Despite that, when Soren arrived at Wayne Manor, Tim quickly became friends with him.
—Because he had keenly noticed that Soren's keychain was actually a limited-edition Batman mini Batarang keychain!
He discreetly observed Soren for a few moments until Soren, with keen awareness, flashed him a brilliant smile: "Are you a fan of Batman too?"
Tim: …
Tim Drake, who was such a big fan of Batman that he willingly became Robin, forced himself to look composed under Bruce's intense gaze and said earnestly, "As a citizen of Gotham, I don't actually agree with this vigilante's methods of law enforcement…"
Soren looked at him with disbelief written all over his face.
"Gotham needs vigilantes like him to effectively deter the evils lurking in the shadows. I think Batman is the coolest superhero!"
The blonde boy sat in the living room of Wayne Manor, clutching his Batman-themed notebook.
Tim slowly turned his head and took a sip of the Ceylon tea that Alfred had brought him.
Inside, he thought: Exactly!! That's it!! So true!
But outwardly, he replied, "Batman's use of vigilante justice actually violates basic human rights laws. In fact, I believe these superheroes operate in a gray area when it comes to law enforcement."
Soren exclaimed, "Oh oh!"
Although he had a difference of opinion with this new friend he had just met, he was not at all annoyed.
Instead, he turned a page in his notebook with grace: "We can all have our own opinions, and that's totally normal, but I still stand by my view—Batman is the coolest superhero! Oh man, just look at how cool the Batmobile is—do you know how much I want to be Batman's Robin?!"
"Pfft—! Cough cough cough, cough cough."
Tim almost choked on the tea in his hand and put down the cup, instinctively glancing at Bruce beside him.
Bruce, who had been pretending to seriously review Wayne Enterprises reports, closed the documents in his hands.
Supporting his chin on his elbow, he focused his gaze on Soren's delighted face and finally joined the conversation: "As your parents' friend, Soren, I still hope you can engage in some legitimate activities rather than aspire to be a masked vigilante's little sidekick."
…The little sidekick, Red Robin Tim Drake, found himself at a loss for words.
However, Soren seemed unfazed by Bruce's statement, still speaking with bright, shining eyes: "You must have some misunderstandings about Batman, Bruce. He's currently the number one superhero! You don't know how many people online are crazy about his Batmobile and Batwing, not to mention those sharp Batarangs! In short, Batman's superpower is making everything associated with him look super cool! I came to Gotham to see if I could get my hands on a real Batarang…"
Bruce's Adam's apple bobbed as he momentarily mirrored Tim's action, picking up the cup of tea in front of him.
"The Batarangs you can buy in Gotham are most likely replicas," Bruce took a sip of the tea, "and don't even think about trying to buy a Batarang on the black market—just don't.
If you really want one, I can have someone from a Wayne Enterprises subsidiary help you get one… but it will take some time."
—It would need a bit of time for him to remove all the lethal devices from the Batarang and file down its blade.
"Really????" Soren snapped his notebook shut. "Oh my gosh, Bruce, you're so amazing!! I don't even know how to thank you…"
Bruce replied calmly, "It's a small matter."
Tim: …
Alfred stood behind the sofa, casting a meaningful glance at them.
Soren had only been at Wayne Manor for three days when Dick returned to the estate, giving Soren a warm and vigorous hug.
It felt as if he hadn't seen him in years, taking a moment to thoroughly examine Soren from head to toe.
When he noticed Soren's unusually bright blue Kryptonian eyes, his expression shifted for a moment in surprise.
Then, he quickly regained his smile, masking the brief shock, and said to Soren, "You're just like you used to be—no changes at all."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Soren replied, "You're Dick, right? I'm sorry—I don't remember our past friendship. They told me I fell down the stairs at home and hit my head, which caused my memory loss... I forgot everything. But since you're Bruce's adopted son, I think we must have known each other for a long time…"
Dick Grayson, the first Robin and now Nightwing, simply stared at Soren when he mentioned his "amnesia," then reached out to ruffle his golden, wavy hair. "It's fine, why apologize? If you've forgotten me, we can get to know each other again—"
He winked at Soren and leaned in close with his handsome, charming face, saying, "Next time, remember to come to Blüdhaven. I'll show you a good time."
Soren seemed to grasp something and quietly asked, "Is it the kind where Bruce doesn't find out?"
Dick nodded. "Exactly! You still know how to play along, just like before."
Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Bruce was listening to their loud plotting and coldly set Dick as a focal point for his observation of his brother.
…
At the entrance of the Justice League headquarters, Tim walked with his hands in the pockets of his suit pants, following Soren into the visitor exhibition hall.
Soren was incredibly excited.
It had taken a lot for him to convince Renee and Charlie to allow this visit to the Justice League headquarters—though he didn't quite understand why they seemed so sensitive about the terms "Metropolis" and "Justice League."
Whenever Soren brought up his desire to tour the headquarters, they would display worried expressions and refuse his requests.
This time, it was Bruce who persuaded them, allowing Soren the opportunity to attend the Justice League open day event in Metropolis.
Inside the visitor exhibition hall, he eagerly snapped photos, examining every exhibit and display case in detail.
The exhibits included memorabilia from the Justice League's battles against supervillains, such as a severed tentacle from an alien octopus that Wonder Woman had cut, a freezing gun confiscated by the Flash, and a fragment of a world engine that Superman had knocked down…