Chapter 3: C-03
The sprawling halls of Wayne Manor were silent, save for the rhythmic clicking of Alice Pennyworth's heels as she followed me into the study. I settled into the leather chair behind the massive oak desk, my fingers steepled beneath my chin.
"Alice," I said, breaking the quiet, "tell me about Wayne Tower."
She hesitated, her usual calm demeanor faltering for a brief moment. "The tower is no longer in our possession, sir. The bank repossessed it some time ago during your… absence."
I leaned forward, my jaw tightening. "And now?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "It was sold to Stark Enterprises."
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, all I could hear was the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Of course he would swoop in to claim my legacy.
"That's unacceptable," I said finally, my voice low.
Alice raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, Stark Enterprises has no intention of selling it back to us. I've already inquired."
I leaned back, a small smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Then we'll make our own tower. Something better. Something unstoppable."
Alice crossed her arms, unimpressed. "You're aware that skyscrapers don't exactly grow on trees, yes? There's the Eclipse Spire downtown—it's available, but the price tag is astronomical, and the bank is—"
"Then buy the bank," I interrupted, my tone matter-of-fact.
Her eyes widened slightly before a slow, almost reluctant smile crept onto her face. "Of course, sir. I'll see to it."
~Two Weeks Later~
The mountain of paperwork sat before me, a testament to the monumental undertaking Alice had just completed. The Eclipse Spire was mine—no, the new Wayne Industries'—and with it, my new Wayne Financial.
I scrawled my signature on the last document and slid it across the desk to Alice, who handed me a small metal plaque engraved with the words Wayne Tower.
"It's official," she said. "The Eclipse Spire is now the new Wayne Tower. The base of Wayne Industries."
"Excellent," I said. "Now, we have work to do. I need machines. Materials. Everything."
Alice nodded briskly, already pulling out her tablet. "I'll place the orders. Anything specific?"
"Everything cutting-edge," I replied as a took out my phone and texted her a list of what I wanted. "Fabricators, particle accelerators, neural network processors. Spare no expense."
Days later my personal lab was finally complete. I locked the doors behind me, sealing myself inside. It was time to get working on my greatest project.
For weeks, I worked tirelessly, coding lines of logic, crafting intricate neural pathways, and embedding countless terabytes of data. Every moment, every decision Alfred Pennyworth ever made—captured in meticulous recordings and journals—became the foundation for the greatest A.I. companion the world would ever know.
Sure, Stark had JARVIS, FRIDAY, KAREN, EDITH… How many assistants did one man need? But A.L.F.R.E.D.—Advanced Lifeform Framework for Rationalized Executive Decisions—would surpass them all.
"Hello, Master Wayne."
The voice echoed through the lab, its tone perfectly calibrated: soothing, firm, laced with that unmistakable British accent.
I turned to the holographic interface, where a glowing blue silhouette flickered to life. It wasn't just a voice—it was Alfred. His dry wit, his measured calm, even the occasional sarcastic remark—it was all there.
"A.L.F.R.E.D.," I said, addressing the program directly. "Status report."
"All systems are operational," it replied. "I've begun organizing Wayne Industries' assets, restructuring inefficiencies, and preparing a strategic roadmap. Oh, and your coffee is brewing in the break room."
I chuckled despite myself. "Good to see you haven't lost your touch."
"I'd say I'm better than ever," it quipped. "Might I suggest, however, a nap? You've been working tirelessly for weeks, and even Kryptonians need their rest."
I smirked, tapping the console. "Rest can wait. We've got an empire to build."
"Let's change the world, Master Bruce."
<-------------------------->
The faint hum of machinery filled the lab as I stood over the main console, watching the tracking coordinates display on a holographic map. Alfred's voice echoed in the room..
"We've located Ulysses Klaue, Master Wayne," the AI informed me. "He's holed up in a fortified warehouse on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Security is substantial but nothing Ultron cannot handle."
I smirked, glancing at the sleek, silver figure standing motionless at the far end of the lab. Ultron, my recreation, had proven more useful than I could've anticipated. Built exactly like the MCU's version, he was the ultimate hunter—ruthless, efficient, and unwavering in his loyalty to me. Though he was nothing more than a metal robot with Ultron's A.I. installed in it's mainframe. If I was going to give it actual life I will need to find the mind stone.
Of course I didn't just end at him and had built up several Ultron Sentries Drones. Each was controlled by Ultron, they would be the start of something I had planned.
"Send him," I ordered, stepping back from the console. "Tell him to bring Klaue and the Vibranium."
Ultron's glowing eyes flickered to life before turning and walking toward the hangar bay followed by two drones.
~Two Days Later~
The heavy clang of metal boots echoed through the lab as Ultron returned, dragging a bloodied Ulysses Klaue behind him. A crate marked with Wakandan symbols hovered behind them, carried by Ultron's drones.
"Mission accomplished," Ultron announced, tossing Klaue unceremoniously to the ground.
I stepped forward, inspecting the crate with a gleam of satisfaction in my eyes. "The Vibranium?"
"Every ounce the man had," Ultron confirmed.
"Good." I turned to Klaue, who was groaning in pain, barely able to lift his head. I nodded toward Ultron. "Get rid of him, but leave his head and cryo-freeze it. I will have use for it later"
Without hesitation, Ultron ripped off Klaue's head clean off as he threw it toward one of the Drones and ordered it to go freeze it.
"Efficient, as always," I remarked, running my hand across the edge of the crate. "I'll call for you when I need you."
Ultron left without a word, and I turned back to the Vibranium, my mind already thinking of how to create my Superman Suit.
Over the next several days as I worked tirelessly with Alfred to design and construct the ultimate suit. I had several bars of Vibranium melted down and run into a 3D printer.
"Alfred," I said, adjusting the parameters on the 3D printer, "run the Starforce uniform schematics alongside my modifications."
"Of course, Master Wayne," the AI replied, projecting a detailed model of the suit onto the central display.
The design was a masterpiece of engineering and artistry, merging concepts from some of the most advanced suits I'd studied:
I ran the 3D printer and had it start printing creating a micro-weave mesh as it started printing the entire suit over a manequinn that represented his body. The Vibranium was dyed blue as it printed, it soon moved on to the next manequinn and switched the dye to red as it started printing the boots, belt, bracers and the cape. The Vabranium suit will have several features from a stealth mode that would turn the suit black, using nano technology with the Vibranium I was able to inchace the self repair feature of the metal.
While the printer was running he melted some more Vibranium and started creating a helmet inspired by Red Hood's design, the helmet could retract into the suit's collar or deploy instantly. A communication system and universal translator was installed into the helmet.
The bracers were made of pure vibranium, I had plans to find and capture Max Eisenhart and take his metal manipulation powers. I might have other use for him but that would all be in the future.
I set up the whole suit into one maniquinn and had it all fusied into a single suit. As the 3D printer worked its magic, layering the Vibranium into the intricate micro-weave, I reviewed Alfred's diagnostics. "How are we looking on stress tests?"
"The suit can withstand pressures exceeding 100 tons per square inch, Master Wayne," Alfred reported. "Kinetic absorption levels are optimal, and the self-healing mechanisms are functioning within acceptable parameters."
"Good," I said, pacing in front of the suit as it took shape. "Run simulations for heat, cold, and electromagnetic interference. I don't want any weaknesses."
"Already in progress," Alfred replied, his tone tinged with approval. "Might I say, sir, this is your most ambitious project yet."
I smirked. "It has to be. I'm not building just any suit—I'm building the best."
After weeks of tireless work, the suit was complete. I stood in the center of the lab, wearing the suit for the first time. The Vibranium mesh felt weightless yet solid, every piece fitting perfectly. The retractable helmet clicked into place, and the HUD lit up with a dazzling array of data.
"Master Bruce, have you decided on a Hero name yet?"
"Superman"
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