Watching Alfred head off with unusual enthusiasm, Bruce remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.
"I understand."
As he spoke, Bruce took Rachel by the wrist and lowered his voice.
"Don't worry. It's just a meal. Once this is over, we'll find time to talk properly."
"But…" Rachel hesitated, anxiety still written across her face. "That's Axel. He's the most dangerous man in Gotham. How did you even get involved with someone like that? He…"
"Cough."
Alex cleared his throat lightly.
"My hearing's excellent," Axel said flatly. "Are you trying to summon Satan or just talking trash?"
At the same time, Bruce squeezed Rachel's hand gently. "Stay quiet. Axel's hearing is very… never mind. Too late. He never pretends he didn't hear something."
Bruce then looked at Axel, his voice dropping into something almost pleading.
"This is my girlfriend, Axel."
"You're welcome," Axel replied with a lazy chuckle. "If I hadn't let you two meet again, you'd still be moping around. So hurry up and send me that battle suit you promised."
With a casual wave, Axel led Bruce and Rachel toward Lex Luthor.
Lex frowned as soon as he heard that.
"Axel, you also placed an order with Wayne Enterprises?" Lex said sharply. "That's completely unnecessary. I can handle everything myself. Wayne Enterprises may have been glorious once, but now it's decaying."
He pushed his glasses up, clearly unimpressed. "With their current technology, they'd only manage a crude auxiliary system. I already have multiple finalized concepts for your suit, including full flight capability."
"Wait," Bruce said, frowning as he turned to Axel. "You also placed an order with LuthorCorp? I've already begun working on your suit."
"You already started?" Axel looked at him with obvious interest.
Lex scoffed. "Started is started. Almost started means you did nothing. So even if Axel contacted you first, you still dragged your feet."
"That's none of your damn business, Lex," Bruce snapped.
"Only my friends call me Lex," Lex shot back. "And you are not one of them, Bruce Wayne."
"Then listen carefully, Alexander," Bruce replied coldly. "This is a Gotham matter. Metropolitans would do well to stay out of it. You wouldn't understand us."
Lex's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll move to Gotham immediately."
He turned sharply to his assistant. "Pierce, relocate the lab at once. I'm buying the manor adjacent to Wayne Manor and building an underground research facility."
"That manor is part of the Wayne estate," Bruce growled. "It's my home, and I don't want you as my neighbor."
Bruce turned to Alfred, who had just returned. "Alfred, we'll buy every nearby property before Luthor can touch them."
Lex laughed. "Compete with me in cash flow? Pierce, offer one point five billion Dollars."
Bruce sneered. "No matter what you offer, I'll add one Dollar on top of it. Alfred, contact the owners."
The air between them crackled with hostility.
From a distance, Pierce and Alfred exchanged glances, both equally surprised. Lex rarely lost his composure, believing most people unworthy of anger. Bruce was no different, yet today he seemed unusually aggressive.
Alfred cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Gentlemen, the adjacent manor is already Wayne property. Thomas Wayne and I used it as a hunting ground."
"Perfect," Bruce said instantly, spreading his hands toward Lex. "Sorry, Alexander. Not for sale."
Lex snorted. "Then I'll use my airship. I'll station the lab above Wayne Manor. Gotham lacks sunlight. I'll create artificial daylight for Axel, a superior environment for human evolution."
Bruce stiffened. "Evolution? What are you talking about?"
Lex straightened proudly. "A fool sitting on treasure only sees rubble. Axel has been in Gotham for nearly a week, and you've been near him without understanding what he is."
He lifted a gene scanner. "Axel's genetic purity surpasses every human alive. His DNA is closer to humanity's origin point than yours is to your own father. He's the future."
Lex thrust the device toward Bruce. "Test it yourself. You'll find Axel is closer to being humanity's progenitor than anyone else."
"I don't need your machine," Bruce said through clenched teeth. "I have my own."
He returned moments later with a compact analyzer. Lex laughed outright.
"You stripped functions just to make it smaller than mine? Pathetic."
He turned to Pierce. "Bring my toolbox. I'll refine mine properly."
"That's your own childish competitiveness, Alexander," Bruce shot back.
Bruce then stepped up to Axel and held out his hand. "Give me a strand of your hair."
"Sure," Axel said, plucking one out without hesitation.
Minutes later, Bruce stared at the results in silence.
Alfred leaned in. "Is Mr. Luthor correct?"
Bruce exhaled slowly. "His perspective is… valid. Axel's genetic structure is closer to humanity's baseline than mine is to my father's."
He looked at Axel with something close to reverence. "What are you, Axel? Adam? The first man?"
"Ridiculous," Lex scoffed. "Only fools search the past for answers."
"You compared him to Noah," Bruce shot back.
"That was a metaphor."
"So was mine."
"I have never disliked someone as much as I dislike you," Lex snapped.
"And I've never found anyone more unbearable than you," Bruce replied.
"You want to fight?" Bruce rolled up his sleeve.
Lex ripped off his jacket and tossed it to Pierce.
Nearby, Rachel looked between them, then down at her empty hand. For the first time, she felt oddly unnecessary.
Elsewhere, in Gotham's Diamond District, gang enforcers paused mid-work.
"Where's Boss Bat?"
"He better not be dodging payments."
"Doesn't matter. Victor's money is still here."
"Once we're done, we'll claim territory and put up his sign."
"That's right. Bat Bar will shake the Diamond District and all of Gotham."