Chapter 60 is incomprehensible; it's completely impossible to empathize with it.
...So why do so many people like to reach out to Gotham?
Is Gotham some kind of wonderful place? Thomas wanted nothing more than to blow it up completely.
He recently discovered that someone was maliciously releasing a virus in Gotham, which directly caused many problems for Wayne Enterprises' operations.
Frustrated, he laid out all the clues he had gathered on the table, trying to figure out who was causing him trouble.
But he didn't realize it.
It wasn't that his reasoning ability was flawed, but rather that Gotham was simply too chaotic, with all those bizarre mentally ill people seemingly emerging from underground.
The Joker? He seems to have been a bit too quiet lately. Apart from Batman seemingly ruining his plan to release a large amount of laughing gas in downtown Gotham City yesterday, he doesn't seem to have done anything else.
In addition, there are a bunch of guys who suddenly start hallucinating and going insane, and humans who have been modified and controlled...
But these guys are not under his control. As long as they don't have weapons of mass destruction and can't threaten Thomas's rule in Gotham, he can't interfere.
Let Batman worry about it. Night Owl is just a supervillain; he's not even an anti-hero.
Honestly, if this conspiracy to spread the virus hadn't seriously affected the Wayne Corporation's normal operations, and if this biological weapon hadn't actually seriously shaken his rule, Thomas certainly wouldn't have bothered with it.
Gotham is his human resources base. If everyone in Gotham dies, how can he possibly push forward his plan to destroy the world? He can't rely on Thomas alone to move all the materials for making the quantum bomb, can he? He's not the Ultimate Man or Johnny Quick.
That's why Thomas has recently started losing money developing a vaccine, not for any other reason than to preserve Gotham's human resources.
Bruce was quite pleased with this behavior (well, at least it's solid proof that Thomas still has human morality... let's leave aside the mistress...), and he also participated in the vaccine development work during the day, except that his main base was in the Bat Cave.
With their combined efforts, the spread of the virus was quickly brought under control.
Perhaps that's why Thomas was targeted.
When he came to work this morning, he found a letter nailed to his desk with a knife.
...
So what's the purpose? The letter isn't going to grow legs and run away by itself if it's just left on the table.
Did you give me a knife?
He looked at Kelvin.
Kelvin said impatiently, "It was already here when I came in this morning."
"Don't they have any leads from the Court of Owls?"
"You really treat us like subordinates?"
Okay, I guess I'll have to let Night Owl investigate.
Thomas turned around, put on disposable gloves, and carefully examined the handle of the knife. Only after confirming that there were no hidden thorns coated with poison did he pull it out.
Then he unfolded the letter.
...The main content is that he was being targeted by some mysterious organization, and some kind of leader wanted to see him, and someone would take him away that night.
This is truly unexpected news.
Thomas casually took a picture of the letter and sent it to Bruce.
"?"
Bruce reacted quickly; it seemed he must have already gotten up.
“I suspect this is probably the culprit behind the spread of the virus,” Thomas typed. “We can work together from the inside out.”
“That’s too dangerous, Thomas,” Batman replied. “I’ve fought them a few times.”
“Calling me over should be a good opportunity to talk, and I’m a fully grown adult with basic combat skills and access to Wayne Enterprises’ extensive arsenal of advanced technology,” Thomas replied. “This matter must be resolved completely. Given that they possess biological weapons, I suggest you don the power armor specially developed by Wayne Enterprises, which features an automatically rising gas mask and extremely high performance.”
"When did you develop it?" Batman asked warily, seemingly beginning to suspect the origins of the Night Owl armor.
"I won't tell you if you don't wear it."
"I will wear it, thank you."
In fact, considering that there are elderly people and children in his family, he would not take the risk even if a vaccine were available.
"Just kidding, even if I wore it, I probably wouldn't tell you," Thomas replied.
"..."
Looking at the string of ellipses, Thomas put down his phone in a good mood.
Fun.
Bruce, on the other end, reluctantly put down his phone and then called Lucius.
There must have been a specific reason why Thomas began researching power armor.
So, figuring out this timeline should help him understand Thomas's mental state and...emotional life over the past few years.
People's bottom line will obviously be lowered step by step. Now it doesn't matter if Thomas talks to Strawberry Milkshake or his "Lampwick" or even becomes a mistress, as long as he is not Night Owl.
Putting everything else aside, the owl is just too dangerous.
-
Later that evening, Thomas voluntarily put on a miniature tracker, a hidden signal transmitter, and a miniature earpiece specially made by Wayne Enterprises to ensure that Batman could find him easily.
I want to see who is wasting my precious resources.
He obediently allowed himself to be blindfolded and got into their car.
“You’re in the car, Thomas,” Batman’s voice came through the headset.
Thomas tapped the signal transmitter a few times to show his displeasure at Batman's sudden outburst.
Batman translated it, and the gist is something like a concrete trampling violin pool.
“Don’t enter random passwords. The computer shows you’re heading to the suburbs.” Batman ignored his displeasure. “What weapons did you bring?”
The signal transmitter went completely silent.
In fact, a stealth aircraft was following him (it must be said, stealth aircraft with automatic cruise capability are really useful), and he even had a shrunk quantum starter on him, so he could run away at any time if there was a problem.
But this trump card can't be told to Batman (unless Batman comes to his senses and decides to stand with him someday).
"So you don't have any. I'll have Alfred cut back on your dessert."
The signal transmitter transmitted some codes.
The translation is: "Whatever, Alfred is cutting back on sugar for me anyway. Unsweetened sweets taste awful, so it's better not to eat them at all."
“That’s settled then,” Batman rephrased. “If you’re not injured this time, I’ll talk to Alfred and have him put his sugar reduction plan on hold for a day.”
“I don’t really believe you can convince Alfred on health matters.”
...
You actually know that your current sugar intake is unhealthy!
“In fact, I agree, young master Thomas.” This time it was Alfred’s voice coming through the headset.
"Draw up a written agreement."
“Yes, young master Thomas,” Alfred continued, “but even if I wrote it, you obviously wouldn’t see it.”
"Okay, did you record it?"
"It's all been recorded, don't worry."
"Thanks."
Thomas wiggled his fingers in a good mood.
His guards looked on with suspicion.
“Don’t get any ideas,” said the guard next to him, “or we’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Sure,” Thomas replied nonchalantly. “Anyway, everyone dies eventually; nobody lives forever.”
“Thomas!” Batman warned him sternly through his earpiece.
The signal transmitter spoke again: "Never mind that. The more I care about my life and death, the easier it is for them to threaten me with this kind of thing."
The guard seemed to scoff, "Ignorant."
"You say I'm ignorant?" Thomas thought with displeasure. "You probably haven't even heard of calculus, yet you dare to say I'm ignorant."
But he still spoke politely: "So you've seen people who can live forever?"
He also passed a code to Batman: "There might be new information."
“No new intelligence,” Batman said helplessly. “Las Augu has lived for over seven hundred years using the Lazarus Pool.”
“Of course, it’s our great Demon King,” his guard said proudly, “he…”
“That’s amazing,” Thomas interrupted him, uttering this nonsensical remark, “How did he manage to live so long?”
He finds living even one more day tedious, yet someone can endure humanity for over seven hundred years.
He said this directly without using a signal transmitter.
"Thomas, keep up the disguise." Batman's stern voice rang out.
“Don’t try to uncover the secrets,” another guard warned. “Even if you’re not afraid of death, we have plenty of ways to deal with you.”
"Okay." Anyway, Batman has already told him.
Thomas leaned back in his seat, bored, and aimlessly typed in the password.
"I'm driving the Batmobile."
“Anyway, there’s self-driving technology.” Thomas continued tapping. “I simply can’t imagine… so how did he do that?”
"If you want to chat, I can have Alfred connect you to the computer."
"Okay, computer, just play any song."
The rousing rock music exploded in his ears.
"Keep your voice down."
The rousing rock music was quietly exploding in his ears.
-
This group seems to have set up a damn little outpost near Gotham, which is quite a short drive away.
Thomas was dragged out of the car, and the group of people didn't even remove his blindfold.
"Wait a moment."
A woman's stern voice rang out; judging from her tone, she seemed to be accustomed to giving orders.
But Thomas pretended not to hear.
Until someone took off his headset.
...Okay, there are no songs to listen to now.
“Go and accept the punishment yourself. If you make the same mistake again and let someone bring in something they shouldn’t have,” the woman continued, “it won’t be that simple.”
She then walked ahead, and two guards released Thomas, while two others captured him.
Thomas did not resist; he obediently followed them.
Even if it's to end the sugar reduction plan, he can't get hurt.
They hadn't walked far... Judging from the timeline, they didn't seem to have left Gotham City and were probably inside some building now.
Soon, his blindfold was ripped off.
The first thing I saw was a withered old man.
...
So what am I saying? Humans shouldn't live too long.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Note! I personally have a very neutral view of the characters, but Thomas's character makes it impossible for him to politely judge everyone (he's still quite self-centered)...
-
Let me organize the side stories I want to write right now:
There are several alternate scenarios: Thomas the Tank Engine, an adult Bruce Wayne traveling to Earth III, a younger Thomas who has just killed his parents and brother, the Gotham Narcissus melee, and the Night Owl killing his family. There are also other scenarios, including a viewing experience.
I'm not very good at writing movie-style content, so it might be turned into a bonus episode?
Oh dear, it's a bit early to think about that now. You guys can also suggest what kind of side stories you'd like to see, and I'll add them if I have any ideas.
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