"BREAKTHROUGH PROTOCOL."
The file opened. Pages of chemical formulas, biological data, genetic research filled the screen. This was nine years of work, synthesized from every bit of meta-knowledge he possessed and every scientific field he'd mastered.
The Breakthrough Formula.
Bruce had created it three years ago as a failsafe. A chemical cocktail that would force his body to reach absolute peak human capability instantly, bypassing the years of gradual training that natural development required. It would push every physical attribute to 100, the absolute ceiling of natural human potential, in a matter of hours.
The catch was the pain. The formula worked by supercharging his cellular metabolism, forcing rapid muscle development, bone density increase, neurological optimization, and metabolic enhancement all at once. The human body wasn't meant to change that fast. The pain would be extraordinary, possibly beyond what most people could endure.
But Bruce's Spirit stat was at 78. His willpower was exceptional. He'd spent nine years pushing through pain in the Pocket Dimension, training until his body broke down and then training more. He knew he could endure it.
The question was whether he should.
Using the formula meant abandoning his careful, methodical approach. It meant taking a shortcut instead of earning every point through hard work. Part of Bruce rebelled against that idea. He'd spent nine years doing everything the hard way specifically to prove he could.
But another part, the pragmatic part that had analyzed the compressed timeline and calculated the probabilities, knew there was no choice.
'Pride is a luxury I can't afford,' Bruce thought. 'If I die because I wasn't strong enough, all my planning means nothing. The Justice League never forms properly. The world isn't ready for the threats coming. People die because I was too stubborn to take a shortcut when it mattered.'
He looked at the formula again. All the ingredients were synthesized and stored in a secure location back in Gotham. He'd built everything he needed three years ago, hoping he'd never have to use it.
Now he had no choice.
Bruce made his decision. He'd finish the Smallville trip, maintain his cover as a normal student on a cultural exchange. But the moment he got back to Gotham, he'd implement the Breakthrough Protocol. One week maximum. He'd reach perfect peak human, then immediately begin working on. the next phase: superhuman enhancements.
The timeline wasn't going to wait for him. Superman was coming. The Justice League would be needed soon. And Bruce Wayne needed to be ready to lead them.
He spent the next three hours updating his plans, adjusting timelines, recalculating probabilities based on the compressed schedule. By the time he finished, he had a new roadmap.
Eighteen months until Superman goes public. Use that time to reach peak human, begin initial superhuman enhancements, establish global monitoring network, make contact with other future heroes.
Twenty-four months until Justice League formation. Have all infrastructure ready, all key heroes identified and preliminarily recruited, all major threats mapped and contingencies prepared.
Thirty-six months until first major crisis. Be strong enough to survive it. Be smart enough to win it. Be prepared enough that Earth doesn't pay the price for his inadequacy.
Bruce closed his laptop and looked out the window of his room. Smallville slept peacefully below, unaware that the boy on the Kent farm would soon become Earth's greatest hero.
'But he won't be alone,' Bruce thought. 'When the time comes, when he puts on that cape and flies into battle, I'll be right there with him. Not as the human who barely keeps up. As an equal. As a partner. As someone he trusts to have his back.'
'And I'll make sure we're all ready. Every hero. Every contingency. Every possible threat mapped and prepared for.'
'Because I know what's coming. And I refuse to let this world burn because I wasn't strong enough or smart enough or fast enough to stop it.'
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