Trust

Aeo stared at him intently, and Bruce Wayne met his gaze without flinching. So Aeo finally began to think seriously, weighing how much of his words were true and how much false...

"Listen." Bruce softened his tone. "I won't pursue the matter of you killing people anymore, but you have to promise me that next time something like this happens, you'll prioritize ensuring the enemy's safety. After all, judgment is the judge's job. If we go around killing people arbitrarily too, what difference is there between us and those thugs..."

Perhaps genuinely wanting to save this powerful alien, Batman patiently guided the child before him.

"Since you can do one good thing, why do evil? You're still young; some things aren't necessary..."

"..." Aeo was utterly defeated by Batman. Am I a fucking child? Well... his current age did give that impression, something to worry about... but that was just an illusion. As someone who had lived nearly half a century across two lifetimes, being lectured like this...

"Wait." Aeo hurriedly interrupted him. "Listen, Bruce, I respect your principles, your life motto, and I understand your concerns, but..." His tone turned harsh. "I have my own freedom and choices! I might not go around casually killing humans or anything, but on the condition that these people don't come provoking me!"

Bruce Wayne's face darkened slightly at that, and he was about to say something when Aeo, fed up with him, said: "OK OK, I give up..."

Watching the 'alien' raise his hands in a gesture of surrender, a piece of American-style humor, Bruce couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Bruce!" Aeo Zod said seriously: "You can supervise me, but don't think about controlling me, because you can't control me!"

Bruce pondered.

"Then, deal!"

Aeo smiled.

The next day, the Wayne family had a new guest, a distinguished visitor from outer space.

"Alfred, this is Aeo, Aeo Zod, a new friend I've made!" Bruce introduced him to the butler. "He might be living with us from now on, so I'm letting you know in advance..."

Alfred was dumbfounded. "What?"

"Just think of him as homeless, and I took pity on him and adopted him..." Bruce said impatiently.

Damn it, a few lines of black streaks slid down Aeo's forehead. Your whole family is homeless, you're the orphan...

"Hi, hello, I'm Aeo Zod, nice to meet you." Aeo Zod forced a smile. "Uh, Al...fred."

The old butler smiled. "You can call me Old Alfred, child..."

Was it that Aeo's appearance was too deceptive at this moment, or was the old butler truly this kind-hearted? After confirming there was no issue with the child's identity, Old Alfred instantly took a liking to this boy with eyes as clear and pure as the universe (gray eyes were often considered the eyes of gods). He believed this was the spirit of the late Wayne family patriarch, Bruce Wayne's father, Thomas Wayne, watching over them from heaven, giving the young master someone to confide in when he most needed companionship (the old butler misunderstood their relationship). Thus, Alfred poured all his care onto Aeo.

"Master Aeo, would you like some refreshments? This is the perfect time to enjoy the charm of afternoon tea."

"Master Aeo, what do you think of this outfit? I searched for a long time to find one that matches your eyes. You'll look very handsome in it..."

"Master Aeo, this is where you'll live and move about. Today you can..."

"Master Aeo..."

"Master Aeo..."

In the end, even Aeo was driven to paranoia by the old butler's warmth and affection. When Old Alfred once again tried to take his measurements for a tailor to make him a suit, Aeo fled in disgrace.

"Listen, Bruce Wayne." He ran up to Batman and said coldly.

"What?"

"Can you tell Old Alfred to tone down the enthusiasm? His politeness is starting to scare me..." The young man's face fell.

Bruce Wayne smiled. "Alright." He paused his work and said teasingly, "The Wayne family hasn't had a child visit in a long time, so Alfred is a bit excited. But he means no harm, so just play along with him."

Aeo rolled his eyes. "I'm not a child!"

"Who says? You look like a child!"

"..."

Seeing that Bruce wasn't going to deal with it, Aeo gave up. He glanced boredly at the documents Bruce was reading and casually asked, "So you're continuing your vigilante work? Who's this?"

Bruce paused, his gaze complex and unreadable as he looked at him. After a moment's thought, he finally said, "This is the black accountant connected to the mob in the Joker incident you just resolved."

Aeo knew his hang-up but didn't want to call him out on it. He just said indifferently, "So?"

"He's responsible for laundering money for Gotham's mob, and the mob was the financial backer behind this Joker incident..."

"...What are you going to do?" Bound by their unspoken understanding, Aeo had to ask with concern.

And Bruce seemed to have been waiting for him. He immediately said, "Catch him! Hand him over to the police, and uproot Gotham's underground forces!"

"...Wasn't Salvatore already caught by S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Aeo frowned.

Bruce smiled.

"So you did know what we said at the police station that day!" He looked at Aeo like a sly fox. "That's how you managed to find where Rachel and the others were trapped first..."

Aeo was speechless.

"How did you do it? Besides super strength, invulnerability, and supersonic flight, what other abilities do you have? Aeo Zod!"

Aeo was silent for a long time before he said to Batman, who had been staring at him, "Listen, Bruce, I don't tell you for your own good. Sometimes you're not ready to accept more knowledge, more different things..."

"But we have the right to know!" Bruce's tone was serious but not aggressive. "If you want to live among us, you have to let us understand you, know you! That way we won't fear you, dread you..."

"Listen, I know you have doubts, but trust me, trust us. Besides violence, infighting, and war, we also have love, family, faith—these beautiful virtues. Humanity isn't a completely hopeless race..."

"..."