Batman didn't make any threats against this uninvited guest in front of Aunt May, nor did he rashly make a move.
He simply walked over to Aunt May's side with quick steps, subtly shielding her with his body while pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, asking in a low voice:
"Aunt May, what happened?"
Although he asked Aunt May in a low voice, Batman focused nearly all of his attention on the man sitting opposite them.
Aunt May wouldn't just let a stranger into the house; she must have verified something, whether it was his identity or something else.
But even so, Batman wouldn't lower his guard. Drawing from his experience fighting countless criminals and diverse creatures, Batman noticed that while the stranger's posture on the sofa looked relaxed, his center of gravity shifted slightly to one side, leaving him ready to spring into action at any second.
His fingers were long, and though his skin was remarkably rough, it was eerily devoid of any scars. His eyes were amber, his pupils constricting slightly under the indoor lighting like a feline's.
His Spider-Sense didn't tingle, but Batman instinctively felt that this man was extremely dangerous—arguably the most dangerous individual he had faced head-on since transmigrating into this world.
"I'm fine, dear. I was just thinking about your father, and your Uncle Ben." Aunt May gently patted Batman's arm and introduced the stranger to him. "This is Logan. He was an old friend of your father's."
"A friend?" Batman said in Peter's voice, his tone laced with just the right amount of curiosity. "How come I've never heard of you?"
By now, Batman had reined in the intense hostility in his gaze, doing his best to look like an ordinary college student and a mildly successful entrepreneur.
"Your dad and I go way back," Logan said. "I knew them before you were even born. Richard even wanted me to be your godfather."
It sounded like someone trying to claim a connection, but Batman knew it wasn't that simple.
Remaining outwardly unbothered, he simply handed the handkerchief back to Aunt May, then stood up, walked over to Logan, and extended his hand.
"I'm Peter Parker. Thank you for coming to see us."
Logan stubbed out his cigar on the table, stood up as well, and shook Batman's hand.
In that instant, both men sensed that something was off about the other.
Logan's hand was rough and hard, his palm calloused, and his grip strength was astonishingly powerful.
But what alarmed Batman wasn't just that; it was the fact that even when he applied a bit of pressure, he couldn't budge the bones in the other man's fingers at all.
It felt as if Batman were arm-wrestling Clark—Superman—unprepared and bare-handed, completely unable to budge him an inch.
Similarly, the man named Logan frowned. He noticed Peter Parker's hand applying subtle pressure, while the boy's thumb unobtrusively slid onto his pulse point.
"You look a lot like your mother, Martha," Logan said with a smile as they broke their grip, ensuring Aunt May noticed nothing amiss. "But your eyes look more like Richard's."
"A lot of people say that," Batman replied with a subtle smile. "Aunt May talks to me about my father often, but she's never mentioned you."
"Richard didn't tell me everything either. He had his own secrets." Logan sat back down on the sofa.
"Mr. Logan..." Batman began.
"Just Logan, Peter."
"Logan. Could you tell me about my father? I know so little about him," Batman asked.
"When we first met, he saved my life..." Logan began slowly.
Batman listened quietly to Logan's story, occasionally chiming in with a question or two.
Aunt May seemed to have already discussed this with Logan. Finding the right moment, she stood up and said to the two men, who appeared to be getting along quite well:
"You boys keep talking, I'll go get dinner ready for you."
Both Batman and Logan nodded at the elderly woman.
Through Logan's words, the image of a young, daring, and ambitious Richard Parker gradually formed in Batman's mind.
According to Logan, he had inadvertently run into danger while working at a logging camp, and it just so happened that Richard and Martha Parker spotted him and saved his life.
He said Martha Parker had just become pregnant back then, and Logan was the first to offer his blessings, even being invited by Richard Parker to become Peter Parker's godfather.
It was just that Logan was still young and wanted to travel around at the time, so he declined the offer.
It wasn't until recently, when Logan dug up an old photograph and saw himself pictured with the Parkers, that he remembered his long-lost friends, leading to today's visit.
The story sounded flawless. No matter what Batman asked regarding the time, location, or specifics of their conversations, Logan could answer without hesitation.
But Batman knew this guy was lying from start to finish. Batman had already thoroughly investigated the records on the Parkers and knew they were CIA agents who died in the line of duty.
There was no way they could have any connection to Logan.
"Do you still have the photo? I'd like to see them," Batman said.
Logan nodded, pulling a crumpled photograph out of the inner pocket of his leather jacket.
Batman took the photo and saw a slightly younger version of the Logan before him standing in the middle, with the Parkers smiling on either side.
The photograph was black-and-white, and everything from its time-faded appearance to the creases looked entirely genuine.
Remaining unphased, Batman silently handed the photograph back to Logan.
Just then, Aunt May finished preparing dinner, and Logan didn't turn down the invitation to stay and eat.
Dinner proceeded in a strange atmosphere. Aunt May had made roast chicken and mashed potatoes; Logan ate heartily and offered a few compliments.
Batman maintained his Peter-like politeness throughout, asking questions about "Richard in his youth," which Logan continued to deflect with fabricated lies.
What the elderly Aunt May couldn't possibly guess was that even during the meal, her nephew and the friend of her husband's brother were constantly sizing each other up in secret.
After dinner, Batman took the initiative to clear the dishes, while Aunt May walked Logan to the door.
"Thank you for coming to see us," she said. "Peter rarely gets a chance to hear about his father..."
"It's the least I could do," Logan said. He hesitated for a moment, then pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. "This is my number. If... if you ever need any help, call this."
Aunt May took the slip of paper, her eyes tearing up again. "Thank you, Logan."
The innocent old woman had completely bought into the lies Logan had spun.
Having finished cleaning up the dishes, Batman walked over to the door, and Logan chose this exact moment to speak:
"Peter."
Batman looked at him.
"Send your Aunt May back inside, the wind is picking up out here... I want to have a quick word with you alone," Logan said.
Batman nodded. He escorted Aunt May back inside, told her he wouldn't be returning tonight, and then turned to step outside, pulling the door shut behind him.
He and Logan walked for a full two hours against the biting November wind, starting from Queens and making their way all the way to an open clearing in front of an abandoned hospital.
Intentionally or otherwise, Batman and Logan kept their distance from each other, the cold wind blowing his thick hair into disarray.
"You look like the Parkers, but you are absolutely not their child." A feral, brutal expression gradually spread across Logan's face as he glared intently at Batman. "Who are you? Why are you impersonating Peter Parker?"
Batman looked at Logan and slowly took off his overcoat, tossing it aside.
"I am far from ignorant about my parents. Your story was riddled with holes, Logan."
"What is your motive? How did you find Aunt May?"
Logan had just pulled out a cigar and was about to light it when he heard Batman's counter-questions. He casually snapped the cigar in half, threw it away, and sneered coldly at Batman.
"Are you Raven? Or someone working with her?"
"I don't know any Raven," Batman said.
"We'll have to fight to find out," Logan said. Then, dropping onto all fours like a wolverine, he lunged toward Batman.
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