“... Whoa! The sea’s so vast! What place is that across the bridge?”

Little Matthias points out the city across the canal that separates Gotham from the other.

“That is Metropolis, young Master.”

“Oooohh, so that’s Metropolis! It looks so grand!” ‘So that’s Metropolis, and it’s connected to the Gotham bridge too... It’s too close of proximity for comfort.’ Matthias ponders. Gotham and Metropolis are like twin city in this Universe, and Matthias is worried.

‘This means Clark Kent does surely exist. Well, it’s okay; I will control what I can control. I just hope doomsday villains such as, well, Doomsday, and other galactic menace don’t appear too quickly. I need preparations to protect my family.’

“Matthias, do you enjoy the trip?”

“Yesh Brother!” Matthias answers quickly. The lisp was accidental since he answers as he was still thinking, which makes his face red in embarrassment as he put one hand to cover his mouth.

Bruce and Alfred smiles,

‘Little brother is adorable, I’m glad he did not lose much childhood as I am. I will protect this innocence. He must not suffer like I did.’ Bruce thought as he hides his thinking with a smile.

‘Young Master Matthias is acting too mature at the mansion, but looking at his cheerful act like this... I will not let any harm befall upon him.’ Alfred thought as he guards around, also with a smile.

“Young Masters, it is almost evening, we have to go back home soon.”

“Sure Alfred, let’s go Matty, you can look around more next time.”

“’Kay brother!”

~

On their way back riding their private car, Bruce, who is riding on the front passenger seat, sees an attempted crime in an alley; someone was being mugged and beaten. The car stops on a red light, and Bruce was staring at a helpless victim.

With serious face, he looks around only to see the passersby did not- or rather would not do anything to help the victim. They just walk forward acting like it’s all fine.

‘Why... why nobody helped that person...”

Alfred sees this and quickly drove off as soon as the light went green. ‘The trauma of his parents’ death has scarred his heart and soul. I only wish Master Matthias can help healing this scar.’

Matthias did not notice the two’s gloomy atmosphere, or rather, acting as if he doesn’t. Their parent’s death, his older brother was there witnessing it...

Matthias silently looks at the beaten victim as the car drove quickly. ‘In comic book, this scene maybe a good backstory and reason for superheroes to do what they do best, but in reality, this is a bizarre scene. Criminals run rampant here in this city. I need to plan more.’

~

Back at home, Matthias excuses himself after dinner and goes back to his room. Bruce, looking at his little brother’s small back as he goes, went outside with Alfred following from behind.

“Alfred, let’s resume our training. Little Matthias is probably about to sleep right now.”

“Young Master, I recommend taking things slower. Don’t push your body too far, lest you’ll harm yourself.”

“I need power, Alfred. I need to be able to protect at least our family, and for that to happen, I need to train more, study more, and learn more.”

Alfred went silent, and nods after a while. “Very well, Master Bruce, let us resume.”

While the two went to the secret room for training, Matthias was silently creeping around to witness them. ‘Alfred’s a former SAS Specialist, an expert in espionage; of course he could train big brother well. But for them to have been secretly training for about six years straight ... I need to train just as hard, then.’ Matthias thought.

He went back to his room, did a bit of a push-ups, sit-ups, and more, and then he goes for his desk. He has been planning to gain power with the best of his knowledge, but he’s still doesn’t know how to grow power significantly.

‘Prime hasn’t been contacting me since that time; I can’t ask them how I can make myself relevant to the world. I need to find a way to get stronger, quick.’ He thought as he went to bed.

.

~ Two years later...

Matthias, now 8 years old studying in a private elementary school, was standing in front of his school gate. His phone rings, and he reads a message.

“Hmmm, brother says he’s going to be late on picking me up because of something... how about it’s my turn to pick him up then!”

With that, Matthias walks towards his brother’s academy, not far from the school he studies at.

“Maybe I could buy something on the way, like ice-cream or potato chips. Well, brother don’t actually eat these stuff but, hmm-?”

Matthias stopped at a scene. A group of teenagers presumably around sixteen to eighteen years old, was surrounding two people currently curled up on the ground.

‘Huh? Are they beating those two up?’

Matthias ponders on how to deal with this problem. Should he act? Or should he just turn a blind eye on the scene?

‘No! I’ve been turning a blind eye for a while now. I was given a blessing; I will use this blessing to make this world a better place, one step at a time starting from NOW!’

~

“If you don’t wanna get beat up, then you gotta pay up.”

“Ugh, please, I-I have no money.”

The leader of the thuggish delinquents, just call him Kelly, was stepping one of his two victims on the face, extorting money from them. Life was good for him, being the leader of the gang in the block. He felt superior.

...

“Must’ve felt good oppressing the weak, huh?”

Thug leader Kelly and his gang were startled by the new childish and young voice appearing out of nowhere. They looked behind and saw only a boy who looks barely ten years old of age, wearing the uniform of the city’s private elementary school.

“Huh? ... What’s a kid doing here?”

“Psst, Kelly, this kid’s from that private elementary school over there. Let’s kidnap him, maybe we could get a hefty ransom outta this kid’s parents.” The others were whispering.

‘I could hear that, y’know, and I have no parents.’ Matthias said inwardly to himself.

 “Hey kid, did you come here alone, how about you come with us, we could treat you some ice-cream around here.”

“Ooooh, ice-cream! I love ice-cream!” Matthias said as he slowly closes in.
The two victims on the ground were starring wide eyed. They want to stop these thugs from taking an innocent little kid like him away.
Little did these people know, though, that Matthias came more than just prepared; he was armed, with a small square-shaped stun gun.

‘Good thing I always have this stuff with me. It’s not the best weapon, but it’ll do for now.’

“Cmon little kid, let me buy you some good stu—ack! Rzrzrzrzr!”
*crackle* *crackle* *thud*
One of the thug fell down with a spasm as the stun gun touched his neck.

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing brat!?” The leader, now being wary of Matthias, glared and shouted at him to intimidate. It doesn’t work though.

“How weak, you’re looking down on me and now one of you has fallen.” Matthias says as he wields the stun gun on his right hand.

“Hey, let’s surround the kid. He looks barely ten years old; he can’t fight us even with that electric thing.”

“Hahahahaha! How laughable. Aren’t you guys about tens or so years older than me? Why does it take a large group to face the lonely me? Scared I can beat you all in a fight?” Matthias states as he confidently stares at the thug boss.

“You- what the fuck did you just say to me?”

“Whoa there, watch your profanity, friend. Wouldn’t want your parents to know you said that, would you? Tsk tsk tsk, they must be disappointed, your parents, that is.”

“Shit, you asked for it-!” The thug leader snaps. His right hand extends forward to grab Matthias, but the latter just dodges easily by ducking a bit and steps back.

‘Such a slow grab, he couldn’t catch me that way’ Matthias daily training and watching his brother’s practicing martial arts paid well. His body is muscular, and he’s considerably stronger than a lot of teenagers.

Still, it’s not as if he’s already invincible, he’s still only 8 years old, ‘I’m not ready to face actual adults, or even those trained on combat; but against teenage thugs like these? I can win.’

Another wide swing approaches from the left; Matthias used his left hand to block, and quickly gave a quick jab down the jaw using his stun gun.
*pow*
The bully leader got stunned. Next Matthias gave a hard blow to the face; the stun gun smacked the nose hard.
*wham!* ...
... and he’s down for the count.

The other thugs only watches with their mouth agape, but it didn’t last long as they resumed on ganging up on Matthias.

“Shit, brat knocked Kelly out cold.”
"Fuck, how's this kid doing that?"
“C'mon guys, let’s gang up on him!”

Matthias smiles as he walked closer to the bloodied fainted leader, Kelly. He stares at his next round of enemies as he declares in a low, yet loud enough of a voice, “I will send lowlife thugs like you, to the fucking trash heap...”

~

Bruce walked out of his academy to go pick up his brother home.

“Why’s he not picking the call?”

1^st ring, 2^nd ring, 3^rd ring... 6^th ring, no answer. He’s getting giddy. He picked up the pace to his little brother’s school, but on his way, a group of several dozen people are surrounding a place around the alley nearby.

Bruce didn’t care as he walks away to his destination... but, what if?
He quickly went towards the crowd.
They all looking at one specific place...

“NO! Matthias!” He screams. His heart beats a little too fast. His body heats up, sweats pouring off of his face. No, not just sweat, but tears as well.
He runs closer, cuts through the crowd.

A man was about to carry a young kid barely ten in age, bloodied. Not only that, he also sees about six other people lying on the ground in the same state; bloodied and beaten, but still twitching... still alive.

What happened here?

“Wait! Wait! That’s my brother!” He screams more. The man stops to look, and lowers his knee to show him his brother’s state.

“No... Why... what happened? Why is he in this bloody state?”

The man was about to say something, but the two youngsters who were in patches interrupts him.

“Excuse me; you said that you’re this young boy’s brother?” They ask. Bruce nods, his face already paled.

Ambulance sirens are nearby. The two youngsters then resumes, “We will tell you everything...”