Chapter 34

Breakfast in the Titans Tower was a sacred time. We all intrinsically understood how important that brief moment of waking up was. That thirty minutes of grogginess that needs to be carefully walked through in order to awaken naturally.

This process could be sped up occasionally with coffee, but not immediately eradicated. Personally, I never thought myself as a coffee person, but after Robin bought some overpriced coffee maker, I’ve been a changed man.

But in those moments before my coffee or breakfast? I might as well be dead. There was no reaction to be drawn from me. It didn’t matter if I walked in on Starfire squeezing the life out of four bottles of mustard into her mouth. Nor did it matter when I saw a naked Beast Boy in the sink.

These things couldn’t phase me.

A few of the Titans had a similar way of things. Raven being even more snippy and out of it than I could ever be. Instead of coffee though she usually drinks some sort of tea. Galatea only needs to see the sun in order for her to wake up, but if anyone messes with her before then, they were going to eat their own teeth.

While Robin was normally the most alert of all of us, he had a tendency to sporadically crash. And if he awakens in the middle of that long nap, he is going to be very irritable.

Growing up in Gotham, I knew a lot of kids that were morning people. Likely due to necessity. In the orphanage they’d wake up early in order to secure their breakfast. On the streets they’d wake up early in order to not be messed with. Either by gang members, hobos, or other orphans.

Yet I was different. An outlier.

If I had to point at anything being the cause, it would likely be my ability. It’s kept me safe for as long as I could remember. Allowing me to hit way above my weight class and surprise those that were older and stronger.

This protection wasn’t enough to not make me a light sleeper, but it was enough to make me feel secured enough in order to not be immediately alert from the moment I wake up.

This changed the moment I opened the door to the top floor and saw Batman standing there mere feet away.

A surge of adrenaline ran through me as my eyes widened and took in everything around me. My senses immediately sharpening in reaction. For a few seconds he said nothing, just stared at me as my heart hammered itself in my chest. Those few seconds were all that was needed to make me nervous.

“We need to talk.”

He commented before turning around. Making his way towards the room with the Zeta Tube in it.

“…That we do.”

I followed behind after a moment of recovery. For fucks sake…out of all the Justice League members to meet with, why did it have to be Batman? And this early in the morning? Jesus, could Robin have given me a better heads up than ‘they’ve set up a meeting tomorrow’?

It didn’t take long for the Zeta machine to scan both me and the Dark Knight, before finally teleporting us. My stomach started to do flips like before but…it wasn’t nearly as bad. Perhaps I was getting used to it?

The place Batman had teleported us into was…off. It was a room that didn’t stand out very much as unusual. It was high tech, much higher tech than what we had back at the Tower. But besides that, it was pretty normal. I guess another way of describing it was metallic.

Batman exited the room through an automatic door and into a hallway that continued to be rather...high tech. The hallway was compromised of a secure metal walkway with various cords and wires being run underneath it. Like, an absolute fuck ton of wires and cords.

None of this meant anything, but for some reason I got the distinct feeling something was just…off about this place. A sense of unease that wasn’t due solely to the Batman being here.

On the way to…wherever Batman was leading me, we ran into two people. Or rather should I say they ran into us. Two individuals with green skin and red eyes. One was more masculine and…alien looking than the other. Though perhaps I’m only saying that because the second one had tits as well as red hair.

If this had been anywhere else or if she had been with anyone other than the Martian Manhunter, I would have immediately fled the premises. Red hair and green skin, while extremely attractive, was also usually a sign to get the fuck out of there.

Thankfully, this wasn’t Gotham.

…I think?

The, what I presume at least, Martians had taken to flying through the walls via some sort of phasing ability. Which lead to them stumbling upon us. Martian Manhunter nodded at Batman before nodding at me, whereas the girl seemed to look at me with wide eyes before waving frantically with a smile.

I gave a small wave back. This didn’t seem to perturb the girl, as she simply continued to wave energetically for several seconds before finally stopping. Heh, it was hard to not be at least amused by the amount of energy she seemed to have. It reminded me a bit of Beast Boy and Starfire mixed together.

…Wow, that was a horrific image.

After we passed them, I still felt a gaze boring into my back. I wasn’t sure which martian it was, but I wasn’t going to fuck around and find out.

After a little while of walking, Batman finally lead me into a very wide and open room. One that looked a lot like a sort of conference or meeting area. It was very official looking, with various gadgets and gizmos over the place.

“Take a seat.”

I was both annoyed by the command, but also not willing to not go against Batman. So, I sat down like a fucking punk ass bitch. A fact that grated on me something fierce.

The main thing keeping me in check being the threat of getting the shit beaten out of me. Which…Batman could definitely do. With ease as well.

Batman waited for me to sit down before deciding to pull a chair out of it’s designated spot in order to sit across from me. It was an interrogation tactic I was familiar with, but was no less effective for it.

“I would like to start off this conversation by…apologizing.”

I blinked.

Then blinked again.

And blinked a third time just to make sure the others weren’t hallucinations. Batman, the man who lurked inside every shadow and was behind every corner, had just apologized. To me.

…Huh.

“In a Justice League conference, I discussed the cure before it had been fully tested. I failed to consider the information leaking outside. Due to this, I take full responsibility.”

…Yeah, I wasn’t sure how to respond at this point. He just continued to glare at me through his mask as I sat awkwardly across from him. Trying to form a response.

“So…how did it leak?”

It was a piece of knowledge that I failed to find in my search on the subject. Instead, all I could find was everyone talking about it and reacting to the news.

“After informing the Justice League about the cure as well as my…potential actions going forward if the testing proved positive, Captain Marvel was interviewed then later. In which he told the news about your cure, as well as a bit of misinformation.”

‘Your cure.’ I felt myself relaxing at that. It felt nice for it to be recognized as my work so casually. Even if I only created it out of halfhearted curiosity.

Captain Marvel huh? He was that guy that was pretty much Superman lite, right? Didn’t expect that. The way Batman phrased his words…it sounded like…

“So…are things that are discussed in these ‘conferences’ supposed to be confidential?”

Batman paused at that. Frowning slightly at my words, but not seemingly at me. Or at least I hope it wasn’t at me. There wasn’t much I could do to regrow teeth.

“…They are.”

The way he said that immediately told me pretty much everything I needed to know about the subject. As well as the fact that I shouldn’t stay on this topic. Surprisingly, it was Batman who changed the conversation first.

“If you want the Justice League to drop your cure as well as documents relating to it, we will. I will completely understand your reluctance to work with the Justice League on this project.”

…really? Just like tha-

“-But, if you allow us to help, I promise that we will take care of everything on our end. Covering the trials, legal work, news, manufacture process and distribution. You will still retain all rights, your name as the sole creator, and 45% of the proceeds.”

Forty five percent huh? I wasn’t sure if that was a big or small number. Math told me that the Justice League would then be getting the bigger share of the profits, but then they’d also be the ones being billed for all the work that goes on into replicating and distributing it…

Leaving with the cure was also just a choice. Though I wasn’t entirely trusting of the Justice League. It was possible they’d just keep the work that was already done in secret, and just go from there. Possibly having someone seemingly unrelated come out with it in a few years time.

Although…they would take a serious hit publicly if they just announce that they didn’t actually have the cure. Especially with Captain Marvel of all people saying differently. It would be a pretty bad look.

So, at bare minimum if they don’t just immediately go back on their word, they’d take a pretty substantial hit to their reputation. Which…is actually pretty valuable leverage.

Though if it does happen, the other members of the Justice League might not appreciate-

My thoughts were interrupted by Batman sliding a piece of paper that he pulled out of…his belt? Huh. How did it even fit in there? It was still nice and straight too. Not bent or worn at all. As if it was straight from the printer.

On it was…a bunch of graphs and numbers.

I had no clue what I was looking at.

Batman reached over before pointing at a specific part of the paper.

“This is what you’d be receiving monthly if you accept, as well as your advance payment. Compensation for the Justice League’s leak is included.”

After he removed his finger, I could finally see what he was pointing to. I frowned as I tried looking for the number before realizing it took up a good portion of the spot. After tracing-

Jesus fucking Christ.

I didn’t even know numbers went up that high. I of course attempted to play it cool, but I think it took too long for me to compose myself after seeing it. Still, if Batman noticed he didn’t say anything about it.

…There was no way I would be able to get my hands on that kind of cash. Not for something so simple like this. Something that might not even work. There had to be another angle.

Maybe it was just bait for me to accept? No, they didn’t need a big number to do that. They could just completely ignore and stiff me and it wouldn’t change a thing.

Let’s assume the money’s real. What’s the angle here?

To save face, of course. That had to be a factor, but even still I found it hard to believe their reputation for the next few months was worth this. What else?

To incentivize me to work with them if I make anything in the future. It made sense. If I never branch out to others in order to make a contract I’ll never know the market value for my ideas and inventions. They’ll functionally have a monopoly over whatever I create.

Though to be quite honest…as long as I was getting numbers like this? I could swallow that pill. Jesus, I couldn’t even imagine this amount of cash, much less more of it.

Not to mention they were taking a chance on-

Ahhhhh.

Hahaha, I see now.

“You’ve tested it, haven’t you?”

I questioned Batman, to which he responded.

“We have. Out of a hundred cases, eighty-seven of them came up positive.”

“Test subjects?”

“Adult men and women. Forty percent were only partially deaf or hard of hearing. Twenty percent were born disabled. Thirty five percent were near incapable of hearing anything.”

Interesting…

“And the remaining five percent?”

“A variety of different factors.”

My eyes narrowed at that. An evasive answer if I’ve ever heard one. I was lightly surprised that Batman was so…open about his human experimentation. My own experimentation on rats was still under wraps. Almost everyone who’s never stepped foot in the Lab didn’t know about it.

So, this must be what Lex was referring to when he was talking about the clinical trials and FDA approved stuff. Huh. I would’ve been a bit less reserved about human experimentation if I had known the Justice League did things like this.

Batman had fallen silent. Likely waiting for me to finally hand down my choice. Have to say, he pretty much won me the moment I saw that number. My greed was overcoming everything else I was feeling in that moment.

Still, it didn’t help me at all to seem too eager. It was better to seem like I was thinking it over, as well as seeing just how much more I could get away with.

“Hmm…will I also be kept in the know about the results of any and all experimentation with my cure?”

“Of course.”

Batman answered easily and without emotion. Causing me to narrow my eyes. He said that way too quickly and prepared. Which means that was definitely a lie. Unfortunate, but not really a deal breaker.

I nodded my head before putting my hand out. I…wasn’t really sure what else to do in a business deal or in order to sign contracts. So I just copied what I saw done in movies. Batman blinked at my open hand before shaking it.

…He was strong. Unbending like metal. If it wasn’t for the fact that I could see flesh on his face I’d assume he was a robot. How much of it was his suit, and how much of it was him I wonder…

He then told me that I needed to sign a contract, and in several places as well. Which was definitely new to me. Of course, I carefully read through it first but…to be quite honest, I didn’t understand a word of it besides ‘profit’ and ‘proceeds’.

So, it was mostly just me pretending to be smarter than I actually was. A fact that annoyed me more than a bit.

I spent the next hour and a half just like that. Asking what I thought were decent sounding questions occasionally before finally finishing up and going on my way. Batman gave me directions in case I forgot where we had come from.

It didn’t seem as if he was going to escort me. A fact that took the edge off the pressure in my shoulders. Leaving me to walk back to the Zeta-tube room.

Just as I was about to make my exit, I came to a sudden realization.

I hadn’t seen a single window in the entire time I was here.