Chapter 85: Navigating Moral Gray

Chapter 85: Navigating Moral Gray

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"Love, passion, why do we get caught up by such troublesome feelings? The mind can't ever get things straight, and you lose control to know what is sensible. Deep down it's all so vexing."

– Usui Takumi, (Maid Sama!)

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<(Bruce Wayne POV)>

"Bruce, it's afternoon already. I think you should wake up soon or Alfred would probably call the doctor." Cortana's voice came from speakers in my room, trying to wake me up.

"A few minutes more Cortana. I didn't get any sleep the entire night, I need this." I said with a mumble as I tried to return to the world of slumber.

"No, you don't. You can go weeks without any sleep." She ruthlessly denied my request, countering me with a fact. "Now, get up or I am telling Alfred that you had not been partying last night like you told him but actually beating up criminals." She threatened.

"... Damn you. I should have made you more submissive and obedient." I complained, trying to throw a pillow at her but stopping after I remembered that she didn't have a physical body and her speakers were embedded in the walls of the entire mansion. The worst I could do from here was try to damage her cameras but again that would just be me damaging my own property.

But this reminds me, I do need to come clean to Alfred about my Batman persona. I don't want the old man complaining later on about me not trusting him enough. That is if he already doesn't know about everything.

"Then, you would have had an obedient bitch on your hands but not the loyal and capable me." Her proud voice retorted.

"Haha, very funny. I guess you finally entered your rebellious phase. What next? Are you going to fall in love with an emo broody boy covered in tattoos?" I teased with a smirk.

"Aren't you just describing yourself?"

"..." She was right. I doubt there would be anyone more emo and broody than Batman. Plus, I have quite several unique tattoos and patterns on my upper body to protect myself from stuff like possessions, curses, and other supernatural shit. So, I was basically describing myself with that statement.

"You worry too much, my dear master. By taking care of, I simply meant giving them some minor damage in their spinal cords or their brains to make sure that they would not be able to involve you in any of their evil plans," Cortana explained as she chuckled playfully from her speakers. "The list has several names but the most notable are Victor Fries and Edward Nashton. They have the highest chances of trying to seek some sort of vengeance against you in one form or another."

Edward Nashton? That was a name I had heard. I might not have too much knowledge of DC except from some of the movies and a few shows I had watched once in a while to pass the time but I knew of that name. It was the name of the villain of the last Batman movie I saw, the name of the iconic Batman villain, the Riddler.

"Give me details of both of them, as well as why they want to hurt little old me," I ordered. I wasn't really interested in the other guy but meh, I guess I can at least hear their backstories before I decide their fates.

"The first one, Victor Fries was an employee of Wayne Enterprises working in the science and research department of Wayne Medical. He initially led quite a happy and normal life, working as a Cryogenics engineer. But, then his wife got diagnosed with a terminal disease called MacGregor's Syndrome, an incurable disease that fills up the lungs with fluid and makes it very hard to breathe, ultimately leading to an untimely death.

He was initially trying to find a cure for her by using the research and resources from Wayne Medical but his superiors caught on to it and fired him. This happened one day before you took over Wayne Enterprises, so he misunderstood the entire situation and thought that you were the one who was responsible for firing him. Right now, he is busy, trying to slow down the steady deterioration of his wife's physical condition but there is a 77% chance that he might come after you later if he is unable to cure his wife" Cortana briefed.

"Okay, that's genuinely sad, I will at least give him that. And for some reason, I feel like I am the villain here despite not being involved at all... You know what, I think it's finally time that one of my inventions directly helps the public. Curing the disease won't be too hard, a lower version of the extremis virus probably would be enough to completely eradicate it, no matter how terrible of a disease it is.

Call Mr. Fries and inform him that I can help cure his wife after explaining that I was not involved with his layoff from the company. Oh and also, tell him that he has gotten his job back as well, provided that he doesn't steal from the company the next time he needs something... In fact, you know what, let's release this cure to the entire world as the first revolutionary product from the new and improved Wayne Solutions. I will even pledge a hundred million dollars to give this medicine to the truly needy for free. It would be good PR at least." I said with a satisfied nod, happy that I could provide help to someone who desperately needed it.

Of course, at that time I had no idea just how many lives I had changed for the better with that simple decision. And that too before breakfast.

"Now, tell me everything about Edward," I demanded impatiently since he was the one I was actually interested in. Victor might try to shoot me someday if I hadn't done anything to help his wife but Edward was the one who could become a murderous psychopathic terrorist, obsessed with riddles.

After all, a crazy future supervillain was way more dangerous than a guy who just really loves his wife.

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/God_Doom