Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4405 - 3495: Research on Cats and Dogs (6)

A calm yet eventful night passed just like that. The next morning, Bruce stumbled downstairs for breakfast, still half-asleep, just as Clark was walking to the table with a cup of coffee in hand.

He handed the coffee over, and Bruce took it instinctively. After one sip, he seemed to remember something and stuffed the cup back into Clark's hand, pretending nothing had happened.

Clark found it amusing and couldn't help but chuckle. Bruce glared at him as he walked past.

Bruce glanced at Lex, who was sitting at the table reading a newspaper, and couldn't help but comment, "Dressed like you're attending a red-carpet event first thing in the morning—are you celebrating Metropolis's downfall in advance?"

"Whether Metropolis falls or not has nothing to do with you," Lex replied without looking up from his paper. "How long do you plan on staying here? Leaving in two minutes would be ideal."

Bruce immediately put down his fork and stormed off. Clark shot Lex a glare before pulling Bruce back by the arm.

"Finish your breakfast first, then the two of us will meet up with Diana. Lex is responsible for contacting Arthur and Oliver."

"What's this? Has he joined the Justice League now?"

"He's more like an external consultant," Clark replied calmly. "To face the upcoming crisis, we need specialized technical support."

"Am I not specialized enough?"

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"Both of you together?"

"No way am I teaming up with him!"

Clark looked at him helplessly, and Bruce finally seemed to realize he might have overreacted. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'll go to Wayne Enterprises' Metropolis branch. Since Lucius took over the Gotham headquarters, Tim should've been transferred to the Metropolis office."

"It's not safe there," Clark said. "Aside from the imminent crisis, the city currently has two pairs of Batman and Superman, and one of those Supermen might be extremely dangerous."

"More dangerous than you?" Bruce smirked sideways at him.

"You should definitely be this hostile during the Justice League meeting later. Then we can vote to kick you out of this operation," Clark retorted without hesitation.

"The Justice League voting out Batman—does that even make sense?!" Bruce shouted.

"I don't know about other universes, but in this one, they'd gladly do it," Clark said matter-of-factly.

"Fine, I'll stay here and go nowhere, is that good enough for you?"

"I've already called Selina. If you sneak out, we'll just say you're off somewhere goofing around, and when you get back to Gotham, your beloved feline will claw your face off."

"That's despicable," Bruce sighed. "How could the Multiverse produce such a conniving Superman like you?"

"Learned it from hanging around you too long," Clark sighed. "I might just be the one Superman in the entire cosmos most experienced with dealing with mental patients."

Clark wasn't wrong. Ever since Bruce stopped being Batman, his mental state had improved too much, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. Once his psychological issues were resolved, he became exceedingly energetic.

Bruce had since embraced a new mantra: torment others before tormenting himself. When faced with emotions he couldn't process, he often resolved them by... causing chaos.

It might not be the "correct" method, but it was undeniably effective. The louder his outbursts, the clearer it became what he was feeling—eliminating misunderstandings and conflicts.

The only downside was... his outbursts were a bit too loud.

Since the Justice League was formed, the bulk of their resolutions revolved around Bruce's "episodes." Compared to him, Gotham's criminals almost seemed well-behaved.

Over time, they all became honorary psychiatric nurses, with resumes so seasoned they could tell the timing, severity, and duration of Bruce's meltdowns with exact precision.

Take this instance, for example: Bruce was acting out again, but at least Clark understood he was upset about the last co-op mission, instead of sulking silently and forcing others to guess—and guess wrong.

Of course, where there are pros, there are cons. Compared to Batman, Bruce's behavior had become far less predictable. As a result, Superman now took the leading role in the Justice League, followed by Wonder Woman, with Bruce's strategic input ranking maybe even below Aquaman's.

After breakfast, the two put on their coats. Clark was the first to finish putting on his shoes and stood by the door scrolling through his phone. Bruce glanced at his screen and immediately frowned.

"A new model from the Luther Group?" Bruce asked, staring at Clark.

"Yeah," Clark replied casually without even looking up. "If Wayne Enterprises releases a new model, send me one too. I'll help you review it."

"Dream on—you'll pay for it," Bruce said as he finished tying his shoes. "How much funding did the Luther Group sponsor you for this quarter?"

"Just under two hundred million," Clark said. "The newest base is almost complete, with Arthur keeping watch on construction progress."

Bruce nodded. "Although the main base is in Washington, the East Coast needs one too. How about Gotham?"

The two nearly simultaneously opened the car doors and got in. Clark closed his door, put away his phone, started the engine, and said, "We've discussed this before: basing it in Gotham isn't a bad idea, but it would likely require Wayne Enterprises to fund and supply materials, which could be a stretch for your finances."

"That's Lucius's burden now," Bruce grinned smugly. "I went through so much trouble to poach him across the Multiverse just for this."

"You'd better watch out, or the Luther Group might poach him too," Clark said, stepping on the gas and glancing in the rear-view mirror. "Lex wouldn't mind adding a capable executive to his team."

"Well, at least he can't poach my new mayor. Harley's still recovering at Wayne Hospital, and the kids are doing great," Bruce said confidently.

Clark's grip on the steering wheel tightened abruptly. "You'd better call Nepier ahead of time. With two extra Batmen in this universe, they might target your mayor."

Bruce gasped audibly. Only now did he remember the situation. He quickly picked up his phone to send a text: "Watch out for Batman!"

The phone vibrated. The Pale Knight froze mid-sip of soup, smiled politely at those around the table, set down his spoon, and picked up the phone.

Seeing Bruce's message, he hesitated. Sitting nearby, Victor received his plate from the waiter and glanced over. "What's wrong, Mr. Mayor?"

"Nothing," the Pale Knight replied with a smile.

The current president of Gotham University, Xi Wana, raised his glass and said with a laugh, "We must thank our new mayor for emphasizing education. Gotham University's football team has achieved new heights this quarter, bringing us closer to becoming a sports powerhouse. Cheers."

"Cheers," Victor and Anna echoed with smiles.

Professor Shearer, also smiling, lifted his glass, clinked it lightly, then dabbed his mouth with a handkerchief. "I heard the mayor's wife recently gave birth. When's the christening?"

"The Pale Knight smiled, set down his glass, and said, "The kids were a bit weak when they were first born, so we postponed it. But they're much better now. Once we have a date, I'll send out the invitations."

"We look forward to it," Xi Wana said again, raising his glass to toast.

"In the upcoming academic year, Gotham University will host four football games. The players need to intensify their training. Of course, our renowned cheerleading team will also aim to maintain their top performances..."

At this point, Victor leaned in and whispered to Shearer, "Has our cheerleading team ever won any awards?"

"Of course," Shearer replied without missing a beat. "We've been All America Cheerleading Dance Champions for seventeen consecutive years."

"Whoa..." Victor's face lit up with surprise.

"Though this year might be tricky," Shearer said in a lower voice. "The coach mentioned that during the move to the new campus, equipment issues led to two star players getting injured, and the rookies' quality this year isn't looking great..."

Victor sighed, looking regretful.

"I've heard there's a promising one," Anna chimed in from Shearer's other side. "The coach told me there's a girl with great physical capabilities who might bring back the singles gold we've lost for four years!"

"That's promising news," Shearer nodded. "What's her name?"

"I'm not entirely sure. But if you go watch the training, you'll easily spot her—she stands out."

"Let's go see after the meal?" Victor suggested.

Shearer turned to look at him, and Victor, slightly embarrassed, explained, "You know Nora's always loved sports, but I'm not sure intense activities are suitable for her. I want to ask a pro."

Shearer nodded. "I'm free; let's go together."

As the gathering ended, Xi Wana clinked glasses with the Pale Knight, excessively complimenting him in hopes of securing more funding. Gradually, the other faculty members filed out, and Shearer's group left with the crowd.

The new campus was enormous. It took them a leisurely ten-minute walk to reach the gymnasium. Shearer, being a regular, was casually acknowledged by the security as they were let in.

This just happened to be the cheerleading team's main training time. Since there was competition among university squads, dance routines and choreography were typically kept confidential, and public access was restricted.

However, the coach was well-acquainted with Shearer after years of working together. Upon spotting them, he came over to greet them.

Victor immediately stepped forward enthusiastically, shaking the coach's hand, while Shearer glanced toward the team.

As Anna had said, a blonde girl stood out in the center of the floor, taking a sip of water. It wasn't just about being particularly pretty—she was tall, athletic, and radiated confidence.

"Oh, Professor Shearer, have you noticed Miss Danvers as well?" The coach chuckled, nodding toward the girl. "She's our best rookie."

"Shearer smiled politely, then turned his eyes away. "I heard she's got a shot at the solo gold medal. But the singles competition at the All America Cheerleading Dance Championships is notoriously tough. Doesn't Metropolitan University usually dominate that category?"

"That's true," the coach nodded. "They tend to attract stronger recruits. But things are different now. After the recent music festival, Gotham University's reputation has surged, and the new students are much more qualified overall. We won't lose this time."

Shearer smiled courteously, but then, as if struck by a thought, glanced at the girl once more.

She appeared to notice his gaze, turned her head in their direction, and began walking over.

Confidently and warmly, she extended her hand, saying, "Kara Danvers. Nice to meet you."