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"Maybe. Whether we succeed or fail, at least we've tried our best."
Bruce smiled and asked another question.
"By the way, you mentioned there are many parallel universes. Does that mean there's another me out there?"
Norin nodded. "Of course. Outside this universe are others, each with its own story."
"Well, if you have time, tell me about my other selves. Consider it a dying man's last wish."
Bruce pulled out two bottles of red wine from behind.
He hadn't talked like this in years—not since Gotham stabilized and Alfred passed away.
Those who knew and understood him were gone.
After shedding the Dark Knight persona, he struggled to live as a normal person.
He didn't need to manage Wayne Enterprises; money flowed into his account automatically.
By now, he didn't even know how much was in there. It was just a string of numbers.
Norin's arrival reignited his fighting spirit and gave him someone to talk to.
Since Norin was from another universe and wouldn't stay long, Bruce felt free to speak openly.
—
Bruce handed Norin a bottle. Norin smirked, opened it, and took a swig, ignoring any pretense of elegance.
Bruce didn't care about noble manners either. If not for Norin, he'd still be the disheveled old man he'd become.
Bruce copied Norin, drinking deeply.
"Refreshing."
Norin began recounting another universe—the Justice League universe.
As he described its crises and heroes,
Bruce's interest grew.
"Atlantis beneath the Atlantic? An island of Amazon warriors, descendants of Zeus? And a demigod named Wonder Woman?"
Bruce focused on the superhumans.
He desperately needed more allies.
It wasn't that Bruce relied on others, but he'd exhausted every option. Even with Earth's combined forces, defeating the Kryptonians seemed impossible.
Nuclear weapons, humanity's ultimate power, were useless against them.
This was a technological gap.
Did this universe have the Justice League's mystical elements?
No matter how brilliant Bruce was, he couldn't work miracles without the right tools.
—
"They might not exist here…" Norin shook his head.
In Keaton's Batman universe, it was a world of ordinary humans.
The Flash's arrival had altered it.
But that didn't mean much.
When Norin and the Flash appeared, the universe shifted.
Kryptonians were proof.
Perhaps Apokolips lurked in the cosmos, and the Green Lantern Corps guarded its sectors.
Atlantis might lie beneath the Atlantic.
Diana could still be living freely on Themyscira.
But it was all speculation.
—
"Maybe? You said Aquaman lives off Maine's coast?"
"Don't get your hopes up. I already know the answer."
Seeing Bruce's eagerness, Norin poured cold water on him. "Aquaman's father is there, but he married a local woman, not the queen of Atlantis. Arthur exists, but he's... a dog now."
"Cyborg Victor? He's playing football at Gotham University. Just an ordinary student."
"As for Wonder Woman in Las Vegas? No Diana. Just a sideshow troupe."
"Except for you, me, Kara, and the upcoming Flash, we're on our own."
"Even if they exist, they'll only appear later. With Earth's current tech, we can't find them if they don't want to be found."
—
"Looks like it's just us," Bruce said, giving up on outside help.
Norin had no reason to lie. With Wayne Enterprises' resources, finding the people and places Norin mentioned would be easy.
But what if they did? They'd find ordinary people or, worse, dogs. A far cry from the Justice League universe.
That universe had villains, but also heroes.
This one? Heroes were absent, but villains weren't. According to Norin, even if they defeated Zod, something worse might follow.
Bruce felt his scalp tingle at the thought.
He was in his seventies, nearing the end of his life, yet he was still running around saving the world, fighting impossible odds with his aging body.
Why couldn't he just retire? Didn't he deserve a happy ending? Who caused all this? Barry Allen? Or someone else?
Bruce couldn't figure it out, but he wasn't one to complain. He kept chatting with Norin.
They talked late into the night.
Bruce felt a flicker of pride knowing he'd made Gotham one of the safest cities in the world—a feat most Batmen across the multiverse failed to achieve.
"Are all the other versions of me idiots? A no-kill rule? Locking villains in Arkham and waiting for them to escape before catching them again? Is that justice or a joke?"
"Oh, right, there are supernatural forces at play. Never mind."
"When you visit other universes, tell them what I've done. Use my experience to teach them how to fix Gotham."
By the end, Bruce was drunk and passed out on the lawn.
Norin carried him into the manor and returned to the Marvel universe.
He checked the time. Nearly two hours had passed.
It was dinner time.
Though he didn't need to eat, out of habit, Norin stepped outside.
He ran into Jean Grey.
Jean was startled by Norin's sudden appearance. "Norin, next time, could you knock? At least give people outside a heads-up."
"Sorry. As an apology, let me treat you to lunch," Norin said, unfazed.
Jean rolled her eyes. "Does the cafeteria even charge?"
"We can eat in the city."
Jean hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go to New York. There's an outdoor event next week."
"Outdoor event? I haven't heard of it," Norin said, curious.
"You've only been here three weeks. It's normal you haven't. Every so often, we organize an outdoor trip. X-Men members take students whose mutant identities aren't widely known. The goal is to let them experience normal student life—visiting museums, zoos, amusement parks."
"This world misunderstands mutants. People always see them through a distorted lens. These trips are precious, but we have to stay alert for anyone targeting us."
"I don't know if things will ever improve."
Jean sighed, thinking of her past.
Few mutants got to experience normal life. Their powers brought isolation and even bullying.
Norin patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Things will get better."
Jean forced a smile. "Let's go. Don't forget you're responsible for protecting Rogue. Magneto might act soon."
"I know what I'm doing. Let's go."
Norin wasn't worried about Rogue being tricked by Mystique again.
He'd asked Clarice and Kitty to stay with Rogue.
He'd also left them some gadgets so he'd know immediately if something went wrong and could rush back.
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