"You're hopeless." Amy opened the advanced neuroanatomy textbook in her hands.
"Elias Thorne is the ultimate idol for us psychology majors. He proposed that emotions could be chemically controlled, directly overturning the theory of subconscious determinism that has prevailed since Freud. Aren't you excited at all?"
"I am." Harleen rested her chin in both hands, rebellion glinting in her eyes. "I'm excited to see which load-bearing wall will crack in the theoretical edifice of a man trying to play God."
At precisely two in the afternoon.
A low rumble of engines came from outside the auditorium. Through the towering floor-to-ceiling windows, five all-black, armored Cadillac SUVs could be seen pulling into the campus plaza.
More than a dozen LexCorp Security Guards in black tactical suits and communication earpieces stepped out first. They quickly established a security perimeter, keeping the gathering students outside.
Such a display was especially jarring in an ivory tower.
The door of the middle vehicle opened. Elias Thorne stepped out.
He wore a light gray bespoke casual suit without a tie, his eyes gentle and deep behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Ignoring the Security Guards' excessive tension, he smiled and waved to the surrounding students before walking into the auditorium at an unhurried pace.
Thunderous applause erupted inside.
Pamela and Sarah sat in a corner at the back. Sarah clapped excitedly, while Pamela opened an Illustrated Guide to Highly Poisonous Plants of South America without expression, shutting out the surrounding clamor entirely.
Elias took the stage without using the prepared speech. He adjusted the microphone's height and slowly swept his gaze across the audience.
"Good afternoon, Gotham." His voice was rich and resonant, with a powerful soothing effect. "Only when I came back here and smelled that familiar chemical plant exhaust in the air did I know I