**January 29, 1989. Around 8 AM, the start of the workday for most decent people.**
Gotham's elevated railway continued its morning routine of ferrying people to their jobs, a duty it had performed for nearly 20 years. Another principle of the railway, maintained throughout all this time, was its complete avoidance of Gotham's southern districts, where the local fauna still relied on the underground public transport—fitting for their status.
On the road passing directly beneath the railway tracks, right in the city center, Bruce Wayne was crossing the distance in his Ferrari. An inexperienced driver would have struggled to handle such a beast on winter roads slick with ice, but for Bruce, it was no problem.
Views of downtown Gotham's skyscrapers shot past him like bullets. Those very buildings Bruce once considered the pinnacle of human achievement now seemed almost like doghouses compared to modern high-rises. Dawn hadn't broken yet, and in the gray-blue morning sky, the acid-neon signs of the multistory buildings could be seen from miles away, but with sunrise, their light would only reflect more weakly against the fading stars.
Only one thing, besides the railway, remained completely true to itself. Or rather, to its status as the tallest building in all of Gotham for 66 years—Wayne Tower. Solomon Wayne began designing the tower as early as 1888, but it was completed by his son, Alan, Bruce's great-great-grandfather, years later. Since its completion in 1923, it had been the highest point not only for the Wayne family, but for all of Gotham.
Bruce arrives at his destination. He pulls into the parking lot adjacent to the tower. The cars in the lot were far from cheap, but compared to the Ferrari Bruce was driving, they weren't fit to lick its boots. Bruce calmly walks into the building. On the first floor, he's met by the receptionist. Bruce only needed to say his name to be waved through to the main part of the building—after all, he was the heir, and formally, already the owner of the entire Wayne Enterprises empire. Bruce's next move is to walk to the elevator, and as soon as he enters, he presses the button for the basement level, the storage area—strange for a man of his status.
Once in the storage area, Bruce first just slowly walks around, surveying the large warehouse space.
Lucius Fox, peeking slightly from behind a monitor: "Hm. I've been expecting you, Mr. Wayne."
Bruce Wayne, still surveying the room: "How did you know I was coming?"
Lucius Fox: "Saw you on the cameras. Then heard your elevator. Next time, if you want to catch me by surprise, come through the ventilation shaft. It's over there *points a finger*, entrance from the roof, ladder on the north side."
Bruce Wayne, not commenting on Lucius's words, continues inspecting the warehouse: "So this is what you do here? I remember when they called you practically the brightest mind in all of Wayne Enterprises. And now you work down here in the basement, watching over junk."
Lucius Fox, not taking Bruce's words as an insult: "Hm. No need to mock me, Mr. Wayne. Life did your work long before you did. So what's your business?"
Bruce Wayne: "Hm. At least your intellect hasn't fallen like your status," he says, handing Lucius his notebook with sketches of a bat-like costume concept.
Lucius Fox, picking up the notebook and examining the sketches: "Hm. Decided to get a job at the zoo where they're short on bats? Or heading to a children's party sponsored by Wayne Enterprises. I think the second option is closer, am I right?"
Bruce Wayne, unimpressed by Lucius's joke: "Missed twice. It's for business."
Lucius Fox: "Business that obviously doesn't concern me. You're still closer to the company's current owners than to your father."
Bruce Wayne, again not reacting to Lucius's comment: "You understand what's required of you?"
Lucius Fox: "Hm. We'll find something. Well, more precisely, we'll definitely find *something* down here."
For the next thirty minutes, Lucius combs through the storage for materials to fulfill Bruce's order. Bruce himself continues quietly examining the contents of the room, looking for anything that might be useful. Lucius eventually finds what he thinks will suit Bruce.
Lucius Fox, presenting the find to Bruce: "Here, Master Wayne, take a look. Kevlar. Triple-weave. Just as ordered."
Bruce Wayne: "How's the durability."
Lucius Fox: "Well, it'll definitely hold up against a dog bite."
Bruce Wayne: "What about a cat's?"
Lucius Fox: "Well, that depends on how feisty she is. Why, planning to get one?"
Bruce Wayne: "No. Got clawed by one yesterday, you know. Right in the rib."
Lucius Fox: "Hm. Adapting quickly after your return. Already attracting attention from the opposite sex, I see."
Bruce Wayne, unimpressed by Lucius's joke: "It'll do. How long do you need to whip up a suit from this? Can you do it in a couple of hours?"
Lucius Fox: "In a couple of hours, I could do it if I were working in my garage with my dad's tools. Here, we'll manage in about twenty minutes. You know, though I don't like the company's current upper management, at least under them the place is progressing."
Bruce Wayne: "What, was it stagnating under my father?"
Lucius Fox: "Well, slightly. He didn't like taking risks or getting into conflicts. As one wise man said: 'Not all conflicts lead to change, but all change begins with conflict.' Understand, Mr. Wayne?"
Bruce Wayne, again unimpressed by Lucius's phrase: "Yeah, yeah. Father was a weak-willed manager and was afraid extra risks and conflicts would destroy his empire. *slight pause* Listen, be a dear, Lucius, don't just stand there. Get to work."
Lucius Fox: "Hm. If I were a load-bearing beam in this basement, I wouldn't be able to support the weight of this building above me," with these words, Lucius gets down to business. He starts by approaching Bruce with a measuring tape in hand. "Mr. Wayne. Need to take your measurements."
Bruce Wayne, standing up and letting Lucius measure him: "You must have worked as a designer at some point."
Lucius Fox: "Hm. Yes. Measured so many meters of sheet metal, you could dress up as the Tin Woodman by now."
Lucius finishes taking Bruce's measurements. His substantial build, including a height of 6'2", a biceps circumference of 17 inches, and a chest width of 43 inches, already made Lucius think about the cost of making a suit for him. For the next fifteen minutes, Lucius worked full tilt on Bruce's order while Bruce wandered around the warehouse waiting.
Bruce Wayne: "Listen, aren't you afraid the suits upstairs will ask you about the missing materials?"
Lucius Fox: "I'm responsible for all the junk in this warehouse, Mr. Wayne. Management apparently never even reads my reports. They probably get lost on the way. It's a long way from the bottom to the top, three hundred meters after all."
Bruce Wayne: "I see. Every man is the president of his own house."
Lucius Fox: "Hm. Tell that to my wife."
Bruce Wayne, again unimpressed by Lucius's comment: "Will need to think about boots and gloves too."
Lucius Fox: "So, my idea is to make the Kevlar suit fully form-fitting and skin-tight, from heels to neck. As for boots," he says, pulling out a pre-prepared pair of boots. "Spiked mountain climbing boots. We'll trim the spikes, make them blunter. They won't lose traction but will be safer for anyone whose stomach or face gets acquainted with them. For gloves, I can offer," he produces pre-prepared gloves. "the same triple-weave Kevlar. We'll add a bit of lead over the knuckles, and they'll explain why your boots shouldn't be asked out on a date."
Bruce Wayne: "That'll do. And also..."
Lucius Fox: "Yes, the mask. Listen, these little horns, are they for camouflage among a herd of bulls?", he says, receiving only silence from Bruce in response. "We'll make them from the same materials. The mask will overlap onto the main part of the suit so it doesn't fly off during your acrobatics. We'll add white lenses over the eyeholes so you won't be recognized by them. In case your enemies turn out to be your friends and recognize you?"
Bruce doesn't answer Lucius's comment. He simply takes measurements of Bruce's head for the mask, and after another ten minutes, finishes designing the suit. Handing it to Bruce, he prepares to leave the Wayne Enterprises storage area.
Lucius Fox: "Well, maybe you want to try it on now? See how it fits, where it chafes, if at all?"
Bruce Wayne: "No. I'll try it on tonight."
Lucius Fox: "Ah, I see. A nighttime date with another beauty under the moonlight. Well, good luck to you, Mr. Wayne."
Bruce Wayne: "Yes. Thank you, Lucius," he says, leaving the room.