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I low-key wish I implemented Batman from post-Arkham Origins than post-Arkham City. The reason why is because he seems more... eh, talkative than what he is than post-Arkham City. Which seems odd since Batman primarily isn't known to be chatty, but he kinda needs to talk in the upcoming chapters. 

When I first made this story, I was vibing with an older and depressed Batman. Now I'm vibing with a younger and angrier Batman. I'm so tempted to retcon post-Arkham City Batman and replace him with post-Arkham Origins Batman. 

Also another reason why I would want to retcon it is because I thought of how funny it would be if the Joker was involved in the mix. No joke, I contemplated on the Joker being in The Amazing Digital Circus long before this story was made. Because I was thinking of how well he'd fit in with this place.

Plot-twist: Batman sends the Joker to The Amazing Digital Circus after he leaves [Gives off a whole new meaning after beating Arkham Knight].

---

Batman found the rest of the ladies not too long after he left Pomni's room. Jax was right when he said that Batman could find the others without exerting himself. In case you're wondering what happened afterwards, Caine just congratulated him and teleported away.

"What an anticlimactic ending." Jax said before stretching his arms. "Though, I'm kinda tired and a little hungry."

"Well, it's about dinner time anyway." Ragatha said while looking over at the dining area. "Looks like Bubble prepared the course already."

Pomni finally left her bedroom and noticed everyone gathering to the table. But her eyes immediately dart toward Batman, who was walking by her with the intention to not dine with the others.

Pomni almost missed him, but she tugged at his cape which made him halt. He looked over his shoulder and down at the jester.

"Please stay..." She pleaded, holding onto his black leathery cape and accidentally cut her hand by its sharp edge. "You don't have to eat anything, I just... would like for you to stay..."

He looked a bit reluctant at her request, but then she made her pupils wide while she made puppy eyes at him.

He sighed. "Fine..."

Pomni smiles slightly and a bit excitedly makes her way to the table with him behind her. She pulled out a chair for him and then pulled out another one for herself.

Pomni sits on Batman's left, Ragatha on his right and Jax across the table from him. Kinger sits next to Jax on his right, and Gangle on his left. Zooble sits next to Gangle.

"Aw, looks like you finally dragged him here with us." Jax teased while witnessing the two humans sitting down.

"Is it me, or does he look so out-of-place here?" Kinger whispered while leaning close to the rabbit.

"Anyway, good game today." Ragatha spoke to Batman, hoping Kinger's comment didn't make him feel bad or anything. "Never would've figured you to be the champ for... Well, anything."

"Except for Spin The Bottle." Jax said while leaning his chin on his palm. "He's too much of a sourpuss to play along."

"Jax!" Ragatha sneered with gritted teeth, threatening to fling mashed potatoes at him with her silverware.

Batman's eyes look down at the food presented at the table, Pomni observing this as well. She recognized that same type of look, it was what she did when it was dinner time on her first day. And it was then when she had lost all hope for escape, even smiling at the madness.

She hopes it doesn't happen to him, especially since he looks like he shouldn't smile.

"Go ahead, dig in." Jax enticed, pushing the tray of turkey over to the bat-themed human. "We have plenty."

Batman's blue eyes focused at the poultry and then refocused at the rabbit.

"Well? Go on, we're waiting." Jax's usual smile was starting to irritate him.

"He's not hungry." Pomni spoke up and moved the turkey away from him, almost a bit desperately. "He's just... vibing with us."

And then Jax snickers, Ragatha muffling her giggle. Zooble rolled her eyes and Gangle formed a small smile. Kinger was just zoning out for some reason.

"Just vibing?" Jax reiterates and looks at the jester. "Take a look at that face and tell me what vibes you pick up from it."

Pomni took the brief time to glance at the human's face, it still had its grim expression and demeanor.

As the jester feared, Batman stood up from his chair and walked to the door leading outside.

"Wait, wait!" Pomni hurriedly got up from her chair and pushed in both chairs before following him outside.

Finally, Jax's face was hit with a splosh of mashed potatoes from Ragatha.

The jester hurried outside and frantically looked for Batman. She finds him standing near the edge of this weird digital island, staring at the void below them. She surely hopes he isn't thinking of... well, you know.

She timidly approached him from behind, wondering what he was doing. After reaching him, she just stood by his side and looked up at him for some explanation for his leave. But he said nothing, as usual.

"I'm sorry if they seem like much..." She broke the silence, knowing he wouldn't do it. "I was just trying to get you comfortable..."

"That's not why I left." Batman replied while looking up at the augmented moon, the sun behind them. "I'm observing the island more closely."

Oh right. Pomni almost slapped her forehead when she pondered the thought.

"Well, aren't you the looker?" The moon spoke to him when she realized that he was looking at her. "Though, my eyes are for Caine only. But who's to say I can't have alternatives?"

"Um... let's move over there before the moon gets frisky." Pomni advised, reaching up to grab his hand and pull him away.

And surprisingly, he allowed her to do it. They stepped over to the sunlight area, 'causing him to squint his eyes at the bright environment. Pomni couldn't really help him with that, other than offer him a broken pair of sunglasses that she found last week and kept for some reason.

Batman glanced around some more, silently thinking in his head. Pomni wished he would voice his thinking aloud, because she's really curious about his thought process.

"Any ideas... so far...?" She asked, trying to hold onto some hope.

"This place is an anomaly that I've never encountered before." Batman answered while adjusting his gauntlets.

Never encountered before? She reiterates in her head. What does he do in the real world?

"But you said there's always a way out... right?" Pomni inquired, nervously smiling and hoping his answer can calm her.

"I believe there's always a way out." Batman replied as he finished adjusting his gauntlets. "And sometimes the exit can be entirely different from the entrance. What do you remember before you were taken here?"

"Um... All I remember was putting on the headset for this game... and then I just popped into this place..." She answered obediently, scratching the back of her head while racking her digitized brain.

Without warning, Batman approaches her and picks her up by her arms.

Flustered, Pomni's legs swing slightly but not wanting to kick him. "Wha-What are you--"

"Hold still." He said with such urgency in his voice that struck enough fear in her to make her freeze.

Even though she was uncomfortable by this contact, she's not going to resist. Mostly because of fear. He stared deeply into her eyes, making her lip quiver at his glare.

Finally, he gently lowered her on the ground to stand on her feet again. Her body felt weak after being handed by him,

"Why did you do that?" She asked while still feeling intimidated by him earlier.

"I was checking your eyes to see if they've changed due to the headset." He answered while his voice returned to normal. "Prolonged exposure to LED lights to the eyes can leave drastic effects on them. But then it just occurred to me..."

Pomni felt scared by his pause, and utters, "W-What?"

He lets out a humiliated sigh, which sort of relieved her for some reason. "It occurred to me that both of us are digitized entities of ourselves from the real world. It would not matter if your eyes changed, as it does not reflect their current state in the real world..."

He looks back up at the sky, her eyes following.

"This world is... intriguing, to say the least..." He admits, still contemplating while giving her the answer she wants. "Finding a way out is more of a challenge than I initially thought."

"Where do you propose we start?" She inquired while tapping her fingers, her eyes looking toward the back of his head.

He looked back at her, his stare making her afraid for an odd reason. "Tell me more about this exit door you've spotted."

She was surprised by this. "How did you know?"

"The others spoke about it during my search for them." He explained while looking down at her once more. "Tell me what you saw."

"I entered through the door... and went through this complex that looked similar to an office, found a computer that felt familiar... then went through several doors before I found the void... an all-white void where I drifted aimlessly until Caine brought me back..." She rubbed her head, finding it difficult to describe her tale in great detail - her experience in the void makes her mind feel fuzzy. "I don't know anything about the void... Not even Caine knows what's in there or what it could do."

He looks down away from her and back at the sky. "That computer could be the way out. Perhaps if I can investigate it, I could try and see if it could be the key to letting us out."

"But maybe it won't be there... I think..." She spoke up, her hands clasping together. "I think it was different for each person, because... my mind recognizes that, but I don't think yours will too... How did you end up here?"

He took his time to answer that without being too revealing. "I was investigating an unknown signal that came from a computer. Its origin was connected to the headset involved with it, and I inspected it closely... only for it to transfer me here."

"Huh..." She stared at the ground, wondering what kind of conclusion she can come up with based on his answer - about what he does in the real world, she means. "I only bought this game and put on the headset."

"What was it called and where did you get it?" He questioned, looking over his shoulder.

"It's called 'The Amazing Digital Circus,' and I bought it off of Steam." She answered, sort of relieved to have a conversation like this - like she's chatting with a normal person instead of some zany character that might deteriorate her mental health.

"There's a reason why you shouldn't buy applications off of Steam." He advised while looking back at the sky, sounding so serious and firm.

Yet, she giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes shut tight.

He turned around, watching her stifle her laughter. "What?"

"I dunno why... but that just sounded... funny..." She opened her eyes and began to wheeze at his indifferent expression.

"Hilarious." He said in monotone, looking bored at euphoria.

After a minute, she finally calmed down. "Sorry, sorry... Anyways, so what's the plan now?"

"Find this exit door, and investigate further." He replied before walking back inside.

As they entered inside, the dinner table was gone and so was everyone else.

"Looks like they've all gone to bed, or somewhere else." Pomni said, her voice slightly echoing in the empty room. "Maybe we can look for the door, now that everyone won't be in our way?"

"When was the last time you–"

Suddenly the floor opens up one enormous hole that Pomni had seen before. It was the same day she saw that abstract monster attacking them, and something called the Gloink Queen, she thinks? Zooble was also taken down there when Pomni also arrived there as well.

She doesn't know much, that was when she was in that exit room area - where she was losing her mind.

A black-demonic looking creature emerges from the hole, and Pomni immediately recognizes it. It's Kaufmo, or Abstracted Kaufmo. She deeply remembers it trying to kill her, and it still gives her nightmares.

Its eyes focused on her, and went to grab her. But Batman quickly grabs her and throws her out of the way, but the abstracted beast ensnared him instead.

As Pomni slid on the floor due to the sheer force Batman put into that throw, she helplessly watches as her hope of escape being dragged down to the hole. Now Pomni remembers where that hole leads to.

It's in the cellar, where only Caine can open and close it.

"WAIT, WAIT!" She scrambles to get on her feet and tries to race over to him.

Batman struggles in the monster's grip before it drags him all the way down in the hole and it closes up.

"NOOOO!" She falls onto the ground and begins punching it, knowing full well it wouldn't do a thing.

After coming to her senses, she gets up and begins sprinting down the hall to search for Caine.

"CAINE!" Pomni shrieked, frantically looking for the ringleader while she ran. "CAINE!"

Jax and Ragatha were strolling down the hall normally, but then halted their conversation when they heard Pomni's screams. The jester ran into them and fell on her bottom.

"Whoa, whoa!" Ragatha exclaims, quickling helping her on her feet. "What's going on?"

"Kaufmo took Batman to the cellar!" Pomni explains, her hands gripping the air and shaking.

"Oh no!" The ragdoll showed fright in her expression. "That's where Caine keeps the other abstracts! They're gonna rip him apart!"

"Eh, there goes another one." Jax shrugged, not showing sadness or shock. "Gotta say, still thought Kinger was next to be honest."

"Jax!" Ragatha sneered while she comforted Pomni by rubbing her back.

"What? You didn't seem to care much when Kaufmo snapped." Jax retorted, still showing carelessness.

"This isn't about Kaufmo, this is about Pomni." Ragatha sneered her counter. "She's deeply upset by this."

"Would you all calm down, we'll get Caine and have him yoink Bats outta there." Jax replied, sighing at how uptight Ragatha is.

"I'm right here." Caine magically appeared on cue. "What's with all the tears?"

"Bat's got nabbed and is in the cellar." Jax explained for Pomni, since she's still in hysteria.

"Oh dear, we can't allow him to stay there, it's not safe!" Caine said in an exaggerated way before disappearing.

"See, Pomni?" Jax said back to her, her anguish put on pause. "Caine's gonna get him."

And as mentioned, Caine returns and drops Batman. "There he is, all better!"

This did not ease her anxiety. "IS HE DEAD?!"

"Not dead! Just sleeping!" Caine said as he used his cane to tap Batman's boot, causing the human's head to move slightly. "I'll admit, he was in bad shape when I found him. So I gave him some relief and now he's just resting."

"Cool, guess now this means I can finally draw a mustache on his face without worry about him possibly folding me up like paper." Jax said as he reached in his pocket and grabbed a marker.

"Jax, don't." Ragatha warned him as she grabbed his arm.

The rabbit scoffed. "Such a killjoy."

Pomni crawls over to the unconscious human and puts her head on his chest to hear him breathing - she needed some way to know that he's still alive.

"You feelin' those abs?" Jax comments, watching the jester do this, and Ragatha nudged him.

She prays that he'll be just fine when he wakes up, and he'll magically have the knowledge to help them leave.

January 30th, 2024. 11:08 PM.