Bale-Batman looked at Bruce in some surprise. Bruce stood at the top of a descending staircase and beckoned to him.
Bale-Batman pressed the wound that had just split open, only to find that the blood had nearly clotted and it barely hurt. So he walked toward Bruce.
"Didn't you bring any gear?" Bruce asked.
"I did, but not much. And anything requiring remote control or communication functions no longer works." Bale-Batman sighed. "There's a special magnetic field on this ship interfering with the signals."
"You should learn more from that Batman," Bruce said. "A lot of the time, outdated equipment comes in handy in situations like this."
Bale-Batman seemed not to catch the mockery in Bruce's words. Instead, he said seriously, "I haven't been Batman for long. All my equipment is still undergoing its first round of field testing. It was enough for Gotham City, but clearly, I'm facing far more trouble now than before."
"Did you make your equipment yourself?"
"Not all of it. I have a team of scientists." Bale-Batman straightened his collar. "Under normal circumstances, they work for Wayne Enterprises, but I have a good relationship with them, so they occasionally help me out."
"That's for the best. Have you considered finding an assistant?"
Bale-Batman paused and looked at Bruce. "The way you say that, it sounds like you have someone to recommend?"
"I'm going out of town on business for a while. My other children will be fine, but my daughter is too young. She can't be left without someone looking after her."
"Oh, how old is your daughter?"
"She'll be seven soon," Bruce said. "You've met her before."
"She looks younger than that, though she is quite cute. I don't have any experience taking care of children, but if you truly need it, I can