Chapter 71 A Dramatic Halloween Prelude: In short, some kind of chaos...
After saying that, Bruce took a deep breath, trying to observe Thomas's reaction.
Unfortunately, Thomas didn't react suspiciously to this statement; he continued eating his sandwich as if he hadn't done anything wrong.
"What's the problem?"
"Where did you fall into the trash can the other day?"
"What's wrong in the Diamond District?"
“I’m just a little curious. Chief Gordon and I checked the surveillance footage for a long time but couldn’t find you. One witness said you practically vanished,” Bruce closed the newspaper and placed it on the table. “So how did you get there? By car?”
“It’s a secret,” Thomas said directly, “and it’s related to a surprise, so you’ll have to find out for yourself.”
Surprise! What surprise?
“I have a Halloween present for you,” Thomas added cheerfully, almost bursting into laughter.
For no apparent reason, Bruce had a bad feeling.
While giving gifts on Halloween isn't unusual, it feels a bit off if the subject is Thomas, who seems to be acting a little strange lately.
His current expression, in particular, makes it seem as if he has successfully pulled off a prank.
"What kind of gift is it?" Bruce asked cautiously.
Thomas thought for a moment and finally concluded: "It's a very big gift. I spent a lot of time selecting it and brought it from a very far place."
"...Actually, you're just trying to change the subject, aren't you?"
“That’s right,” Thomas finished his breakfast and stood up. “The reason I’ve survived so long amidst all sorts of assassins and forces is because I have my own trump card, which I can’t just reveal to anyone.”
"Including me?"
“That’s right, you haven’t told me any of your little secrets either, and I have to find out for myself.” Thomas put on his coat. “So, to be fair, you have to find out for yourself too, detective.”
He even deliberately imitated Lars Augu's tone when he said "detective".
...
Thomas, you've become so childish.
Bruce accepted the challenge, speechless.
Jason, the only one in the room who hadn't confirmed Bruce's true identity, looked at Dick with considerable curiosity.
“That’s right, Bruce is actually a private detective, like Sherlock Holmes, and I’m his assistant, like Watson,” Dick said loudly.
“Yes, Bruce’s idol is Batman. Don’t believe what he says in interviews. Actually, he’s very close to Batman.” Thomas, always eager for drama, stopped in his tracks and chimed in from the doorway when he heard the two of them discussing Bruce’s true identity. “Bruce really idolizes Batman. He has a bunch of high-quality Batman gear and is spending money to fund that Batman, costing hundreds of millions of dollars every year… He even has a pair of Batman underwear.”
After saying that, he mouthed to Bruce from Jason's blind spot: "Look, now even if you take off your mask in front of him while wearing Batman's gear and do a striptease, you won't be exposed."
...
Thank you so much, Thomas.
"So that's why you guys always go out at night?" Jason asked skeptically, somewhat shocked.
“That’s right,” Bruce said defiantly, as if in retaliation, “My commissions are always at night, like investigating illegal transactions or catching mistresses…”
Hey! Who are you talking about?
I risked exposing my quantum starter to prepare a Halloween gift for you.
“I’m no longer a mistress,” Thomas retorted righteously. “We’ve been out of touch for many years.”
“I wasn’t talking about you, Thomas,” Bruce replied sternly. “Nobody’s paying me to catch you cheating.”
So, considering your age, were you already a mistress when you were a minor? Weren't you conducting an experiment at the time? Where would you have found the time?
Could it be a relationship with someone in the group...? That seems plausible, since Thomas himself said he was the one paying for those two people, and he was the one who funded and led Thomas's experiments.
“Alright,” Thomas said, walking toward the door, “I’ve decided to add a little drama when I give you your gift. You just wait and see.”
“…At least consider the heart of an elderly person, young Thomas,” Alfred tried to persuade Thomas to give up his dramatic gift. “Or perhaps you could consider that there are two minors at Wayne Manor, wouldn’t you?”
Given Thomas's extraordinary mental fortitude, somewhat distorted moral compass, and an inexplicably high fear threshold, Alfred didn't think this "dramatic" event would be anything but mild.
“No problem, Alfred,” Thomas readily agreed. “I just wanted to deliver a gift, how could anything go wrong?”
This was a problem that Thomas was determined to solve before destroying the original Earth, and he certainly wouldn't let anything go wrong with it.
Well, the more he said that, the more uncertain Alfred and Bruce felt.
Watching Thomas's departing figure, Bruce took a deep breath, feeling quite troubled.
The League of Assassins are still in Gotham for some reason, and seem to be engaging in some unusual activities; a group of criminals dressed as clowns have committed several heinous crimes, and their spiritual leader is still at large; Night Owl has been unusually quiet lately, and his activities are unclear; Thomas seems to be hiding a big secret, and there seem to be some clues about Night Owl's identity that need to be investigated...
Bruce had a feeling that this was going to be a rather "unforgettable" Halloween.
-
It is uncertain whether this occurred at the same time, in a room at Wayne Manor in some multiverse.
“I think this is a golden opportunity. We can blend perfectly into the crowd on Halloween.” Red Robin tried to persuade the rest of the family except for Batman and Alfred. “You see, that Night Owl on Earth seems to know we’re observing that universe. He hasn’t shown up for a long time. At this rate, we’ll never know if that Night Owl will continue with his plans.”
“I think Halloween should be a great annual opportunity, and your math is obviously not very good,” Damian retorted from the side.
"So your plan is to dress up as Batman for Halloween and secretly travel to that universe to investigate Night Owl's identity?" Barbara concluded.
“No,” Tim denied, “I’m going to disguise myself as a night owl!”
"are you sure?"
“I’m absolutely certain that I might be able to infiltrate his lair directly,” Tim replied. “The Batcomputer has his data and technical analysis on the Night Owl armor, and I can replicate a similar one.”
“Great,” Jason said, seemingly eating something. “So where did you get the ingredients, hmm?”
"It's a secret."
“Night Owl is about the same size as Father,” Damian objected. “You’re too short, Drake.”
“Night Owl is wearing power armor, not a full-on bodysuit,” Tim dismissed the objection. “I can pad it, as long as it looks similar. According to the Justice League’s observations, Night Owl is always elusive and a loner, and I believe no one will actually measure his height and waist with a ruler.”
“I object,” Dick’s voice came through. “This plan is too dangerous.”
“Oppositions are ineffective, and it’s clear I can come back anytime,” Tim said. “In fact, I’ve completely figured out the structure of that ‘little invention’ that little Thomas Wayne from the universe researched, and I’ve installed it inside the ‘Night Owl Armor’ to ensure I can come back immediately if I encounter any danger.”
"Since you've already made all the plans, why are you contacting us?"
"I need your help to hide my tracks."
-
Halloween, which everyone is eagerly anticipating, has arrived.
Seemingly due to some strange tacit understanding, all forces remained inactive before Halloween.
Gotham is like a time bomb; everyone knows it will explode, but no one knows how badly it will explode.
But Halloween still came, and considering that there were two people in the family who had nothing to do with vigilante work, Wayne Manor was decorated with a lot of festive decorations.
“So many bats,” Jason exclaimed. “Did Thomas buy all of these?”
"I think so. Bruce probably isn't in the mood to buy so many bat-themed accessories right now."
"So this is his dramatic Halloween present?" Jason questioned. "While it seems a bit unusual that Wayne Manor is now decorated with bats all over the place overnight, it doesn't seem to be dramatic."
That's perfectly normal; it's not something Thomas would do at all.
“I wish that were the case,” Bruce muttered as he walked past a lifelike plaster bat statue (he didn’t know how Thomas had gotten them in there). “But it’s impossible. Thomas’s way of thinking is definitely not that ordinary… Maybe I should check with Alfred to see if there’s anything strange in there. You two shouldn’t go near these bats.”
"That's outrageous," Dick remarked, though it was unclear whether he was referring to Thomas's behavior or Bruce's reaction.
“That’s incredible.” Alfred walked over to them. “I never knew that young Thomas had such amazing decorating skills. I’m a little curious about the interior of his place.”
"Where's Thomas, Alfred?" Bruce rubbed his face, trying to clear his head. Clearly, he was going to be busy today. "Why haven't I seen him?"
“Young Master Thomas left without even having breakfast today, saying he was going to invite a very important guest,” Alfred replied. “He seemed very excited and… energetic when he left.”
The feeling of unease grew stronger.
Imagine a very energetic Thomas, who has to pick out a mysterious person from among his acquaintances, who are rarer than fish in the desert, and bring them to Wayne Manor.
All four people present thought of the same possibility without prior agreement.
...Could it be a night owl?
"So is this also part of Halloween?" Jason asked. "It really adds to the suspense."
“Actually, we should look on the bright side,” Dick reluctantly suggested. “Seriously, what if Thomas just found a like-minded friend?”
Well, sharing the same views as Thomas sounds even worse.
“Let’s wait and see,” Bruce said calmly. “We should trust Thomas’s connections. What if he brings back Lucius, Chief Gordon, or Harvey?”
Although it is unethical to say this, Thomas's popularity is indeed thinner than the lips of the British.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Quiz: Who is the heavyweight guest that Thomas brought?
This is a bit hard to guess, very hard to guess. The first person to guess correctly will receive a red envelope of 100 Jinjiang coins (I forgot how much the handling fee was, so the red envelope I received should be around ninety coins).
The hint is probably related to what Thomas was going to do before destroying the multiverse (although I think it would be too difficult for it to match my thinking).
Those who make reasonable reasoning will also receive a small red envelope.
-
I feel like my brain is going to stop working since I started college... I forgot to submit the screenshot again, and I always have a headache.
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