Everyone here had more or less gotten used to Batman's comings and goings like a ghost.
If there ever came a day when they turned their heads and found Batman still obediently standing in place, that might actually surprise them now.
Gwen and Jessica also nodded immediately upon seeing Bruce vanish, their agile figures swiftly leaving the scene.
"These guys, seriously…" Stark really didn't know what to say anymore.
"Alright, what we need to do now is clean up this mess."
Lifting Reed up, Monica delivered the former member of the Fantastic Four to Susan.
"I trust you know what to do with him," Monica said solemnly as she looked at Susan.
Although the Fantastic Four weren't officially affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D., under the current circumstances, they were already operating as one.
So there was no need to fuss about labels.
Susan nodded. She didn't even touch Reed—instead, she used her powers to keep him floating in the air.
Looking at Reed, who had now completely lost the will to fight, Susan didn't know what to say either. With a sigh, she turned and walked away.
What came next was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s responsibility.
Back when Reed and his team had control over the world, they had destroyed the Triskelion directly.
Now, this place was likely to become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new base of operations.
At that moment, Nick Fury led his Howling Commandos up from the twentieth underground level. Seeing the wreckage around them, they could already imagine what must have happened here.
"Looks like we're due for some rebuilding."
Meanwhile, Bruce had already returned to the Batcave.
His suit had long since retracted, and the terrifying wound on his back had completely healed—not even a scar remained.
It was as if the injury had never existed.
Yet elsewhere on his body, traces of older wounds still lingered.
Even the Speed Force couldn't erase all the scars Bruce had sustained over the years.
And Bruce wouldn't have allowed it to.
Those scars were proof that he had once been human.
Even if they made his body look a bit gruesome—
It didn't matter.
Putting on his shirt, Bruce was about to try the red date bread that Jessica and the others had brought back.
Perhaps due to some aftereffects of the Speed Force, Bruce now felt like a ravenous ghost who hadn't eaten in days.
But he still maintained his composure, showing no signs of impatience as he calmly retrieved the red date bread Jessica and the others had stored earlier.
Although it had passed its best consumption period, Bruce wasn't being picky.
It had only been a day.
And it had been refrigerated.
Aunt May had been thoughtful enough to slice the whole loaf in advance.
Bruce might not be a cook, but making something like a peanut butter sandwich was well within his abilities.
What he needed now was high-calorie food.
Things he couldn't eat before—now, he could eat as much as he wanted.
When Jessica and Gwen returned to the Batcave, they found Bruce had already finished off all the red date bread they had brought back.
Jessica had initially wanted to say something to Bruce, but all her words got stuck in her throat.
She had known Bruce could eat red date bread without flinching—but that was just one slice. What he had devoured now was an entire loaf. That was a whole different story.
Swallowing hard, Jessica really didn't know what to say.
Gwen was even more stunned. Having tasted the red date bread herself, she knew exactly what it was like.
Bruce, however, had already cleaned up the mess in front of him and stood up, preparing to head out.
But with Jessica and Gwen now standing in his way, he couldn't leave.
Besides, Bruce could still feel that the void in his body hadn't been fully replenished—he still needed to eat.
This hunger was seriously uncomfortable.
"Move aside."
Bruce spoke to the two Spider-Women blocking the door.
Jessica and Gwen stepped aside in a daze, allowing Bruce to leave.
"He really ate all of it," Gwen said, still in disbelief.
"I didn't think it would actually happen either," Jessica replied, still unable to comprehend it. But she quickly realized something.
Wait a minute—wasn't their original purpose for coming here to ask Bruce what he had been thinking back then?
"We came to ask him what was going through his head when Kang the Conqueror appeared!" Jessica snapped back to her senses and grabbed Gwen's hand, running in the direction Bruce had left.
But by the time they looked around to find Bruce again, he had already driven off and disappeared.
"Looks like having a proper conversation with him might be a bit difficult," Gwen said helplessly to Jessica.
Jessica, however, turned back and smiled at Gwen.
"Don't underestimate me, girl." Jessica held up a screen toward Gwen. On it, a small red dot was speeding toward New York. "Following the Bat is bound to teach you some useful tricks. Like this one."
The screen even displayed the speed of the red dot, the current status of the vehicle, and whether it needed refueling.
Jessica had integrated everything into that one display.
You had to admit—sometimes, methods like this were incredibly effective.
"Come on, let's change outfits. It's time we had a proper talk with the Bat."
Jessica shed her symbiote battle suit and smiled at Gwen.
"Got it."
Fortunately, the Batcave had plenty of idle vehicles. Otherwise, Bruce wouldn't be able to take off so freely.
They picked an untouched Ford Mustang, hit the gas, and tore out of the Batcave.
Right now, they had only one goal: to find Bruce and ask what he was really thinking when Kang the Conqueror appeared.
Bruce, by now, had already found a Chinese restaurant that looked fairly authentic.
Ding-a-ling~
When the door opened, Bruce immediately drew the attention of those nearby.
After all, the "Enchanting Demon of Gotham" title wasn't just for show. That face spoke volumes.
But after Bruce sat down and looked at the menu—General Tso's Chicken, Royal Beef—he had tried these before, but found them too fusion-like, neither truly Chinese nor Western. He just couldn't accept them.
"Do you have anything else?" Bruce asked in Mandarin.
The waiter, who had been waiting to take his order, lit up upon hearing Bruce's flawless accent-free Mandarin.
"You should've said so earlier!"
Clearly a straightforward type, the waiter turned around and headed to the bar, returning with a plain-looking menu and handing it to Bruce.
"These are all authentic Hunan dishes!" the waiter said proudly.
After all, finding a place in America that made true Hunan cuisine was no small feat.
Americans preferred sweet and greasy flavors—spicy and savory Hunan food wasn't exactly popular.
"How long will it take to serve?"
"Within twenty minutes—don't worry, everything will absolutely be top-quality."
Bruce nodded and then pointed to a few items on the menu. "Not these. Bring everything else."
The waiter, perhaps having seen this sort of thing often in America, wasn't particularly surprised. He simply nodded and said to Bruce, "That's a lot. You might not be able to finish it all."
"It's fine. There'll be others joining me shortly," Bruce replied with a friendly smile as he handed the menu back.
"Alright then."
The waiter didn't say much more. As long as they paid, it didn't matter to him.
On the other side of the room, an American man eating his meal noticed the waiter bringing out a very different-looking menu. He glanced at his own menu and then waved the waiter over.
He asked what the difference was between the two menus.
The waiter, of course, answered honestly.
But that only made the man a little upset.
"I can eat it!" the man shouted at the waiter.
The waiter could only repeat himself patiently, "As I said, that menu is specifically for us. It likely won't suit your tastes. If you end up not liking it, that's not our responsibility."
The man waved him off dismissively, insisting the waiter take his order anyway.
Bruce simply sat quietly, calmly watching the scene unfold.
Sometimes, people needed to understand—certain dishes weren't on the public menu for a reason.
Just then, a silver sports car pulled up outside.
Seeing two Spider-Women step out, Bruce nodded to himself.
He wasn't the least bit surprised to see them here.
He was well aware of the trick Jessica had played on the car. He just hadn't bothered to deal with it.
That little gadget of hers could be blocked anytime Bruce wanted. It wasn't much of a threat.
And sometimes, devices like that could serve unexpected purposes.
Ding-a-ling~
When Jessica and Gwen walked in, they drew far more attention than Bruce had.
Who doesn't like beautiful women?
Especially when there are two of them walking in together.
Even the guy who had ordered from the spicy menu shifted his position just to get a better look at Jessica and Gwen.
But the next moment, Jessica and Gwen sat right across from Bruce.
"So, don't you think it's time we had a serious talk?" Jessica said with a stern face, like she was about to interrogate Bruce. There was no hint of friendliness.
Even Gwen kept a straight face, determined to ensure the conversation would be completely formal.
"Hold on a second."
Bruce called the waiter over.
"Yes?"
The waiter, quite professional, was only slightly surprised by the two stunning women, but he didn't let it affect his duties.
"Bring them each a glass of milk, and some fortune cookies if you've got any. I'm sure you do."
"Of course, I'll bring them right over."
Jessica and Gwen didn't fully understand what Bruce had said to the waiter, but they could more or less guess what he was up to.
"Just so you know, food won't shut me up," Jessica said with a commanding tone.
Bruce didn't respond—just sat there enduring his own hunger.
Seeing Bruce remain silent, Jessica assumed he was finally ready to talk seriously with them.
But before she could say another word, the waiter arrived with what Bruce had ordered.
"Two glasses of milk and two small servings of fortune cookies."
The waiter smiled as he spoke to Jessica and Gwen.
To be fair, both women were famished after a long bout of action.
Bruce's earlier antics had clouded their minds, but now that food was in front of them, it was hard to resist.
Bruce remained unbothered.
"Fine," Jessica muttered, looking at the fortune cookies and then at Bruce.
The Bat wasn't going anywhere. Might as well eat first.
She began eating, and Gwen followed suit.
The two Spider-Women were truly hungry. The tiny fortune cookies weren't nearly enough to satisfy them.
Instead, it only awakened their full appetite.
Before they could ask Bruce if he had ordered anything else, a delicious aroma reached their noses.
As enhanced humans, Jessica and Gwen could clearly pick up the scent.
The next moment, the waiter returned with the rest of Bruce's order.
One dish after another—rich, oily, and intensely fragrant Hunan dishes—was laid out on the table.
Despite the enticing aroma, neither Jessica nor Gwen dared to try anything.
The bright red chili peppers on top were enough to intimidate any American unaccustomed to spicy food.
But Bruce had already started eating.
Watching Bruce calmly consume the fiery-looking dishes, Jessica and Gwen both swallowed hard.
Eventually, hunger triumphed over fear. After all, if Bruce could eat it without batting an eye, and it smelled this good, it couldn't be that bad.
They just seemed to have forgotten how Bruce had eaten that red date bread earlier—also without flinching.
The moment the first bite entered their mouths, Jessica and Gwen felt a blast of searing heat—followed by an explosion of flavor.
Without needing to say a word, the two instinctively grabbed their milk and took big gulps to ease the burn.
"You, you…" Jessica didn't even know what to say to Bruce anymore.
But the dish had certainly whet her appetite.
Following Bruce's lead, the Spider-Women began to fully enjoy a culinary journey unlike anything they'd experienced before.
Even though they were soon sweating profusely, they still didn't stop.
They might just have fallen in love with the spicy, numbing, savory flavors.
Though, Jessica might have already forgotten what she came here for.
(End of Chapter)
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