Ch.47 Returning Home

Alfred paused for a moment, then shook his head. He knew he couldn't manage Miss Bryce's super-powered friend anymore. 

Despite his skeptical expression, he was actually quite happy. After all, in Gotham, he'd seen countless people in tight costumes, but besides Bryce, all of them were antisocial lunatics. 

These people seemed to sprout like weeds, emerging endlessly from Gotham's darkness, each with some novel scheme to either destroy Gotham or destroy Bryce. 

There was one who wanted to befriend Bryce, but that person was the craziest of the fighting maniacs. 

However, this person who appeared a month ago was not only filled with a strong sense of justice but also cheerful and very kind. Just looking at him, one could feel his sincerity, making it clear he wasn't a bad person. 

Alfred thought that maybe Bryce had found a companion, someone who, over the past month, had even acted more like a hero than Miss Wayne herself. 

But his arrival also brought bad news. Apparently, their world was in great danger, with a terrifying force inching closer. 

Bryce finally accepted this truth because she had seen the changes in the world herself. There were clues everywhere indicating that something was coming. To prevent the world from being destroyed, they had been busy for a month. Alfred, however, only needed to stay on this small island and cook meals. 

Bryce had run all over the world, but it seemed like she hadn't found much. 

"Bananas just don't provide enough energy. I feel like I might be losing hair." 

The cloaked figure had eaten all the prepared bananas in one go, but despite that, he still felt completely drained. 

"Eat when we get back to Wayne Manor. I think there should still be some food there?" 

Bryce removed her mask and wiped the sweat from her face. Even though they had been traveling within the Speed Force, meaning she didn't have to worry about wind resistance or similar issues, she still felt like her face was covered in a fine mist of seawater. 

Alfred immediately dismissed her idea. He took off his apron, straightened his tailcoat, which was entirely inappropriate for a beach setting. 

"May I clarify, Miss, that if there is any food left at home, it would be what we had a month ago when we left." 

"I have great confidence in the home's refrigerator." Bryce put her mask back on, resuming the aura of Batwoman. 

"Eating food that's been refrigerated for a month is very unhealthy, Miss." Alfred said dutifully, turning off the stove and starting to pack up the observation post. 

"But it's turkey. I was planning to have turkey sandwiches for breakfast the next morning." Bryce finally remembered what was in her refrigerator. An hour ago, they had been near Gotham, and the weather there was nothing like here. She'd be fine with just eating something light. 

Alfred, however, didn't back down at all. He carefully locked the observation post's door, securing the nuclear weapon marked with a radiation symbol inside. Standing tall and proper, he rejected her suggestion in his best European aristocratic tone. 

"Even if it were a phoenix, I'm afraid you couldn't eat it now. Perhaps we could stop by a supermarket for supplies." 

"Let's not worry about that now. I don't know how much time we have left." Bryce finally gave up on the idea of turkey, but it clearly wasn't the best time for grocery shopping. 

The cloaked figure chimed in, waving his hand as if trying to draw attention to himself. "Ahem, isn't anyone noticing that I'm actually very good at saving time?" 

Five minutes later, they were back at Wayne Manor. 

Four of those minutes were spent on Alfred's shopping. 

As soon as they returned to the city, Bryce noticed that Gotham was experiencing a massive blackout. There wasn't much she could do about it because no one knew which circuit had failed, and in this weather, there was no hope of fixing it. 

The city's water level had already risen to knee height, and the torrential rain showed no signs of stopping. Fortunately, in their "bullet time" zone, they could completely avoid the raindrops. 

In this weather, no supermarket or convenience store would be open. Bryce very straightforwardly picked the lock of a store, took what she needed, and left twice the amount in cash on the counter. 

Now back at the manor, the house was lit up in every room, thanks to its independent power system, powered by geothermal generators from the Batcave below. The house welcomed its owner back, and every room was brightly illuminated. 

Alfred went to the kitchen to prepare food. Bryce placed her helmet beside her and lounged on the sofa in the sitting room, watching the flames dance in the fireplace, relaxing her body. She even brought out some of the house's best wine to entertain the cloaked figure. 

Previously, they had only met at Wayne Tower. This was the first time the cloaked figure had come to Bryce's home as a guest. 

"You really don't need to wear that big cloak. No one here knows you." 

The cloaked figure knew this, of course. He just wanted to experience what it was like to work in a black suit, feeling very "Bat-like." 

"So, does this mean I'm part of the Bat-family now? Can I have a Bat-name in this world? Like Flash-Bat or Bat-Speedster?" 

"..." Bryce stared at him expressionlessly. 

"Okay, just kidding." He shrugged, and in a blur, the large cloak disappeared. In front of her stood a young, somewhat shy-looking man, no more than his twenties. 

His curly brown hair hung slightly over his forehead. He had fair skin, didn't look particularly strong, and his face had a bashful smile, like a big boy. He wore a red and white T-shirt with "STAR Labs" printed on it, regular jeans below, and he was barefoot. 

"Well, I found your guest slippers, right where they would be in our world, but I thought I'd better ask. Can I wear them?" 

Bryce's lips twitched as she nodded and muttered a soft "Hmm." 

In a flash, Barry was sitting beside her, wearing the dark satin slippers, lifting his glass to toast with her. 

"Thanks, they're really comfortable." 

Bryce felt a bit numb. Thankfully, this person didn't pose any immediate threat and didn't seem to have any signs of madness. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to deal with someone with these powers. 

But she didn't say this out loud. Instead, she smiled and clinked her glass with his. 

"You can use the guest bathroom on the second floor. However you interacted with that Batman in your world, you can do the same here." 

"Actually, I didn't get many chances to go to Wayne Manor, and most of the time it was underground. You know what I mean, right?" 

Barry scratched his head and took a sip of the wine, but he winced at the burning sensation. As a scientist, he always felt that strong liquor was more damaging to the brain than the Speed Force. 

Bryce, of course, knew what lay beneath her house, and it must be the same for the other Batman. "So, would you like to take a look at my base and compare it to yours? See which one's better?" 

As they chatted over wine, Alfred pushed the door open and entered. 

"Apologies, Miss. I'm afraid our house was burgled during the month we were away." 

"Oh? The home's alarm system didn't activate?" This was the first time Bryce had been robbed. Was this what it felt like to have your home broken into? She felt a mix of bitterness and anger. 

"The home's security system didn't react at all. I suspect it was affected by a military-grade EMP, rendering them all inoperative." Alfred nodded, maintaining his elegant demeanor. 

Bryce rubbed her neck, deep in thought. "So, what did we lose?" 

"I've checked all the rooms. So far, we've lost a roasted turkey, about two kilos of carrots and potatoes, some lettuce, and about 200 grams of various spices, including the nutmeg you like in your coffee. Oh, and we're also missing a large pot, a long ladle, five plates, and matching cutlery." 

Barry, a former forensic scientist with the police, was used to running and analyzing crime scenes. But hearing this list of missing items made a question mark appear over his head. 

"Sounds like someone threw a camping party at your place. Did you sponsor the Gotham Boy Scouts or something? Robin?" 

"We don't have any Boy Scouts here." 

Bryce realized what was happening, her eyes narrowing, assuming the most classic Bat expression—suspicion.