Chapter 1987 U: Beyond Major Events (76)_1

Bruce began rummaging through his clothing pockets, while Lord Superman, busy cutting vehicle parts for Wonder Woman with a heat ray, noticed and inquired in confusion, "What are you looking for?"

"I forgot to bring my medicine. I remember putting it in my hoodie pocket. Maybe, did I put it in my jacket pocket after the last dose?" said Bruce, unsure.

"Medicine? What kind?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Anxiety and calming medications." Bruce continued to search, then after finding nothing, he said, "This is my second cycle of medication. It's not a big deal if I miss a dose, but it might affect my sleep."

Wonder Woman and Lord Superman shared a look while feelings of disbelief dominated their eyes. "So, you have anxiety and got checked by a psychologist?" considered Lord Superman.

"My psychologist is also my psychology professor. He prescribed me the medication." Bruce shrugged and added, "Fortunately, he's not here. It's okay to stop the medication for a while."

"Doesn't sound like it's okay." Wonder Woman left her task, stood up and clapped her hands, "Where did you put your jacket? I'll help you find it."

"I didn't see you wear a jacket in the projection room." Lord Superman frowned, "Did you leave it in your team's camp?"

However, Bruce didn't care. He shrugged and left without much attention. Wonder Woman, rushing to follow, asked, "Are you sure you're okay? One of my colleagues needs regular medication too. If he doesn't take it, all previous treatments would have been in vain."

"I'm almost recovered. I'll be fine."

"You majored in psychology?" Wonder Woman curiously asked.

Lord Superman also came out, lowered his voice to tell Wonder Woman, "His psychology professor is an influential person."

"How influential?"

"Influential enough to make Batman obediently take his medicine."

After thinking for a while, Wonder Woman said, "That's something rare. Can you help him get the medicine?"

"Even if we get the medication, he won't take it." Lord Superman glanced again at Bruce up ahead and said, "Have you not noticed? He doesn't resemble Batman but Bruce Wayne. He's rebellious."

"Oh, don't be like this," Wonder Woman said, showing a hint of helplessness, "Playboys are the last thing I can stand."

"Can I look around?" Bruce asked from afar, looking back at them, "I'll return before dark."

Lord Superman and Wonder Woman were engrossed in their discussion about Batman and Bruce Wayne. They did not take much heed of Bruce's words and casually let him go.

Both returned to the warehouse to repair the vehicle; however, Wonder Woman complained a bit discontentedly, "We both don't need to drive at all. It was Batman who previously insisted on having a means of transport, compelling me to start repairing this broken vehicle. Do we still need to continue this?"

"Batman said we needed it for carrying supplies and even suggested modifying it into a moving base. But considering our speed, I think running a few more errands isn't that big of a deal. Moreover, I don't trust this chunk of metal to offer us any defense," said Lord Superman as he gazed at the discarded truck body.

"Should we check again with Batman?" Wonder Woman glanced outside the door. When she failed to see Bruce, she sighed and said, "At least he has a brain as smart as Batman's, right?"

"He better."

Superman went outside in search of Bruce, but not finding him in the vicinity of the building, he flew up, seeking any signs of humans.

To his surprise, he didn't locate Bruce neither around the building nor on the slope behind it. Lord Superman flew a bit higher, soaring past the slope behind the building, then he finally spotted a silhouette at the edge of a swamp.

Without any hesitation, he flew towards it and found Bruce with a homemade fishing rod, fishing.

"What are you doing?" Lord Superman asked.

"Of course, I'm fishing." As soon as Bruce finished his sentence, he jerked the rod back, pulling out a decent-sized fish. Once on the ground, it floundered around.

Bruce walked over, picked up the fish, placed it on a long leaf beside him, replaced the bait and cast his line. Then he stood by the lake, waiting for another catch.

"You" Lord Superman was taken aback.

"What on earth are you doing?" He repeated his question.

Bruce gave Lord Superman a pitying look. "I'm fishing. How many times must I repeat it? I'm catching fish in the lake using my homemade fishing rod."

"Why do you fish?"

Bruce appeared genuinely surprised. He looked at Lord Superman and said, "Why do you think I would fish? Of course, it's for the fish."

"Unlikely." Lord Superman rejected this swiftly, "Are there ancient mysteries that date back thousands of years at the bottom of this lake? Or is this fish an alien menace? Is there anything wrong with the growth of the reeds in this reed marsh?"

Bruce blinked, unsure how to respond.

"Fishing is a form of hunting," Lord Superman suddenly said, "But this hunting relies on the prey to take the bait. The waiting process is completely a waste of time."

Bruce looked a bit surprised as he said, "Is this how you view fishing?"

"Of course not. I rather meant to ask isn't this how you view fishing?"

"No, fishing is interesting. Each time a fish takes the bait, it's a pleasant surprise. It provides both food and a way to please myself. I quite enjoy fishing."

Lord Superman seemed shocked. He hesitated a moment, then responded, "Oh, I see. You often tag along with those wealthy guys for some wild fishing, right? It's a kind of socializing activity for you. You can talk business with them."

"But there are no other wealthy individuals here." Bruce looked around and said, "Who would I socialize with?"

"Then why would you..."

"I've said it before, I'm fishing to catch fish, otherwise what will I eat tonight?"

Lord Superman was taken aback again, he reacted and said, "Right, we don't have any food, but I can hunt a deer in the woods, that should be enough for you."

Bruce seemed very helpless, he said: "Didn't I tell you, fishing is also for pleasure, I didn't take any medicine, I'm a bit worried the symptoms of my anxiety disorder will worsen, so I thought I'd fish and relax a bit."

"Fishing can relax you?" Lord Superman seemed a bit skeptical and said, "You never spend more than 1 minute and 40 seconds in the bathroom."

Bruce looked at Lord Superman in shock.

"No, I'm not spying on Batman, but it's truly astonishing, isn't it? His average time in the bathroom each week is always exactly the same, he doesn't waste even a second."

Bruce sighed gently and said, "I use tools I created to procure edible food from nature, I don't see how this is a waste of time."

"Because if you tell me, I can do all of this in three seconds." Lord Superman spread his hands and said.

"But you have your own things to do."

Lord Superman was taken aback.

"Weren't you repairing the vehicle?"

"Yes, because Batman said that if the base is moved later, we may need a transport vehicle, and the vehicle can also be used to explore as a mobile base, so Diana and I did it."

"Then you go do that."

"What about you?"

"I am fishing here."

Lord Superman thought for a long time, uncertain about the feeling lingering in his heart, he looked down at the fish on the ground and said: "It doesn't seem like there are big fish in this lake, you might not get enough to eat even if you fish here for two hours."

To Lord Superman's surprise, Bruce nodded and said: "Indeed, the fishing situation here is quite common, if I really can't catch a fish, I'll come find you, you can help me get some food."

"But I can do it right now..."

"Right now, you can go back to fixing the vehicle while I fish here." Bruce was finally a bit impatient, he said, "Why are you following me? Just because I'm fishing here doesn't mean you have to stand here and watch, and you repairing the vehicle over there doesn't mean I have to stand by and observe."

"There's no danger here." Bruce spread his hands and said, "And even if there is danger, I can call your name, and you can fly over here instantly, you don't have to stand here and watch me."

"Alright." Lord Superman stepped back and said, "So you think we should continue to repair the vehicle, right?"

"The Batman you know thinks you should repair the vehicle, now that he's left, whether to repair the vehicle or not, you decide."

"But we don't need a vehicle to get around."

"Then don't repair it."

"But Batman..."

Bruce finally had enough, he covered his eyes with his hands, then said: "If you want to repair the vehicle, do it, if you want to hunt, hunt, go for a walk around, go swing, even stand here and daydream, just stop asking me!"

Lord Superman silently watched him.

Bruce picked up the leaf and the fish from the ground, threw his fishing rod over his shoulder and turned to leave. He had barely taken two steps when he realised that Lord Superman was following him.

Bruce sighed deeply and said, "Why are you so concerned about me, about what I am doing, about what I want you to do, about my opinion of what I'm doing and what you are doing?"

"Because your opinions are usually very useful."

"Not that useful, at least not more useful than learning to know yourself."

"You've never been wrong."

"I'll make a mistake one day."

Lord Superman was shocked again. He hadn't expected to hear this from Batman's mouth in his life.

"You feel that he has gone wrong somehow." Bruce turned to look at Lord Superman, "And you don't want to give him any chance to self-correct."

"I think it's irreparable."

"Or perhaps you're really worried about him going out of control, causing repercussions even you can't save." Bruce looked at Lord Superman in the eye, "You're worried he might turn into a criminal, or you believe that he is already a criminal."

"Do you believe you don't have that potential?"

After blurted these words, Lord Superman finally fell silent.

Carrying the fish, Bruce looked at him and said: "Everyone has the potential to become a criminal, it's just that Batman is particularly strong, hence particularly dangerous, you know if he goes down a path different from you, there is no way for you to stop him."

"You are trying to make him prove something, using your urgency to build the teleportation door to convince him, keeping a close eye on him, but he neither provided the proof nor explained himself."

"So, who's wrong?"

"I'm wrong, I shouldn't have come fishing." Bruce tossed the fish on the ground, turned around and walked away.