[Comprehensive British and American] Family Matters

The morning at Wayne House was as calm as ever. Alfred parked the car and took out two bags of groceries from the suitcase.Since Jason was welcomed in the mansion, he has silently moved forward his shopping schedule from every afternoon to the return time after sending Jason to school.After considering the ingredients in the refrigerator and the dietary preferences of the family members, the housekeeper who has served the Wayne family for many years quickly finalized today's dinner menu.

What?How did you skip lunch, you ask?

On the days when Bruce Wayne didn't show his face in the company during the day, playing the stupid and rich playboy Brucey, the lunch at Wayne's house was Bruce's brunch.When Bruce went to the company to sing a big show, wouldn't it be simple for Alfred to have lunch alone?

"Good morning, Alfred." Alfred was about to push open the small door with his shoulder sideways, when he met Bruce's sleepy eyes.

"Good morning, Master Bruce. You woke up really 'early' today." The butler nodded slightly, and walked through the small door supported by Bruce to his private area in the whole mansion - the kitchen.A quick glance around to make sure it's still intact, only the coffee machine is on, good, the alarm is off.

It's definitely not that he made a big fuss, but that he deeply suspected that the incompatibility with the kitchen was the original setting of the Wayne family.It’s not just Bruce here. When Thomas Wayne was still alive and the position of housekeeper was held by Alfred’s father Jarvis, Jarvis had warned his son more than once that no matter what happened, don’t let the surname Wayne's into the kitchen—unless they're going to try a non-mainstream demolition project.

Alfred once had a fantasy, thinking that cooking and burning the kitchen was just a novice's inexperienced, and it would be no problem to start with simple recipes.After all, Master Bruce can even make Batman, so there's no reason why he can't cook a dish after looking at the recipe instructions.

But fantasies are just fantasies after all.

Alfred, who was knocked out of the dust and returned to reality, recognized the reality. The people in the Wayne family were not compatible with the kitchen. This is the same cosmic truth as the earth revolves around the sun.The price of proving the truth is that when Richard "Dick" Grayson just moved into Wayne's house, he asked sincerely: "I said, why does the whole house look like the kitchen is so new? It feels a bit different from the rest of the style." take."

Sighing the past, Alfred quickly put away the newly purchased supplies and ingredients according to their categories, shook off his apron and began to help his Master Bruce—now a master—to prepare brunch.Holding the mixing bowl in his hand and quickly stirring the egg juice, Alfred used the metal surface of the kitchen utensils to reflect the appearance of Bruce sitting at the bar with one hand propping his forehead.This is not at all like a person who has a good night's sleep and is refreshed.

But Alfred made sure that there were no particularly difficult cases recently (thank God), and after Bruce drove Jason upstairs last night on the grounds that he had to go to school tomorrow, he did not stay up all night, and he also Go back to the bedroom and go to bed.

"Did you sleep well, Master Bruce?"

"It's nothing, Ah Fu." Bruce raised his coffee cup and drank it all in one gulp, got up and walked around in front of the coffee machine and poured himself another full cup of black life energy, "It's just a little headache, it'll be fine when the caffeine takes effect."

"With all due respect, Master Bruce, this is not the right attitude to face health problems." Alfred turned around and gave Bruce a condemning look.

"It's really okay, you just love to worry, Ah Fu." The terrifying incarnation of fear at night in Gotham City at this moment in front of the housekeeper is like a child who behaves to his parents and begs the adults not to pursue further.

Alfred snorted noncommittally, looked down at the stove to observe the state of the omelette in the pan, and suddenly said when Bruce was about to refill himself a third cup of coffee: "Is it about Master Jason? About What are you two...night activities?"

Bruce didn't answer, and stood in front of the coffee machine for nearly a minute. Finally, when Alfred scooped up the omelet and placed it on the plate, he slumped his shoulders and sighed. He gave up the option of refilling the coffee and put the mug in the Instead, he took out Alfred's special mixed vegetable juice from the refrigerator.He thus received an approving nod from the steward.

"Did I give you a headache that way?"

For Alfred, this was an unexpected question, but he didn't look surprised at all.Putting the omelet with chicken salad in front of Bruce, he returned to the sink and rolled up his sleeves and began to scrub the greasy kitchen utensils, as if he was simply recalling the past with Bruce:

"You mean something like 'overcoming fear' by putting out candles with your bare hands? Childish behavior is distressing, but not to the point of a headache. You come and go by yourself Traveling and not being in touch for months and not knowing exactly where in the world you are can be quite worrying, and when you finally want to go home you start dressing up as gothic bats and walking the streets night after night Fighting all manner of lunatics and criminals—”

"Uh, Fu, you know the purpose of this whole 'Batman' thing, we discussed..."

"Yes, Master Bruce. I understand why you do it, but it doesn't mean I can watch you or Master Richard and Master Jason get hurt by it. By God, I learned in serving the Queen During the emergency medical treatment, I didn’t plan to help you get stitches every week. A few years ago, I didn’t expect you to understand this feeling, but I believe that now you should be able to fully understand the feelings of me and Dr. Leslie.”

Staring at the remaining omelet on his plate, Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breath.He really didn't want to admit it, but the person in front of him was Ah Fu, who always comforted him and supported him. No matter how incredible and crazy decisions he made in the eyes of the world, Ah Fu was still firmly by his side. , so he was honest once in a while:

"Yeah, I get it deeply. I don't like it very much... I hate seeing them get hurt, especially for stupid reasons. But no matter how much I train them, how much I emphasize that they have to follow my instructions outside, they There's always a reason to rush to the front and leave yourself like a rag. God knows how long their luck lasts? But will they listen? No!"

Alfred listened to Bruce start babbling about how the young masters who "passionate blood and don't need brains" scared him so much that he was about to have a heart attack, and at the same time lamented that he was not like this a few years ago (of course he still is), when he was a bat When the Heroine and Robin are all over Gotham to deliver justice, he guards the Batcave alone, fearing that the emergency call channel will be connected, or watching the Batmobile, which is almost like scrap iron, drive into the cave and crawl out of it bleeding Batman or Robin—or worse, the two together.

"Everything I do is to protect them to the greatest extent. At least in Gotham, I can watch him and know how to deal with emergencies most efficiently, even if it is Arkham and Blackgate Prison. At the same time, if there is a big prison break, I can settle him down first."

Ah—it's about Master Richard.

"But no! He's just going to have a 'Teen Titans,' where one teenager leads another group of teenagers. I don't mean to question Dick's leadership skills, aff. I actually believe he's a good captain, but when he leads that group I have no way of knowing when teenagers are running around, and I can't make insurance filings without intelligence!" Bruce brushes his hair out of his eyes in frustration, "and Dick says it's all 'in the shadow of Batman' .”

"I'm sure Master Richard just wants some space." Alfred wisely omits the time when Bruce screamed "Leave me alone! Fu!" to himself as a teenager.

"Yeah, look at what we are like now." Bruce twitched his lips mockingly, "Robin is Batman's partner, and I told him that if he doesn't want to go back to Gotham and continue to be my partner, he can take a break Time. And Dick somehow came to the conclusion that I'm going to fire him, and now he's making himself look like he's stepped back from a 70's disco, and out of all the codenames he's going to pick 'Nightwing', Superman's Kryptonian fairy tale. Tell me Fu, he really isn't targeting me."

"I believe that Master Richard just hasn't sorted out his emotions." ——It took a year to sort it out, and Alfred himself didn't quite believe it.

"It's better. I can't imagine facing an angry Dick and a fighting Jason at the same time." Bruce had buried his face in the palms of his hands at this time, as if unwilling to face the ugly reality, "Those who think Luo Bean is so cute and sun cream and daisies personified, better line up to see Dick go nuts. And now add Jason who has Dick as an imaginary enemy of everything! They haven't even met yet face!"

"Maybe—" Alfred tried to gather thin hope in his chest, because if there was a way to moderate Jason's unwavering "Beyond Grayson" plan, he promised that the entire Wayne family would fully commit to it, but unfortunately so far So far they haven't found such an opportunity, "Can you say less 'because you're not Dick Grayson'?"

Bruce lifts his face from his palms with a look that reads "don't even say that to you".

"You know why I said that, Fu. It was never to humiliate or belittle Jason, but because he really wasn't Dick Grayson, but he just forced himself to do what Dick can do. It's It's like asking a fish to climb a tree, it can't be done. Even I can't do it!"

Bruce recalls the first time he yelled that at Jason.What a disaster.

Jason was trying to replicate Dick's mid-air quadruple somersault - a gymnastics stunt that Bruce described as "lovely" but he never strictly forbade Dick from doing it because it was such a difficult gymnastics exercise for Flying Grayson. The movement doesn't cause him to break his neck.But for most people other than Dick, such maneuvers only increase the risk of cervical dislocation.

"I can do two laps in the air! So in theory, I can do four laps!" Jason protested unconvinced when he was caught by him, "I can do it, you have to believe Me, Bruce!"

"From what I've just seen, theoretically you'd hit your head and break your neck before the third turn, young man!" Even after confirming that Jason was safe and sound, Bruce still felt his heart pounding from the inside. He beat his chest desperately.

"But Dick Grayson can do it!" Jason was still wriggling to break free from Bruce's grip.Unaware that he had cut off Bruce's tense nerves.

"And you're not Dick Grayson!" Bruce remembers saying that to Jason's defiant face, how he stood still, staring, as if Bruce had become something he'd never seen before. past magical creatures.

Then--

"I'm sorry." Jason said quietly.There's no angry rants or biting sarcasm, nor the traditional swearwords of Crime Alley.Jason just stood up slowly under Bruce's relaxed grip, bowing his head in apology.

Too bad Bruce wasn't sure what the kid was apologizing for.

I'm sorry I shouldn't force myself to do dangerous moves?

Sorry I'm not Dick Grayson?

But before Bruce could get him back and question him, Jason had run out of the Batcave in a flash and had been hiding from him for a week.Just when Bruce thinks this cold war is about to end, Jason suddenly seems to be possessed by Dick, and he will taunt criminals with Dick's pun jokes during the night watch.Several of the sneak attacks are taken from Dick's training videos, but with a bit more gritty style of street fighting.

Hell, he even imitated Dick's devilish laugh!

It's almost like overnight everything is labeled "Dick does it" and "Dick doesn't do it" and Jason is trying to put all the "Dick does it" on himself, the more The more the better.

And the result is more and more:

"Jason, stop doing this."

"Why, you didn't speak when Dick did that."

"But you're not Dick!"

And the migraines that come with it.

This whole "Clone Dick" farce was settled by Alfred.It took a long time to communicate with Jason in the library and the kitchen through different kinds of books and cuisines from various countries. (Yes, so far Jason is the only member of the Wayne family who can roam freely in the kitchen, with Alfred's permission.)

Thanks Afu!Praise Ah Fu!

Bruce couldn't imagine a life without Alfred, and at the same time deeply regretted all the troubles that his stupid self had brought to Alfred.

"But even if Jason stopped copying Dick, he's still too aggressive." Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, "He's still young, and his physique hasn't started to develop. Fa..." It is possible to beat people to death.

"You still have time, Master Bruce." Alfred wiped his hands on the apron, and patted Bruce on the shoulder lightly, "Master Jason knows you love him, and brothers and sisters all over the world will always have each other In comparison, you just need to be by his side and tell him that you will still love him, even if he is very different from Master Grayson."

"I said it, Alfred. I told him he didn't need to be compared with Dick, they were different people."

"Then say it again, Master Bruce." Alfred looked into Bruce's eyes, as if he saw the little boy who had just lost his parents and was at a loss, "It's like I told you again and again, 'You It's not your fault your parents died' as well, tell Master Jason, tell him you'll love him for who he is, tell him he's your son no matter how different he is from Master Richard. Tell him , Master Bruce. Tell him over and over again. Believe me, Master Jason, he needs this. And it's not from me, it has to be from you."

Bruce fell silent.He is not the type with a brilliant tongue, and he is not good at expressing his feelings.He could say so much to Alfred because he was facing Alfred who was the weakest and helpless side he had ever seen, just like his father.

He wasn't sure he'd be able to talk to Jason or Dick.

Alfred also understood what kind of person his master was, and decided not to put any more pressure on him.It is said that time is the best medicine, maybe this year he can persuade Master Richard to go home for Christmas, and then the two masters will inevitably make the scene hot, but everything will be fine in the end.

One has to have some faith.

"Ah, look at the time. I have to wash my clothes first, or I won't be able to pick up Master Jason from school in time. The school has arranged a tour today, and it will end early."

Alfred hadn't folded the apron he took off when he heard Bruce's flustered question: "Visit? What are you visiting?"

"Wayne Tower, Master Bruce." Alfred maintained his usual calmness as he watched Bruce go from being confused to waking up, and then quickly took out his phone and tapped the keyboard frantically, "That's why I feel sorry for seeing you at home at this time." Unexpectedly, I thought you canceled your original plan to surprise Master Jason. Ah, but not every class you visit can meet the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, so it’s not a big deal if you don’t go to the company thing……"

Bruce has already rushed back to the dormitory, took out his bat suit and put on his suit at the same speed, while ordering to the secretary on the other end of the headset: "Who is going to receive the visit to Gotham Academy today? The marketing department? Tell him to hold the students... …I don’t care how he procrastinates, the marketing department can’t see enough to show them to other departments! It’s delayed until I enter the company...Yes, there are important people among the visitors.”

Finally, adjusting the tie knot in front of the mirror, checking left and right to see if there was any dirt or unexpected blemishes on the clothes, Bruce walked towards the garage.In the headset, the secretary stammered and asked about important people, as if he had already made up his mind that even if Bruce said he wanted to pursue the 55-year-old female teacher who led the team, he would go all out to help the boss complete the task.

"It's my son! It's the monitor!"

Bruce proudly announced to the secretary that the Lamborghini convertible supercar rushed out of the garage and headed straight for the center of Gotham City.

Standing by the window, Alfred smiled and shook his head, picked up the laundry basket and continued to work. When he passed by the portraits of Thomas, Martha and Bruce Jr., he looked deeply at Thomas in the portrait. The same eyes as Bruce and the smile that Martha hugged her son.

Everything will be fine, Alfred said in his heart, your son and grandchildren will be fine.