"So, I approached Falcone and explained my intentions. Initially, he didn't trust me, but he had no other choice..."
"Why is that?"
"Because, in Gotham, those who can solve equations are rare, and moreover, I graduated from the Mathematics Department of Cambridge University..."
Kira was speechless, thinking back to what she had seen and heard in Gotham, she felt Alfred's statement did not exaggerate.
"Of course, there's another reason. Despite suspecting, Falcone and Daniel had little intelligence since they weren't professional agents and couldn't obtain much information. Back then, they didn't even know the name 'Court of Owls'."
"But I was a professional agent. I could investigate this matter for them. Thus, we three agreed and started cooperating. In the end, we caused a bit of chaos, but we got our hands on the egg."
"Ah, I remember, the files mentioned that during that period, Gotham seemed to have encountered numerous vicious events. The Federal Bureau of Investigation visited to investigate, but they also suffered many losses. Some people even glimpsed some mysterious phenomena, which made this case seem more mysterious as it spread..."
"Yes, those people were not easy to deal with. We also paid a significant price. Because of this, Falcone insisted on not sealing this egg in Gotham, since Gotham is his territory."
"So, you chose Metropolis?"
"The egg stayed with us for a long time because we couldn't find a proper way to handle it."
At that time, things had died down. I could have returned to Moscow, but just then, I received news from Moscow. Kim Philby made his escape. He was already back in Moscow."
"Even though I had some understanding of the MI6 style, this matter still exceeded my expectations. Obviously, since Philby had successfully escaped, this list became less important for Moscow. It was no longer necessary to bring it home."
"However, this list was still incredibly important to other nations. If the Soviets had it, they needed it too; otherwise, they would always be one step behind. So, the news of Philby's escape didn't lessen the list's importance in the eyes of other nations. On the contrary, they became more desperate, like mad people trying to find the list's whereabouts, to gain information on par with the Soviets."
"The Soviets no longer needed it, but other countries did. So, the best way was to hide it somewhere. So, I hid it in Gotham. After things cooled down, I returned to Moscow first, seeking a solution for the egg, but..."
"Eventually, I returned to England."
"About a decade later, my father wanted me to inherit the family profession of being a butler and serve the Wayne family. At that time, I informed Moscow. They felt it was a great opportunity, after all, the Wayne family is the richest family on the East Coast of America..."
"So, initially, you were an undercover operator in the Wayne family?"
"Yes, but then something happened. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne died." Alfred's expression became sorrowful. He said, "Only the young master was left. I had to raise him."
"At that time, I was thinking about giving up my career as an agent."
Kira nodded, expressing her understanding. She said, "Many believe that agents should always be loyal to their goals, but we are also humans, with feelings. We are not machines built to fulfill tasks..."
Alfred shook his head and said, "My affection for the young master wasn't the only reason why I wanted to give up my career as an agent..."
"What else was there?"
Alfred fell silent, his expression showing a hint of hesitation as if unsure whether he should reveal more, but in the end, he said, "You're still young, you haven't experienced much, so you may not perceive her changes..."
"Her?"
"The Soviet Union."
Kira wanted to inquire further, but Alfred chose not to continue. After a moment of silence, Alfred began speaking again, his voice no longer as robust as before, revealing his age.
"Perhaps, I'm a disgraceful deserter, or maybe, I was unwilling to face certain cruel realities."
"Or, perhaps, I realized that when faced with the degeneration of those grand ideals and glorious days, I wouldn't be able to remain rational..."
"But eventually, I chose to bid farewell to the past."
"When I returned to Gotham to serve as the Wayne family butler, Falcone informed me that they had properly handled the egg. I'm not entirely clear on the process, but in the end, the egg was placed in the underground of Metropolis Manor."
"Falcone informed me that initially, they simply found a place outside of Gotham to place the egg, but later, they discovered a fallen alien mineral that seemed capable of suppressing the egg's vital activities. So, they transformed that place into a massive seal."
Kira frowned and asked, "Is the seal secure?"
"All it can do is delay the nesting period of the monster. We still have no idea how to kill the monster."
Alfred placed his shotgun down, leaning on the ground with its barrel. He looked out the window and said, "This is one of the reasons why I wanted Bruce to come here."
"In the guest list you gave me, I saw the name of that professor. I knew he was no ordinary person and capable of ensuring everyone's safety. Bruce is someone I personally raised. I know the astonishing wisdom he possesses..."
"If there is only one method in this world capable of unraveling the secret of this mysterious monster and eliminating it, I believe, the combined efforts of these two people would be the best solution."
Meanwhile, Shiller, who was deep in thought underground, heard Gray Mist's voice in his mind.
"Food! Lots of food! Eat!"
"Food? Where's food?" Shiller asked uncertainly.
"Green stone, smells good! Let me bite it!"
"Green stone..." Shiller looked at the nearest Kryptonite device and asked in surprise,
"You eat Kryptonite???"
"Hmm! Smells delicious!"
"Why didn't you say anything when we were outside?"
"That didn't taste good, only this one does!"
"But the Kryptonite here is used to seal the egg..."
"I'm hungry! I've been hungry for ages! I want to eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!"
Bruce, who was studying the rock layer by the side, noticed that Shiller's gaze towards the egg had slightly changed.