Chapter 77 Bats: Many Bats, Gradually Increasing

"Why should you care about that?" Thomas didn't answer him directly, but asked in a puzzled tone, "I don't think you need to know the answer, we're not even close."

“No, I want to know,” “Night Owl” insisted, “what are you hiding?”

Their universe had just begun investigating Batman's counterparts on this Earth when a somewhat bizarre Batman and Joker suddenly appeared, which was highly suspicious.

“What can I hide… this is my family matter,” Thomas looked at him with a troubled expression. “If you really want to know, these two are my parents.”

Old Thomas politely stepped forward, smiling and gesturing. Martha took a moment to process what she had forgotten about social etiquette, and then smiled back.

Due to the special circumstances, they ultimately did not shake hands with "Night Owl".

"!"

"Night Owl" took a step back.

"Your...parents?"

Somewhat shocked, "Night Owl" looked at the couple behind Thomas.

Martha in her clown costume (with her signature scar on her lip) and old Thomas in his Batman costume.

"Whose parents?" Red Hood reacted even more strongly. "What? Whose? He's Bruce Wayne's younger brother from the same parents in this world, right? So these two are... no, wait, that means Bruce's parents, one became Batman who kills people with guns, and the other became the Joker?"

The thought of Bruce introducing his parents to others with a mixture of sadness and pride made Red Hood feel dizzy.

What the hell is this?!

"Yeah, guess why I went to such lengths, risking offending Night Owl to steal his technology?" Thomas said expressionlessly. "Was it because I had nothing better to do and wanted to die?"

"Night Owl" opened its mouth, trying to say something, but was interrupted by Thomas.

“I think I know what you’re going to say,” Thomas said, looking down at the dusty ground, deliberately avoiding “Night Owl’s” gaze to avoid revealing his indifferent expression. “But what does the stability of the world have to do with us? Two fewer people on Earth won’t affect its rotation, and two more people on our side won’t cause an asteroid to hit us. We will all be happy. The world will have one less sad child and one less pair of suffering parents, and one more happy family… What a wonderful thing.”

These words clearly resonated with Martha and Thomas Sr., who stood a little closer to Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr. slightly raised his face, thinking about his completely failed plan, the Joker who hadn't died, and the future of living with his parents, unable to kill them and having to continue pretending. He gave a slightly melancholy smile.

The three of them stood together like that, looking quite happy.

...What a wonderful thing!

Honestly, is there really anyone who can completely resist this temptation?

“I apologize, this may be a bit presumptuous,” Night Owl hesitated before asking, “but could you tell me what happened to this gentleman and lady? I… I have a friend… an elder…”

It is indeed presumptuous of me, but it is obvious to the naked eye that the Wayne couple must have gone through a lot of suffering to do this.

But he still asked, not for any other reason than that, in case one day they had a chance to save this family in some universe from misfortune... in case... in case...

Martha seemed about to answer, but Thomas gently squeezed her hand.

“It’s a long story,” Thomas continued, determined not to let anyone know that he had maliciously chosen the Wayne couple. “The clown has his eye on our family…”

"clown?"

"I knew it was the Joker!" Redhead shouted into "Night Owl's" head, not even waiting for Thomas to finish speaking. "I knew it was him! No wonder they turned out like this! No wonder they went to kill the Joker the moment they heard him!"

"Yes, after Bruce died..."

He told a story full of ups and downs.

In this story, Martha is a pitiful mother deceived by the murderer who killed her child, while old Thomas is a pitiful father who wants to awaken his wife and avenge his child...

Yes, they are victims, and so am I. If someone asks me afterward why I targeted the Joker so much, I'll say I misunderstood the universe.

Anyway, Isaiah Thomas has to cover all this up.

If the Waynes really did commit murder, Batman would primarily investigate them, and he might even suspect they were clones or something... But since the Joker isn't dead, Batman would definitely be more inclined to believe the Waynes. If the three of them later review the events and discover that Thomas Jr. deliberately tricked the Waynes into committing the murder, the situation would be unfavorable for him.

People are naturally inclined to believe what aligns with their existing beliefs. The Wayne couple, always portrayed as paragons of justice, saw blaming the Joker as the most righteous choice, and "Night Owl" largely believed them, while Red Hood…

Red Hood is already thinking about how to truly kill the Joker.

“That’s how it is,” Thomas said, grasping his parents’ hands to finish his lie. “It’s all that damn clown’s fault, he…”

A polite knock came from outside the door.

"Come in." Thomas Jr. was used to giving orders and responded without any hesitation, as if he were the master of the place (and he was).

The knocking hesitated for a moment, as if considering whether to listen to this "Night Owl's" strategic (temporary) partner.

"What are you waiting for?" Night Owl, recovering from the truly breathtaking story just now, asked, "Are you waiting for me to open the door for you myself?"

The door opened quickly.

A cunning individual entered and succinctly explained the current emergency:

“Batman’s showing up,” he glanced at old Thomas, “he’s in the maze. Should we take care of him?”

"?"

Everyone present looked at the claw.

Who's here?

-

Let's rewind to a few hours earlier.

The bats at Wayne Manor haven't been completely cleared out yet, or rather, Alfred plans to let them stay another day.

A horror movie was playing in the background on the TV, and the flames in the fireplace were crackling; it seemed like a very peaceful Halloween.

“Young Master Dick,” Alfred looked up at the ceiling, “do you really have to hang yourself upside down from the chandelier? Seriously, I think there seem to be a bit too many bats at Wayne Manor today.”

“You’re wrong, Alfred!” Dick, mingling among the bats on the ceiling, fanned his cloak. “I’m actually a vampire, perfectly avoiding Batman’s copyright disputes and not needing to pay him royalties.”

"So Batman will barge in and demand royalties from the person who plays him?" Jason sat below, trying to wrap himself in bandages.

"Ha, so you weren't telling the truth either!" Dick said smugly. "I knew no one would tell you what role they really wanted to play!"

"He is scary, that's true, but I can't exactly go asking for candy in a suit, can I... So does Batman really charge royalties?"

“Of course he will. I know Batman,” Dick said, deliberately lowering his voice. “He told me himself, it’s the real deal, absolutely true.”

“I’ve noticed Wayne Enterprises seems to produce a lot of Batman-related merchandise,” Jason questioned. “...Will Thomas pay Batman royalties?”

“Yes,” Dick said decisively, “and if you secretly wear a Batman costume, Thomas will sue you alongside Batman, and Wayne Enterprises’ legal department will file a lawsuit against you, because he signed a contract with Batman beforehand…”

“Ahem,” Alfred approached, wearing a single eyepatch, dressed as a gentleman pirate, or rather, a pirate gentleman, perfectly fitting the festive atmosphere. Alfred handed Jason a glass of tomato juice (“Thank you, Alfred.”): “Would Your Excellency, the vampire, like to set foot on the ground again and have some tomato juice?”

“Thanks, but not yet,” Dick replied. “I want to hang there a little longer, so do you know what Thomas is dressed as, Alfred?”

“Young Master Thomas took the blindfold I prepared this morning, so I had to buy another one.” Alfred put down the tray. “He said he wanted to dress up as a down-on-his-luck one-eyed old man who used to be a head of state but now can only do dangerous manual labor… To be honest, I can’t guess who it is, but as long as he gives up the idea of ​​dressing up as Night Owl, that’s fine.”

Just then, Bruce, dressed in Batman's gear, walked out of the study looking worried.

"Someone actually said they could dress up as whatever they wanted." Dick landed lightly from the chandelier. "So, did you get Thomas's Halloween present?"

"……No."

This is exactly what worries Bruce the most. He had been rummaging around Wayne Manor for a short time after getting up this morning, even indulging in some naive fantasies.

What if Thomas was just trying to scare him and actually just had a normal, ordinary little gift prepared for him? Or maybe some weird-tasting prank snack or something—dramatic and a gift at the same time, what a wonderful choice…

But those bats were empty, just ordinary bat decorations. The plaster bats were filled with plaster (not a single priceless black pearl), while the balloon bats were filled with helium (not even hydrogen, so it seems he didn't intend to blow up Wayne Manor).

And then there's that "high-profile guest." Bruce called around and found that none of the people in Thomas's social circle planned to visit Wayne Manor today. According to Lucius, Thomas had even announced to everyone a few days in advance that he was leaving get off work early today.

This sounds increasingly suspicious, Bruce thought uneasily.

Wayne Group employees left work early, but Thomas was nowhere to be seen...

He glanced absently around the bat-infested living room, then whispered to Dick, "Keep an eye on Jason. I'm going on night patrol. Tell him if Thomas gets back before me."

Bruce thought for a moment, then said, "Tell him that if I'm in a bad mood, I might let others know what's hidden in the secret door to his office."

Yes, it might let Alfred know that he dug a secret room in his office just to hide the freezer containing pure, additive-free, unhealthy beverages.

“A powerful threat, Bruce.” Dick looked on with awe.

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief and planned to return to the Batcave.

"Breaking news!" The horror movie on TV suddenly turned into a news program. "A group of thugs dressed as clowns attacked Wayne Tower. It is reported..."

...Thomas Wayne!

Don't tell me this is your Christmas present!

Batman stormed upstairs in a rage.

-----------------------

Author's Note: òvó: Halloween, what should I dress up as...?

(See Alfred's eye patch)

"òvó" (pointing upwards): Hey!

(Stealing Alfred's eye patch)

Alfred: ...If I remember correctly, owls and crows are not the same kind of birds, right? [Sigh]

-

If Bwayne learns that his parents aren't perfect (or even villains), his reaction could be similar to the Batman storyline. Although it's an optional element, it seems logical and consistent with the character's personality. Also, I don't recommend buying this game; you can watch gameplay videos. Batman's model looks good, but he's not tall or strong enough (he's even shorter than Harvey, huh?).

-

I flipped through the long Halloween book again. At the end of this book, the creative team talked about the little tricks and drafts for the cover corresponding to each holiday. I was enjoying reading it (because I especially like Easter eggs and the like). Then I saw Father's Day and Mother's Day. They specially arranged for young Bruce and Batman to stand in front of the Wayne couple's tombstone, "echoing" (as stated in the original text).

I give up. When it comes to hell, you guys are the real hell.