Kane Manor.
For Bruce and his companions, this place was practically a natural sanctuary.
Sealed off by the NYPD long ago, Kane Manor was a location no one dared to approach easily.
If it weren't for the fact that they had two Spider-Men among them, they might not have even made it inside.
"Wow, this place is... really in ruins," Miles muttered as he took in the sight of the charred remains of Kane Manor.
Jessica, however, simply shot him a glance.
Miles immediately realized his mistake and could only offer an awkward smile.
"Lay him down here, and set the child down as well," Aunt May instructed, quickly clearing a space so Jessica could place Bruce down.
Jessica carefully lowered Bruce, but with him clad in his full Bat-Suit, it was impossible to tell how much damage his body had actually sustained.
She then turned to Aunt May, uncertain of how to remove the armor.
Unlike a Spider-Suit, this was closer in design to Tony Stark's Iron Man armor, making it far more complicated to take off.
Aunt May knelt beside Bruce without hesitation, carefully starting to remove pieces of the Bat-Suit bit by bit.
But when she reached the chest plate, she hesitated—the texture felt strange beneath her fingertips, making her anxious.
Something felt off.
A human body shouldn't have that kind of fragmented sensation.
With utmost caution, Aunt May detached the chest plate.
The sight beneath made her breathe a sigh of relief, though it also left her somewhat emotional.
It was a photograph—one of her and Ben Parker.
Alongside it was Peter Parker and Mary Jane's wedding photo.
Bruce had known from the start that Aunt May's home was no longer a safe place. It had already become a focal point of too much attention.
So, when he was gathering his equipment, he made sure to take these precious items with him.
Just then—
Bzzz.
The sudden vibration of a phone broke the silence.
Miles pulled his phone from his pocket.
"Looks like I have to go," he said, glancing at the message on his screen.
His father had just texted, checking on him.
Clearly, he wasn't yet at a point where he could freely decide his own schedule.
"Go on, don't make your parents worry," Aunt May said kindly, offering him a reassuring smile.
Miles hesitated, feeling guilty. If it weren't for him, Aunt May's house wouldn't have been destroyed, and Bruce wouldn't be lying here unconscious.
"I'm sorry," he said softly before turning to leave.
Jessica stood quietly on the side, watching Miles depart. Her eyes, however, held a trace of cold detachment.
As Peter Parker's clone, Jessica possessed some of his memories, making her more than familiar with Aunt May.
And, like Peter, she also bore a deep sense of guilt.
If only she hadn't agreed so quickly to let Miles take on Spider-Man's responsibilities… If only she had insisted on properly training him first, ensuring he was fully prepared before stepping into this role…
Maybe none of this would have happened today.
At that moment, the Bat finally stirred, slowly regaining consciousness.
Despite the searing pain still wracking his body, he was all too familiar with it.
Pain was nothing new to him.
As long as he could still feel it, he could endure it—whether it was the ache of bruises or the agony of bones colliding under force.
None of it would stop him from moving forward.
Aunt May noticed Bruce's movements and immediately supported his upper body, steadying him.
Looking at the photograph that Aunt May had taken out, Bruce didn't say anything. He simply tried to stand up.
At that moment, Jessica moved swiftly to Bruce's side, taking Aunt May's place in supporting him.
"I got this," she said.
For Spider-Woman, Bruce's weight was hardly a burden.
"Where do you want to go?" Jessica asked.
Bruce raised his hand, pointing toward a room that was still relatively intact.
Although Jessica didn't know what Bruce intended to do in that room, she still followed his wishes.
As Jessica helped Bruce into the room, he lightly pressed against the wall, and to her astonishment, a hidden passage appeared before them.
"This is incredible," Jessica remarked. She had never imagined that within the ruins of the Kane Manor, such a secret mechanism still existed.
There was no time to marvel at Bruce's craftsmanship. Right now, they needed to get inside.
"Let's go in," Bruce's weak voice broke the momentary silence.
Aunt May and Jessica didn't hesitate. They followed Bruce through the passage.
Once inside, they were met with a surprising sight—an entirely different world lay beyond the hidden entrance.
The old air-raid shelter had been repurposed by Bruce. Though it wasn't fully furnished, the space already had the makings of a secret base.
However, many essential things were still missing—there were no supplies, no communication devices to reach the outside world.
All that was there was a barely livable space that had recently undergone modifications.
Jessica looked at the bare surroundings and sighed.
She figured that she and Bruce could probably manage in such conditions.
But she seriously doubted Aunt May could endure living here.
"I'll go get some supplies. We'll be staying here for a long time," Jessica said, gently setting Bruce down so he could lean against the wall.
Bruce nodded.
There was no reason for him to refuse. When he was attacked, this place wasn't even close to being finished—it was merely a repurposed air-raid shelter with the potential to be habitable.
As Jessica left, the unfinished Batcave fell silent once more.
But the outside world was far from peaceful.
As time passed, Heaven had officially declared war on the city.
Their forces had already mobilized. They could no longer wait for America's response—they needed an answer that satisfied them now.
Meanwhile, the city had long been prepared for battle, and Hulk, who had already been swayed by the Creator, was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his opponents.
However, his excitement was destined to be short-lived. The members of the Ultimate Alliance were currently fleeing in disarray across American soil.
Capturing the other members of the Ultimate Alliance was relatively easy—after all, most of them weren't putting up a fight.
But when it came to tracking down Tony Stark and Thor, the pursuers faced the fiercest resistance of the entire operation.
Those two had no intention of holding back.
(End of Chapter)
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