The day had barely started when Alfred came into the kitchen with news.
"We'll be having a visitor this morning. Someone important."
Bruce and Ojaga looked up from their cereal. Martha just smiled.
"Is it someone we know?"
Alfred nodded. "Mr. Lucius Fox. He's here to see your father."
A little while later, Lucius Fox arrived at Wayne Manor. He moved with quiet confidence, his suit crisp, his eyes kind. He wasn't famous yet, but everyone who worked with Thomas Wayne knew he was the brains behind a lot of Wayne Enterprises' best tech.
Thomas greeted Lucius in the study with a handshake and a tired grin. They chatted in low voices about research, new tech ideas, and something Lucius called "neural flow modeling." It all sounded complicated, but Thomas trusted Lucius with anything.
Out back, Bruce and Ojaga had taken their schoolwork outside. Bruce was working on shape puzzles, while Ojaga scribbled alphabets at lightning speed—though his letters were still a little crooked.
Bruce paused, pencil in his mouth, and asked, "Ojaga, do you think I'll ever fly? Like in those old warrior videos?"
Ojaga watched a bird land on the garden wall. He thought for a second, then said, "If you train, you fly."
Bruce grinned. That was all he needed to hear.
Just then, Alfred showed up with two cups of nutrient milk and someone new.
"Boys, this is Mr. Lucius Fox."
Bruce jumped up and gave a polite bow—something Thomas had taught him. Ojaga just stared, curious.
Lucius crouched down to their level, smiling. "I hear you two are better test subjects than half my lab."
Bruce laughed. Ojaga blinked, then nodded.
Lucius set down a small briefcase and opened it. Inside were two strange orbs—one glowing, one dark.
"Your dad wants me to test something. You up for it?"
He didn't wait for an answer. With a swipe of his badge, the glowing orb floated up and projected a holographic boxing dummy. Bruce's eyes lit up.
"It's AI-synced," Lucius explained. "It learns from you and gets harder if you get better."
Bruce threw a punch, but the dummy dodged.
"Whoa!"
Ojaga stepped in, eyes focused, and landed a quick jab. The dummy shifted. Ojaga jumped, flipped, and knocked the orb with a kick. The orb spun and shut off. In the process, his cloth belt slipped—and his tail popped free.
There was a moment of silence.
Bruce stared. Alfred froze. Lucius just looked intrigued, not scared. He got down on one knee, meeting Ojaga's eyes.
"That's… amazing," Lucius said softly.
Ojaga tucked his tail behind him, a little shy.
Lucius glanced at Thomas, who had appeared in the doorway.
"You told me he was different, but this… this is something else."
Thomas nodded. "You're one of the few people I trust with this."
Lucius closed his briefcase. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe. But he won't stay hidden forever."
Thomas looked at the boys, then back at Lucius. "That's why we're getting them ready."
Meanwhile, out in Smallville, Clark Kent was sitting on the barn roof, hugging his knees and staring at the sky. His dad, Jonathan, stood below, pretending not to notice that Clark had just jumped thirty feet straight up.
Martha Kent called from the porch, "Clark! Come down before you scare the chickens again!"
Clark grinned. "Okay, Ma!" He hopped down, landing softly. He felt a strange buzz under his skin, like something waiting to wake up.
Back in Gotham, Ojaga's tail curled around his leg, that same quiet hum running through him.
The world was changing, and its future heroes were just starting to realize it.