[Reading note: The heroine is a young girl of the Eastern Merfolk from a parallel world. She knows absolutely nothing about superheroes and is a soft, sweet little marshmallow (not really). Her IQ will never exceed the superheroes' IQ, the superheroes' IQ will never exceed the author's IQ, and the author has no IQ (ૢ˃ꌂ˂⁎).
There will be out-of-character moments, so please treat this story as everyday life in a parallel world.
Finally, happy reading, and may you all enjoy good health and prosperity~]
----------Brain check-in counter----------
The inky-blue sea reflected a sky full of stars. Sea and sky met at the horizon, and the ship beneath him seemed to float through an ocean of stars. The only sound was the gentle lap of waves against the cruise ship.
Beautiful. Peaceful.
For once, Bruce Wayne stood alone on the deck of the luxury cruise ship, his hands resting on the railing as he quietly admired the view.
[Leisurely moments like these are rare indeed. It would be even better without those little "side jobs," wouldn't it, sir?]
Through the communicator disguised as an accessory, the elderly man's kindly voice carried an unmistakable note of teasing.
"Alfred, spare me the teasing for now. Any new intel?"
[Oh, what a shame. It's one of the few pleasures this poor old man has left.]
Despite his words, the old butler wasted no time. Before long, a faint vibration from the wristwatch informed its owner that the latest intelligence had arrived.
"Mr. Wayne? Why aren't you dancing at the party?"
The unexpected female voice interrupted Bruce as he checked the intel. He lowered his hand naturally and turned toward the newcomer, his lips curving into the confident, charming smile of Gotham's sweetheart.
"Oh, darling. You know, sometimes being too popular is a sin. I couldn't bear to see a beauty like you upset over having to compete for me. Besides, it would be such a shame to miss a view this enchanting for a party."
His tone was narcissistic and a little frivolous, yet those rose-petal lips seemed to hold some spell of love, making every word that passed through them sound exquisite. Then there were his Steel Blue eyes, naturally touched with melancholy. When they gazed at someone with such tenderness, no one with a heart could bear to make their owner sad.
Oh my God, this was so unfair!
The woman pressed a hand to her chest, unable to stop a thought from rising in her mind-
Even if he weren't Bruce Wayne, even if he weren't Gotham's richest, most generous millionaire, there would still be plenty of beautiful women willing to earn a living to support him just for that face!
Unfortunately, seeing the Wayne Family-which had amassed its immense fortune when Gotham City was first founded-go bankrupt was about as likely as seeing Batman give up his cape or Arkham Asylum run out of criminally insane inmates. It would never happen.
But if she tried hard enough, perhaps she could become this most sought-after prince of Gotham's companion? Even if only for the duration of this cruise?
"My apologies. This may be rather forward of me, but you're so breathtakingly beautiful that I simply can't help being captivated. Perhaps you'd accept my invitation for a drink after the party?"
"Of course. I'd be delighted."
The woman gave him an understanding smile. Recognizing that he wanted some time alone, she tactfully said no more and took her leave with grace.
[It seems another lady is about to fall into the prince of Gotham's romantic trap.]
"Don't put it like that, Alfred." With his audience gone, Bruce Wayne dropped his carefree smile, looking a little resigned instead. "We'll be at sea for seven full days. 'Bruce Wayne' needs a witness."
And a beautiful female companion would make the perfect alibi for a playboy.
[Yes, yes, you're quite right. I'm merely a little concerned that, at this rate, I may need to reserve a room at Arkham for you as well.]
After all, no normal person would draw such a sharp distinction between his daytime and nighttime selves, turning them into entirely separate identities and personalities.
Who could have imagined that Bruce Wayne-Gotham's richest man, its most celebrated playboy, the pretty-faced airhead known as the "prince of Gotham" and "Gotham's sweetheart"-was also Batman, the cold, brutal Dark Knight who terrorized criminals at night with ruthless force?
The tragedy in that dark alley all those years ago had taken more than the Waynes, who had devoted themselves to improving the lives of Gotham's poor. It had also taken the carefree eight-year-old boy who had been cherished by his family like a little prince.
[May everything go smoothly, sir.]
Bruce was about to say something when his gaze suddenly sharpened and snapped toward the water below the ship's railing.
[What happened?]
Bruce stared fixedly at one spot in the sea, utterly still.
On the surface, only little ripples lapped gently against the hull.
"No, nothing."
After a long moment, Bruce's gaze softened.
He thought he had glimpsed a human figure in the churning water... or perhaps a large fish.
Perhaps it was a dolphin or something similar. It had nothing to do with the mission, so he could leave it for now.
Bruce lowered his eyes, his long lashes concealing his Steel Blue irises. His mind worked at the speed of a machine, continually running through every possible situation he might encounter on this mission.
Every criminal in Gotham City who had taken a beating from the Dark Knight knew that Batman always accounted for everything. Whatever unexpected turn things took, he always had a "Plan B" ready to handle it.
This came not only from Batman's brilliant mind and peak human combat skills, but also from his tireless, almost merciless scrutiny of every detail of his plans, searching again and again for potential flaws, then devising ways to resolve them-
More than one.
Beneath the mask lay a conviction.
To strike fear into all the bizarre characters in this city, "Batman" had to be a powerful, omnipresent "phantom" without a single weakness.
As an ordinary man, Bruce Wayne had paid a price most people could scarcely imagine to achieve that.
Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone.
[In any case, whatever happens, please make your own safety your first priority, Master Bruce. I would rather not have to fabricate another story for the media about "Bruce Wayne breaking his leg while extreme surfing."]
Bruce always had more patience for the concern of the old butler who had raised him and was like a father to him.
"I will, Alfred."
After disconnecting the communicator, Bruce couldn't help glancing once more at that spot before turning to leave.
He had spent a long time following this lead before finally tracing it to this luxury cruise ship. Everyone aboard was either rich or influential, and their status provided the perfect cover for certain crimes committed in the shadows.
Fortunately, as Gotham's richest man, Bruce Wayne had the wealth required to board this ship, even if he was widely known as a pretty-faced airhead.
Time was short. He had to make every second count, before the parasites lurking in the darkness sensed the approaching danger and destroyed the evidence.
Once the deck was deserted, a small splash suddenly broke the dark water. A beautiful fish tail, shimmering with a dreamlike blue-violet sheen, emerged beneath the starlight, then slipped back under the surface in an instant and vanished without a trace.
Had anyone caught a fleeting glimpse of it, they would surely have rubbed their eyes and scoffed, assuming their alcohol-soaked brain was hallucinating.
Above the water, there was only a beautiful girl with long, loose hair, cautiously poking most of her head out. Her large, dark, dewy eyes peered tentatively toward the ship's railing.
Then they met a pair of Steel Blue eyes...
⊙▽⊙!
Hadn't he already left?!
Perhaps she was too shocked. The girl simply stared up at him, wide-eyed and dumbstruck, forgetting to hide herself.
"Who are you."
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