DOTM: Chapter 531/533

Chapter 531: Alfred

Ethan and Tony returned to that desolate planet.

This time, they were heading to the Dark Knight trilogy to see how Bruce Wayne transformed from a wealthy young man whose parents had died and who had billions of dollars waiting to be inherited, into a superhero who walked in the darkness.

"Actually, these few Batman worlds are quite interesting."

Although Ethan himself wasn't particularly fond of the style of this world, the leading actresses in the four Batman films shot from the 1980s to the 1990s were all quite beautiful.

However, when he thought of Catwoman in Batman Returns being the original Wasp he had recently rescued from the Quantum Realm, he suddenly felt it might be a good thing they didn't go there.

Otherwise, if Tony lost control and something happened with Catwoman, how would he work with Dr. Hank Pym after returning?

"I think you're thinking something bad."

Tony hadn't said anything, just watching Ethan space out. His intuition told him Ethan was definitely badmouthing him in his head.

"You're overthinking it. I'm locating the specific position of that universe."

"So, have you found the location?"

"Found it. Let's go now."

Although it bears the name Batman, the Dark Knight trilogy has little to do with the entire DC Universe, or rather, no relation at all. It can be treated as a completely standalone universe.

In this world, Batman is just a normal person, not the kind of so-called normal person who has reached various human limits in the comics, but a truly ordinary person.

Bruce Wayne, despite undergoing rigorous training, did not possess physical abilities that reached the level of human limits. He was just generally strong, and couldn't even gain the upper hand when fighting some villains. He relied more on combat intelligence and various weapons and gadgets to achieve his goals.

"Should we make a plan this time?"

After completing the plane travel and standing in the chaotic city of Gotham, Ethan and Tony exchanged glances.

This time, Tony would definitely make contact with Bruce Wayne, unlike before when he always observed from the shadows.

Furthermore, the setting of that Batman world was the last century, and the internet wasn't fully popularized yet. Tony and Ethan didn't even implant identities; they just wandered around Gotham. Anyway, the city was incredibly chaotic, and no one would check their identities normally.

The setting for this Batman world, however, was the first decade of the 21st century. By this time, many technologies weren't far behind the era Tony lived in, so he could do some familiar things, creating two real identities for Ethan and himself.

"At this time, Bruce Wayne shouldn't have become Batman yet, right?"

While creating the new identities, Tony also checked some information, including the fact that Bruce Wayne had been missing for several years. According to the information he knew, Bruce Wayne should be traveling around at this time.

"Batman will only be born after he returns. Right now, Bruce Wayne is still experiencing life everywhere."

In the Dark Knight trilogy, Bruce Wayne traveled all over the world and even actively participated in criminal activities to understand the psychology of some criminals.

At the beginning of the film, he was arrested by police in a certain country and imprisoned before being found by Ra's al Ghul from the League of Shadows. He then joined the League of Shadows to receive more advanced training, and it was the training in the League of Shadows that laid the foundation for the birth of Batman.

"What are you thinking?"

The two of them casually found a coffee shop and sat down. Ethan saw Tony suddenly go silent and was very curious about what this guy was thinking.

"I'm thinking, should we go find the still-wandering Bruce Wayne now, or find a place to wait for him to return?"

Under normal circumstances, it would be much easier to find Bruce Wayne at this time, because he wasn't a famous rich man then, just a penniless drifter. Contacting him at this point would be very simple.

Once he returned to Gotham, reclaimed his identity that he had set aside, approaching him would no longer be so simple.

"There's no problem with going to find him now, is there?"

"I was just thinking, finding him at this time doesn't seem like it can answer my questions."

At this stage, Bruce Wayne's mind was full of questions, and he himself was searching for various answers. How could he possibly answer Tony?

"Actually, even if he becomes Batman, I don't think he can answer your questions right now. At most, he can talk about his current thoughts..."

The one who could truly answer Tony's questions should be the mature Batman who had been the Dark Knight for several years and had gone through countless hesitations and solidified his inner resolve.

Even if this version returned to Gotham, he would at most have just thought of the method of using fear to deter villains.

"So, we have to wait at least a few years?"

Of course, he couldn't stay in this world for a few years, but he didn't necessarily need to get an answer. He came this time mainly to see the Batman he wanted to see. The rest didn't matter.

"Since there's no difference, let's go find him now."

"If we want to see Bruce Wayne now, we need to go to Wayne Manor first."

Ethan knew Bruce Wayne's approximate location, but it wasn't easy to find one person in such a large area.

He didn't want to blunder around like a headless fly. He planned to go to Wayne Manor to get a few things Bruce Wayne had used, and then pinpoint his location.

"Let's go."

Tony thought of Batman's old butler. This butler, named Alfred, served the Wayne family loyally. It's likely everyone would envy the Wayne family for having such a butler.

If he didn't already have Jarvis, Tony would even want to poach this old butler, although the possibility of success was almost nil.

After leaving the coffee shop, the two of them hailed a taxi and successfully arrived at Wayne Manor.

The Wayne family was very famous in Gotham; everyone knew the Wayne family, so finding this place wasn't difficult.

However, in the eyes of the locals, the Wayne family had declined. After all, the only heir had been missing for several years, and in the eyes of most people, the last member of the Wayne family had passed away.

Without descendants, the Wayne family existed in name only. Even Wayne Enterprises was controlled by outsiders and would sooner or later become some other corporation.

Taxi drivers basically had a chatty nature, and Ethan and Tony learned about these circumstances without even asking specifically.

"Bruce Wayne's shares are currently managed by the old butler Alfred. As long as nothing happens to Alfred, the Wayne family won't lose their company."

"What a loyal butler."

Neither of them had the habit of knocking. Ethan waved his hand lightly, and Tony didn't wait for Ethan's reminder, following behind him and directly passing through the iron gate that had become illusory.

It looked as if the two people had walked through a phantom image, and after they passed, the slightly illusory gate returned to normal.

Wayne Manor was a vast estate covering a large area. Although it had a bit of an old feel, and the owner had been away for years, under the careful management of the old butler, the entire manor hadn't fallen into disrepair. Apart from being overly quiet due to the lack of people, everything was normal. It was as if the Wayne family still lived in this city.

However, with the two of them walking in so openly and without any concealment, Alfred had already noticed these two intruders.

The old English gentleman walked directly out of the mansion and stood calmly at the entrance, quietly waiting for Ethan and Tony to approach.

"Trespassing on private property is not gentlemanly behavior, sirs."

"Whether it's gentlemanly or not isn't important now. We are here to find Bruce Wayne."

Alfred looked at the two men in front of him with surprise. As an old butler with rich experience, he could tell that neither of these men was ordinary.

Their clothes looked ordinary, but the workmanship and fabric were exquisite, indicating they likely came from privileged backgrounds, especially the way the slightly older one looked at people. Only someone from a sufficiently good background could develop such a habit.

"Master Bruce is not at home right now, which I presume you both know."

The stir caused by Bruce Wayne's disappearance was by no means limited to just Gotham. As the sole heir of a top North American conglomerate, Bruce Wayne received no less attention than Tony did in the Marvel world.

"I know," Ethan nodded. "But I have a way to find him. I just need your help."

"Hmm?"

Alfred didn't show much surprise at Ethan's words. He had encountered many scammers who tried to use Bruce Wayne to their advantage over the years. If he didn't have a sufficiently sharp eye, the Wayne family's assets would have been drained by scammers long ago.

"I need a few things that Bruce Wayne has used, as long as they have been used for a long time."

Although Alfred still maintained his poker face, he showed a slight hint of disappointment.

He thought Ethan had some method, but it turned out to be this kind of charlatan's trick to swindle money? Was he being treated like a senile old man?

While he was indeed getting on in years, and being treated like a senile old man was quite normal, Alfred was still unhappy, so his tone became less polite.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe you. I must emphasize again that you are currently trespassing on private property. If you don't leave, I will exercise my due rights."

To put it simply, he would take out a weapon and shoot these two intruders who had trespassed. Although Alfred was not young, it didn't mean he was a completely defenseless old man.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 532: How Batman was Trained

Alfred Pennyworth, in the standard Batman worldview, is a former British intelligence agent.

Ethan didn't know if The Dark Knight Trilogy adopted this setting, but seeing how easily Alfred could load a fully armed Bruce Wayne into a car and save him back home, it was clear that this white-haired old man was physically robust.

In other words, he could definitely use a gun to take down any intruders.

"Don't be nervous, and I must emphasize, I am not a liar."

Ethan waved his hand, seemingly defending himself, but his behavior of completely ignoring Alfred and continuing to walk towards the door still put Alfred on high alert.

He retreated, drew his gun, and aimed in one fluid motion.

Under normal circumstances, even a strong young man would immediately feel tense when facing the dark muzzle of a gun.

What Alfred didn't expect was that Ethan completely ignored the weapon he was holding, and in the blink of an eye, suddenly appeared before him from several meters away.

Ethan placed his hand on the gun Alfred was holding up. It was a very ordinary small-caliber revolver, typically used for self-defense, with not much stopping power.

With Ethan's current physical strength, even if he stood there and let Alfred empty all the bullets into him, it wouldn't cause him any real harm.

But let's forget about such a bloody and exciting performance. Not only would dealing with the blood be troublesome, but more importantly, his clothes would be ruined.

"We mean no harm."

Ethan gently raised his hand, not taking the pistol away. Alfred had felt Ethan's strength just now; if the other party had forcibly taken his weapon, he would have been completely unable to resist.

In that instant, he had thought of many subsequent actions, including attacking Ethan's vital points while he was off guard, but he hadn't had time to make a move.

"What exactly do you want?"

"We're just looking for Bruce Wayne." Ethan wagged a finger. "I know you're going to say Bruce Wayne isn't home right now, and I also said I know how to find him."

"By using something Master Bruce once used?"

"Yes."

Ethan stepped back slightly, putting some distance between himself and Alfred again.

"You can go inside and get the item, I can wait here."

Although Alfred still didn't believe Ethan's words, he also wanted to figure out what this person was trying to do. He thought for a moment, and finally said he would retrieve something Master Bruce had used, just asking them to wait here for a moment.

Seeing Ethan nod in agreement, Alfred turned and went back into the mansion, leaving Ethan and Tony outside the door.

Neither Ethan nor Tony minded this situation; they even had the leisure to discuss the environment of the estate.

"Although it's not as grand as yours, there's a unique charm to these old estates."

"With your financial resources, buying a similar one shouldn't be difficult."

"It's not difficult, but why would I buy one?"

Although Tony was rich and willful, he wasn't someone who wasted money on pointless things. If his family liked this style of estate and lived in it often, he would certainly buy one.

But just thinking it's nice and buying it to leave it sitting there... he wasn't interested in that at all.

While the two of them were sightseeing here, Alfred had come out again, holding a few miscellaneous items in his hand. He walked into the courtyard towards Ethan and handed the pile of things in his hand to Ethan.

"I'm very curious how you plan to find Master Bruce with these things."

Ethan returned Alfred a smile.

"I'm not going to hide anything strange I do from you; you can watch here."

"I wasn't planning on leaving anyway."

Among the items Ethan held, only one handkerchief had been used by Bruce Wayne before. The rest were just randomly picked up in the mansion.

Seeing that the young man didn't ask him to step away, Alfred stood nearby and watched Ethan sorting through the items.

"You can call me Ethan." Ethan appeared to be simply rummaging through the items, but in reality, he was using magic to sense the original owner of the object.

These items were more or less tainted with the presence of many people, but only two items carried the most presence of a specific person.

One was a handkerchief, and the other was a fountain pen.

Ethan first glanced at the fountain pen, then handed it to Alfred beside him: "This is yours, right?"

Alfred was a little surprised. He hadn't expected this young man to be able to identify this fountain pen as his among these items.

Either this guy had collected detailed information, or he really had some strange abilities?

Compared to the ridiculous possibility of the latter, he thought the former was more likely. And who would pay so much attention to the Wayne family, even collecting such detailed information? Could they be after the shares the Wayne family held?

Just as Alfred was contemplating how to deal with this crisis, a highly unscientific scene unfolded before his eyes.

Ethan threw a pile of miscellaneous items aside, picking up only the handkerchief.

"I need to confirm first, this thing is no longer useful, right?"

"If possible... please try to preserve it..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the handkerchief had turned into a ball of blue flame in Ethan's hand. Immediately afterward, the blue flame turned into a wisp of blue smoke, which drifted and swirled, finally forming an image.

"What is this?"

The image formed by the smoke looked like a house built on a mountain peak.

"Where Bruce Wayne is currently located."

In reality, this searching spell wouldn't display the target's exact location. This image was something Ethan deliberately created for Alfred to see. The moment the handkerchief was destroyed, he had already obtained Bruce Wayne's precise coordinates and, while he was at it, left a magical mark on him.

As long as this mark existed, no matter where Bruce Wayne went, Ethan could pinpoint his location and go to him at any time.

Furthermore, he could monitor Bruce Wayne's situation anytime, anywhere, just like when he and Tony monitored Sam in the Transformers world.

Turning his head slightly, Alfred was now completely in a state of stupor. He had thought of many possibilities, but he had never imagined that such magical abilities actually existed in this world. So this young man wasn't a liar?

Alfred decided to calm down first. Perhaps this was just some kind of illusion? After all, it was just a wisp of smoke. Even if it formed a specific image, it wasn't entirely unexplainable. For example, some chemical reactions could also produce these effects.

"So you now know Master Bruce's location?"

"Yes."

Bruce Wayne was in the Himalayas, which meant he was receiving training from Ra's al Ghul in the League of Shadows. Ethan didn't avoid Alfred and directly discussed with Tony whether they should go and pick up Bruce early.

The film didn't describe in detail how long Bruce Wayne trained with the League of Shadows, but it certainly wouldn't have been as short as a few days.

"Wait, I'm curious about what kind of training he's receiving."

Tony suddenly realized that this was a perfect opportunity to witness the birth of Batman firsthand. Moreover, the League of Shadows was a very intriguing organization. It was originally a purely villainous group that often caused trouble only to be stopped by superheroes.

Yet, such an organization had trained superheroes, and not just one.

This point truly fascinated Tony. Besides the famous Batman, Green Arrow, who also became a superhero as an ordinary person, had also received training from the League of Shadows.

"So... we're still going to peek?"

"Cough cough!"

Alfred watched the two of them discuss so enthusiastically, completely ignoring his presence, and did they forget that they were still standing on the grounds of Wayne Manor?

"Excuse me, I'm a bit curious about the League of Shadows you just mentioned. Could you tell me more about it?"

Since Alfred asked, Ethan casually introduced the general information about the League of Shadows and also explained what he knew about Bruce Wayne's current situation.

"So, you already knew Master Bruce's situation, but you just couldn't determine his location?"

That's why they specifically came to Wayne Manor to ask him for something Bruce had used, in order to find Bruce's whereabouts.

"However, why are you looking for Master Bruce?"

"Actually, we have no ill intentions. My friend here is a bit curious about Bruce Wayne and wants to talk to him."

"That's it?"

Alfred didn't believe it. Who would be so bored?

The truth was, Tony was exactly that bored.

"So are we going to find Master Bruce now?"

He planned to go with them to bring Bruce Wayne back to Gotham. He had been away long enough, and it was time for him to return.

Unexpectedly, the two of them weren't preparing to leave to find Bruce Wayne. Instead, they looked like they wanted to watch a show. Alfred wasn't sure what kind of show they wanted to watch.

When Ethan waved his hand and a blue circle appeared out of thin air, and then the man named Tony seemed to throw something into it, a very clear image suddenly appeared before the few of them, from the holographic projection device on Tony's wrist.

The old butler Alfred finally saw the familiar Bruce Wayne again, and his young master seemed to be undergoing training.

Through the image appearing before them and the conversation between the two people beside him, Alfred knew what kind of show they wanted to watch. These two wanted to watch Bruce Wayne's training process from start to finish.

At the same time, he also heard a piece of information: it seemed that after completing his training, Bruce would return to Gotham.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 533: This is Your Destiny

After careful consideration, Alfred decided to invite Ethan and Tony to stay at Wayne Manor.

One reason was that he could use this magical method to know Bruce's situation. Another was that he wanted to keep these two men where he could see them at all times, observe them closely, and find out their true intentions.

The claim that they just wanted to chat with Bruce was simply not convincing.

When Ethan and Tony heard the invitation, they didn't think too much and accepted it directly.

They needed a place to stay, and Wayne Manor was undoubtedly the best choice.

Moreover, they genuinely had no ill will toward Bruce, so they didn't care about Alfred's concerns at all.

For the next period, they stayed at Wayne Manor, their daily routine consisting of eating, sleeping, and watching Bruce undergo various training.

Due to the time difference, it wasn't always possible to constantly watch the situation over there, but how could the detector Tony threw out not have a recording function? Not only could they watch it slowly when they had time, but they could even pause, rewind, and enlarge the screen to carefully observe various details.

It could be said that while Bruce was receiving training from the League of Shadows, these two also clearly saw all the abilities the League possessed.

"Doesn't seem very useful."

Ethan rolled his eyes. Tony had now learned arcane magic, undergone physical enhancement, and possessed strength far beyond ordinary people. These things naturally held no attraction for him.

The only useful aspect was some combat concepts, which allowed Tony, who had relatively little life-and-death combat experience, to gain many insights. However, even he wasn't sure if these theories could be perfectly converted into actual strength.

Ethan's appearance had changed many things in the Marvel Universe. The number of times superheroes were dispatched and faced crises was significantly lower than in the original plot. Tony, in particular, did not have as many near-death experiences. Although his strength was not weak now, his combat experience was inferior to Iron Man in the original story.

However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In Ethan's view, as long as one could steadily improve their strength and ensure their combat power could always handle various situations, less experience would not overly affect the final outcome.

Ensuring one's strength always crushed the opponent meant a guaranteed win as long as one didn't act foolishly.

After staying for over a month, Ethan was surprised to find that Bruce's progress in learning within the League was astonishingly fast. If he continued at this pace, it wouldn't be long before he finished learning everything, which would also mean the League would officially recruit him.

This also meant Bruce would part ways with them, meaning he would be returning soon.

"Much faster than expected."

Tony nodded. Bruce's physical fitness might only be slightly stronger than an ordinary person's, but his learning ability was still astonishing, which matched his impression of Batman.

"That's good. At least we don't have to stay here bored for several months."

In the Batman world they visited before, there were beauties to admire. In this Dark Knight world, they didn't even know whom to look at to pass the time.

Rachel Dawes, who had important roles in the first two films, had good looks and figure, but this woman was Bruce's childhood friend, and her personality was the kind of saintly white lotus type that Ethan least wanted to provoke.

Besides her, the only other beauty worth noting in the entire trilogy was Catwoman, who appeared in the third film, but who knew where this little thief was hanging out now?

Furthermore, Ethan's interest in her was limited, not enough to waste too much energy looking for her, and the remaining extras wouldn't interest him either.

In fact, there was nothing in the entire Dark Knight world that he cared about. Batman had a lot of high-tech equipment, but most of it fit the era's background and there was no black technology to collect.

At the same time, this relatively realistic world had no special powers, so during the time before Bruce returned, Ethan actually didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, his learning ability was strong enough to significantly reduce this boring period.

After watching Bruce fight the fake Ra's al Ghul with Tony and Alfred and blow up the League's base on the snowy mountain, they knew it was time to bring this wealthy man who had been wandering abroad for many years back home.

Alfred, who had long wanted to bring him back, immediately arranged everything. So when Bruce called and heard that his old butler was already waiting at a nearby airport, he seemed a little surprised.

When he met Alfred, he thought his whereabouts had been exposed long ago, and that the old butler had only not contacted him proactively because he knew Bruce wouldn't return directly.

"When did you find me?"

"Not long ago." Alfred finally saw him, and since Ethan and Tony hadn't done anything malicious during this time, he temporarily believed their words. However, he still reminded his young master slightly: "Thanks to the help of these two gentlemen."

Bruce had already noticed Ethan and Tony standing not far away, but he didn't know who they were. Knowing that Alfred would definitely introduce them, he didn't ask.

Now, hearing Alfred's introduction, he understood something from it.

"Hello, I'm Bruce Wayne."

He was wearing ragged and old robes, showing no sign that he was one of the world's top billionaires.

"I'm Ethan."

"Tony."

After shaking hands and introducing themselves, the few people boarded the Wayne family's private jet together.

The private jet had suitable seating arrangements, allowing the four people to sit facing each other and talk. After sitting down, Bruce kept observing the two men in front of him, a middle-aged man and a young man. Both were strangers; he was certain he had never seen them before.

In the brief moment before boarding the plane, Alfred had briefly told him that these two had specifically come to find him and possessed some special abilities, which was why they were able to know his location.

"Strange special abilities?"

Bruce didn't believe in supernatural things. He thought they might have other means, disguised as special abilities.

But he was very curious why they were looking for him.

"Just wanted to see you and chat casually."

The middle-aged man named Tony had been constantly observing him. Bruce was very perceptive and had naturally noticed this long ago, especially since Tony didn't try to hide it at all.

"Chat...?"

Bruce first glanced at Alfred, then at Tony. He realized that Tony was serious; he really just wanted to chat with him.

"Chat about what?"

Tony looked at him. He knew what this young man would do after returning to Gotham.

Batman was about to be born.

"I have some questions that you probably can't answer right now. What I want to know now is, are you going to implement your plan immediately after you go back?"

Bruce's pupils constricted slightly. His reaction was already very small compared to most people, but the two men in front of him were not ordinary, so they both noticed this and confirmed that he was about to become Batman.

In reality, he only had a vague idea in his mind. The idea of Batman came about unexpectedly after returning, and then he was truly born.

However, considering his psychological journey, Ethan felt that no matter what, he would become that Dark Knight with two pointy ears on his head.

Bruce himself couldn't know this. He was still shocked by Tony's words, wondering if it meant what he thought it did.

He only had a vague idea, so why would this person ask this?

"Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Using fear to deter criminals, isn't that what you're planning to do?"

"... "

Tony stated it directly. Bruce found that things were developing in the most incredible direction. Who exactly was this person? Why would he know his own vague thoughts?

He had been away from Gotham for too many years. He needed to go back and assess the situation before deciding exactly how to proceed. Before that, he didn't know what he would do.

But this person seemed certain of what he would do.

Bruce and Tony stared at each other for a moment, then he suddenly shifted his gaze to Ethan's face.

He hoped to discern something from this young man, but unfortunately, Ethan just sat there with a smile, calmly drinking his beverage and eating snacks, while chatting about trivial matters with Alfred.

He didn't get any useful information from this person's words, so he had to turn his attention back to Tony.

"Why do you think I would do those things?"

Because that's how it's described in the comics, but Tony didn't answer that way. Instead, he dramatically spread his hands: "This is your destiny, Bruce."

Hearing Tony's words, Ethan almost choked on his snack. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and avoided the ridiculous scene of half-choking on food.

However, it still attracted the attention of the others. Bruce's gaze was searching, wanting to gather more information, while Tony's expression was clearly displeased: Was what I said funny?

Ethan looked at the scene, trying hard to make his expression serious, and raised the drink in front of him towards Bruce: "That's right, Bruce, this is your destiny!"

(To be continued.)