CHAPTER 537: CHAPTER 537: AS LONG AS YOU’RE NOT DEAD

It was not surprising that Tony would have such thoughts. In a way, these two are often compared.

Iron Man and Batman are both rich kids with astonishing wealth and superior intelligence. They are also self-sufficient types, basically crafting all their gear themselves.

Additionally, their roles within superhero teams overlap to some extent. Both are responsible for the logistics of the entire team to a certain degree.

The slight difference is that in the Avengers, the team commander is usually Captain America, Steve Rogers. While Tony is highly intelligent, he is not considered top-tier in combat. In the Justice League, Batman is mostly responsible for devising strategies.

Furthermore, Batman is the only superhero in the DC world who stands at the pinnacle as a mortal, while Tony, for a long time, was also an ordinary person relying on equipment. In the movie universe, he remains a normal human, in the comics, he used the Extremis virus for enhancement.

It is just that due to Ethan’s involvement, Iron Man’s development trajectory has undergone significant changes. The current Tony is vastly different from the original Tony, but this has not diminished his curiosity about Batman, especially Batman’s long-standing insistence on being a superhero as a mortal.

Batman is a figure at the upper echelon of superheroes, having participated in countless major events. In the process of resolving so many crises, Bruce encountered opportunities to change himself multiple times, yet he never chose those methods to make himself stronger.

He steadfastly remains an ordinary person, walking in the darkness with an ordinary body doing various dangerous jobs. Tony is very curious whether this Bruce in front of him will have such persistence. Will he still calmly give up when faced with an opportunity to make himself better?

If it were just a comic, perhaps one would consider it Batman’s selling point. But now this is a living person, living in a real world without those commercial factors. Will Bruce still stick to this point?

Tony asked himself, he certainly would not refuse, just as he would actively learn magic from Ethan and use enhancement serums to make himself stronger.

As of now, Bruce is not overly fixated on those things. He is still diligently learning everything that can improve himself, asking Tony about everything he is curious about.

Ethan did not participate in their teaching sessions, nor did he participate in Bruce’s nighttime activities.

After building a new Batsuit and optimizing it to a certain extent, Bruce has already begun the first step of his plan, targeting Falcone, Gotham’s most notorious gang boss. As the first action since Batman’s birth, it can effectively establish Batman’s reputation and intimidate all the villains in Gotham.

Tony also did not get involved in these matters. He does not think much of the evil forces of local gangs. In the Marvel universe, he targets much larger threats, such as Hydra’s attempt to control humanity or alien invasions of Earth. Occasionally, if a major villain commits particularly violent acts, he might lend a hand if he is in a good or bad mood.

As for the gangs entrenched in various cities, let the local police deal with that headache.

However, considering the situation in Gotham City...

Watching Bruce return to the Batcave, start organizing his gear, and examine the bumps and bruises on his body, Tony noticed that the minor injuries were becoming fewer and fewer.

"Your progress is truly amazing."

Bruce still has an ordinary human body, and coupled with a lack of sufficient experience, even with a full set of equipment and some targeted optimization based on Tony’s guidance, it does not mean he will not make mistakes.

Especially when descending from high altitudes, bumps and scrapes are perfectly normal. He grew through repeated collisions, and of course, Tony collected all these valuable video records.

By now, the injuries on Bruce’s body are already less than half of what they were at the beginning. Perhaps before long, he can become the Batman who can put on his gear at any time, solve problems without losing a single hair, and then put on a suit to pose as a playboy millionaire.

Tony also thoroughly enjoyed being a mentor, even personally guiding Bruce in creating the first new Batsuit equipped with various high-tech features.

This set of equipment looks basically the same as the first Batsuit, but it has a small computer on the forearm that can perform multiple functions such as communication, audio recording, thermal imaging, recording and displaying maps, password cracking, and more. Additionally, due to the use of special materials, this small computer is very sturdy and can be used as a shield for defense when necessary.

At the same time, small jet devices are hidden in the gauntlets. Although limited by energy and space, these jets can only last for a very short time, if used at full power, the fuel will be depleted in a few seconds. But a burst at a crucial moment can change many things, such as emergency adjustments when using a gliding cape or slowing down during a fall.

There are also similar devices on the feet, plus sonic weapons, small electric shock devices, and a whole bunch of other equipment. Combined with Bruce’s stealth skills, with the cover of darkness, the current Bruce is no longer someone ordinary people can deal with.

However, Bruce insists on not using lethal weapons. Not killing is still the bottom line he adheres to. Since the current Bruce has not yet grasped the supreme principle of it does not matter if they are paralyzed, as long as they are not dead, he is still a bit unsure how much force is appropriate to use.

This led to him suffering some setbacks in his next few actions. Although Ethan did not say anything about this situation, Tony could not help but start complaining.

"Why can’t you hit harder?"

"I’m worried I’ll accidentally kill them."

"So what? If you go easy, are they going to be grateful to you? Look at these wounds on your body, these are the gifts they give back."

Tony shook his head. When he fought, he never considered whether to hold back or not, especially against Hydra soldiers. Blasting them with a barrage of missiles and palm energy cannons left no possibility of holding back.

At the same time, he did not think there was anything wrong with killing those guys. What else could be done with these lunatics if they were not killed? Could they be talked into surrendering?

Of course, Bruce was not that naive. There was a reason for his insistence on not using heavy force.

"Because I don’t want to become someone without a bottom line."

Not killing is the warning line he drew for himself, and he tried hard to control himself from crossing that line.

But now he faced an awkward situation. Batman was indeed starting to gain some notoriety, but the villains still did not take him seriously.

"Because you have not made them truly feel fear. Right now, they just see you as a lunatic in weird clothes, a crazy person, a nuisance, but that is it."

Bruce turned to look at Ethan. He felt that this young man, who had always been quiet, could answer the question in his heart.

"Then how should I make them feel fear?"

"There are many ways to make people feel fear. The simplest is to make them personally feel pain."

Even if Ethan did not say it, Bruce would understand this later. It would just take some time.

"Many small-time thugs have nothing but themselves. To make them fear, you have to make them understand one thing, being caught by Batman will result in tremendous pain."

"Violence?"

Bruce does not advocate violence, but sometimes violence is indeed the most effective method, especially against these people who have nothing. Other methods will not scare them at all unless you directly harm their bodies with violence.

"Why do many villains readily back down when facing another villain, but act tough when facing a good person?"

Ethan shrugged.

"If you want to use fear to deter villains, you must first understand this point, and then resolutely act like a villain."

Batman may be righteous, and in some ways, he is a good person.

But in the eyes of criminals, he must transform into a devil, using the most brutal methods to punish those people, otherwise Batman will never have deterrence in the hearts of the wicked.

Doing this will inevitably attract criticism from some people, which is one reason why Batman is called the Dark Knight. Besides often appearing in darkness, in the eyes of these people, Batman’s actions are too evil, simply unforgivable.

However, Bruce did not care about these things. When he decided to become Batman, he had already anticipated this day.

In the following days, the injuries on Bruce when he returned were significantly fewer, and at the same time, there were some changes in the rumors about Batman outside.

The cause of this was that compared to the criminals who were previously just beaten down and left at the crime scene, this time they were all severely injured and thrown in front of the police station, with even the least injured having several bone fractures.

Furthermore, Falcone, who in the original plot should have been tied to a spotlight, suffering at most minor injuries and fright, was this time severely injured all over, with hardly a single intact spot. He is now lying in a hospital bed, unable to move.

While brutally beating Falcone and using Falcone’s fate to warn other villains in Gotham, Batman unexpectedly obtained some new information.

Falcone was serving a mysterious and powerful force, secretly transporting some special things into Gotham. Dr. Jonathan Crane was the liaison between him and that force, and it seems there is a secret hidden within Arkham Asylum, which this doctor operates.

(To be continued.)

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