Bruce got out of bed and got to work. He had to get the devices that monitor his vital signs back running before someone entered. But he had time, after all, he saw it. The TV would also be a good idea, but who knew who might be watching from there. So it was better to leave that one alone for now. The radio was also up for excavation.
First, Bruce started working on the monitor. He opened up the lid and got to work. It was easy, so easy in fact, that his mind had difficulty understanding who built something that bad.
'Interesting. My thoughts are interfering with my feelings of what is natural. This needs further observation. On another note, I should create a device to monitor my vital signs. Having to deal with this level of technology, quite frankly... is revolting. It feels like I am forced to work with Orkz technology.'
After about 3 minutes, the medical machines were in their previous timestream and state and worked flawlessly. In fact, they worked better than before, at least for now. Bruce added a little something that would set it on fire after he was gone, to make sure no one found the improvements and traced them back to him. Now he wanted to try and do the last thing before he got back to bed and waited for the night to come.
With the upgrade he made to the monitor and the other technological devices in the room, he was able to remove some of the parts used. So these parts could now be used to make something that will help him get out of the hospital and the surveillance very quickly.
Bruce used some of the paper lying around and quickly drew something on it to make it look like something a child made. Then he did a little bit of this and... some of that...
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(Talon POV)
"So the Wayne boy survived. Good, we can still use him then. How is his mental state right now?" the Court member asked me.
"He is unfriendly. He tries to keep people away and no longer trusts anyone. I can see deep trauma in his eyes and some detachment. It was an obvious act he put up that quickly fell when he asked me how the Butler Alfred Pennyworth was. He is malleable right now, we could use that," I reported.
"I see. However, we will NOT approach Bruce Wayne at this time. He is not ready to see the bigger picture, and it might even backfire if we rush things. So we shall wait. Keep us updated on any progress," the Court Member instructed and ceased communication.
I still think it would be good if we took him under our wing when he is this young and groomed him to be the perfect version of himself, useful to the Court in controlling Gotham.
But their wish is the law, and I shall not approach the young Wayne heir for now. I should try to get closer, though. The last time we talked, I was able to crack his facade, and now I can keep wearing him down until he trusts me enough to talk openly with me.
I made my way to his room. I opened the door and saw him on his bed, looking into the void with uneaten food and the TV remote control lying in front of him. Perfect, the best time to approach was now.
"Bruce? How are you? Did the nurse bring you the medicine?" I asked him in a gentle voice.
His empty eyes tried to focus on me but... he didn't manage to do that fully. I can see the pain he is feeling right now. The facade will crack sooner rather than later. How though? I look around and try to figure out what happened during the time I wasn't here.
Food, TV remote... I see. The old nurse was here... she must have talked with him and made him drop his act by showing him kindness. How unfortunate, I wanted to do that. I can use that, though. If I kill her, he'll probably break down even more, plunging him into the deepest of holes where he wouldn't ever find his way back out on his own again. Then the Court would be able to completely reform him from the ground up.
I'll see what I can do.
"Yes ... she brought the meds..."
"That's good, Bruce. If there is something, please don't hesitate to ask me." I smiled at him.
He didn't say anything except one word.
"Alfred?..."
"... He's still not out of danger, but I can tell that he's getting better. I'm confident that he'll make it, Bruce." I tried to lift his spirit. That made the fall later on that much harder when he realised that I lied to him and that his butler had been dead all this time.
"W-would you ... give him ... this?" he asked me and held something in his hands.
I walked over to him and took it. It was a small pin, similar to a brooch, with something that looked like initials on it. How sweet, he wanted to give him hope ... well, that could be useful.
"Sure, I'll gladly do that, Bruce. I'll make sure he gets this," I said and then left the room.
After walking around the corner, I thought it over and decided it would make more sense for me to make sure others saw what happened. If I showed all the nurses that Bruce Wayne trusted me enough to give me something like that, then... I would be seen as someone he trusted. I could use that and have it grant me some privileges when it came down to deciding which doctor got which patient. This way, I could stay close to him for the time he was here.
As for this ugly pin ... I'd better get rid of it.
I went over to a bin, grabbed the pin, and threw it in the trash. However, I suddenly felt pain in my hand. I turned around my palm only to see that the pin had pierced my skin with something. I reach for it. What... is this? Why is it so hard to take out?
I needed to use some force to get it out.
"Hm..." the smallest of sounds escapes me, as I try to rip it out without luck. I'll use more force for thi...s... oh no------------
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Bruce sat on his bed and looked at the watch on the wall. The door to his room opened, and the 'doctor' walked back in, right on schedule.
"Close the door," he ordered.
The Talon obeyed right away and did as he was told.
"You took longer than I calculated. 1.7 seconds longer to be precise. Interesting, imagine that. An assassin of relatively high renown gets defeated by a 10-year-old child. Well, it was an unfair fight to begin with, I admit that. However, a win is a win, no matter what," Bruce told him.
Bruce took a moment to be impressed by how his own brain worked now. It was a masterpiece of limitless potential. He had just created something that should have been considered impossible with his current materials and age. But common sense was neither useful nor likely to get him very far in the reality he was in.
"A mind control pin... quite good if I do say so myself. Not optimal by any means, but considering the circumstances... it should suffice. Now that I don't know how long this will last, let us get a move on, shall we? First off, state your name, occupation and the reason you are here," Bruce commanded him.
"Alton Carver, Talon for the Court of Owls in Gotham. I was sent here to observe the boy, Bruce Wayne and see how his mental and physical conditions are," the now-revealed Alton Carver said in a monotone voice.
Some resistance was visible.
'Interesting, he must have gone through extensive training to be able to resist my device like that. But it won't help him. It should still work for the next couple of hours, and that is all I need to work on the next part. He will become my inside man in this situation. Don't work harder, work smarter and steal resources from your enemies,' Bruce thought.
"All right. Now, be a good slave and get me what's on this list. Be sure not to be seen or draw attention to yourself when you do so. I made sure to choose things which are mundane and easy to dismiss as normal. Although most are, it would still be strange for a 10-year-old patient to have these things in a hospital room. Ok? No go."
"Y-yes," he said and then left the room.
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Bruce had this plan from the moment he first saw the fake doctor. He was wondering how he could get the materials and other essentials he might need while confined to his bed. Dealing with the things he wanted was easy, but to do it from a hospital bed when someone was watching him was bothersome. His senses screamed at him that someone was observing him, putting him on edge. It took a lot for him to go through the motions here. But he was playing an important part here.
That was his plan: to take control of the one keeping watch over him. It was efficient and easy. Well, relatively speaking. So Bruce took the little this hospital room offered in terms of materials and built a mind-control pin.
He knew that he could not give it to Alfred if he told him, since Alfred was dead. So Bruce programmed the pin to pierce the Talon and use its connection to the nerves to take over his mind. He tried to appear like a good Samaritan, but in truth, he was a snake. That's why Bruce knew he would either get rid of it or use it to his advantage. Either way, he would profit from it.
Bruce noticed how much of a cheat intelligence of his level was these days and circumstance. It was now close to 1970, and he was creating mind-controlling devices and a flesh-healing substance as if he were flushing a toilet. He wanted to break free of these confines and get started, but didn't and waited for the assassin to return. And eventually, he did.
Alton returned to Bruce's room at night, following the orders not to draw any attention. So the assassin decided to come back during the night shift furtively, using his skills of stealth or merely calling it overtime. How he explained his overtime was none of Bruce's concern. He didn't care about that.
No, he cared about the materials which Alton brought him. He didn't ask for much, as there wasn't much he needed anyway. He merely wanted to have some of the materials to: 1 improve the mind control pin, as he would still need that at the current time. 2: He wanted to create the beginning of a device that could be called a computer, but would evolve very quickly later on. Information was power, and Bruce would start with that right away. That was also why he didn't kill the Talon but used him for his benefit and the Court of Owls detriment.
And finally, Bruce had to prepare for something that he would use once his Uncle Philip came to pick him up. That was essential because Bruce calculated that his uncle would be contacted now that he had woken up. Meaning he would be there to pick Bruce up at the latest tomorrow.
Everything else could come later.
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So, Bruce began with the technology that he would use on his Uncle tomorrow. The only thing he had to make sure of was to get himself and his uncle alone in a room. Bruce calculated that he could do it after they left the hospital. It was better to make sure the Talon followed suit and helped him subdue his Uncle for the procedure. Someone had to hold him down, after all. Not really, but it was easier this way, since Bruce would work on the Talon as well.
It didn't take long to do what he had planned. He only had to make a transmitter and a receiver now, and after that, he was done. After the first project, he moved on to the mind control pin. He had better materials now, so he could improve it tremendously. Some electrical devices from all around the hospital, some basic light bulbs, a few batteries here and there and other simple things. This was better than what he made out of the small medical device. It took even less time than the first project he had prepared for his Uncle.
After about half an hour of work, he finished and put the improved mind-control on Alton. His resistance ceased entirely in that moment, and Bruce could see that it was real. He checked the man's brain waves with the detector, which he had also produced, and saw that he was in a REM-like state. Not asleep, but fully under Bruce's control. Responsive to any order he gave and calibrated to only his voice.
Now the last thing he had to do was to hide all the evidence.