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Chapter 39: Fighting a Thief with a Thief
Early the next morning, a corpse hung from a street sign on 22nd Street in the Burnley District.
Gordon led a team to investigate the scene.
"Jim, the deceased is Francis Gunn. He was a city councilman. Rumor has it he took massive bribes from gangs during his term and offended a lot of people. This might be revenge from an enemy."
His old partner Bullock came to Gordon's side and said.
"Enemy?"
Gordon looked thoughtful.
"What is it? Did you think of something?" Bullock asked, seeing this.
"Harvey..." Gordon muttered.
"Yeah, I'm here. Listening." Bullock thought Gordon was calling him.
"Hm? No, I don't mean you, Bullock." Gordon snapped back and explained. "I mean Harvey Dent."
"Alright. So you think Two-Face killed Gunn? Based on what?"
Bullock didn't feel awkward about the misunderstanding and continued the conversation professionally.
"22," Gordon looked up at the street sign. "This is 22nd Street."
"Two-Face does like things related to the number '2', but Gotham has several 22nd Streets/Avenues. How can you be sure this was his doing?"
"Have you forgotten, Bullock?" Gordon reminded him. "Remember when Gunn proposed a bill in the city council to expand the scale of legal marijuana operations? Although the bill didn't pass due to Bruce Wayne's appeal, in Gunn's plan, the biggest beneficiary would undoubtedly have been Sal Maroni."
"Maroni! Right. There were a lot of rumors back then that Gunn and Maroni were in cahoots."
Hearing Maroni's name, Bullock understood everything instantly.
Sal Maroni. Twenty years ago, he was Gotham's second-largest gang leader, second only to Falcone. It was he who threw acid in Harvey Dent's face, disfiguring him and birthing Two-Face.
Back then, led by Falcone and Maroni, gang wars seemed endless, turning Gotham into a smoky hellscape.
Perhaps to many, today's Gotham—boasting the Arkham All-Stars—is a crazy and terrifying city. But compared to back then, life now is ten times better.
At least people can go out during the day. They don't have to worry about at least three different groups coming to forcibly collect protection fees at night, or two groups crashing into their living room for a shootout. Nor do they have to worry that when being chased and encountering someone in a police uniform, that officer will stop them and demand a bribe to let them go...
And now, even at night, as long as one doesn't actively approach those lightless alleys, going out occasionally isn't usually dangerous. Because there is Batman.
Crime organizations in Gotham obviously couldn't be completely wiped out, but they had genuinely restrained themselves a lot. Gang wars are rare today.
Although they were replaced by more bizarre super-criminal lunatics, strictly speaking, the villains who cause greater destruction than gang wars are few. The trouble is mainly that mental illness has started transmitting person-to-person.
Gotham is indeed getting better, slowly.
Compared to the Gotham of old.
From "absolutely unlivable" to "we are all trying hard to live," the change is earth-shattering.
If comparing to other cities outside Gotham... let's not compare.
"Honestly, Jim, I don't want to recall the events of those years at all," Bullock said with a sigh.
"In short, Gunn collaborated with Maroni. Although Maroni was killed by Two-Face long ago, he might have transferred his hatred for Maroni to Maroni's allies. Plus the crime scene is on 22nd Street; the case becomes clear immediately."
"Check who collaborated with Maroni back then. Any one of them could be Two-Face's target."
Gordon made a decision immediately.
"We cannot simply wait for Two-Face to appear. That will only lead to more victims!"
"Jim."
Bullock suddenly stopped Gordon.
"Sometimes I feel... of course, I know it's wrong to think this way, but I can't help it... people who collaborated with Maroni were basically scum like Francis Gunn who used legal loopholes for profit. Maybe... letting Two-Face take them out isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"..."
Gordon glanced at him sideways, saying nothing.
"Ah, Jim, I'm just venting. I don't really support vigilante killing," Bullock hurriedly added.
"You're right. I also think those people shouldn't live in this world," Gordon said abruptly.
Bullock paused slightly.
"But can you guarantee that Two-Face won't involve innocent people while hunting them down?" Gordon asked.
"Or rather, even if not completely innocent, would Two-Face spare the hired bodyguards who certainly don't deserve death?"
"No."
Before Bullock could speak, Gordon answered the question himself.
The answer was obvious.
"So, we absolutely cannot allow Two-Face to execute his self-perceived justice. If the Harvey Dent of the past were here, he would definitely make the same decision as me."
"As for those beasts in human skin, what we must do is strive with everything we have to collect evidence of their crimes. This is what we must do, no matter how difficult the process."
Gordon looked at Bullock with firm eyes.
"Tch. You know what, Jim? If the guy partnered with you twenty years ago wasn't me, I'd just laugh out loud hearing your idealistic speech now. But damn fate just had to make us partners, so now I actually fucking feel like maybe one day we can really do it!"
Bullock responded to Gordon's gaze with excitement.
Meanwhile, Gotham Clock Tower.
Oracle, who had taken over the city's surveillance system, naturally received the intelligence about Francis Gunn's murder. Even before Gordon's team arrived at the scene, she had realized the killer was Two-Face.
And, she vaguely sensed an unusual scent.
Beneath the facade of seeking revenge on Maroni's former allies, Two-Face might be hiding another purpose.
Because the location where Gunn actually died wasn't 22nd Street—he was specially transported there by Two-Face!
The evidence was that when Oracle tracked Gunn's itinerary from last night, she found his last appearance was at a nightclub. He disappeared strangely after leaving, then suddenly appeared hanging from the street sign on 22nd Street.
Since Gunn was hung in a particularly tricky spot, blocked from surveillance cameras by the sign, it was impossible to determine when he was delivered there.
It was worth noting that when Gunn got into his car after leaving the nightclub, the car sat there for a full fifteen minutes before moving. This felt wrong to Oracle.
She continued to track that car across the city but found nothing; Gunn's car hadn't appeared on any road.
If it were simple revenge, Two-Face didn't need to make it so complicated. Killing the man in the car and leaving would have been enough. There were plenty of things with the element of the number 2 around the nightclub; he didn't need to transport the body so far.
And it would have been harder to link it to him immediately.
But Two-Face performed such complex actions. These actions didn't hide him better; instead, they made it obvious at a glance that he was the killer.
It was as if Two-Face was deliberately attracting someone's attention.
"Aside from us, there shouldn't be any other possibility. After all, half the criminals in Gotham want to eat us alive."
Oracle understood Two-Face's thinking perfectly.
She contacted Robin immediately.
"Tim, there's new news on Two-Face..."
Gotham, a standard residence in the East End. A short-haired beauty wearing blue jeans and a small leather jacket over a white shirt opened her door.
Halfway through opening it, her gaze shifted instantly.
She saw an uninvited guest sitting on the sofa in her living room, quietly watching her.
And the horrific burn scars on the guest's face announced his identity.
Two-Face.
Even if ordinary people didn't know what Two-Face had done, they would usually show fear upon seeing that face.
But the short-haired beauty showed no fear at all; instead, she stared coldly at Two-Face.
"I don't recall inviting you to my home, Harvey."
"I'm not here to be a guest, Selina," Two-Face responded.
"You're not welcome here."
Selina opened the door fully, looking ready to kick him out.
"Don't be so heartless. Aren't we old friends? I came this time to commission you for a job."
Two-Face stood up from the sofa and stated his purpose to Selina.
"You know I've washed my hands of the business," Selina refused.
"Because of Batman? I didn't expect the money-loving Catwoman to devolve into a house cat."
"No, because of myself!" Selina denied immediately.
"I don't care. Are you sure you don't want to hear what the job is? It should be very easy for you," Two-Face asked.
"I told you, I've washed my hands. Even if you asked me to steal a blade of grass from a garden, I wouldn't do it."
"Then what if I told you I don't want to commission you to steal something, but to protect something?"
Hearing this, Selina raised an eyebrow.
"Protect something? You?"
Seeing she was interested, Two-Face continued: "Another thief is preparing to steal something from me. I have very important things to do right now and no time to deal with him, but I don't want anyone taking what belongs to me."
"Most importantly, I don't want this thief to disrupt my plans, so I need someone to deal with him."
Hearing this, Selina suddenly understood.
"Oh, I remember. It's that Phantom Thief Kid, right? I heard rumors he targeted you this time; seems they were true."
"The best way to deal with a skilled thief is to find an even more skilled thief," Two-Face said to Selina. "In the field of theft, you are the undisputed expert."
"So you came to me to deal with Phantom Thief Kid? Sorry, I don't kill either."
"I only need you to stall him so he doesn't have a chance to ruin my plan. As for whether Phantom Thief Kid lives or dies, I don't care."
"..."
Selina thought for a while, finally speaking: "How much?"
"The usual."
"Deal."
Selina accepted Two-Face's commission.
Sorry, little Bat. I know you don't want me associating with old friends anymore, but I have to live too. I know you're rich, but compared to asking a man for money, I prefer a life of self-reliance.
Anyway, no stealing, no robbing, no hurting people. This should be fine, right?
If you object, say it now. You still have a chance to persuade me.
Silence means you agree.
Great, then it's settled.
I'll just do this one last job.
Just this once, never again.
That night, atop a building in Gotham's city center, Robin sat on the edge of the roof, on standby.
The earpiece he wore maintained a constant connection with Oracle.
Oracle, meanwhile, watched the surveillance feeds in the Clock Tower.
The screens in front of her displayed seven different buildings, including mansions, corporate offices, and City Hall.
Earlier, Oracle had carefully studied all data on Maroni in the Batcomputer, listed everyone who might be selected as a target by Two-Face, removed those who were dead or not in Gotham, and was left with seven candidates.
One of them held an important position in City Hall.
"The GCPD has sent people to stake out six of the locations. No one has come to the seventh for a long time. Seems they didn't find the last one," Oracle said, watching the surveillance.
"Perfect. Let me watch that one," Robin suggested.
"Mm. The seventh location is Strad Pharmaceutical Company. The person you need to watch is the R&D Director there, Horry. If he comes out, follow him unless I tell you to leave."
"Understood."
Robin descended to the ground using his grappling gun, pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet, and a cool Batcycle drove over automatically.
Mounting the Batcycle, Robin sped toward the location provided by Oracle.
He arrived at Strad Pharmaceutical in less than ten minutes.
Finding a spot with a good view, he began the tense and exciting work of the stakeout.
Meanwhile, inside the disregarded ACE Chemical Plant.
Including the Red and Blue Twins from earlier, more than thirty subordinates were gathered in front of Two-Face.
Though few in number, each had been carefully selected by him.
They were either twins like Red Brother and Blue Brother, or pairs of tall/short, fat/thin, male/female... In short, all were combinations of two.
Behind them was another group of people, thirteen in total. Their faces were filled with terror; clearly, they were not here voluntarily.
"Now, the court for judgment, a judge, and a jury of twelve are all assembled. The prosecutor is also ready to indict at any moment—all we wait for is the sinner to take the defendant's seat!"
Two-Face spread his arms, a grotesque smile hooking the corners of his mouth.
"Go, my police force. It is time to arrest the sinner who has been at large for too long!"
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