Colder, damper, carrying the mingled scent of Atlantic sea winds and industrial exhaust.
He wore a dark casual jacket today, with a white shirt underneath.
His gold-rimmed glasses had been polished spotless.
"Please follow me." Alfred led him through a side entrance of the manor.
They did not go through the main hall.
They passed through a corridor, descended a concealed staircase, and went through a security door requiring iris recognition.
Then came a long passageway.
At the end of the passageway, the space suddenly opened up.
The Batcave.
It was larger than he had imagined.
The renovated natural cavern had become an underground complex covering more than two thousand square meters.
Stalactites overhead cast long shadows in the dim light.
A massive matrix of Batcomputer screens occupied one wall.
Different versions of the Batsuit stood on display racks.
The Batmobile and Batplane were parked in a corner.
High-tech equipment that even Lynn needed some time to fully understand with All-Things Analysis sat on the lab benches.
Bruce stood before the main console.
He was dressed casually.
No mask.
A black turtleneck sweater and dark trousers.
It was a signal.
Meeting you face-to-face was trust.
"Sit." Bruce gestured toward a nearby chair.
Lynn sat down.
About two meters separated them.
Bruce did not bother with pleasantries.
He pressed a button on the console, and the large screen lit up.
That table was projected onto the wall.
Eight rows, two columns.
Every row showed a correlation that could not be denied.
"Lynn." Bruce's tone was calm but direct.
"You're not just a brilliant doctor. During treatment, you learned things—other people's abilities. And you learned at a speed far beyond any known limit."
Lynn looked at the table on the screen.
He had already anticipated this opening.
He had even anticipated the