bite!
The elevator doors slid open silently.
Bruce and Selene had changed out of their battle suits and came out in civilian clothes.
He was dressed in a simple black casual outfit, while Selene chose a fitted dark long dress that perfectly accentuated her shapely figure.
The hall of the Wayne Manor was as spacious and quiet as ever, carrying a sense of weight and history from a bygone era.
Alfred stood not far away, his upright figure seemingly blending into the manor.
Seeing the two of them come out, he stepped forward to greet them, his face bearing his usual gentle smile.
"Young Master, Miss Selene." He bowed slightly.
" Alfred." Bruce nodded, and Selene beside him smiled politely, though her yellow eyes were scrutinizing the legendary butler with great interest.
Alfred turned to Bruce and said, "Young Master, the Master is very concerned about you, but he has important matters to attend to back home. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of changing the engagement ceremony to the day after tomorrow. Is that alright with you?"
Bruce looked at Alfred but did not answer immediately.
master?
The word swirled in his mind, feeling unfamiliar and even somewhat absurd.
His mind flashed through Thor's actions, but he couldn't reconcile them with the image of his father in his memory.
But Alfred's attitude didn't seem feigned.
The old man who had been with him all his life would never joke about such a thing.
Even he acknowledged Thomas's identity, so its authenticity was almost beyond doubt.
However, that uneasy feeling remained like a tiny thorn stuck in his mind.
A person who has been resurrected from the dead, possessing godlike power, and acting in a domineering yet mysterious manner... there must be something he doesn't know.
"No problem," Bruce finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.
He needs more time and information to verify this.
Without solid evidence, any speculation is just speculation.
Selene listened quietly, noticing a fleeting moment of hesitation in Bruce's eyes.
She didn't say anything, but simply reached out and gently took Bruce's hand.
Bruce's fingers twitched, and he turned his hand to grasp her soft hand in his palm.
Just as Bruce was about to press Thor about what this "important matter" was, Alfred spoke again, interrupting his thoughts perfectly.
"Young Master, it's time to contact your comrades." Alfred's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible lightness. "I believe they will be happy for you to hear this good news."
Bruce agreed to the proposal.
We need to inform them about this sooner or later.
Moreover, this is indeed a good way to distract oneself.
He needed to temporarily suppress his doubts about his "father" and deal with the more pressing matters at hand.
"I'll contact Clark and the others right now," Bruce said, releasing Selene's hand and turning to walk towards the study on one side of the hall.
Selene watched his retreating figure, then glanced at Alfred.
The old butler returned her a polite smile and said, "Miss Selene, I have prepared a room and some clothes for you. You must be tired."
"Thank you, Alfred." Selene shrugged. "But I'm more interested to see how the ' Blue Boy Scout ' react when they get the call."
As she spoke, she took a step and silently followed Bruce, like a curious cat.
Metropolis, Daily Planet.
Clark Kent had just finished writing a report on urban redevelopment. He rubbed his slightly sore eyes, picked up his now-cold coffee, and took a sip.
Lately, life has been so peaceful it feels almost unreal.
There was no alien invasion, no monsters from other dimensions, and even Lex Luthor was much more behaving himself.
The situation in Gotham is even stranger; it's said that there have been more sunny days recently than in the entire past year combined.
He even had time to go to the movies with Lois.
Just then, a specially made communicator in his pocket vibrated.
Clark glanced at it, his expression turning serious.
This is the Justice League's internal line, and Bruce's private encrypted channel.
He walked to the empty stairwell and pressed the call button.
" Bruce?"
Bruce's signature deep voice came through the communicator, concise and to the point. " Clark, it's me."
"What happened?" Clark asked instinctively.
As is customary, when Bruce contacts him via this channel, it usually means that Earth is in big trouble again.
"Nothing bad happened." Bruce's voice sounded... a little different than usual, less tense.
Clark paused for a moment.
Nothing bad happened? That's not Bruce's style.
"And you..."
"I'm getting engaged to Selene Kyle. The ceremony will be held at the Wayne Manor the day after tomorrow. I'm letting you know." Bruce announced this major news, a statement that would shake the entire League, in a tone that sounded like he was reporting a plan of action.
"..."
Clark thought there was something wrong with his super hearing.
He took the communicator away from his ear, glanced at the "B" displayed on the screen, then put it back to his ear, asking uncertainly, " Bruce... can you say it again? I think I might have been hallucinating."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the communicator.
"I said, I'm getting engaged." Bruce's voice betrayed a barely suppressed impatience, as if repeating the same thing made him feel superfluous.
"Engaged... engaged?!" Clark's voice rose an octave uncontrollably, eliciting a series of disgruntled coughs from below the stairwell.
He quickly lowered his voice, but the shock in his tone was impossible to hide, " Selene? Catwoman?"
"Yes."
"Oh my God!" Clark couldn't help but cover his face with his hands. "Is this real? You're not kidding, are you? Or are you being controlled by someone?"
This is even more outrageous than hearing that Darkseid is running for President of the United States!
Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight whose paranoia and suspicion are ingrained in his very being, the man who always feels the whole world might betray him, is getting married?
"I'm not joking, Clark. I'm perfectly mentally sound." Bruce's voice sounded on the verge of impatience. "Are you coming or not?"
"Come on! Of course I'll come!" Clark practically shouted.
He hung up the phone, excitedly spun around twice, and then suddenly remembered something.
He immediately dialed another number.
" Diana! Diana! You'll never guess what I just heard!"
Themyscira.
Diana is instructing young Amazons warriors on the training field.
She cleaved the incoming arrow with a single, clean stroke of her sword.
She was preparing to correct a recruit's shield-holding posture when the communication request came in.
Seeing that it was Clark calling, she walked aside to answer it.
" Clark? Hopefully, it's not yet another galactic tyrant setting its sights on Earth." Her voice was calm yet firm.
"That's way more exciting than that!" Clark's booming voice came through the communicator, " Bruce! Bruce's getting married!"
Diana's hand, which was gripping the sword, paused.
A hint of surprise flashed in his azure eyes, which then turned into a genuine smile.
"By Hera... this is the best news I've heard in years," she murmured.
Has that man, who always shrouded himself in darkness and loneliness, finally opened his arms to someone?
"Right! I knew you'd say that!" Clark exclaimed excitedly on the other end of the line. "We need to prepare a decent gift! Arthur, Barry, should you inform them, or should I?"
"I'll do it," Diana said with a smile. "I want to see their faces when they hear the news."
She could almost imagine the "earthquake" that would be triggered when this news spread throughout the Justice League.
After hanging up the call, Diana looked at the azure sky, the smile on her lips lingering for a long time.
She turned to all the Amazons warriors and announced, "Today's training is over early! We have some great news to celebrate!"
Meanwhile, in the study of the Wayne Manor in Gotham.
Bruce hung up the call without any expression.
He could imagine Clark's exaggerated reaction on the other end of the phone.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
After notifying Clark, it was time for Diana, Barry, Hal... He suddenly felt a little tired.
Dealing with these things is far more tiring than chasing criminals in the dead of night.
Just then, the study door was gently pushed open.
Selene came in carrying a steaming cup of black tea and placed it on his table.
"It seems your friends reacted quite strongly?" she asked with a light laugh.
Bruce opened his eyes, watched the steam rising from the cup, and said nothing.
Selene went behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and began to massage them with just the right amount of pressure.
"What's wrong, my Batman?" Her voice carried a hint of lazy teasing. "It's just an engagement, but judging from your expression, it's like you're about to defuse an antimatter bomb."
Bruce was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I'm not used to it."
What are you not used to?
"I'm not used to... telling so many people about my life," he said. "And I'm not used to... being the center of attention."
Selene stopped moving.
She leaned down, rested her chin on his shoulder, and turned her face to look at him.
"Then you'd better get used to it quickly, Bruce." Her breath brushed gently against his ear, "Because from now on, your world will no longer be filled with only darkness and secrets."
Her voice was soft, yet it was like a key that quietly unlocked a long-sealed door in his heart.