Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 416: Dinner with the Dark Knight
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed faintly beyond the dining hall doors.
Inside, the atmosphere had shifted subtly, but unmistakably.
Conversation had died down.
Eyes occasionally flicked toward Arthur.
And Arthur himself... remained still at the head of the table, his gaze lowered slightly, but focused.
Then the doors opened.
George stepped in first, as composed as ever.
And behind him
A man dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, carrying himself with effortless confidence.
In his hand, he held a finely crafted bottle of wine.
Bruce Wayne had arrived.
For a moment there was only silence.
Then Adam nearly shot up from his chair.
"...No way.."
His eyes widened slightly as he stared.
"Bruce Wayne?"
Across the table, John Constantine leaned back slowly, a smirk already forming.
Beside him, Zatanna subtly covered her mouth, clearly amused.
They exchanged a brief glance.
Neither said a word.
But both understood immediately.
At the center of the table, Eleanor Blackwynd remained perfectly composed.
She met Arthur’s gaze for the briefest moment,
A silent exchange.
Then she turned toward the guest.
"Welcome, Mister Bruce Wayne."
Her voice carried elegance.
Bruce inclined his head respectfully.
"Lady Blackwynd."
His tone was smooth, measured.
He stepped further into the room,
"I hope I’m not intruding."
Eleanor gestured gracefully toward the table.
"Not at all."
"You are most welcome."
Bruce’s gaze moved across the room, acknowledging each person in turn.
A polite nod to Kara.
A brief but knowing look toward Constantine.
A respectful greeting to Zatanna.
Then, finally
His eyes settled on Arthur.
At the head of the table.
Watching him.
Arthur’s violet eyes were no longer glowing, But they were sharp.
Focused.
Locked onto Bruce with intensity.
There was a pause.
Then Arthur exhaled softly.
"...Welcome, Bruce."
His tone was calm.
He gestured toward an empty seat.
"You can sit."
Bruce nodded once.
"Thank you."
He stepped forward, placing the bottle gently on the table.
"I brought something from my personal collection."
He rested a hand lightly against the glass.
"A 1945 Château Mouton Rothschild."
His tone remained casual, but there was a hint of pride.
"Properly stored. Preserved under ideal conditions."
A faint pause.
"One of the finest bottles I own."
Arthur glanced at it briefly.
Then leaned back slightly.
"...Wow."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Impressive."
Adam was still staring.
"I..uh..."
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I didn’t expect Arthur to invite Bruce Wayne... of all people."
Constantine immediately leaned forward with a grin.
"Yeah, same here.."
He gestured lazily toward Arthur.
"I’ve got to say..."
His smirk widened.
"Your connections run deep, mate."
Arthur didn’t even look at him.
But the faintest hint of amusement crossed his expression.
Beside him, Raven remained calm.
But her voice brushed softly against Arthur’s mind.
’Your brother doesn’t know?’
Arthur didn’t move.
’No.’
A small pause.
’That explains it..’
Meanwhile, Adam had already leaned forward toward Bruce, his earlier shock transforming into sharp focus.
"Well.. since you’re here..."
His tone shifted into something far more professional.
"We in Blackwynd Corp.. We’ve been expanding our tech division recently."
He gestured lightly.
"We’ve been exploring partnerships, particularly in advanced energy systems and defense applications."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"Wayne Enterprises... specifically WayneTech... would be an ideal collaborator."
Bruce listened without interrupting.
Adam continued.
"There’s potential for joint development."
"Clean energy infrastructure, adaptive systems, even... urban protection tech."
A faint smile appeared.
"Given recent... events."
Bruce nodded slowly.
"That’s a rather compelling proposition, Mister Adam."
His tone was thoughtful.
Measured.
"We can certainly discuss it in more detail."
He paused.
"Privately."
Adam smiled.
"Of course."
At the head of the table
Arthur finally spoke again.
His gaze still fixed on Bruce.
"You picked quite a night to visit."
Bruce met his eyes evenly.
"I could say the same about your evening."
A subtle pause.
Arthur’s fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"The city had a bit of... disturbance."
Bruce’s expression remained calm.
"A bit?"
His voice carried a faint edge beneath the politeness.
"The northern forest is gone."
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"Yes."
"It is."
Bruce’s eyes didn’t leave his.
"Events of that scale tend to draw attention."
Arthur leaned back.
Completely relaxed.
"And yet..."
His voice was calm.
"Nothing really happened outside of that, everything seems to be okay."
A subtle beat.
Bruce’s lips curved faintly.
"For the most part, yes. The city is fine."
Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.
There it was.
Not spoken.
But he understood what was Bruce trying to say.
Kara glanced between them, picking up on the tension.
"...Okay."
She leaned back slightly.
Constantine snorted quietly.
"So... Bruce mate, I heard you guys are about launch electric cars, when is that going to happen? I need one."
Zatanna chuckled softly.
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
John then said "What? I really need one."
Everyone was amused.
But Arthur and Bruce continued to hold each other’s gaze.
****
The night had grown quieter by the time dinner came to an end.
The long table that had once been filled with conversation, laughter, and clinking glasses now stood in the soft aftermath of a well-spent evening. Plates had been cleared, candles burned lower, and the warmth of the gathering lingered like a fading echo.
Chairs shifted.
People stood and the Goodbyes began.
John Constantine stretched his back with a quiet groan as he stepped away from the table.
"Bloody hell..."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Didn’t think I’d survive Hell just to be defeated by a chair."
Beside him, Zatanna laughed softly as she slipped on her coat.
"You’ll live, John."
He glanced at her.
"Debatable."
Arthur approached them, his posture relaxed now that the evening had settled.
Constantine looked at him for a moment.
Then his usual smirk returned.
"Thanks for everything, lad."
Arthur met his gaze.
"You too, Johnny."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"That trick you pulled..."
He crossed his arms slightly.
"You were the brains that saved the living."
A brief pause.
"I was just the muscle."
Constantine let out a quiet chuckle, lighting a cigarette as he spoke.
"Don’t go selling yourself short."
He took a drag.
"Brains don’t mean much if there’s no one mad enough to follow through."
A flicker of respect passed through his eyes.
"You did what needed to be done."
He exhaled slowly.
"And that’s rarer than you think."
Zatanna gave Arthur a warm smile.
"We’ll see you soon Arthur."
Arthur nodded.
"I’ll be waiting, stay safe."
She smiled.
Moments later, shadows stirred across the garden beyond the estate.
A massive shape emerged.
Kaisel unfurled his enormous wings, the dark creature letting out a low, resonant growl as he lowered himself.
Beside him, standing like a silent knight carved from darkness, was Igris.
Constantine raised an eyebrow.
"...You really don’t do things halfway, do you?"
Arthur shrugged lightly.
"Convenience."
Zatanna stepped forward without hesitation.
"Honestly? I’m starting to like his version of travel."
Constantine glanced at the wyvern.
Then at Arthur.
"...Yeah, alright."
He pointed his cigarette.
"If I fall off that thing, I’m haunting you."
Arthur smirked faintly.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
With that, the two of them mounted up, Zatanna with practiced ease, Constantine with considerably less grace.
A moment later
Kaisel’s wings spread wide.
With a powerful beat, the shadow wyvern launched into the night sky, carrying them away.
Silence settled briefly once more.
Out in the garden, Eleanor Blackwynd stood with the same regal composure she had carried all evening.
Beside her, Adam adjusted his coat, still occasionally glancing toward Bruce.
Arthur stepped toward them.
Eleanor placed a gentle hand on his arm.
"I am proud of all that you’ve done my son."
Her voice was soft.
Arthur held her gaze for a moment.
"...Thank you."
Adam crossed his arms, smirking slightly.
"Next time you plan to casually destroy half a forest..."
He tilted his head.
"Give me a heads-up , there are plenty of business ideas to exploit.. in chaos."
Arthur huffed faintly.
"Business men... But sure, I’ll send you a memo."
Adam snorted.
They both knew he wouldn’t.
A moment later, they stepped toward Kaisel again, who had returned swiftly, as it turned out John and Zee stopped at a nearby Pub.
Adam paused halfway up, glancing back toward the manor.
More specifically toward the man still standing inside.
Bruce Wayne.
"You sure doing this in front of Bruce Wayne is okay?"
Arthur and Raven exchanged a brief look.
Then
They both smiled.
Arthur answered simply.
"Of course."
A faint glint crossed his eyes.
"He’s seen worse in Gotham."
Adam blinked.
"...Fair enough."
Moments later, Kaisel took flight once again, carrying Eleanor and Adam into the night sky.
Now,
Only a few remained.
Arthur. Raven. Kara Zor-El.
Bruce.
And, of course
George, who practically owns the Estate.
Bruce watched the wyvern disappear into the distance.
Then he spoke.
"You’ve built something rare Arthur."
His tone was genuine now.
"A family that trusts you... despite knowing what you are capable of."
He glanced toward Arthur.
"That’s not something most people in your position manage to keep."
Arthur said nothing for a moment.
Then
"Thank you, I guess."
A short pause.
Then his gaze sharpened again.
"But now..."
He gestured slightly.
"We can talk freely."
His eyes locked onto Bruce’s.
"What is it that you wanted badly enough to crash my family dinner?"
Bruce smiled faintly.
"Business as usual."
Arthur didn’t react.
Bruce’s gaze drifted briefly across the garden.
Kara was currently crouched a few meters away
Locked in a very serious "battle" with a certain cat.
"Dexter.. stop moving!"
The cat darted away.
Kara lunged after him.
Raven sat nearby on a stone bench, a book resting in her hands, her expression calm despite the chaos unfolding a few feet away.
Bruce watched the scene for a moment.
Then exhaled quietly.
"I keep forgetting..."
He looked back toward Arthur.
"...that they practically live here as well."
A faint pause.
"But that’s fine."
His tone shifted again.
"This concerns all of you anyway."
/-\
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