Finn-Bruce returned to Gotham in the late autumn, the weight of his nine years now heavily overlaid with the knowledge of decades. The trip to Central City had been a monumental success, securing Barry Allen as a classified scientific resource for Wayne Enterprises' newly founded 'Forensic Science Endowment.' His Level 3 status and the Scientific Focus trait made the complex technical planning for his next great project feel effortless.
He had trained his body with Ted Grant, expanded his mind with Barry Allen, and now it was time to build his brain—the Batcomputer.
His initial meetings with Lucius Fox had successfully launched the internal construction of Project Prometheus—the underground expansion of the Batcave. Now, Finn-Bruce was ready to leverage the Advanced Tech Schematics: The Batcomputer (V1) he'd unlocked from the System.
He summoned Lucius Fox to the Manor's study late one Friday evening, after Alfred had been instructed to take a rare, mandatory evening of rest.
"Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce began, pushing aside a stack of advanced calculus textbooks. "The structural work in the caverns is complete. The climate control and fiber optic conduits are in place. Now, we outfit the monitoring station."
Lucius, who had grown used to the boy's unnerving professional demeanor, leaned back, intrigued. "The budget for the monitoring station is substantial, Master Bruce. What kind of computational power are you anticipating? Standard university cluster?"
Finn-Bruce pushed a detailed, multi-page proposal across the desk. It wasn't drawn on a notepad this time; it was a professionally rendered CAD file, printed on thick Wayne Enterprises stock, using the design principles Finn's coding expertise had allowed him to generate with terrifying speed.
"We are building a Parallel Processing Omni-Core, Mr. Fox. Logged as the 'Global Infrastructure Stability Monitor'," Finn-Bruce stated, tapping a finger on the core schematic. "I need over a petabyte of storage, a dedicated, military-grade quantum processor—purchased piece by piece to avoid detection—and a completely isolated, internal power grid drawn directly from the geothermal taps we installed."
Lucius Fox squinted at the specifications. "A quantum processor? And the power demands for this... 'monitor' are insane. Master Bruce, a machine of this magnitude would be more powerful than the entire Pentagon's mainframe. What, precisely, is it monitoring?"
Finn-Bruce's voice dropped, laced with the deep, genuine sorrow of his dual trauma. "Everything, Mr. Fox. Every crime statistic, every emerging terrorist cell, every financial anomaly that could hurt the innocent of Gotham. My parents were killed because no one was watching. This machine will be our eyes—the eyes Gotham doesn't know it needs."
He continued, his voice a steady drone of technical demands pulled from the KNOWLEDGE TREE. "The OS must be built from the ground up, with no traceable commercial roots. It must have dedicated encryption protocols based on a complex, shifting poly-alphabetic substitution cipher. You must establish a dedicated, encrypted satellite link for real-time data harvesting, logged as 'atmospheric research.'"
Lucius was no longer skeptical; he was exhilarated. He saw not a child, but the chance to build a technological marvel that would challenge his genius. "This is... brilliant, Master Bruce. But it will require months of construction and installation. And the final programming alone could take a dedicated team a year."
"The hardware is your domain, Mr. Fox," Finn-Bruce replied, the ghost of a cold smile appearing on his lips. "The software is mine. I will provide the core operating system and the proprietary algorithms. I just need you to install the shell and secure the network."
The deal was struck. Within weeks, the Batcave transformed. Massive industrial cranes lowered server racks, cooling units, and enough fiber optic cable to weave a dense, digital tapestry across the cavern wall. Lucius Fox believed he was building a scientific monitoring station. Finn-Bruce was building the Batcomputer.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: The Supercomputer.]
> Description: Build the primary computational hub for the Fortress.
> Reward Gained: +55 XP.
> Level Progress: 200/200 XP.
> [LEVEL UP! Level 4 Acquired!]
> Level 4 Rewards:
> HP/CON: Increased by 15%.
> Trait Unlock: Code Breaker (Superior ability to understand, write, and decrypt complex digital/written codes. Grants passive speed bonus to learning new languages/scripts).
> New Function Unlocked: Field Interface (HUD) (The System can now project crucial data onto specialized headgear/visors.)
The Level 4 upgrade was monumental. The Code Breaker trait instantly cemented Finn-Bruce's natural affinity for programming, taking the System's integrated data and making it organic. He sat in his study, writing the OS that would run the Batcomputer, creating a sophisticated neural network that would soon organize the chaos of Gotham.
His next major challenge wasn't technical; it was personal. He needed to ensure his physical training wouldn't be interrupted during his multi-year world trip, and he needed to secure his legacy.
He summoned Alfred to the library.
"Alfred," Finn-Bruce said, sitting by the crackling fireplace, looking less like a boy and more like an executive ready for a major announcement. "I'm leaving Gotham. I will be gone for roughly eight years."
Alfred, who had anticipated this since the incident with the well, simply bowed his head. "I understand, Master Bruce. To honor your parents' memory by... seeking enlightenment?"
"By seeking mastery, Alfred," Finn-Bruce corrected gently. "I've arranged for tutors—specialists in every field: criminology in Paris, acrobatics in Tibet, chemistry in Berlin. The best of the best. I will be traveling under various assumed identities."
He then dropped the bombshell. "And I'm leaving you a security system."
Finn-Bruce led Alfred down into the Batcave. Henderson's crew had long been dismissed, and only Lucius Fox's highly vetted, discreet team of contractors had worked there. Lucius was currently installing the final security access panel.
When Alfred stepped onto the cavern floor, and the full, imposing scale of the place—the massive servers glowing with cold, blue light, the polished granite platform, the sheer scope of the underground fortress—hit him, the butler gasped, clutching his chest.
"Good heavens, Master Bruce! This is... a citadel!"
"It's the future, Alfred. Our future," Finn-Bruce said, walking toward the central console. "And it's yours to manage while I'm gone."
He pulled a small, silver key from his pocket and inserted it into a hidden slot on the console.
> [SYSTEM INITIATED: Legacy Protocol Alpha-Zero. Access: Fingerprint and Voice Command.]
Finn-Bruce placed his hand on the scanner. "My voice, my print. This is the only way in once I leave. Except for one other."
He looked at Alfred. "Alfred, my father loved you more than anyone. You are the only person I trust with my secret. And to protect you, you need access."
He took Alfred's hand—a hand that had nursed and disciplined him—and placed it gently on the scanner. "Speak your name, Alfred."
"Alfred Pennyworth," the butler whispered, his eyes moist.
The computer chimed. [Access granted: Alfred Pennyworth. Security Level: Administrative Override.]
"While I am gone, you are the only one who can enter the Batcave. You will manage Project Prometheus, monitor the global crime data, and ensure the facility remains secure," Finn-Bruce instructed. "I will contact you with specific codes and requests. You will be my eyes and ears, managing the intelligence I will need when I return."
He looked around the cave, his eyes finally settling on the perfect, flat landing pad. "I will return when I am ready, Alfred. And when I do, I will need a vehicle designed to utilize the entire technological power of this cave."
Alfred, overcome, simply nodded, tears tracking paths down his aged face. "I shall guard your secret with my life, Master Bruce. And I shall be here, waiting."
"I know you will, Alfred," Finn-Bruce said, the first true, unguarded emotion flashing in his eyes since his rebirth. He then turned to the System.
> [GLOBAL THREAT DETECTION: Low. Justice League Founding Members Secured: 2/7 (Indirect). Fortress Status: Operational (90%).]
The system was ready. The allies were set. The training was about to begin. The eight years of grueling, accelerated transformation that had taken the original Bruce Wayne a decade and a half were about to begin, optimized and enhanced by the System.
Finn-Bruce had died on a cheap carpet, but Bruce Wayne was about to be forged in fire, knowledge, and code.
The Dark Knight's journey into the abyss had officially begun.