[comprehensive] villain friend

Gotham reflection【5】

Before the voice fell, the door was opened.

Dolores looked over subconsciously—the handsome man in a well-dressed suit held the door frame with one hand, raised his eyebrows slightly: "...Sorry?"

The police officer frowned, picked up the file on the desktop, looked at the file, and then looked at the young man in front of him.

"You are--"

"Mr. Lucius Fox's friend." The other party showed a charming smile, and the deep eyebrows brought out a kind of aristocratic elegance, "I am Bruce Wayne."

The police officer was stunned: "...Bruce Wayne? Are you the heir to the Wayne Group? That playboy??"

Bruce Wayne seemed to be amused by the subconscious remarks of the other party, he shrugged a little indifferently: "... Playboy? Yes... If you like to say that."

"Oh, oh..." The elderly police officer pushed his glasses, realizing his imprudence, "Sorry," he coughed softly, "I..." He was about to say something when the The communicator suddenly rang.He glanced at it, then frowned, "——I have to leave first," he glanced at the heir of the Wayne family, who has always been famous and eclectic, "You——"

"You can do whatever you want," Bruce raised one hand and spread it flat to signal the police officer, "We all know what kind of city Gotham is, and how inseparable from the police."

The police officer smiled cooperatively—even though he didn't think the sentence was so funny.Then he frowned and hurriedly left the room.

"Oh, obviously we shouldn't ignore the beautiful lady in this room." He turned around and faced Dolores who was sitting in the corner, his voice was magnetic, his deep blue eyes were like lakes sunken in deep eye sockets— — It's hard for everyone who looks into those eyes not to be equally engrossed in them.

His voice was slightly lowered: "... May I know your name?"

—pretense, habit, anger, self-sacrifice... Dolores was silent for a moment as she watched the face.I don't know if it was because of the confrontation with the clown, but she always felt a little dizzy, Bruce Wayne's face was not attractive to her, a lot of information was peeled off from his every move, and all of them were gathered in her brain, Huge data is a headache, but you still have to play that old-school language game with him.

She finally frowned, and spoke slowly and stagnantly, tiredly: "...Why are you asking about something you already know?"

Bruce Wayne was taken aback.

"You already know my name." Dolores stated calmly, "From the policewoman who picked you up—she likes you very much, not for a short time, if you've noticed—there is a sticker in her wallet Looking at your picture, obviously a fan of yours. Or have you noticed?" Dolores tilted her head, "...you know how to use yourself to your advantage, Mr. Wayne."

"..." Wayne raised his eyebrows, "So do you think it was successful?"

"Obviously very successful, that police lady..." She suddenly stopped her explanation, frowned and looked at Bruce uncertainly, "...sorry, I'm not sure—what you mean," she hesitated After a while, "Are you flirting with me?"

—She hates this kind of wordplay.

Her tone was full of research, and she seemed to be asking "how is the weather today?"

Bruce Playboy Wayne was speechless for a while.He raised his lips and smiled, his eyes were melancholy: "...If you hope not, I don't want to embarrass you either."

Dolores narrowed her eyes and said slowly, "...oh."

Oh what the hell!

Bruce couldn't hold back his smile for a moment.

"If you want to get some information from me," Dolores looked away, "there's no need to adopt such a roundabout and vague way to make people..." She modified her words, "It's a bit inexplicable."

Bruce Wayne was silent for a moment.He looked at Dolores, and there was a hint of scrutiny mixed with the seemingly indifferent application.In this seesaw-like silence, he finally smiled, walked closer, pulled out the chair, and sat next to Dolores: "...Okay."

He was like an ordinary playboy who was finally defeated, with childish frustration on his face: "I surrender...Of course I want to get information from you, I want to know everything about you—" He was still subconscious Then came this sentence, and added before Dolores frowned, "Of course, if you don't appreciate this way, why would I mind..." He draws out his tone and raises his voice, "Another way ?Miss Dolores..."

"I have to admit, I'm very curious about you." He rested his fingers on the shoulder of the chair, "I've never met a girl as bold as you... This makes me very curious, how do you think..." He After a pause, "Come to Gotham alone, travel?"

He added: "After all, you know, few out-of-towners can appreciate the beauty of Gotham."

Dolores was noncommittal: "Really?"

"After all, Gotham has a great reputation-even if I love this city very much, there is no way to deny the fact that its crime rate is extremely high."

"The crime rate in the United States is also high, but there are still a large number of people who want to come to the United States every year."

"It's not the same thing, my lady." Bruce shook his head.

"It seems to me that it is the same thing - the so-called 'flaws do not hide the advantages', the United States does have many problems, but its economic, cultural, political and ecological advantages brought about by its global status are enough to make some people ignore these problems Yes, similar to it, Gotham is indeed famous throughout the United States for its extremely high crime rate, but it has a well-developed light rail and one of the top pillar groups in the United States - the Wayne Group..." Dolores said here , cast a glance at the heir of the Wayne Group next to him, a casual smile appeared on his face, as if he had no idea about the achievements of his company and did not want to understand, Dolores blinked, "Even - Batman .”

"First of all, I have to thank you for your praise of the Wayne Group," he tapped his fingers lightly, "but I don't think Batman deserves to be included in Gotham City's merits."

"Why?" Dolores asked, "I thought everyone in Gotham would be proud of Batman."

"Proud to be Batman?" Bruce Wayne showed a contemptuous look, shaking his head, "A big black bat? The so-called 'Vigilante' hiding in the dark and spying on Gotham? Want me to say …If a city puts all its hopes in a masked hero and worships him as a god—the city is really crazy." His tone is soft at the end, and there seems to be a kind of semi-sarcastic pathos , "Fortunately Gotham hasn't reached this point yet, has it?"

Dolores stared at the man in front of her, and smiled inexplicably: "...you think so?"

"Of course," he said, "that's just my opinion."

"I think Batman is a rare... superhero outlier," Dolores said, "especially with New York..."

"—Iron Man?" Bruce continued.

Dolores tilted her head, her fingers resting on one side, a look of surprise on her face.The two looked at each other, and for some reason they laughed at the same time.

Dolores raised her arms to support her face, and looked sideways at Bruce: "What are you laughing at?"

"What are you laughing at?" Bruce held his forehead, his eyes still shining with a smile.

"...Tony Stark's personal charm?" Dolores said uncertainly, she said "huh", pressed her fingers between her eyebrows, lowered her eyes, and seemed to want to restore her calm.

"Oh." Bruce Wayne nodded seriously, "I'm also laughing at this...Tony Stark's personal charm."

"Don't be like this." Dolores laughed, "I don't know why, hearing this from Bruce Wayne always feels... Cough, anyway, Stark is also our number one superhero in New York."

"I'm not denying it," Bruce said, "just a little surprised—you know, Stark and I have been friends for a long time... Then he suddenly turned around and dropped the Playboy label and became a superhero..."

"No," Dolores waved his hand casually, "he didn't abandon the Playboy label."

"Well, he grabbed the label in one hand, and then added a superhero label to himself—" Bruce said casually, "whatever you say, anyway, he became a superhero, which makes me a little There's a sense of distance."

"Didn't he replace you as the most popular man because of his status as a superhero?" Dolores suddenly remembered a magazine she had seen before, which had made a comparative analysis of Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, And the survey pointed out that after becoming a superhero, Stark's popularity surpassed that of Wayne.

——Although this article has no real meaning, Dolores did read it at that time, and found it quite interesting.It's really interesting to say.Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark have so many similarities.

"Maybe," Bruce said, "although I haven't felt that in real life yet."

"If you're going to take on Stark," Dolores said, "you'll need a superhero too—" She looked at Bruce, "...like Batman."

"Thank you for your kindness." Bruce made a stop gesture, his face was indifferent, and he just glanced at Dolores slightly, "I don't want to become a black bat in Gotham City just because of some unrealistic ranking... Why do we have to talk about the bat? Isn't there anything else in Gotham worth talking about?"

"I thought you always knew better than I did," Dolores replied.

"...Let me see," he frowned, thinking for a moment, "I've never been in a situation like this, I mean—I've never been asked if there's anything worth talking about in Gotham... . . . " He was lost in thought. "Hmm...maybe we can talk, Wayne Corporation?"

"..."

"I know it's a stupid idea." He shrugged innocently, "God forbid, this is the first time I've found Gotham so lackluster."

"...you love Gotham." Dolores stared at Bruce.

"... Oh." He avoided her eyes unnaturally, "Don't do that."

"Isn't that true?" Dolores said flatly. "It's as normal as I love New York."

Bruce glanced at her and smiled softly.

"...The residents of every city can't give up their own city. Even if they say 'hate', they can't completely deny that this strong emotion also comes from love." Dolores thought of the clown again , thinking of his professed "love" for Gotham.

——Why is it always a clown?

"Yes. But for this city," Bruce said, "that kind of negative love is not a good thing." He seemed to have thought of something, and his face was a little worried.

"Fortunately, someone is always awake." Dolores cheered up and interrupted the gloomy topic, "Did we stray too far from the topic?"

"Obviously." Bruce smiled slightly, "So, let's go back to the original topic, dear Dolores-if you don't mind me calling you that, it's still the same question, and it's okay That's what people like me wonder, why would a New Yorker come to Gotham all of a sudden?" He stared deeply at Dolores, as if he wanted to see her into his heart.

"For one person," she replied, quite briskly.

"A person?" Bruce Wayne raised his voice, "...?"

Dolores exhaled, looking a little speechless.

"Well...it was just a joke," Bruce said, "You know, I couldn't help it for a while."

"Of course not you."

"...Hey, isn't that a little too much?"

"I'm just stating the facts."

"Your 'facts' break my heart."

"Then break it." Dolores said blankly, "Someone will sew it up for you."

"Oh, this is so heartless."

Dolores turned a blind eye, and for some reason, she felt her head getting heavier and heavier: "Anyway, I came to Gotham to find someone." She paused and looked at Bruce, "You know...Lucius Fox. "

"I know?" Bruce spread his hands, "Did you misunderstand me? To be honest, I think you seem to think I know everything - well, I admit that I did get something out of the female police officer, But that doesn't mean I know everything."

"...some people hide in the dark," said Dolores, with a tinge of weariness, "but they would be foolish if they really thought they would never be discovered—'Secrets are The day it was discovered'."

"……What does it mean."

"Some proverbs that don't make sense."

"I have never heard such a proverb."

"Of course you haven't heard of it. This proverb comes from Dolores Joe Hayek." Dolores was a little indifferent.

"..."

"I went to that Mr. Lucius Fox to find out something," she said, "but it happened that someone was burglarizing at Mr. Fox's house..."

"So you called the police?"

"...Of course." Dolores glanced at Bruce, "Do you expect me to rush in and subdue the criminals myself?"

"If you do that, we might meet at the hospital."

Dolores laughed.

Bruce frowned instead: "Oh—are you okay, I think you..." He suddenly leaned forward, trying to catch Dolores' body, but she supported her with one hand: "I'm okay."

"Maybe we should really meet at the hospital...I'll take you to the hospital."

"...I just," Dolores paused, "have a fever."

"The weather in Gotham these days is really uncomfortable—"

"It's not because of the weather in Gotham." Dolores said, she stood up with Bruce's help, coughed twice, and her whole body trembled slightly amidst the violent coughing, "...not because of Gotham .”

—… It was herself.

……

Dolores leaned back in the car seat, her eyes half closed.

"It's not a good idea to fall asleep at this time." Bruce, who was driving next to him, reminded.

"Well, I'll try to keep... from falling asleep."

"Think about something else," said Bruce Wayne. "At least you're about to see Lucius—in the hospital."

Dolores opened his eyes: "...Is he sick?"

"No. It's his kid—" Bruce sped across the street, "falling in gym class."

"That's why you came to the police station instead of him."

"Theoretically, that's true."

"Then you are really a good boss who cares about his subordinates."

"Is this a taunt?"

"What gave you this illusion?"

"I don't know either—probably because," Bruce shrugged, "you're from a city with Iron Man?"

"Oh come on..." Dolores brushed Bruce aside, "Why do you always have trouble with Iron Man?"

"Because I'm Bruce Wayne."

—Because you're Batman.

Dolores thought.Bruce Wayne is Batman.It's so obvious—the eyes, the body, the experience...the emotion in the eyes when you talk about Batman.Batman hiding in the dark is really good at disguising, but Bruce Wayne exposed to the sun is full of flaws.

But it was rare for her to have any intention of exposing it.Why debunk it?She didn't want to face Batman... a vigilant city protector was far worse than a playboy.What's more, a person like Bruce Wayne will not feel any joy after being unmasked by a stranger-he will only be like a hedgehog, examining every move of the outsider with suspicious eyes.

...Come on, being under Batman's strict surveillance in Batman's City doesn't sound like a pleasant experience.

She closed her eyes: "Okay...whatever you want. Now I hope we can get to the hospital sooner—"

"Here we are." The car stopped, and Bruce looked to the side at Dolores, unbuckled his seatbelt.

Dolores: "..."

She unbuckled her seat belt, Bruce had already opened the door on her side, she got out of the car slowly, and stared up: "...Gotham Central Hospital?"

"The best hospital in Gotham." Bruce took a step, turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Dolores, "One of the properties of the Wayne family."

……

Dolores experienced firsthand what is called "one of the Wayne family properties."All priority, VIP service, fast and efficient——

"...I just have a fever." Dolores looked at Bruce Wayne, "There's no need to lie on the hospital bed."

"Shhh - believe me, you didn't look like you just had a fever." Bruce said, looking full of affection, he looked at the doctor standing aside, "Doctor, how is she?"

"...Actually," the doctor looked up, "Mr. Wayne, this lady really just has a fever. And..." He paused, "Her body temperature is slowly returning to normal."

Bruce: "..."

"Look?" Dolores sat up, about to get out of bed, "I told you—I'd rather talk to Mr. Fox than do a trivial test."

She stared at Bruce, very seriously: "Now."

……

"Bruce?" Lucius closed the door of the ward, turned around and saw a familiar figure, "Why are you here? You're not..." He paused, looking at Dolores behind him, "I see... ...is this your new girlfriend?"

"No, it's not." Dolores stretched out a hand and looked at Lucius, "Hi, Mr. Fox, I'm here to see you."

"Looking for me?" Fox was a little surprised, he couldn't help but glanced at Bruce Wayne next to him.

The other party didn't care: "That's right, this is Miss Dolores Joe Hayek-she witnessed the burglary at your house and called the police."

"Thank you very much, Miss Hayek," said Fox.

"No. Mr. Fox, you don't need to thank me." Dolores coughed twice, her face was still flushed abnormally, but the flush was gradually fading, "I also happened to— —I'm looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Lucius had a puzzled look on his face.

From the corner of her eye, Dolores saw that Bruce politely avoided this place. Seeing a small no-man's land formed on the side of the corridor, she finally smiled politely: "Yes. I have one thing I want to ask You asked for proof. So I traveled thousands of miles from New York to Gotham, but ran into a house robbery." She paused, "Actually... I got your information from a hotel owner in Brooklyn, New York. "

"...the hotel owner in Brooklyn?" Lucius thought for a while, "...yes...I know who you are talking about, so what are you looking for me to prove?"

"About...about that terrible stormy night in Brooklyn, New York, more than ten years ago—do you know anything?"

Dolores heard her own voice echoing in the hallway, and at the same time her own heartbeat.