As Bruce left the hotel, he looked at his reflection in the window of La Boucherie sur Carroll Street. He saw that his light beard was starting to really cover, his hair needed a trim around his neck, and his eyes had dark bags under them. One thing was done right though, he definitely didn't look like Bruce Wayne.
That was the reason for the long-haired hippy look he was trying to achieve. Bruce Wayne was supposed to be on a four-year college trip around the world with his private tutor. As famous and popular as the Wayne Family was, people really could care less about the playboy antics of an irresponsible teen who thought he knew everything. Or at least that is how he tried to appear. The charade was working. At least for now.
As Bruce enjoyed his stroll to the theater where he was to meet his robbery buddies, he thought about Selina. She was a beautiful girl. College kid. Two years older than Bruce but just as wild and fun. He felt bad about leaving her but she was in college, she would get over it. Maybe if Bruce wasn't on a job, he could take her out to dinner and see where things went. But his life wasn't meant for love. It was about training himself to the peak of perfection. He needed to find the killer. It would take everything he had.
He turned left into an alley where he saw six homeless men sitting by a trashcan fire pit. Bruce walked up to them and they returned the look with glares of surprise.
"Besoin d'un peu d'argent, mes amis?" Bruce asked in perfect French. Need some money, my friends?
The men nodded and one of them sat up from the littered street, holding his hands out. Bruce smiled and dug in his pocket. He pulled out five euros and handed it to the man.
"Merci beaucoup! Mais je crains que nous ne voulons plus de votre argent." Thank you so much. But I'm afraid we want more than your money.
Bruce gave the man a sharp glance and saw the rest of his group stand up and circle him. Bruce saw that all of them were smiling. They intended to rob him for everything he had. Bruce shook his head and gave a small laugh as they came closer and the leader snatch the euro bills from his hand. Bruce tightened his fists and prepared for the fight to begin. He would let them try and make the first move. He heard two men jump behind him and their hands hit his shoulders. Bruce let out a sigh and felt the leader preparing a punch.
"Here we go." Bruce said in English.
As the leader swung, Bruce grabbed the fist and twisted the man's arm backwards, breaking three fingers and tossing him into the fire pit. The two men behind him grabbed his neck and attempted to choke him. Bruce grabbed the left man's greasy hair and pulled a tuff out, making him scream in pain. The right man punched Bruce's back and he yelled out, turning around and grabbing the man, making the thug in front of Bruce punch him in the face. Blood shot from his nose and Bruce threw him into the three men in front. The leader pulled out a switch blade and attempted to stab him, moving swiftly to the right and elbowing the man with the hood on beside the overturned fire.
"You are dead!" the leader shouted in broken English.
"Bring it!" Bruce yelled, punching him in the throat and slamming his head into the wall.
Bruce ran up the side of the opposite wall and jumped off it, clotheslining two of the men hard and knocking them out. The man with the bloody nose grabbed the switch blade and attempted to stab Bruce. Instead, the hilt of the blade hit the back of his head and Bruce grabbed the man's arm, bending it backwards, a sickening crack heard in the alley. One of the men jumped on Bruce's back and tossed both of them into the side of a Dumpster. Bruce eyed a broken chair leg in the Dumpster and picked it up, whacking the man across his chest, making him stumble backwards. Three of the men ran at him and he swung at two of them, the splinters slicing their faces while the third man tackled Bruce and started beating him without mercy. As blood poured from a cut on his right cheek and from his busted nose, Bruce screamed in anger and grabbed the man's Adam's Apple, squeezing it tight as the man surrendered. Bruce stood up and punched the man five times in the face until he fell down in pain. The remaining men standing all ran at Bruce but he jumped off the Dumpster, landing behind them and kicking all of them behind their knees.
As they screamed and cried in pain, Bruce saw three of his euros on the ground and picked it up, stuffing it in his pocket and kicking the leader in the stomach. He grabbed him by his hair and made sure he could understand what he was saying.
"You listen to me. The next time you attempt a stunt like this... just remember that if they are someone like me... they may kill you without mercy. Here's two euros. Add it for your friends' hospital bills." Bruce said as he punched the leader one last time.
Rookies. Bruce thought to himself as he wiped blood from his face and walked to the meeting place.