The weeks following the recruitment of Ted Grant were a whirlwind of focused, unrelenting effort. The life of Bruce Wayne was a carefully constructed facade designed to give Finn-Bruce the time and resources he needed. To the outside world, he was the grieving, slightly eccentric young master, throwing himself into strange new hobbies like advanced linguistics and competitive gymnastics. To Alfred, he was a source of profound pride and terrifying concern, exhibiting a genius that far surpassed even his late father, channeled by a trauma that refused to heal.
To the System, he was a grinding, Level 2 Tactical Thinker making optimal XP gains.
The summer was now upon him, and true to his word, Finn-Bruce was transported to Blüdhaven, where the five million dollar retainer had instantly transformed Ted Grant's dilapidated gym. It was a rigorous, six-day-a-week regimen. Ted, a man who saw the potential for a new kind of hero in the boy, pushed Bruce beyond every imaginable physical limit.
Push-ups until the muscle fibers cried for mercy. Sit-ups until his core felt like fire. Hours spent on the heavy bag, not just hitting, but learning how to distribute force, absorb recoil, and execute the 'sweet science.'
Ted Grant didn't train him like a child; he trained him like a welterweight contender. The mental agony of the accelerated language integration the System had performed was now matched by the pure, grinding physical agony of the training.
Every evening, when his small body was too sore to move, Finn-Bruce would activate the System while lying in his temporary apartment bed.
> [XP Gained: Physical Conditioning (High Intensity)] \rightarrow +5 XP.
> [STR +1, DEX +1]
> Current Stats:
> STR: 8
> DEX: 10
> CON: 9
The numbers were climbing steadily. The physical gap was slowly closing. But even with the System's acceleration, he knew physical mastery would take years. He needed an equalizer now. He needed technology.
Back in Gotham, Finn-Bruce initiated the next phase of his plan: Technological Acceleration.
His target was Lucius Fox.
He knew Lucius, currently a brilliant but marginalized figure within Wayne Enterprises' R&D department, was the man who would one day design the Batwing, the Batmobile, and the entire high-tech arsenal. Finn-Bruce couldn't wait ten years for that partnership to happen organically.
He summoned Lucius Fox to Wayne Manor one blustery September afternoon. Lucius arrived expecting a meeting with the board regarding budget cuts, not a serious discussion with an eight-year-old child.
"Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce began, sitting in his father's oversized chair, mimicking the posture of a CEO, "Thank you for coming. I've initiated Project Prometheus—the underground expansion of the Manor's foundation."
Lucius, a man of quiet brilliance, adjusted his glasses, intrigued despite himself. "Yes, Master Bruce. Mr. Henderson mentioned a geothermal survey. It's an interesting, if expensive, proposition."
"It's more than geothermal," Finn-Bruce stated, leaning forward, his eyes locked onto Lucius's. He pulled up the Tech Schematic Unlock: Basic Utility Belt Design (V1) from the System's memory and began to sketch rapidly on a notepad.
"I have a long-term goal for Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Fox: Non-Lethal Crowd Control and Environmental Safety."
He pushed the notepad across the mahogany desk. On it was a detailed drawing of a belt with specialized, interlocking compartments.
"I need three things designed, funded, and built. They must be logged as R&D for Wayne Applied Sciences and classified at the highest level," Finn-Bruce commanded.
He tapped the first sketch. "Item Alpha: The High-Tensile Grappling Hook and Line. The line must be micro-filament titanium cable, capable of supporting 400 pounds. The retrieval motor must be silent, high-torque, and contained within a unit the size of a human fist."
Lucius frowned, picking up the notepad. "Master Bruce, this is extremely specialized. For what application? Construction work?"
Finn-Bruce delivered the second item, using the 'Tactical Thinker' trait to predict Lucius's likely technical questions and preemptively answer them with complex, specific data pulled from the KNOWLEDGE TREE.
"Second, Item Beta: The Sonic Disruptor. A short-burst, variable-frequency acoustic device. Log it as 'Advanced Bird Migration Control.' I need a frequency that can non-lethally incapacitate a human nervous system within a 15-foot radius. It needs to be the size of a common cell phone."
Lucius's eyes widened slightly. "A sonic weapon? That technology is highly sensitive and dangerous, even in controlled doses. The research alone—"
"I know the research, Mr. Fox. Focus on a 15-to-25 kilohertz range, utilizing a focused parabolic emitter. We are not aiming to deafen, but to disrupt equilibrium. Use the current research on high-frequency anti-pest devices," Finn-Bruce instructed, his confidence unshakeable. "We can market the device as a self-defense tool for travelers—a deterrent."
He pushed the third sketch forward: "Item Gamma: The Specialized Batarang. It must be a non-lethal, hardened steel, tri-bladed boomerang designed for maximum impact and quick retrieval. Its edge is not for cutting; it is for impact and leverage. Log it as 'Advanced Search and Rescue Anchor Points.'"
Finn-Bruce sat back, the exhaustion from his accelerated schedule momentarily forgotten, replaced by the rush of executing a perfect strategy. "The budget for these three items is ten million dollars, taken directly from Project Prometheus's discretionary funds. Can you handle this, Mr. Fox? Can you deliver my Advanced Safety Gear?"
Lucius Fox was silent for a long moment. He had come to expect a petulant child. Instead, he found a visionary demanding impossible technology with the precise technical language of a seasoned engineer. He wasn't just asking for toys; he was outlining a field-ready, non-lethal defense system.
"Master Bruce," Lucius said finally, a ghost of a genuine smile touching his lips. "The concepts are extraordinary, requiring significant investment in miniaturization. The grapple line is perhaps the most challenging, but... I believe I can deliver. This is exactly the kind of challenging research my department needs."
He stood up, looking at the boy with genuine respect. "I will have prototypes ready for testing in six months, filed under your 'Advanced Safety' label."
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
> Quest 3: Genesis of the Utility Belt.
> Description: Initiate the creation of three core, non-lethal Batman technologies.
> Objective: Secure funding and commitment from a high-level Wayne Enterprises R&D partner (Lucius Fox).
> Reward: +40 XP, [Advanced Tech Schematics: The Batcomputer (V1)].
Finn-Bruce mentally accepted the reward, feeling the rush of XP. He was soaring past the milestones of the original Bruce Wayne.
Over the next few months, the accelerated training continued. Finn-Bruce was now 9 years old. He was spending his fall learning advanced C++ coding and applied chemistry under Alfred's bewildered supervision, all while maintaining the grueling physical regime provided by Ted Grant during the holidays.
The System was a tireless taskmaster, pushing him to integrate multiple layers of complex knowledge:
* Physically: He could now run five miles in a respectable time and perform complex calisthenics with minimal fatigue. (STR: 12, DEX: 14, CON: 13)
* Mentally: His mind was a sponge. He had mastered several dead languages, crucial for decoding ancient artifacts in the future, and could perform complex ballistics calculations in his head. (The Tactical Thinker trait was invaluable.)
One icy December day, a heavily secured delivery arrived at Wayne Manor, logged under "Advanced Geophysical Survey Equipment." It was a series of reinforced boxes from Wayne Applied Sciences.
Lucius Fox supervised the delivery himself, meeting Finn-Bruce in the Manor's expansive basement—the temporary storage and testing area.
"Master Bruce," Lucius said, pulling a sleek, dark metallic object from a case. "The Grappling Launcher (Alpha-Unit). Micro-filament titanium, silent gas-powered propulsion. Range: 300 feet. The cable can bear 550 pounds. Tested and approved."
He then showed off a sleek, palm-sized, tri-blade piece of metal. "The Search Anchor (Gamma-Unit). Perfect balance, and the hardened edge ensures it sticks in nearly any non-metallic surface."
Finally, he held up a small, black device. "The Sonic Disruptor (Beta-Unit). I couldn't in good conscience log it as 'bird control.' It's logged as 'High-Frequency Urban Deterrent.' Tested non-lethal, but it can induce severe disorientation and nausea up to 20 feet."
Lucius smiled, handing all three pieces to the boy. "They are unique, cutting-edge, and completely untraceable back to this Manor. Your 'safety gear' is complete, Master Bruce. What's next?"
Finn-Bruce held the Batarang in his hand. It wasn't a toy; it was a piece of his future. The weight, the cold metal—it was real. He felt the pure satisfaction of the completed quest.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: Genesis of the Utility Belt]
> Reward Gained: +40 XP.
> Level Progress: 125/200 XP.
> Advanced Tech Schematics Unlocked: The Batcomputer (V1).
"Next, Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce said, his voice quiet but intense, "I need you to look at the expanded caverns of Project Prometheus. Henderson's crew has done their work, but now I need you to design the internal architecture for a High-Intensity Geophysical Monitoring Station."
He handed Lucius a new, meticulously detailed blueprint, drawn with almost machine-like precision. It showed a multi-tiered server bank, an integrated vehicle maintenance platform, and an advanced forensic lab.
Lucius Fox took the plans and his smile widened. "A monitoring station, Master Bruce? That looks suspiciously like a Command Center."
"We live in Gotham, Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce replied, the shadow of the Bat already settling over his young face. "One needs the most advanced command center in the world just to monitor the crime rate."
Lucius didn't press. He had found his genius, and he had found his purpose. He nodded sharply. "I'll start drafting the proposal immediately. It will require a massive budget for computer hardware, fiber optics, and advanced climate control."
"The money is there, Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce confirmed. "Just make it the best."
As Lucius left, Finn-Bruce walked back toward his bedroom. The physical toll of the accelerated training was heavy, and the weight of the Utility Belt prototype—now carefully hidden in a lockbox—was heavier still. He was nine years old, a Level 2 Tactician, and the owner of the world's first Batarang.
I have the gear. I have the training foundation. Now, I need to secure the next generation of resources.
He pulled up the KNOWLEDGE TREE again. He was thinking beyond Gotham. He was thinking about the Justice League. Specifically, about the one person who could truly match his genius and one day help him prepare for the Multiversal threats he knew were coming.
> [NEW QUEST LINE INITIATED: Recruitment Drive - Phase II]
> Quest 4: The Speedster's Brain.
> Description: Secure a long-term resource for advanced forensic science and inter-dimensional threat analysis.
> Objective: Establish contact and a professional relationship with Barry Allen (The Future Flash) in Central City.
> Reward: +60 XP, [Level Up: Level 3], [Trait Unlock: Scientific Focus].
Time to take a field trip to Central City. I need to meet the man who will soon be the Flash, and I need to do it before he gets his powers.