<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/64/Young_Batman.jpg)</div><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Name:</strong> Batman (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=294841.msg14455706#msg14455706)<br/><strong>Date | Time:</strong> Present<br/><strong>Location:</strong> Earth probably<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Open<br/><strong>Note:</strong> That doesn't help clarify things .</span><br/><hr/><em>Chinese? Seriously?</em>Bruce had no idea what language the strange (to put it mildly) woman (at least she looked like a woman, given the fact she appeared to have breasts. But given the fact she clearly wasn't from around here that wasn't a guarantee of anything).  Bruce kept his face impassive as the mysterious being who was presumably Doctor Fate spoke, but he didn't have as mush experience keeping his emotions under control, as Raven could undoubtedly attest. As much information as was pertinent? Who the hell was Fate to determine what was pertinent? Bruce had read many cases where a seemingly insignificant detail had proved crucial to cracking the case, and he'd made sure to try and track down even a seemingly insignificant scrap of knowledge during his studies, well aware that his life might depend on that someday. So the idea that someone was deliberately withholding information from him did not sit well with him at all. Especially not after Fate indicated he knew about a planet called Krypton destruction and hadn't done anything about it, because it wasn't 'pertinent' to whatever mysterious plot he was devising.<br/><br/>But strangely enough that wasn't the most disturbing thing Fate said. 'Play a significant role in the universe's survival'? With just a quick glance around the room, Bruce was sure Fate must have made some sort of mistake including him. There was an empath with telekinetic powers, some mystical entity and at least three aliens. What did Bruce have to contribute to a group like this? Especially when someone like Fate was involved who could just reshape reality whenever it suited him. Which is why Bruce found the speech given by the red haired man (was he trying to show off or something?) as he tried to show off his so-called power of deduction less than impressive. First of all, the ability to see what was right in front of your face was hardly a 'power', even if most people seemed to lack that capacity. And the conclusions the man had reached were highly suspect. Not only didn't they know if they were even on earth, but if the man thought 'oh, this is expensive' was a brilliant deduction worthy of being called a power...well, Bruce wasn't to worried about his identity being exposed, even if Fate hadn't actually put up the screen to shield Bruce's appearance like he promised. Not to mention the fact, with his beard, unkempt hair, and lack of hygiene for the past two weeks, Bruce looked NOTHING like the spoiled rich kid those who were looking for him expected to find.<br/><br/>And then, Bruce was being stared down by the clear alien in the room, and Bruce returned her gaze without blinking, though the close up exam left him little more information than hat he had already determined. The same could not be said for her actions later, as she went to hug the blonde alien...and could suddenly speak English? Just from the touch? Bruce tried not to be to irritated as he recalled the years of work he had put into mastering languages, but instead wondered just what else the alien had picked up. 'Don't touch the orange alien.' Bruce noted. Like Raven, that would give out for more information than he was willing to reveal. And now that Bruce could understand her...apparently he wasn't the only one who thought Fate got the wrong guy. And the blonde alien did bring up an interesting point...what if they didn't want to stay? Would they be allowed to leave?<br/><br/>But it was Raven's reaction Bruce was most interested in, and now that he was aware of the why of it, he managed to repress his instinctive urge to protect Raven as she flinched back from the orange aliens unwelcome approach. Not that Raven would really need his help anyway if she was attacked, Bruce mused, but it was what she said he found the most interesting. Raven certainly seemed to grasp the concept of other realities quite easily, and she brought up an excellent point. If all Fate needed to do was recruit two people off of an entire planet...did the planet really need to be destroyed to do so?<br/><br/>Raven's next question was so spot on that Bruce wondered if she'd picked up his doubts, though given the fact others had verbalized similar doubts made it unnecessary. And in any case, Bruce was well aware he was more interested in her than she was in him, and he was also aware of how dangerous that could be for him. Though even without the emotional cloud she seemed to cause for him, he couldn't miss the emphasis she put on the word 'background' made him wonder just what she was hiding, especially as she wanted to discuss it in private. That was a red flag if Bruce had ever seen one...though the mystery about her just made him even more interested in her, and it had nothing to do with the crush. If he was going to work with these people, no matter what he stakes, he had to know everything he could about them.<br/><br/>Bruce only had one question he wanted to ask...if he was going to stay, he had several plans he wanted to enact, and he doubted the supplies he needed to do so would be available no matter how well equipped the mansion was, as some of them hadn't even been invented yet. But for now, Bruce didn't see the point of saying anything as several of the others had asked questions that he wanted the answers to as well. So Bruce just sat back and observed. right now he was in the data collection phase of his plan...the time would come later to execute it.