Avery's thirst for knowledge wasn't overwhelming. Since he couldn't get the answers immediately, he didn't mind waiting. To be honest, watching them live in constant fear of being hunted by him was, in its own way, quite entertaining.
And so, the days passed, one after another.
Until one day, he set his sights on a target, only to be shocked when he realized that the other party had also been watching him—and it seemed they intended to do him harm.
Had Avery's true identity been exposed? That was his first thought at the time. However, he had always taken great care to protect his real identity, so it made no sense that the other side would suddenly discover him without warning.
Perplexed, Avery soon learned the truth.
A man named James Evans, for reasons unknown, seemed intent on killing "Avery" and then assuming his identity to infiltrate Bruce Wayne's—better known as Batman—inner circle.
Avery: "…"
This revelation was a lot to take in. First, when did Bruce Wayne—without ever mentioning it—become Batman? And why were these people so interested in him, to the point of wanting to replace Avery to get close to Bruce?
Whatever their motives, Avery knew just how dangerous this group was. There was no way he would allow them to get close to Bruce.
So, Avery quickly disposed of James and took his place, becoming "James Evans." He completed the task of "killing Avery" and used that new identity to infiltrate Batman's circle, ultimately becoming Bruce's butler.
But then…
"But after all I've done for you, even taking care of you like a pampered young master, you're really upset with me over something so trivial?"
Inside the manor of Gotham's wealthiest man, Avery watched in disbelief as Bruce Wayne, deliberately ignoring him, walked away without a word. Turning to Alfred, Avery asked in shock, "Is he sulking?"
Alfred, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, nodded. "I believe so."
Avery: "…"
"I don't get it," Avery said, baffled. "Why?"
Alfred thought for a moment. To him, the reason was obvious, so the elderly butler simply stated, "I think you know."
Avery… did know, but he didn't think a few dead henchmen deserved so much fuss. Of course, his harsh experiences in a past life had dulled his sensitivity to death, leading him to believe that handling the situation this way was simply more effective.
After all, New Jersey didn't have the death penalty. The people working for Margaret had committed plenty of "good deeds," and even life imprisonment seemed too lenient for them. Besides, there was no guarantee they'd even get that severe a sentence.
"But I saved one of them, didn't I?" Avery said, perplexed.
Officially, the explanation was that the others couldn't be rescued in time, so Avery felt he had done reasonably well. At the very least, he hadn't outright admitted that he deliberately didn't save them. He'd even bothered to keep up the appearance of regret.
Why get so worked up over people who didn't deserve it?
Alfred sighed softly. "Which is why he's only giving you the cold shoulder."
Avery sighed too, now contemplating whether he should go and apologize. It wasn't because he felt he was in the wrong, but more because it was often easier for one person to back down in a relationship.
Here, it was worth noting that living with someone who had a strong sense of control and a bit of an obsessive nature required at least one person to have a more flexible personality to avoid constant conflict.
Avery's personality wasn't exactly flexible, but given that he was more than a decade older than Bruce, both in terms of actual age and even in physical years, he had fewer worldly desires. He took an indifferent approach to most matters and didn't mind letting his younger friend have his way.
Truth be told, Avery valued Bruce as a friend. He had never formed such close bonds with anyone before. His standards for friendship were exceptionally high—knowing someone for a long time or having pleasant conversations with them only made them an acquaintance in his eyes, far from the level of friendship.
And with friends, Avery was entirely different. For people he cared about, he would show great consideration. For those he didn't care about, he wouldn't bother remembering their thoughts or feelings at all. In fact, if someone he didn't care for disagreed with him, he might view them as ungrateful and quickly discard them from his life.
Unimportant people simply weren't worth remembering.
This had always been Avery's mindset. No one had ever corrected him before, nor had anyone dared to. Now, it was so deeply ingrained that no one could correct him even if they tried.
After chatting with his father for a while, Avery composed his thoughts and approached Bruce's door, raising his hand to knock.
*Knock knock knock.*
The sound of knocking echoed, but no response came.
Avery paused, then raised his hand again.
*Knock knock knock.*
Still, no response.
Just as Avery began considering whether he should force the door open, it suddenly swung wide, and before he could react, a powerful force yanked him inside. In the blink of an eye, he was pinned against the wall, his arms twisted behind his back, firmly restrained by a pair of strong hands.
Avery was shorter than Bruce, and now, feeling the heat of Bruce's breath against his forehead, he grew slightly uncomfortable. He shifted, attempting to break free, but his resistance was met with even greater pressure.
So strong.
Reluctantly, Avery struggled again but failed to escape, prompting him to give up wisely.
There was nothing he could do. After all, he was just a physically frail wizard. While not exactly weak in combat, he was no match for Batman, whose physical conditioning and professional skills far exceeded his own.
As for using magic? Using such a thing during a playful struggle with family seemed like cheating, and Avery wasn't one to do such a thing.