Colt's sour heart felt as if it were being cradled by something soft and warm, he responded to Timothy enthusiastically.
I misled you; I hadn't even considered that this option would remain at the beginning.
..
Wait, there's nothing here..
It's okay.
Joseph will watch the surveillance.
There will be nothing on the surveillance.
“He can guess what we are doing.”
So you're going to stop?
No, I am willing to face my father's shotgun for you.
“He won't kill you; he has high hopes for you, such as letting me stay.”
Smart.
..
They struggled until midnight.
The Super Villains of Gotham were quite sensible, not causing any trouble that would require the entire Bat Family to mobilize. Timothy missed his appointment with his Counterpart, the Counterpart did not send any messages to disturb him.
Timothy embraced Colt contentedly. Usually a workaholic, he felt somewhat reluctant to work now. However, Timothy still used his own shirt to wipe Colt down, helped Colt get dressed, put on a pair of trousers himself, then went to fetch the bag that had been kicked into the corner.
Colt was placed in the ergonomic chair, his body still trembling slightly. He extended his slightly convulsing arm and snapped his fingers.
Spiritual Power spread across the surroundings, clearing away the traces of their recent mischief, including the sticky sensation on their bodies, but the love bites and scratch marks did not disappear.
Timothy grabbed his hand, which was hanging over the armrest of the chair, leaned down to kiss his fingertips. "Your use of Spiritual Power is becoming more and more exquisite. Can I use it instead of taking a bath in the future?"
"No, the moisture and oils on the surface of your skin would be cleared away too. Taking a bath is still more comfortable." Colt hooked his fingertips, drawing circles in Timothy's palm, reached out with his other hand as well.
Timothy pulled Colt into his arms, sat down on the floor, used his thighs as a soft cushion for Colt, dragged the bag in front of them.
“Let's find a way to make you stay.”
I've already seen it.
Colt buried his face in the side of Timothy's neck.
Timothy picked up a fairy tale book about True Love Magic, but did not open it.
You think these are useless?
“I can use power to reshape my own body, then through a Spiritual Connection, fix my own source code, allowing my soul to descend into the body.” Colt held Red Robin's waist as he sighed with satisfaction. “Or, I could leave my body behind before the plan begins, using the body as an anchor to guide my soul back.”
"How long have you been thinking about this plan?" Timothy tilted his head and kissed his hair.
Ever since I found out you planted the flowers for our wedding, I've been thinking about how I could stay.
I'm sorry, I should have..
I forgive you." Colt silenced Timothy's words. "I forgive you for loving me more than yourself, for caring more about my ideals, please, forgive me for realizing so late just how important you are.
Colt, you don't need to apologize. You have already sacrificed once for us, spending ten lonely years in the Dimensional Rift, fighting for a chance to reshape the world. No one can blame you, not even me. I long for you to stay; it would be easier than searching for you in the High-Dimensional World, but I didn't dare ask you to stay.
Timothy spoke his fears candidly: "I fear your departure, but I fear even more that you would stay because of me. My Counterpart was right; love is not everything in life. Perhaps one day you will wake up from that love, you will regret your current decision, then love will turn into resentment, then into hate. Of course, if you are willing to stay, my joy will outweigh my fear. Colt, please believe me, I will shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that love never fades, I will strive to make the happiness you gain exceed the ideals you gave up."
“I believe you.” Colt believed the weight of Timothy's promise, “But Tim, you don't need to carry so much responsibility. I haven't given up my ideals for you. Making the motherland soar is not just my ideal, but the ideal of millions of people. It wouldn't matter if I were there or not; I am not the only savior. The technology I sent back is merely accelerating the speed of that ascent.”
Timothy thought this was just empty words to comfort him: "What about your family?"
“Du Zhe is an orphan, I have no parents, my grandfather passed away when I was in my first year of high school.” Colt stroked Timothy's eyes and gave him a kiss. “Don't look at me like that, my life hasn't been difficult, it's even easier than many who have parents. My tuition at school was waived, I also have social security and scholarships, so I don't lack money. I also have many uncles and aunts looking after me in my daily life, every time there's a holiday, people from the community scramble to pick me up to spend the festival at their homes..”
Colt spoke about how wonderful his hometown was and how the government truly took action. That was why, after coming to Gotham, he was so naive, fantasizing that becoming President would allow him to change the world.
Timothy believed that Colt's past was very happy; only a child who grew up in a sense of security would be so naive and confident.
Timothy still remembered Colt's second-grade essay titled "I Want to Become President," which proposed making healthcare truly free, making schools dedicated solely to learning, exempting people with only one house from property taxes, making the Black Gang disappear..
Because of that essay, the teacher even had a talk with Colt's parents, subtly reminding them not to express too many political inclinations in front of their child.
In Gotham, some things, even if they only appear in a child's essay, can trigger certain people's sensitivities, bringing warnings, or even danger.
Timothy felt truly grateful: "I'm so glad you could grow up there. It's wonderful that the weak aren't bullied, but instead receive care."
Colt pulled the New World model, which had drifted to the side, back toward him.
Timothy caught a faint scent from Colt's hair, out of the corner of his eye, he saw interstellar warp ships shuttling through the space orbit of the Virtual Earth.
“Any new changes in the Injustice Universe?”
The Injustice Universe is Virtual Earth No. 1736, where one day in reality is nearly a year in the Virtual Earth. The technology there develops very rapidly, but unfortunately, the Justice League fell and became the Injustice League more than ten days ago. Injustice Superman is even more extreme than Superman, choosing to use Brainiac to mind-control Batman into opposing him, controlling Batman to maintain his dictatorship and rule the Earth on his behalf.
Timothy was also paying attention to this world, even secretly adding sanity and refreshing Kryptonite for Batman. In addition to confirming his instructions, Colt also resurrected Nightwing.
Colt thrust the holographic model of the New World right in front of Timothy's eyes.
No, this is our New World; Gotham will be as safe as my hometown.
Chapter 70
Timothy changed his position, holding Colt with one arm while using his other hand to fiddle with the model to observe it closely. As expected, he didn't care about the fact that Wayne patents were blooming everywhere; instead, he asked, "You want to usher in the interstellar age?"
Colt nodded: "By opening up star maps and interstellar warp ship technology, starting with the transformation of Mars, we can guide humanity toward the interstellar age. By letting the ambitious ones venture out, Earth will become much quieter."
This is the plan you've prepared for your homeland," Timothy paused. "Your home is powerful and stable, united under a single voice; expanding into the stars will only make it more magnificent. But if the people of our Earth scatter, nations will instantly fracture into countless corporations. Forget standing united against a crisis—they'll be too busy tearing each other apart.
“Whether it is corporations, nations, or civilizations, they are still Earthlings. They are just as divided, creating crises and killing one another on Earth as well." Colt held Timothy's hand, "When I cleanse the debuffs and reshape the world, extreme threats in the universe will also be eliminated. I will establish stable wormholes between the Solar System and uninhabited, habitable star systems.. Bruce will be a great President, both Wayne and Stark will become pioneers. This world also has nations that are united, stable, have only one voice; we only need to strengthen their power, they will take Death Star cannons to do business with aliens, becoming your allies to face the Cosmic Crisis together."
Timothy interlaced his fingers with his, asking, 'Have you been thinking about this for a long time?'
Colt did not answer, only saying, "Earth is so small, the universe is so vast. Humanity should venture out, rather than fighting amongst themselves on Earth."
Timothy looked at the flourishing Earth model in the data, which was different from the New World they had experienced during the closed beta in their dreams, said thoughtfully, "Is reshaping the world meant to launch Earth directly into the interstellar era?"
“Starting from the discovery of stable wormholes in the Solar System that lead to habitable planets for humanity, Bruce will open up star charts and Wayne's interstellar warp ship technology in the name of the President.” Colt turned his head and pressed his face against Timothy's, “This might cause Wayne's interests to suffer.”
“Are you joking?” Timothy feigned a look of surprise. “Letting Bruce open up the star charts and interstellar warp ship technology will not only avoid harming Wayne's interests, but will instead make him a great man, allowing him to gain thousands of times more benefits in the future.”
Colt's eyes lit up, "You think this plan is feasible too?"
It can't be any worse than it is now." Timothy looked at Virtual Earth 1736 not far away, worrying about another point: "Large-scale reality modification increases the difficulty of the plan; how will that affect you?
Colt knew that if he answered that there was no impact, Timothy certainly wouldn't believe him.
Tim, there is only one chance to edit the world. We must make the most of it to win some space in the future for humanity.
Timothy understood this, but..
He asked, "What about you?"
I will act within my capabilities," Colt answered seriously. "I can feel the world's resistance, I can also feel a force resisting on my behalf. Tim, this isn't just my power; it comes from tens of millions of Readers. You simply cannot imagine how intense this power of belief is, which wishes for your happiness.
I feel it.
Timothy had half a sentence left unsaid: it was as intense as your love, making you willing to risk your life for me.
Timothy threw himself wholeheartedly into Plan B.
Timothy wanted to collect all six World Origin Gems, so the first thing he did every day upon entering a dream was to manifest them to carry by his side. But even today, the Dream Treasure Chest had only yielded two. Including the two he had managed to borrow from parallel universes, he only had four. He was unsure if the gems that had already been swallowed would still function, was doing everything in his power to find the remaining gems.
Timothy also did not stop his research into True Love Magic. Using Red Robin's connections, he traveled through various pantheons, even not sparing the angels and demons living in seclusion in London.
Colt did not follow Timothy everywhere; instead, he stayed at home to build the New World model. He held a resurrection list in his hands, with Alisa at the top, followed by the Drakes, the Starks, the Waynes.. all the friends and family lost by the superheroes.
Resurrecting these people only requires editing a single setting.
Colt fell into deep thought, uncertain as to how to edit this setting to make it reasonable.
Resurrected people need to have healthy bodies, but should their memories of death be preserved? Furthermore, Joseph is already old while Alisa is still young; will they face conflicts because of this in the future?
Furthermore, Timothy's father found him a stepmother after his mother died, the stepmother is still alive. How can the ethical issues caused by resurrecting the Drakes be resolved?
Take the Waynes and the Starks, for example. They are both very famous people; their reappearance in the public eye would inevitably cause a sensation. They can't be forced to live in anonymity for the rest of their lives, can they?
Colt turned his gaze toward the direction of Arkham.
He had wanted to blow up Arkham ten years ago, so he set the world-reshaping button in Arkham, setting off the biggest firework for himself before leaving.
Colt didn't tell Timothy how to deal with those Super Villains, Timothy tacitly didn't ask. They both knew that the end for those madmen was being cleared away as a debuff.
Is there really no better way to handle them?
Not everyone is as chaotic and insane as the Joker; some of them are truly sick.
But, if you give them a new life, wouldn't the innocents who died at their hands be even more pitiable? Alisa can still come back, but what about those who can't? Even if the dead cannot speak, should the suffering of their friends and family be ignored? Should Joseph's ten years of agony just be forgotten like that?
Colt, who was pursuing the perfect answer, found himself in a dilemma.
Joseph returned and, seeing Colt all alone, couldn't help but frown: "Why are you home by yourself? Where is Timothy? It hasn't even been ten days, he's actually not home to keep you company?"
Colt blinked slowly, searching his stalled mind for the answer to the question.
Red Robin went to a friend's house to play. Tim is in London, but we have a special way of meeting; distance isn't an issue, we don't need to be by each other's side.
Timothy had fallen victim to True Love Magic, believing that the power of will could turn a god into a man. Although Colt did not believe it, he supported Timothy in seeking psychological comfort, since they could meet in dreams anyway.
Time in dreams can make a person feel as if years have passed in a single day—literally "years."
Joseph scratched his messy beard, which hadn't been trimmed in dozens of days, let out a long sigh. "Colt, we need to talk."
Colt set aside the complicated New World Project, brewed two cups of coffee, took the snacks Alfred had sent over, went to the study to talk with Joseph.
Colt didn't like drinking coffee, but when his mind was clouded, bitter coffee could bring him clarity.
The experiment failed." Joseph didn't bother with any preamble and went straight to the point. "We've ruled out all possibilities; only one answer remains.
Colt put down his coffee cup and silently chewed on some Cookies to relieve the bitterness in his mouth.
“Colt Joseph Fred, you cut the search and rescue signal and destroyed the High-Dimensional Space Explorer,” Joseph said, his eyes bloodshot.
He called out Colt's full name, clearly more than just angry.
Colt put down the half-eaten cookie in his hand and straightened his posture: "I'm sorry, Dad, it was me. I didn't want you guys to find me."