I opened my eyes, expecting to see another memory, but instead, I found myself in a cozy bed in a large, fancy hospital room.
As I turned my head to look around, I spotted a big picture of a young boy in a hospital gown lying in a bed. I felt confused and furrowed my brows, and to my surprise, the boy in the picture mirrored my expression.
I got up and felt a bit dizzy, but I brushed it off and walked toward the picture, just like the boy did.
'That's not a picture, it's a mirror. It seems that after seeing all those memories, I became an idiot,' I thought.
As I moved closer to the mirror, I felt a slight pain in my wrist. Turning my head, I saw that there was a tube attached to my wrist. Removing the tube, I approached the mirror and looked at my reflection.
I was in the body of a boy about 8 years old, with slightly sickly pale skin, blue eyes, and dark hair.
*Click*
While I was staring at my reflection, the door opened, and a nurse walked in.
"Oh, Mr. Wayne, you're finally awake! But you shouldn't get out of bed yet," she said, taking my hand. "Oh dear, it looks like the tube on your wrist has come off. Let's get you back to bed and look at your hand." She guided me back to the bed while pressing a button on the side of the bed.
As I lay back down, I let the nurse treat my hand and began to think.
'Haaaah... I knew this was coming... Nothing can be done, and I will not run from it... I have so much to prepare to become Batman, whether or not I like it. Since even if I don't become Batman, many of the villains or criminal organizations will target me either way just because I'm a Wayne, And I'm not even counting others outside Gotham or evil gods and whatnot... Instead of waiting for them to destroy me, I will destroy them first. I will break my enemies to the point that I will become a nightmare that even gods themselves fear... but the real question is how I'm going to do all that. I was just a dude who was good at killing in my previous life, I don't have Batman's intelligence. Sure, I have his skills, but I need a fucking brain to use them fully.' I thought as the nurse gently patted my arm, likely thinking my silence was due to sadness.
*Click*
"Hello, Mr. Wayne. I'm Dr. John Adam, and it's good to see you awake," a man in a white coat said as he entered the room.
The nurse stood up to let the doctor come closer to me.
"You look healthy, but do you have any pain or discomfort?" he asked while looking at my report.
"I don't feel any pain, but I felt a bit dizzy when I got up."
"That's normal after being in a coma for three days, but it's great that you could move on your own," he said, starting to examine me, checking my eyes and mouth.
"Hmm, you seem fine. Your medical report looks good too, with no issues except for the shock from when you... uh..."
"Just say it, doctor."
"*Ahem* After you witnessed what happened in the alley, and I'm truly sorry for your loss. Your parents were among the few good people in Gotham. Your father was a role model for us doctors—"
"Stop with the flattery and just do your job, doctor."
The doctor seemed a bit taken aback by my calmness, which he didn't expect from an eight-year-old who had just watched his parents murdered right before his eyes. But he quickly brushed it off and smiled. "You can be discharged if you want after we monitor you for a few hours to see if there will be any changes in your health since you have been asleep for three days. We also informed your wife. She should be here soon since she's still in the hospital.
"You informed MY what!?"
"Your wife, Mr. Wayne."
"Are you kidding me, doctor? Do you think it's funny to fuck with a child who just lost his parents?"
"I would never do such a thing, Mr. Wayne, but I don't understand why you're getting angry. I don't think I said anything wrong."
"Do you even hear yourself? I'm just an 8-year-old child, a minor. It is impossible for me to have a wife."
"But you are the only exception in the world, Mr. Wayne, at least legally," the nurse said with a silly smile on her face, as if she were imagining a fairy tale-like love.
"..."
"Just get the fuck out before I destroy your life," I said as I waved my hand.
After the doctor and nurse left, I stood up and walked to the window.
'There are so many things to do. I need to build a batcave, then create an AI. Then I have to create an SSS or something similar. Maybe get the serum that Deathstroke has. I also need to build nanobots ASAP, maybe right after creating the AI. Then I have to create a serum that will give me a regenerative healing factor like Extremis or maybe get Electrum Metal from the Court of Owls and find a way to eliminate its dependency and its weakness against the cold. I have to build drones to monitor possible threats. And to do all this, I need more money than I currently have. Thus, I must get back the Wayne Enterprises as soon as possible, but I don't know if I can do all this with just Batman skills alone...'sigh'what a fucked up day.' I thought while gazing at the dark city outside the window.
*Knock...Knock.*
*Click.*
"Sir, your wife has arrived," said a large man in a suit, likely my bodyguard, as he opened the door and stepped aside for a woman to enter.
Looking at the woman, my eyes widened, and I froze in my place because the woman who just walked through the door was Death of the Endless.
"Hehehe, you look really funny, my love," she said in her gentle, soft voice.
It seems this is a dream after all; time to wake up. I turned around and slammed my forehead into the wall, breaking both the wall and my skull.
*CRACK*
"It hurts, so it must be real, not a dream," I muttered while rubbing my bleeding forehead.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't hurt yourself like that," Death of the Endless said, gently rubbing my forehead.
"I just wanted to check if I was dreaming... but this is the second time you've called me 'my love.' Death, what's happening? Why are you here?" I asked, closing my eyes and savoring her warm touch as the pain subsided.
"Of course, I must be here; it's my duty as your wife to always be by your side. And please don't call me Death; I am your wife, Teleute Wayne, now," she replied with her usual sweet smile.