Disclaimer: Unless you don't recognize them, I don't own them. No money or other profits are being made from this attempt at entertainment.

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I've decided to turn the initial story into a series showing the development of the relationship between Bruce and Tony. The title is in honor of the Word of the Day that served as the inspiration for the initial piece.

For those of you that have already read the first chapter, you may want to go back a reread it. I have made quite a few revisions (though the overall theme and most of the dialogue remains the same).

This takes place after Bruce has returned to Gotham and taken up as Batman, but before Tony becomes Ironman.

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The first time Tony Stark met Bruce Wayne it was only Pepper's hand firmly grasping the back of his suit coat that kept him from leaping across the table to strangle the bastard.

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"No."

Tony's mouth gaped open as he stared incredulously at the man sitting across the conference room table, dressed in an impeccably tailored charcoal gray suit with an indigo blue shirt underneath with a dark navy tie. Tony himself was wearing a black shirt with a patterned black-on-black tie and a terribly expensive dark burgundy suit.

"Are you cra…" A sharp elbow from Pepper into his side aborted Tony's initial reaction. How the hell did she expect him to remain 'professional'? He had just presented Wayne Enterprises with the chance of a lifetime, only to be summarily dismissed by a man who from all accounts needed help tying his shoes in the mornings.

"Listen bas…" Another elbow had him covertly rubbing his side while sighing, "Mister Wayne…." he cast an annoyed look over at Pepper; frequent practice had gifted her with the ability to ignore him even at his most irritated, however, "I'm not sure that you understand just how lucrative an offer Stark Industries is making Wayne Enterprises."

Tony had heard all the gossip about the flighty, naïve, dumb-as-a-rock…but drop-dead gorgeous…Prince of Gotham, but he hadn't actually believed it until that moment. Apparently the gossip had been right. He had to fight to stifle another sigh. He hated dealing with idiots. He should have let Obi handle Wayne. Right. Speak slowly and try to use small words…

"We're talking about a government contract worth a guaranteed twelve billion just for the development…" Tony paused, considering…was development too difficult a word? "Err…just for figuring out how to make the robots. That doesn't include the actual sale of the robots themselves…"

"And Stark Industries, not having the resources or infrastructure required for such an endeavor, is so desperate to get Wayne Enterprises on board that you have practically offered us the opportunity to name our cut. I know, Mister Stark," Wayne told him, looking decided unimpressed. Tony bristled at that, no matter how true it was. Needing help was a foreign concept to him, and having to ask someone as obviously inept as Wayne made the words taste even more bitter. "Lucius has explained your offer to me. The answer is still no."

Unbelievable. Wayne was right when he had said the Stark Industries had given Wayne Enterprises the opportunity to pretty much name their price. Tony had hated the necessity but without a qualified partner, they would lose this contract. And here was Wayne, throwing it back in their faces. Fuck, he hated the 'old money' crowd. Always looking down their noses at anyone whose great-great-great grandparents hadn't been born with silver spoons in their mouths.

"How the hell can you turn down this offer?! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Pepper's hand moved from Tony's back to his knee where she dug in with her nails. He wondered if she actually expected him to jump across the table and try to hit Wayne, only to realize he was sorely tempted to do just that. Damn if he was going to lose this work just because some idiot who happened to be born rich didn't like his tie…or whatever it was that had caused Wayne to turn him down.

"Tony!" she muttered out of the side of her mouth.

Surprisingly there was no reaction to Tony's outburst from Wayne, though Fox's face tightened up, as if he were fighting down a frown. Tony had no idea why the older man would be upset with him for stating the truth. Surely a man of Fox's intelligence could see the offer for the incredible opportunity it was. He could only imagine how difficult it must be for the man to work for someone as obviously dense as Wayne. Maybe he could convince him to come work for Stark Industries. Fox had done a phenomenal job with Wayne Enterprises, in spite of being hampered by someone like Wayne. What could he do working for a company based on one's intelligence and ability rather than their family tree?

"The contract you presented to us is an offer to assist with the development of robotic fighters with various armament fittings ranging up to and including nuclear devices." Wayne gestured to, and was no doubt reading from – there was no way most of those words were actually in his vocabulary - the set of documents in front of him. Looking back up from the papers, he met Tony's eyes with a hard stare. "Wayne Enterprises does not make weapons. Period."

Tony was honestly left speechless at that. How could this man not understand…didn't feel the rush of adrenaline from winning a contract like this, proving your company to be the best out of all the others that had tried for it? Did the prospect of this challenge, developing equipment that the world had never seen before, not excite him at all?

Snorting, Tony realized whom exactly he was thinking about. Wayne's biggest challenge in life was probably getting his shoes on the right feet in the morning.

Thoroughly disappointed and more than a little disgusted, Tony's erratic temper was lit. He'd have to thank Pepper later for making him read…or reading to him…that synopsis of Wayne's history. "I know what this is about. Tell me, Mister Wayne, are you really willing to let your company miss out on this offer just because you're still hung up on your parents' murder?"

"Tony!" There was nothing muttered about Pepper's reprimand this time. Well too bad. This fucker was about to cost Stark Industries who knows how many billions of dollars just because he had been traumatized as a kid and was now scared of guns. It was ridiculous! How the hell was someone this incompetent even allowed to make important decisions?

Tony moved his gaze from Pepper back to the two men on the other side of the table. Curiously, while Fox was obviously livid, Wayne's reaction was not at all what Tony had expected. Given what he had heard and surmised of the man, Tony had been certain that his last crack would have had Wayne foaming at the mouth. Sure, the guy was frowning at him angrily, but it was almost as if he was playing at being upset. None of the emotions on his face touched his eyes at all.

Thinking back on it, the only genuine emotion Tony could remember seeing in those ice-blue eyes throughout the entire meeting was boredom and impatience. Not exactly what one would expect from an insipid playboy….

Anger gave way to curiosity as Tony considered this new puzzle that had unexpectedly been presented to him.

"I assure you my past has nothing to do with my current decision," Wayne spat out between clenched teeth. "And I would thank you to refrain from mentioning them again. You aren't worthy to speak their names."

Now that the entirety of his attention was focused on the other man, Tony couldn't help but think that it was like watching an actor reciting lines. He'd just thrown Wayne's dead parents in his face and while, if you only looked on the surface he was showing the expected irate reactions, it somehow just didn't feel genuine.

"You do know that it wasn't actually the gun that killed them. It was the psycho behind the gun," Tony continued to push, trying to gather more information – his lightening-quick mind analyzing the man across from him, searching for answers.

Twin gasps of outrage followed his comments.

"Mister Wayne, I am so sorry…"

"Mister Stark, I think it would be best if you…"

Pepper's apology and Fox's statement of outrage were both interrupted by Wayne. "I would think I should know that better than you, Mister Stark, having been there." Now their spectators shifted their shocked gazes to Wayne, but he continued unperturbed. "As far as your offer goes, I'm sure that Lexcorp or any one of a number of other companies would be more than happy to deal with you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a hair appointment in thirty minutes, so I'll be wishing you a good day."

With that Wayne rose from his chair, a pleasantly vapid smile on his face, holding his right hand towards Tony. Accepting the handshake, Tony met Wayne's eyes, trying to find any real emotion in those so-called windows to the soul. As before, however, they were as opaque as a concrete wall.

Releasing his hand, Wayne made his way around the table toward the door. As he neared Pepper's seat he paused. "Miss Potts, it was a pleasure to meet you," he purred in his deep voice, holding his hand out to her as well. When she placed her hand into his, he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of it before releasing it again. "Perhaps we can meet again under less…tedious…circumstances."

Pepper blushed - actually blushed! - and replied, "It was nice to meet you as well, Mister Wayne. And I'm sorry for Tony…"

"Please, Miss Potts," Wayne smiled that meaningless smile again, though Pepper seemed impressed, "no apologies are needed, particularly not from you. Though, if you're that concerned about it, I'd be willing to accept dinner tonight in lieu of your apology…"

"Ah," Pepper fumbled, blush deepening, "I…that is…thank you for the offer, Mister Wayne. But we'll be leaving for Malibu as soon as this meeting is wrapped up."

"That's too bad," Wayne replied, straightening back up from leaning closer to Potts, "perhaps next time, then."

"Err…perhaps…"

"Excellent!" he cried, as if he actually expected her to look him up the next time she was in Gotham. "Lucius," he intoned, nodding to the other man, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good day, Mister Wayne," Fox answered, returning the nod from his seat.

With that Wayne swept from the room and two gazes, irate and disbelieving respectively, were focused on Tony.

"Mister Stark, Miss Potts," Fox acknowledged, rising himself. He paused, seeming to consider what exactly he wanted to say as he made his way over to the door, finally settling for, "I hope you have a safe flight back to Malibu."

"Thank you, Mister Fox," Tony replied distractedly, still pondering the mysterious Bruce Wayne. Pepper echoed his thanks. Fox just continued to look at them, clearly unimpressed.

Then he leaned out of the door slightly, calling to one of the receptionists, "Miss Weisman, could you come here for a moment please?"

Tony and Pepper stood up and started gathering their things. A short thirty-something brunette appeared in the doorway.

"Miss Weisman here will show you your way out. I'm afraid I have to run off to another meeting. Good day to you both." No sooner had Fox stopped talking than he was out of the room, briskly making his way down the hallway, deeper into the building.

As they walked towards the building's exit, Tony could feel Pepper vibrating from the aggravation of holding back the no doubt epic lecture she was dieing to give him. Still, he couldn't find it in him to regret his actions. Sure, Wayne refused the contract, but that had had nothing to do with himself and everything to do with the fact that it was a weapons contract.

And Tony himself had found a new puzzle to work on, which never would have happened if he hadn't initially let his temper get the better of him. And there was little he enjoyed more than the rush of discovery – of solving a mystery. And Bruce Wayne was looking to be a doozy.

As they crossed the atrium to get to the front doors, Tony took one final look back at the building proper. A flash of blue on the third floor balcony that overlooked the atrium caught his eye. Shifting his gaze, he saw Wayne leaning against the railing, watching them leave. His entire face was completely devoid of any sort of emotion save a look of intense thought that, from his reputation, should have seemed completely foreign on his face.

Surprisingly, Tony found that instead it was the most…right…he had seen Wayne look.

How terribly intriguing…