Chapter 28: Let's Have Some Fun First
Wayne Manor, Underground.
Alfred walked down the newly built spiral staircase and, unsurprisingly, found Bruce sitting in front of the computer in his Batsuit, clattering away at the keyboard.
"I'm glad to see the entrance renovations are complete. However, lest you've forgotten, I must remind you that the last time you returned to the Manor from the Batcave was last week," Alfred said.
"The Manor is Bruce Wayne's home, and Bruce Wayne is just a mask for Batman," Bruce said without expression. "I'm perfectly fine here."
Alfred didn't retort directly, just shrugged. "It seems the next generation of the Wayne family will inherit a musty, empty mansion."
After a pause, he muttered.
"As if there'll even be a next generation."
Bruce seemed long accustomed to the butler's naturally sharp tongue and didn't take it to heart. The Batcomputer's screen once again displayed words like "Giant" and "Ultraman," a clear continuation of last night's incident at the Amusement Mile.
The man who had been on TV before was now being interviewed excitedly. "I told you, I've been saying it all along! He must be some kind of God, sent to punish the wicked city of Gotham! Gotham's doomsday is coming!"
Alfred watched silently from behind for a moment, then said, "I heard those children were saved by this... uh... Giant of unknown origin. Perhaps that indicates he's friendly?"
Bruce was silent for a moment, then said, "We can't jump to conclusions so quickly, Alfred. We don't know his origins, purpose, or specific abilities..."
"Question everything. I remember, you've emphasized that, Young Master."
Alfred seemed used to this as well. His Young Master was the epitome of a cautious protagonist. He had once personally witnessed Bruce in the Batcomputer editing a file project titled "How to Counterattack if a Zombie Virus Breaks Out." The same archive also included, but was not limited to, projects like "If Gotham Were to Be Flooded" and "If Aliens Were to Invade."
At that moment, a sharp remark got stuck in Alfred's throat. He held it in for a long time but ultimately decided not to say it.
Oh well, as long as the Young Master is happy.
He had a premonition that this archive would probably end up with no less than three thousand entries. If an outsider ever saw it, their very first impression would definitely be that Young Master Wayne was a complete lunatic.
Bruce stood up again and put on his helmet.
Alfred frowned. "Going out again?"
"The Riddler is almost at the end of his rope. This is no time to relax." He walked toward the Batmobile.
"But you haven't slept in three days..."
"My current limit is one week, and my condition is still fairly good."
As he spoke, he had already leaped into the Batmobile and sped off with a roar of the engine.
Alfred watched the departing Batmobile and couldn't help but let out a somber sigh.
He had a strange feeling, as if he were watching Bruce—the Young Master who was like his own flesh and blood—embark on a path of no return.
"No picky eating."
Orin Vale suddenly turned and looked sternly at Kara, who was secretly picking the green peppers out of her food.
Kara's little face flushed bright red as she argued defensively, "I... I was just putting them aside to eat later..."
Orin Vale stared at her expressionlessly for a moment.
"...Alright, I'm sorry."
Kara obediently pushed the green peppers back into her bowl and ate them properly.
At the dining table, the Old Wizard glanced at her with a grin and casually passed a piece of salmon from his own plate to Kara's.
Kara's expression was joyful, her cheeks rosy. "Thank you, Grandpa!"
The Old Wizard smiled and nodded, stroking his long beard in satisfaction.
Over the past few days, he had grown fonder and fonder of the cute and lively little girl. He had guarded the Sanctuary for nine thousand years, and many of the emotions from his time as a human had long since faded.
Now, after his magic power had waned and forced him into retirement, he had unexpectedly found some of the things he once lost in this small corner coffee shop.
Something that had been sealed away in his memory nine thousand years ago, something called "home."
The weather had been gradually turning colder these past two days. Gotham was a relatively gloomy and damp place to begin with, and the cold air quickly arrived with the changing season.
But strangely, even as the weather turned cold, Orin Vale noticed that the young ladies who frequented the coffee shop every day were all dressed in light clothing, revealing their shoulders, fair arms, and long legs. Sometimes, one could even faintly glimpse certain bottomless, mysterious ravines. Those who didn't know better would think they were trying to save on fabric.
It made Orin Vale feel quite impressed.
Wait a minute, I'm Ultraman, so I'm not afraid of regular low temperatures. How come you all aren't afraid either?
The struggling writer Tom was even ready to worship these young ladies. He felt it was a truly great deed, a contribution to world peace. And since his own abilities were limited, he could only contribute his small part by offering his fervent gaze to warm the young ladies' bodies in this cold world...
Kara's talent for language was also quite impressive. He didn't know if it was thanks to her awakening super-brain, but during this time with Orin Vale, she could basically hold simple conversations with him without relying on telepathy.
Sometimes, when she saw other little girls coming from school with their schoolbags to eat a light meal and drink coffee, Kara would be very envious.
She once tugged on Orin Vale's sleeve, looking at him with pleading eyes, and said, "I want to go to school too..."
Orin Vale thought for a moment and replied that it wouldn't be impossible if she really wanted to. But at the very least, she needed to speak fluently and get her superpowers under control. "We wouldn't want you to get emotional and blast a hole through your teacher with Heat Vision, right?"
At that, Kara pouted and unhappily went back to practicing her speaking.
"Is this the place where Ly-Baggu and Aliha met their defeat?"
A tall man stood on a street in Gotham, his brows furrowing slightly as he watched the pedestrians hurrying by.
Weak.
That was the first word that surfaced in his mind.
The level of civilization is primitive and backward, their technology is trash, their racial talents are pathetic, and their physical constitution is as weak as a reed...
"How did those two idiots fail in a place like this?" The man was perplexed.
"Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye."
The one who spoke was the woman beside him.
She was an unforgettable woman; even if you only saw her once from a great distance in a crowd, you would most likely be able to recognize her at a glance. However, what most people would remember probably wasn't her face, but rather those towering peaks, a mountain range from one angle and a summit from another.
Her face was also striking, but compared to her figure, it wasn't as eye-catching or prominent. So much so that after meeting her, most people's minds were left with only a single word when they recalled her: Big. When it came to her actual features, they couldn't remember.
So large, in fact, that it had a bewildering effect similar to Superman's glasses.
The woman ignored the sideways glances from the surrounding passersby, leaning lazily against the man. "Those two may be idiots, but they're at least capable idiots. For them to fail here, on a planet with a Civilization Level of only three, it definitely means this place isn't as simple as it looks on the surface."
The man nodded lightly. "That makes sense. Then we should act low-key for now and try to locate the Kryptonian girl first."
"No need to rush that."
The woman chuckled lightly, her whole body coiling around him like a water snake, pressing so close that things became distorted.
"It's been a long and tiring journey. Let's rest a bit, have some fun, and then we'll get down to business."
The man was surprised. "Didn't we just have some fun before we came?"
"That was before we came. A different place, a different environment, a different mood... maybe the pleasure will be different too?" The woman winked.
"You're right."
The man smiled.
"Then let's have our fun first."
(end of chapter)