"Is it really impossible?"
Not long after, Reid drove back onto Thomas Bridge.
The conversation with Falcone had ended, and the answer was clear.
Out of gratitude to Thomas Wayne, the Falcone family was willing to help Wayne Enterprises fend off external threats at this time. However, regarding the internal affairs of Wayne Enterprises, they refused to intervene—at least not until the dust had settled.
Reid couldn't discern what exactly the Falcone family knew. Perhaps it was due to pressure from other families in Gotham, or perhaps it was related to the Court of Owls, a shadowy entity that even Reid knew little about.
But the Falcone family had made their stance abundantly clear: they were powerless in this matter.
And with even the Falcone family unable to offer assistance, Reid found himself utterly alone in this Gotham he had summoned into existence.
"I've never seen a transmigrator start off this badly—even with a system in tow. Let's just head back to Wayne Manor for now."
Reid had more or less anticipated the lack of support from Gotham.
In fact, the moment he realized he didn't hold any real power over Gotham, he knew he would have to take matters into his own hands.
How the real Alfred in the comics managed to safeguard the Wayne family's assets during Bruce Wayne's seven-year absence remained a mystery to Reid.
He wasn't a die-hard comic book fan who had read every issue, but after seeing the stances of Earle and Falcone, he had come up with his own plan—a high-stakes gamble. If he won, it would break the deadlock entirely. If he lost, he might as well wipe the slate clean and start over.
"But by now, the guest should have arrived."
Calming himself, Reid began to channel the intelligence of Alfred—an intellect that rivaled both Batman and the Joker in its own way. The Alfred he portrayed was a blend of the classic guardian and the darker iteration who once played the Joker, joining his young master in a twisted Dark Knight game.
Summing up everything he had experienced since arriving in the Marvel universe, Reid realized that to break the stalemate, he needed two things: a guest and a transformation of his own.
"The guest should already be here."
…
When Reid drove back to Wayne Manor, he indeed found a visitor waiting at the manor gates.
A smile appeared on Reid's face.
Given the current situation, it was impossible for anyone within Gotham to visit Wayne Manor, especially when only a butler resided there. The only plausible visitor had to be someone from outside Gotham with a connection to Reid.
"Good day, sir. May I ask what brings you here?"
Without directly revealing his identity, Reid assumed the role of a butler and approached the visitor.
Opposite him, Tony Stark studied the elderly gentleman before him, comparing him to the photo in his hand. After confirming it was the person he was looking for, he smirked.
"Good day, Mr. Alfred. Have you ever considered changing jobs?"
"What?"
Tony's completely unconventional remark caught Reid off guard, shattering the previously enigmatic atmosphere into pieces.
…
Inside Wayne Manor, Tony let out a deep sigh.
"To think that Mr. Alfred would be so loyal to the Wayne family. But do you really believe that Mr. Wayne will return someday?"
It took Reid some time to convince Tony that he wouldn't leave the Wayne family—at least not as Alfred. Whether Reid himself might leave in the future was another matter entirely.
As for Tony's skepticism about Bruce Wayne's return, whether due to the role he was playing or his own confidence, Reid had only one response.
"Of course. I have always believed in Master Wayne."
Ding!
"Congratulations to the host for raising the role-play card's performance level to 40%. Reward: one direct system notification."
The system's voice echoed in Reid's mind, but by now, he was used to it. At this point, even if the system claimed it had an upset stomach the previous night, Reid wouldn't bat an eye.
On the other hand, realizing that Alfred had no intention of becoming the Stark family's butler—and that money alone wasn't enough to win him over—Tony finally got down to business.
"Mr. Alfred, could you please tell me who was responsible for attacking my parents? Even if you don't know their names or organization, describing their appearance or any details would help."
At this moment, Reid knew that if he revealed the truth about the Winter Soldier, he could likely gain Tony's help. With Stark Industries backing him, stabilizing the Wayne Enterprises' situation through external assistance would be far easier.
However, Reid didn't plan to reveal the truth so directly.
Simply describing the killer's appearance might indeed secure Tony's assistance, but it wouldn't earn his gratitude. Without Tony's heartfelt gratitude, any help from Stark Industries would come with strings attached. In the worst-case scenario, Wayne Enterprises might quietly become "Stark Industries Gotham Division" before he even realized it.
The best approach wasn't for Reid to personally disclose the truth about the Winter Soldier and Hydra. Instead, it was to guide Tony toward reconciling with his father, Howard Stark, so he could learn the truth directly from him.
Only this way could a strong friendship be forged with Tony Stark. And only this way would Reid feel confident in relying on Tony to help fulfill the role-playing mission.
With that thought in mind, Reid adopted Alfred's signature calm and reassuring tone as he began to speak.
"Your father… likely didn't want you to know this answer."
Before Reid could finish his sentence, Tony slammed his fist onto the nearby table with a resounding thud.
"Again with this! Why do you all care so much about that bastard's opinion? My mother is dead! I want revenge—what's so wrong with that?!"
Tony glared furiously at Reid. At that moment, the old gentleman before him seemed just as infuriating as Howard had been.
"I can see that you loved your mother deeply," Reid said calmly.
"Of course I did! My mother—"
Before Tony could finish, Reid cut him off.
"And your father… didn't he love your mother too?"
Tony froze. For a moment, he was speechless. Reid continued without hesitation.
"You might claim that your father didn't love you—that's your feeling, your perspective. But look into your heart and recall what you've seen. Did your father love your mother?"
Under Alfred's steady, measured words, memories from Tony's childhood began to resurface.
The moments he had buried, unwilling to revisit because of Howard's strictness, started to replay in his mind.
He remembered a time when he was very young—before his genius began to shine. A time when his father held him in one arm and his mother in the other, smiling warmly in front of the camera.
The scene shifted. That happy family moment was consumed by flames, leaving only ashes in its wake. What came next was the look in his father's eyes after losing his wife—a look of profound sorrow when he saw Tony, and the lifeless pain whenever her name was mentioned.
Tony stood in silence, the anger in his eyes dimming as the weight of those memories pressed down on him.