As the hospital door opened, Alfred stepped inside with a suit bag in his hand. He paused and looked at me.
"Master Bruce," he called out with a caring tone, "I'm so relieved you're awake," relief washing over his exhausted face.
"How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort? Perhaps you would like some water or a meal?" he asked quickly, placing the suit bag on the bed and coming over with a concerned look.
"I'm fine, Alfred. I appreciate your concern," I replied, feeling the warmth of Teleute's thighs as she softly ran her fingers through my hair while I finished studying the arc reactor blueprint on my bat-phone.
'Ufff. The 1045 I.Q. of Batman from the 853rd century is no joke. I'm processing information so fast that just now, while talking with Alfred, with the skills I got from my first life as Batman and with the meta knowledge of the bat-phone, I just completed a rough design for a miniaturized Arc Reactor in my mind. Something that shouldn't be possible since it breaks the Law of Conservation of Energy. And it's even crazier that I could figure out how to make one. But hey, we are in DC, where a random dude can become a god just because he finds a colorful rock on his way home from grocery shopping.' I thought, still enjoying the touch and thighs of my beloved wife.
"I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't there that night. I let you down. Your parents trusted me, and... sigh... I failed them," Alfred said, his voice heavy with regret as he clenched his fist.
"It's okay, Alfred. You couldn't have known what would happen that night," Teleute said, offering a comforting smile to Alfred.
"She is right, Alfred. I don't blame you. You have taken care of me for years. I know if you were there that night, you would have given your life for them," I said as I got up from Teleute's, or my wife's, 'kekeke' thighs and lightly patted Alfred's arm.
"Thank you, Master Wayne, Lady Teleute," Alfred replied, relaxing a bit and managing a faint smile, though it still held a trace of sadness.
"I already spent enough time in this hellhole, Alfred. Let's go back home," I said as I opened the suit bag and took out the clothes, then entered the bathroom to change.
[3RD POV]
"Master Bruce..." Alfred called out for the boy's name and reached out his hand to pat the boy's shoulder, to comfort him, to hug him, and tell him that everything will be okay. However, the boy entered the bathroom before he could, so Alfred just let his hand drop.
'Poor boy, he must be so devastated by Master Thomas and Lady Martha's deaths that he can't even cry. He is throwing all of his grief inside and trying to act normal... It's my fault this happened to him. I should have been there that night.' Alfred thought, feeling a mix of anger and sadness as he clenched his fist.
"It's alright, Alfred. As my darling said, you shouldn't blame yourself. Bruce is stronger than you realize, so don't be upset."Teleute said with a warm smile.
'Lady Teleute is right, it's not time for me to delve into those thoughts. I should get my act together and be there for Master Bruce during this tough time rather than bury myself in sadness,' Alfred thought as he slapped his cheeks, straightened himself, and brushed his slightly balding head.
"Thank you, Lady Teleute. You're always so kind," Alfred said, standing by the bathroom door in case Bruce needed anything.
After a while, Bruce emerged from the bathroom. "Let's go, Alfred," he said, taking Teleute's hand and kissing her palm as they left the hospital ward, with Alfred following closely behind.
***
[BRUCE POV]
"The funeral will be held four days from now, Master Bruce, and the police wish to talk to you about the night in the alley as soon as possible. But if you want, I can delay them until you feel ready, sir," Alfred said, holding an umbrella next to me while three bodyguards trailed behind us. Although Alfred was a former soldier, this is Gotham; anything could happen. A giant lizard might even jump out from the alley we were passing.
"Let the police come. Delaying them won't change anything. It's better to just get it over with," I replied, gazing at the streets of Gotham. The streets were filthy, people looked worn out, and crime was rampant. I even saw someone getting mugged in the alley we just walked by.
Then I turned to Teleute, my love, my light, my wife. She wore a black top hat and held a black umbrella, happily hopping over the puddles on the sidewalk in the rain.
While I was watching her, a girl about my age bumped into me. Thanks to my new brain that processes information so fast that, I felt like I had a supercomputer in my head. I was able to literally watch as she put her index and middle fingers in my pocket, grasped my wallet, pulled it out, and hid it inside her pants.
"My bad, sor-." Before she could apologize, I grasped her arm to prevent her from moving.
"Master Bruce, is everything alright?" Alfred asked, stepping closer to the girl to block her path.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me. I already said I'm sorry," she said angrily, trying to pull away.
"My wallet," I said, locking eyes with her.
She heard my words and saw Alfred blocking her path, causing her to freeze and panic. Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.
"I'm really sorry. Please don't call the police. Here, take your wallet. Just let me go. I have a little sister to care for. I'm not a bad person." Realizing she had no way out, she started to plead while handing me my wallet.
"What's your name?" I asked, still holding onto her.
"Please, I'm really sorry. I just needed some money to buy food for my baby sister. I'm not a bad person. I returned your wallet. Just let me go."
"Your full name, and don't lie, or it will be your last" I said, tightening my grip a bit, annoyed that this thief interrupted my time with my wife.
"Ugh, it's Selina. Selina Kyle. Now that I've told you, please let me go," she said, trying to push my hand away.
'Well, look at my luck. I came across Catwoman, and it's when she's just a 'kitten.' Hehehe. It's grooming time,' I thought, giving her a warm smile as I loosened my grip but still held on.
***
[Elsewhere in Gotham]
Dozens of men and women were sitting with white owl masks on their faces as they discussed something in a luxurious dining room filled with owl statues and paintings.
[IMAGE]
"It looks like Bruce Wayne has woken up," said the one with the golden mask.
"Should we send one of the Talons to eliminate him?" the woman next to him asked.
"I don't think that's needed. He's just a rich orphan now. Our focus should be on acquiring more of Wayne Enterprises," replied the man in the fourth chair on the right.
"But he is still a Wayne. He could become a problem like his father if we let him live," argued the woman in one of the chairs on the left.
"We couldn't persuade Thomas Wayne to join us, but Bruce is just a child. With his parents gone, he's vulnerable and easy to influence. It's better to shape his mind from a young age," said the man sitting next to the one with the golden mask.
"Hmmm... let's keep an eye on Bruce Wayne a bit longer and see if he's worth bringing into our court," concluded the man in the golden mask.