The move from Gotham to Central City was a deliberate and calculated tactical retreat. For four months, Finn-Bruce had rigorously focused on three major projects simultaneously: securing the Batcave construction with Lucius Fox, accelerating his physical training with Ted Grant, and laying the groundwork for his technological arsenal.
He was now nine years old, Level 2, and the physical exhaustion was mounting. The System's accelerated integration of skills, while efficient, was punishing. His mind was a steel trap, but his body constantly ached from Ted Grant's relentless regimen. A break was necessary, but it wouldn't be restful. It would be a strategic deployment.
Alfred, ever the faithful guardian, had arranged for their stay in a penthouse suite overlooking Central City's vibrant downtown.
"Master Bruce, I must say, this trip seems rather sudden. You've canceled your private tutoring to pursue... a scientific interest?" Alfred asked, carefully pressing the folds of a freshly laundered dress shirt.
"Forensic science, Alfred," Finn-Bruce corrected, tying his own shoes with expert speed. "The kind of science that puts murderers behind bars using evidence, not fists. My father—Dr. Wayne—he always wanted me to appreciate the power of deduction. This trip honors his memory perfectly."
The cover story was solid, leveraging the public's perception of the Wayne family legacy. The real target was the Central City Police Department's (CCPD) Forensic Science Division.
> [Quest 4: The Speedster's Brain.]
> Objective: Establish contact and a professional relationship with Barry Allen (The Future Flash) in Central City.
> Difficulty: B-Class (Requires Charisma and leveraging Wayne Enterprises resources).
> Reward: +60 XP, [Level Up: Level 3], [Trait Unlock: Scientific Focus].
Finn-Bruce knew exactly when Barry Allen received his powers: a lightning strike and a mix of chemicals. He couldn't risk altering the event itself, but he could certainly ensure that the man who became the Flash was a resource and an ally before the bolt even struck.
The CCPD lab was not the state-of-the-art facility Finn-Bruce knew it would eventually become. It was cramped, dated, and reeked faintly of solvents and old coffee. He had bypassed the front desk with a simple, yet utterly effective tactic: a formal letter of introduction from the CEO of Wayne Enterprises (himself) requesting a highly specialized consultation.
He was led by a bored officer into a small, cluttered lab. And there he was: Barry Allen.
At this time, Barry was probably in his mid-twenties. He was tall, thin, and already had the earnest, almost manic energy of a man whose brain moved faster than everyone else's. He was hunched over a microscope, his red hair slightly messy, muttering to himself about particle traces.
Barry looked up, blinking rapidly, utterly perplexed to see a nine-year-old in a business suit escorted by a butler standing in his lab.
"Uh... can I help you, fellas?" Barry asked, wiping his hands on a napkin. "The kids' lab tour isn't until next Tuesday."
Finn-Bruce walked right past the formality and placed a small, polished wooden box on the lab bench.
"Mr. Allen," Finn-Bruce began, adopting the serious, detached tone of a peer. "My name is Bruce Wayne. I read your paper on the theoretical applications of accelerated particle decay in trace evidence analysis. It was brilliant."
Barry visibly recoiled in shock. His paper was dense, theoretical physics, and barely anyone outside the university had read it. "You... you read that?"
"Yes. And I noticed a flaw in your calculation of the gravimetric friction coefficient when applying the Lorentz transformation to the decay rate," Finn-Bruce stated, pulling the information directly from the KNOWLEDGE TREE's Advanced Physics section. "If you adjust for the temporal displacement inherent in that particular decay, the coefficient actually decreases by a factor of 0.00037."
Barry Allen stared, his mouth slightly open. He grabbed a notepad and furiously began scribbling equations, his mind trying to reconcile the complex physics with the child standing before him.
"You... you're right," Barry whispered, looking up with genuine awe and a touch of panic. "That would require factoring in... the Speed Force? No, that's impossible. But mathematically, you're right. Who are you?"
Finn-Bruce leaned in, his voice dropping to a confidential level. "I am Bruce Wayne, and my father's company believes in investing in impossible research. I am looking for a personal scientific consultant. Someone who thinks outside the box."
He tapped the wooden box on the desk. "This contains a preliminary grant of one million dollars from Wayne Enterprises. No strings attached. It is for you to upgrade this lab and pursue your most unorthodox theories."
Barry frowned, pushing the box away. "I can't take that, Mr. Wayne. I'm a civil servant. And I don't work for hire."
Finn-Bruce, the Tactical Thinker, had anticipated this. He pulled out a large, bound portfolio.
"It's not for hire, Mr. Allen. It's a partnership," Finn-Bruce countered, opening the portfolio to a professionally drafted document. "Wayne Enterprises is establishing a new, top-secret subsidiary: 'The Forensic Science Endowment for the Analysis of Unusual Phenomena.'"
He slid a glossy photograph across the desk. It was a close-up, high-resolution image of the broken lock that had secured the safe in the alley the night his parents were killed.
"The police closed the case. They said it was a simple theft gone wrong," Finn-Bruce said, the raw pain in his voice making the statement heartbreakingly real. "But the scorch marks on this lock were caused by an energy discharge that doesn't match any known weapon. It was something... unusual."
He looked directly at Barry. "I need someone who can dedicate their life to analyzing the unusual criminal elements that the police system can't touch. I need you to be my Endowment's primary scientific analyst. You keep your CCPD job. You keep your independence. You simply use the funds to pursue research into anomalous physics and send me your classified reports."
This was the perfect bait. It appealed to Barry's love of science, his dedication to justice, and his deep-seated desire to understand the forces that defy common sense—the very forces that killed his own mother.
Barry looked at the lock photo, then at the technical calculations the boy had corrected, and finally at the open folder offering him the scientific freedom he desperately craved.
"Anomalous physics," Barry murmured, his eyes alight with intellectual excitement. "You think the person who killed your parents... was using something more?"
"I know it," Finn-Bruce confirmed, allowing his grief to color the lie. "And when the unusual starts happening in Central City, I need you to tell me what it means. I need your eyes on the strange, Mr. Allen."
Barry Allen looked at the money, then at the boy who was channeling an unnerving blend of childlike tragedy and ruthless intellect. He finally reached across the desk and picked up a pen.
"It's not for the money, Mr. Wayne," Barry said, his smile genuine and rapid. "It's for the science. Where do I sign?"
> [QUEST COMPLETE: The Speedster's Brain.]
> Reward Gained: +60 XP.
> Level Progress: 145/200 XP.
> [LEVEL UP! Level 3 Acquired!]
> Level 3 Rewards:
> HP: Increased by 15%.
> Trait Unlock: Scientific Focus (Grants superior deductive reasoning in laboratory/forensic settings, and speeds up KNOWLEDGE TREE access to Science/Magic data).
> New Function Unlocked: Allies Resource Tracker (Track the current location, status, and abilities of recruited allies—currently, Ted Grant and Barry Allen.
Finn-Bruce felt the familiar rush of the Level Up, instantly followed by a sharper, clearer understanding of the physics of the entire lab. The Scientific Focus trait was already integrating..
He shook Barry Allen's hand—the hand that would soon be able to vibrate through walls.
"Welcome to the team, Mr. Allen," Finn-Bruce said, a genuine, private sense of triumph flowing through him. "And please, call me Bruce."
He turned to leave, but paused at the door, pulling one final, crucial piece of information from the KNOWLEDGE TREE.
"One last thing, Mr. Allen," Finn-Bruce added, looking back. "If you ever handle any chemicals in the lab, especially high-concentrate compounds, I recommend you put them in a dedicated, reinforced, electrically insulated cabinet."
Barry looked surprised. "Why? It's perfectly safe where it is."
"Just a hunch, based on my father's old safety protocols," Finn-Bruce shrugged, maintaining his poker face. "Lightning strikes, Mr. Allen. They happen when you least expect them."
He gave a slight, polite nod to the puzzled scientist and walked out. He had warned him, he had secured his analyst, and he had secured a future ally for the Justice League. All that remained was for nature to take its course.
The System flashed a final, triumphant notification:
> [GLOBAL THREAT DETECTION: Low. Justice League Founding Members Secured: 2/7 (Indirect).]