Chapter 198 [Extra] Diverse Travel 6 [Extra]
Megan's mental state is unstable and she has suffered two major shocks, but she has already taken a small pill during the day and her bedtime medicine. Increasing the dosage will only become a burden and cause unknown negative effects.
Arthur took the child back and saw that her sleeping quality was not affected much. She fell into a deep sleep soon. When she woke up the next day, there was nothing unusual. After eating the delicious breakfast made by Alfred, she didn't want to play anything else, so she stayed in the study and read.
When Alfred brought hot drinks and snacks, he found the child sitting on the carpet reading a book. She had a book spread out in her hands, but she wasn't reading very attentively. When she saw him, Megan ran over, pointed to a special row of bookshelves not far away, and asked him, "Alfred, can I read this Jason book?"
She was referring to the Red Hood's exclusive bookshelf. It was obvious that in this child's world, she and Jason were very good friends. She was invited to Wayne Manor, and Jason enthusiastically introduced his life experiences and traces to her. Perhaps in her world, they sat here together and read books.
The old butler smiled gently, "Of course, Miss Megan, I don't think Master Jason is so sensitive and stingy." This sounded a bit harsh on Jason Todd in this world, but last night he watched Arthur take the child away in his pajamas, and finally they appeared in the Batcave.
He already knew what happened in the Batcave. He, Batman and Red Hood had no ill feelings towards Megan. She was a poor child and her father was not a good person, but saving Megan was the only good thing he did.
Megan herself is just an ordinary child. She is innocent and soft. She has not received any training and has not participated in the fight between vigilantes and criminals or lunatics. No one would unreasonably vent her anger.
Alfred, standing outside, could see more clearly. In a scene like last night, when Megan followed Arthur's gaze to look at the death certificate on the big screen, Red Hood's first reaction was to block it.
Red Hood is also a child with a very soft heart. Even though he experienced resurrection from the dead and became irritable and angry due to the influence of the Lazarus Pool, his nature has never changed. Alfred recalled his appearance when he was young. He was cheerful, lively and active, but when he stayed in the study, he was unexpectedly calm. He read many books, so many that after the family went through many twists and turns, it took Alfred a long time to clean and tidy up.
His eyes moved to Red Hood's exclusive bookshelf. He was the most book-loving child in the family. Even though he had grown up now and no longer talked to Batman about everything, and sometimes even parted ways on bad terms, he would still come to the study to gain inner fulfillment and spiritual support from the books, and find the long-lost peace here.
But at other times, Red Hood certainly hated the Joker, and this was irreconcilable, but he thought—
No child should ever have to see their own death certificate.
Alfred took Megan to the bookshelves and introduced them to her gently and patiently: "This is the study material Jason read when he first came here. These are the stories he loved when he was twelve years old. Then he started to read other books, such as the history of civilization development, geographical atlases, global wonders, and local customs..."
Perhaps in her world, the young child had already told her all this, but Alfred still made the introduction for her. He had a rare opportunity to talk about Jason Todd's past to someone who knew him, had a good relationship with him, and knew that he had returned.
The traces left by time are also reflected in his face and voice. Alfred is much older than the old butler in Megan's world, but he is worried about his children and still supports this family for them. He also misses the past times and remembers everyone's past appearance.
But he didn't detain the child for long and went downstairs with the empty tray.
Megan read in the study for most of half an hour and then went to the terrace to play. It was a rare good day today, with only a few clouds covering the sky, forming a radial gradient of blue and white curtain. The space here was spacious enough, with tables, chairs and some potted plants. From the terrace, you could see the woods in the distance and the coastline even further away.
She was looking at the flowers and plants here, and soon she sat on the edge of the terrace in a daze. The wind blew the hair in front of her forehead and gently blew it back, making her whole body feel fluffy.
At some point, Megan turned around as if she sensed something and saw Red Hood still wearing his leather jacket and combat uniform not far away. He had come to the terrace at some point, keeping a safe distance from this visitor from another world, and did not make any sound to announce his arrival.
But when Megan looked at him, he looked back as if prepared, but he was still wearing the bright red hood on his head, covering his face, and his voice was also processed, making it difficult to discern his emotions.
Megan asked curiously, "Why don't you take off your helmet?"
Red Hood folded his arms and leaned against the railing like her, his posture quite relaxed. Judging from his voice, he should have smiled, but he avoided the topic and talked about other things instead, "Are you good friends with Jason in your world?" He was curious about what happened to his other self. Instead of waiting for someone to ask indirectly, he might as well ask it himself.
This was a safe topic that would certainly not cause the little girl to reject it. Just as he had imagined when he came, Megan laughed and nodded very affirmatively.
Looking at her smile, Red Hood actually felt a subtle sense of familiarity, but who exactly did she resemble? The answer to this question was not difficult to guess, but it left him speechless for a moment.
Time is an important factor in curing a child with mental illness, and she will definitely have some references during the period when she gradually regains consciousness and imitates learning. Megan's smile is cheerful and gentle, completely different from the clown's smile. Instead, she looks like Robin as a teenager, with clear eyebrows and a bit of high spirits.
Even though Megan hadn't mentioned their acquaintance and interactions yet, Red Hood had already confirmed that they had been friends for quite some time and that their relationship must be good.
But why did Jason become friends with the 'Joker's Daughter' and even not tell Batman about this news? He didn't think he was so dull when he was young that he didn't realize so many obvious problems and didn't explore them.
Red Hood doesn't understand the development of that world, but he understands himself, so he is puzzled.
He saw Megan move closer to him because she was worried that her voice was too soft since they were talking about a common topic. Her eyes were filled with a sincere and proud smile, and she said to him boastfully, "Well, best friend."
Megan wasn't very good at telling stories, so she just said whatever came to her mind. She talked about Robin on night patrol, about their time together playing in Gotham at night, about how she had been taken soaring between skyscrapers countless times, about their time together skiing, hot air ballooning, and skydiving, about Jason's fourteenth birthday...
Because she talked a lot, Red Hood brought a chair for her and brought up some juice from downstairs. In order to be a better listener, he also sat down next to her and responded from time to time.
From the tone of her words, one can tell her opinion and attitude towards Jason. She thinks her good friend Jason is smart and brave, flexible and agile, cheerful and friendly, tough and tenacious... He has many good qualities and is a very powerful and good person.
They are in different grades in the same school. After school, they often go to the library together to read books, go shopping, and complete homework. In the last semester, Megan's photography class homework was completed under the guidance of Jason, and she got a score that she was very satisfied with.
Just getting a glimpse of their youthful friendship from the stories told, you can tell what a wonderful time it was. They never had any conflicts, only chasing each other and laughing on purpose from time to time, and then they would quickly make up and continue playing together.
In the gentle breeze, Red Hood listened to the child's soft and small voice, and learned about him, Bruce and Alfred in that world. He even heard the name of Richard Long from her. This top martial arts master became her teacher, but was only asked to make her healthier instead of training her into a warrior.
Even though he knew that the Joker had obvious malice in finding this teacher for her - Batgirl, who was disabled by the Joker's gun, was also Richard's disciple, and many vigilantes were taught by him. However, he also became Megan's teacher. This was undoubtedly the Joker's "bad taste". However, judging from the Joker's requirements alone, he actually seemed like a good father. Who wouldn't say it was ironic?
Megan said: "I left the Mad Hatter, who was mean and said I wasn't like Alice, and then Jason and I went to his safe house."
Red Hood came back to his senses and repeated the word "safe house". He had heard so many stories about his good friends, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but start analyzing Jason's psychology and vaguely discovered some problems...
Is it really so easy for Jason Todd, who once lived on the streets and was almost degenerate, to open up to a little girl full of flaws and treat her as a good friend with whom he can talk about everything and open up all his secrets? Not only does he reveal his secret identity, but he also confesses something as life-threatening as the safe house.
Batman definitely taught him, and he's too smart to fail to grasp the limits of interacting with friends, but he did it anyway. Apart from that little bit of youthful friendship, what other factors were involved?
Red Hood held onto his suspicions but didn't reveal them. He listened to Megan continue to say that they played games in the safe house, and later often went there to play or do homework. Suddenly he had a guess that made him unbelievable for a moment, and his face under the hood almost froze, but he forced himself to calm down, but he felt that the Joker brought a greater comedy to that world.
However, his response to the child in front of him was, "It sounds like they are childhood sweethearts."
He said, "Why don't I take off my hood? Maybe because you and that Jason are good friends and I don't want you to see an established template?"
Megan widened her eyes slightly, with obvious disapproval in her expression, and said fiercely: "No one would think so? You are the great Jason in this world, and my Jason..." Because the sentence was a bit complicated, she simplified it a little bit to 'Jason in my world'.
"He will become what he is, and you are all uniquely Jason." She was more certain of this than Jason himself.
After that, their conversation became much more casual. Red Hood talked about a lot of things he encountered in the Outlaws. He talked about things outside the earth and in space, about the good and bad aliens, and by the way, he blurred and downplayed all the tragic experiences, interspersed with many jokes and anecdotes, as well as his companions...
It was an extremely thrilling experience, but after it was over, it became a trivial matter and was mentioned lightly by the protagonist. However, he sometimes couldn't help exaggerating it a little in order to coax the little girl. Seeing her eyes shining and her expression listening attentively, he couldn't help but talk more.
They became familiar with each other in just one morning. As long as Jason wanted, he could quickly talk to anyone and get along well with them. He was also good at taking care of young children and providing enough emotional value, so it was easy for him to win their favor.
It was at this time that Red Hood took off the thing on his head, revealing a mature and resolute face. He must have experienced many hardships and setbacks, but none of that had defeated him. Instead, it had tempered him into an indomitable spirit. Megan moved closer, her face full of curiosity and a hint of mischief. "Wow!"
She let out an inexplicable "wow," causing Red Hood to lean back and distance himself a little. "What are you doing?"
Megan pretended to be naughty and was very happy to get the response she wanted. She said: "Jason once told me that growing up is a great thing." Then she passed this sentence to another Jason.
…
During their conversation, Megan deliberately didn't talk about her father because she knew that Red Hood had conflicts with the Joker in this world, but he took the initiative to ask: "How do you get along with your father?" He didn't respond, and there was no sharp and hateful tone. He was probably just simply curious about this question.
Megan sat and swung her dangling legs. She said, "Dad has a bad temper, but he's easy to coax."
Perhaps knowing what he was curious about, Megan turned her head and looked at him seriously, but she first confirmed that there was no one else on the terrace before whispering to him, "My wish is that I want to help others reduce some of their pain." She had a happy smile on her face, and Red Hood seemed stunned and didn't react for a long time.
Red Hood was indeed a little dazed. He had guessed a lot about Megan's wishes that led to the disagreement between her and the Joker. He had guessed that their positions and ideas were different, but he didn't expect it to be like this.
He turned his head to look at the child beside him. She seemed to have a lot of happiness, or rather, not like that, because she really had it. In this cruel world, after experiencing a painful past, she finally lived with a madman, and her life continued, and she further obtained those 'good things'.
It was obvious whether the clown loved her or not. He indulged Megan in everything, let her play with her friends, helped her fulfill her wishes, and even took care of her mental state even if he complained about her.
And she is also a very good child, with such a soft wish and wants to realize it.
They were quiet for a while, and before Alfred came to call them for lunch, Red Hood took a photo from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to her. He said nothing, and Megan took the photo.
It is an old photo. Because it has been sealed in plastic for too long, there are many wrinkles on the plastic film, and you can see that there were traces of dirt on it. The photo has also faded and damaged because the outer plastic film has fallen off, but it has been restored as much as possible.
The old and dim photo was taken in a photo studio and shows obvious signs of its age. There are two people in the picture.
The mother holds her daughter, who seems to be oblivious to the outside world, and the daughter holds her teddy bear. Their entire world is already here.
If you turn the photo over, you can see the words on the back:
To my sweet daughter, the best 'bear', Megan.
—Mom, Lauren West.
Megan held the photo in her hand and stopped crying. She just looked at it again and again with curiosity, love and nostalgia. She felt as if she was about to melt in the wind, but she was really here.
She said, "Everything that makes me happy is here." Her mother, the teddy bear, Jason's love, her father, and herself, all of these bring her happiness.
She extended a hand toward Jason, palm forward, an invitation for a high-five. After Red Hood restrained himself from high-fiving her, Megan couldn't help but sway all over, like a doll in a shop window that could shake its head. It might not have meant anything, but it was a manifestation of her happiness. She said, "Thank you, Jason."
"You are also my best friend." This position can be squeezed, after all, they are all isotopes in the multiverse.
The author has something to say:
Red Hood (to Megan): You said you and I in that other universe were good friends? Red Hood: That's not right. That guy's friendship will go sour sooner or later.
Megan: Dad has a bad temper but is easy to coax. Joker:?
The opposite of Tiangang!
Every member of the Bat family is doing well.
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