Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

NOTE: Sorry for missing for the last few days, had to help out a relative in the hospital and couldn't find the time to update.

...

"Bang!"

Bruce pushed open the door and stumbled out of the bar in disarray.

Since Katie had left early, Bruce commandeered a car and sped toward the agreed meeting place. Using the driving skills he had demonstrated to Peter on the farm, he quickly evaded the pursuing police.

"Screeech!"

The car came to an abrupt halt with a grating sound of brakes. Bruce swiftly exited the vehicle.

Suddenly, a loud "Bang!" echoed from above, followed by the ground trembling beneath his feet.

In the blink of an eye, Bruce saw John land in front of him in a dramatic half-kneeling pose, his hands on his hips, head slightly bowed.

John stood and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head as he regarded Bruce's disheveled appearance.

"It's a pity," John said, feigning regret. "Our dear Bruce Wayne has turned into a car thief."

His expression turned mockingly sympathetic. "Your father once said you wanted to rid Gotham of its evils and bring its villains to justice. But now, Bruce, you—you're the real criminal. Compared to you, those supervillains are mere jesters. At least they don't resort to such crude and brazen car theft."

Annoyed by John's sarcasm, Bruce glared at him.

"Did you already know about Katie and Mr. Podrick?"

"Know what?" John asked, feigning ignorance.

"That Mr. Podrick intends to harm Katie—"

Before Bruce could finish, John interrupted, "Of course I knew. You know I have super hearing, right? And by the way, Katie likes my dad. They're getting married soon."

John adopted a pitying look. "I know you've been without parents since you were young. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if my dad took you in as his godson. Then you could call Katie 'Mom.'"

The thought of John turning his girlfriend into his "mom" ignited Bruce's fury.

With a roar, he lunged at John, only for John to sidestep effortlessly. Taking advantage of Bruce's momentary imbalance, John grabbed his shirt.

"You're good at pretending, Bruce. You act brave, but deep down, you're just scared and fragile—a person desperate for love and easily deceived."

Smirking, John leaned closer. "My dad's right. True strength comes from accepting your loneliness. I can admit I'm not popular with girls. But you—you're too weak to face your reality."

Gritting his teeth, Bruce retorted, "No, you're the one who's unloved. You may accept not being popular, but you can't accept that your parents never loved you."

"Deep down, John, you're just a pitiful creature hiding behind a tough exterior. You think you're strong, but inside, you're unbearably fragile."

John's face darkened with anger at Bruce's rebuttal. In a fit of rage, he threw Bruce to the ground.

Just as John prepared to press his advantage, his body suddenly froze, crashing into a nearby wall.

A magical, purplish-red whip bound John tightly to the wall.

Startled, John looked toward Bruce, only to see Katie Wisniewski standing beside him.

Katie, holding a book in one hand, controlled the whip with a spell. Her aura was entirely different from her usual demeanor as the popular teacher.

John was momentarily dumbfounded.

Before he could recover, a "Whoosh" heralded Peter's arrival. With celestial energy radiating from his hands, Peter struck Katie, breaking her control over John.

Katie's face darkened as she saw Peter again.

"You're like a ghost haunting me, Podrick!" she spat. "Are you here to ruin me and Bruce?"

Peter shook his head. "I don't care about your love life. I'm here to end you."

Katie sneered. "End me? I'm immortal. My soul resides in this body. If you kill it, you're just killing an innocent girl."

She smirked, glancing at Bruce. "And Bruce is under my control. If I die, he'll remain trapped forever. You wouldn't let him suffer, would you?"

Peter hesitated briefly. John, meanwhile, seemed to think that Bruce being "bad" wasn't such a terrible thing.

Seizing the moment, Katie commanded Bruce to shoot Peter. But even under her control, Bruce hesitated, unable to pull the trigger.

"No! I can't!" he cried, struggling against the mental domination.

Katie's voice dripped with venom. "Bruce, he's not your father. You know your father died long ago."

Bruce, wracked with torment, caught a glimpse of the watch Peter wore—a relic from his father that they had recovered together.

Something snapped within him. Gritting his teeth, Bruce stood and fired—at Katie.

"Bang!"

The bullet barely missed her, startling her.

"Dad! The magic book!" Bruce shouted.

Peter wasted no time. In an instant, he grabbed the book from Katie and set it ablaze with celestial flames.

"No!" Katie screamed as the book turned to ash. Collapsing to the ground, she fell unconscious.

Bruce, drenched in sweat, knelt, breathing heavily. John, meanwhile, was dumbstruck.

Had Bruce just called Peter "Dad"?

...

The next morning at Smallville Station, Peter bid Bruce farewell.

"You sure you don't want to stay longer?" Peter asked.

"I'm fine, sir," Bruce replied. "Last night, I had the most peaceful sleep in a long time."

"Good. Just remember—don't let love cloud your judgment," Peter advised.

Bruce nodded. "I understand now, sir. True strength lies in embracing loneliness."

With a hug, Bruce boarded the bus, leaving Peter with one thought:

He hoped this newfound resolve wouldn't turn Bruce into someone devoid of love. After all, the future of the Bat-family depended on it.