Chapter Seven Bruce Wayne
Bruce ran a hand through his hair. He had never thought this day would come. The moment when he would feel so naked, he'd been defeated and his suit was gone. Worst, his son Damian and his closest friend Alfred would be concerned about his disappearance.
Lying in a King-sized bed, he looked around the yellow square room he was in. A small bedside table with a bowl of fruits and a glass of water was beside him. Against the wall was a set of dressers and clean clothes on top to put on.
Bruce got out of bed and slipped the clothes on, while his eyes scored the room looking for any openings. Of course the people who'd subdued him and gotten him in here couldn't be amateurs. And although Captain Cold was good, he had to be working with someone far more intelligent than him. Captain Cold, he balled his fists in anger. Traitor.
An intercom box was in the top corner above his bed, and a camera was right beside it. Bruce examined the door, it was just a normal wooden door. Strange. Putting some space between him and the door, he lowered a shoulder, eyes fixed where he wanted to hit, right in the middle.
"Bruce Wayne, not so fast,. You don't want to leave this room just yet." The voice coming out of the intercom box was whispery in an eerie way. And every word spoken sounded so purposeful.
Bruce turned, glaring straight at the camera. "Why am I here?!" He exploded. "Make it quick, I have a life to get back to."
"Wayne Enterprises constitutes a crucial part of your life, I presume. Wayne, do you know how simple it would be for me to reveal your identity to the public? Perhaps I've found out who matters the most to you in your company while you were unconscious."
Lucius's face flashed in his mind. Batman slowly inhaled then exhaled, sitting back down. At least he didn't know about Damian and Alfred yet. Otherwise he would've mentioned them first.
"Relax, eat while I speak to you," the man urged. "I'm sorry that I had to go to these extremes to get an opportunity to speak with you. I assessed every possible scenario and this was the only one available to us. Let me get to the point of all of this," he sighed.
"Bruce, I know that you of all people understand that metahumans are not treated the same as people without powers are. For example, metahumans who cannot properly control their powers are held in cells and don't have a chance to live normal lives like everyone else."
"Do you want to have people living in fear, knowing that a super powered person could accidentally harm them or worst?" Wayne urged.
"I'll get to that. Also the criminal justice system is flawed in the majority, if not all of the countries in the world. How many times has a person been in jail, and when getting out experienced trouble with finding work? A lot of prestigious and even average jobs require that you pass a criminal record check before you are employed. The only other jobs available aren't always sufficient enough to get by, especially for those who have families."
Bruce nodded. He couldn't disagree with him on that. True, there were programs to help those who had been incarcerated, or had even been convicted of minor offenses but his captor had made a solid point.
His captor continued. "I have already completed the blueprints for my very own Smart City for metahumans. They'll be taught how to keep their powers under control there. Afterwards, they may choose to go back to their country or remain in the Smart City. In this Smart City, there will be employment and schools without discrimination, affordable housing, free healthcare, recreational facilities and many amenities."
"And where do I fit into all of this?"
His captor huffed. "You're the face of the Justice League, I want you to present my proposal to the entire Justice League team."
"I can hardly get the team to agree on trivial matters. They may be divided on your proposal, and that's if they don't immediately reject it." Bruce said. He also doubted this man's sincerity.
"Bruce Wayne," pause. Then very slowly his captor said, "You have many resources at your disposal, being a billionaire and a highly intellectual person as myself. You're the leader of the Justice League! I deduce that you have the means to bring the Justice League to their knees. You must have data on every weakness of each member of the team. In fact I know you do."
Bruce didn't bother playing dumb. "And it's either I play puppet to you or you expose my identity."
"Bravo!" Wayne's captor clapped. "You really don't have to make it sound that harsh."
"Who are you?" Wayne cried out in frustration. He put his hand over his face in defeat.
"You can call me the Thinker."