" Thomas, please have mercy!"
Carter scrambled to Thor's feet, grabbing the boot that was pressing down on Kendra's face with both hands, his voice trembling.
At that moment, he was just an ordinary man watching helplessly as his lover suffered.
"She just woke up from the darkness, her heart filled with despair and pain, which is why she spoke so carelessly. We owe you a life-saving grace, please don't take her life because of a few angry words!"
Carter turned his head to look at Kendra, who was covered in blood and sweating profusely from the pain, on the ground.
The metal wing that had been forcibly torn off lay to one side, its flesh torn open at the break, and blood flowing freely.
His voice was weary and helpless, almost pleading. " Kendra, stop talking. Bruce's original intention in investigating the metal was to stop the catastrophe. He shouldn't have to bear all the blame alone."
Kendra spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with broken teeth; her fractured jawbone made her speak with a lisp, and her cheeks were swollen like small mountains.
She forced her head up, and in her only intact eye, resentment and murderous intent pierced Bruce directly.
"This disaster... it all started because of him..." Kendra gritted his teeth, each word accompanied by a gasp, "Even if you beat me to a pulp today, I won't change my mind."
Thor chuckled.
Are you kidding me? They've already decided to kill my son, and you're still keeping him alive for the New Year?
He pushed off with his feet, shoving Kendra's head into the mud.
Kendra let out a muffled groan, his cheek scraping against the rough ground, leaving several bloody streaks.
Thor reached his right hand directly into his tactical belt.
He drew a large-caliber pistol; the gun was heavy and gleamed with a metallic sheen.
The thumb flicked open the safety pin, and the crisp click was particularly jarring in the empty cave.
He pinched a dark-lustered Nth Metal bullet between two fingers of his left hand.
Without even looking, he flicked the magazine with one hand, and the bullets were loaded accurately.
The gun barrel was pressed down, directly against Kendra's forehead.
" Thomas!"
Bruce strode forward and grabbed the barrel of the gun.
Bruce stared at the man who claimed to be his father, countless guesses flashing through his mind.
What exactly did Thomas go through to become so ruthless and unscrupulous?
In his mind, his father was a doctor who saved lives, not an executioner who would blow people's heads off at the slightest provocation.
However, there's no time to delve into that right now.
"For my sake, let her off the hook." Bruce's voice was low, tinged with weariness. "It was indeed my actions that caused this catastrophe. It's my fault, and it's normal for her to blame me."
Thor glanced at Bruce, said nothing, flicked his wrist, twirled the pistol in his palm, and casually tucked it back into his belt.
"You can cause a catastrophe, and you can also solve it." Thor's words were like knives. "As for her... a piece of trash that even Diana couldn't defeat, what can she do?"
Kendra shut up completely this time. Only after the gun was removed from his skin did the cold sweat on his forehead slide down his nose and into his mouth.
She finally realized that the man in the Batsuit was a complete madman!
If Bruce hadn't stopped her, her head would have exploded like a rotten watermelon.
Fear finally overcame resentment; she even breathed very softly, afraid of further angering this scourge.
Carter quickly pulled Kendra up from the ground and used his body to shield her from Thor, fearing that Thor might change his mind.
Clark shuffled over and helped Kendra steady himself.
He pointed to the headless corpse not far away, which was still warm.
"I understand you're resentful, Kendra," Clark gasped, his voice extremely weak. "But Black Adam was killed by Thomas. Just now, when you were being controlled by Barbatos and about to attack us, Thomas wanted to kill you both, but Bruce stopped him."
Carter and Kendra followed Clark's finger.
The charred, headless corpse was emitting wisps of smoke, and the lightning bolt symbol on its chest was burned black.
The two of them gasped instantly.
They knew Black Adam's strength all too well, yet this man had blown his head off?
This guy is ruthless; we don't want to mess with him!
The two then turned to look at Clark.
The former Son of the Sun now has sunken eyes and withered skin clinging to his bones, looking exactly like a dried mummy.
The body, long nourished by the sun, now looked dull and lifeless, and even the classic red and blue battle suit looked loose and baggy.
Even so, Clark still managed to force a smile and gave them a sunny one.
Thor ignored the sentimental scene and walked straight to the edge of the World Forge.
The churning lava roared below, and Heat Wave, carrying the acrid smell of sulfur, assaulted our senses.
The dark red firelight reflected off the scarlet bat emblem on Thor's chest, giving it an exceptionally menacing appearance.
Bruce followed and stood beside Thor.
The two stood side by side, their postures strikingly similar.
"How did you get in, Thomas?" Bruce, his voice barely audible as he looked down at the churning flames.
Did you meet Diana and the others?
Thor glanced at his adopted son, plotting how to kick the kid down to get the Element X.
It would be fine if I jumped down myself, but it's not as comfortable as letting my son do hard labor.
"We've run into them. If I had been a moment later, your teammates would have been killed by Barbatos's men."
Bruce's breath hitched, and his hands instinctively clenched into fists. "Are they alright?"
"It'll probably be fine while I'm here," Thor shrugged. "Now, who knows?"
Bruce's brows furrowed deeply, and the bloodshot in his eyes deepened. "How were you brought in here?"
"We were ambushed by the Batman Who Laughs," Thor replied casually.
Bruce turned his head and stared at Thor's profile. "Who is this? Some evil version of me?"
Thor pictured a madman with a spiked metal eyepatch and a gaping, bloodthirsty maw.
This guy's laughter is so loud it could pierce your eardrums.
You don't want to see him.
"Why?" Bruce pressed.
"In a Dark Multiverse, your entire Bat Family was killed by the Joker. Finally, with no other choice, you killed the Joker yourself."
Thor's voice was flat, as if he were telling someone else's story, "Thus, you were infected by the Joker Virus, the Joker became one with you, the Joker's chaos, combined with your vigilance and tactical planning, gave birth to an extremely terrifying evil Batman."
Thor paused, then added, "Most importantly, he looks like Xenomorph."
Bruce paused for half a second before realizing what he meant. "Wait, you mean this old movie?"
Thor smiled, a few wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes. "Yes, unlike you now. I remember back then we could only watch black and white movies."
Bruce remained silent.
Black and white film.
He remembered that night, the dark alley, the scattered pearls, and the two gunshots.
Thomas and Martha died under the cover of night after watching a movie.
This memory became a thorny vine, tightly constricting his heart and making it hard for him to breathe.
Thor raised his hand and slammed it down on Bruce's shoulder.
Even through his armor, Bruce could still feel the power emanating from that hand.
"Relax, kid." Thor looked into Bruce's eyes, his voice softening. "You have so many comrades and family who trust you now. Everything will be alright. Believe me, happiness will never be far from you."
Bruce avoided Thor's gaze and did not respond.
He was used to bearing everything alone, and this long-lost comfort from his elders made him feel a strange sense of unease.
Thor abruptly changed the subject, asking abruptly, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Bruce stiffened, then shook his head. "No, and I'm unlikely to be happy."
Thor stared blankly at Bruce, his gaze sweeping over Bruce's unconsciously tense jaw and the fingers rubbing together at his sides.
"You're lying, Bruce," Thor bluntly exposed. "Every time you lie, you avoid eye contact with me. You have someone you like. But you're too afraid, or rather, you've tried to go back to a normal life, but your identity as Batman has held you back."
Bruce's lips moved, as if he wanted to retort, but he found his throat dry.
The other party not only saw through his disguise, but also stripped away all his deepest fears.
Clark overheard this from behind, and a slight smile appeared on his gaunt face.
It's a rare sight to see Bruce get his comeuppance.
"Don't worry, Bruce. I'll take care of everything before I leave." Thor withdrew his hand, his tone decisive, revealing a domineering air of an elder. "Remember to take good care of Martha."
Martha ... Bruce's eyelids twitched.
Thor did not give Bruce another chance to ask questions.
He turned his body to face the boiling lava, his feet apart, ready to exert force.
Just as Bruce thought he was going to jump, Thor raised his right leg and kicked Bruce hard in the lower back.
"Now, it's time to get down to business, good son."