Despair Antibody

Before Bruce could make up his mind...

Kino returned carrying a pile of bottles and sat down opposite Bruce.

"Come on, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

Without waiting for Bruce's response, he started drinking alone.

By consciously suppressing all his power, Kino experienced the pleasure brought by alcohol for the first time.

Bruce put the weapon back in its place and started drinking with Kino, understanding what was going on from his outburst.

I don't know how much time passed.

The table was piled high with empty bottles, most of which were Kino's.

Even Bruce felt dizzy and stopped drinking. He looked at Kino, who was sitting across from him with dazed eyes and looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment, Kino asked...

"You've encountered a crisis on your end that you're not confident you can resolve, and this crisis might even affect the entire world, is that right?"

"Ugh... that's right, we might all die this time..."

Kino recounted everything that had happened to her.

The more Bruce listened, the darker his expression became. If even existence itself is to be destroyed, then even Barry's reboot might not be of any use.

"What do you need me to do for you?"

"Hululu..."

Bruce's lips twitched as he looked at Kino, who was slumped over the table, fast asleep, and instinctively gripped the neck of the empty bottle.

How can you sleep at a time like this?

"If you dare to hit me, I'll crush your head."

A girl in a black dress emerged from the shadows behind Kino.

Venom went straight to Kino's side, his eyes full of tenderness and concern, gently stroking his hair as if comforting an injured child.

Bruce, without batting an eye, put the bottle back in its place and asked Venom the same question.

"What does he need me to do when he comes to me?"

The two were always inseparable; she must have known.

He doesn't need anything; he just came to chat and relieve his boredom.

"Venom said softly."

Upon hearing this, Bruce frowned deeply.

"If it's just about chatting to pass the time, Barry, Clark, or even you... would be more suitable than me."

Barry is optimistic; Clark understands the burden of power, and you are right beside him.

Venom's hand continued to gently comb Kino's messy hair, but when her gaze turned to Bruce, that gentleness froze instantly.

"Suitable?"

"Bruce Wayne, you're always so...logical, but not everything can be explained by logic."

"Barry? That kind-hearted lightning bolt? He's as slow as a snail next to Kino. Complain to him?"

Venom let out a very faint chuckle.

"It's like a giant telling an ant at his feet that his toe is hurting from a stone. What can the ant do besides panic?"

Kino's 'suffering' was beyond his comprehension, only increasing his fear and sense of powerlessness.

Clark?

Venom tilted its head, seemingly considering the option seriously, then shook its head.

"That Son of Krypton is indeed powerful. But precisely because of that, Kino needs to maintain a certain demeanor in his presence."

Clark's goodwill can sometimes become a heavy burden. Kino doesn't need to prove to him that he's alright; he needs to get rid of that damn burden.

As for me?

Her voice lowered, carrying a sense of helplessness.

"I am his sword, his shield, a part of him... and his deepest secret itself."

I can never be an 'outsider' in his presence.

He can't find any solace in me, because his troubles are my troubles, and his crisis is my Extremis.

We share everything, including this suffocating feeling. What he needs is precisely an 'outsider,' an exit that allows him a brief escape from this cycle."

"And you, Batman..."

Her voice carried a strange undertone.

"You are the only one he cannot 'look down upon'."

In his eyes, you are neither a 'bug' like Barry who needs protection, nor a 'kind' like Clark who needs to maintain a certain posture.

You are strong.

A mortal, yet with mortal wisdom and will, he has countless times manipulated forces far beyond the ordinary. You understand human nature, control situations, and even prepare shackles for the gods.

"So, he doesn't need you to do anything 'specific,' Bruce Wayne."

All he needs to do is temporarily let go of that damned, overwhelming burden of being the 'strongest' in front of you, someone he subconsciously considers a "stronger" person, and grumble like a drunken ordinary person worried about the end of the world, before falling into a deep sleep.

That's all.

Bruce silently put down his glass, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as the Gotham night sky.

He was considered a strongman by his greatest threat and friend, the only one who could defeat him. This recognition indeed stirred a tiny pebble in his heart, creating a strange ripple.

It wasn't pure joy; it was more like a complex feeling mixed with vigilance, responsibility, and a strange sense of satisfaction.

Venom stopped looking at him and focused all its attention on Kino.

She carefully lifted Kino from the table piled with empty bottles and laid him on her lap.

Kino was completely unconscious, his breathing reeking of alcohol, and he was snoring softly.

"So,"

Bruce's voice returned to its usual deep and steady tone.

"All he needs is an anchor that can reassure him that 'it's okay to fall.'"

Barry and Clark are friends and partners, but in the face of Kino's extraordinary power and crises, their roles naturally carry a sense of "needing to be protected."

Only Batman, in Kino's subconscious, was given the trust that "even if I fail, he might be able to do something."

Venom didn't nod, but simply brushed a strand of sweaty hair from Kino's forehead with his fingertips.

"He trusts in your 'possibility,' Bruce Wayne. He trusts in your will to tear a crack in the impossible."

"I see."

Bruce nodded, stood up, and walked towards the door.

"When he wakes up, tell him that he was never a savior, and that war is not a one-man affair."

"This tavern is yours for the taking; there are rooms in the back where you can rest."

As for him, it's not time for him to rest yet.

Today's night patrol is cancelled; the plan needs to be reassessed.

Whether it's aimed at Kino or the impending war.

Everything.

Venom watched Bruce's disappearing figure, then looked down at Kino and muttered to himself.

"I think I understand why you trust him so much, and why you haven't given up hope."

Indeed, those who hear this terrible news will more or less experience despair and a great deal of fear.

But only Bruce did not despair; even fear was minimal.

"It's practically an 'Despair Antibody' for the multiverse."