An Undersea Adventure

Bruce had no idea how to express what he was feeling. Hearing that the girl's brothers and sisters had all passed away filled him with anger and sorrow, yet deep down, he couldn't help feeling a trace of relief-

Embryos cultivated in cold laboratories, controlled by pure malice, had never been able to choose their own lives. Emotionally, they were innocent, victims of humanity's endless desires. But rationally, after those innocent embryos had endured such inhuman torment in the laboratory, how many could remain saintlike, without the slightest resentment toward the humans who had tortured them?

Not every "little mermaid" was Miaomiao.

Even without any intention of hurting anyone, Miaomiao could tear apart a new-model Batsuit with her bare hands. If their abilities were the same as hers, then every "little mermaid" was a powerful and terrifying living weapon.

They might take revenge on humanity out of resentment, or humans might exploit their appearances or abilities, leaving them hurt-or hurting others.

Once such powerful abilities spiraled out of control, they would spell catastrophe for ordinary people who had no way to defend themselves.

To stop evil and keep his emotions from dictating his thoughts and actions, Batman had all but deliberately discarded the human part of himself, analyzing everything with absolute rationality.

In Gotham, that cursed land, he had seen far too many once-kind people subjected to the merciless torments of reality, until, willingly or otherwise, they fell into the abyss and became demons, turning their blades on people just like those they had once been.

The dragon slayer eventually became the dragon.

Past kindness and innocence said nothing about the present, much less eternity.

He didn't dare take that gamble.

If he made even the slightest mistake, the innocent people of Gotham-and perhaps the entire world-would bear the consequences.

And so Batman doubted everything.

Including himself.

Faced with Miaomiao's innocent, trusting gaze, Bruce felt utterly despicable and ashamed.

With that tenderness bordering on guilt, Bruce did everything he could at dinnertime to prepare a "lavish feast" for Miaomiao with the limited resources available.

As for the results...

Little foodie Miaomiao tactfully suggested-

Grilled fish was actually quite good. There was no need to develop any new dishes.

Really.

The starry sky was especially beautiful from the island. Without thick clouds obscuring it, the bright moonlight and dazzling sea of stars shone in full view, reflected on the ocean's surface until it was almost impossible to tell where one was.

Miaomiao sat on a rock by the shore, softly humming an unfamiliar song. Quiet though her voice was, it carried far across the vast sea.

Beside the campfire, Bruce listened to her song while examining the various materials he had on hand.

For a moment, Bruce felt as though he understood the meaning within her song.

There was a girl with a beautiful fishtail, swimming freely through the sea, surrounded by her people, who had fishtails too. Together, they traveled beneath the waves, raced schools of fish, brushed their hands over coral of every shape, gathered pretty seashells, and leaped high above the surface beneath the moonlight, scattering countless splashes and ripples.

Without realizing it, his hands had gone still.

Clear, bright calls rose from the sea, blending with the song.

Bruce came back to himself and saw several dolphins of different sizes swimming near the shore. Every so often, they leaped from the water, making their distinctive calls, which mingled with the girl's ethereal voice to form a strange yet harmonious song of the sea.

After a while, the singing stopped. The dolphins rose upright out of the water facing the girl and gave several almost humanlike calls, as though they were saying something.

After listening to the dolphins, the girl turned to Bruce.

"Bruce." Miaomiao gently swayed her tail. "The dolphins invited me to go swimming with them. Do you want to come along?"

"You can communicate with marine life?"

Yet another new ability.

"Only some creatures with a certain level of intelligence, like dolphins and orcas. They're all pretty smart and have languages of their own. Most other creatures only have survival instincts. They can't communicate."

After explaining, Miaomiao looked at Bruce with bright eyes brimming with anticipation. "Come on, come on! The ocean is so much fun. I can take you swimming with me."

Bruce spread his hands, looking a little regretful. "I'd love to say yes, but Miaomiao, I'm only an ordinary human. Unlike you, I can't survive underwater for long."

Even Batman, at the peak of human physical fitness, was still an ordinary man with no superpowers. Though what he did often made people forget that.

"That's okay! As long as you want to come, I can give you a bubble!"

With Bruce's agreement secured, Miaomiao happily said something to the dolphins, then took his hand and leaped into the sea.

Bruce had prepared himself for the dive, taking a deep breath on shore and holding it. But he soon understood what the girl had meant by a "bubble."

Beneath the bright moonlight, something iridescent and transparent, like a soap bubble, appeared around his head. The "bubble" looked so fragile that the slightest touch might burst it, yet it withstood the pressure of the seawater and let him breathe freely.

Bruce reached out to touch the "bubble." It felt very unusual, like a large, springy balloon, but without the texture of rubber. Instead, it was indescribably light and soft.

"This really is incredible."

Bruce said.

He was submerged in seawater, with only a transparent "bubble" between him and the ocean, yet neither his breathing nor his speech was affected in the slightest.

The moon was full that night, generously casting her radiance over the sea. Everything near the shore was bathed in that gentle moonlight, taking on a dreamlike beauty.

Warmed by a full day of sunshine, the seawater was not as cold as he had imagined. It was like a gentle, generous mother opening her arms to embrace her child.

Diving in the ocean at night was not exactly safe. Beneath the cover of darkness, the sea was as dangerous as it was enchanting.

At night, many nocturnal sea creatures came out as well. Some were bloodthirsty carnivores, some could deliver electric shocks, and others carried toxins that paralyzed the nerves.

Without bright sunlight to guide the way, the ocean reflecting the stars could easily become a boundless natural labyrinth. One careless moment, and a swimmer could lose all sense of direction in the water, with neither sky above nor solid ground below.

But now, with the dolphins and the little girl beside him, none of those concerns were a problem anymore.

Dolphins swam around him, glowing jellyfish and plankton drifted up and down, and coral in every shape and color resembled a fantastical underwater garden.

A mischievous baby dolphin kept trying to sidle up to Bruce, eager to bump the bubble that looked like such fun.

Beside him, the beautiful, adorable little mermaid held his hand, smiling as she led him on an adventure through the sea.

Everything was as wonderful as a childhood dream.