Chapter 6: It's Not a Question of Strength
The outskirts of Gotham, deep underground. 2 AM.
Batman watched the interview on a massive display, his brow furrowed slightly.
He had already removed his cowl. Beneath the mask was a handsome yet resolute young face, etched with a weariness that seemed to belie his age.
Bruce Wayne, a son of Gotham, possessed a fortune that could rival a nation's. But no one knew that he was secretly a wall-scaling masked vigilante.
The interests of the wealthy are often bizarre. Some love cars, some watches, others golf. Some enjoy learning foreign languages, while others prefer scaling treacherous peaks. So, it wasn't too outrageous for a rich kid to have the strange quirk of putting on a pair of cat ears in the middle of the night to go out and beat up punks.
And this was the Batcave.
A natural cavern beneath Wayne Manor that had existed since Bruce's childhood, occupied by bats as their nest. Although it didn't yet house the multitude of aircraft, cannons, and fancy vehicles of its later iterations, he had already modified it into a preliminary version of the Batcave.
Alfred, the butler dressed in a black tuxedo and bow tie, climbed down a hanging ladder suspended from a steep wall. Even while descending, he held a tray covered with a silver cloche with perfect stability.
After landing, he straightened his collar and walked over, saying with a deadpan expression, "Don't worry, Master Bruce. These old bones can handle a slippery ladder just fine. Even while holding a dinner tray, it's no challenge for me. No help needed whatsoever."
Still staring at his computer, Bruce didn't turn around. "I'm already planning to install a staircase. The secret door will lead directly to the study."
Alfred walked to his side. On the screen was a short, blurry recording, captured by the built-in camera of his Batsuit.
He was repeatedly studying the scene where the Mysterious Person had blasted the bat-like monster to ash with a single shot.
"Very impressive," Alfred said, placing the silver tray on the edge of the desk. "It looks like some kind of cutting-edge technology."
"No known man-portable weapon possesses this kind of power, at least none that I'm aware of at this stage," Bruce said. "The Bat-Computer has analyzed the energy data from that shot. The light beam's impact carried a temperature exceeding one hundred thousand degrees."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "That is quite hot."
In truth, this was due to Orin Vale's limitations with materials and technology, which restricted the cannon's full power. According to the standard specifications for a Specium Ray, a temperature of five hundred thousand degrees was the benchmark.
"That's not the main point. The temperature is just a byproduct. What truly makes that beam lethal is something else. Its energy output method is completely unknown to any field of science. More critically, spectrum analysis discovered some unknown elements... substances that do not exist on Earth."
Bruce spoke in a deep voice.
"But I believe those substances are the primary factor behind its terrifying destructive power."
"Er... are you suggesting aliens, sir?" Alfred said.
"Or at the very least, alien technology. Furthermore, the possibility of aliens can't be ruled out. Look here."
Bruce switched the footage to the very end.
When the beam struck and the dust settled, the man in black who fired the shot was gone.
"...I don't understand. Where did he go?" Alfred asked.
"Super-speed. A velocity so high it's imperceptible to the human eye," Bruce said. "He possesses powerful technology and superhuman abilities. It's very likely he's an alien. We know nothing about his identity, origin, strength, or tech. He's a highly dangerous individual."
"Need I remind you, Master Bruce, that this 'highly dangerous individual' just saved your life," Alfred said.
"The outcome was my survival, yes. But it wasn't necessarily intentional. Perhaps he was just hunting, and his target was the creature that attacked me."
"It's a shame you didn't inherit any optimism from your Wayne ancestors," Alfred said.
"I call it being prepared. This is something completely unknown to humanity, Alfred. We must always be ready for any contingency."
As he spoke, Bruce stood up and put his cowl back on.
"Heading out, sir?" Alfred gestured to the tray he had just set down. "Not considering a bite to eat before you go?"
"I'll eat later. The preliminary investigation for this operation was insufficient. I was careless and unprepared. Marroni is clearly connected to that anomalous creature that attacked me, which makes him more dangerous than expected. I have to find out what's going on—"
"What a pity."
Alfred expressionlessly lifted the silver cloche from the tray.
Inside was just an empty plate.
"A pity. I went to the trouble of preparing tonight's dinner for you, 'Roasted Empty Plate'. Now it has all gone to waste."
Bruce: "..."
Holding the cloche, Alfred shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't eat, anyway."
"...When I get back, you can make whatever you want for breakfast," Bruce's voice softened slightly, a hint of apology in it.
"That won't be necessary."
Alfred picked up the tray again and walked toward the ladder by the wall.
"I'll be quite relieved if your breakfast tomorrow isn't an IV drip, Master Bruce."
Elsewhere, in a dark space.
A shadow darted through the gloom like a fish, rapidly approaching. It traveled to the depths of the darkness, seeping up from the ground like a wisp of fog before condensing into a blurry, physical form.
"The demon spirit, Kress, is dead," it said in a muffled, bizarre voice.
The sound echoed endlessly in the dark space.
A moment later, a second wisp of fog appeared. It fell from above like a waterfall, transforming into a tall, twisted, monstrous figure nearby.
"I told you, the plan to collect sacrifices from the wicked hiding among humans was unreliable."
After a pause, it asked again.
"But what happened? Was it discovered by the Wizard?"
"No, not the Wizard... It was something else." The first shadow hesitated, as if finding the words difficult. "A human, but one who possesses dangerous means."
"Human?" The tall shadow immediately revealed its disdain. "Anyone who dares stand in our way, to obstruct our Lord's resurrection, deserves only death."
The first shadow looked at it with a very strange expression.
"You didn't see the man," it said. "If you had seen him open fire, you wouldn't be asking such a foolish question."
"Is he that strong?" the tall shadow asked suspiciously.
"It's not a question of if he's strong. He's... a very special kind of..."
The shadow mulled over its words.
"Let me put it this way. You didn't see the man," it said. "I'm sure that if I had made a move, I would be dead, too."
"..."
The tall shadow pondered for a moment.
"Never mind. On second thought, our current plan leaves no time for such diversions. We'll ignore him for now and focus on the seal."
The first shadow nodded repeatedly. "My thoughts exactly."
"The Wizard's power is weaker than ever, and he can no longer obstruct our actions. The seal is about to break, and the day of our return is near. When That Lord returns to the mortal world..."
The tall shadow's tone suddenly rose.
"...this entire world will be ours for the taking!"
(end of chapter)