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Chapter 87: Anti-Tony Armor (2)
Numerous high-tech instruments filled the vast Batcave, the intricate and complex equipment making one dizzy at first glance. These instruments, if placed in the outside world, could fetch exorbitant prices, many being priceless and unattainable! Countless national laboratories couldn't acquire such equipment, yet all of it had been brought into this Batcave.
Bruce took off his shirt, revealing a powerful physique. He hoisted a small hydraulic press, combining a large number of materials unheard of in the outside world. To forge a super armor capable of confronting formidable threats, he had long harbored a vague concept in his mind, and now was the time to put it into practice.
The number of various superpowered individuals was constantly increasing. Bruce always felt a sense of urgency, refusing to allow himself to be utterly defenseless before anyone.
Many machines roared to life, his butler, Alfred, assisting him. In the spacious yet somewhat cluttered Batcave, only the two of them and a host of computer programs were busy at work.
The heavy sound of machines echoed through the Batcave, adding to the somber atmosphere.
“Every time you do this, it causes significant trouble.” Alfred no longer wore his usual gentle smile. His expression was serious; despite helping Bruce, he couldn't help but advise him.
“You’ve been taking care of me since I was a child.” Bruce wiped sweat from his forehead, walked to a giant computer, and input a new round of data. “You should understand, you can’t persuade me. I must put an end to this source of evil.”
“These things aren't for fighting Joker; you want to deal with someone else, Mechanic tony. You intend to build an unprecedented armor to confront him.” Alfred lifted a large piece of armor, which would eventually be melted down to refine its core materials.
“You’ve said more than once that you want to protect this city, not destroy it.”
“I am protecting this city in my own way.”
“No, you are personally destroying it; this is a path of no return.” Alfred straightened up. “You are actively waging war against a mutant, and one with such formidable power…. You should be more concerned with Joker, not Tony. Joker is the true source of evil in this city’s chaos.”
Bruce was a little stubborn: “Joker is, and Tony is too. I will put both of them in prison. Joker is massacring the upper echelons, and Tony is inciting commoners to war. These two have thrown all of Gotham City into chaos. They presume to be above everyone else, using their will to replace the will of others, forcing people to follow their ideology. This is the most dangerous course of action.”
“What about Rachel then?! You’d rather stay here and build armor than care for Rachel?! Joker has already threatened to kill her! In a few hours, Joker will kill Rachel!” Alfred suddenly raised his voice.
Bruce’s movements suddenly paused. He slowly put down the tool in his hand. Alfred’s words were like a clap of thunder, jolting him awake to things he didn’t want to recall. This complex-minded Dark Knight had already made a painful, yet, in his view, necessary decision deep within his heart.
“At the press conference, I will take off my mask.” Bruce said in a low voice. “But this does not mean I admit defeat. Even if exposed, I will still capture Joker!”
The wrinkles on Alfred’s face deepened. He knew Bruce too well; having looked after him since his parents were killed in his youth, raising him to adulthood, he understood Bruce’s somewhat dark psyche best. Bruce had, after all, grown up amidst hatred.
To some extent, Bruce was lying, or perhaps, even Bruce himself wasn’t clear about his own thoughts.
Rachel was Bruce’s childhood sweetheart; they grew up together, sharing a close relationship and mutual affection. Even during the years Bruce received training from the League of Shadows, their feelings for each other never ceased.
Unfortunately, the two of them never ended up together. Rachel loved Bruce, not Batman. But Alfred understood that for Mr. Wayne, the identity of Bruce was merely a disguise; Batman was his true self.
This was undoubtedly a great tragedy.
When Harvey appeared in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne once believed he saw a beacon of hope. A legitimate Knight of Justice would lead the city toward a new future. But the greater the hope, the greater the setbacks, and the greater the unwillingness in his heart.
Falcone’s era was ended by his own hand. Immediately after, the Falcone Crime Family, hand-in-glove with both political and legal circles, rose to power. Then the humanity-distorting Joker appeared, and Tony also arrived in Gotham City.
The entire city, almost overnight, teetered from full of hope, its situation deteriorating day by day, and even Harvey was shaken.
Bruce had made up his mind: if someone truly needed to step forward and bear responsibility, then it would be he, who dwelled in the shadows! He would, as Batman, defeat all enemies and save this city, no matter the cost!
Even if Rachel stood in his way, it wouldn’t matter!
His difficult early life experiences filled Bruce’s heart with darkness. He yearned for light but forever remained in darkness, navigating the boundary of light and darkness. He always viewed everything in the world with suspicion, never trusting anyone, never.
Bruce continued his work; he intended to build a top-tier armor capable of confronting an extraordinary combatant like Tony. These high-tech instruments, rare to find anywhere in the world, had already cost him over a billion dollars. Various rare materials would cost several hundred million more; this armor, in a sense, was a bottomless pit for money.
Alfred watched Bruce for a long moment, then silently joined the crafting process. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Since Young Master had made his decision, they would follow this path to its end. Through all the difficulties over the years, they had always supported each other this way. He hoped it would be the same this time.
Bruce pushed a high-precision laser onto a track, simultaneously placing a massive object on the other side for cutting.
“Don’t worry, Alfred, I’ve found a way to deal with Tony. He isn’t as invincible as you imagine; everyone has weaknesses, and there are no flawless abilities in this world.” Bruce used iron chains to pull another instrument, setting up the program on the electronic screen until the computer announced, “Setup complete.”
“You’ve found a way to counter him?”
“Yes, just like using a brainwave blocking device against Professor X. No one is ever perfect; Tony is human after all, not a god.” Bruce said, “I’ve found a way to deal with him. I will defeat him, and then personally send him to Arkham Asylum! I will use facts to show him that he has no right to impose his will upon others!”
(end of chapter)
Numerous high-tech instruments filled the vast Batcave, the intricate and complex equipment making one dizzy at first glance. These instruments, if placed in the outside world, could fetch exorbitant prices, many being priceless and unattainable! Countless national laboratories couldn't acquire such equipment, yet all of it had been brought into this Batcave.
Bruce took off his shirt, revealing a powerful physique. He hoisted a small hydraulic press, combining a large number of materials unheard of in the outside world. To forge a super armor capable of confronting formidable threats, he had long harbored a vague concept in his mind, and now was the time to put it into practice.
The number of various superpowered individuals was constantly increasing. Bruce always felt a sense of urgency, refusing to allow himself to be utterly defenseless before anyone.
Many machines roared to life, his butler, Alfred, assisting him. In the spacious yet somewhat cluttered Batcave, only the two of them and a host of computer programs were busy at work.
The heavy sound of machines echoed through the Batcave, adding to the somber atmosphere.
“Every time you do this, it causes significant trouble.” Alfred no longer wore his usual gentle smile. His expression was serious; despite helping Bruce, he couldn't help but advise him.
“You’ve been taking care of me since I was a child.” Bruce wiped sweat from his forehead, walked to a giant computer, and input a new round of data. “You should understand, you can’t persuade me. I must put an end to this source of evil.”
“These things aren't for fighting Joker; you want to deal with someone else, Mechanic tony. You intend to build an unprecedented armor to confront him.” Alfred lifted a large piece of armor, which would eventually be melted down to refine its core materials.
“You’ve said more than once that you want to protect this city, not destroy it.”
“I am protecting this city in my own way.”
“No, you are personally destroying it; this is a path of no return.” Alfred straightened up. “You are actively waging war against a mutant, and one with such formidable power…. You should be more concerned with Joker, not Tony. Joker is the true source of evil in this city’s chaos.”
Bruce was a little stubborn: “Joker is, and Tony is too. I will put both of them in prison. Joker is massacring the upper echelons, and Tony is inciting commoners to war. These two have thrown all of Gotham City into chaos. They presume to be above everyone else, using their will to replace the will of others, forcing people to follow their ideology. This is the most dangerous course of action.”
“What about Rachel then?! You’d rather stay here and build armor than care for Rachel?! Joker has already threatened to kill her! In a few hours, Joker will kill Rachel!” Alfred suddenly raised his voice.
Bruce’s movements suddenly paused. He slowly put down the tool in his hand. Alfred’s words were like a clap of thunder, jolting him awake to things he didn’t want to recall. This complex-minded Dark Knight had already made a painful, yet, in his view, necessary decision deep within his heart.
“At the press conference, I will take off my mask.” Bruce said in a low voice. “But this does not mean I admit defeat. Even if exposed, I will still capture Joker!”
The wrinkles on Alfred’s face deepened. He knew Bruce too well; having looked after him since his parents were killed in his youth, raising him to adulthood, he understood Bruce’s somewhat dark psyche best. Bruce had, after all, grown up amidst hatred.
To some extent, Bruce was lying, or perhaps, even Bruce himself wasn’t clear about his own thoughts.
Rachel was Bruce’s childhood sweetheart; they grew up together, sharing a close relationship and mutual affection. Even during the years Bruce received training from the League of Shadows, their feelings for each other never ceased.
Unfortunately, the two of them never ended up together. Rachel loved Bruce, not Batman. But Alfred understood that for Mr. Wayne, the identity of Bruce was merely a disguise; Batman was his true self.
This was undoubtedly a great tragedy.
When Harvey appeared in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne once believed he saw a beacon of hope. A legitimate Knight of Justice would lead the city toward a new future. But the greater the hope, the greater the setbacks, and the greater the unwillingness in his heart.
Falcone’s era was ended by his own hand. Immediately after, the Falcone Crime Family, hand-in-glove with both political and legal circles, rose to power. Then the humanity-distorting Joker appeared, and Tony also arrived in Gotham City.
The entire city, almost overnight, teetered from full of hope, its situation deteriorating day by day, and even Harvey was shaken.
Bruce had made up his mind: if someone truly needed to step forward and bear responsibility, then it would be he, who dwelled in the shadows! He would, as Batman, defeat all enemies and save this city, no matter the cost!
Even if Rachel stood in his way, it wouldn’t matter!
His difficult early life experiences filled Bruce’s heart with darkness. He yearned for light but forever remained in darkness, navigating the boundary of light and darkness. He always viewed everything in the world with suspicion, never trusting anyone, never.
Bruce continued his work; he intended to build a top-tier armor capable of confronting an extraordinary combatant like Tony. These high-tech instruments, rare to find anywhere in the world, had already cost him over a billion dollars. Various rare materials would cost several hundred million more; this armor, in a sense, was a bottomless pit for money.
Alfred watched Bruce for a long moment, then silently joined the crafting process. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Since Young Master had made his decision, they would follow this path to its end. Through all the difficulties over the years, they had always supported each other this way. He hoped it would be the same this time.
Bruce pushed a high-precision laser onto a track, simultaneously placing a massive object on the other side for cutting.
“Don’t worry, Alfred, I’ve found a way to deal with Tony. He isn’t as invincible as you imagine; everyone has weaknesses, and there are no flawless abilities in this world.” Bruce used iron chains to pull another instrument, setting up the program on the electronic screen until the computer announced, “Setup complete.”
“You’ve found a way to counter him?”
“Yes, just like using a brainwave blocking device against Professor X. No one is ever perfect; Tony is human after all, not a god.” Bruce said, “I’ve found a way to deal with him. I will defeat him, and then personally send him to Arkham Asylum! I will use facts to show him that he has no right to impose his will upon others!”
(end of chapter)
