Baia sat cross-legged on her large bed in her bedroom, wearing a nightgown. Scattered notes lay around her as she munched on chips and listened to Caroline's video conference. The Batcave was a magical place where she had found a considerable stash of snacks hidden in the butt of the giant dinosaur model, likely stashed by one of the Robins.
"The biggest problem Stark Industries is facing right now is that we have no money."
The thirty million dollars Tony initially allocated was already spent. It wasn't because he was wasteful; repairs and modifications to the Iron Man suit aside, without production lines, they had to purchase high-tech equipment, often costing millions each.
As the current CTO of Stark Industries, Tony had already produced several products, epitomizing frugality and economic sensibility. The value of something like Friday couldn't be measured in billions.
The tech industry is a money-eating monster. If Baia really wanted to pull investment from Wayne Enterprises, Tim couldn't make the decision alone. Ultimately, she might have to meet with Lucius and Bruce, and if the amount was significant, she might even face the board.
To quickly raise a large sum of money without Bruce's help, the only options left were those constitutional ones.
Baia added, "And we have no staff."
Currently, the only registered members were Tony, Baia, Caroline, Max, and a horse—just enough to run a small shop.
"I... I talked to my dad yesterday," Caroline said with a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "Although he's a big cheat, he's also a business genius. Based on everyone's situation, I've come up with a plan, mainly relying on you and Mr. Stark, Miss Wayne."
Caroline patiently explained her startup plan for Stark Industries.
Each page of the crooked plan was filled with terms like "venture capital," "leverage," and "high returns." After listening for a while, Baia finally grasped the essence of it all: the plan was essentially about deception.
Max didn't quite understand, and Tony had no objections. This was just how business operated.
"Alright." Seeing that Tony didn't disagree, Baia hesitantly agreed. "Should I start deceiving people in Gotham?"
"How can you call it deceiving?" Caroline righteously replied. "Baia, do you believe Stark Industries has a bright future?"
Baia perked up. "Of course!"
"Then it's not deceiving!" Caroline declared, concluding the meeting.
"She's got potential," Tony, still connected to the video, mused. "She's got a knack for convincing people, perfect for finance. She'll do fine as the CFO for now. But Stark Industries is ultimately a manufacturing business; we need to find a suitable CEO."
Tony didn't mention that he felt Caroline currently lacked the boldness necessary. Stark Industries would inevitably compete with giants like Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp, and a hesitant leader wouldn't suffice.
"We'll see. You take charge for now," Baia said, conflicted. "This has to succeed. I'll be tricking people I know in Gotham!"
"Don't worry. At worst, we'll sell patents. I won't let you go bankrupt," Tony said dismissively.
"Alright. Remember to send over the samples. How's the research on the Man-Bat serum I sent you?"
"The genetic serum you sent me has no addictive properties," Tony said, spreading his hands. "If someone is addicted to it, it's purely psychological. But I made some adjustments and developed a reverse repair serum. After one injection, similar genetic serums won't work again."
Baia cheered. "Iron Man is the best!"
"Yeah, sure." Tony ended the call. "I've got work to do. Contact Friday if you need anything."
Shutting down her computer, Baia bit her nails. For the bright future of Stark Industries, she would have to deceive everyone she met.
"Actually, not all the people you'll be tricking are familiar," the system chimed in.
Baia: "Elaborate?"
System: Talia?
"I'm afraid I wouldn't live to spend that money," Baia replied bitterly.
Having prepared her pitch, Baia started by contacting Mr. Freeze.
"Good evening, Dr. Fries."
Dr. Fries seemed to be outside, amidst the Arctic snowstorm. Despite the harsh conditions, he appeared unbothered, his tone cool and detached. "Good morning, Doctor. What do you want?"
"I wanted to ask you how you've been communicating with Nora."
Batman had given Dr. Fries a way to contact Nora. By now, considering the timeline, she should be awake and possibly discharged. The star-crossed lovers should have reconnected by now.
"...We haven't been in touch," Dr. Fries replied after a moment of silence, his voice heavy with sadness.
Baia was puzzled. "Why not? I heard she's been asking about you since she woke up."
Dr. Fries tensed up visibly. "What have they told her?"
With that, Baia understood. No one likes to leave a bad impression on their loved ones, especially considering Dr. Fries' less-than-honorable activities over the years—murder, arson, and various other crimes.
"Everything's been arranged nicely. They haven't told her anything about your... activities," Baia reassured him. "Since you don't want to tell her the truth yet, I can offer you an opportunity."
"What kind of opportunity?"
"Stark Industries is starting a project to give people who've strayed a second chance," Baia said earnestly. "If you're interested, you could become a Stark Industries employee stationed in the Arctic. Full benefits... well, appropriate commercial insurance. This way, you'll have a legitimate explanation for Nora."
"What does Stark Industries do? Cold chain technology? Human hibernation?"
"Just join first," Baia said confidently. "Any projects will be handled by the technical department."
Living in the Arctic, Dr. Fries found himself somewhat bored despite the research projects Baia had given him. Besides caring for sled dogs, he had learned some Inuktitut from the locals and occasionally joined them in hunting seals, leading a life of tranquility he hadn't imagined.
Given the situation, he saw no reason to refuse. "Alright, I agree."
"Also... do you have any assets left in Gotham?"
Dr. Fries: ?
"I mean, like unused labs, spare money, or extra bank cards," Baia said, clearing her throat. "I can transfer them to Nora or you could invest in Stark Industries."
Though most of his assets had been seized by the GCPD, Dr. Fries still had some overseas holdings. Generously, he provided Baia with the account details and passwords, instructing her to transfer everything to Nora.
"Deal," Baia said quickly, fearing he might change his mind. "Oh, and make sure to record a video of your lab and a good résumé, highlighting only the positives. Thanks, and best wishes to you and Nora."
Despite finding Baia's request odd, Dr. Fries agreed.
After hanging up, Baia breathed a sigh of relief. Dr. Fries was the easiest to handle since he was completely under their control. Soon, she received the video from Dr. Fries. Despite his long criminal career, he had previously worked in the research department of a major corporation, and the video was highly professional. Apart from occasional dog barks in the background, it was perfect.
Baia had Friday edit the video, adding some nonexistent Stark Industries logos. Staring at the night view outside, she snapped out of her reverie, changed into her uniform, and headed to the Batcave.
In the elevator, she ran into Damian. The current Robin tensed up at the sight of her, like a bowstring pulled taut. His gaze was filled with anger and suspicion, clearly expecting her to explain the situation with Talia.
Baia looked at him innocently. Though she knew she owed Damian an explanation, she didn't know where to start, so she tried to dodge the issue for now.
"Tch." Damian didn't call her name or ask how she'd been that month. He just walked away without looking back.
Their relationship now seemed worse than it had been initially, a problem that needed addressing. Ignoring it would only make things worse, as evidenced by Bruce and Jason's current state. However, with limited time in Gotham, Baia decided to make something nice to cheer Damian up the next day.
"Hey, Tim, good evening." Baia peeked out from behind the chair, flashing a charming smile to the Red Robin.
"Baia, good evening, what's up?" Red Robin turned around hastily. He noticed she was wearing the Swallow uniform, which meant the girl was up to something again, and that wasn't good news.
Baia blinked innocently. "I want to go out and meet two people tonight, is that okay?"
"Is it Nora?" Tim asked, his suspicion rising. "Who else?"
"Dr. Langstrom," Baia said. "I remember his wife, Francine, is still on the loose. Although there hasn't been much activity lately, it's better to resolve it sooner rather than later. I asked Tony to improve on Dr. Langstrom's serum, and I want him to see if it can work on Man-Bat."
Tim felt something was off. While Baia had always been concerned about their work, when did she become so proactive? Something fishy was going on.
"You can go see Nora, but as for the serum, just send the ingredients to Dr. Langstrom online. There's no need to make a late-night trip," Red Robin suggested.
How could they possibly convince Dr. Langstrom without meeting him in person?
"Timothy..." Baia spun the chair Red Robin was sitting on, elongating his name sweetly.
Ugh. Tim thought. She didn't even bother to flirt with him in the morning, and now this.
"As long as Bruce agrees," Tim said firmly, remembering what had happened last time at Dr. Langstrom's place. Although Baia was smart and hadn't encountered danger in this series of incidents, he was still worried.
Baia realized it was a lost cause. She pouted. "Then I'll just go see Nora first."
Nora's illness had cleared up, and she was a brilliant student herself. How could she not contribute to the success of Stark Industries?