Chapter 1: I became Batmans teacher... [Edited]
Chapter 1: I became Batmans teacher... [Edited]
Gotham City, on a not particularly bright but still somewhat warm morning, Schiller set down his coffee cup and heard the sound of his colleague Anna's high heels. Soon enough, a blonde American sweetheart with a gloomy face walked in and said, "Those damn lazy bums at the new student registration called in sick. You go fill in for a day."
Schiller said, "I'll go, but you owe me for this cup of coffee."
"You can forget about ever hooking up with me!" Anna yelled. Schiller happily walked out of the coffee lounge with his coffee, took a glance at the perpetually overcast Gotham City sky, and began his fifth day here.
In his previous life, Schiller was a psychologist who ended up in this cursed and simple-minded city after a plane crash. Fortunately, he wasn't a hero or a villain. Instead, he was a leisurely and stable university professor, which was his true calling as a psychology professor.
Schiller was happily anticipating another day of slacking off when a notification rang in his mind, displaying: "Peter Parker sent a chat request."
As Schiller walked towards the registration area, he replied in his mind, "What's up, Peter?"
"Hey! I'm starting my internship at Osborn Company tomorrow! You have no idea how rare this opportunity is for me! And Gwen... I mean, she's going too. It's amazing! We can discuss things like the genetic helix and those awesome machines together..."
Schiller silently thought to himself, "No girl is going to want to discuss those things with you, little Spider-Man. Wake up."
Ever since he arrived here, Schiller had gained a "Comic Chat System," and the first person he unlocked was the talkative Spider-Man, Peter Parker. This chatterbox had been rambling on for four and a half days about how much he liked Gwen, how he wanted to pursue her but was too scared, and his teenage emotional journey.
While encouraging Peter, Schiller reached the registration area, sat down, organized the forms, and waited for the new students of the year to arrive.However, it was strange that Schiller had been here for so many days and hadn't seen the Bat-Signal light up or any villains causing trouble. Life seemed peaceful and genuinely simple-minded.
Soon enough, students began trickling in, holding piles of documents, and Schiller's task was to register their names and dorm rooms.
"Next!" Schiller called without even raising his head. There was already a long line in front of him. A male student sat down, and Schiller asked, "Name?"
"Bruce Wayne."
"Bruce... Room 306 in the Men's Dormitory Building 2..." Schiller absentmindedly wrote it down. Suddenly, his pen paused, and he discreetly looked up. This student had blue eyes and black hair, and he was quite handsome. Schiller said, "Wayne?"
"Indeed, I am Wayne."
Schiller repeated, "Room 306 in the Men's Dormitory Building 2. Didn't you hear me? Take the form and go quickly. There are people waiting behind you."
Bruce was taken aback this time. He picked up the form and asked, "Which department are you a professor in?"
"Psychology. Don't take my class, kid," Schiller said.
Bruce became interested in him, but Schiller was quite helpless. So Batman just started college! No wonder there's no Bat-Signal!
Why was he so unlucky? Batman goes to college, and he ends up as a university professor through time travel!
He swore he didn't want to get involved in Gotham City's bloody and chaotic life. He just wanted to coast through his administrative position, getting paid while slacking off.
Schiller was well aware of the danger level in the Batman series, and he had no desire to be associated with Bruce, especially with this 18-year-old brat Bruce, a despicable playboy!
So Schiller remained cold and even warned Bruce not to take his class. He didn't want to hear the Joker's familiar voice on the school's broadcast one day.
But it was precisely this attitude that sparked Bruce's interest. He was Wayne! Gotham City's wealthiest man! No one would fail to look at him with a different perspective.
However, Bruce didn't say anything. He thanked Schiller and left after picking up the documents. Schiller finished his work on the new recruits' reports and was about to go back to the professor's apartment to sleep when he remembered he had left his keys in the office. As he ascended the office staircase, he ran into a tall, thin professor.
Schiller said, "Hey, Jonathan, are you here to pick something up too?"
"Yes, did you forget your keys in the office again?"
"Oh, right. Anna rushed me today, and I forgot when I left. I'll grab them and come right back down. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
In the split second that Schiller and Jonathan passed each other, a chilling sensation crawled up Schiller's spine. Jonathan... Jonathan Crane!
The super criminal, the Scarecrow!
Jonathan, with his back turned to Schiller, didn't notice that Schiller was staring at him intently. If it weren't for finding out that Batman had just started college today, Schiller wouldn't have remembered. Memories about the Scarecrow flooded his mind—Jonathan Crane, the psychology professor at Gotham University, a doctor in psychology and chemistry, the future user of fear gas for massacres. Jonathan Crane!
Schiller took a deep breath and continued up the stairs with the same pace. Jonathan wasn't the Scarecrow yet because Bruce was only 18 and hadn't graduated from college, which meant he hadn't become Batman yet. Jonathan also wasn't the world-renowned psychologist he would later become. He was merely somewhat famous within the academic field of "emotional psychology." Schiller was even more famous now...
Schiller was now a world-class expert in criminal psychology and abnormal psychology, a renowned psychological researcher, and Gotham's most famous psychology professor.
So, Jonathan's attitude was quite good... but what good was that? Schiller wasn't capable of developing poison gas! He was a pure humanities student, whereas Jonathan was a doctor in chemistry!
Indeed, studying science, math, and chemistry made a person fearless anywhere...
Schiller was well aware that the grand stage of Gotham City was about to be set, with its bloody curtains ready to be drawn. And here he was, a powerless scholar, a weakling who struggled to lift a chair, a purely intellectual talent. Forget encountering these famous super criminals; even the background thugs from the comics, anyone with a gun, could easily kill him!
And his worries turned into reality. Early the next morning, as Schiller went to the psychology clinic at school, where he usually spent his time goofing off, he had just brewed a cup of coffee when he heard a crisp knock on the door.
"Professor Schiller, may I come in?"
Schiller took a deep breath. What? There's actually a student coming to this lousy psychology clinic? Don't they understand that I'm just here to slack off? Don't they know about paid leave?
It was Bruce Wayne outside the door!
With gritted teeth, Schiller could only say, "Please have a seat, fellow student. What psychological issue do you want to consult about?"
"What if I don't have a problem and just want to have a chat?" Wayne shrugged, clearly displaying his playboy demeanor.
Schiller adjusted his glasses and suppressed the urge to throttle this spoiled brat. He tried to appear dull and uninteresting, avoiding piquing the interest of this protagonist. He said, "This is a place for students to seek psychological counseling. If you don't have any issues to consult about, then you can leave."
Schiller swore that his words were delivered in a tone drier than an airplane announcement, but Bruce still seemed interested and asked, "Alright then, let me ask you a question. What do you think is the meaning of life?"
Taking a deep breath, Schiller realized he couldn't continue like this.
He is not the protagonist and lacks the invincible protagonist halo. Mixing with Batman, he won't survive past three episodes.
He quickly accessed the Marvel chat system in his mind. He remembered that he had gained a random chatting opportunity for guiding Peter Parker's emotional issues before. He hurriedly typed in his mind:
"A child who lost both parents, swore to seek revenge against all criminals, yet disguises himself as a playboy. Now he comes to ask me about the meaning of life. I want him to stop bothering me in the future. How should I answer him? Waiting online, it's urgent."
Soon, a reply appeared: "I am a teacher. Regarding your question, I believe you should exercise patience and provide psychological counseling to this unfortunate child from two aspects..."
Schiller mourned in his mind. Who is this saintly person? This is Batman! Can I really say, "Just let it go"?
Schiller glanced at the name in the dialogue box and saw Charles Xavier! Professor X!
No wonder, the founder and headmaster of Xavier's School, as expected.
But Schiller noticed something about Xavier's avatar. It was clickable. He clicked on Charles' avatar in his mind, and a dialogue box popped up: "First-time chat, copy a random ability from the chat partner (low-level). Copy it?"
Confused, Schiller clicked "Yes."
"Telepathy (low-level) loaded."
Schiller felt his vision blur for a moment, and suddenly, countless noises and unfamiliar emotions flooded into his mind, making it difficult for him to distinguish. After adapting for a while, Schiller realized that he had indeed acquired a part of Professor X's ability.
Telepathy is Charles' specialty. With the help of a cerebral amplifier, he can even brainwash the entire human race. However, what Schiller obtained was only an extremely weakened version. He could only vaguely sense the other person's emotions and some sudden thoughts that flashed in his mind, unable to directly read minds.
But it was enough. Schiller focused his attention on Bruce and discovered that his emotions were in turmoil, contrary to the nonchalant demeanor he displayed.
Based on Batman's life experiences, he had just returned from traveling to various countries, and entering university was probably only a disguise for Bruce's identity. The real Batman already detested this utterly boring daily life. Every drop of his blood cried out for "revenge" and "revenge against those criminals."
In Bruce's eyes, the professor in front of him suddenly seemed immersed in deep contemplation. Schiller had a pair of slightly unique gray eyes, and when Bruce was stared at by those eyes, his keen intuition began to alert him. It felt like he was being spied on, seen through.
Then, Schiller said, "Perhaps you have been waiting for someone to give you this answer, a positive answer. If you have something more to do after receiving this answer and won't bother me anymore, then I am willing to give you this answer."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Revenge," Schiller said, staring into Bruce's eyes. Despite Bruce's suddenly darkened expression, he stared back and repeated, "The meaning of life is revenge."
Ignoring Bruce's already gloomy face resembling the Gotham sky, Schiller said, "Are you satisfied, Mr. Wayne?"
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