Bruce had endured some of the most grueling training in the world.
He had walked across hot coals, meditated at the bottom of frozen rivers, and spent days trapped in darkness until his mind nearly broke. Tibetan monks had taught him the secrets of the mind and how pain was only an illusion that could be subdued through tempered will.
So he could endure.
No, he would endure.
He would not break a decade-long cover over this.
Even if it was becoming extremely tempting to choke the man in front of him.
"Gahahaha, look at his face!" Jean Valjean had pulled out his phone, where a highly accurate HD rendition of "Batman" being talked down by Bruce Wayne was playing for all to see.
How Jean Valjean had even obtained the footage, Bruce didn't know. It was a top-down overview of the conversation, yet somehow the audio had been perfectly recorded.
Usually, the bar in Wayne Tower was a staid and quiet affair, home to a higher-class clientele who preferred a more laid-back atmosphere. Of course, because of its invite-only status, many of those same clients were connected to Wayne Enterprises in some way.
A skilled manager. A family member of a board member. An old partner. A friend of a friend.
Naturally, that meant most of the people present carried a certain amount of partisan spirit for Wayne Enterprises.
Normally, that would have been a good thing.
But…
"HAHAHA, you showed him real good, didn't you, Mr. Wayne!" An elderly black man patted Bruce on the shoulder aggressively. The father of his good friend Lucius had a big, wide grin as he watched the video.
A small crowd had already formed around them.
"I was just doing my civic duty, Mr. Fox." Bruce gave a quick reply, trying to pivot the topic before it gained any more momentum. "I'm just glad there was no civilian damage. It's nothing—"
"Nonsense!" Mr. Fox waggled his finger. "I appreciate what Batman does, but it's people like you and my son who do the real helping in Gotham! For some perverted middle-aged man in tights to disparage you and your friend, of course, I would be mad. Bah, some fool with a midlife crisis punching the mentally unwell."
His suit wasn't perverted. It was tactical!
And he wasn't having a midlife crisis. He had started being Batman in his twenties.
Wait, no, that wasn't important.
Was this Jean Valjean's doing?
Was he infecting his mind?
Bruce quickly brought every mental defense and technique he had ever learned to the forefront.
He wouldn't be defeated here.
"Have you posted the video yet?" another young woman, whom Bruce vaguely recognized, asked as she leaned in closer. "I'm actually on the media management team. This would be perfect for Mr. Wayne!"
Bruce felt his soul shrivel a little.
He opened his mouth to tell her not to, but the cursed man sitting beside him ruined him again.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Jean Valjean nodded. "We should do everything we can to spread it. Mr. Wayne deserves to be known as the man who stands for what's right!"
"You know, my brother's a streamer." Another middle-aged man nodded as he pulled out his phone. "Plus, I know the newscaster who'll cover the lab incident."
"Send it to me, young man. My cousin is a radio host." Mr. Fox patted his chest. "I'll make sure it reaches the ears of every Gothamite by the end of the day."
Bruce could only stare rigidly as the crowd grew more and more animated.
Was everyone present related to the media?
The chances of that were absurd unless…
Luck.
Why was Jean Valjean's luck doing this to him? What value did it gain from this?
Maybe he should look on the bright side. He could potentially understand the mechanism by analyzing its methods or goals. A little embarrassment would be worth it if it helped him begin creating countermeasures.
"Isn't this great, Mr. Wayne!" Jean Valjean turned toward him with a gigantic smile. "Batman will never be able to look down on Wayne Enterprises ever again."
"…Yes." Bruce activated his polite business smile. He worried that if he tried to say anything more, he would strangle the man. "It's great."
He could only watch in despair as various members of the crowd talked animatedly among themselves. Some even left and went around the bar, seemingly to enlist more help, much to his horror.
At one of the tables, Bruce had to look away as Dick and Barbara lost all decorum. Both of them had lost themselves to laughter.
It took everything in his power not to glare at them.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both of his protégés shoot him thumbs-up with shit-eating grins.
This was all for the mission.
Yes.
He would derive Jean Valjean's secrets, and—
"Mr. Wayne!" a familiar voice called.
Bruce turned, ready with another polite reply, only to freeze.
He had been too preoccupied to notice, but Lois Lane and Clark Kent were approaching. Both of them held professional cameras.
"Can I get a picture of you two?" Lois smiled widely. "I'll make sure to sell this story far and wide, Mr. Wayne."
His eyes darted to Clark, but his friend—no, his traitorous friend—turned his head away as he bit his lip and raised his camera.
It was all for the mission.
"Alley-oop!"
Bruce was suddenly hefted onto a pair of shoulders.
Jean Valjean lifted him like they were a pair of elementary schoolers, then raised two peace signs toward the cameras.
"Wayne Enterprises foreveerrrr!"
A pair of flashes went off.
Not just from Lois and Clark. Dick and Barbara had both joined in, phones raised and smiles wide.
"Come on, Mr. Wayne, pose for your victory!" Jean Valjean laughed.
Stiffly, Bruce raised a thumbs-up and tried to put on a smile.
Somehow, there were even more cameras.
This was hell.
—
I leaned against the bar and watched as Mr. Wayne handled the crowd perfectly. His smile was really wide as he stared into all those cameras.
Their impromptu media meeting had been a bit chaotic, probably because my luck was tipping the scales, but Bruce Wayne didn't even seem to break a sweat. He stood fast and embraced the marketing opportunity like an absolute beast.
I'd definitely need to learn from his example.
[Feat Achieved! Broke the Bat]
[+1 Gold Gacha Ticket]
Ha! I knew it!
I couldn't help but smile.
Batman could never beat Bruce Wayne!
***
Comments and Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Likes are like a drug to me and boost my creative juices.
I have advanced chapters on Pa tre on/daisyberry if you wanna read ahead.