"Aunt May, can you open the door for me?" Bruce's voice finally came from inside the cell.
Sitting by the door, Aunt May immediately stood up.
For Aunt May, Bruce had already explained every facility in the Batcave to her.
That naturally included the cell Bruce had locked himself in.
At first, Bruce had told Aunt May that this cell might one day be used to detain some super-powered criminals.
But now, it seemed more like a prison he had built for himself.
When Aunt May opened the door, she saw Bruce, who had already taken off his mask.
She didn't say a word, simply stepping forward to hug him as he walked out.
"We were worried about you." Holding Bruce now, Aunt May finally felt her anxious heart begin to settle.
Earlier, the Bat's condition had been anything but good.
"I know," Bruce said, gently patting Aunt May's back.
Jessica stood off to the side, watching the scene with a somewhat dazed expression.
She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be.
Even though she was a clone of Peter Parker, she possessed all of his memories as well.
It was a deeply unsettling situation for her.
Aunt May must have noticed Jessica's state. She let go of Bruce, turned, and walked over to Jessica. Just like she had with Bruce, she pulled this unfortunate child into an embrace.
Bruce simply stood quietly, watching it all unfold, before finally speaking.
"So, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
His words interrupted the moment between Aunt May and Jessica.
Jessica shot Bruce a slightly annoyed glance.
But Aunt May just chuckled.
She whispered something in Jessica's ear before turning to respond to Bruce.
"Sirloin steak, organic spinach, and roasted potatoes," Aunt May said as she walked away. "But thanks to a certain someone, we might have to wait a bit before we can eat."
Jessica, however, was now smiling as she looked at Bruce.
"So, what did she say?"
Bruce turned to look at her.
"She said someone acts like a little kid and doesn't know how to share," Jessica said with a smirk before following Aunt May out.
She wanted to see Bruce's reaction, but she figured it was best not to.
Besides, she was pretty sure he'd have his usual serious expression.
And she was right—Bruce's face remained unchanged.
Instead, he walked over to an open space beside the Batmobile.
That was where he had set aside a spot for the Batwing.
The rough frame of the Batwing was still there, but Bruce hadn't had time to finish it.
Maybe with everything coming up, he really would need the Batwing's help.
The Batmobile was sometimes too limited in certain situations.
After staring at the unfinished project for a moment, Bruce turned and headed toward his changing room.
He needed work clothes—his battle suit wasn't meant for this kind of job.
The Batcave was about to get busy.
Meanwhile, in the presidential residence, the president—whose nose Bruce had broken—sat with a grim expression, glaring at the agents in front of him.
"So, you're telling me you have no plan for that damned masked freak?" The president was clearly furious at their response.
"Sir, we've already lost control of most states, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was completely taken over in the Winter Plan by the previous president," Carol explained. She wanted to carry out the president's orders, but the reality was that they had no way to deal with Bruce.
The president looked like he wanted to say more, but Stark, standing nearby, was already losing patience.
"I think your broken nose isn't nearly as important as the crisis in the city," Stark said bluntly. His tone was harsh, but his words were true.
The situation in the city had long since surpassed the significance of the president's personal injuries.
"And I think you'd better listen to that bat. If he could find you once, he could find you a second time," Stark said, unable to hide a hint of admiration for the bat.
After all, even with his own armor, Stark couldn't imagine doing something as bold as breaking the president's nose.
There was something oddly thrilling about it.
Hearing Stark's words, the president finally started to calm down.
The fact that Bruce had shattered his nasal bone had left him too rattled to think clearly before.
Especially when Stark mentioned that the guy might come back for a second round—the president couldn't help but shudder.
That kind of pain was something he never wanted to experience again.
Besides, the presidential residence was already on high alert.
The shadow of the city's attack still loomed over them, and there was no way his security detail wouldn't be airtight.
Yet, even with all those precautions, the bat had still managed to storm in and give the president a beating.
"I get it," the president waved his hand, signaling the agent tending to his wounds to stop for a moment.
"How confident are you in this plan?" The president wasn't about to gamble his life on something with low odds of success.
"One hundred percent."
Stark never doubted his own plans.
After all, he was Tony Stark—the smartest man on the planet.
Even that guy Reed, who had practically built the city from the ground up, was, in Stark's eyes, simply someone who got lucky with a few extra centuries of evolution.
He was still the smartest man on Earth.
So his plan? No way it could go wrong.
The president looked at Stark. He knew full well that nothing in this world was ever truly one hundred percent.
Not even something as fundamental as gender.
Besides, hadn't they said before that his residence's security was absolutely foolproof?
Thinking of that, the president felt a fresh wave of pain in his nose.
"Alright, I understand. I'll negotiate a ceasefire with the city," he finally said.
Perhaps he simply didn't want to stay in this miserable place any longer.
He got up, ready to check on the state of his nose.
The agent who had been tending to him quickly followed.
Carol had intended to follow the president as well, but Stark stopped her.
He didn't say anything right away, just rubbed his chin as he studied her.
Once the president was completely out of sight, Stark grinned and casually draped an arm over Carol's shoulder.
Carol instinctively wanted to shove him off, but Stark's next words froze her in place.
"Tell me, what do you think would happen if the president found out you were the one who brought that bat inside?"
Stark spoke without looking at her, his gaze fixed on the direction the president had left.
"What do you mean?" Carol frowned. She had no idea what Stark was getting at.
Everyone knew she was the president's loyal enforcer. How could she possibly have helped someone who tried to harm him?
Stark's hand reached toward the hem of her dress.
"I swear, if you're just trying to take advantage of me, I'll make sure you never have kids," Carol said, her voice dripping with disgust.
"Relax, beautiful," Stark said smoothly as he pulled a tiny device from her dress.
"See? I've got proof." He flashed her a grin.
Carol stared at the small object in his hand. She had no idea when Bruce had planted it on her.
"So, I'd say this calls for some… compensation," Stark said with a smirk.
He placed the tracker into Carol's hand.
Carol looked down at the device. She didn't know what Stark was scheming, but one thing was clear—he had her right where he wanted her.
(End of Chapter)
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