I became light in American comics

"It's nothing. I haven't been in this city for very long, but I've seen this place and its people. I've seen them struggle for a living, desperately seeking hope in the darkness."

Your arrival has indeed brought about some changes. Rumors have begun to spread, people have started talking about Batman, and they've begun to believe that even in a place like Gotham, there is still hope for the future.

But is this what you want?

Or more precisely, what does Batman mean to you? Is he the justice you seek? Or a tool for revenge?

Bruce stared at him blankly for a moment.

He then straightened his body, which had recovered, and picked up the helmet and cloak.

"That's none of your business."

Batman, donning his new suit and mask, stumbled away.

He was somewhat agitated. Not only because of Batman's defeat tonight, nor entirely because of Shen You's words—if someone had said that normally, he certainly wouldn't have listened.

Coincidentally, earlier today, before he left the nest, he had a similar argument with his butler, Alfred, in the Bat Cave.

"."

"You can't go on like this."

Alfred urged, "You're trying to shoulder a responsibility that no flesh and blood could possibly bear. Anyone would be crushed by it, sooner or later. At the very least, you can't do this alone; it won't help you."

“I have your help, Alfred.”

Bruce was fastening his multi-purpose belt as he spoke; it was a new piece of equipment he'd just received from the technical department this week.

"All I need is your advice."

“That’s the problem, sir. You don’t trust anyone, and I think that includes me as well,” Alfred said calmly.

“I’ve shown you what I’m doing, and I’ve left you sitting in this damned bat cave,” Bruce said coldly, pulling on his cloak. “You still think I haven’t given you enough trust?”

Alfred shook his head.

"No, this isn't trust, it's punishment, or at least it's your way of expressing anger. I've watched you grow up since you were little, and I always know what you're thinking."

Just as you know that not all JCs in the GCPD are corrupt to the core, at least you know that Gordon is an absolute good guy.

Even so, you never considered seeking his help.

Bruce stopped what he was doing and looked at him expressionlessly.

Alfred continued, "You were just a little boy then, all alone in that alley, watching their bodies grow colder and colder."

Nobody came. Nobody helped. Not me, not Gordon, not a single Gotham citizen. Not even Batman.

So you're going to punish us this way, making us stand by and watch?

Why am I in the Batcave, sir? I think it's because you want me here, to watch you do what I, Gordon, and everyone else can't. You've excluded us all, making us watch as you do what we can't, as punishment for taking revenge on those who hurt you.

But if you insist on doing this, young master, Batman will only become a shadow of your past, an infinitely magnified version of the lingering shadow in your heart. Sooner or later, he will ultimately become a demon, rather than a creation of justice or hope.

He'll fall soon, and so will you.

Bruce and he stared at each other for a long time without saying a word.

Then, in silence, he put on the helmet and activated the Batmobile.

“I have to go, Alfred,” he said coldly through a voice altered by a voice changer. “Don’t wait for me.”

"."

Alfred's words still echoed in my ears.

What exactly is Batman?

He slipped away into a deserted alley, leaned against a wall and caught his breath for a moment, then took the grappling hook and rope from his belt, gathering his strength to throw the grappling hook onto the roof.

At the same time, I made up my mind that when I went back, I must go to the company's technical department to design a new piece of equipment that can replace the hook rope.

He leaned against the wall for a few seconds to recover before being drawn to a noise from the opposite street before he could throw out his grappling hook.

Two older children were pinning a teenager against the wall, forcing him to hand over the pocket money in his backpack.

Batman's first instinct was to step in and stop it.

But a few seconds later, he realized that it wasn't necessary.

The boy suddenly ducked and swept his leg, knocking one of the boys down. Then, a beautiful right hook sent the second, bigger boy sprawling to the ground.

The two young robbers ran away in a panic. The boy behind them gave them the middle finger.

"I was taught by Boss Shen, you idiots," he said smugly.

Batman remained silent and retreated into the darkness.

The question that young man had asked me echoed in my mind once again.

Justice, or revenge?

Or rather, what kind of Batman does this city need?

He threw out his grappling hook and climbed onto the roof.

They disappeared into the vast darkness of Gotham.

Chapter 20 I Want to Go Back to Krypton

"Don't talk after we go out, don't wander off, stay close to me, go wherever I go, and nod if you understand?"

Shen You stared into Kara's eyes, confirming again and again.

Kara has been landed for two days now. Since she needs to settle down, daily necessities are essential: toothbrushes, towels, toiletries, and changes of clothes. Currently, she only has clothes borrowed from her neighbors.

That Kryptonian dress was quite pretty; Shen You estimated it might even have bulletproof protection, the material being cutting-edge technology by Earth standards. However, the style was a bit too conspicuous by Earth standards, not to mention the "S" on the chest, making it unsuitable for wearing on the street.

Shen You also remembered that Krypton's civilian materials were all outstanding. In the original work, it was mentioned that Supergirl's uniform was actually her high school graduation prom dress, but it was impervious to Earth's weapons, and even nuclear bombs couldn't break through it.

In fact, this is just a small cross-section, but it can be seen that Krypton is more advanced than Earth not only in military technology, but also in all aspects of life, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Therefore, Kara is different from her cousin Superman. Superman grew up on Earth before he could remember, so he didn't feel anything special. Kara, on the other hand, grew up in Kryptonian society, and now being stranded on Earth is like traveling back thousands of years. It's like a modern person who is used to using mobile phones and computers having to adapt to the life of a primitive tribe, and the sense of loneliness is naturally much stronger.

However, she has been very obedient these past two days, basically doing whatever Shen You says, rarely speaking or talking back.

She nodded seriously to Shen You, ran her small hand across her lips, and made a zipper gesture to indicate that she would definitely behave herself and not say a single unnecessary word.

Of course, she only knew Kryptonian language; she didn't understand any other language on Earth. Even if she wanted to talk, she had no one else to confide in besides Shen You.

Oh right, and there's also the old man with the white beard at home.

Shazam is, after all, a wizard who is nine thousand years old, so language is no problem for him.

Although the clothes borrowed from the neighbor weren't a perfect fit, the little girl had a naturally beautiful face with fair and delicate skin. Her big, bright eyes were incredibly expressive, and with a little makeup, she transformed into an absolutely adorable little earthly girl.

The old wizard sat in the shop, watching his large alien lead the small alien away, and stroked his long white beard, a grandfatherly smile of satisfaction appearing on his face.

"Meow~"

Stryker came to the wizard with the empty cat bowl in his mouth, his eyes wide open and looking pitiful.

It feels like an old man whose children and grandchildren are away, while he retires and stays at home playing with cats and dogs.

The old wizard glanced at it sideways, smiled, and asked, "Hungry?"

Stryker nodded repeatedly and meowed ingratiatingly, "Meow~"

The old wizard smiled: "Hold it in."

Stryker: "???"

Shen You and Kara stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the traffic light. Cars roared past, and Shen You could feel her grip on his hand tighten, her body unconsciously shrinking back behind him as she cautiously looked around, like a kitten on high alert.

"Don't be nervous, this is a car, a means of transportation, just like the spaceship you came on, only much more low-end. Wait a minute, does this mean you Kryptonians have something similar?"

Kara stared at him with her big, innocent eyes, just like those of a kaxilan model, and the single tuft of hair on her golden head stood up again.

Shen You: "?"

I was stunned for a moment before I suddenly understood.

Oh, because she can't speak.

Shen You chuckled. He hadn't expected him to be so obedient; he really wouldn't utter a single word when called.

"It's okay, I allow you to say it when you want."

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly feel like it might be a bit domineering.

Shen You then added, "Actually, there's no need to say it out loud. Just try your best to convey what you want to tell me in your heart."

Telepathic communication is a fundamental skill of the Ultra race, and it has been demonstrated in various TV series. However, it only allows for communication and cannot read minds; the other party must be willing to speak and communicate with you in order to establish a communication channel using this ability.

To put it simply, it's just in-team voice chat.

Kara was somewhat surprised. She closed her eyes, her small face looking very serious and strained. After a while, Shen You quickly heard her voice.

Can you hear me?

"Of course."

The little girl opened her eyes, her face full of surprise, and looked at Shen You with even more admiration.

"You are so awesome!"

"So-so, about average, I'd say," Shen You said modestly.

"Krypton has similar tools. But..."

Kara tilted her head, looking at the car speeding through the middle of the road with a puzzled expression.

"Why don't they fly? Isn't the sky very empty?"

Shen You: "."

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Why the hell don't you guys fly?

It has a bit of a "a bunch of scoundrels, why don't they eat meat porridge" feel to it.

Just like Batman in his teenage years. Young Batman was once puzzled by people living on the streets, wondering why they didn't live in his own home.

Then, when he learned that ordinary people even have to pay for their own housing, his worldview was devastated, and he was filled with doubt about life.

After a moment, Kara finally understood that it wasn't that everyone didn't want to fly, but that they couldn't fly.