"Stop being stubborn, Bruce." Yang Ming waved a hand.
"The way Lucius looked at this Russian just now, you'd think he'd seen his first love. You need a workhorse who knows this energy matrix inside out, and he's the best man for the job."
Yang Ming turned to Lucius. "Lucius, the Russian's all yours. If he misbehaves, starve him for three days, or run some high voltage through him. He loves playing with electricity."
Lucius swallowed, looked at Ivan, then glanced at the data on the holographic screen. In the end, he couldn't resist.
"Bruce, perhaps... we really do need him," Lucius said quietly. "His unconventional circuit designs may be crude, but they could give us some inspiration outside the box. That kind of reverse thinking is exactly what we need to work out the new element."
Bruce fell silent for a moment.
He looked at the palladium poisoning problem they still couldn't solve on the holographic screen, then at the damage assessment report from the tragedy in Metropolis.
"Alfred," Bruce said suddenly.
"Here, Master Bruce." Alfred's voice came through the laboratory speakers.
"Arrange a room for Mr. Vanko on level seven. Without my authorization, he isn't to set one foot outside it. Robotic arms will deliver everything he needs for meals and daily living."
Bruce turned to Ivan, his gaze sharp.
"If you tamper with anything in my laboratory, I'll break all four of your limbs myself and throw you into a solitary confinement cell on the lowest level of Arkham Asylum. Understood?"
Ivan clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with humiliation and resentment. But looking into Bruce's emotionless eyes, he finally lowered his head.
"Good. Looks like we've reached an understanding." Yang Ming clapped his hands in satisfaction, then casually extended his right hand toward Bruce, palm up.