The air in the cavernous expanse of the Batcave was frigid and heavy, carrying the mineral tang of limestone and the damp breath of the underground river. Above, Alfred Pennyworth, still pale with shock, was shouting down the open well shaft.
"Master Bruce! Are you alright? Good heavens, boy, what possessed you? I'm calling the police and the fire department to retrieve you at once!"
Finn-Bruce ignored the frantic pleas. Standing on the cold, uneven stone floor, he felt an exhilarating sense of clarity. The grief over his parents was still a crushing, ever-present weight, the fuel for his fire, but now it was perfectly channeled by Finn's calculating mind.
He looked around the vast, empty cavern. In the comics, this space was an arsenal, a laboratory, and a monument to human will. Right now, it was a dark, wet hole.
He activated the System in his mind. The blue, holographic interface shimmered into view, unseen by Alfred, who was now desperately trying to figure out how to climb down himself.
> [NEW QUEST LINE INITIATED: The Path of the Bat - Phase I: The Mind]
> Quest 1: The Blueprint.
> Description: Before physical training, the Host must secure a proper foundation for the Fortress. Use the KNOWLEDGE TREE to generate schematics for the modern Batcave.
> Objective: Draft initial architectural plans and secure funding via Wayne Enterprises.
> Reward: +25 XP, [Tech Schematic Unlock: Basic Utility Belt Design (V1)].
A solid start. Architectural plans first, Finn-Bruce mused. No point training like a monk if I don't have a place to put the Batcomputer.
He addressed the tiny figure silhouetted by the light shaft above. "Alfred! I'm fine! It's perfectly safe down here. And do not call anyone. This place is a secret. My secret. My project."
He reached into the KNOWLEDGE TREE tab of the System. The tab exploded into a sprawling, color-coded index of everything Finn had ever consumed about the DC Universe. It was overwhelming—decades of lore, tech specs, chemical formulas, and criminal psychology.
He mentally filtered: [Batman] \rightarrow [Equipment/Bases] \rightarrow [Batcave Blueprints].
Instantly, his mind was flooded with perfect 3D renderings: the computer server layout, the vehicle bay placement, the underground power conduits, the biometric security systems, and the integrated medical bay. It was the collective genius of comic book writers and artists, condensed into an instantly recallable data package.
"Alfred," Finn-Bruce called up, louder this time. "I know this is difficult. But I need you to trust me. This is where I begin the process of honoring my parents. I need a pencil, some paper, and a tape measure. You can tie it to a rope."
Alfred hesitated for a moment, then the old butler's training kicked in. His voice, though strained, returned to its professional cadence. "Right away, Master Bruce. But if you fall, I shall never forgive myself, or you."
While Alfred organized the requested items, Finn-Bruce started his first round of internal training. The System didn't just passively track his stats; it functioned as an AI Coach using the KNOWLEDGE TREE data.
> [STATUS REPORT: Bruce Wayne (Age 8)]
> STR: 5 (Average Child)
> DEX: 7 (Slightly Above Average Coordination)
> CON: 6 (Average Endurance)
> INT: 25 (Genius-Level Intellect, Boosted by Finn's Mind)
> WIS: 15 (Foreknowledge Advantage)
> RES (Resolve): 10 (Trait: Determined Will)
> Note: Host's physical attributes are a major bottleneck. Required STR/DEX/CON for basic crime-fighting (Level 50).
Fifty? That's nearly seven times my current stats. The original Bruce took fifteen years of brutal training to get there, Finn-Bruce thought grimly. I don't have fifteen years. I have maybe ten before the Joker becomes a major problem, and maybe twelve before the Justice League forms. I need to be ready to be a founding member, not an apprentice.
He mentally pulled up the 'Optimal Path to Peak Human' profile from the KNOWLEDGE TREE. The information detailed a grueling, multi-disciplinary regimen that the original Bruce Wayne followed, broken down into age-specific goals.
Phase I (Age 8-10): Extreme foundational conditioning, focus on memory, deductive reasoning, and advanced toxicology.
Phase II (Age 11-14): Martial arts basics, parkour, language acquisition, and rudimentary engineering.
Phase III (Age 15-20): World travel, mastery of 127 martial arts, advanced science, survival training, and stealth.
Finn-Bruce edited the plan. He was not going to waste three years on rudimentary skills. His INT score was already a massive advantage.
"System," he commanded mentally. "Integrate my current knowledge of Mandarin, Russian, and Arabic from the KNOWLEDGE TREE into my neural pathways. Prioritize muscle memory acquisition for Judo and Taekwondo forms within the first two years."
> [PROCESSING REQUEST: Accelerated Knowledge Integration]
> Warning: Attempting to force complex language and motor skills onto an immature brain will result in extreme mental fatigue and temporary [DEX] penalty.
> Accept? Y/N
Accept! This was the system's genius—it flagged the dangers of accelerated growth. But Finn-Bruce knew the pain was worth the gain. The body was a tool, and he had to forge it fast.
Over the next few days, Finn-Bruce's life became a terrifying, meticulous routine.
Mornings were spent in the Wayne Manor library and study. He devoured books on architecture, metallurgy, and electrical engineering, guided by the precise schematics he was drafting for the Batcave. When he was tired, the System would flash a reminder of his RES score and the impending threats, fueling his focus.
Afternoons were dominated by the physical transformation. He had Alfred buy him specialized gymnastics equipment, telling the butler it was therapy to help channel his aggression. Under the guise of simple play, Finn-Bruce performed intense bodyweight exercises, practicing a terrifyingly complex form of yoga and flexibility training that stretched his tiny muscles to their limits.
Nights were the worst. Lying in bed, the System went into full data-dump mode, flashing thousands of images and sounds directly into his mind. He wasn't just studying a language; the System was forcing his mind to process it like a native. He spent hours mentally sparring with holographic instructors, rehearsing complex Judo throws and Taekwondo kicks, experiencing the phantom muscle burn of forms he hadn't physically mastered.
The results were immediate and jarring.
"Master Bruce, you are performing a perfect flying side kick!" Alfred exclaimed one afternoon, watching Finn-Bruce effortlessly leap onto a high window ledge while playing 'tag.' "Where did you learn that?"
"From a book, Alfred," Finn-Bruce replied breathlessly, leaping down and immediately falling into a flawless forward roll. "My mind… it remembers things very easily now."
The System flashed: [DEX +1, STR +1]
The most difficult task was the Blueprint Quest. He had to convince the CFO of Wayne Enterprises, a man named Henderson (not the later, more trustworthy Lucius Fox), to funnel vast sums of money into a geological survey of the Batcave area.
Sitting in his father's chair at the large desk, eight-year-old Finn-Bruce, dressed in a tiny suit, looked Henderson dead in the eye.
"Mr. Henderson, I want you to initiate a long-term, top-secret project. My father, Dr. Wayne, had a theory about geothermal energy deep beneath the Manor. You will commission an excavation team, discreetly, to begin expanding the lower caverns. You will report only to me, and you will use this code phrase for the account: Project Prometheus."
Henderson, a career bureaucrat, stammered, "B-but Master Bruce, the cost—"
"The cost," Finn-Bruce interrupted with a terrifyingly calm voice, "is irrelevant. This is a scientific venture left by my father. If you have any loyalty to the legacy of Thomas Wayne, you will execute this perfectly. If not, I can assure you that the board will find someone who does."
The pure, cold resolve radiating from the boy was enough. Henderson quickly capitulated, scribbling down the code phrase.
That night, Finn-Bruce logged the completion.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: The Blueprint]
> Reward Gained: +25 XP.
> Level Progress: 35/100 XP.
> Tech Schematic Unlock: Basic Utility Belt Design (V1).
> [NEW QUEST ALERT]
> Quest 2: Securing the Mentor.
> Description: To accelerate training, a dedicated, trustworthy trainer is required. The System highly recommends a specific target.
> Objective: Recruit Wildcat (Ted Grant) as an unofficial trainer.
> Reward: +50 XP, [Level Up: Level 2], [Trait Unlock: Tactical Thinker].
Finn-Bruce smiled. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The original Bruce Wayne trained alone, in the shadows, taking years. The Batman Who Knows would shortcut that time by recruiting experts before he was a vigilante. He knew exactly where to find the former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion turned costumed hero.
Time to leave Gotham for the first time. I have a boxer to find.