[3rd POV]
"That must have been the summer when I was seven. I went hiking in the mountains with my parents. Back then, I was very bold and loved walking along dangerous cliffs and ridges. I was really good at keeping my balance, and walking on those narrow mountain paths felt as easy as walking on flat ground."
"That time, we had climbed halfway up the mountain. It was raining lightly, but I still stepped onto a natural stone bridge that hung over the edge. I can still remember the rolling mountains, how the rainwater flowed down the mountain like tiny streams."
"Stop, stop right there."
Drake frowned and raised his hand to interrupt Tony.
"We're not Sherlock Holmes, and you don't need to describe things like Watson to make it interesting. Can you just get to the point?"
"Well, I thought it was quite nice."
Camilla smiled and gently patted Drake, "Tony is actually pretty good at telling stories."
"Anyway, while I was climbing, I fell off the cliff and landed inside a cave."
Tony quickly made his story simpler.
"Surprisingly, there was a Santa Claus in the cave, roasting a reindeer. He told me that if I told someone the story of how I fell into the cave, that person would be cured of all their illnesses. Then he rode off on the remaining eight reindeer and disappeared."
Tony's few short sentences instantly wiped the smile off Camilla's face.
"...Tony, I'm a Christian."
"Ah, sorry, well, at least now we know Santa Claus is real!"
"Hm?"
Drake instinctively looked at Camilla and then his pupils contracted sharply.
Tony crossed his legs, hummed a tune, and felt strangely relaxed inside.
"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be."
Suddenly, a strand of hair started growing from the top of her bald head. In just a few seconds, a waterfall of golden hair flowed down to her waist.
Camilla's thin and weak body slowly became full and healthy again, turning back into the shape of a beautiful woman.
Drake couldn't hold back his tears as he watched his wife, who had been sick for so many years, suddenly turn back into the beautiful woman he fell in love with.
'She's so beautiful... just like the first time I saw her.'
Camilla looked at her smooth, pale hands in surprise.
She instinctively stroked the golden hair cascading over her shoulder and leaned silently into Drake's embrace, tears streaming down her face.
"I had so many things I wanted to say..."
Tony continued softly humming a song the two of them couldn't understand.
Drake held his wife, who remained frozen in place and couldn't utter a single word for a long moment.
Drake stayed with her for a very, very long time. He stayed with her even when all her hair fell out, when her body got thin and weak, and when her face lost its brightness. He stayed with her as she slowly got sicker and more broken, almost like a flower that was dying.
She endured with him for a very long time too, until he lost his job, sold the house, and drained their savings until he gradually sank into despair, pain, and even hysteria.
Camilla thought she almost couldn't keep going and she nearly gave up. On the other hand, Drake thought he was glad he didn't give up and managed to hold on.
"I just used up my first Rapid Health Regeneration."
Tony thought, "Drake better help me find a good job."
...
The next day.
"Drake, how long have you and your wife been in Gotham?"
"About a year. Why do you ask?"
"You waited for Victor for a whole year?"
"To be precise, eight months. After eight months, Dr. Victor went missing in that accident. I've been trying to get in touch with the company he used to work with, but… they all shut down too fast. That's why I've been looking for clues about Mr. Freeze."
"Good thing you haven't found him."
Tony shrugged, "Since you've been here for a year, you must have built some contacts and connections, right?"
Drake immediately understood the importance of Tony's words.
"I'll do my best to help you find work that suits outsiders and isn't too dangerous. But you have to remember, there's no truly clean work in Gotham. If we want to live here, we have to stop worrying about what's right or wrong—everything is just for survival."
"This is kinda tough."
Tony sighed, "I'm not strong enough to do anything like fighting or blowing stuff up. Moreover, I'd probably get caught right away if I tried to steal or trick people. I don't want to rely on my face to cozy up to some gangster rich lady who likes to chop people up, nor can I make money here with my lousy writing..."
"All right, all right, no need to say more."
Drake waved his hand.
After hearing the first two things Tony said, Drake knew half the jobs were out.
There are only three options remaining in his mind.
"Let me just confirm..."
Drake tried to phrase it more tactfully, "Besides writing, do you have any other skills?"
"No."
Tony tilted his head thoughtfully.
"How about cleaning, cooking, or things like that?"
Tony showed an embarrassed but polite smile, "I have a little… just enough to keep me alive."
The two of them looked at each other. In the awkward silence, Drake asked, "Do you have any money?"
"If I had money, why would I be looking for a job?"
"…Maybe you should consider going back to that cave and looking for Santa Claus?"
Tony realized his request might be a bit much and coughed awkwardly twice.
"Uh, as long as the job is relatively safe, it's fine."
Drake pondered deeply, then suddenly had an idea, "How about a waiter?"
"No problem!"
Seeing Tony agree, Drake let out a sigh of relief.
"Gotham is different from other cities, and most all of the industries, big and small, are controlled and protected by gangs. There are some even directly run by them. After a year here, I've made a few connections. I might be able to get you a job at a restaurant, something to help you get started. But you have to understand, no matter what job you get, you'll have some connection to the gangs."
"As long as they don't ask me to kill people at work, and no one comes to kill me while I'm working, the rest of the problems aren't that bad."
Hearing this, Drake snapped his fingers lightly and pulled out his phone to make a call.
"If that's what you want, then no problem."
Ring ring ring... ring ring ring...
After ringing for a full two minutes, the call was finally answered. A rough male voice came from the other end, "Drake, what's up?"
"Bang!"
Tony heard the sound of a gunshot coming from the other end of the phone.