I'm in an American comic book, and all my teammates are main characters and bosses.

Chapter 113 - Barry's Burden: Going to Work to Get Off Work

Looking at Bruce in front of her, gazing at his mature face, Martha's face was filled with visible joy.

Just as Bruce remembered, compared to her rigid and strict father, her mother always had a smile on her face. Especially when she was in front of him, no matter what had happened, as long as she saw him, her mother would show a genuinely happy smile.

Even though it had been a long time since she had seen herself, her mother's smile was still as warm as the sun...

Reaching out her hand, Martha said sadly:

"You must be exhausted, Bruce... You're in the prime of your life, yet you've taken on so much responsibility at such a young age. Even just looking at you, I can feel the pain in your body."

"..."

Silence reigned, but reason told Bruce that he should righteously push the woman away, because she was not his mother… at least, not his biological mother in this world. Similarly, he was not the little Bruce she remembered.

But after a long silence, Bruce finally said in a cold voice, "It's nothing."

"No, no, little Bruce, I am your mother."

Martha looked at Bruce with concern and said with a sorrowful expression:

"Thomas and I were absent from your childhood... Things shouldn't be like this now. We should have been a happy family. I know, I understand, why you became like this. Just like Thomas and I, we became like this because we lost you."

"But you won't need to worry about that anymore."

Meeting Bruce's widening eyes, Martha said with concern, "Dad and Mom are back... Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. Whether you want to be Batman or not, it's up to you. We'll help you."

As she said this, a smile appeared on Martha's face. Although Martha was trying her best to suppress her smile, at that moment, the faint scars on her cheeks still made the smile look slightly sinister and terrifying.

"Mom and Dad will protect you. No matter who your enemies are, anyone who wants to hurt you, even if they only have such evil thoughts, Mom and Dad will help you deal with them!"

Martha said, "Just like the gift I gave you today! Do you like it?"

Upon hearing Martha's words, Bruce's eyes widened instantly, recalling the Joker's stiff smile. He then abruptly shoved Martha away. Before the bewildered Martha could ask any questions, Bruce raised his hand to stop her from approaching, his gaze stern and cold as he said:

"That's enough! That's enough!"

Hearing the coldness in Bruce's words, a hint of sadness flickered in Martha's eyes, but this sadness did not shake her spirit. Raising her head again, Martha simply gazed silently at Bruce. After a moment, she took a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, forcing a smile, she said:

"Little Bruce... he's finally grown up."

Upon hearing this, Bruce's eyes flickered twice, but he ultimately regained his composure and did not let his emotions cloud his judgment.

"No, Martha, you know you're just from another world..."

Before Bruce could finish speaking, Martha interjected, "Hadn't Thomas made it clear enough to you? My child, we don't care about this at all."

Having said that, Martha didn't press the matter further, but instead looked at Bruce and said:

"I knew from the beginning, but so what? Can a mother's love be extinguished just because the world is different? Can you be indifferent to our existence just because the world is different?"

"No, Bruce... I can hear your heartbeat. It's Bruce Jr.'s heartbeat, not Batman's."

Martha looked at Bruce and said, "It's a mother's intuition..."

Bruce: "..."

Bruce remained silent. They gazed at each other for a moment, a hint of sadness creeping into Martha's eyes. Thomas approached and gently supported Martha's slightly swaying body.

They looked at each other without speaking, but the couple, who had endured so much hardship, understood each other's intentions with just a glance.

Martha nodded, and seeing this, Thomas reached out and grasped Martha's hand, expressing his husband's commitment through his actions.

Thomas turned his gaze back to Bruce and spoke in a similarly deep but hoarse voice:

"Although it was all expected, there is no doubt that you have hurt a mother's heart."

Bruce: "..."

Bruce remained standing there, his face obscured by a bat-head hood and cape, making it impossible to see his expression.

However, it is foreseeable that Bruce's inner world is definitely not as calm as it appears.

Thomas didn't press further, simply saying, "Martha and I will leave here, and you don't need to stop us, because you can't keep us here, just like you can't even disable the security system at Wayne Manor right now."

"I know why you insist on Batman's ideals, and I also know how to make you give up this unwarranted obsession..."

"Now, let's face reality."

Thomas said, "This night sky no longer belongs to you alone."

With that, Thomas and Martha, who had regained her composure, helped each other up and then turned to leave.

Throughout the process, Martha's eyes remained fixed on Bruce's figure, while Bruce remained unmoved until Martha and Thomas walked past Bruce and, led by Alfred, boarded a pre-arranged old-fashioned car.

Bruce gradually relaxed as he watched the car drive away through the gates of Wayne Manor through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby.

Perhaps because he had been too tense before, Bruce felt a little weak as soon as he relaxed, and subconsciously fell onto the sofa next to him.

Seeing this, they thought Bruce had been poisoned by some unknown toxin. Drake and Barbara from the Bat Family immediately ran over and anxiously asked if he had encountered any problems, whether they needed to make an antidote, or to contact other members of the Justice League.

Bruce simply waved his hand at this, then turned his gaze to Barry on the side.

Looking at Barry, who was burying his head in the corner like an ostrich pretending he knew nothing, Bruce was silent for a moment, then shook his head helplessly and said, "Okay, Barry... I don't blame you, but now that things have come to this, you should at least tell me the truth."

"Hahaha……"

Upon hearing Bruce's voice, Barry's lips twitched slightly, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

Meanwhile, Ron somehow found the Joker's head that Bruce had left in the Batcave for analysis.

Looking at the head that fans call "Ugly King," Ron examined it from all sides with great interest.

As expected of the Joker's wife, Martha's skills were indeed superb. She completely severed the Joker's head, yet the overall impact was minimal. The cut at the neck was smooth and even, the sharp knife piercing along the lines of bone and muscle. Although Ron hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he was certain that the cut must have been incredibly smooth and harmonious.

But Martha was a good girl who had never even killed a chicken before she became the Joker, yet now she is able to use such knife skills so skillfully.

So it really is related to the arcane environment that has become completely integrated into Gotham's air circulation...?

Thinking this, Ron also looked out the window at the Gotham sky with great interest.

Before joining the World Tree, there were many things in this world that Ron couldn't understand. For example, Gotham right now—it's hard to imagine what kind of environment could have shaped such outstanding people and places.

Now, having gained a clear understanding of arcane energy through the newcomer benefits, and having a full understanding of this fundamental substance that constitutes the spirit of all things and even living beings, Ron discovered that many things that were previously incomprehensible could be felt to varying degrees through the connection with arcane energy.

At least for now, it's no exaggeration to say that Gotham will change everyone.

Thinking this, Ron also sensed the special secret power hidden in the smile on the Joker's head.

Or rather, a special mystical creation—the Dionysian Factor.

In the DC Universe, the Dionysian Factor manifests as a green, liquid metal that only repairs itself when its host is injured; otherwise, it remains latent and undetectable. The Dionysian Factor did not originate in Gotham; it existed on Earth long before human civilization developed. It appears in numerous mythologies, and it is because of the Dionysian Factor that Earth possesses a self-healing ability unique to planets in other universes.

Thinking this, Ron turned his gaze to Bruce beside him. Bruce, in turn, was also looking at Ron. Clearly, this Batman had many questions for Ron. At the very least, he wanted to understand what his parents' arrival would cause, and whether it would lead to irreversible consequences.

"Actually, you can rest assured about that~" Ron said with a smile, seeing through Bruce's concerns:

"Thomas is now considered part of the World Tree, a special, unofficial member of the world itself, a wedge connecting the two worlds. Under these circumstances, his and Martha's appearance won't cause a spacetime catastrophe due to the exchange of materials. Of course, this only applies to the worlds themselves. Anyway, judging from Thomas and Martha's personalities, they would absolutely not allow Gotham to continue hurting their beloved little Bruce."

Hearing this, Bruce nodded in agreement—as long as the impact could be confined to Gotham, that was enough. Although it was still a headache and a tricky situation, at least it wouldn't attract the attention of the other members of the Justice League.

"However, during the process of world reincarnation, the residual poison of another world may also affect this world, so you'd better prepare in advance."

"...I understand." Bruce nodded, just about to ask something else, when he saw Ron throw the Joker's head at him.

"Keep it safe, you might need it someday."

"...What do you mean?"

Listening to Bruce's words, Ron said nonchalantly, "It may sound strange, but when facing an enemy that's so difficult to defeat that it's almost impossible, the Joker is your best partner. Of course, you can also choose to refuse and let your parents in the other world see how brave you are when you grow up."

"..."

Bruce didn't speak, but stared at the clown's head that Ron had thrown at him for a moment before saying, "He's dead."

"That's just because you think he's dead."

Ron said, "Think about it carefully, in ancient songs and stories, the epic tales of heroes are always accompanied by miraculous healings, eternal youth, and triumph over death..."

"The immortal herb that grants eternal youth since the time of Gilgamesh, the fountain of youth in a town in the ancient Macedonian Empire, the mythical beast that grants life for three thousand years with a single ride, the flesh of a mermaid that grants life for eight hundred years with a single bite..."

"In essence, they are all Dionysian factors, a special kind of mystical structure."

Upon hearing this, Bruce narrowed his eyes and looked at the clown's head in his hand.

"This secret energy structure is called the 'Dionysian Factor,' a magical component that can only be observed and take effect in a near-death situation. And the Joker possesses the highest purity of the Dionysian Factor."

Hearing Ron's words, Bruce more or less guessed what Ron wanted to say. But in the end, Bruce just shook his head.

"This is like trying to get something from a tiger."

"No, this is the greatest joy for him, and I believe he would be more than happy to help his dear Batman~"

As he said this, Ron patted non-existent dust off his shoulder and then said, "Ask Barry about the rest. Things here are finally done, I'm going back to rest now."

As soon as the voice faded, before Bruce and the others could react, a portal appeared behind Ron. He stepped inside, and then Ron vanished from the scene.

Looking at the empty space, Bruce nodded thoughtfully, then clapped his hands and said, "This matter ends here... Drake, you and Barbara rebuild the Batcave's defense system. Todd, you increase patrols during this time, at least to determine the current activity area of ​​those two."

Those two people, without a doubt, are Old Bat and Mrs. Joker.

It was a tough job, but Todd had no objections and simply nodded.

Bruce then turned his gaze to Barry.

"Barry, let's go get some food first."

Upon hearing this, Barry, with a mournful face and a look of utter despair, was dragged by Bruce to the restaurant next door.

(End of this chapter)