Chapter 78 Good morning, Gotham! (Ch 831411653)

What do researchers like most about studying the human body?
An experimental subject that has no taboos and cannot die.
…
Lucian experienced his stomach being cut open and his internal organs being exposed to the air.
His limbs were sawed off, and phantom pain spread throughout his body.
The thoracic vertebrae connecting the spine were broken one by one, the bones from the cervical vertebrae to the coccyx were taken out for research, and the body was limp and unable to move… Lucian thought of the experience that the Joker had told him about when his spine was taken away and thrown in the desert.
Being extracted, injected, kept awake, told one’s true feelings, and treated like an object rather than a person.
…
Pain and death can drive people crazy.
…
Until the spine was reattached, the mechanical support was taken out of the belly, and the broken flesh slowly healed…
Someone washed his entire body, and all the blood and pus were wiped away.
…
Lucien just sat up from the experimental bed, his back hunched, looking even thinner and more bony.
…
The shorter the time one serves as an experimental subject for the Assassin’s League, the more cruel the methods used will be. Lucian naturally expected that he would suffer unbearable pain in a short period of time.
“Did you find what you needed?”
He looked at Lei Xiaogu, who was standing with his back to the ground, with a pair of gloomy eyes.
Lei Xiaogu nodded slightly and handed over the small mechanical device: “Nuclear missile launcher.”
Lucian gathered his clothes, stood on the ground for the first time in a long time, and took it: “I’m leaving.”
————
When did Gotham change?
Although there were occasional cloudy days, most of the time it was in line with climate laws.
But now it seemed as if the cloud of the witch’s castle in the fairy tale was floating above.
A strange rainy spell began.
…
This is the fifteenth year that Alfred has been guarding Wayne Manor alone. The gardeners, cooks, and waiters have all been dismissed, and the entire manor is empty, desolate and deserted.
“Ding Dong——”
Alfred opened the door curiously, and looked at the person in front of him with surprise and joy. He couldn’t help but hug him, tears rolling down his cheeks. He said:
“Oh…Bruce.”
Bruce, who had grown into a completely different adult, lowered his head and hugged him, feeling his slightly hunched back, and remained silent, feeling guilty.
“Wayne returns to Gotham! Bruce makes his debut at the cocktail party!”
“Wayne talks about the beautiful scenery of various places. His hobby is actually…”
“Wayne’s Mysterious Lover——The Story with Lillian!”
Lucien learned the news when he passed by a newsstand and bought a copy of today’s newspaper out of habit.
After reading it with great interest, he folded the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. He heard the newspaper owner say, “Wayne really looks like his mother… What do you think he came back for? To avenge Thomas and Martha?”
Lucien shrugged, “Maybe to save Gotham.”
“Huh?” The boss shook the newspaper and smacked his lips: “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Crazy talk? Yes, crazy talk… I almost forgot about this.” Lucian took out a small card wrapped in a transparent film from his pocket and handed it to the boss.
“What is this?” The boss took it, raised his glasses and looked at the words on it.
[Congenital gene defect, mental disorder, violent tendencies, killed at least a hundred people, currently detained in Arkham Mental Hospital, if you escape please call immediately: xxxxxx]
boss:?
He reached for the pistol beside him with his other hand, but soon stopped when he saw the black muzzle of the gun pointing at his forehead.
“…What do you need?” Cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Lucien said calmly: “Tell me: Wayne is back to save Gotham.”
“Wayne is back to save Gotham…”
The boss repeated it mechanically, and then he saw the man in front of him smile more broadly, followed by the finger pulling the trigger.
“No!”
A stream of water hit him on the forehead.
The boss was stunned for a moment, and touched the water stains on his face with a lingering fear. He heard Lucian laugh and say, “Happy April Fool’s Day!”
Then run away quickly.
The wind blew through the water, bringing a cool breeze. The boss was stunned for a while, then turned over the card. On the back was a simple smiling face, and the same sentence was written:
“Happy April Fools’ Day.”
The calendar hanging next to it clearly records today’s date – April 1st.
…
“Oh, my God…”
…
“Master, I wonder who put the gift box in the living room.”
Alfred said grimly, “I suspect it’s a bomb.”
When Bruce stood in the living room fully armed as if facing a formidable enemy, he saw an extremely conspicuous yellow and black striped box.
At his request, Alfred stood in the distance and watched with a smile as Bruce took various instruments and started analyzing.
Until the regular ticking sound inside suddenly stopped…
“Oh, dear Bruce, open the door for me.” A voice suddenly came from inside.
Bruce was stunned for a moment, looked at Alfred, and then opened the door.
“Happy April Fools’ Day, Bruce!”
It’s Lucien.
…
They sat in the stained-glass reading room, and Alfred quietly left after serving tea.
“Honestly, can’t you see that it’s just a timed alarm clock?”
After waiting for a while and making sure that no one was around, Lucien asked.
Bruce smiled, his eyes reflecting a beautiful light: “I have traveled in Tibet, and I have heard an idiom… colorful clothes to entertain parents.”
He paused and said, “But I guess Ah Fu must have discovered this… and he is cooperating with me.”
“What is this called… love? Tsk tsk tsk.” Lucian couldn’t help but said, but when he turned his head, he found the rose in the antique vase that was made into an everlasting flower, and pointed at it:
“The one I gave you?”
Bruce looked at it and said, “Yes.”
Lucien couldn’t help but smile, tapping his fingers on the table. “If you really like it… I can also give you a few more. I got a new variety cultivated in Japan.”
Bruce nodded modestly: “I will carve out a place for it in the greenhouse.”
…
After chatting for a while, Lucian refilled his empty tea – he couldn’t expect the young master to refill his tea – and asked:
“What are you thinking about those White Masks? If we don’t let them die…how can we deal with them?”
Bruce didn’t hide it, and he didn’t need to hide it: “They are now weak, without claws, no longer united with each other, and a good enemy.”
“The wild monsters in the Novice Village?”
“……Yes.”
“So where’s your hero?”
Bruce raised his eyes and looked at him. Lucian said again: “Don’t look at me like that. I can’t kill them, and I can’t be your hero… Please, I’m giving you face by not becoming the final boss.”