Gotham, East Side.
In Selene Kyle's apartment, she had just finished showering and was sitting barefoot on the sofa, wearing only a loose silk nightgown, gazing blankly at the rare night view of Gotham outside the window.
A few days ago, Bruce Wayne proposed to her.
Her mind went blank at the time, and she agreed almost instinctively.
But now that she's calmed down, she's starting to feel uncertain again.
Pain made Batman.
This is a truth even the Joker understands.
If she brings happiness to Bruce Wayne, will Batman disappear?
What about Gotham? What about all those he saved?
What will happen when the next crisis comes and people need Batman?
She can't let her own happiness indirectly cause the deaths of so many people.
Once this idea takes hold, it grows wildly like a vine.
Last night, the Joker even sought her out and whispered in her ear in his uniquely manic tone.
"Once you give a bat happiness, then the bat dies, kitten, giggle..."
In five days, it will be their engagement day.
Selene scratched her still-damp hair in frustration; she really didn't know what to do.
Just then, a somewhat rough, yet deliberately lowered male voice suddenly rang out in the apartment.
"Your idea is completely wrong, child."
Selene's body tensed up instantly.
Without even thinking, she smoothly flipped herself off the sofa, and with a flick of her right hand, a long black whip appeared in her grasp, making a crisp sound as it cut through the air.
She stared warily in the direction the sound came from.
A man dressed in a well-tailored three-piece suit had somehow appeared in the shadows of the living room.
He emerged from the shadows, ignoring the weapon poised to strike in her hand, and walked straight to the sofa opposite her, where he sat down.
The newcomer was none other than Thor, disguised as Thomas Wayne.
He crossed his legs, gave Selene a scrutinizing look from head to toe before speaking.
"There's no need to be so nervous. I'm just here to see my son's fiancée."
'My son's... fiancée?'
These words froze Selene in her tracks, all her guard up and movements gone.
She even wondered if she was hallucinating from overthinking.
Anyone who knows even a little about Batman or Bruce Wayne knows that his parents died in that alley.
'A new enemy? Is it coming for Bruce?'
Selene's vigilance did not lessen; on the contrary, it intensified. She tightened her grip on the whip, assuming a posture ready to attack at any moment.
"Who are you? Bruce's parents are long dead."
Thor chuckled at her alarmed expression, finding it rather amusing.
As expected of Catwoman, quick reflexes and wildness.
Bruce has a good eye for talent.
However, this marriage is a must; it's a very interesting part of my plan.
He thought to himself, but casually said, "Isn't resurrection quite common in your world? You can think of it as me working for... well, a god."
After saying that, Thor raised his hand and opened his palm towards a thriving green plant in the corner of the living room.
There was no light, and there was no sound.
But the plant withered, turned yellow, and turned to ash at a speed visible to the naked eye.
What made Selene's pupils shrink even more was that not only the plant, but also the ceramic flowerpot containing it, developed cracks, and then, as if weathered over millions of years, shattered, decomposed, and finally turned into a small clump of fine dust.
What did he do?
Selene's heart skipped a beat. 'This isn't poison, nor is it some kind of energy ray. This feeling... is like time has been sucked away. No, it's even more bizarre!'
"What did you do?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice dry without her even realizing it.
"It's just letting it 'die,'" Thor explained casually. "That's the power bestowed upon me by the god I believe in."
Then, he gently flipped his palm over.
The next instant, the pile of dust on the ground began to flow backward, reforming into the shape of a flowerpot. The withered ashes gathered again, sprouted new branches, and transformed back into the vibrant green plant.
It was as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.
Selene remained silent.
She still couldn't believe that the man in front of her was Thomas Wayne, but she had to admit that his abilities were beyond her comprehension.
This was not something that the street thugs or super-powered criminals she knew could do.
She slowly lowered the whip in her hand, but did not put it away; it simply hung at her side.
"Then... if you really are Bruce's father," she said, forcing herself to speak, deciding to go along with what the other person was saying, "What brings you to me?"
'Finally, we're getting to the point,' Thor thought to himself.
He didn't come here to really see his daughter-in-law; he just wanted to conduct a small experiment.
He wanted to see if a happy, complete Batman would be more useful for some future "big event" than a Dark Knight immersed in pain.
And Selene was the key to making him whole.
Thor gave a "kind" smile and casually pulled something out of his personal space.
"I don't have anything particularly good to offer my daughter-in-law right now," he said, holding the item in his palm. "Consider this little pet a small gift."
Selene's gaze fell on his palm.
It was a capsule-shaped creature, no bigger than the palm of your hand?
He was wearing a purple mini Batsuit with a yellow bat symbol on his chest.
The most outrageous thing is that its face is clearly Bruce Wayne's unchanging cold expression, only shrunk countless times, making it look a bit comical.
The hood was somewhat worn, as if it had been through some great battle.
Suddenly, the little thing moved.
It shook its head, and with a flick of its small cape, it flew directly from Thor's palm, hovering in mid-air, staring expressionlessly at Selene with its beady eyes.
This thing is actually alive?!
Selene's mind went blank.
What is all this nonsense?