1. Going Home
◎Ludwig: If family relationships are bad, who’s to blame? ◎
It was a bright, sunny day. Even in Gotham, a place usually shrouded in the shadows of death and crime, the sky was unusually clear.
Newspaper vendors shouted along the streets, selling the latest papers. Although few people these days still read physical newspapers, not everyone has a smart phone with enough intelligence, right?
“Hey, kid! Give me a newspaper.” The man said, pulling out some bills and handing them to the vendor. The vendor responded smoothly by handing the newspaper to the man.
“Have a great weekend, kind sir,” the vendor said with a comical hat tip. The man understood the gesture and threw the money into the vendor’s hat, watching happily as the vendor ran off.
This was probably one of the few pleasures the people of Gotham had.
“Dear, any news?” The man’s wife carried a cup of coffee as she walked from inside the house to her husband, who was sunbathing in the yard, smiling as she asked.
“Same old stuff. The police, with Batman’s help, cracking some case, Wayne Enterprises doing some charity again. To be honest, I’m tired of it… Wait? Bruce Wayne is returning to Gotham with his young son Ludwig Wayne and Damian Wayne, and is publicly announcing a run for Gotham’s mayor?” The man stared at the newspaper in disbelief, as if trying to burn a hole through the page.
“Oh, my god, Gotham is about to change,” the lady looked up at the sky. A plane flew across the blue, leaving a long white trail behind.
“This isn’t fair! I’m clearly the eldest. Why is Ludwig’s name in front?” Damian threw the newspaper onto the breakfast-covered table in anger, his fury aimed at his brother who was spreading jam on bread.
【The reality is, I was born before you.】 Sitting opposite Damian was a boy about the same age. Ludwig, who inherited their father’s good genes, had a delicate face and sapphire-blue eyes. Compared to his brother’s fiery bright eyes, his gaze was calmer, even with a hint of light brown in the pupils.
Strangely, he didn’t speak out loud, yet his words clearly reached everyone’s ears present.
“Ludwig! I’m a whole year older than you!” Damian shouted stubbornly.
【Based on bone age, yes.
[efn_note]Petri dish is a small, shallow, round container with a lid, usually made of glass or plastic. Scientists use it in laboratories to grow bacteria, cells, or other microorganisms under controlled conditions.[/efn_note]
Petri dishes are effective, aren’t they?】 Ludwig raised his eyebrows provocatively and dodged Damian just as he lunged to hit him.
【Face reality, I was just born earlier.】
“Alright, alright, kids, no fighting on the plane.” Bruce Wayne, standing nearby, reluctantly separated his two children. His tall body stood between them like a wall, stopping their endless bickering.
Bruce Wayne had the most trouble dealing with his two children, especially since one was raised by the League of Assassins and the other was a superpowered individual.
More precisely, Ludwig was a powerful mutant. Whatever he said—even the most ridiculous—would come true. That’s why he only needed to use his mind to send his voice into others’ minds.
By calculation, Bruce hadn’t heard Ludwig’s voice out loud for ten years.
Bruce ruffled both of his sons’ hair, one with each hand. As a father, he always hoped his children could get along peacefully.
“Alright, I’ll let it go this time—since I’m the older brother,” Damian muttered as he obediently sat back down. Ludwig also sensibly signaled a truce and pulled out his laptop to handle some company matters.
Since their father had run away from home and never contacted the family again, and Bruce had to raise both Damian and Ludwig, he had no choice but to find some work to support them. Later on, when Ludwig revealed some of his abilities, that “some work” pretty much became his playground.
Although it couldn’t compare to Wayne Enterprises, it was enough to support the three of them and fund a few orphans.
But just as he opened the laptop, his father closed it again. “Ludwig, no computers on the plane,” Bruce warned seriously. He didn’t want to see his son wearing thick glasses in just a few years.
【But—!】 Ludwig tried to argue, but Bruce shut him down immediately.
“No buts! Even Clark doesn’t play with his phone while flying.”
【Fine.】 At the mention of Superman—Clark—Ludwig had no room to argue. After all, in some ways, Clark was Ludwig’s teacher, a role model he looked up to in many aspects.
With nothing else to do, Ludwig sat next to Damian in a huff. But kids get distracted easily, and before long, the two were playing rock-paper-scissors again.
Damian had long since learned how to control his thoughts to prevent Ludwig from cheating—after all, mind-reading was Ludwig’s passive ability, and he was always reading everyone’s thoughts whether he wanted to or not.
Seeing his two sons finally quiet down, Bruce let out a sigh. Watching Ludwig and Damian, he couldn’t help but recall everything that had happened over the years.
Bruce was originally from Gotham, but after surviving a terrifying shooting incident, his father sent him away to the safer Metropolis. There, he stayed until graduating from university. Although he’d planned to return to Gotham, he chose instead to embark on a global academic journey because of his father’s intense hatred for mutants—referring specifically to Batman.
Later, after breaking up with a woman over some events, Bruce continued on alone with Ludwig, who was old enough to walk by then, and they went from place to place for further studies. That was when they encountered Damian, who had run away from home to find his father.
After a cycle of fallouts, cooperation, and more fallouts with Damian’s mother, Bruce and Ludwig successfully took Damian with them. Although Damian wasn’t naturally conceived, both Bruce and Ludwig loved him deeply.
As a side note, when Bruce found Damian, he had already been artificially aged to be one year older than Ludwig. As for who should be the big brother, the two had already fought about it more than a hundred times.
And now, with his education complete, Bruce felt it was finally time to return to his hometown—and give back to the city he came from.
【I think it’s better not to get our hopes up too much.】 Ludwig answered his father while taking a break from roughhousing with Damian.
【Doesn’t Gotham have someone called… the Bat-Man? He might try to stop our reforms.】
“Batman? He’s just a coward hiding behind a fake mask,” Damian scoffed. In his eyes, aside from his father and brother, no one else was worth fearing.
“It’s Batman,” Bruce corrected gracefully as he sipped his coffee. In those deep blue eyes—deeper than the ocean—shone a confidence and composure that matched.
“Although I don’t quite agree with his methods, I believe he’ll understand what to choose between the rule of law and vigilante justice.”
Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor, the current Batman, Thomas Wayne, had just taken off his heavy batsuit and changed into more comfortable home clothes. He sleepily made his way to the dining table and gave his wife a good morning kiss.
“Morning, Alfred,” Thomas yawned widely. Last night’s Batman duties had gone on too long. He had to admit—he wasn’t young anymore, and all-nighters were getting harder.
“It’s not that early, sir. Young master and the two little young masters’ flight will arrive in Gotham in an hour. I need to leave now,” Alfred said as he handed him a cup of coffee, gently reminding him not to forget that Bruce was coming home with the kids today.
“It’s today?! Bruce and the boys are coming back?” Thomas’ sleepiness instantly vanished. He rushed off toward his room to change, excitement over seeing his son again sweeping away the frustration of a case that had been going nowhere.
“Sit down, Thomas. Don’t make yourself a laughingstock in front of the kids,” Martha stopped her husband from trying to head out the door. She didn’t think he should go pick up Bruce and the grandchildren while still groggy—especially since things had been tense between father and son ever since Bruce’s rebellious years. If Thomas said something he shouldn’t out of fatigue, that would be terrible.
“You’ll see them soon enough. There’s no need to rush.” Under Martha’s gentle persuasion, Thomas finally regained his composure. He decided to head upstairs for a short rest so he could face his son and grandsons in the best condition.
And so, when Bruce led his two children through the swarm of reporters, the first person they saw was none other than the longtime family butler, Alfred.
“Alfred! It’s been so long!” Bruce joyfully hugged the old butler and, once in the car, introduced his two precious sons.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Young Master Bruce—and Young Masters Damian and Ludwig. But now’s not the best time for chatting,” Alfred said with a knowing smile, then drove off before the reporters could swarm them.
Bruce sat in the front passenger seat, chatting with Alfred about their travels, though his eyes frequently looked back at Ludwig with concern.
Damian and Ludwig sat together in the back. Damian held Ludwig’s hand, trying to communicate with him telepathically.
【What’s going on with you? Your powers have vanished several times lately.】 Although Damian often acted like he didn’t care about Ludwig, he was still his brother—and he was genuinely worried.
Ludwig didn’t really want to answer, but there was no hiding his condition. From a young age, he had displayed a wide range of superpowers—from mind reading and telekinesis to force fields. This was also why Bruce had felt confident enough to travel the world with him as a child.
But recently, Ludwig’s powers had been mysteriously weakening—some even showing signs of disappearing entirely.
From the very first time he tried to pour water with his mind—only for the cup to fall mid-air and shatter on the ground—Ludwig had a feeling that something was seriously wrong. But he still did his best to hide his weakness.
Originally, when they landed this time, Ludwig had planned to make himself, his father, and Damian invisible and slip away unnoticed. But the moment he got off the plane, his powers weakened again, and they had no choice but to fight their way through the sea of reporters and flashing cameras.
【This is a good thing,】 Ludwig forced a smile while suppressing the unease in his heart. 【Maybe I can become a normal person.】
But not now.
Ludwig felt a bit miserable. His father was about to run for mayor in the most dangerous city in the world. Even if he couldn’t be his father’s strength, he should at least avoid becoming a burden at such a critical time.
But Damian easily saw through all of Ludwig’s thoughts. He knew those words weren’t sincere. After experiencing the convenience and power of supernatural abilities, it was always hard to adjust to life without them. Damian didn’t have any solution to the problem, but he was determined to accompany, protect, and teach Ludwig everything he knew once those powers were gone.
As an older brother, Damian felt he should show the poise an elder sibling ought to have. So he patted Ludwig on the shoulder and said, with rare sincerity and weight:
【At least now you can finally fulfill Dad’s wish of hearing you say “good morning.”】