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

Chapter 71 Departure, Metropolis

Upon hearing about Bruce's son, their grandson, even Thomas, who always maintained a cool and aloof persona, couldn't hold back for a moment.

Meanwhile, Martha pushed Thomas away from her embrace, her bright eyes fixed on Ron, her fists clenched as she said:

"Bruce's son? And what else? Tell me, tell me everything! And the Bat Family too... Damn it! The Bat Family? That nickname is infuriating! I have to find a way to change it! We should be a loving family, not damp bats hiding in a dark corner!"

Talking on and on, Martha couldn't help but bite her nails: "I bet they're wearing those ugly, uncomfortable, tight-fitting bodysuits. What's with the bats? I need to find a way to change their outfits... Hmm, I'll start with their clothes, and then gradually transform Gotham into a paradise!"

Ron, with a broad smile, was worried that Martha might change her mind, thinking that he might as well watch the drama unfold.

Having fun is important, but business is important too. After briefly inquiring about the candidates, Thomas shook his head after a moment's thought, indicating that he had no relevant information.

Somewhat disappointed, but mentally prepared, Ron didn't dwell on it too much. After returning to the casino fortress, Thomas and Martha gathered the last criminals and heroes of Gotham, the city in ruins.

Okay, there aren't many heroes, and even fewer criminals. Under Thomas's iron-fisted law enforcement, both criminals and heroes suffered varying degrees of severe blows. This resulted in Gotham, while still a cesspool, having produced a kingpin in both the underworld and the legitimate world.

In terms of safety, this Gotham world, while still a mess, is only on par with Hell's Kitchen. It's far inferior to the main universe's Gotham, which is teeming with talent. However, this doesn't mean Thomas lacks ability…

Conversely, under Thomas's bloody rule, Gotham City was transformed into an impregnable fortress. This brutal authority, born of fear, even overshadowed the terror of the apocalypse in the hearts of Gotham's inhabitants.

This can be seen in the fact that Gotham, shrouded in high walls, still maintains a relative order...

Upon hearing that the two dung mountains in Gotham City had actually joined forces and arrived at the scene immediately, the cryogenically frozen Victor's face was filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Looking at Thomas and Martha standing quietly beside the transport plane, waiting for the others to arrive, Victor approached Ron, rubbed his red glasses that were embedded in his flesh, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"You actually convinced them?"

"As expected of my new boss... Speaking of which, how did you convince them? They fight like madmen, I thought this couple had already broken up a long time ago."

Funded by Thomas to create these cryogenic undead soldiers, Victor is one of the few people in the world who knows both Thomas and Martha's identities. Under these circumstances, Victor doesn't know what caused the couple to part ways, but that doesn't prevent him from sensing the 'evil' within them.

Yes, whether it was to uphold order or simply to avenge his son, no matter how justifiable the reason, when these two started fighting, all Victor could sense was an obsession driven by fanaticism and turned into evil.

Thinking to himself, Victor glanced furtively at his two former bosses who were now entangled in a lovey-dovey conversation, and whispered, "Honestly, before this, I always thought that the whole of Gotham was part of their play."

"Don't doubt it, it's true."

Ron also curled his lip and said, "The Bat Family has always had some issues with their brains, but it doesn't matter. Anyway, this world is almost over. I'm more interested in seeing how they'll create this mess in the next world after things are over here."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Freeze blinked, then nodded seriously, gave a thumbs up, and said, "As expected of my new boss... I'd like to see it too, is there a chance?"

"Probably. Also, have you said this to every new boss?"

"hey-hey……"

Victor chuckled awkwardly a few times, then said with a matter-of-fact expression, "You have to understand. This world isn't like other parallel universes. Thomas really does kill people. And that clown lady too. As an ordinary scientist, I can only try to navigate between the two sides and manage to stay afloat."

"Shameless enough, but I like it."

Ron patted Victor on the shoulder and nodded approvingly, "There's a place for you in Ron Park. Do a good job, and you might even become a supervisor someday!"

"If you had a science department, I might consider it."

As they talked, many of the remaining survivors of Gotham City arrived. Among them were some familiar faces. In other parallel universes, these people would be either supervillains or superheroes. But in this world, with Thomas and Martha weighing heavily on their shoulders, they were just ordinary people walking the gray area.

Because no matter what they do, compared to Batman and the Joker, they seem not crazy enough, not evil enough.

With almost everyone present, and after receiving confirmation, Thomas clapped his hands lightly, and three specially made armed transport planes rose from beneath the casino fortress.

Thomas, standing to the side dressed as Batman, or rather, Batman II, didn't say much. Martha, in a white women's suit, however, opened her arms expectantly.

"You scum, you must have been going crazy long ago, right? In this oppressive apocalypse, you are ruled by an even more oppressive fear, forced to maintain a mere facade of order."

A few whispers rippled through the crowd, but Martha paid them no heed. Instead, a bizarre smile appeared on her face, and an invisible, twisted madness materialized into a peculiar aura, emanating from Martha and spreading outwards.

Ordinary people might not be able to sense this intangible yet undeniably present thing. But Ron could feel it… and very clearly. It all stemmed from Gotham itself. A twisted and dark obsession destroyed a family's lifelong happiness one night.

Subsequently, this darkness seeped into the survivors' bodies, and they began to consciously seek revenge and cause destruction, plunging the entire city into a morbid frenzy.

"The final festivities have begun!"

Martha laughed grotesquely: "Winner takes all! The winner's prize is a ticket to the next world! Of course, you can choose to refuse—because winning just means moving from one cesspool to another!"

Upon seeing Martha, the thugs who had come upon hearing the news were initially silent, then erupted in a frenzied cheer.

Even Ron, situated within it, could clearly feel the wave of chaos and disorder infecting everyone in the city.

No, it's not just a simple infection. This city has been suppressed by Thomas for far too long, like a volcano whose only outlet has been forcibly blocked. And now, with Martha and Thomas reaching a consensus on Bruce's upbringing, this long-suppressed chaos has finally erupted in its most intense form.

In the DC universe, power is mostly idealistic and has an origin. And now, without a doubt, in the instant their true nature is unleashed, these villains who were once suppressed by Thomas and were neither high nor low have been reborn.

Of course, rather than saying that their own power was unleashed, it would be more accurate to say that... this world was yearning for new life?

Looking down at the world beneath his feet, now tainted by the curse, Ron could hear a subtle melody... The melody was not continuous, nor even beautiful; it was filled with jarring noise and a desolate sense of despair.

This world yearns for life, like a cicada buried deep underground, having survived the harsh winter, wanting to grasp this last glimmer of hope, shed its shackled shell, and enter the next stage of life...

but now……

"Sorry, I can't."

Ron was well aware of his abilities—even with the boost from external energy, Ron's essence was far from salvation. Or rather, the name Bloodborne itself foreshadowed that all of Ron's achievements so far were a curse.

If Ron has acquired such immense power that he can influence the world, then given his complex background, he'll only turn the world into an even larger cancer cell...

Okay, I'm not entirely sure about DC. But if it's the Marvel Universe, most cancers are related to contamination by extradimensional deities—even Thor's cancer is linked to the word "external."

but……

"I'll still help you if possible, buddy." Stomping his foot, Ron took out a cigarette, looking somewhat dejected—he didn't smoke, but simply felt that having a cigarette in his mouth at this moment would be quite fitting.

"However, I can't guarantee anything, after all, my own evolution isn't even complete yet."

Whether or not he understood Ron's words, the cries of anguish from this world did indeed lessen considerably after he said those words.

"..."

Seriously, man? Are you serious?

In the silence, he felt an invisible force empowering him, and a hint of helplessness appeared in Ron's eyes.

This power is not strong, in fact, it is extremely weak. Its only effect might be to allow Ron to more easily control some of the energy and matter in this world. But undeniably, this is the only help that this world itself can provide.

Ron was certain that this power wasn't limited to this dying world, but was a universal power within the DC universe...

I'm obligated to help, so I'll try to find a solution no matter what.

With that in mind, Ron also boarded the armed transport plane with the cryogenically frozen Victor.

Yes, Victor's entourage is quite large. In addition to hundreds of modified cryogenic undead, he also carried away the corpses soaking in organic solutions in the laboratory, as well as the most crucial cryogenic generator incorporating arcane technology.

Of course, only a portion was placed on the plane. Most of the core items were directly transferred to the Infinite City—for which Viktor hadn't received his salary yet and was already in debt for rent.

What? You're asking why we need to charge rent?

Victor's own original world was about to explode, and he had nowhere to go. Although he was an employee, business was business and personal was personal. Ron had spent a staggering thirty system coins to import this Infinite City from another world.

Moreover, Victor has not yet obtained the qualification to travel to other worlds as a survivor. Before officially joining the company, Ron will not lack anything he is entitled to.

"A boss like you should be hung on a street lamp... no, considering the park, maybe you should be placed at the shooting range, that's too evil."

"Don't be ridiculous. The rent will be paid back naturally once you officially start working here. By the way, how's the research on Bai Shuang going? Any results?"

On the plane, in the front cabin with Thomas and Martha, Ron asked casually, "If you could use this, freezing an entire world would be a piece of cake."

"It's not that easy. I've only just started my research, and I've already been moved onto a plane along with my lab."

Victor glanced at his former boss, who was resting with his eyes closed, and rolled his eyes at Ron. Although he didn't seem to respect him much, Victor wasn't stupid. He complained about how much had happened in less than a day, but he still quickly presented his results.

"I can only confirm some of the activity of this thing called White Frost... Hmm, the information the Stinky Bat gave me included a similar special material. Although it can't be used, it can accelerate the release of its properties to some extent, thereby causing the temperature within the magical radiation range to drop sharply in a short period of time."

"But that's about it. This cooling speed isn't even as good as my freezer... Speaking of which, boss, I'm working for you now, could you give me a bigger batch of powder?"

Victor couldn't help but plead, "Even counting the tips you gave me, I only have a little over a gram of White Frost. I'm working for you, so please be a little more generous!"

"Dream on, someone pre-ordered this."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You know Norse mythology, right? Queen Frigga herself placed an order with me. Why don't you go and nod at her? Or maybe you can offer something more valuable!"

"Uh... never mind then, let's wait until production increases before we talk about it again."

As a future employee, Victor also had a brief chat with Nakime, the chief steward, while moving things.

According to Nakime, the lower limit of the park's production capacity is decreasing, while the output is increasing. Once the output is higher, she will naturally have more white frost to use for experiments.

Just as Victor was about to ask about the current production figures, a roar was heard, and behind them, an armed helicopter escorting the transport plane was shot down by the murky seawater cannon.

(End of this chapter)