Bruce didn't look at Thor, or even at the group of villains kneeling on the ground.
His gaze immediately fell upon the pile of scattered parts belonging to Mr. Freeze. Victor.
Victor's body was heating up uncontrollably, his skin turning an abnormal red at a visible speed, and his painful groans had weakened.
In a few dozen seconds, he will die from his body temperature imbalance.
Without the slightest hesitation, Batman strode forward and knelt beside the pile of scrap metal.
His fingers moved so fast they were like black phantoms, weaving through countless intricate plates, pipes, and wires.
Click.
"Snap."
He precisely put each part back in its place and reassembled it. He didn't even look at the blueprints; the structural diagram of the life-sustaining armor seemed to have been engraved in his mind long ago.
The basement was eerily quiet as he did all this, with only the faint clanging of metal parts.
Thor watched with interest and did not stop them.
Damian also poked his head out of the ventilation duct, watching his father skillfully assemble the enemy's equipment, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
A few seconds later, as the last helmet plate closed, Mr. Freeze 'Victor life support armor glowed with a faint blue light again. He was breathing heavily, and his body temperature was finally stabilized.
After doing all this, Bruce slowly stood up and turned to the man in the retro suit with a smile on his face.
" Gotham is my territory." Bruce's voice was hoarse and cold, devoid of any emotion. "I don't need you to make decisions for me, Thomas."
Thor's smile remained unchanged; he seemed oblivious to the warning in Bruce's words, simply shrugging casually, "Suit yourself, Bruce. If you enjoy playing this cat-and-mouse game with them, that's your business."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Mr. Freeze, who had just escaped death, and the other villains who were terrified, before his tone became as if he were discussing the weather.
"Anyway, in my universe, these people would have already been turned into museum exhibits."
The museum's... collections?
This statement was like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face.
Their brains couldn't even process the horror implied in those words.
Does it mean it was made into a specimen?
Or perhaps you should display their most iconic pieces of equipment, such as the Penguin's umbrella, the Riddler's question mark cane, and the Two-Face's coin, in a glass case, with a brief biography attached next to each item?
Either way, it means a complete and utter annihilation without any dignity.
This Thomas... is a real ruthless guy!
They are a million times more ruthless than those criminals who roam the dark side of Gotham!
Thor seemed pleased with their reaction, and he withdrew his suffocatingly oppressive aura.
Almost the instant the pressure disappeared--
"Whoosh!"
Penguin Cobblepot's obese body burst forth with unprecedented agility. He scrambled and rolled, abandoning even his beloved umbrella, and was the first to rush toward the torn-open door.
The Riddler followed closely behind, his glasses tilting askew.
Harvey Dent, the Two-Face, ran frantically outwards with all his might without saying a word.
Bane dragged his two legs, both with broken knees, and crawled frantically like Beast, supporting himself on his arms.
None of them dared to look back, not even in Batman's direction.
They just want to get as far away from that man named Thomas as possible.
In the blink of an eye, the conference room, which was originally packed with Gotham's "elites," was now empty except for Thor, Bruce, Damian, and Mr. Freeze, who was lying motionless on the floor.
Bruce watched the group of people fleeing in disarray, remaining silent.
"Five days from now," he suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "Is my engagement ceremony with Selene."
Thor raised an eyebrow, seemingly slightly surprised by the sudden shift in topic.
"I'll come." He reached out and patted Bruce's firm shoulder like a true elder. "However, I might not be able to come to your wedding."
Bruce stiffened for a moment, but did not dodge.
Thor withdrew his hand, glanced around the dilapidated underground factory, and then looked at Bruce. "To be honest, I haven't been back to the manor in ages. Aren't you going to lead the way?"
Go to the Wayne Manor? To see Alfred?
Bruce narrowed his eyes, which were hidden beneath his mask.
This suited him perfectly.
It's better to keep this unstable "father" on your own turf than to let him wander around Gotham.
As for notifying the Justice League...
The image of Superman's righteous face flashed through his mind.
No, not at the moment.
This is a family matter for the Wayne family, and whether this " Thomas " is real or not, it should be handled by Bruce Wayne.
"Okay," Bruce uttered a single word, then turned and walked away.
At this moment, Damian, who was inside the ventilation duct, finally managed to pull off the soft, black thing that was stuck to his face.
He held the tiny, palm-sized object up to his eyes.
This thing looks like a chibi-style black bat, with tiny facial features, two pointed ears, and a soft, fluffy body. The texture is... surprisingly nice.
"Chirp~"
The little creature wriggled in his hand and let out a soft, cute cry.
Damian's expression began to betray his nervousness.
What exactly is this thing? A toy? A pet?
He's the heir to the League of Assassins, Batman's son, and this thing's smeared on his face?
If word gets out, how will he ever face the world again?
Thor's gaze fell on Damian and what he was holding, and a smile crept onto his lips.
"Take it, child." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I've only given away two; only those most favored by the bats are worthy of it."
Damian initially looked disgusted and was about to throw it away.
But upon hearing this, he instantly stopped moving.
There are only two in total?
Only those most favored by bats are qualified to possess it?
His eyes lit up for a moment, though he quickly concealed it.
He pursed his lips, trying to make a "I'm reluctant" expression on his face.
"Alright, then I'll reluctantly accept... your gift, Grandfather."
As he spoke, he quickly stuffed the small black ball into the storage compartment of his belt, his movements so fast it was as if he was afraid someone would snatch it from him.
Batman seemed oblivious to all of this; he simply walked ahead alone, his shadow stretching long.
The three of them left the factory one after the other and got into the Batmobile that was parked in the shadows.
In the spacious cockpit, Bruce silently piloted the vehicle, while Damian sat in the passenger seat, secretly touching the new gift in the storage compartment.
Thor leaned back in the spacious back seat, watching the Gotham cityscape rush past the window.
"This guy," Thor's voice broke the silence in the carriage, "Is exactly like you when you were a kid, isn't he?"