cords had been partially corroded. This made his voice distinct from both Bruce and Batman.

The harrowing two months in the slums had also brought about significant changes in his physique. Even his jaw, which was often visible, had become sharper, making him unrecognizable to those who were familiar with him.

This meant that he could use another hidden identity to interact with people he had known previously without being recognized.

Having learned a painful lesson from his time in the slums, Bruce understood that it wasn't just a saying that "a good man needs three helpers." Without acquaintances, it would be difficult to survive anywhere. So, for this journey into the Gang, he planned to seek out someone he knew.

However, lying in the hospital bed, Bruce counted his acquaintances on his fingers and found that they were either completely unrelated to this world and couldn't provide any help, or they were too closely associated with Schiller.

After much thought, Bruce settled on one person: Jason Todd.

When Jason had consoled Bruce about his fall into the chemical pit, Bruce had realized that Jason was actually a good child at heart, inherently kind, but his unique environment had led him down a different path than normal children.

However, this upbringing hadn't made him weak; it had, in fact, accentuated his talents. Bruce, who had experienced life in the slums, knew that even for native Gotham residents, becoming the leader of a children's gang in this city was extremely challenging.

Once you became the gang leader, it meant not only taking care of your own livelihood but also worrying about everyone else in the gang. Even though you might be familiar with the streets, it was still an extremely difficult job.

In other words, it wasn't an issue of intelligence but emotional intelligence. You had to establish yourself in society first before leading others, which was challenging for adults, let alone a child.

Bruce thought that if he had been thrust into such a gang at the age of eleven, it would have given him a headache for a long time. He could invent, but how would he sell his inventions? Once sold, how would he distribute the money? How would he explain the allocation to the children? It was all very complicated.

But Jason seemed to be handling it well. According to Bruce's understanding, the Red Hood Gang was one of the top children's gangs in that part of the city. If he could get Jason's assistance, the beginning of his journey in the Gang would undoubtedly go smoothly.

So, he concealed his identity and sought out Jason. He planned to start from the very bottom of the Gang, learning its intricacies and laying the groundwork for what he intended to do next.

As for why Bruce chose a red hood, it was to distinguish himself from the previous Batman image. If he wore all black, everyone would recognize it as another Batman disguise. So, he opted for more vibrant colors.

Additionally, he had a perfect reason to explain why he wore the mask. After all, his injuries had not yet healed completely, and the scars on his body resembled those left by severe burns. If he said he wore the hood because he was disfigured due to burns, no one would find it strange, especially in Gotham.

Jason didn't disappoint him. Whether it was in reasoning, planning, or execution, his skills far surpassed those of his peers and even most adults.

In the past, regardless of how well Jason planned, Batman would have wanted to formulate his own plan and have Jason follow it. He would have preferred to be hands-on, not missing any details. But now, he waited patiently in the telephone booth, anticipating Jason's call. It didn't take long before the phone rang, and Jason's voice came from the other end: "I've got his room number, prepare to pick me up."

Bruce could hear the weakness in Jason's voice. He quickly hung up the phone, contemplating where to find some quick hemostatic tools. Jason was likely injured.

But this was normal. An eleven-year-old child performing a covert mission alone, even if the hotel had no Gang members, didn't mean that the security or staff there didn't have weapons.

After a while, a truck pulled up steadily in front of the alley. Jason was in the driver's seat, hunched over the steering wheel, his hand pressed against his abdomen. Bruce hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat, pulled Jason's arm away, and examined the wound.

A large gash, three centimeters below his left ribcage, was of great concern, as it was unclear whether any internal organs were affected. Jason gritted his teeth and said intermittently, "This is my first time doing this, not very skilled. Stepped on a hard object on the carpet, luckily he didn't have a gun. When I dodged, I got injured..."

Bruce said nothing. He removed his coat and tied it around Jason's waist, instructing him to apply pressure to the wound, then went to find a first aid kit.

"No, don't leave me here," Jason gasped. "Carry me... carry me back to the cellar, let me go home... there's someone there who can save me, let me go home..."

Bruce's grip on the car door handle tightened instantly. He hesitated for a moment but then turned back to pick Jason up.

Carrying a bloodied Jason, Bruce slowly ventured into the dark night of Gotham. What followed them was a storm sweeping in with the crashing waves.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 812: Red Hood (Part Six)