Chapter 86 A Battle of Acting Skills: A Family of Movie Kings ( )
Thomas Jr. was practically dragged into Wayne Manor by Batman.
There was no other reason; it was simply because his mental state didn't seem to be very good.
“I absolutely didn’t mean to jump,” Thomas protested. “It’s just a habit…”
"Change whatever habit you have. Even when skydiving, no one jumps without any safety precautions," Batman dismissed his protest. "Besides, you can't prove to me that what you just said is true."
...You learn so fast, but do you hold grudges so much?
"How could there be no security measures? Aren't you one?"
Thomas Jr. sensed that Batman was about to object, so he spoke again, quickly and abruptly changing the subject, "You're just going to go in like this?"
“I will take you to Wayne Manor, then fly into the Batcave in my bat wings, go back to the study, sneak back to my bedroom to change clothes, climb out the window, and then go back through the front door.”
The two looked at each other.
“No problem, I’ll do my best to keep them away from those places,” Thomas immediately understood Batman’s meaning, “But are you going to do this all the time? Trying to hide your identity from people under the eaves of Wayne Manor? Are you expecting them to discover your secret on their own?”
"...Do you have any good suggestions?"
“How about we move out for a while,” Thomas said, “until you come to terms with it.”
"You actually think that Alfred and I would feel comfortable letting you move out?"
"This was just an accident."
"So you mean there will be a next time?"
"Clearly, you are maliciously misinterpreting my meaning without any basis."
"So I was right, you're feeling guilty."
"No."
You're feeling guilty.
“How could that be?” Thomas Jr. seized the opportunity to slip away from Batman. “This time, I just wanted to solve the problem once and for all. Now that the problem has been solved, I don’t need to…”
“There will be new problems next time,” Batman now knows Thomas Jr.’s nature well; he’s no longer the little kid who could be easily fooled by his brother. “And you’ll still solve them in pretty much the same way.”
“This method is the most efficient,” Thomas tried to justify his actions. “I’ve considered every angle, and I can completely guarantee my safety…”
“Regardless, Lars Augu is a master of combat. At that close range, he could easily have seriously injured you, if your lie hadn’t fooled him…”
“Of course I did this because I was sure you were there,” Thomas Jr. emphasized. “I’m sure you brought a lot of props.”
"I can't always succeed, what if..."
Isaiah Thomas didn't listen to Batman at all.
Regardless, Batman can even sabotage his plans in absolutely desperate situations, and Thomas Jr. has absolute faith in his abilities.
"Did you hear me?"
"My hearing is fine."
“I knew you weren’t listening,” Batman said, leading him to the door. “I’m going to tell Alfred everything you did today.”
"Hey!" Thomas protested again, but Batman had already mysteriously disappeared into the night.
...
So, is wearing a pure black cloak just for perfect invisibility at night?
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"Good evening, I'm home," Thomas Jr. said, opening the door as usual. "What's dinner tonight... no, supper?"
Everyone looked at him.
Thomas Jr. was so calm, just like he always is when he comes home from get off work, a stark contrast to the three minors who were brought back in the Batmobile (one of whom, an unfortunate soul with absolutely no connection to the incident, had already been sent home).
In fact, Thomas's indifferent reaction made the Wayne couple wonder if he had actually been kidnapped.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t prepared any midnight snacks for tonight,” Alfred replied. “I don’t think any normal family would be able to prepare midnight snacks after three family members have been kidnapped by a mysterious force.”
“Alright then,” Thomas decided to sneak into the kitchen and grab some food after everyone (except Batman and Alfred) went to sleep, having done a bit too much exercise that night. “I’m going to bed now, goodnight.”
He walked toward the stairs under the watchful eyes of the crowd, but was blocked by Alfred.
"What's wrong, Alfred?"
"Don't you have anything to say, young master Thomas?"
"Do I actually have something to say?" Thomas stood at the top of the stairs, thinking for a moment. "For safety reasons, wouldn't it be safer for everyone to live in Wayne Manor?"
"No, please say something else."
"I'm hungry, do you want something to eat?"
“There are still some cookies in the fridge,” Alfred said, “but I think you should at least explain something to your parents before eating them?”
This is a bit difficult, as I have rarely had the opportunity to get along peacefully with my parents before.
Thomas hesitated as he looked at his parents, who had personally brought him back.
“It’s alright, Tommy,” Martha gently dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “I’m glad you’re okay. Go and rest if you’re tired.”
Thomas hesitated for a moment and took a step toward the stairs.
“Cough.” Alfred coughed softly but rather deliberately.
“I’m sorry, I neglected your feelings,” Thomas immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Alfred’s cough, and adjusted his emotions step by step, bending down slightly to make himself look a little tired and confused. “Actually, I’m not very good at expressing my emotions… I don’t know how to get along with you. I was worried that you would be disappointed in me, but I forgot that you have just arrived in a strange place (this part was said softly and quickly, so that even Alfred could hardly hear it).”
That's right, he even copied some of the lines and emotions that originally belonged to Bruce.
...That's a bit over the top, young master Thomas.
Having spent a long time with him, Alfred could only give Thomas's "performance" an eight out of ten, which was definitely not up to his usual standard.
But the true "target audience" of this "performance" was clearly quite moved.
Thomas Jr. took a deep breath: "I'm not going to work tomorrow (Alfred also took an exaggerated breath), at least to let you get acquainted with Gotham now, I..."
Just as the atmosphere was getting a little emotional, the door opened again, successfully interrupting Isaiah Thomas's next emotional outburst.
"Is Tommy back?" Bruce walked calmly to their side, seemingly unaware that Thomas was having a "heart-to-heart" with his parents. "It's good that he's back. Go get some sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow."
"I plan to take the day off tomorrow," Thomas Jr. emphasized.
Bruce nodded absentmindedly: "Where are we going this time? The Court of Owls again?"
“Stay home (he emphasized his voice) for a day.” Thomas squinted.
Bruce seems quite unusual this time.
He didn't even criticize Thomas's various dangerous behaviors, nor did he repeatedly remind him to call Wayne Manor, and he even casually mentioned the Court of Owls, which was particularly unusual from any angle.
“Since Tommy doesn’t have to go to work tomorrow, can we have dinner… no, breakfast first?” Bruce glanced at the clock. “I’m a little hungry.”
"What a coincidence, it seems I won't need to eat cookies tonight."
This is so bizarre! Is this really Bruce? Could it be someone else in disguise?
The real Bruce Wayne could never be so emotionally unintelligent; he should be very understanding.
So, in a somewhat awkward atmosphere, the family (excluding the minors) sat down at the dining table.
Old Thomas nudged Little Thomas with his elbow, and as Martha asked Bruce what he did for a living and Bruce turned to answer, he whispered, "What's going on? Are you two brothers not getting along?"
Old Thomas's question is clearly well-founded.
Last night, when he and Martha saw the bat decorations that Thomas had prepared, which were spread all over Wayne Manor, they could still deceive themselves into thinking that maybe it was just a joke between the brothers; but Bruce's nonchalant attitude towards the missing Thomas just now completely shattered their illusions.
This is a very serious issue. If Bruce and Thomas really don't get along, and they actually start fighting, it would be bad for either Thomas the Elder or Martha, who are their parents.
“Don’t worry, we get along very well,” Thomas replied in a low voice. “Bruce and I rarely argue…”
“I’m a private investigator,” Bruce’s voice interrupted Thomas, seemingly accepting the persona Thomas had given him. “I was actually working just now.”
“A private investigator,” Martha said, her tone almost like she was coaxing a child, since she didn’t have much experience communicating effectively with Bruce, who was over eight years old. “I didn’t think of that… Could it be a little dangerous?”
It's more than just a little dangerous.
Under Martha's worried gaze, Bruce realized he had no choice but to continue lying.
“It’s not that dangerous. I’m not Sherlock Holmes. The police would never hire Bruce Wayne for those serious crimes.”
Yes, they'll turn on the Bat-Lights and ask Batman for help.
Who is Batman? Certainly not me.
“My usual job is just helping people find their cats and dogs and stuff like that…” Bruce looked at Thomas, “I had a more important job just now, which was just to catch a mistress.”
...Okay, is this supposed to be the real Bruce, or a sarcastic Bruce?
Is this affair really something I can't let go of? I wish I hadn't said anything in the first place.
Thomas looked at Bruce with displeasure, while Bruce met his gaze without any hesitation.
“Gotham seems to be in a bad state lately,” old Thomas said casually. “You know, Tommy was kidnapped tonight, but thankfully nothing bad happened.”
“I know. Alfred told me a few hours ago that thugs broke into Wayne Manor. Thank goodness, the two children are safe.” Bruce nodded. “But Gotham is indeed dangerous at night, and I think you and Mother should try to avoid leaving Wayne Manor at night.”
Old Thomas looked at Little Thomas with concern.
Is this what you call a good relationship? Putting aside the fact that Bruce doesn't even care if you're safe, the most bizarre thing is that even if he knew you were kidnapped, he would rather help someone catch their mistress than go find you.
The Wayne family shouldn't be so destitute that they need to catch people cheating on their spouses to make a living, right? They can't be!
Old Thomas and Martha exchanged a worried glance, but ultimately decided to intervene in the matter between the two brothers.
“Bruce,” Martha said as softly as possible, seemingly worried about startling her 188cm tall, 220-pound son, “is there some kind of conflict or misunderstanding between you and Tommy?”
"Conflicts or misunderstandings? There are no misunderstandings between us, let alone conflicts," Bruce said calmly. "Our relationship has always been very good."
Alarm bells were ringing in Thomas's mind; he had a gut feeling that Bruce's true purpose was about to be exposed.
“Then why do you seem not to be worried…” Martha hesitated. In her memory, Bruce was a pure and kind little angel when he was a child. He would genuinely worry about everyone who was in trouble. It was impossible for him to be so indifferent to his own brother.
“Tommy?” Bruce asked with a smile, then casually reassured her, “Actually, you don’t need to worry about his safety. Tommy has always been a mature and intelligent person, and he always has his own pace.”
"What do you mean?" Old Thomas asked, a little puzzled. "What does 'your own rhythm' mean?"
Thomas Jr. stared at Bruce with even more displeasure, though Bruce paid no attention to his disapproving gaze.
In fact, Thomas Jr. already knew pretty much what Bruce was up to.
That's truly evil.
“Tommy is very good at dealing with these criminals,” Bruce explained. “This is hardly a crisis; it’s the one where he’s single-handedly dealing with a group of killers that’s truly dangerous.”
Sure enough, Martha and old Thomas had already followed Bruce's lead. They looked at young Thomas with shock and disapproval: "So you always put yourself in danger?"
Thomas Jr. chose to pretend he was deaf.
"To expand Wayne's business and maintain order in Gotham, Tommy has always been tireless and proactive," Bruce answered for Thomas with ill intent. "In fact, many outlaws in Gotham have tried to take him down, but they've never succeeded. Tommy is skilled in bomb disposal, lock picking, escape, shooting, and wilderness survival. Those guys can't do anything to him, right?"
“No,” Thomas Jr. firmly denied, “I can’t really be bothered with those criminals. Gotham’s safety is all thanks to Batman…”
“No,” Bruce interrupted Thomas, “Don’t be modest. At least let our father and mother know about your contributions to Gotham.”
What contribution could I possibly make to Gotham? Would it be not blowing it up or reducing its population?
“So you always take these risks, Tommy?” Martha looked at her youngest son with some sadness.
"Actually, it wasn't that many times. I think there were about three times when Tommy tried to set up a trap to catch the criminal leader." Bruce added fuel to the fire. "Although he would disappear briefly during the process, he always managed to escape unscathed. You guys don't need to worry."
Thomas gripped his knife and fork tightly.
How evil!
Bruce was clearly using a feigned retreat as a tactic, seemingly exonerating Thomas, but in reality pushing him step by step into a fire pit.
Is this your plan? You used the plan of revealing my identity to you as a rehearsal, and you also let the Wayne couple watch me.
Sure enough, the Wayne couple seemed to have made up their minds to keep an eye on their youngest son, who was always putting himself in danger.
Bruce, taking advantage of the fact that Martha and old Thomas weren't looking at him, provocatively looked at young Thomas.
You wait, Bruce!
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Author's Note: This chapter is about passionate interaction ( ) Cup Noodles wins back a point and escapes the fate of being a ninja.
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Returning home from school felt like Robinson Crusoe leaving his island and returning to the civilized world.
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