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"By the way, where's Belt? You brought him back, right?"
Dan asked Stark, remembering Krim had been nearby when he blacked out.
"Don't worry. We brought him back. And that bat that refused to let go of you—we locked it up too."
"Locked it up?"
Dan almost laughed. Poor Kivat II couldn't escape ending up in a cage after all.
"You should let it out. If it weren't for that bat, I'd be dead."
Erik and Stark exchanged looks. That little thing saved him?
"Don't worry, Dan," Erik said. "I'll release it later. For now, you just focus on recovering."
"Yeah. Your health comes first. But since you're awake, I want to know—how are you gonna repay me? I've been losing sleep over you these past few days!"
Stark waggled his eyebrows with a crooked grin.
Dan smiled helplessly. "Repay you? Haven't you already dug through my teacher's lab? Isn't that enough?"
Stark scratched his nose, looking sheepish.
"Come on, I just tidied it up a little…"
Truth was, when Dan handed him the key, he hadn't thought much of the lab—it looked crude, nowhere near his own setup. But after taking a closer look, he realized the place was full of things he'd never seen before, flashes of genius hidden everywhere. He'd been obsessed with studying it ever since, dismantling it piece by piece in his mind.
Dan looked at the two of them and finally gave a small, genuine smile. "Thanks."
Erik said nothing. Stark only grinned and waved it off.
"Alright, now that you're awake, I've got business to handle. A deal's waiting for me."
He left with a casual goodbye, boarding the plane that would change his fate.
Dan stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. The orphanage had been avenged, yet he felt no joy. Why?
"Oh, right—Stark left this for you."
Erik set a certificate on the bedside table.
"What's this?"
Dan glanced at it.
"Valentine Orphanage—Director: Dan?"
He froze. Stark had transferred the orphanage to his name. But… what was the point?
Erik sat down. "Dan, I know you can't let go of the past. But you need to look forward. The kids are still waiting for you. They've lost their families too, and now they need someone to comfort them, to guide them into the future. That someone is you."
"The kids…"
Dan's weak hand clenched into a fist.
"The kids still have a future."
His hollow gaze sharpened with resolve. For the first time, he seemed to see a path forward. Erik saw it too—Dan's eyes had light again.
Half a month later, whether through sheer will or superhuman recovery, Dan was discharged.
"Belt."
Back at the base, Krim was waiting at the entrance in his little car form.
"Welcome back, Dan." His screen face displayed a smiling emoji.
Seeing him, Dan felt a wave of guilt.
"Sorry, Belt. Because of my recklessness, you almost got buried with me in those ruins."
Krim waved his mechanical arms dismissively.
"Don't beat yourself up. I understood how you felt. And besides, we're partners—we share the risks together."
Dan exhaled and smiled faintly. Still, in his heart, he swore never to let it happen again.
"Oh, right—the bat?"
"He's inside, resting."
Krim pointed with a claw. Hanging upside down from the ceiling was a small red-and-black bat, eyes shut, completely still.
"Dan, what exactly is this creature? I can detect immense energy inside him, but his condition looks like total exhaustion. He's in deep sleep, probably recovering. Who knows how long he'll be out."
Dan scratched his head, unsure how to explain Kivat II.
"Well… let's just say Belt, he's like you. He doesn't belong to this world either."
That immediately sparked Krim's curiosity. He scanned the bat again, more intently.
"From another universe? You're right—the energy isn't from my old world, and it's not from this one either. Fascinating. What is it with this place? So many things keep slipping in from other universes…"
Dan could only shake his head. He didn't understand it either.
"Forget it, let it keep sleeping."
Krim turned back to look at Dan.
"So what's your plan now? I heard from Stark—he said he's officially transferred the Valentin Orphanage to your name. He even joked that you're now the youngest orphanage director in the world."
Dan thought for a moment before answering.
"I want to visit the orphanage first, see how everyone's doing. If it's necessary, I'm thinking about building a base underneath it."
He'd already made up his mind. Since the orphanage was under his protection now, there was no way he'd let the same tragedy happen again. If he could build one underground base, then there was no reason he couldn't build another.
With that decided, Dan set off for the orphanage.
The moment he stepped out of the car at Valentin, he spotted a tall figure playing with the kids in the yard.
But it was Little Orange, standing alone in the corner, who noticed him first. She broke into a run like her life depended on it.
"Brother Dan!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw herself at him.
Dan's heart ached as he scooped her up.
"Don't cry, Little Orange. I'm here now."
"Brother… Grandma's gone, the uncles are gone too. I'm so scared. I was afraid you'd never come back either…"
Her sobs cut into Dan's heart like a knife, stabbing at the softest place inside him.
He hugged her tighter.
"Don't worry. I'm not leaving you again. I'll never leave you guys again."
"....."