"Are you going to apologize, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked as the two flew on Bruce's private jet to New York City.
"No, I didn't do anything wrong. Mister Stark should have been more responsible," Bruce responded flatly, looking out the window as they approached the massive city.
"Well, if you're going to do business with him, I suggest you make amends, sir. I'm sure that what you said in the press conference was very insulting, and I certainly wouldn't want to help you if you treated me that way," Alfred replied with wisdom, attempting to get Bruce to admit his folly.
"I meant what I said, and if I apologized it would mean nothing," Bruce said emotionlessly, feeling relieved when the two finally reached their destination.
Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and several of Tony's business partners, assistants, and advisors were waiting for Bruce and Alfred at the airport terminal. Steve and Tony were holding hands, the genius flaunting his prime catch for everyone in the airport to see. Bruce couldn't stand the way Tony carried himself in public; he thought he was a pathetic man who only cared about how much controversy he could stir up on any given day. He hated the fact that he was willing to leave Gotham City for several nights in hope that Tony would sponsor the Wayne Foundation, which needed all of the assistance it could get. The businessman wanted the charity to thrive, and it took big bucks to keep it running at peak efficiency.
"So, I suppose we should get this over with. Take Alfred and Bruce's bags to the hotel," Tony barked at two of his assistants as he snapped his fingers.
One of his assistants, a tall, lanky brunette with legs that never seemed to end, led Alfred out of the terminal. The other man, who was a short, muscular redhead with veins popping out on every inch of his body grabbed Bruce and Alfred's bags, taking care not to manhandle their suit-cases.
Tony motioned for Bruce to follow him out of the terminal, and soon he, Steve, and all of Tony's other guests piled into his massive limousine. The vehicle could have comfortably seated twenty people, though thankfully there were only ten people occupying the space. Bruce was not fond of being in large crowds, so he was content that he didn't have to sit close to anyone.
"Come on, loosen up, Bruce. You look like you've got a stick shoved up your ass! Want a drink?" Tony exclaimed as he took a sip of scotch from a clear glass with "Stark Industries" plastered on it.
"Leave him alone, Tony. He had a long flight, and I'm sure he's tired," Steve said empathetically, understanding that the businessman was already tired of dealing with Tony.
Even Steve knew that Tony could be a handful and had a difficult time dealing with him from time to time, but he was the only person who could truly stay by his side no matter what. Bruce felt bad for Steve; it made him sad that the man who was truly everything American could settle for someone who only wanted booze, popularity, and sex.
Bruce sighed, ignoring Tony's comment. He didn't want to speak until it was absolutely necessary. The genius' voice alone was enough to give Bruce a headache, and he certainly didn't want to listen to it until the two struck a business deal.
When they arrived at the conference room in Tony's tower, he carefully observed his surroundings. The room was large with glass windows all around, the walls were silver, and the floor was made of sleek, black tile. The long, oval table was made of glass and had black metal legs, and the chairs matched perfectly. There were twenty seats at the table, though they only needed seven; one for Bruce, one for Steve, one for Tony, three for the billionaire's business partners, and one for his advisor.
"So, what do you want?" Tony demanded as he crossed his arms and looked intently at the businessman.
"As you know, I am running the Wayne Foundation, which helps provide medical care, access to the arts, and education to those in need. It is an expensive operation to run; as you know Gotham City is not exactly up to par in dealing with these issues," Bruce answered calmly, showing no signs of how he was feeling at that given moment.
"Save the spiel, I know what it's about. It's a great foundation and a great idea, I'll give you that. But why should I help you?" Tony replied in a snarky tone of voice as his boyfriend glared at him in disapproval.
"You're being impolite, Tony. That's not how we treat a guest, especially someone who is making an important proposition. Now continue, sir," Steve said, ignoring Tony, who was rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"You see, there are not a lot of people in Gotham who are willing to donate to the foundation, so I am looking for philanthropy elsewhere. You support a lot of non-profit organizations, and I believe that my foundation would be perfect to sponsor," the businessman explained, focusing his attention on Tony.
"You know what? I'm not going to help you. Why would I help someone who talked shit about me on national television? Pissing off Iron Man isn't exactly a good idea…" Tony growled, letting his irritation get the better of him.
"I didn't talk 'shit', Tony. I pointed out the fact that you told the entire world that you are indeed Iron Man, and I personally feel that it wasn't the best move," Bruce responded, still giving no indication of what his emotions were.
"Why the fuck not? I help people, so what's the problem? I've been a big name in the world for years, and why not have a little P.R. from saving New York every now and again? At least people know who I am. It's not like that stupid 'Batboy' that runs around in your city, causing problems for everyone," Tony hissed as Steve gently stroked his left hand in an attempt to soothe him.
"He goes by Batman, from what I've been told. I believe it's a good thing that he doesn't reveal his identity; he's protecting the people he loves and ensuring that they aren't injured on his account," Bruce responded with a small trace of agitation in his voice.
"That's a load of shit. Think about it. Someone's going to find out his real identity eventually, and when they do his family won't know what hit them. Since they have no idea that he's Batman, how are they supposed to prepare for an act of violence against them?" the genius replied, raising his voice in anger.
"He probably told at least a few people who are close to him in case something goes wrong. But it's best to keep your identity a secret from the population at large, in my opinion. After a while, many will expect you to help them at every beck and call, even if the problem does not require attention from a 'hero', such as yourself," Bruce stated as he returned to his emotionless demeanor.
"You have a point, Mister Wayne. Several times Tony's been called upon to get some people's cats out of trees. Or help with that big garbage spill that happened the other day. Not to mention that time when the mayor called you in hope that you'd kill a mouse he found in his office…" Steve said as a small smirk spread on his face.
"Shut the fuck up, Steve! You're supposed to be on MY side… I'm done with this meeting. Have a great fucking day, Bruce. My driver, Happy, will take you back to your hotel," Tony said harshly as he grabbed his boyfriend by the hand and quickly led him out of the room.
He's even more of a tool than I thought… So much for his 'philanthropy', Bruce thought to himself as he sat in silence, becoming slightly uncomfortable with the death glares that Tony's business partners and advisor were giving him.