Chapter 10: Bruce Wayne
Luka wanted to say that he hadn't even considered Batman would be the one to pick him up until Tom mentioned the name.
He politely shook Bruce Wayne's hand.
"Luka. According to your naming conventions, I should be called Luka Thragg. But you can just call me Luka."
"Please follow me."
Bruce Wayne nodded thoughtfully, withdrew his hand, made a gesture of invitation, then turned and walked into the building's interior.
Luka followed him into the lobby of Wayne Enterprises.
The lobby's decor appeared understated, but every detail exuded luxury.
The marble floor gleamed like a mirror, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a brilliant light.
Employees in crisp suits stopped to greet Bruce Wayne with respectful nods and greetings.
Bruce Wayne smiled and returned their greetings without breaking his stride.
He led Luka into a private elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
As the elevator ascended, neither man spoke, the only sound in the cramped space the faint hum of the elevator's mechanism.
The doors opened onto a spacious office on the top floor.
Bruce Wayne led Luka to the office's lounge area, gestured for him to sit, and personally poured him a glass of water.
"I'm not sure about your preferences. Would you like salt or sugar?"
Luka accepted the glass but didn't drink, placing it on the coffee table before him. He stared intently at Bruce Wayne, trying to discern something from his expression.
But the Bruce Wayne before him was the very picture of a genial, approachable middle-aged capitalist, his tone laced with humor and wit. He was completely unlike the cold, enigmatic Batman Luka had imagined.
To be honest, Bruce Wayne's current demeanor could easily pass for a clean-shaven Tony Stark from Marvel next door.
In his previous life, he had consumed plenty of Marvel comics and movies. The Bruce Wayne before him did indeed possess an uncanny resemblance to Tony Stark's aura, especially when he smiled.
Bruce Wayne, oblivious to Luka's mental commentary, earnestly continued the conversation.
"This isn't the first time aliens or superpowered beings from other dimensions have appeared on Earth."
"Wayne Enterprises has certain… private collaborations with the Justice League. You're already aware of the Justice League, I assume?"
Luka nodded.
"I've been watching a lot of TV these past few days. After all, there's not much else to do."
Bruce Wayne shrugged, seeming somewhat helpless and troubled.
"Can't be helped. Some of them just love the spotlight."
Luka desperately wanted to know which persona Bruce Wayne was speaking from when he said that.
But alas, he couldn't ask.
Bruce continued.
"One of our collaborations involves providing legal identities and safe havens for unregistered superpowered individuals confirmed to be harmless."
Luka remained silent.
He knew the real point was coming next.
"Before that, however, I'd like to run some tests on your body."
Bruce Wayne's gaze settled on Luka, his tone gentle.
"As you know, the physiology of alien beings differs greatly from that of Earthlings. We need to understand the limits and weaknesses of your abilities to help you integrate into Earth more effectively and provide more effective assistance should you encounter danger."
Luka's eyes instantly sharpened with suspicion.
As if sensing his apprehension, Bruce clarified, "You don't need to be afraid. This isn't compulsory. It's entirely your choice."
Bruce fell silent, turning to the wine cabinet and rubbing his chin thoughtfully, as if deciding which bottle to select.
In reality, Bruce was subtly observing Luka's reactions through covert means.
Ten days prior, the guy who had descended from the sky carrying the unconscious Luka had issued a stern warning to Batman: he was forbidden from obtaining any tissue samples from Luka while he remained unconscious.
Batman was irked. This big guy's attentiveness was simply not something the current naive, well-intentioned fellow in Metropolis could match.
Not only was he thoroughly familiar with Batman's methods, but he had also confiscated all the ingenious gadgets Batman had secretly prepared to extract the 'alien sample' discreetly.
In the end, only a single, pitiful drop of blood remained in a syringe. And Batman had a feeling that even this one drop was something the guy had tacitly allowed.
"You know, the moment you leave, I have countless ways to obtain his sample," Batman said, his deep voice tinged with frustration.
"It doesn't matter. As long as he's conscious, use whatever methods you like. Honestly, you could just ask him directly."
Then the guy flew off, holding the lightly-treated Luka.
Leaving only a silent Batman watching the night sky in the darkness.
…
Luka considered Bruce Wayne's proposal carefully and realized it could actually benefit him.
Although he possessed the physical constitution of a Viltrumite, his understanding of this physiology was superficial.
From the comics he'd read in his previous life, he knew Viltrumites were powerful and possessed remarkable regenerative abilities, but he was unaware of their specific weaknesses beyond noise.
Gaining a thorough understanding of his own body through testing would be advantageous.
It was far better than being ambushed in the future by an opponent who silently exploited a weakness he didn't even know he had.
Besides, Batman would eventually acquire this knowledge anyway. It was merely a matter of sooner or later.
There was no helping it. He could not exactly kill the man.
"Alright," Luka finally nodded. "I agree to the testing."
Bruce turned around, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Excellent. The testing laboratory is on the other side of this floor. We can proceed there now."
He stood up and led Luka toward the inner part of the office.
As they walked, Bruce said casually, "I know you're from Viltrum. To be honest, I'm very interested in your planet. Would you mind telling me more about your culture? For example, your combat methods and the specific process by which you conquer other civilizations?"
Luka paused briefly before continuing forward.
He knew Bruce Wayne was finally probing for core information.
He didn't resist, nor did he intend to lie excessively to this man.
"Before I left, our planet was in the midst of a civil war that lasted many years," he began, his voice carrying undisguised disgust.
"That conflict twisted parts of our elite education system."
"From birth, we were indoctrinated with the belief that 'weakness is a sin.'"
"As children, we were thrown into training camps and forced to fight each other to the death. Only the last one standing earns the right to move on to the next stage."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Once we reach adulthood, we are deployed to various star systems to conquer civilizations deemed 'valuable'."
"Our conquest methods are simple: first, we send a small strike force to destroy the enemy's core military assets. Then, we launch a full-scale invasion. For civilizations that resist fiercely, we carry out complete extermination, leaving no survivors."
After a moment of silence, Luka deliberately slowed his pace, detailing the most brutal and bloodthirsty aspects of Viltrumite culture.
"The last thing I remember is that one of the ruling factions on Viltrum claimed to have devised an even more sinister plan."
"They would send a single powerful warrior to the target planet, disguising Viltrumite civilization as a benevolent, helpful one. Over the course of several years, that warrior would integrate into the local society, earning trust and lowering their guard. Then, on a chosen day, he would strike without warning, destroying the planet's most critical defensive force."
Luka turned his head to glance at Bruce, whose face was as dark as a pot bottom, filled with shock and doubt.
"To be honest, this plan is both cruel and brilliant. With it, conquering a civilization might require sending just a single warrior, while drastically reducing the mortality rate of Vitrumite warriors. Direct invasions often provoke the fiercest resistance. Even the most experienced and powerful warrior teams can easily fail if they make the slightest mistake."
Bruce Wayne instinctively raised a question.
"But the time cost of something like that—"
"Oh, our lifespans are very long," Luka cut in calmly. "I've heard that for Earthlings, living to a hundred years is considered extraordinary. For a Viltrumite warrior like me, after our coming-of-age ceremony, our service period alone can last five thousand years."
Luka caught the subtle acceleration of Bruce's heartbeat.
Only now did he truly appreciate how hard Bruce Wayne worked to draw a clear line between himself and Batman.
That level of control, even over one's own emotions, was formidable. If Luka had not retained memories from his previous life, he might have genuinely believed Bruce Wayne to be nothing more than a curious, charming billionaire with a keen interest in the unknown.
(End of chapter)