The door was still open. Bruce Wayne stood there, imposing in his suit, with that rehearsed smile he used at conventions, gala dinners, and interviews.
But Sebastian regarded him coldly.
Sebastian snorted ironically.
"How could I forget him? Gotham's golden boy. Playboy, philanthropist, owner of half a state."
Bruce inclined his head, accepting the remark as a compliment. Then his eyes hardened slightly, imperceptible to anyone less trained... but Sebastian noticed. This man wasn't there for small talk.
Bruce tilted his head slightly, used to receiving sharp comments.
"That's what the newspapers say. I prefer to think of myself as someone who tries to do the right thing."
Sebastian stared at him for a long time, his heart pounding.
Bruce Wayne.
Batman.
And there he was, standing in the doorway of his hotel, with a playboy smile.
Bruce took a step into the room, closing the door behind him. His tone, though soft, had a weight that filled the space.
"I'm not here to talk about myself. I'm here to talk about Alfred."
"Of course..." Sebastian clicked his tongue. "Alfred. My father. Although it seems he meant much more to you than he did to me."
"Alfred was... a father to me. He is. Without him, I wouldn't be here. He gave me discipline, he gave me direction, he gave me... family."
"A father to you?" Sebastian nearly spat the words out. He took a step forward, his eyes boring into Bruce's. "Do you know how many times I looked up at the sky as a kid, wondering if there was someone up there watching over me? My mom told me there was. That my father was watching me from some battlefield in the sky. And I believed it. All my life I believed it!"
Bruce remained silent. Sebastian didn't stop.
"I joined the army because I wanted to feel close to that man. Because I thought he'd died a soldier. And what did I find? That it was all a lie. That while I was shedding blood in distant deserts, he was here, serving you coffee and watching over you like a cursed prince.
Bruce closed his eyes for a moment.
"Don't think of it that way..."
"And how do you want me to see it, Wayne?" Sebastian slammed his fist on the table in the room, making it vibrate. The switchblade in his sleeve slid a little, but didn't come out. His hands shook, not from fear, but from suppressed rage. "That man... he was my father. My blood. But he chose to be yours."
There was a silence. Bruce let the words sink in. Then he spoke, more seriously, without the playboy mask, with the voice of the man he truly was.
"I didn't choose him, Sebastian. Neither did Alfred. It's not that simple. He... he found me at my worst. When my parents died, he was the only thing I had left. He didn't save me with just food and discipline. He saved me with love. With a family."
Sebastian clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Family." The word came out like poison. "So what was I, then? A stain on his record? A mistake that was easier to hide?"
"Don't take it that way..."
The silence became unbearable. Bruce maintained his composure, but there was a hint of discomfort in his eyes.
Bruce sighed and allowed himself, for the first time, to lower the mask of confidence that always surrounded him. His voice sounded deep and sincere.
"Alfred... he may have been like a father to me. Because I lost mine too soon. And I've never stopped feeling the burden of that absence."
Sebastian glared at him, but Bruce continued:
"I really feel guilty, Sebastian. Guilty that you received less than you deserved. But… you have the chance to have him now. To see him, to talk to him." He bored his eyes into Sebastian's, his intensity impossible to ignore. "Take my recommendation, and please… don't waste it. Not before you regret it."
Sebastian didn't answer. A thousand words wanted to come out, all burning hot, but they stuck in his throat.
And then, a light broke the darkness of the room.
A glow filtered through the window.
Sebastian turned his face and saw it: the dark silhouette of a bat projected against the clouds, enormous, imposing.
The Bat-Signal.
For a second, he froze. It wasn't a movie scene, it wasn't a comic book. It was real.
A symbol that lit up the city, a call that split the night.
Bruce looked at him too. His expression changed: from that of a millionaire adored by the cameras, to that of a warrior who carried the weight of Gotham on his shoulders.
He sighed and turned to Sebastian.
"If you decide... grab your things and come over tomorrow at noon. Let me treat you to a few days at Wayne Manor."
He didn't wait for a reply. He didn't give any room for protest. He simply walked out the door as calmly as he'd entered, as if the conversation had been just another part of his agenda.
The door closed.
The echo of his footsteps disappeared.
Sebastian was left alone, with the Bat-Signal still shining in the Gotham sky, illuminating the window.
The bat symbol was watching him.
And, even though he didn't want to admit it, a part of him already knew the invitation was a trap. A trap he was bound to fall into.
---------------
Sebastian sank down onto the hotel bed. The box spring creaked under his weight. He rubbed his face with both hands, exhausted.
The day had been a nightmare.
His mother's revelation.
The letter.
Alfred.
Bruce freaking Wayne.
And now that invitation that he didn't know whether to hate or accept.
"Screw it..." he muttered, turning on his side.
He was about to turn off the bedside lamp when it happened.
A light flickered in the air in front of him.
At first, he thought it was a hallucination, a strange reflection. But no. The light condensed, forming a transparent screen floating in the middle of the room. Sharp, white letters appeared against a dark background.
[Butler Protocol Activated] Initial condition met: → Deliver the letter to Alfred Pennyworth.
Sebastian sat bolt upright, his heart pounding.
"What the hell..."
The letters changed, displaying new lines, almost like a military manual.
The Butler Protocol has been designed to:
→ Perfect the user in every human discipline.
→ Turn it into a model of efficiency, discretion and capacity.
→ Maintain the harmony and protection of the "Assigned Family".
System unlocked: Initial Level.
Sebastian swallowed.
The screen expanded, showing a list.
[Butler Protocol Activated]
Main Skills:
- Close Combat → Officer (32/250) [+]
- Melee Weapons → Officer (20/250) [+]
- Firearms → Expert (55/500) [+]
- Tactical Driving → Officer (12/250) [+]
- Survival and Logistics → Officer (40/250) [+]
- Field Medicine → Apprentice (80/100) [+]
Secondary Skills:
- Cooking → Apprentice (60/100) [+] -
Etiquette and Manners → Apprentice (15/100) [+]
- Basic Mechanics → Apprentice (25/100) [+]
Latent Abilities:
- Dance and Coordination → Apprentice (5/100) [+]
- Stage Magic → Apprentice (0/100) [+]
- Languages → Apprentice (10/100) [+]
Available points: 10
Another line appeared in the center, highlighted.
Progression:
→ Complete tasks to earn Efficiency Points.
→ Upon completing the current rank, the skill will ascend and the counter will reset.
Sebastian gritted his teeth, reading quickly, trying to assimilate.
—A... damn RPG system? Seriously?
The screen didn't react to his mockery. It continued to display data.
Use:
Common tasks give few points.
→ Examples: cleaning, cooking, organization, daily protocol.
Complex tasks award more points.
→ Examples: assisting in critical situations, training family members, protecting assigned territory.
Alfred Pennyworth designated as the primary anchor point.
Assigned Family: Wayne.
Sebastian fell silent. His breath was shaky.
—No. No, no, no. This has to be a fucking joke.
But the screen continued:
First task completed:
→ Deliver the letter to Alfred Pennyworth. Reward: 10 efficiency points.
And suddenly, the list of skills flickered. A number appeared next to them.
Available points: 10
Sebastian slumped back in the bed, laughing bitterly.
"Great... not only do I find out my father is a butler, but now I'm in a servant video game."
But deep down, deep down, he felt something else. A spark.
Because in a world of gods and demons... that might be his only advantage.
The screen flickered one last time before fading away.
Remember:
Efficiency is a virtue. The perfect butler never fails.
The room returned to darkness.
Sebastian covered his face with both hands, not knowing whether to laugh or curse.
Sebastian ran his hands over his face, trying to gather his thoughts, when the screen flashed again. New lines of text appeared in front of him, as if he'd asked the question out loud.
The User has been linked to the Wayne Family.
This link is non-transferable and non-removable.
User growth is tied to the status of the Family.
Sebastian blinked, incredulous.
"What exactly does that mean?" he asked into the air, his tone thick with sarcasm.
The answer was not long in coming.
The link establishes the Family that the User serves.
Progress and rewards are tied to that Family. You can leave the System at any time.
Effect of resignation:
→ Immediate termination of the link.
→ Absolute loss of all skills and benefits obtained.
Sebastian let out a bitter laugh.
"So... a damn slavery contract with the option to burn it when I get tired of it. Wonderful."
The text didn't react to his sarcasm, it just continued to fill his vision.
Link Benefit:
→ Establishes a strong affinity with the members of the Family, both biological and adoptive.
→ "Family" will be defined by the Leader of House Wayne.
→ The User makes greater progress by assisting recognized members.
Sebastian gritted his teeth, reading that last line over and over.
"So... it's not just Bruce. The others, too. All those bastards orbiting him. Dick, Jason, whoever comes next…" He snorted, cursing under his breath. "Perfect. A borrowed family for a father I never had."
He got out of bed and began pacing the room. The blade of the razor still rested on his sleeve, cold against his skin.
His heart was pounding. Not from fear, but from rage.
"Fuck..." he spat into the air. "Fine. If damn fate wants me to do this, I'll do it."
He sank back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with a bitter grimace.
"It's not like I'm doing it for you, Alfred," he murmured softly, almost as a reproach to his father's ghost. "I can just cancel it whenever I want. I won't mind losing a few stupid abilities."
Confirmation registered.
The User has accepted the Butler Protocol.
The screen lit up once more before fading, displaying an additional message.
Welcome Reward:
→ +50 initial efficiency points.
Function: User Adaptation to the System.
Sebastian raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
"A reward for chaining me up? Fantastic..."
He checked the list again and there it was, at the bottom.
Available points: 60
He ran his hand over his face, exhaling slowly. It was a considerable amount. He could reverse it right now, improve something, feel the immediate effects.
But he didn't.
"No..." he whispered, shaking his head. "I'll figure out how this damn game works first. I'm not going to waste anything blindly."
He sank onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with a mixture of exhaustion and anger. The system was toying with him, tempting him with candy after putting the chain on him.
He was a soldier: he knew a decoy when he saw one.
So he would reserve them.
For now.
The screen finally faded. The room fell silent again, broken only by the distant echo of Gotham City and the glow of the Bat-Signal still visible in the sky, as if watching from above.
Sebastian closed his eyes, muttering a curse. He could quit whenever he wanted...