NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40 – Going Home
The next morning after his night raid on the syndicate’s biggest hideout, Matthias was sitting down on his dining table to eat his cereal. He could’ve made a delicious well-balanced and healthy breakfast, but he was feeling all sore and cranky this morning from the fight last night.
With every spoonful of cereals and milk he munched, he groans and sighs. He occasionally rubs the back of his shoulder that still felt sore from Batman’s shock device stuck on there, as well as his own explosive knife he used to blow the device away.
“Why’s my brother back here in Metropolis…?”
He wondered as he finished his cereals.
He’s been thinking of the why’s of his brother’s reappearance in Metropolis, and the one thing he’s been concerned about was that his brother came back here as the Batman.
“I couldn’t ask him why he’s here, or if he’s around in town since he never told me he’s in Metropolis and asking him that would make him suspicious.”
Matthias stood up and cleaned his bowl. He then went to the bathroom, removed his clothes, and went for the mirror to look at the back of his shoulder.
“Haaa…” he sighed as he looked; the back of his shoulder had a scar on it because of his explosive knife blowing the device, and the pieces became shrapnells, injuring the back of his shoulder.
“This’ll teach me to never ever underestimate anyone in this superhero world.”
The truth is that Matthias didn’t actually underestimate anyone, not to mention a powerful character like Batman. Batman may be human and has no superhuman or godlike powers like Superman, but he’s the true epitome of ‘powers are no match for the skilled’, which is shown from his fight against Wraith.
Matthias reach down his pocket; the ancient Egyptian ring that is made of Nth metal is in his hand. He gripped it tight, thinking hard about whether he’s going to wear the ring or not just to heal his shoulder.
‘Those head-splitting visions aren’t gonna get me again, right?’
Having the trauma of receiving the weird visions from wearing the ring, Matthias steeled himself before finally wearing the ring.
“Here goes…”, and Matthias wore the ring on his right hand index finger.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Nothing happened.
Matthias heaved a sigh of relief, and looked in the mirror to see the back of his shoulder. The scar is healing rapidly thanks to the Nth metal ring, but there’s still some scar remaining though barely visible.
He then went for the shower.
“… I guess I need to train more.
Matthias washed himself while thinking,
“I need to upgrade too, and maybe make another personas while I’m at it.
~ ~ ~
…
“I told you, dude! They say that Batman was actually seen in Metropolis!”
Matthias’ loud friend, Robert McCormick, excitedly told a piece of rumors about Batman’s appearance somewhere in Metropolis.
“There’s even a story about how he’s able to beat that infamous gangster killer, Wraith!”
“Dude, there’s no way Batman would be in Metropolis. Everybody knows his turf is Gotham City. Why would he be here, anyway?”
A classmate who overheard Robert interjects.
“Maybe he’s here to hunt for the Wraith? I mean, the news this morning all talks about his attack last night in the west harbor, right?”
“Yeah, there’s an uproar in the west harbor about a storage building being attacked, with several men presumed to be the members of an unknown criminal organization dead, and some left half alive.”
“Didn’t the news also say that there’s numerous burning crates full of smuggled weapons and drugs?”
“Maybe some of them mistook him for the Wraith? Or maybe Wraith and Batman are the same person? Oooo~ what a theory, right?”
The whole classmate went noisy, talking about the news this morning about how the Wraith attacks an abandoned storage building in the Metropolis harbor, burning half of it and killing several members of the crime syndicate.
Matthias and Annie only sat down in silence as the crowd all talking about the morning news, with the latter not wholly interested in the topic, and the former not paying attention and just silently thinking.
“Yo Matty, you’re all silent again today. Wassup?” asked Robert as he sat down next to Matthias.
“Hmmm? Oh, nothing to worry about.”
“Matthias,” Annie softly called for Matthias, her head leaning to the side as she continued,
“Remember what we talked about us being your friend? You can try and rely on us if you have something on your mind.”
Both Robert and Annie were smiling beside Matthias, overwhelming psychologically overwhelming him as he was frantically searching for a way out.
Finally, Matthias just sighed and smiled back.
“Okay, fine. Maybe you guys can help me.”
Annie and Robert seemed overjoyed while the silently exclaimed a “Yes!” under their breath.
“So, what help do you need?” asked Annie.
Matthias was pondering a bit, and then he asked away,
“So… you guys know I have a brother, right?”
“Yes-yes, the multi-millionaire conglomerate who owns the Gotham’s most prestigious Wayne Tower. Are you just trying to flex on us?” Robert jests.
“Haha~ well… let’s just say that he has a certain line he never cross. Like a moral code, I guess. And then there’s me, who did something that is against that moral code my brother has, as in I have my own moral code. So my question is, should I just follow my brother’s? Or should I not be doing anything that challenge his code?”
Annie and Robert were looking at each other as they pondered about how to answer.
“Well, is your own ‘moral code’ something bad?” asked Robert.
“Well, rather than bad, I’d say I have the believe that it’s the better choice.”
“Matthias, if you truly believe that it’s the better choice, then why are you still so disconcerted?” asked Annie softly.
“Well I don’t know… maybe I’m just afraid that my brother would be disappointed?”
Annie smiled, and straightened her back and stretched her arms forward.
“Matthias~, if you’re worried that your- ummm, moral code challenged your brother’s believe, then that means you’ve grown mature, you know?”
“Yeah! That means you can think for yourself and not being tied by the way other’s thinks!” continued Robert.
Matthias listened to the two’s advice wholeheartedly, though he now as another conflict in his mind,
‘If only these two knows that my moral code has me killing the incorrigible criminals.’
“So, Matty, any more help you need from us?”
“No~ no~ thank you, Rob, and Annie. I guess that took some weight off of my shoulders.”
Robert patted- or rather, smacked Matthias’ back as he went, “glad to be of help, brother!”, and Annie just lightly giggled on the side.
…
Class is over, and there’s no more lecture, so Matthias and his friends went outside the campus to try and find lunch together before going home, when.
“Uhhh, Matt… isn’t that your brother?”
“Yeah… yeah he is.”
In front of the Metropolis University’s main gate was a black luxury Mercedes sedan, and beside it was a tall and handsome man wearing a luxury suit, with his black hair slicked back, and his posture as straight as a pillar.
It was Bruce Wayne, and his appearance here in front of Metropolis University shocks everyone around him.
Matthias approached his brother.
“Hey, bro, what are you here for?”
“Get in the car, Matty. We’re going home.”
...
“… huh?”