"Welcome to the Metropolis University---

Today is a special day. For our new students, it marks the beginning of a new life with new routines – and maybe a new way of thinking. For the rest of our students, today means continuation – but also a new beginning with new challenges and new opportunities. For others present today – staff as well as external partners and collaborators – we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your contributions to our university." ---

The Rector of Metropolis University opened the Academic year with a speech.

Matthias and numerous of other new students were attending the welcoming ceremony in the main hall of the university. The new students were seated in the middle of the wide middle area in the hall, while the lecturers and some seniors sitting closer to the walls.

Many enthusiastic smiles were plastered on most of the faces of the new generation university students. This too was the case for Matthias, who's looking forward to study in Metropolis University... until.

"*yawn*... I feel like it's been hours since the speech starts." Matthias quietly grumbled.

*giggles*-- A girl sitting beside Matthias giggled as she overheard Matthias quietly complaining.
"This is common, all university rectors do this every year in every university." She whispered to Matthias.

Matthias looked at the girl; average looking but considered cute, neatly combed long dark brown hair that seemed to reach the bottom of her hem, round glasses that made her look cuter and smarter, average sized bust, and cute smile.

"Hi, my name's Annie Morton, what's yours?" Annie said with a smile.

"Matthias..." he said as he nodded.

"*giggles*, not much of a conversationalist, aren't you, Matthias?"

"Well, I love keeping things for myself. Besides, you'll be shocked were I to tell you my last name too."

"Oooh, are you somehow the son of a powerful conglomerate, maybe?" Annie tilt her head sideways.

Matthias did not respond, and instead just smiled mischievously.

"... Wow, looks like you two are getting along..." Another voice chimes in another side of the seat next to Matthias.

It was a guy; quite tall, handsome looks, lean and fit body, light brown hair in a neat slicked back style, a definite rich guy style.

"Who're you?" Matthias asked.

The guy flashes a wide smile and introduces with a smug, "Names Robert McCormick, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you McCormick." Annie said with a smile.

"Please, just call me Robert *wink*."

"Nice to meet you Robert." Matthias said in turn.

"No no no, buddy, my first name is reserved only for the sweet lady Annie beside you..." Robert said, his face full of smug.

"... Riiiiight, we got a lady killer here." Matthias joked, and Annie just quietly giggling in the background.

"Well then, Matthias right? Maybe you could tell us your last name?" Robert asked.

"Well, maybe after the ceremony."

"Ooooh, so mysterious, aren'tcha." Robert joked back.

Both Annie and Matthias giggled. Accompanied by new friends and friendly chat, the ceremony seems not so boring after all...

...

The ceremony lasted for another hour after the speech, which the university seniors performs a stage opera as a welcoming show. At this point, Matthias, Annie, and Robert became closer, and are able to converse more informally.

As the ceremony ends, the new students are free to wander around the campus and getting to know their surroundings. Matthias invites his two new friends to eat lunch together in the cafeteria...

""WHAT!!"" Annie and Robert shouted almost at the same time.

"Shhhhhh! Keep it down, you two..."

"I-I can't believe it, you're the second son of the Wayne family?" Robert's mouth gaping wide as he said that.

"Ummm-- to think that you're a Wayne..." Annie stared hard at Matthias, still in disbelief.

"Geez, you guys... This is why I didn't tell you my full name back at the ceremony, you two are too loud."

"B-but, is it okay for you to be conversing with us?" Annie asked.

"Yeah... shouldn't an elite like you be-- I don't know-- conversing with other elites, maybe?" Robert asked.

"Why not? I mean, we're friends now aren't we?" Matthias exaggeratedly shrugged, "Geez, this is like high school all over again."

"... Like high school?" Robert asked.

"Yeah... as soon as I told my classmates my full name, they went ape shit."

Robert and Annie stares at each other, and then looks back at Matthias.

"Are you saying that you have no friend in high school?" this time, Annie asked.

"How rude, I do have friends back in high school, okay?" Matthias made an exaggerated frown as he crosses his arms on his chest.

Robert and Annie laughed, and Matthias smiled in response.

After the lunch, the three exchanged numbers, said their goodbyes, and went home.

~

Inside the secret room in the new house that acts as Matthias' safe house, Matthias was accessing the computers. The screen showed several windows of live feed cameras stationed around the safe house. Matthias minimized the camera feed window and started rapidly typing the keyboard.

After a while, Matthias stood up from his seat.

"It's time to train my skills."

Matthias has been training and practicing his new gift to get used to it. The new gift given by Prime is exremely useful and adaptable. His gift to modify his stats and skills feels like it's a natural ability for him, and the fact that he can just feel which stat he want to increase or decrease without needing some sort of a system on a screen in front of his face was actually quite convenient.

During his first week after receiving this gift, Matthias has tested min/maxing his stats, starting from decreasing his strength to a normal average human strength, and then feeding the excess power to feed his speed and endurance. The result? He can run even faster than he was before, and can sprint for more than half a day.

"I don't think I can be as fast as Flash, because one needs to know the Speed Force equation to become one. But maybe I can one day be as strong as Superman if I spend all the other stats to my strength... But I still have a way to go for that to happen."

His next test was increasing and decreasing his intelligence. He tested it by doing online math tests and IQ test. The result is a lot easier to guess; he can think and process things in his mind a lot faster when he increased his intelligence, and his focus was also affected with this stat.

"This gift is good to use when I'm in class, and it also helps me when I plan for future missions, or when I'm learning something new."

The last test he did with the gift was increasing and decreasing his skill proficiency. Since Matthias has learned a bit of crafting from Lucius Fox, he has made himself a workbench he put across the computer in the secret room.

"I can increase my skills according to my current needs, and it's adaptable with anything."

But Matthias' new gift did not come without limitations.
Firstly, the gift can't permanently modify the changes. As soon as he stopped using the gift, the stats went to where it was originally from.
Lastly, the gift cannot modify a skill or ability that Matthias doesn't have. Since Matthias wants to have magic, he needs to first learn how to cast magic, or perhaps manipulate the world into thinking he can cast magic in the first place.

"I guess I shouldn't take this gift for granted."

Matthias starts planning for his next step; increasing his relevancy to the world in order to increase his power. To do this, he needs to create a persona.

"If I want to increase my relevancy without throwing away my identity, I need a new persona. I can't wear the mantle of the Vindicator anymore since that would alert my brother."

Matthias then saw the black mask he got from Lucius Fox... the one he wore to find the Joker in the Ace Chemicals.

"Hmmm, I can continue using the persona I use when I attacked the Ace Chemicals... All I need now is a name."

Matthias then made a series of new names that would fit his shadowy actions.