Chapter 13: Returning to One’s Place

So, my script isn’t really wrong, is it? Batman and Superman could very well have a strained relationship, right?
— This was the second thought that popped into Bruce’s mind.
He truly didn’t understand DC very well, unaware that the editorial department had always enjoyed backstabbing each other and had rebooted countless times over the decades.
The world’s greatest duo had spent a long time each watching over their own worlds in solitude, with their past encounters erased.
So he found it all the more puzzling why Clark would be so invested in shipping a “pair” who, as it stood, barely seemed to know each other.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things.
He could tell the Superman before him was nervous and harbored a subtle hostility toward him—or rather, toward Batman.
Superman took a step forward, frowning deeply.
He didn’t seem to smile often; the corners of his mouth lacked the “warm, bright curve of hope” Clark often spoke of. This only made him appear even more intimidating.
If it weren’t for the striking resemblance he bore to Clark, offering Bruce a faint sense of familiarity and comfort, this fierce expression might have triggered a stress response.
Instinctively, he reached for his belt, but unfortunately for him, Superman’s super-vision caught the slight movement, and his gaze sharpened.
“I don’t want us fighting here. Although we had an unpleasant ‘exchange’ an hour ago, this is Mr. Wayne’s territory, and we should at least avoid causing him trouble.”
At this moment, the righteous Superman, determined to protect Wayne’s private property, was unaware that over a year ago, during a battle with General Zod, he had already destroyed one of Wayne Enterprises’ buildings and a satellite.
Oh, and just an hour ago, he had also damaged Wayne’s Batmobile.
Thankfully, this Wayne did not know the full story and thus lost the chance to sarcastically confront him face to face.
Bruce was now just puzzled by the implication behind Superman’s words.
What’s going on? Not only aren’t they the world’s greatest team, but they actually fight? Is fighting their way of bonding?
He recalled Clark excitedly dragging him into raving about how great Superbat was to ship, and suddenly felt a bit deceived.
Not that he was deceived—Clark was the one who had been misled.
Bruce felt inexplicably unsettled. If Clark knew that the ship he was so fond of was already doomed—or perhaps had never even truly been together—wouldn’t he be heartbroken and disillusioned?
It’s okay. Superman and Batman don’t understand what the world’s greatest team really means. When he goes back, he’ll just say to Clark: “Together!”
Hmm…
Considering that after Captain America said that, they fell apart in a civil war, maybe that phrase wasn’t very auspicious? Perhaps he should find another one.
Superman noticed Batman zoning out again just now.
In fact, when he first landed, this old bat had shown a sort of absent-minded daze toward him.
This irritated Superman somewhat, as if the other was looking through him at someone else, though it might have been a trick of the mind.
“What game are you playing, Bat?”
He stepped closer, narrowing his eyes dangerously, exuding such an oppressive aura that any Batman in his world would instantly stockpile kryptonite weapons.
At that moment, Bruce finally realized how deeply suspicious and prejudiced Superman was toward him.
He wasn’t panicked but felt somewhat troubled. And damn it, after losing the world consciousness, he was told to find Superman but given no instructions on what to do next.

So he took a deep breath and decided to cut through the confusion with a straightforward confession.
He had heard from Clark that Kryptonian technology far surpassed Earth’s. Perhaps this Superman could help him return home through some technological means.
“I’m not the Batman of this world. In my world, Superman and I are friends.”
Bruce subtly rubbed his arm—whether as Bruce or Batman, it was the first time he had been so candid.
“You don’t need to be so wary of me. I’m really here to ask for your help—I need to get back to my world as soon as possible.”
“Hah.” Superman crossed his arms, looking skeptical.
“You think I’d believe your nonsense? Or is this your way of…”
“You’re Clark Kent, a reporter at the Daily Planet, which is why you appear in Metropolis far more frequently than elsewhere.”
“?!”
Caught off guard and unmasked, Superman’s eyes widened in shock.
Bruce felt a surge of satisfaction. He had to admit, this Superman was much more likable than the fierce version from before.
But since this was a confession, he had to show his sincerity.
With that in mind, Bruce removed his cowl.
“You…”
Superman nearly shouted in surprise, his body involuntarily lifting off the ground.
Bruce raised an eyebrow and offered a sweet smile unique to Gotham’s own Bruce Wayne.
“Looks like you’re still playing the guessing game about who I am. But back in my world, Clark and I have long ago shared our identities—hardly possible if we weren’t friends, right?”
Superman kept his eyes wide, silent.
But deep down, he believed him.
Though 33 years old, he had spent a long time on a solitary journey of self-discovery, and at heart, he was still that small-town boy from Smallville.
He had only recently entered the workforce and wasn’t very cunning.
He just thought, Batman took off his mask in front of me—why else would he do that?
He really trusts me!
With a mix of emotions, he finally agreed to Bruce’s request and, after some hesitation, even offered to take him aboard his spaceship, hoping Kryptonian technology might assist in traversing time and space.
Bruce’s mood became complicated.
Wait, didn’t you guys fight earlier? And now you believe him so quickly?
Setting aside the fierce mask, Superman seemed kind of… simple?
So Superman grabbed his shoulder, and together they flew toward the Kryptonian ship.
Along the way, Superman couldn’t help but voice a long-held concern.
“Why do you deal with criminals in such a brutal and violent way? I’ve seen Gotham almost swallowed by fear because of you.”

Bruce glanced at him, slightly surprised, then considered his words carefully.
“Are you sure you really understand Gotham?”
Perhaps the previous Bruce didn’t fully grasp what Gotham meant, but after patrolling nightly as Batman, he had come to deeply comprehend the city’s incurable corruption.
It was no exaggeration to say Batman was staking everything on the line, trying to hold the line while delaying the city’s fall—slowing it just enough, maybe even dragging it out of the mire.
Bruce dared not imagine what he would do without the world consciousness’s help as a sort of cheat code.
Because of this, he had grown to respect the true Batman.
“Superman, maybe your methods work in most places, but Gotham is different.”
Though hidden behind his stance, Superman seemed to sense an irresistible power in Bruce’s voice.
“Gotham needs a symbol of fear. And I can assure you, Batman has never crossed that line.”
Perhaps he walked the edge of the law and was seen as a madman by many, but he had never judged anyone’s life in the name of a vigilante.
Superman fell into thought as they neared the North Pole.
But just as they entered the icy wilderness, Bruce’s body flickered.
He vaguely sensed he was about to be sent back, so in his last moment, he shouted to Superman, “Talk to Batman when he returns!”
The next second, he vanished.
But in less than a second, another hefty bat was cradled in Superman’s arms.
Batman shook off the dizziness caused by the sudden time-space shift and looked up to find himself being flown again by Superman.
Batman: “…”
Looking on the bright side, at least it wasn’t a princess carry.
“Uh…” Superman clearly realized that the Batman now in close contact with him was the same one who had exchanged harsh words with him just an hour ago, and he felt embarrassed.
But this very human reaction made Batman relax a little, reinforcing his trust in his judgment.
“We need to talk.”
They spoke almost simultaneously, then fell silent in unison.
Then Batman, who had been clenching his lips all night, subtly curved them into a faint smile.
“But before that, we can solve one problem first.”
His voice turned dark and ominous, the tone he often used before beating up criminals.
“…A certain troublemaker named Lex Luthor.”
At this moment, Luthor lay peacefully in his bed, blissfully unaware of what awaited him—
A double-barreled assault from the world’s greatest duo, coming from the future.