Alfred stretched out a trembling hand; the hand that was always gloved and steady as a rock was now shaking like a leaf in the wind.
He looked at the man before him, a man both familiar and strange, and his voice was dry and hoarse as he managed to utter, "You... are you really the master?"
Thor looked at him, his expression calm and undisturbed, on Thomas Wayne's face.
Instead of answering directly, he said something that confused the old butler even more, "You can think of me as I am, or you can think of me as I am not."
Alfred's mind was completely in turmoil.
Yes or no, that should be a simple question.
Thor seemed to see through his confusion, and slowly spoke, his voice carrying an inhuman indifference, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "I have become the agent of 'death' in the multiverse, and there is a price to pay."
"What's the price?" Alfred asked instinctively.
"The greater the power, the heavier the price." Thor's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of the Wayne Manor, looking towards a distant place. "My emotions will fade with time, until they disappear completely."
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, or perhaps recalling something so distant it was almost forgotten.
"I've experienced many things in other universes, very similar to what Bruce went through. I came here this time for two reasons: first, because of Barbatos, who is about to threaten all the multiverses; and second... to see Bruce."
A barely perceptible change finally appeared in Thor's tone, "And while you're at it, bring Martha back so she can spend some time with him."
Resurrecting Martha?!
Alfred's heart pounded; the shock of this news was even greater than the fact that the person in front of him was none other than Master Thomas.
He grasped at this hope almost instinctively and asked eagerly, "Then... sir, how much longer can you stay here?"
Thor thought for a moment, "Probably... after Bruce's engagement."
An engagement... Bruce's happiness, Mrs. Martha's return... all these beautiful visions are confined by a cruel time constraint.
Alfred's newly ignited flame of hope was instantly doused with cold water.
His voice was filled with resentment and pleading. "Really... can't we come back? That god... is he really that powerful? Can't you get rid of this agent's identity?"
"You can understand it this way," Thor's explanation was simple and direct, yet carried a despairing sense of oppression, "If 'death' wants to, she can make everything die. Whether it's a person, an object, a living being, a concept, or even some self-proclaimed immortal gods."
He gave an example, an example that would make the entire Bat Family tremble. "Take Barbatos, the bat god who was capable of destroying the multiverse. If she wanted, with just a word, she could erase all traces of his existence, making him completely vanish into Void, as if he had never existed."
Alfred was completely speechless.
This power was beyond his comprehension.
"If I relinquish my role as an agent," Thor's voice pulled him back to reality, "I will die immediately. Martha cannot be resurrected, and I... will have no chance to come back and see you one last time."
The truth, the cruel and chilling truth, was laid bare before the old butler.
There were no miracles, no turning point, only a farewell with a predetermined ending.
Alfred stood there stunned for a long time, the shock, sadness, and resentment on his face slowly fading away, replaced by that gentle and professional smile that he had worn for decades.
He straightened his back, as if he weren't the one who had just lost his composure.
"Very well, sir," he said with a smile. "I think you should go to the garden and replant some roses. Madam will surely like them when she returns."
A smile appeared on Thor's face. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
As soon as he finished speaking, Thor's gaze suddenly shifted slightly, as if his eyes pierced through the thick ground and looked into the depths of the manor's underground.
He was certainly aware of the self-destruct program that was about to detonate inside the Batcave.
They really know how to cause me trouble.
Thor thought to himself, "What do I mean by that?"
He didn't make a sound; he simply had a thought in his mind, and an invisible, intangible force that transcended the laws of physics quietly activated.
For him now, turning back time in a cave a few minutes earlier is easier than breathing.
Originally, Tuotuo was just an ordinary cosmic wonder, and even if it had the ability to replicate, it was a farcical version weakened countless times.
But when Thor "gave" it to Damian, he casually added a small "backdoor program".
This enhancement will not be triggered under normal circumstances.
But as long as this little thing is in any form of "being detected," it will temporarily exhibit some... unimaginable abilities.
This can be seen as a backup plan left for Bruce, or perhaps an interesting toy.
Whether Bruce will be wary of this thing or use it is not Thor's concern.
In the world of American comics, death and resurrection are nothing new.
Inside the Batcave.
The piercing alarm and blood-red lights abruptly stopped.
With a "snap," the cave's regular lighting returned to normal.
The ominous "Ω" symbol on the main screen disappeared, replaced by the standby screen before the scan began.
The whole process was so fast it was as if someone had pressed the rewind button on a TV remote.
Dick was still in the position of rushing towards the control panel, Barbara's fingers were still hovering above the keyboard, and Jason... Jason was still holding up his empty hands, looking completely bewildered at the scanning station.
Everyone froze.
"... What's going on?" Dick was the first to react, his voice filled with uncertainty.
"I..." Barbara typed rapidly on the keyboard, bringing up the system log. "Nothing... nothing at all. No startup record, no shutdown command, and the section on the Omega Protocol in the system log... is blank, as if it never happened."
Jason slowly lowered his hand, glanced at the ceiling, and then at the innocent little thing on the scanning table.
His worldview is undergoing an unprecedented shock.
So, everything that just happened was an illusion? His gun is still in its leg holster?
He touched it instinctively.
Empty.
The gun is indeed gone.
However, the self-destruct program has indeed stopped.
What the hell is going on?!
Damian crossed his arms, his arrogance vanished, replaced by a complex expression of shock and fervor.
He looked at Tuotuo as if he were witnessing a miracle.
Is this the special gift his grandfather gave him?!
Tuotuo on the scanning table seemed completely unaware of what had just happened.
It yawned, revealing its pink little tongue, then found a comfortable position, curled up, and fell asleep.
A soft snore rang out.
The entire Batcave fell into an eerie silence.
The corridor of the Wayne Manor.
Alfred, noticing Thor's sudden silence, asked with concern, "Sir, what's wrong?"
Thor looked away, his expression unchanged.
He smiled, looked at the loyal old man, and said in a nostalgic tone, "It's nothing, I just miss your cooking."
Upon hearing this, Alfred's professional smile finally softened with a touch of genuine warmth.
He bowed slightly to Thor and gestured for him to proceed.
"Please wait a moment, sir."
He led the way, speaking in a steady tone.
"Your favorite Wellington steak, and that cream of mushroom soup that's unique to the Wayne family, I'll serve you shortly."