45 · Chapter 45

After finishing the ability test, Messiah had a short period of alone time. He stared at the rock wall on the top of the Bat Cave boredly, his eyes blank, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Looking at the small figure sitting alone in the corner in a daze, Bruce paused with the test report in his hand and frowned slightly.

When Messiah is alone, he doesn't have much vitality. He is like a game NPC with a fixed mode. When there is no human interaction with him, he enters an inorganic standby mode.

For the first time, Bruce sensed the Messiah's inhumanity so vividly.

Messiah stared at the top of the Batcave, his mind empty and his eyes blank.

In the previous world, Messiah would spend his free time online socializing, but Superman later banned most of his social media accounts, and Messiah's last entertainment activity disappeared. When the regime didn't need him, he spent most of his time staring blankly into space.

In this world, Messiah is with Jason almost every moment, like a pair of conjoined twins, never separated, and every move is related to Jason.

Therefore, now that he was alone, Messiah didn't know what to do. He could only repeat his actions in the previous world and stare at the ceiling of the Bat Cave in a daze.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and Messiah, like an NPC who had triggered a conversation, had colors appear in his lifeless eyes, and his expression instantly became lively.

"Dad." Messiah whispered Bruce's name, tilting his head back to look at Bruce. Bruce's face was upside down in his vision. "Is it over?"

Bruce rubbed Messiah's head, gently pushed his head back into place, and sat down on the ground beside him, letting the expensive dust get on him.

The big black bat curled up into a ball, close to the birdie ball next to it.

"Bored?" Bruce turned and looked at Messiah with a smile. "If you're not interested in the Batcave, there's a screening room, a library, and a game room upstairs in the mansion. There are also other toys in the garden."

Bruce tentatively mentioned a few things that kids Messiah's age would like, but all he got was Messiah's shake of his head in rejection.

"No need." Messiah imitated Bruce and sat down, hugging his knees and looking at Bruce with his head tilted. "I'm fine here, waiting for you."

"Jason's test won't be over for a while yet. If you wait, you'll have to wait a long time, and it'll be boring."

Bruce pointed to the training room, where Riddick was accompanying Jason to test his physical fitness, and he had just been sorting out Messiah's test report, leaving Messiah here alone.

Now he was only briefly away to accompany Messiah, and he had the owl coin on Dick's lost tooth to examine.

"It doesn't matter."

Messiah blinked. Waiting was not a difficult task for him. Daydreaming anytime and anywhere had long been a habit of his. "I'm not bored. I can just wait here for you."

He didn't understand why Bruce came here. There was more important work for Bruce to do, and talking to him was just a waste of time.

Since the last world, Messiah has been accustomed to waiting.

Bruce's heart sank, but a gentle smile remained on his face. "Don't you like any of these? Are there any things or games you like? I can ask Alfu to accompany you, or take you to buy them."

Messiah shook his head. He didn't like anything. The feeling of "liking" was too unfamiliar to him. He even secretly looked up what "liking" meant after Jason asked, "Do you like it?"

If I had to say what I like...

Messiah lay on his knees, unconsciously lowering his voice to the quietest he could, "Jason."

"I like Jason."

The Messiah's world is huge, so huge that it includes the entire universe that he can control at will, and so small that it only includes Jason.

In that small universe, there is not even the existence of the Messiah himself.

Messiah didn't know why Bruce's eyes became so strange. Was it because he only said that he liked Jason and didn't say that he liked Bruce?

But he didn't feel the same way about Bruce as he did about Jason.

Messiah frowned in annoyance. "I, I'll try to like Bruce as well."

Bruce suppressed the urge to sigh and raised his hand to rub Messiah's head, but stopped in mid-air.

The Messiah has no self, and if he continues to stay close to the Messiah, the Messiah will most likely incorporate his will into it and become dependent on him as he was on Jason.

Logically, Batman should be relieved, as this means he can easily control the almost omnipotent Messiah without worrying that the Messiah will abuse his powers.

But Bruce wants the Messiah to have his own self.

Bruce's hand stopped in mid-air. Messiah thought Bruce stopped because he was unhappy, so he put his head under Bruce's hand and rubbed it against Bruce's palm.

"Don't be unhappy, Dad." Messiah looked at Bruce, his golden eyes clear. "I will try my best to like you. We are family."

Bruce looked at Messiah who was rubbing against him like a puppy, which further confirmed that he could easily control Messiah.

……No.

Bruce realized that what the Messiah needed his guidance on was not how to use his power, but how to grow into an independent "person".

A plan took shape in Bruce's mind, and he subconsciously ruffled Messiah's fluffy hair while making the plan.

Messiah looked at Bruce who seemed even more unhappy. He didn't understand why Bruce was still unhappy even though he let him pat his head. He was so anxious that he was running around in circles.

What should he do to appease Bruce?

"Dad..."

Messiah's voice brought Bruce back to his senses. He came back to his senses from planABC in his mind and quickly began to comfort Messiah, whose face was full of sadness and grievance.

It was the first time for Bruce to take care of such a young child, and a child with a very special personality. Even though he was already a father of three children, he was as flustered as a new father and was almost shouting "Afu, Afu".

Jason was right, the Messiah was easy to coax and easy to deceive.

Bruce looked at Messiah, whose attention was quickly diverted, and didn't know whether he should feel headache or relief.

He thought he should buy a parenting book for new fathers, treat Messiah like a little baby who knew nothing, and educate him from scratch.

...Messiah only regained self-awareness a few days ago. Apart from the messy information instilled into his brain by super hearing, he really seems to be just like a newborn baby.

Messiah blinked, not realizing that he had been equated with a baby in Bruce's mind, and watched curiously as the complex expressions on Bruce's face changed.

What is Bruce thinking?

"Messiah, Ah Fu is so lonely upstairs. Could you please keep Ah Fu company?"

Bruce's expression suddenly grew serious. He patted Messiah on the shoulder and, using all his knowledge of child psychology, assigned Messiah a task: "Can I give you the task of accompanying Alfu?"

Messiah nodded with a serious expression, as if this was a very important task. "Okay, leave it to me."

This is an important task assigned to him by Bruce, and he must complete it with all his heart and soul.

Messiah's aura was filled with awe, and he treated the task of wiping out the regime's resistance as seriously as Superman had given him. He turned around and was about to go upstairs with great momentum.

A resentful voice suddenly sounded.

"Sorry, I don't think I'm old enough to need constant companionship."

Messiah was so frightened that he jumped up, and his fluffy white hair fluttered even more violently. His super hearing was turned off, so Messiah did not notice Alfred's presence.

"Good day, Master Messiah."

Alfred smiled and nodded to Messiah, but when he turned to Bruce, the smile on his face changed: "I think it is a father's responsibility to accompany his children."

Messiah looked at Alfred in confusion.

It's a father's responsibility to accompany his children, and the one who needs company here is Ah Fu... So Ah Fu is saying that he needs his father?!

Messiah stuttered, "A-Afu?"

Where should he go to find Ah Fu's father?!

Ah Fu looks like an elderly human, and his father must be even older. What is the maximum lifespan for a human being?

If Ah Fu's father died, would he, would he resurrect Ah Fu's father? But he did not have the power to resurrect people.

...Can the company of a dead person be considered as companionship?

Messiah's mind stopped thinking.

Bruce smiled bitterly. Unlike Messiah, whose train of thought was strange, Bruce immediately recognized Alfu's sarcastic tone.

Indeed, as a father, these are what he should do, but... Batman's responsibilities are far more important than his father's responsibilities.

Bruce's expression darkened for a moment, and he whispered, "Alfred, Gotham is my responsibility."

Messiah looked at Bruce on the left and Alfred on the right. He didn't understand what either of them meant, but he could feel that they seemed to be arguing?

But when they quarreled, Bruce and Alfu's tone was very calm.

No matter. Messiah thought seriously that the most important thing now was to accompany Ah Fu. He wanted to find Ah Fu's father and let Ah Fu's father accompany Ah Fu.

Messiah took a deep breath and said firmly, "Where is Ah Fu's dad? I'll bring him back to keep Ah Fu company."

…

Bruce could hardly hold back the expression on his face. He looked at Messiah blankly, almost thinking he had misheard. Alfu's father???

Alfred smiled at Messiah and said calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, Messiah. But my father has been dead for many years. If I want to find him now, I'm afraid I can only get his ashes."

"The ashes..."

Bruce covered Messiah's mouth before he could utter more shocking words. He looked at Messiah with a headache. Messiah obviously didn't realize that there was anything wrong with his words.

"You're right, Alfred," Bruce said dryly. "It's a father's responsibility to be with his children."

The Court of Owls' investigation...is not urgent.

Messiah looked at Bruce and Alfred, who had just finished their conversation, with a confused look on his face. Seeing Alfred leave with a satisfied look on his face, he looked up and asked Bruce, "Dad, doesn't Alfred need his dad to accompany him anymore?"

Bruce said weakly: "No..."

Messiah thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Are you going to accompany Ah Fu?"

Yes, Alfu only said that he needed his father’s company. Alfu’s father is his father, and his father is also his father, so Bruce can accompany Alfu!

"……No."

Bruce felt so powerless for the first time. He had a headache dealing with the Messiah's wild ideas and finally came to the game room.

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Messiah's attention drawn to the game room, as he curiously examined the game console.

Most children like games, so it seems that introducing Messiah to games first is the right choice.

Messiah poked the game console in front of the TV. "What is this? Is this a training device, Dad?"

The little dog Messiah had never seen a game console, and his understanding of electronic devices was limited to mobile phones and computers.

"No, it's a game console, a machine that can play video games."

Bruce patted the sofa, and Messiah sat next to Bruce holding the game console, lying on Bruce's legs very naturally, listening to Bruce explain what game consoles and electronic games are.

Messiah and Jason had almost no sense of distance when they were together, and this habit was also passed on to Bruce by Messiah, who lacked common sense and experience in getting along with others.

Bruce felt the soft little body on his legs and almost froze in place. Messiah's body temperature was normal, but Bruce felt like he was about to be burned by Messiah's warmth.

"Dad?"

Messiah looked at Bruce in confusion as he suddenly stopped explaining. Bruce concealed his unnatural expression, turned on the game console and started to teach Messiah how to play the game.

"First this, then this."

Bruce directed Messiah to operate the joystick, and Messiah's clumsy movements became skillful. Messiah, who had loved surfing the Internet in the previous world, quickly fell in love with the feeling of playing games after just a short time of exposure to electronic games.

Looking at the Messiah with glowing eyes, Bruce ignored the inexplicable uneasiness in his heart and nodded with relief.

Stupid father Bruce is about to face the biggest Waterloo in his parenting history.

Bruce was playing a two-player game with Messiah at first, but the regular clicking sound of Messiah pressing the controller made Bruce, who hadn't slept for 48 hours, feel sleepy.

Messiah was concentrating on playing the game when he suddenly heard Bruce yawning next to him. He quickly paused the game and looked at Bruce with concern.

"Dad, are you sleepy?"

Bruce looked at Messiah who stopped the game at will, and the remaining worry in his heart that Messiah would become an internet addict completely disappeared.

"It's okay, just keep playing." Bruce said as he couldn't help yawning again. Even Batman couldn't stop yawning, "I'll be here with you."

Messiah shook his head: "No."

Bruce was so sleepy that he didn't have time to stop Messiah's actions. Messiah turned on his super vision and scanned the Wayne House, and found the familiar "The Little Prince" on the bookshelf in the library.

Messiah's palm sank into the void, and a copy of "The Little Prince" appeared in his hand, along with a Batman doll.

The next second, Bruce lay on the bed in the bedroom with a confused look on his face, staring at the Batman doll that Messiah had stuffed into his arms.

"Messiah, I don't need this."

Bruce's sleepiness had cleared up a lot, and Messiah shook his head seriously, reaching out to cover Bruce's mouth: "No, you need to."

This was how Jason got him to sleep, so Bruce needed this too.

Messiah imitated Jason, covered Bruce with a blanket, and began to read "The Little Prince".

“The little prince fell asleep, so I held him in my arms and started walking again. I felt that I was holding a fragile treasure, and there was nothing more fragile than him on earth…”①

“…needs to be well protected.”①

Bruce originally wanted to struggle for his father's dignity, but the Messiah's voice seemed to have a magical power that made Bruce sleepier and worse.

In the end, Bruce simply gave up the struggle and his father's dignity, and fell asleep accompanied by Messiah's bedtime story and a Batman doll.

Alfred, who witnessed the whole scene of this rebellious incident, quietly added milk and vegetable juice to Bruce's diet plan for the next month.

【Author’s words】

①: Quoted from The Little Prince

The extra chapter of 5k nutrient solution has been returned [sunglasses] cherish the few remaining daily routines, the cunning author is about to start hehehe

By the way, I'm going to recommend my new pre-collection! It's Batboy Literature——

Alluka Wants to Be a Batboy, Too

Born into a killer family

The twin brother of the killer family heir

Serious dad, neurotic mom

Black hair and blue eyes

So Alluka Zoldyck was reincarnated as Alluka Aug, and became Damian's twin brother in the Assassin's League.