Thomas Wayne looked at his young daughter, Brucey, who was crestfallen because Gwen, her older sister, couldn't go to the movies with them.
He knelt down, extended his broad, warm hand, gently stroked her head, and comforted her softly, "Baby, don't be sad.
Sister can't make it this time, but next time we'll pick a day when everyone is free and go to the movies to our heart's content, okay?"
Tears were still glistening on Brucey's face, but after hearing her father's words, she sniffled, forced a small smile, and nodded.
After comforting his daughter, Thomas stood up, intending to attend to his affairs.
But he quickly discovered a problem.
Walking into the bathroom, he habitually picked up the newspaper from the shelf nearby and casually flipped through it.
As soon as his gaze fell on the newspaper, he felt it looked familiar.
On the later pages, a familiar movie poster appeared—the mask of zorro.
So, this newspaper was the one Brucey gave him?
He frowned slightly, put down the newspaper, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart, but he didn't pay too much attention to it, thinking perhaps someone else had also bought this newspaper.
Afterward, Thomas went to the study to handle some work.
He hadn't even finished a few tasks when Thomas reached out and a newspaper appeared in his hand.
Looking at the familiar newspaper in his hand, it was still the same one Brucey had given him.
To get to the bottom of it, Thomas began to walk around the mansion.
In every corner of the entire estate, no matter which room he entered, Thomas found newspapers with the same content.
Although his mansion was vast, he wouldn't buy so many identical, expired newspapers to keep at home, would he?
Just as Thomas was filled with doubt and deep in thought, a gentle knock sounded at the study door.
"Come in," Thomas instinctively replied.
Gwen pushed the door open, a gentle yet mysterious smile on her face, her steps light and steady.
Thomas turned to look at Gwen, his eyes full of confusion.
Before he could speak, Gwen took out a wallet from her embrace, holding it with both hands, and solemnly placed it in front of Thomas.
"Dad, this is an advanced version of the previous bracelet-like product, with more comprehensive functions and higher security."
Upon hearing this, Thomas instantly understood the crucial role of the wallet.
However, new questions arose in his mind; the previous bracelet already had incredible functions, not only requiring infrequent charging but even being able to withstand submachine gun fire.
Under seemingly stable circumstances, why would Gwen choose to create this new version of the equipment at this critical juncture?
Before Thomas could voice his doubts, Gwen continued to explain.
"You don't have to worry about Mom; I made her a pearl necklace version," Gwen earnestly instructed, so seriously that one might think she was the mother, worrying about a child being forgetful.
"When you go out, you must wear it and never take it off."
After a moment's thought, Thomas's gaze shifted from the wallet.
He picked up the stack of identical newspapers next to the desk, looked at Gwen, and asked, "These newspapers, did you arrange them?"
Gwen still smiled and nodded gently.
"You want Brucey to see this movie? Why?"
Hearing this question, Gwen's smile faded, her expression became exceptionally serious, and her gaze locked onto Thomas: "Dad, I would never harm you all."
Indeed, with Gwen's intervention, the Crime Alley incident would be impossible under normal circumstances.
But the problem is, setting aside things like World fate correction force, even in the comic snippets she'd seen, there was a scene where The Batman Who Laughs kidnapped a Bruce Wayne whose parents were both alive.
Gwen felt she was indeed quite strong now, at least capable of beating ordinary gangs and some less powerful super-powered individuals.
But she knew it was still too early to fight a villain like The Batman Who Laughs.
Even without mentioning The Batman Who Laughs, Darkseid, Brainiac, or any random Kryptonian would be beyond the capabilities of the ordinary alien heroes she knew.
These super-villains descending from beyond the Earth, without a Batman-like existence with a built-in cheat, would be very difficult to defeat.
Therefore, whether it was for safe living on Earth in the future or to give her sister more self-preservation abilities,
Gwen felt she was an incompetent sister, and had to make her younger sister become Batman.
At least... in the script she wrote for her, she wouldn't have so many enemies and pain, and her parents wouldn't truly die.
For a moment, the study was eerily quiet.
Thomas gazed at Gwen, and Gwen met her father's eyes without flinching; their gazes locked, and an invisible tension seemed to fill the air.
Thomas frowned deeply, his mind in a fierce internal struggle, various thoughts flashing through his brain.
Finally, he hesitated, then slowly nodded, no longer pressing the issue.
He decided to trust his gut feeling; he didn't want to doubt a child he had raised.
"Do whatever you want to do..."
Late at night, on the balcony of the Wayne mansion, a cool breeze drifted by, bringing wisps of chill.
Brucey, dressed in loose pajamas and barefoot, stood silently, gazing intently at the night sky, completely lost in thought, appearing particularly entranced.
At some point, Gwen also came to the balcony.
She slowly walked beside Brucey, a gentle smile on her face as always, and softly asked, "Brucey? Why aren't you asleep yet? What are you looking at?"
Brucey, startled by the voice, paused.
After a moment of thought, she slowly shook her head, her voice tinged with confusion: "I don't know either."
Gwen couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to gently ruffle Brucey's hair, teasing, "How can you not even know what you want to look at?"
Brucey looked up at the pitch-black night sky, devoid of a single star, and explained, "I came out to look at the stars.
I saw on TV that when people are too excited to sleep, they come out to look at the stars."
Gwen raised an eyebrow slightly, following Brucey's gaze to the night sky: "So you came out to look at the stars too?"
"Yes, but it seems..."
"Don't forget, in Gotham, there are rarely many clear days."
"Yes..." Brucey finally came back to her senses, turned to look at Gwen, and asked curiously, "Sister, why are you out here too?"
Gwen's smile remained, her voice soft: "I couldn't sleep, so I came out to get some air."
Brucey nodded, half-understanding, and her gaze returned to the night sky.
Gwen let out a long sigh and turned to go back inside.
Just then, Brucey's urgent voice sounded from behind her: "Sister, can you really not come to the movies with us?"
Gwen said nothing, only shook her head.
Upon hearing this, Brucey's eyes showed a flicker of disappointment, but she still nodded understandingly and looked up at the sky again.
A night sky with no stars.