Colt buried his face in Timothy's neck, shaking his head repeatedly as he used Morse code to say, 【I'm back. 】
The hands around his waist tightened, Timothy patted his back repeatedly, replying: [Welcome home.]
Colt really wanted to give Timothy a kiss, but since Mama Alisa was nearby, he just lightly pressed against Timothy's neck before pushing himself up to look up.
Timothy's eyes were bloodshot, looking as if he hadn't slept for a long time. He seemed relatively energetic, likely having just showered; his hair was half-dry and carried a faint, clean scent. Perhaps because he was in a rush, he had left a small nick on his chin while shaving, which he had just accidentally bumped, causing a trace of blood to seep from the red mark.
Most importantly, Timothy's head was empty, without any fatigue value hovering above it.
It seems Dream Station has really closed its doors!
Colt pressed one hand against Timothy's shoulder, rubbed his own ears with the other, patted his own head, then pointed to his mouth.
"None left," Timothy said.
Colt looked at him in confusion, blinking slowly, as Colt's Super Brain lagged and crashed.
What do you mean, "nothing"?
“When you came back that day, you didn't have the Quantum Terminal, the Voice Assistant Receiver, the Spiritual Power Inducer, or the Spacetime Signal Stabilizer on you.” Timothy pulled the clothes that were bunched around Colt's waist back down and added, “You didn't have anything on you.”
Colt widened his eyes and gestured in sign language: [None of them?]
Timothy nodded.
Colt's sadness was almost overflowing.
Timothy pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on Colt: "These are the new model Holographic Glasses, which support brain-computer interaction. Just like your Quantum Terminal, they can connect to the network using Spiritual Power and have a Text-to-Speech function."
Colt perked up and followed the prompts to complete the startup settings for the Holographic Glasses, then tugged on Timothy's sleeve.
It's fine, if you let it recognize its master, it's prepared for you." Timothy showed off his watch. "My watch can open a Holographic Screen to access the internet.
Colt touched his watch.
“Your tracking watch is gone too, so I took it off for you.” Timothy helped Colt up, then gave him a tight hug, laughing heartily: “I'm just glad you're back. We'll have better things in the future.”
Colt connected to the network, searched Timothy's Communication Channel, opened the Text-to-Speech mini-program, sent a message: "Are you really sure I had nothing on me when I returned? Could Joseph have lied to you? I know a skateboard might fall off, but surely not my clothes?"
“I was the first person to find you, you had nothing on you, not even clothes,” Timothy said hoarsely.
“Oh.” Colt thought of the love letters, the photos, Little Red Bird, and, “I'm sorry, I lost the ring.”
I will give you a better one, on a more formal occasion," Timothy said, ending the somewhat long embrace. "Good afternoon, Colt. Welcome home.
"Good afternoon, Tim," Colt said through his Holographic Glasses.
To them, every "good morning," "good afternoon," and "good night" was a way of saying "I love you."
Colt perked up, grabbed Timothy's hand, looked at Alisa standing not far away, turning up the volume on his Holographic Glasses: "Mama, this is Timothy Drake, you can call him Tim, he is my boyfriend. Tim, this is my mother, Mrs. Alisa, you can call her Auntie Aili, or Mama Alisa."
Alisa had been observing Colt.
For those who are alive, ten years have passed. But for her, it has only been a few short days. Her child used to be so lively and cheerful, but now he is so quiet. Seeing the child's melancholic eyes and feeling his strangeness and caution, Alisa's heart nearly broke.
Alisa had heard about what had happened over these years from Joseph. Although her husband had tried to downplay it, the long medical records in the child's file showed that his survival was nothing short of a miracle. Alisa could not bear to imagine how the father and son had endured these ten years. She did not care about anything now; as long as her son was happy, it didn't matter if he fell in love with a boy, it didn't matter that the boy's adoptive father was Bruce Wayne.
Timothy's tension regarding his son was undeniable. Once his son saw Timothy, his tense emotions relaxed instantly. There was no more carefulness on his face; instead, his eyes were full of life and light. Sadness was sadness, happiness was happiness, nervousness was nervousness.
They truly loved each other, it wasn't just childish playing house.
They were so in sync when they were together, the atmosphere was so harmonious that no one would dare to interrupt them.
“We already know each other.” Alisa walked over with a smile, giving Colt a kiss on the cheek, then gave Timothy one as well.
“Tim, you definitely haven't had lunch yet, so I'll go cook some pasta for you. Colt, take your little boyfriend to the dining room and wait a moment; you can treat him to some fruit first.”
Okay, Mama." Colt breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "I want to eat pasta too. Can you help me mix some beef sauce into it?
Of course, darling.
Joseph put the washed and dried pot back on the stove, took out some pasta, then took off his apron and embraced his wife as she walked into the kitchen.
Alisa leaned against his shoulder, sobbing softly, "Oh God, I thought he would never laugh normally again, thank goodness we still have Timothy."
..
Colt was multitasking, chatting with Timothy on the Communication Channel while simultaneously using his Spiritual Power to transform into a Ghost to go online, primarily to check his own account balance and the assets under Little Reed's name.
There were over two hundred million in cash deposits in the bank, various funds totaling over seven billion. This was all pocket money that Timothy had helped him earn through investments while running the New World Project simulations.
Then there was Little Reed Medical.
Internal testing data was retained until official operations, Little Reed Medical became the world's largest pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturer, with a market capitalization of 2.13 trillion. Although its life-saving drugs were all affordable, its medical beauty, cosmetics, height-increasing, intelligence-boosting, wellness products were incredibly profitable.
Additionally, to build global infrastructure and meet civil needs, there were numerous investments in various construction and agricultural enterprises, creating a list so long that even the Holographic Glasses lagged for half a second.
And all the interstellar companies related to wormholes and Habitable Planets—whether they were private enterprises, state-owned enterprises, or even industries under Drake, Wayne, or Stark International—Colt held a 20% dividend stake in all of them.
Maintaining a stable wormhole requires massive amounts of matter and energy, consuming nearly 1% of Colt's power; therefore, charging a 20% protection fee is quite reasonable. Of course, on the surface, this money is not paid to Colt personally, but rather to a fictional organization for wormhole maintenance and habitable planet construction.
In short, Colt is now a wicked rich man. He has enough funds to sponsor charitable projects such as the Reader Hope School, the Reader Children's Orphanage, the Reader Nursing Home.
Colt was satisfied.
We'll go eat the fruit platter Alisa made. Have you seen the orchard? I've transplanted delicious fruits from all over the world and slightly modified the genes of some tropical and temperate fruit trees so they can grow in Gotham. In the future, I'll handle all the fruit for both the Wayne and Drake families." Colt paused. "I remember there are 30 different types of oranges. Once the oranges ripen, there will be enough for you to take a bath in orange juice.
“No need for a bath, because someone doesn't like wasting food.” Timothy supported Colt as they walked slowly toward the dining room. “Gotham University has a new botany professor named Pamela Isley; perhaps you could collaborate with her. Researching frost-resistant tropical fruits, heat-tolerant temperate fruits, the extraterrestrial fruits that are about to appear—it will be a massive market.”
"Pamela Isley?" Colt's eyes widened, mouthing the words: Poison Ivy?
Yes, I was quite surprised, but Bruce was even more surprised than I was." Timothy glanced toward the kitchen and gave Colt a quick kiss on the cheek. "Pamela has a psychiatrist friend named Harley. Gotham has a prosecutor named Harvey Dent, a kindergarten security guard named Warren Jones, a treasure hunter named Matthew Hagen, I even found a third-rate comedian named Jack.
Colt didn't say anything and sat down at the dining table.
Timothy asked in a low voice, "I've never asked you about the results regarding them; what do you think?"
Colt looked at the busy figure in front of the stove and had the kitchen's speaker play some cheerful music. He waved to his parents as they turned around, then, under the cover of the music, he answered Timothy in a private chat.
“The madmen in Arkham have already died, they have died completely once. Theoretically, resurrection vouchers aren't given to villains, but the program for determining whether someone is a villain uses Batman's thought code. Batman is always willing to give people a chance to repent, then the former Pamela, Harley, Harvey.. they came back. I didn't give the Joker special treatment, so Jack still exists.”
Timothy pulled his chair closer to Colt and used a fruit fork to pick up a small star for him.
You get a gold star.
Colt chewed on the crunchy and sweet peach star, snorting through his nose. The voice function of his smart glasses carried emotional rendering; as his thoughts flared with anger, the voice followed suit, becoming angry and rapid: "I really want the Joker to die, but Jack passed the set resurrection program. Batman still remembers him, Batman wishes the Joker had never existed from beginning to end, wishing Jack could live a serious life with his wife and children.. Batman remembers all of Gotham's victims; among the people resurrected in Gotham, at least a hundred thousand were guided by his will. I suspect he has a Super Brain!"
That's perfectly normal; he is Batman, after all," Timothy said, picking up a mulberry about the length of a finger. "Cheer up. I'm sure your new fruit line will be a huge hit on the market.
Oh, the fruit isn't for sale to the public; it's mainly supplied to the children at Reader Hope School." Colt slumped on the table listlessly. "I can't release my Spiritual Power right now. Earth's gravity is so hard to adapt to; my body just won't listen to me. I might be disabled for a long time.
“I'll accompany you through your rehabilitation,” Timothy comforted him. “I already sent a message to Jason before I returned; he will deliver our flying wheelchair as soon as possible, so you'll still be able to go wherever you want.”
Do you have time?" Colt asked skeptically. "Bruce is the President now, so he has even less time to manage the company. With the Interstellar Plan underway and Wayne being one of the core components, you must be extremely busy.
The workload of my part-time job has decreased significantly because of the New World Project. Gotham University doesn't start until September, the company has professional teams. " Timothy believed he wasn't so important that the company would go bankrupt or Gotham would be destroyed if he didn't work for a month. "Jack and Janet are both back. Drake's meetings can be handed over to Jack, Wayne's meetings can be handed over to Thomas or Martha. I've taken a six-month leave from Lucius, so I won't be summoned back for at least a month.
Colt immediately brightened up and started gossiping with Timothy: "How are Jack and Janet doing? I saw Thomas at the hospital; he doesn't look particularly like Bruce, if he doesn't grow a beard, he looks even younger than Bruce. Do you think they feel awkward when they are together?"
They are both doing well; they went to Mars representing Drake. Once they return, I'll arrange a time for you to meet them." Timothy paused. "It would indeed feel strange, but they don't spend much actual time together, I haven't seen them argue yet. Do you feel awkward when you are with Alisa?
Colt lowered his voice again, almost leaning his head against Timothy's, "A little bit. Alisa always feels like I'm only eight years old; she even makes kid's meals for me and makes me wear children's pajamas."
Timothy pulled at the rabbit ears on his pajama cap. "These aren't children's pajamas; they're a trendy teen brand, they're very cute."
Colt glared at him. "If it's so trendy, why aren't you wearing it?"
Timothy smiled, "Alisa bought one for me too, it's a fox."
Why is mine a rabbit and yours a fox?" Colt thought the fox was much cooler. "I want a fox.
"Sure." Timothy smiled even more happily.
Alisa brought over the spaghetti: "You're all hungry, aren't you? Eat up quickly."
The two heads that had bumped together quickly pulled apart.
Timothy pulled the chair back to its original position, Colt switched the audio back to the voice player in the Holographic Glasses.
“Tim's stomach hasn't even growled yet.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Colt began to regret it, as if he had been listening to Timothy's stomach the whole time.
It wasn't that he wasn't listening, but rather that coming out to his family and confirming his lover's status was one thing, while acting overly affectionate and intimate in front of his family was another. According to what's written in psychology books, being too close to a lover in front of one's mother can easily make the mother feel as if her son is being stolen away, which can ultimately affect family happiness.
Colt worried about future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, or the relationship between a mother-in-law and son-in-law, or the relationship between a mother and her son-in-law.
In fact, he didn't need to worry about this at all. Timothy was truly skilled at being likable; he acted steady and reliable in front of Joseph, but turned into a strong, pitiable little thing craving affection in front of Alisa, while also sweetly praising Alisa's cooking and saying how much he missed Mama's cooking. The look in Mama's eyes toward him was as tender as could be.
Colt pouted, looking at his own plate which had very little beef and even less sauce, then at Timothy's plate which had much more noodles and beef sauce, before using a spoon to steal some of Timothy's meat sauce.
“No, this is a bit spicy. If you think the flavor isn't strong enough, you can add this.” Alisa strictly stopped Colt, pushing a bottle of ketchup toward him.
Colt felt that his stomach was very strong; never mind just mildly spicy beef sauce, he wouldn't even be afraid of Ghost Pepper.
Alisa's preferential treatment was very obvious; she poured a cup of hot milk for Colt, but brewed a cup of coffee for Timothy.
The coffee even had latte art!
Hmph!
"Mom, Dad, I'm going next door." Colt quickly finished his noodles, once Timothy was done eating, he reported to his parents that he was going out to play.
Wait, take some food, your phone too.
We'll go pick some fresh fruit. The Holographic Glasses have a calling function, I've saved your numbers.
Colt didn't even sit in the wheelchair, but climbed directly onto Timothy's back instead.
Alisa waved goodbye to Timothy, who was behaving well, saw them out the door. She patted Joseph's back and said with great concern, "Colt is nearly 140 pounds, they won't fall, will they?"
Joseph comforted him, "Don't worry, Timothy is very strong." Despite Timothy's appearance like a young master, he could carry not just 140 pounds, but even 410 pounds.
Colt confirmed that they were no longer in Alisa's line of sight and kept urging Timothy, "Quick, hurry up, let's go to the lakeside at the foot of the mountain."
"What happened?" Timothy was still walking briskly even with Colt on his back, moving much faster than a wheelchair.
I was just distracted while gathering information online, Tony found out," Colt said, looking a bit panicked. "He has been conducting high-intensity network surveillance and even set up a specialized honeypot system targeting me. My spiritual mimicry AI has already been captured by him; he said to wait for him, he's already putting on his Mark Armor to come to Gotham to find me!
"The Starks will be back after Easter, the smart butler who has accompanied him for years has also gained a human body; perhaps he just wants to say thank you to you." Timothy believed that Colt had absolutely no need to fear Stark.
But I ruined their high-dimensional space exploration experiment! And I destroyed a meticulously crafted Interstellar Warp Ship! Such a massive undertaking as the New World Project was started without even giving him a heads-up!
Colt put himself in their shoes.
If Birdie dared to ruin his important experiment, destroy his experimental equipment, or sneak off to cause trouble behind his back, he would definitely be super angry and would have to resort to the full punishment of locking the cage, confiscating snacks, banning television.
Iron Man arrived very quickly.
The buffs from the New World Project also enhanced the Mark Armor; Iron Man not only flew with a sonic boom but also achieved a spatial folding effect, landing by the lakeside with a "whoosh."