章 8: Chapter 7

Well, it's time to visit Batman again and ask to become his student. I think he won't refuse his friend. All my physical attributes have exceeded twenty, and now I won't get tired after throwing just two or three punches. I think I can withstand an intense baptism of fire with the Dark Knight. Besides, I may soon have a companion, someone I should be able to protect. At first, at least, from the local punks. Yes, there's another reason why I need to get into the Batcave... but it's not that important, so let's not dwell on it.

The next day, I set out with renewed vigor to shape my destiny! In other words, I prepared myself to persuade Bruce with all my might to accept me as his student. This time, there was a man at the reception, and my fighting spirit dipped slightly. But that's not too important! Soon enough, I found myself in the office of the chairman of Wayne Enterprises.

"Alex, what brought you to me again? Have you written new books?" Bruce asked, his expression barely changing.

"Judging by everything, my books have brought your company a small income," I replied, sitting on one of the chairs with a smug grin.

"I won't hide the fact that they really do sell well. But something tells me that's not why you came here…"

"You're right, I'm here on other business," I said, my face growing serious. "Show me your art, sensei," I added with a bow while still seated.

"No," came the immediate response.

"Why not? Please accept me as your student. I want to learn martial arts, and there's no one better for the role. Bruce, you're the greatest fighter on Earth."

"I've never heard of this."

"Well, uh... that's what everyone says," I mumbled nervously. I couldn't exactly tell him that's what his creators dubbed him in the original comics. "Listen, Bruce, yesterday I met a girl—a reporter—who came to interview me. I even asked her out on a date... Remember what I said when we first met? I'll protect the people dear to me myself. Until now, I was in no hurry because I was on my own. But now, I have someone I want to protect. And I'm asking for your help. Teach me!"

"Why do you want me to train you? You can find other teachers."

"I only want to learn from the best. Besides, there's no better teacher in Gotham than you. I'm not planning to leave the city anytime soon. And I'm not trying to be the new Robin, just an ordinary student."

"I have practically no free time. During the day, I work at the company, and at night, I protect the city under a mask."

"You don't patrol the city every night. When it's relatively calm in Gotham, you just sit around in your dark cave, watching the bats."

"Your awareness is astonishing as always," Bruce said, leaning back in his chair without breaking his piercing gaze. "But again, what good does this do for me?"

"What if I write another book? Believe me, you'll like it," I said, a sly grin appearing on my face.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"This book will be about a clown," I began, watching Wayne visibly tense. "But it's not as scary as it sounds. There's even a moment where this clown—let's call him Pennywise—is beaten by children with sticks."

"Do you think that's interesting?" He raised an eyebrow, clear skepticism in his tone.

"Just imagine the trolling opportunities this book will open up for you! You'll be able to mess with the Joker! Isn't that a wonderful incentive to take me on as your student?"

The dark veil of gloom on the Dark Knight's face grew even darker. "You know, I think it's you who will drive me crazy someday, not the Joker. To hell with it—expect me tomorrow at my estate at 9 PM."

"So, you're going to teach me after all? Hooray!" Bruce didn't want to see me in his office anymore and promptly threw me out. Oh well, the main thing was done. I could relax now.

Then, it occurred to me that getting to Wayne Manor on foot or by bus might be a hassle, so I decided to buy myself a car. I'd still need to find a free day to get my driver's license since I didn't have one yet. But that wouldn't stop me from buying a car and driving it around the city... Let's hope the traffic police don't catch me during that time. Without delay, I headed to a local dealership to search for a suitable model.

"Good afternoon, sir. Can I help you with anything?" a young man, probably nearing thirty, approached me. His gaze assessed my appearance, and disdain flickered across his face. Admittedly, I was wearing simple, non-branded clothes, but that didn't justify such obvious contempt. With that kind of attitude, you could scare off potential clients.

"No, thank you. I'll just look around for now," I replied, smiling politely.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."

"What do you mean?" My voice turned noticeably harsher.

"I'm afraid our car models are beyond your means. Your shirt costs $70 at most, and your trousers even less. The watch on your wrist is ordinary and will probably break soon. I'd suggest buying a new one—if you can afford it, of course—because that one will likely start showing the wrong time soon."

Well, in general, he wasn't wrong. He had sharp, trained eyes. But judging someone by their appearance wasn't right! Just as I was about to tell him off, my attention was drawn to a seductive figure approaching us. A stunning brunette with long, curly hair and eyes as clear as a summer sky. She wore a simple dark blouse and dark trousers, yet even such modest clothing couldn't hide her commanding presence.

Judging by her cold gaze, she was in a bad mood. When she reached us, her sharp eyes settled on the arrogant employee.

"Your name?" she asked, her tone icy.

"Er... Thomas Backman," the man stammered slightly. It was clear he knew who she was, and her displeased look made him visibly nervous.

"Thomas... So this is how you conduct business? And I've been wondering why my sales are down—it turns out my own employees are chasing clients away." Sweat began forming on the young man's forehead. "How many times have I told you to always treat clients with respect? It seems my instructions are being ignored," her tone grew even colder.

"Miss Lute, I—"

"Shut up! Since when is it acceptable to judge a person by their appearance? I'm also wearing plain clothes—are you going to ask me to leave too?"

"I wouldn't dare—"

"You're fired. This conversation is over. I'll be reviewing all staff for professional suitability soon." She then turned to me. Her icy demeanor melted into one of sincerity and politeness. "Please forgive my employee. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to monitor everything personally. As an apology, we're happy to offer you a 10% discount on any car."

This woman had remarkable leadership skills. "It's fine; I'm not offended," I replied.

"In that case, let me personally show you our selection."

Is that normal? It looks like you're the boss here…"

"It's okay. This is completely normal."

"I'd be a real fool if I refused the company of such a beautiful lady," my words greatly surprised my companion. She clearly wasn't expecting flirting. Most likely, she thought I'd be nervous in her presence because she clearly came from a higher class, while I looked like a commoner.

"You flatter me, mister…"

"Alex Reath," I extended my hand in introduction.

"Very nice to meet you. Lena Luthor," she shook my hand. Yeah, something was off here. If I'm not mistaken, she's Lex Luthor's half-sister. I thought she was supposed to be in Metropolis. What brought her to Gotham?

"So, you're from the famous Luthor family?"

"It turns out so."

"Excuse my curiosity. Do you live in Gotham?"

"No, I live mostly in Metropolis. I came here for work," she explained, and we walked up to one of the cars on display. "How do you like this model?"

It was a Renault. I think it's the cheapest car here. Eh, I don't even know whether to laugh or cry. It seems I really do give the impression of being financially insolvent.

"I don't really like this brand. I'd like to look at some others. Oh, you don't happen to have an Audi R8 here?" My question surprised her, but she didn't show it.

"Sure, come with me."

There was a white beauty standing in the far corner. I'm clearly drawn to sports cars. It's decided, I'll buy it!

"Can I look around the interior?" I asked, moving toward the car.

"Of course."

"How much does it cost?"

"This model is one of the most expensive cars. Its cost is estimated at 200 thousand dollars," Lena answered, watching my reaction. I walked around the car, inspecting the interior. Everything suited me. "I like this car. I would like to register for it."

Lena didn't expect such an outcome, as her surprised eyes indicated. But she still didn't lose her composure and called one of the employees to prepare the documents. All the formalities took an hour.

"Alex, we will have to wait a little longer before we resolve a few formalities. If you don't mind, we can wait in my office," said the member of the Luthor family, smiling politely. Well, who would refuse to sit alone with such a beautiful girl?

We went up to the second floor. Miss Luthor's office was luxurious.

"How about some wine?" the girl asked, taking a beautiful bottle and two glasses from the minibar.

"Sorry, I don't drink alcohol," I decided to respectfully decline. My answer didn't match Lena's expectations at all. She couldn't understand who would refuse to sip some aromatic wine with her.

"To be honest, you have discouraged me. May I know the reason for your refusal?"

"There's no important reason, I just can't stand alcohol. Even something as simple as champagne," I answered, trying to be as tactful as possible.

Yes, I can't stand alcohol. In my memories, I can't figure out why. I doubt I'm allergic to booze. I also don't think it has anything to do with my past actions. Most likely, I just don't like drinking alcohol.

"You are truly unique, Alex. May I use the informal form of address?"

"Of course."

"I'm afraid I don't have anything else here except wine."

"It's okay, plain water will do."

She handed me a glass of clean, clear water and sat on the sofa, holding a glass of wine in her hands.

"So, what do you do, Alex, if it's not a secret?" the brunette asked, taking a few sips of the red drink. "Not everyone can afford such an expensive car."

"I'm the owner of a small game company."

"Games?" My interlocutor was surprised once again. "As far as I know, this is far from a profitable business. And what games has your company produced?"

"I opened my company quite recently, so our games are still in development," I said, slightly embarrassed, taking a small sip of cool water.

"Please forgive me if I am too intrusive."

"It's okay."

"Are you from some rich family?"

"No, I'll even say more, I don't have a family."

"Sorry… So, you're an orphan?" she asked, slightly nervous. It was clear she wasn't comfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.

"You could say that," I answered calmly, showing that this fact didn't bother me at all.

"So, you are very talented, since you managed to become rich enough without extra support to spend 200 thousand so easily. How exactly did you achieve this, if it's not a secret?"

"There's no secret to it. I recently published a couple of books, and they became quite popular, and to this day, they bring me a significant income."

"You wrote books? Is it possible to get rich off that?" Lena asked, doubting the veracity of my words. "Wait, just don't tell me that you're the author of Sherlock Holmes and Ten Little Indians?"

"Right, it's me."

"You're not kidding?" She became very inspired. Her eyes expressed undisguised admiration. "Just think that today I met the author of my favorite works."

She stood up and went to the table. Opening the bottom drawer, she took out a book and headed toward me. Lena handed me the book along with a pen.

"Can I have an autograph?"

To be honest, this situation embarrassed me a little. It seems my books have created a much bigger sensation than I thought. Who would have thought that even such rich ladies as Lena would openly express their delight? I left my autograph on the book Ten Little Indians.

"I must admit, you are a real genius, Alex. When will you write something new?"

"Quite soon."

"Will these be sequels?"

"No, these will be new works."

"What genre?"

"Horror…"

"What?!" Lena asked, a little louder than I expected, scaring me a little. "This is the most worthless and boring genre! And most importantly, not scary at all."

It seems that no one in this world has ever been able to write a scary story. If in the movies they got by with sharp moments, then in books it doesn't work. People in this world didn't understand how to convey an atmosphere of horror with words. So that when people read, they'd get goosebumps from fear, but still continue reading. I'll have to show them how you can scare with dark words on white pages.

"I'm sure I'll surprise my readers," I gave a rather ambiguous smile. Our conversation dragged on for another half hour. Soon, I could leave here in my car with a clear conscience.

"This is my business card," Lena handed me the card before I stepped on the gas. "If you need anything, you can call me. And if you decide to come to Metropolis, don't forget to drop by for a visit."

"Thank you. Here, take mine too." Having handed her my card, I drove off to my work. To be honest, I didn't expect to meet Luthor's sister at all. As far as I know, she doesn't share the same opinion as her brother and treats Superman quite kindly.

Lena owns her own company. And although it can't compare to LexCorp, it is still a huge enterprise. In the future, when Lex is sent to prison, she will be the one to lead her brother's company. So, I think today's acquaintance is a good virtue.