Batman miscalculated.
He knew that this universe might be somewhat different from the one he was from, but because he pursued in such a hurry, he didn't have much time to investigate the situation of this universe, resulting in him not knowing that there is no Batman or Robin in this universe.
Although earlier when he met Jason, he felt Jason's attitude was somewhat strange, but every Jason from every universe has a peculiar attitude towards him, so Batman was already used to it.
Dick's outfit was also slightly alternative. However, from the moment Dick left the Robin team, all his outfits seemed alternative to Batman. Dressing like an Owl is not much more outrageous than the blue and black tight suit, so Batman subconsciously ignored this change.
Of course, he could tell that the two looked unfamiliar with him. But most of the time, these little birds would make themselves seem not so familiar with Batman, so Batman didn't expect that they were genuinely unfamiliar with him.
After shouting one sentence, he turned and ran. Logically speaking, at times like this, even the most rebellious teenagers would choose to temporarily trust Batman. Even in the Arkham Knight universe, Arkham Knight Jason wouldn't cause Batman trouble at such a critical moment.
But unfortunately, this universe is too special; there was never a Batman. Dick and Jason didn't even know what this black suit weirdo was doing, let alone believe his judgment.
Batman had already dashed out of the hospital doors, and these two were still standing there foolishly.
More crucially, Joker was a step slower, and he knew he couldn't run anymore. Although the knife wounds on his body were healing quickly, he really didn't want to get stabbed again. So he agilely darted over and hid behind Jason, ready to let this little unlucky guy take the hit for him.
Jason and Dick saw Shiller holding such a long knife, and naturally, they instinctively felt the danger. But they didn't know exactly how dangerous it was, so they assumed combat stances immediately.
When Batman turned his head, he was in disbelief, "What are you two doing?!"
This world has no Batman, and another downside is that the little birds have not undergone Batman's training. Although Jason managed to become the CEO on his own, and Dick became a Talon for the Court of Owls, their combat level is far inferior to Robins from other universes trained by Batman.
Jason set his stance, but the moment they clashed, Shiller knocked him over. When Shiller rushed in, he used his right shoulder to bump against Jason's chest, deliberately leaving some strength. The person didn't fly out but tilted backward. Shiller took the chance to withdraw his force backward-right, swung the long knife around, and chopped fiercely, causing Jason's left arm to fall off instantly.
Dick took a step forward, with sharp talons popping out above his hand, slashing at Shiller's knife-wielding hand, but because the distance wasn't enough, he couldn't cut off the arm and only left three extremely deep wounds.
The moment the smell of blood spread, Joker almost wanted to cheer. The next second, the long knife came at him again, and he hurriedly rolled to the right a bit awkwardly, narrowly avoiding the slash.
Dick realized that the opponent wasn't targeting him and even felt insulted, insisting on participating in this fight. The previous move that successfully created wounds gave him an illusion, making him think he could hurt Shiller in this way.
So he seized the opportunity as Shiller retracted his knife, sneaking from beneath his arm, the talons in his hand reaching for the heart from below, but suddenly felt his wrist being tightly grabbed, followed by an immense force. He was fiercely pulled forward, losing his balance, and then was twisted and slammed to the ground. As he lay on his back, he saw a sharp long knife sweep past his eyes.
Zheng! Zheng Zheng!
The harsh sound of metal collision rang out, as Batman darts hit the long guillotine blade, sending sparks flying. Batman darts would be cushioned by muscle and fat when hitting the human body, lacking impact force, but when hitting tools, they could still cause some impact. Batman acted decisively and precisely, throwing three Batman darts in succession, each with more force than the last. Besides making a clanging noise, they actually deflected the long knife slightly. Shiller's slash ended up hitting Dick's shoulder.
The guillotine didn't have a sharp, pointed blade; the blade was a flat rectangle, only useful for chopping, not stabbing. Shiller had already leveled the blade, preparing to chop the neck directly, but being deflected, it only hit the shoulder, cutting deep enough to reveal bone but not fatal.
"Ugh!" Dick let out a cry of pain. But having become a Talon, he naturally wasn't completely without skills. He took this opportunity, rolled away from the second chop, held his shoulder, got up from the ground, and stepped back a few paces.
Joker didn't take this opportunity to escape because he realized Batman was right. Shiller's target was locked on him; if he ran, he would actually lead the enemy away. He knew very clearly that he couldn't win in a one-on-one head-on confrontation with Shiller. If he doesn't run, at least he could use these few clumsy birds to block Shiller's attacks, giving himself a chance to survive.
Seeing that Batman also returned, Joker felt a sense of relief in his heart. There was no other reason; although any universe's Robins didn't look that great to him, this universe's were obviously exceptionally weak. Two tied together weren't enough for Shiller to chop; it had to be Batman, after all!
Never before did Joker feel such reverence for his old adversary. Talk of practicing combat as volunteer police and trading punches with criminals being a waste of time need not be mentioned ever again after this day.
Don't worry about whether a billionaire superhero on the streets fighting crime holds any philosophical or sociological significance. At least now, it's a matter of training soldiers for thousands of days and using them for a moment; a minute on stage reflects ten years of practice offstage. If the Prime Universe Batman hadn't spent over a decade trading punches with Gotham's street criminals, he'd likely be lying miserably on the ground like these two birds. If Batman were chopped into eight pieces, wouldn't he end up as sashimi?
Watching Batman rush over, Joker was almost moved to tears. He slipped behind Batman in a flash, empathizing with the victims in the Gotham night as he beheld the imposing figure and the cape moving without the wind.
The old rivals had occasionally faced a common enemy before, but Joker would always stab Batman in the back at the crucial moment, joining enemies to push Batman into the abyss. This was just because Joker believed he could fight the remaining enemy alone. But this time, it was evident he couldn't do it, so he had to rely on Batman.
Batman didn't pay him any mind. He swiftly picked up Jason's severed arm, stuffing it into his arms and urging him to retreat with it. Then he pulled Dick away from Shiller's blade, telling him to back off too.
But Dick wouldn't listen to him at all. He felt the earlier mishap was just an error, and given that the Talon has a weak perception of pain and Self Healing Power, the shoulder wound didn't bother him much. The blade on his arm sprang out again, and Batman blinked as Dick charged ahead once more.
"Come back, Dick!" Batman urgently shouted.
But Dick believed he had caught a good opportunity. As Shiller switched the long knife to his other hand, Dick seized the gap and clawed at him, leaving three deep wounds on Shiller's left shoulder.
"Now you taste it," Dick said. Then he darted behind Shiller like a ghost, claws reaching for the neck.
Zing! The Batman dart hit Dick's arm, causing it to quiver and slightly weaken, failing to cut open Shiller's neck, leaving only some scratches below it, not deep, but bleeding profusely.
"Enough, Dick!" Batman shouted. He meant to say that if Dick continued adding wounds, none of them would escape. But Dick was clearly dissatisfied with his attitude.
"You're in cahoots, aren't you?" Dick flipped up to the beam like an Owl, his eyes flashing faintly in the night.
Batman didn't know how to explain it immediately. He couldn't tell them that Shiller acted based on certain rules, resembling a Ghost more than a human, right?
Not to mention whether these people would believe it, Batman knew well that Shiller hadn't lost his mind nor was he undergoing an episode. The opponent was sane and clear-headed, seeming quite sensitive to being called non-human. Dare to insult someone as a Ghost to their face, wouldn't he likely retaliate aggressively?
And he really didn't have the time to explain either. The wounds inflicted on Shiller had little impact; if anything, they made him more excited. In just those few seconds of conversation, Shiller brandished his knife and charged again.
Now, Jason was essentially out of battle, Dick utterly distrustful, and Joker a complete waste. Batman didn't have complete confidence in defeating Shiller either. He could only grab Joker from behind, push him forward, and say, "Run into the hospital, find somewhere to hide; I'll hold him off!"
Joker didn't want to listen to him. They were right at the entrance, and running out meant escaping without restraint. But he also knew Batman wouldn't act randomly. There must be a reason for directing him towards the hospital instead of the open space outside, so he complied.
Joker scuttled hurriedly into the corridor, Batman pushed Jason, saying, "Go too. I'll try to reattach your arm later."
Jason felt as if he had fallen into a Madman's Kingdom. Everyone present was abnormal, but the intense pain from his arm left no room for deeper thought. Seeing the Joker run, he followed suit.
Batman continued to bleed from a gash on his thigh, and he was already feeling faint due to significant blood loss. He tore a portion of his cape for a rudimentary bandage to staunch the bleeding, positioning himself in Shiller's path to intercept Joker.
Batman was desperate. It wasn't just about saving Joker but also stopping Shiller from targeting anyone else. At the very least, he had to curb his actions; otherwise, every individual in the city might be at risk.
The Joker was the kind to not die when deserving but was manageable. But if Shiller started chasing ordinary, helpless people, it could lead to cruel carnage. Batman absolutely couldn't allow this to happen.
Just as Batman's thoughts raced, strategizing for the most effective approach to handle Shiller, a sudden noise erupted at the staircase. Batman turned, sighting a shadowy figure with an obscured wide grin.
He suddenly recalled why he came to the hospital—the surveillance footage from the helicopter crash site on the old city street showed a thin, pale figure anesthetizing Elliot. From both the source of the medical anesthetic and the direction he headed, Laughing bat had indeed brought Elliot to the hospital.