DC:The Darkest Knight

"Bruce, for the love of God, please, just let me go. I've told you countless times that I can't do what you're asking." The mayor struggled against my grip, trying to pull away, but I held onto his shoulder firmly.

"You owe your success to me. I provided you with the financial support you needed. You became mayor because I announced my support for you, and all I wanted in return was a small favor. Now I'm cashing in that favor."

"No matter what you say or how much you threaten me, I can't do it. Lady Justice is more than just a statue; she's a symbol of Gotham's history. I can't just replace it with your wife's statue, and why would you even want that?"

This fat slob is belittling my beloved wife, saying that she can't compare to a mere statue.

I tightened my grip on his shoulder as he winced in pain. Then, bending down, I leaned in closer.

"I want the entire Gotham and world to bask in the glory of my wife's perfect image. I want everyone to be in awe of her beauty, admire her, and know that she is mine and mine alone."

"Ugh, let go of me before you rip my shoulder, you damn... overgrown buffoon," the mayor grunted, struggling to break free while sweating profusely. But the more he fought, the weaker he became, looking like he might faint.

So I released him so as not to make a scene.

"Ugh," groaning in pain, he began to rub his shoulder as he glared at me with a... pity?

"This obsession of yours is not healthy, Bruce. You should see a doctor for your own sake and your wife's," he said before walking away.

I know it's not healthy, and it might push my wife away, but I can't help it.

Teleute is perfect in every way; she is kind, sweet, loving, and supportive, and she has everything. Even if she doesn't have something, she can either just get it or create it. That's why I always feel like I'm not enough, I'm not doing enough, and I need to show her my love in every possible way.

While I was lost in thought about my wife, someone suddenly grabbed my arm. I looked down to see Zatanna, who had just returned from socializing with other guests.

We were at the Wayne International Hotel for the charity ball I was hosting. Zatanna was my plus one since Teleute didn't like crowded places.

Zatanna cuddled up to me and whispered, "When I said I wanted to do something special for us, this isn't what I meant."

"You don't have to stick with me, Z. Feel free to chat with other guests; maybe you'll find someone interesting and enjoy talking to," I suggested, wrapping my arm around her.

"I tried, but all the men are either bragging about their money or flirting with me while their wives are right beside them. And the women? All of them are stuck-up bitches with a damn Eiffel Tower up their ass," Zatanna said, looking bored as she tilted her head up to me.

"You should have brought Selina; she would enjoy this kind of event," she suggested, but I shook my head.

"Yeah, that's a hard no. If I brought Selina to events like this, she would end up twice her weight by the end of the night without eating anything while the guests got thinner," I said in a flat tone.

Though I was serious, Zatanna took it as a joke and covered her mouth, giggling softly.

At that moment, a bald man with large round glasses and a jawline beard, I think that's what it's called. He wasn't a wealthy donor or an important guest, just a representative from Arkham Asylum.

[IMAGE]

He stood in front of us, smiling as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Mr. Wayne, I trust you remember me. I'm Dr. Hugo Strange from the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane," he said, adjusting his glasses with his free hand.

I shook his hand and replied, "I remember you, Dr. Strange. We met during my last visit to Arkham for a donation."

He nodded, withdrawing his hand and glancing at Zatanna.

"Is this lovely young lady the renowned Mrs. Wayne?" he asked, extending his hand to her, mistaking her for my wife.

When he addressed her with the wrong title, Zatanna got really flustered, and her face turned bright red.

"Uh, yes, thank you, me too," she stammered while shaking his hand and corrected him, "But I'm not Mrs. Wayne."

"Yet." Then she added softly with a voice barely above a whisper that only she could hear.

"This is Zatanna, my date for the evening," I clarified.

"My apologies, I assumed you were the famous Mrs. Wayne because you look so good together," Hugo Strange quickly apologized, but his words just made Zatanna blush even more.

To calm herself, she held my hand tightly and buried her face in my arm.

It was cute, but acting like a little girl while she is a grown-ass woman—I mean, I get it, she is in love and being bashful, but acting like some romcom anime FMC is not the way to go.

I shook my head and turned back to Dr. Strange.

"You don't need to apologize, Dr. Strange; it was a simple mistake," I said, waving my hand dismissively.

"Once again, I'm sorry for the confusion," he said, then cleared his throat."If you have a moment, I'd like to discuss something with you, Mr. Wayne," he continued.

I nodded for him to continue.

"There's a very dangerous patient I need your help with, Mr. Wayne," he explained.

Raising an eyebrow, I shot him a questioning look, curious about what he meant.

Just how dangerous could this patient be for him to seek my help? Did he somehow put Darkseid into the Arkham Asylum?

"It's Batman," he said matter-of-factly. "He is a true menace to society, endangering himself and everyone in Gotham. I need your help, Mr. Wayne, to capture him so he can get the treatment he requires."

...he is asking for my help to capture me.

"Why do you think Batman belongs in a mental institution, Dr. Strange?" I inquired, curious.

"Haha, you must be joking, Mr. Wayne," Hugo Strange laughed at first, but then he realized I was serious.

"Mr. Wayne, as a professional and a person, I don't believe any rational person would spend their nights dressed up as a bat while beating others to inch off their lives."

He is out of line, but he is right.

"Hehe," Zatanna, who had stopped hiding her face in my arm, began to giggle.

I glanced down at her with a blank expression, but she just shrugged with an innocent smile.

"He's right, you know. I don't think this 'Batman' is sane either," she said with a teasing smile, emphasizing the name Batman.

I shook my head and turned my focus back to Hugo Strange.

With my attention on him, he continued.

"I have some ideas about his identity that could help us catch him. First, he must be rich; there's no way he could afford all those advanced gadgets without a lot of money. Second, his build..." He paused, looking at me with a predatory stare.

A strange chill ran down my spine; I wanted to punch him but restrained myself.

"Through my research, I've noted his impressive measurements. He's tall, much taller than average, like you, has a high muscle mass, like you, and is extremely intelligent... like you."

After he finished, we locked eyes for a moment, and it felt like time stopped.

"Pfffft, Hahahaha!" I couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing, surprising both him and Zatanna.

"Hehehe." Then she joined in, covering her mouth as she laughed with me.

Hugo Strange stared at us like we were crazy, with veins popping on his bald head, probably thinking we were mocking him.

After letting out a good old belly laugh, I raised my hands in a mock surrender.

"Whoops, looks like you caught me, Doc," I said with a grin. Then, before he could say anything, I stepped back and grabbed Zatanna's shoulders, pushing her in front of me.

"If you're going to send me to Arkham, I want her as my roommate, Doc, since she's my magical assistant," I said with a toothy grin.

Zatanna looked up at me, her face showing betrayal, while I just kept smiling and shrugged just like she did before.

"Mr. Wayne, I'm being completely serious," Hugo Strange said, his teeth clenched tightly to the point that it felt like they might break.

"So am I," I replied, which only made him angrier.

He looked like he was ready to pounce on me and punch me, but in the end, he gave up and left, but not before shooting me a murderous glare.

"Bruce, I think he might be onto something. Shouldn't we do something?" Zatanna asked, sticking out her tongue and sliding her thumb across her throat.

I bent down and kissed her forehead. "First off, it's terrible that you think of murder as the first option. He's just a little rat snooping around. Don't worry, I already laid the mouse trap," I assured her.

She just nodded, yet I caught a glimpse of her hand glowing faintly.

Before I could say anything else, another guest approached us. I nodded at the guest who was coming towards us in greeting since this guest was important.

He was an older man, about fifty, of average height but slightly muscular build, dressed sharply. He walked toward us confidently with an aura that screamed authority.

"Bruce, how have you been?" the man asked, shaking my hand with a strong grip.

"Same old, same old. How about you, Colonel?" I replied, matching his grip.

"Trying to stay alive, and who is this young lady? Is she the famous wife I've heard so much about?" the Colonel asked as if he didn't know who Zatanna was.

I know that he did a background check on her, which of course only revealed that she and her father were fake magicians at a circus, but I can't blame the guy or take offense; as a high-ranking military official, he needs to know about the people around him. Even if he didn't personally request the check, the military would have done it for him.

"This is Zatanna, a good friend and my date for the evening," I introduced her.

"John Smith, it's a pleasure to meet such a lovely young lady," the Colonel said, extending his hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Colonel," Zatanna replied, shaking his hand.

He tried to kiss her hand, but she pulled it back.

Tiptoeing, she kissed my cheek softly. "You boys probably have things to discuss; I'll go refresh my makeup," then she politely excused herself before leaving.

The colonel smiled and nodded at her as she walked by, then turned back to me.

Tilting my head, I looked at Zatanna's body; her beautiful black hair cascaded down her back. She had an hourglass figure, a plump, tight ass, and she wore a long dark green dress that highlighted her curves perfectly and showed off her beautiful figure. She also had a top hat on; why, I don't know; she just likes hats.

[IMAGE]

She didn't mind that I touched her intimately in public; she is ready. I should tap that ass soon.

As she walked, every guest who saw her tried to sneak a look. Since she was my date, none of them dared to stare openly, but they still tried hard to catch a glimpse.

"She's a keeper," Colonel remarked, drawing my attention back to him as he had a knowing smile on his face.

"She is," I agreed with a nod. "Would you like to move somewhere quiet?" I suggested, since the man before me isn't just some stuck-up rich asshole, but a colonel and an important client, serving as a link between Wayne Enterprises and the military.

"No need, but Bruce, I thought Wayne's gatherings were always held at Wayne Manor, not elsewhere. Am I mistaken?"

"Not anymore, Colonel. My beloved wife doesn't like crowded places," I said, noticing the Colonel raise an eyebrow at my statement.

"Now it's clear who wears the pants in the relationship. It's true what they say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," the Colonel remarked, eyeing me up and down.

He's probably thinking that with my confidence and build, I would be the dominant one in the relationship.

"The relationship I have with my beloved wife is one of mutual love and respect, Colonel, and I would do anything and everything for my wife."

"Not so sure about the respect part," he muttered quietly, which I pretended to not hear.

He was referring to my choice of bringing Zatanna as my plus one, implying that I don't respect my wife since I brought another woman with me to a public event. In a way, he was right; it could be seen as disrespectful to bring someone else other than my wife with me as my date, but I have her permission, and if she ever tells me to not bring any other woman with me ever again, I would comply.

"Love is precious, son. Cherish it while you still can," the Colonel said, trying to pat my shoulder but ended up patting my arm instead because of our height difference since he would probably look like a German soldier in World War I if he patted my shoulder.

"Bruce, there's something important we need to talk about," the Colonel said, casting a glance at the waiters as they 'accidentally' spilled drinks on guests before a manager suddenly arrived and took them away to get cleaned.

"What do you want to discuss, Colonel?" I asked directly, since I didn't want to waste my time making small talk.

"Always straightforward, that's what I like about you the most, Bruce," the Colonel said with a slight smile as he glanced around him. After making sure that we were alone, he began.

"Weapons, I want you to make weapons for us."

"No," I simply refused his request.

"Why?" he asked.

"What I've already given you is more than enough, Colonel. If I provide more, it could lead to chaos and possibly another world war."

"Your inventions are vital for the military, Bruce. Thanks to your IMB-pil that enhances our soldiers' strength to the limit and the VR room that we can use to prepare them for every scenario, our losses have dropped by 36%, and operational efficiency has almost tripled. Plus, your nano armor is like a mobile tank. There hasn't been a single mission that ended in failure since the Shadow Special Ops team began operating in that armor. But we need more, Bruce. So much so that we are willing to renew the contracts and double the payment for what you already supply," the Colonel said, trying to persuade me, but I just shook my head.

"Colonel, I'm not going to destroy the world just to earn a few more bucks. What I've given you already gives the military a huge advantage."

"Bruce, if that doesn't cut it, you can tell me what's on your mind, and we can work something out."

"It's not about the money, Colonel. You won't change my mind. Don't bother; it's a waste of time for both of us."

"I wish you were just a smart, rich kid, Bruce," the Colonel said, his voice filled with disappointment.

If I were just a rich, smart kid, he would be able to use his power to easily manipulate me. But I have too many connections and power for him to force me without facing severe consequences that would take years for the government to recover from. That's the Bruce Wayne side of me; the Batman side is a whole other story.

"You're as stubborn as ever, but tell me, Bruce, do you know Alexander Luthor? an aspiring young man that some say rivals your intelligence?" Colonel asked.

"Are you talking about that baldie that's going around the tables?" I said as I gestured my head towards one of the tables far away, where a bald young man was talking to guests.

The colonel turned around and looked at the table I mentioned, nodding his head.

"I heard he plans to launch his own company and has approached us with an intriguing proposal. He created armor similar to yours. We tested it against yours, and while his Armos is a bit inferior, he claims it's just a prototype. His armor is cheaper and easier to maintain since it doesn't require regular energy core changes like yours does."

"That's good to hear, Colonel. It's nice to see young talent supporting our country."

"I'm not trying to convince you or change your mind, Bruce, but there was talk of him becoming a new military partner since he agreed to produce weapons along with the armor," he said, attempting to persuade me once again, but I simply shook my head.

"You're too young to be this stubborn, Bruce," he sighed, shaking his head in regret.

"Colonel," a voice interrupted. Looking past the Colonel, I saw Lex Luthor approaching us with a smile.

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A/N: Once again, sorry that it took so long, but I'm back. I found a new job and place. I'll try to upload at least 2-3 chapters a week, but can't make any promises since it'll take some time to make my life stable again.