He simply couldn’t believe that something he had spent so long thinking about failed to spark even the slightest interest in the Bat.
“You’re a really great friend,” Peter Parker said through gritted teeth.
Although Peter had always shown Bruce nothing but goodwill, Gwen found the man standing before them far too mysterious.
She knew that Aunt May Parker’s home address was practically public knowledge in this world.
But the fact that this Bat had brought them here without hesitation already said enough.
The Bat knew, at least roughly, what they were trying to do.
“Answer my question.”
Gwen clearly had no intention of letting Bruce brush her off so easily.
Right now, she was deeply worried that this man might have some ulterior motive toward one of them.
Bruce paid no attention to Gwen.
He simply looked quietly at Peter Parker.
Even after everything Peter had experienced, he still found it difficult to withstand the gaze in those eyes.
“I was hoping you could help us…” Peter began to explain.
But Bruce finished the sentence before he could.
“…get back to your own universe.”
“Exactly! That’s right!”
Peter slapped his palm excitedly.
“So you already knew I wasn’t from this universe?”
As he spoke, Peter leaned closer, trying to see whether the Bat’s expression would change in the slightest.
He might be older now, but his mind was still sharp.
He clearly remembered what the Bat had said to him the first time they met.
Looking back now, he’d probably been found out from the very beginning.
“I already told you.”
Bruce simply repeated the words he’d said before.
“Your situation is trouble.”
That brief exchange left both Gwen and Miles completely dumbfounded.
“So… you already knew what was wrong with us?”
Gwen stared at the Bat in disbelief.
“It was a simple deduction.”
Bruce’s casual answer instantly made Miles feel awkward.
Back then, he’d questioned Peter for quite a while before finally reaching the same conclusion.
But unlike the Bat, he hadn’t arrived there so effortlessly.
In fact, it had felt more like Spider-Man had practically told him the answer himself.
“Wait.”
Gwen suddenly caught another point.
“Then why did you agree to meet us?”
“You already said Peter’s situation was a huge headache.”
“And judging by how you acted before, you didn’t seem interested in getting involved.”
She understood one thing perfectly well.
When someone called something “trouble,” it usually meant they intended to stay as far away from it as possible.
People like that hated unnecessary complications.
“Yeah!”
Miles nodded.
“If you didn’t want any part of this… then why come now?”
“First…”
Bruce walked over until he stood directly in front of Gwen, raising a single finger.
Standing well over six feet three inches tall with a broad, muscular frame, he completely overshadowed her much smaller figure.
Gwen knew perfectly well that the Bat wasn’t someone with superpowers.
He probably wasn’t even physically stronger than Doctor Octopus.
And yet…
Standing in front of him…
The pressure he radiated…
The sheer sense of danger…
Far surpassed any enemy she had ever faced.
She raised her eyes and met Bruce’s piercing blue gaze.
There was no melancholy in those eyes.
No warmth.
Certainly no attraction.
There was only fear.
This Bat’s presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.
After only a single glance…
She already felt as though she could barely breathe.
“You’re scaring her.”
Miles hurried over and stepped in front of Gwen.
But the instant he looked Bruce in the eyes…
Even someone who prided himself on his courage instinctively took a step backward.
To them…
Bruce looked like a demon walking among the living.
Everything about him radiated endless darkness and terror—
The kind of terror that, once seen, could never be forgotten.
“Second…”
Bruce withdrew his gaze and turned toward Peter.
“Your enemy…”
“…is now my enemy as well.”
At that moment, Peter still had one hand raised awkwardly.
He’d been about to stop Bruce from frightening the two kids any further.
Instead, Bruce had ended the intimidation on his own before Peter even had the chance.
“So we’re allies now.”
Peter lowered his hand, walked over to Bruce, removed his mask, and extended one hand.
“Peter Benjamin Parker.”
“Spider-Man… from another world.”
He asked no further questions.
Everyone had secrets.
He had no intention of asking why Bruce had chosen to go against Kingpin.
Some things simply didn’t need to be understood completely.
After taking a few deep breaths, Gwen finally recovered enough to remove her own mask as well.
“Gwen Stacy.”
Miles also wanted to introduce himself.
Only then did he realize…
He wasn’t really Spider-Man yet.
He merely possessed spider powers.
“So…”
Peter looked at Bruce with a grin.
“You’re not planning to take off your mask and let us see who’s hiding behind all that fear?”
Gwen was equally curious.
Just what kind of person lay beneath that mask?
“One of you…”
Bruce spoke calmly.
“…still lacks the will to become Spider-Man.”
He hadn’t named anyone.
But everyone present immediately knew exactly who he meant.
Peter thought Bruce was simply being tactful.
The next second…
Bruce stepped directly in front of Miles.
“Am I right…”
“…Miles Morales?”
Miles instinctively wanted to object.
He had been personally chosen by this world’s Peter Parker as his successor.
Peter had even planned to teach him.
Before he died.
Miles refused to believe he wasn’t worthy.
But the moment his eyes met Bruce’s…
For reasons he couldn’t explain…
His courage vanished.
The words he’d prepared to say lodged in his throat.
Watching Miles shrink back like that left Peter feeling disappointed.
He genuinely believed the kid had incredible potential.
Everything Miles had shown convinced him he’d become an outstanding Spider-Man one day.
And yet…
Faced with nothing more than a look from the Bat…
He’d lost the confidence even to argue.
“All right, all right.”
Peter quickly stepped between Bruce and Miles, blocking the Bat’s gaze.
“Let’s focus on something more important.”
He raised the damaged USB drive.
“Like figuring out how we’re going to fix this little thing.”
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(End of Chapter)