Batman knows, how much longer can Red Robin stay away?
Colt thought of Timothy's love letter.
Timothy said he wanted to be his accomplice. Red Robin was going to shield him from Batman? Was he serious? Red Robin couldn't possibly be a lovesick fool, so was "accomplice" just Timothy testing the waters? Or was it just mindless sweet talk from someone in the throes of passion?
Colt fell into deep thought.
Joseph sighed deeply: "Colt, Batman is right, not every story has a perfect ending. Perhaps we should accept flaws, rather than creating even greater crises in an attempt to fix them."
"Dad, you don't support me?" Colt felt it was absurd.
Joseph shook his head: "I don't care what happens to Gotham, I hope Alisa can come back, but I'm not sure if your plan will cause me to lose you. Colt, I am a father; I cannot choose to abandon my son just to find my wife."
Colt hugged Joseph: "Be optimistic, Dad. Maybe our world will be a fairy tale. Good people are rewarded, evil people are punished, those who aren't meant to leave will all come back."
"Then what is the price?" Joseph asked.
People in Gotham don't believe that things fall from the sky for free.
Colt changed the subject, "I want to use the Quantum Superbrain, the kind you log into with a Virtual Helmet, Dad."
"No more than six hours at a time," Joseph agreed with a frown.
Colt calculated, "I'll only need four hours tonight, starting tomorrow, I'll reserve two six-hour slots every day."
Joseph asked, "For your grand plan?"
No, I plan to use the Virtual Laboratory for research. First, I'll research the Treatment Pod, especially that miraculous medicinal liquid for rapid healing, then the S-class FTL Module. My self-made Leap Mech still has a large gap compared to the one in Timmy's garage; how to quickly close that gap is my top priority lately." Colt pulled out his study schedule, "And there's the subject retakes in mid-January, the ACT at the end of February, the SAT in mid-March.
Joseph frowned: "You're not going to look after your grand plan?"
Since everything is proceeding according to the original plan, why bother? If I succeed and end up surviving, I'll need to go to university, so exams are very important. If the plan fails, I'll only have a few months left. There is still so much super technology in the world that I haven't mastered; I should focus on studying more urgently.
Heaven is big, Earth is big, but studying is the biggest.
Joseph's expression was so grim he looked like he wanted to kill someone, though, of course, the person he wanted to kill certainly wasn't Colt.
Level -3, Quantum Superbrain server room.
Colt's heart was not at peace. He stood before the holographic projection of the Earth Simulator, watching the Virtual Earth as it rotated silently forever.
It was still the 1,735th simulation. Only a few days had passed in reality, but several years had already passed within the simulator. The data for this Earth was very strange; the peace index was as high as 97, but the prosperity level was only 65.
Colt zoomed in on a section of the Virtual Earth, zooming in, zooming in, zooming in again.
He saw a white Superman hovering above the Earth, his red eyes seemingly piercing through virtuality and reality, his gaze falling directly upon Colt.
This Superman looked cold and indifferent, not like a good person.
Colt stared at the White Superman until the other man withdrew his gaze, only then did he loosen his grip, watching the Virtual Earth shrink back to its standard size.
The world of corrupted superheroes is fragile and prone to collapse; perhaps tomorrow, the Virtual Earth will jump to number 1736.
Colt thought about it, sat down before the Quantum Superbrain, put on the Virtual Helmet.
The time flow in the virtual space was set to a ratio of 1:1000; a few hours outside meant several months inside. Without the need for sleep, food, drink, or even bodily functions, one only needed to consume Spiritual Power. The Virtual Laboratory possessed a rich database of materials collected by the Earth Simulator. As long as sufficiently detailed parameters were provided, it could simulate the corresponding items, making it perfect for conducting research.
Colt simulated a complete version of the Treatment Pod. He did not choose rare materials like the Dionysus Factor or All Things Green, nor did he choose the most common human materials; instead, he chose ordinary materials provided by nature. He extracted elements from plants and minerals to synthesize medicinal liquid, repeatedly going through trial and error and making improvements within the Virtual Laboratory until he found a better extraction method and the optimal ratio.
If something miraculous can be analyzed with science, it can be replicated with science.
..
The alarm went off.
Colt set aside his experiment, saved his progress, exited the Virtual Laboratory, but he did not exit the virtual space. Instead, he created a new virtual room, one that looked like a combination of his and Timothy's bedrooms.
Colt entered the physical data and sculpted two virtual figures, one with Colt's face and the other with Timothy's face.
Input the personalities, the lifeless mannequins came to life.
Input the task, both of them started moving, performing an [action movie].
Colt sat upright in the chair, his eyes filled with a burgeoning thirst for knowledge, holding a notebook and a pen in his hands as he seriously recorded the key points.
..
Time passed during the learning process, as his consciousness detached from the Quantum Superbrain and returned to reality, Colt felt terrifyingly strong.
Timothy's location was in New York. Opening his phone, a string of unread messages popped up in the encrypted group chat.
Red Robin needs to spend the night at the Titans Headquarters in Manhattan; if all goes well, he will return to Gotham tomorrow morning.
Colt felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, his feverish brain began to cool down.
Criminals in this world are not just Super Villains; the more holidays there are, the busier the Vigilantes become, even non-humans like the Three Jokers celebrate the New Year.
【Studying Cole Duck: Get some rest early (づ￣ 3 ￣ ）づ～。 】
【Cole Duck at Work: See you in my dreams, love you. 】
Red Robin's work should have been going smoothly. Colt had thought he would have to stay up until at least three, but unexpectedly, he heard a rustling sound at one in the morning.
Colt put down his notes, issued a command to turn off the lights, removed the Quantum Terminal, leaned back, fell asleep with his eyes closed.
Distance is indeed a fundamental requirement for a Shared Dream.
Colt dreamed of the Brooklyn Bridge, where Red Robin stood atop the highest bridge tower catching the wind, looking as if he had already been turned into a silent statue by the cold breeze.
This must be Timothy's dream.
Only the real Red Robin could strike such a natural and cool pose.
Colt landed coolly beside Red Robin, grasping his cold, stiff hand. "Have you been waiting long?"
Time in the dream is not synchronized with reality; although he fell asleep immediately upon hearing the rustling sound, a difference of a few seconds in reality could mean several years had passed in the dream.
"No, I've kept you waiting too long," Red Robin said.
The statue came to life, grabbing Colt's hand and jumping down. Just before they were about to hit the water, Red Robin's cape unfurled into real wings, carrying Colt up into the sky.
"Tim, let's do it," Colt said.
"What?" Red Robin didn't know if he hadn't heard clearly or if he simply couldn't believe his ears.
Colt crossed his arms and whispered in his ear, "Let's go home, use your wine, fill my cup."
This invitation was very elegant, possessing the decorum required by high society.
The whole world fell silent; the wind stopped, the flapping wings ceased, the sky flickered with static like an old film reel.
Colt poked the petrified Red Robin with his finger, feeling the face beneath his finger grow hotter and the color more vivid. As the Domino Mask was removed, those dull eyes slowly rolled, fixing on Colt's face as they drew close, turning into cross-eyed stares.
Timothy's voice was as ethereal as a dream: "Are you saying.. make.. love.."
Colt stepped back a little, allowing Timothy to regain his normal eye contact by staring into his eyes.
"Yes, exactly. You won't get hurt in the dream, so we can practice a few more times to rehearse for the perfect first time in reality." Colt was as serious as if he were inviting someone to conduct academic research.
Timothy didn't say yes or no; instead, the surrounding environment instantly transformed into his bedroom, sanitary products began continuously pouring out of the drawers.
A notebook appeared in Colt's hands: "Step one, cleaning. It can be done alone, or together with your partner."
Timothy's movement of unwrapping the small balloon paused. He leaned forward to peek at Colt's notebook, then the small balloon in his own hands also transformed into a notebook, filled with academic notes from start to finish, including how a Top should take care of a Bottom afterward.
"Let's study together," Timothy nodded solemnly.
The research began with the exchange of notes.
Colt discovered that Timothy's notes even contained a plan for their first time: February 14th is a good day; candlelight, scented candles, a bed scattered with rose petals would also be very romantic.
Timothy discovered that Colt's notes actually used mathematical modeling to calculate which multiple gravitational forces could best stimulate sensitive points!
That's terrifying!
..
Time is irrelevant within a dream.
From the very first step, they started off clumsy and frantic, but gradually became proficient, reaching their peak performance and successfully completing the final step. Colt lay on the bed, still out of breath, but he already pulled out his notebook, biting the tip of his pen as he modified data such as force and sensitivity points, while inquiring about Timothy's experience.
His thirst for knowledge was simply terrifyingly boundless!
What was even more terrifying was that Timothy shared his passion for letting data speak, he even asked him where he still needed to improve!
The treasure box from the second day contained Timothy's notes.
It's so wonderful!
A shared dream is especially wonderful!
..
The people of the Wayne family discovered that as soon as the New Year began, Timothy went on a frenzy of business trips.
Keeping a close eye on the trial run of the Quantum Teleportation Device was indeed a priority for the company, but there was no way young Master Wayne would have to oversee it personally, right?
The brothers and sisters thought Timothy's feelings had changed, so he would flee the sorrowful Gotham and bury himself in making money. But in the video, young Master Wayne looked radiant and full of life; he couldn't hide his triumphant expression in the realm of romance.
We were all wrong!" Dick realized suddenly. "The person Timmy is dating can become a Ghost! Wherever there is a network, that is the Ghost's domain! Only by leaving Gotham, away from Bruce's surveillance, can he be sweet and happy with Ghost without any worries!
Jason thought Dick was finally speaking sense.
Red Hood didn't care about brotherly love at all; he just quietly tucked a few extra listening devices into Red Robin's safe house.
Joseph discovered that throughout the entire New Year holiday, he could only see his son at home in the mornings and evenings, even then, it was only because his son was thinking about the bird at home.
Colt wouldn't even eat his breakfast properly every morning, choosing to pack it to go instead. At seven-thirty, he would head out in a rush, backpack on and riding his skateboard. Within three days, he had upgraded his skateboard's speed twice, when he sped up, he could rival Superman. Then he would roam around outside all day, only rushing back home around five or six in the evening.
Joseph couldn't help but check the location on the Quantum Terminal. He found that wherever Timothy went on a business trip, Colt's location would follow. Even if they were on opposite sides of the Earth, it was the same; he was even more proactive than when it came to going to school.
After all, school has Sundays, but young Master Wayne doesn't get weekends off.
Joseph suspected his son had finally fallen in love, but reality dealt him a heavy blow.
Colt's notes became more extensive, filled with nothing but mathematics, medicine, or materials science. Occasionally, there were a few entries regarding romance, but even those were just mathematical modeling on what kind of posture would be most comfortable for two people squeezed onto a 900×900 single-seater sofa!
There are two notebooks for the modeling, clearly calculated by two people together.
Is this a discussion about academics or romance?
Joseph couldn't understand the love of young people; he felt his son was a bit too studious, Timothy wasn't a normal person either.
Colt, however, felt that his romantic life was perfectly healthy.
The first thing they did every morning was say good morning to each other in their encrypted group chat. Colt had already grown accustomed to receiving "I love you" from Timothy, could reply "I love you" or "Me too" without feeling any cheesiness. Sometimes they would compete to see who could be the first to send "I love you," and the loser would have to comply with a request from the winner that night.