Broken(DC)

"Hi, Brian, it's Bruce," said the voice on the other end of the line. I recognized a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.

"Hi, Bruce," I responded, genuinely caught off guard.

"I know I haven't visited, called, or even replied, but there were really serious circumstances. Believe me, I still consider you my friend and would like to see you," he explained. Truthfully, I wasn't too upset with him because I trusted he had a good reason for his silence.

"I believe you. So, what's been going on with you?" I asked.

"A lot has happened while you were in the coma, and much of it I can't explain over the phone—only in person," he replied.

"Then maybe we could go out somewhere? Have some fun," I suggested.

"I wish I could, but things are complicated right now. I can't just go wherever I want," Bruce said, his tone laced with regret.

"That's unfortunate," I said, and a brief silence settled between us.

"You know, there's an option," he suddenly exclaimed after a pause.

"And what's that?" I asked hopefully.

"You know the Wayne Enterprises skyscraper? Would you like to take a tour there?" Bruce offered. My mood instantly lifted. Just thinking about the towering building dominating the city skyline made me want to climb to the very top and take in the view of Gotham.

"I'd love to! So much!" I accepted the offer enthusiastically.

"Great. Can you make it tomorrow?" Bruce asked.

"Uh," I hesitated. I didn't have any plans, but should I bring Alice along? It was a day off, and she'd probably enjoy seeing one of Gotham's most impressive architectural landmarks. "I'm free tomorrow, but can I bring my sister along?"

"Of course, that would be even better," Bruce agreed cheerfully.

"Thanks. So, how are things with you?"

We dove into conversation after that, catching up on everything we'd missed while I was in the coma. It felt good knowing Bruce still considered me his friend because, aside from family, I didn't really have anyone else. We talked about all kinds of things, from movies to the latest comics hitting the market. But sadly, all conversations must come to an end eventually.

"Sorry, Brian, but I have to go now," he said with regret.

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow," I replied, not letting it bother me.

"Then it's settled. Alfred will pick you up tomorrow at one—don't forget," Bruce reminded me.

"I won't," I assured him.

"See you then," he said in farewell.

"See you," I replied and hung up.

I hadn't even moved away from the phone when I was suddenly grabbed from behind. Alice leapt onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck and dangling while kicking her legs playfully.

"I heard we're going somewhere tomorrow?" my sister asked mischievously.

"You know, eavesdropping isn't very polite," I said, grabbing her and tickling her sides.

She squirmed and tried to escape my grip, but I was stronger. She kept laughing uncontrollably. These moments were my favorite—not because she suffered from the tickling, but because we always had so much fun together.

"Stop, stop!" she gasped between giggles, begging me to let her go. I relented almost immediately.

"I won't do it again, and you're so mean," she said, turning away with a pout. I knew she was only pretending and wasn't actually upset.

"What can I do to make amends, my lady?" I asked, bowing my head with exaggerated humility.

"Hmm…" She touched her chin thoughtfully before giving a slight nod as though reaching a decision. "Carry me on your back and buy me two scoops of ice cream. Maybe then I'll forgive you," she declared with mock severity.

"At your service," I said, surrendering to my fate.

"So, where were you invited to?" she asked, circling back to my phone call.

"So you did eavesdrop," I said, giving her a stern look. She simply feigned innocence in response.

"Ah, Bruce called and invited us to visit the Wayne Enterprises skyscraper. He's arranging a tour for us."

"Yay! When are we going?" the little actress exclaimed joyfully, though without an Oscar-worthy performance.

"Tomorrow, after lunch," I replied.

"Maybe I shouldn't bring a troublemaker like you along," I teased.

"How could you say that?" Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, catching me off guard.

"Sniff, I thought you loved me," she said, her voice trembling with almost-crying intensity.

"I'm kidding! It was just a joke. Of course, I can't leave you behind," I quickly reassured her. But as soon as the words left my lips, her sadness vanished. The tears and near-sobs disappeared as swiftly as they had appeared.

I realized I'd been tricked, and her sly grin confirmed it.

"Then I'd better get ready for tomorrow's outing," she said, spinning in excitement before dashing off.

I figured I should prepare, too. Today had reminded me that anything could happen. If you can't handle the challenges that come your way, you might not survive. So, I wasn't stepping outside without my essentials: my energy bars, knives, and a few vials of Viper venom for emergencies.

Preparing new energy bars doesn't take much time. All it requires is mixing a good amount of protein and fast-acting carbs, then dividing it into portions. The taste might not be the best, but the benefits make up for it. Once I finished cooking, I decided to take it easy for the rest of the day and went to bed early—time to unwind after a tough day.

The next day started like any other, except for Alice, who was running around in excitement, barely able to contain her anticipation for the day's events. All morning, she kept checking the clock and couldn't sit still. It didn't bother me much; I was just looking forward to meeting my friend.

Time flew by, and soon it was lunchtime. For some reason, my appetite was unusually insatiable today. I couldn't stop eating, even though my stomach was already full to bursting. With sheer willpower, I managed to suppress my enormous hunger. Alice noticed and teased me, joking that I'd put on weight if I kept eating like that, though I knew that wasn't likely.

After poking fun at me a bit more, Alice ran off to finish getting ready for the trip. We only had thirty minutes left before Alfred was due to arrive.

It didn't take me long to get ready, and soon I was all set. I dressed casually, not making any special effort to stand out. Then I sat down in front of the TV and waited.

A car horn sounded from outside, and I jumped up, running to the window. In the driveway, I saw the car and Alfred waiting by it. Without wasting any time, I went to call Alice, who still hadn't come downstairs.

Knocking on her door, I called out, "Alice, they're here. Hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back.

Sighing, I prepared to wait. Whenever she said that, it usually meant at least ten more minutes—sometimes more. But today, it seemed like a miracle. Her door opened, and she stepped out.

"How do I look?" she asked.

She was wearing jeans and white sneakers, a black tank top layered under a white button-up shirt, and some light jewelry. She looked great, as always.

"No, you're prettier than the roses in front of me," I said, offering a compliment.

She blushed slightly but then surprised me with a quick peck on the cheek before dashing downstairs. All I could do was follow her. At the door, she grabbed a light jacket since it was still chilly outside.

"Take care and be back on time!" Elizabeth called after us.

"Will do," I replied as we stepped outside.

Alfred was already there to greet us, walking up to meet us.

"What a lovely young lady. You look absolutely stunning," the butler said, addressing my sister with a compliment.

"Thank you," Alice replied graciously.

Alfred opened the car door for her and helped her inside. Moments later, I approached the car as well.

"Good afternoon, young Brian. It's been a while, and I'm glad to see you're well," Alfred greeted me warmly.

"Good afternoon to you, too. I hope everything's been going well for you?" I responded.

"Never better. But we should get going—Master Bruce is eager to see you," he said, opening the door on the other side for me.

And so, we set off.

During the ride, I struck up a conversation with Alfred, asking about his well-being and chatting about various topics to make the trip more enjoyable. Alfred, in turn, asked me about my plans. I answered honestly, telling him about my aspirations to become a doctor and my desire to help people.

With pleasant conversation, we arrived at the towering skyscraper in no time. As we got closer, it seemed even more massive. You could only see the top if you craned your neck all the way back. The grand entrance was adorned with intricate architectural details that added to its overall beauty. The car stopped near the main doors. Alfred stepped out and opened the door for us. We exited almost immediately, taking in the sights around us.

"Come along, Bruce is already waiting for us," Alfred said, gesturing toward the entrance where my friend was standing.

Bruce's appearance hadn't changed much, though he looked more mature. He wore a classic suit, and I had a feeling he never dressed any other way. Perhaps it was a family tradition or a reflection of his social status. He stood there with a welcoming smile, and I wondered how long he'd been waiting. Maybe Alfred had alerted him to our arrival.

As we closed the remaining distance between us, Bruce stepped forward, arms outstretched as if he intended to hug me. When we met, we embraced tightly.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Brian. I was really worried when I heard about your accident," Bruce said, breaking the hug and giving me a once-over. "You look like we're the same age, but you're two years younger than me."

"Well, I'm a fast grower," I replied, noting that my physique did seem more developed than my age.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Alice chimed in.

"My apologies. It's great to see you, too," Bruce said, smiling.

"That's more like it. Let's go already!" she declared, marching toward the entrance with a satisfied look.

Bruce and I shrugged and followed her. The doormen opened the large glass doors for us, and inside, Bruce took the lead, guiding us through the skyscraper.

The main lobby was expansive with a minimalist design. From the ceiling hung metallic cylinders, their tips glowing faintly. There were tables surrounded by comfortable couches for visitors to wait, and, of course, a reception desk where two women were stationed. We headed directly to the elevators.

"Let's start with the most spectacular part. We'll go straight to the top floor. The view from there is unmatched," Bruce said.

As we stepped into the spacious elevator, I noticed the panel of buttons, each marked with a floor number—there were 120 in total. It was no surprise that this building reached so high into the sky. Alfred, who entered after us, pressed the button for the 120th floor. Gentle music played in the elevator, creating a pleasant backdrop for conversation.

"This skyscraper was constructed in record time using cutting-edge technology," Bruce explained. "It's now the tallest building in America. This marks a new chapter in my family's company history, showcasing our capabilities and serving as a symbol for all who come to see it in person."

Bruce continued sharing fascinating facts about the building. I glanced at the digital display above the doors and saw we were already on the 100th floor. It was incredible how quickly we were ascending—the motion was barely perceptible.

"And now, I'd like to show you a special feature of our skyscraper," Bruce said as the elevator doors slid open.

We stepped into a spacious area with large panoramic windows. There wasn't a soul in sight. Bruce walked straight to the windows, waving us over to join him.

"From here, you can see all of Gotham," he said.

As I approached the edge, an enchanting view unfolded before me. From this height, everything seemed so small and insignificant—people looked like tiny dots moving in all directions. The city's borders were easy to distinguish, and even my neighborhood was visible from here.

"Well, what do you think of the view?" Bruce asked us.

"It's amazing—so beautiful!" Alice exclaimed.

"And you haven't even seen it at night, when the city lights up. It's even better then," Bruce said proudly, as though he'd personally built the skyscraper.

After marveling at the view for a while longer, we continued our tour. We explored various floors, each with a unique purpose. It turned out that less than half of the skyscraper was occupied by Wayne Enterprises; the rest was leased to other companies, housing a large number of employees.

Our path eventually brought us to the boardroom, a space designed for high-stakes negotiations and meetings of the board of directors.

"Sometimes I attend these meetings to stay informed about our plans and so on, but most of the time, they go on without me. I don't have enough knowledge yet to fully contribute," Bruce admitted, sounding a little disheartened.

"Don't worry—you'll get there," I said, trying to encourage him.

"I hope so. Anyway, let's keep going," Bruce replied, sounding slightly more upbeat.

We were about to move on when a man entered the room. He was dressed in a business suit, with dark hair and a stern expression.

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"Mr. Wayne, I didn't know you planned to come in today," the man addressed Bruce, then noticed us.

"I decided to give my friends a tour," Bruce replied, his expression growing even darker.

"Let me remind you that this is a place of serious business, not a playground. This is unacceptable," the man reprimanded us. "I don't want to see anything like this here again," he said sternly.

"You don't have the authority to give orders. Master Bruce is the owner of the company," Alfred countered.

"So what? Until he reaches adulthood, he has no right to manage the company. Here, I'm in charge," the man responded with a smug smile.

"I'm already eleven, and in seven years, I'll be the head of the company," Bruce retorted.

"Even if you're the major shareholder, the board of directors manages the company, and my authority outranks yours there," the man said dismissively.

"While Master Bruce may not yet have full authority, as his guardian, I wield the majority voting power in the board. You'd do well not to forget that. If you continue acting out, I'll have no choice but to dismiss you," Alfred warned, stepping close to the man.

The man hesitated for a moment, but finally relented and walked away briskly. Alfred turned back to us with a smile.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Bruce said with a sigh.

"It's no big deal. He's just a nasty person. But why not fire him, then?" I asked.

"That's Earle Mackenzie. He was a partner and a friend of my father's. After my father's death, he took over running the company. Despite his personality, he truly does aim for Wayne Enterprises to thrive," Bruce explained sadly, but quickly regained his confident demeanor. "Let's not dwell on him. It's time to head somewhere else. There's nothing left to see here—don't you think?"

"Let's go get some ice cream!" Alice suggested excitedly.

"I know just the place. I doubt you've been there—it serves the best ice cream," Alfred informed us.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Alice cheered as she ran ahead.

We followed her, but I suddenly felt the need to use the restroom, so I decided to find one.

"Go on without me. I'll catch up after I find the restroom," I said, not wanting to hold them up.

"Alright, we'll wait for you in the lobby," Bruce agreed.

I wandered the floor, searching for the right door. Several times, I walked into the wrong rooms. Finally, I came across a maintenance area with the much-needed "restroom" sign.

As I reached for the door handle, a sudden feeling of danger flared up inside me. I quickly glanced around, but saw nothing unusual. The sensation faded, but as soon as I touched the handle again, the feeling returned, stronger this time, almost screaming at me to stop. My hand trembled slightly, but with a deep breath, I turned the handle downward.