Bruce Wayne

Chapter 32: Wayne Enterprises

The elevator pinged softly as it arrived on the top floor. The doors parted smoothly, and Bruce strode confidently out. The room at the end of the hall was his destination. Having called ahead to set up the meeting, Bruce knew where to go. His pace was brisk enough so as to not be late but not so fast as to hurry. He held the majority of shares in the company; the board members would wait for him if required.

Pushing both of the double doors open, Bruce entered the meeting room as noticeably as possible, short of being escorted by a brass band. The room was long and bright. Floor to ceiling windows lining the south and east walls made the room appear to lack walls of any kind. Made of black marble, the rectangular conference table dominated the length of the room, surrounded by padded leather chairs of matching color.

Dressed in formal suits, ten men and four women stood up from the table in a show of respect as Bruce walked in. They were the board of directors for Wayne Enterprises. At the head of the table was the man currently in charge of things, Lucius Fox.

Standing perfectly straight, the thin and athletic businessman wore a brown suit and golden yellow tie. Lucius had dark skin and even darker hair.  Gold wireframe glasses were perched on his nose, and his gaze made Bruce instantly focus upon him. Everyone in the room was looking toward Bruce, but the intensity of Lucius' stare made Bruce cautious. Lucius seemed more alert and perceptive than the other executives, and it made him dangerous to Bruce and his secrets. Keeping his objectives and agenda hidden from Lucius would be a challenge.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bruce said in greeting. He took the available seat at the foot of the table, not wanting to displace anyone. He was only here to speak with them, and until he knew them and how they were going to assist or hinder him, Bruce didn't want to disrupt anything. "I've looked over the public records of the company, and I believe you have all done a tremendous job. Wayne Enterprises is successful and highly profitable, both for itself and its stockholders. I would like to be a part of my family's company, but I see no reason to disrupt an organization that's working well. Since you know the company best, do you have any suggestions?"

The executives returned to their seats, relaxing slightly when it appeared he wouldn't be dismissing any of them from the company. His ultimate goals were unknown to them, so they didn't relax entirely.

"Since your father left the company to work at the hospital, his office has remained unused," Lucius explained. His hands were folded on the table, and his voice was cultured and even; everything about the man was professional and orderly. "I think it would be fitting if you took over his office. We can supply you with detailed company records for you to review and see if anything sparks your interest."

"Sounds good," Bruce said. "If there's nothing else, I'd like to get started."

"I would like to say one more thing," Lucius announced as he stood from his chair and straightened his golden tie. "It will be nice to have a Wayne back with the company again."

The other board members offered similar sentiment.

Bruce rose from his chair. Before departing, he came around and shook Lucius' hand. "Thank you. Good to meet you, Mr. Fox."

"Likewise, Mr. Wayne," Lucius returned.

Bruce exited the conference room, and as he walked to the elevator, he pulled out a slim case from the inside pocket of his jacket. Opening the case, Bruce removed an earpiece and slipped it into his right ear. The elevator arrived, and Bruce pressed the button for the proper floor, leaning one shoulder against the wall. He returned the case to his pocket and listened to the bug he'd planted under the conference room table. He needed to know who were either his allies or potential opponents.