Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman [206]

“Hey, wasn’t Matron White cut off earlier?”

It suddenly occurred to Pietro that after he had interrupted Matron White, she hadn’t continued speaking.

Bruce thought for a moment. “She mentioned that after we go to Baron Strucker, we’re supposed to remember something.”

But what exactly?

Matron White hadn’t finished explaining.

Pietro, being carefree, didn’t dwell on it. Unable to figure out what Matron White might have meant, and unwilling to go back and ask, he simply waved the matter aside.

“Forget it. Even if we don’t know what we’re supposed to remember, we’ll figure it out later.”

With that, he grabbed Wanda and left.

Since they were leaving for Baron Strucker’s experimental base tomorrow, Pietro believed there was a lot to prepare tonight.

Bruce didn’t say much either. He found his room using the nameplate on the door, and when he entered, Kathoom was already inside.

The room was bare. A single iron bed with white sheets sat against the wall. Beside it stood a small bookshelf—nothing more, not even a desk.

Bruce sat on the bed, reflecting on the events of the day. Something felt off.

Truthfully, this was the first time he was staying the night in an orphanage. In the past, he’d always left after a brief stint.

“Where are the Ado brothers?”

Bruce furrowed his brow. “Did something happen to them?”

The Ado brothers were the private investigators who always came to inform him about his inheritance.

Whenever they appeared, Bruce would promptly leave the orphanage.

“I doubt anything happened to them,” Kathoom replied, shaking his head. “Perhaps fate has a different plan for you this time.”

Sometimes, the world’s will would assign Bruce roles that came with unexpected coincidences.

This time, he’d inexplicably been selected alongside the Maximoff siblings for Baron Strucker’s experiments.

“So, what’s our next move?”

Bruce asked, “Should we leave, or just go with the flow?”

“For now, stick with Pietro and Wanda,” Kathoom advised. “If you wander the streets alone with no money and no backstory, you risk being treated like an illegal immigrant. And trust me, there are wealthy ladies in their fifties who’d love someone like you.”

“Then I’m staying put.”

Bruce took the advice seriously. His goal in coming to this world was to lure Zombie Bruce into following him.

Since Zombie Bruce hadn’t shown up yet, there was no rush.

The night passed quickly.

When Bruce stepped out of his room the next morning and made his way to the orphanage gate, Pietro and Wanda were already waiting there.

Pietro’s eyes were red, as though he’d been crying.

“What happened?”

Bruce immediately asked, “Were you thinking about your parents again?”

At this, Pietro’s lips quivered, and he seemed even more upset.

“He was saying goodbye to his girlfriend,” Wanda said casually, her tone laced with faint amusement. “You missed quite the scene.”

Pietro has a girlfriend?

Bruce hadn’t expected that. For a twelve-year-old, Pietro sure got around.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Pietro corrected, wiping his eyes. “Just someone I was close to. We went on a few dates—it was nice while it lasted. But then her boyfriend found out, and we had to end it.”

Fair enough.

Bruce wasn’t interested in dissecting preteen relationships or figuring out who was in the wrong.

After all, Bruce was thirteen—a whole year older and more mature.

“Actually, I’m probably closer to fourteen,” Bruce thought, mentally adjusting his age upward.

“Hey,” Wanda suddenly spoke up, her eyes narrowing at Bruce. “Where did that owl come from?”

Kathoom had perched on Bruce’s shoulder again, seemingly out of nowhere.

“It’s my pet,” Bruce replied. “If you like it, I can sell it to you.”

“No, thanks.” Wanda shook her head. “I’m not into pets.”

Though she said this, her gaze lingered on Kathoom.

It was clear she was intrigued.

“Seems like you’re good at charming young girls,” Bruce quipped to Kathoom. “Hermione liked you, and now Wanda does too. Maybe you could help me out the next time I try to talk to someone.”

“How exactly would I assist you?” Kathoom snarked. “Should you tell girls you have a backflipping owl at home?”

“That works.”

Bruce shrugged, continuing the banter with Kathoom to pass the time.

—

Before long, a black van approached, its doors marked with an eagle-like insignia.

“A SHIELD vehicle, huh?”

Kathoom almost laughed. Of course, HYDRA had no physical presence of its own at this point—it was entirely embedded within SHIELD.

Most of HYDRA’s key players now held high-ranking positions within SHIELD.

Of course, SHIELD was still formally known as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division at this time.

The shorthand “SHIELD” wouldn’t come into use until Tony Stark coined it after his escape from captivity in the Middle East.

But no need to dwell on such details.

The van stopped in front of the three children, and the door opened to reveal a friendly-looking man who stepped out with a smile.

“So, you must be the three,” he said, holding a file in his hand as he compared the photos inside to the kids before him. “Bruce Wayne, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff. That’s correct, isn’t it?”

“That’s us!”

Pietro answered eagerly, his excitement evident. He seemed genuinely thrilled to engage with the man.

In Pietro’s eyes, this man was a benefactor who would lead him to a new and better life.

For most of the children in this Eastern European orphanage—war orphans with deep resentment toward the U.S.—Baron Strucker was nothing short of a savior.

He had raised them and given them the opportunity for revenge, earning their heartfelt gratitude.

To them, Strucker was almost like a father.

“You can call me List,” the man said with a warm smile.

Once inside the van, the three kids settled into the backseat. Wanda and Bruce sat by the windows, with Pietro squeezed between them. The engine roared to life, and the vehicle began moving, steadily leaving the orphanage behind. The scenery outside shifted constantly, and before long, they had left the city altogether.

Uncle List, ever smiling, showed no real intention of chatting with the children once they were on the road. The atmosphere in the van grew quiet, broken only by Pietro’s occasional exclamations of awe at the passing scenery.

Having been in the orphanage for so long, it had been ages since he’d seen anything beyond its walls.

Bruce leaned his head against the window, feeling the slight jolts from the uneven road. After what felt like a couple of hours, the scenery outside began to change again.

They entered a dense forest.

The driver navigated through the woods, taking twist after twist. It felt deliberate, like they were trying to confuse anyone following. Bruce was sure he’d seen the same tree three times already.

After winding through the forest for what felt like an eternity, Bruce blinked—and suddenly, the dense woods gave way to an open clearing.

In front of them stood a research facility, hidden deep within the forest.

“We’ve arrived!”

Dr. List declared cheerfully. “Alright, kids, off you go!”

His tone was light, like a teacher leading students on a field trip.

List escorted Bruce, Pietro, and Wanda into the facility without pause, eventually stopping at the door to an office.

He knocked, and a voice from within responded, “Come in.”

List pushed the door open, and Bruce finally saw him—Baron Strucker.

A tall, lanky man with pale skin, Strucker had a shaved head and golden facial hair.

It was a common look among men like him. Obadiah Stane, the second-largest shareholder in Stark Industries, also had a similar appearance.

They shaved their heads because of balding and kept facial hair to maintain a semblance of masculinity.

“Even barons have their insecurities,” Kathoom mused from Bruce’s shoulder.

Strucker’s deep-set features gave him a menacing appearance. His right eye was adorned with a monocle, softening his otherwise intimidating presence.

When he saw the three kids enter, Strucker’s stern expression melted into a warm smile.

“What took you so long? I’ve been waiting forever!”

He spread his arms wide and hugged each of the children in turn.

When it was Wanda’s turn, however, he only mimed the gesture, maintaining a gentlemanly distance.

“Hello, Baron Strucker!”

The usually chatty Pietro now seemed noticeably nervous.

He stood rigidly and, in a rehearsed manner, announced, “My name is Pietro Maximoff. I’m twelve years old. My special talent is running really fast, and my favorite food is—”

“Alright, alright, I already know all of this!”

Strucker interrupted with a laugh. “Not just about you—I know all about Wanda and Bruce too!”

That piqued Bruce’s interest.

He knows about me?

Bruce wasn’t even sure what his backstory in this world was. Yet here was Strucker, claiming to know him better than he knew himself.

If he could, Bruce would have asked the baron just how much he really knew.

But he held back, deciding against indulging his curiosity.

Spending too much time with Kathoom had filled Bruce’s head with scenarios, and this one felt all too likely:

Bruce: “What can you tell me about my past?”
Strucker: pauses dramatically “You’re an orphan.”

Self-inflicted humiliation wasn’t on Bruce’s agenda.

Instead, he stayed silent, watching Strucker’s performance.

The baron played the role of the kind benefactor flawlessly.

If Bruce hadn’t been pre-warned by Kathoom about Strucker’s true nature, he might have been fooled.

Like Bruce, Wanda was quiet and observant.

Pietro, however, chatted freely with Strucker, even eliciting occasional bursts of laughter from both. They seemed to hit it off effortlessly.

“Oh, how rude of me!”

Strucker suddenly clapped his hands, feigning regret. “Why am I making you stand here like this? Please, have a seat!”

He gestured for the kids to sit on a sofa while he took a seat opposite them.

Dr. List had disappeared, replaced by a butler-like figure who brought in tea.

“When I look at the three of you, I feel such a connection,” Strucker said, taking a sip of his tea. “Once upon a time, I had the same look in my eyes.”

Here it comes.

Bruce’s senses sharpened. This was the moment when the facade would start to crack.

Until now, everything had seemed innocuous.

Strucker had been nothing but kind—no mention of superpower experiments, no pledges to HYDRA.

It was almost as if he had brought them here just for a chat.

But now, the real conversation was about to begin.

Pietro, ever the natural sidekick, fed into Strucker’s theatrics. “What look?”

“The look of revenge.”

Strucker smiled, leaning forward. “You and Wanda have come here for revenge. I can see the hunger in your eyes!”

Then, suddenly, he pointed at Bruce.

“And you, Bruce. Compared to them, your aura is far more profound.”

Strucker’s voice grew reverent. “You weren’t born for revenge—you are revenge.”

At that, Kathoom smacked Bruce lightly on the head. “Wow, Bruce, this guy gets you!”

It was almost prophetic.

Pietro and Wanda exchanged confused glances, both puzzled by Strucker’s remark.

Bruce is revenge?

They couldn’t see it.

To them, Bruce was just the kid with the sharp tongue, the one who constantly made snarky remarks about their parents—remarks they couldn’t even be mad about because, well, Bruce was an orphan too.

It was like hearing one Black person call another that word: weirdly acceptable, but only within their shared context.

Hearing the baron’s words, Pietro and Wanda couldn’t help but glance at Bruce with newfound curiosity.

So Bruce had a tragic past, one filled with even greater pain than theirs?

Did he lose more than just his parents?

On the other hand, Bruce remained expressionless, calmly accepting the baron’s evaluation.

“You’re absolutely right,” Bruce said, his tone measured. “Sometimes, I feel like my situation is utterly miserable, but I can’t put my finger on why. Hearing you say that… it’s like the clouds have parted, and everything’s become clear!”

“Ha ha ha! That’s because you’re still young and haven’t learned how to hide your emotions,” Strucker said with a hearty laugh. “Bruce, I understand your pain. It’s excruciating, but don’t worry. Now that you’re here, I’ll help you find your path to redemption!”

He spoke like a spiritual guide, sharing wisdom with the three children as if he were leading them on some transformative journey.

What puzzled Bruce was that Strucker didn’t dwell too much on their hatred or seek to inflame it further. Instead, he encouraged them to open their hearts, to move past their grievances, and to discover their true purpose in life.

“You were raised by HYDRA,” the baron said. “If you can serve HYDRA, you will undoubtedly fulfill your potential and achieve your life’s value!”

Strucker suddenly brightened, clapping his hands as if struck by inspiration.

“Oh, perfect timing! I have a task for you all.”

“What task?” Pietro asked eagerly, leaning forward.

“Go to America!”

Strucker grinned. “Join SHIELD and become junior agents!”

Bruce’s expression stiffened, his brow furrowing deeply.

Wait, what?

This development doesn’t make sense.

How did things suddenly jump to going to America?

Wasn’t he supposed to be here for scientific research?

—

This is a fan translation of 蝙蝠侠的猫头鹰教父 by 巴巴罗萨光年. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!