Ethan and Tony returned to that desolate planet.
This time, they were heading to the Dark Knight trilogy to see how Bruce Wayne transformed from a wealthy young man whose parents had died and who had billions of dollars waiting to be inherited, into a superhero who walked in the darkness.
"Actually, these few Batman worlds are quite interesting."
Although Ethan himself wasn't particularly fond of the style of this world, the leading actresses in the four Batman films shot from the 1980s to the 1990s were all quite beautiful.
However, when he thought of Catwoman in Batman Returns being the original Wasp he had recently rescued from the Quantum Realm, he suddenly felt it might be a good thing they didn't go there.
Otherwise, if Tony lost control and something happened with Catwoman, how would he work with Dr. Hank Pym after returning?
"I think you're thinking something bad."
Tony hadn't said anything, just watching Ethan space out. His intuition told him Ethan was definitely badmouthing him in his head.
"You're overthinking it. I'm locating the specific position of that universe."
"So, have you found the location?"
"Found it. Let's go now."
Although it bears the name Batman, the Dark Knight trilogy has little to do with the entire DC Universe, or rather, no relation at all. It can be treated as a completely standalone universe.
In this world, Batman is just a normal person, not the kind of so-called normal person who has reached various human limits in the comics, but a truly ordinary person.
Bruce Wayne, despite undergoing rigorous training, did not possess physical abilities that reached the level of human limits. He was just generally strong, and couldn't even gain the upper hand when fighting some villains. He relied more on combat intelligence and various weapons and gadgets to achieve his goals.
"Should we make a plan this time?"
After completing the plane travel and standing in the chaotic city of Gotham, Ethan and Tony exchanged glances.
This time, Tony would definitely make contact with Bruce Wayne, unlike before when he always observed from the shadows.
Furthermore, the setting of that Batman world was the last century, and the internet wasn't fully popularized yet. Tony and Ethan didn't even implant identities; they just wandered around Gotham. Anyway, the city was incredibly chaotic, and no one would check their identities normally.
The setting for this Batman world, however, was the first decade of the 21st century. By this time, many technologies weren't far behind the era Tony lived in, so he could do some familiar things, creating two real identities for Ethan and himself.
"At this time, Bruce Wayne shouldn't have become Batman yet, right?"
While creating the new identities, Tony also checked some information, including the fact that Bruce Wayne had been missing for several years. According to the information he knew, Bruce Wayne should be traveling around at this time.
"Batman will only be born after he returns. Right now, Bruce Wayne is still experiencing life everywhere."
In the Dark Knight trilogy, Bruce Wayne traveled all over the world and even actively participated in criminal activities to understand the psychology of some criminals.
At the beginning of the film, he was arrested by police in a certain country and imprisoned before being found by Ra's al Ghul from the League of Shadows. He then joined the League of Shadows to receive more advanced training, and it was the training in the League of Shadows that laid the foundation for the birth of Batman.
"What are you thinking?"
The two of them casually found a coffee shop and sat down. Ethan saw Tony suddenly go silent and was very curious about what this guy was thinking.
"I'm thinking, should we go find the still-wandering Bruce Wayne now, or find a place to wait for him to return?"
Under normal circumstances, it would be much easier to find Bruce Wayne at this time, because he wasn't a famous rich man then, just a penniless drifter. Contacting him at this point would be very simple.
Once he returned to Gotham, reclaimed his identity that he had set aside, approaching him would no longer be so simple.
"There's no problem with going to find him now, is there?"
"I was just thinking, finding him at this time doesn't seem like it can answer my questions."
At this stage, Bruce Wayne's mind was full of questions, and he himself was searching for various answers. How could he possibly answer Tony?
"Actually, even if he becomes Batman, I don't think he can answer your questions right now. At most, he can talk about his current thoughts..."
The one who could truly answer Tony's questions should be the mature Batman who had been the Dark Knight for several years and had gone through countless hesitations and solidified his inner resolve.
Even if this version returned to Gotham, he would at most have just thought of the method of using fear to deter villains.
"So, we have to wait at least a few years?"
Of course, he couldn't stay in this world for a few years, but he didn't necessarily need to get an answer. He came this time mainly to see the Batman he wanted to see. The rest didn't matter.
"Since there's no difference, let's go find him now."
"If we want to see Bruce Wayne now, we need to go to Wayne Manor first."
Ethan knew Bruce Wayne's approximate location, but it wasn't easy to find one person in such a large area.
He didn't want to blunder around like a headless fly. He planned to go to Wayne Manor to get a few things Bruce Wayne had used, and then pinpoint his location.
"Let's go."
Tony thought of Batman's old butler. This butler, named Alfred, served the Wayne family loyally. It's likely everyone would envy the Wayne family for having such a butler.
If he didn't already have Jarvis, Tony would even want to poach this old butler, although the possibility of success was almost nil.
After leaving the coffee shop, the two of them hailed a taxi and successfully arrived at Wayne Manor.
The Wayne family was very famous in Gotham; everyone knew the Wayne family, so finding this place wasn't difficult.
However, in the eyes of the locals, the Wayne family had declined. After all, the only heir had been missing for several years, and in the eyes of most people, the last member of the Wayne family had passed away.
Without descendants, the Wayne family existed in name only. Even Wayne Enterprises was controlled by outsiders and would sooner or later become some other corporation.
Taxi drivers basically had a chatty nature, and Ethan and Tony learned about these circumstances without even asking specifically.
"Bruce Wayne's shares are currently managed by the old butler Alfred. As long as nothing happens to Alfred, the Wayne family won't lose their company."
"What a loyal butler."
Neither of them had the habit of knocking. Ethan waved his hand lightly, and Tony didn't wait for Ethan's reminder, following behind him and directly passing through the iron gate that had become illusory.
It looked as if the two people had walked through a phantom image, and after they passed, the slightly illusory gate returned to normal.
Wayne Manor was a vast estate covering a large area. Although it had a bit of an old feel, and the owner had been away for years, under the careful management of the old butler, the entire manor hadn't fallen into disrepair. Apart from being overly quiet due to the lack of people, everything was normal. It was as if the Wayne family still lived in this city.
However, with the two of them walking in so openly and without any concealment, Alfred had already noticed these two intruders.
The old English gentleman walked directly out of the mansion and stood calmly at the entrance, quietly waiting for Ethan and Tony to approach.
"Trespassing on private property is not gentlemanly behavior, sirs."
"Whether it's gentlemanly or not isn't important now. We are here to find Bruce Wayne."
Alfred looked at the two men in front of him with surprise. As an old butler with rich experience, he could tell that neither of these men was ordinary.
Their clothes looked ordinary, but the workmanship and fabric were exquisite, indicating they likely came from privileged backgrounds, especially the way the slightly older one looked at people. Only someone from a sufficiently good background could develop such a habit.
"Master Bruce is not at home right now, which I presume you both know."
The stir caused by Bruce Wayne's disappearance was by no means limited to just Gotham. As the sole heir of a top North American conglomerate, Bruce Wayne received no less attention than Tony did in the Marvel world.
"I know," Ethan nodded. "But I have a way to find him. I just need your help."
"Hmm?"
Alfred didn't show much surprise at Ethan's words. He had encountered many scammers who tried to use Bruce Wayne to their advantage over the years. If he didn't have a sufficiently sharp eye, the Wayne family's assets would have been drained by scammers long ago.
"I need a few things that Bruce Wayne has used, as long as they have been used for a long time."
Although Alfred still maintained his poker face, he showed a slight hint of disappointment.
He thought Ethan had some method, but it turned out to be this kind of charlatan's trick to swindle money? Was he being treated like a senile old man?
While he was indeed getting on in years, and being treated like a senile old man was quite normal, Alfred was still unhappy, so his tone became less polite.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe you. I must emphasize again that you are currently trespassing on private property. If you don't leave, I will exercise my due rights."
To put it simply, he would take out a weapon and shoot these two intruders who had trespassed. Although Alfred was not young, it didn't mean he was a completely defenseless old man.
(To be continued.)