The investigation concluded, and everyone returned to the Batcave.
Photos were uploaded to the computer one by one, displaying the scenes from the investigation sites.
Bruce had a habit: whenever he investigated something, he would always leave markings at key locations tied to the clues. Only his disciples could find and recognize them.
Red Hood Jason frowned. "It's incredible. Every location has an interstitial floor between the twelfth and thirteenth floors—a vanished floor that can only be reached by arranging the elevator buttons in a special sequence. The stairwell entrance is a sealed wall."
Pointing at the array of photos, Red Hood Jason exclaimed, "Obviously, this group has been lurking in Gotham City for a long time. The earliest building was constructed fifty years ago, and judging from the conditions on-site, half of these bases have already been abandoned."
In the photos, group pictures featuring owl masks appeared repeatedly, along with feathers scattered by the windows.
Dick added, "The base in Wayne Tower had obvious signs of a fight. Based on our assessment, it was a case of many against few."
Allen was sitting in Bruce's usual seat.
With his fingers interlaced beneath his chin, he put on a profound expression and lowered his voice to imitate Batman's tone. "Combining all the clues, the answer is already obvious."
"The wealthy people of Gotham City contacted Joker through intermediaries and deliberately led him to one of the bases, enticing him step by step to investigate more bases. In the end, they set a trap in Wayne Tower and captured Bruce alive. I've already thought of the mastermind's identity."
Damian asked urgently, "Who?"
Among them, Damian was naturally the one most concerned about Bruce. After all, they were father and son.
Allen swept his grave gaze across everyone present and slowly said, "Harry Potter!"
"Who?"
Who was Harry Potter?
The name sounded somewhat familiar, yet there was no information about him in their minds.
"Harry Potter is a wizard from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His messenger is an owl, so he's the murderer," Allen said with complete seriousness.
Now wizards had entered the picture.
Why not say Doctor Strange was behind it?
The Five Robins felt that Allen was no help at all. At critical moments, he could only serve as muscle.
Before they could work out a plan, Allen stood up first and declared excitedly, "Children, your king is heading out to defeat the evil wizard Harry Potter and rescue Princess Bruce of the Bat Kingdom."
"..."
The Five Robins watched Allen mount his Electric Bicycle, each with only one thought in mind.
Get lost already, you lunatic.
"September 8th. Moderate rain in Gotham City at night.
Commissioner Gordon stood on the rooftop in a raincoat and switched on the Bat-Signal to summon Batman.
Cold rain struck Gordon's solemn face.
Cases at the police department had noticeably increased over the past two days, while Batman, the defender of justice, seemed to have vanished into thin air. If this continued, Gotham would inevitably teeter on the edge of losing control.
As commissioner, Gordon felt the pressure mounting.
Too bad he was standing in the rain. Otherwise, he would have liked a cigarette to ease his mood."
Gordon looked at the fake Batman beside him and asked speechlessly, "Are you impersonating the narrator?"
"And I quit smoking years ago."
"You don't smoke?" Allen's eyes widened. "If you don't smoke and I don't smoke, where will the tax revenue come from? Where will the military budget come from? What you're smoking isn't a cigarette—it's a bullet fired at the enemy. I suggest you smoke two packs a day and contribute to world peace."
"..."
Gordon seemed to have guessed who this visitor was. It had to be that mentally ill Bat-Man.
He had to admit, there had been progress. He had actually changed into a Batman suit, though the moment he opened his mouth, he gave himself away.
"I'm looking for Batman. Things are a little tricky," Gordon said seriously.
"Bro, Batsy and Wonder Woman are holding a wedding on Themyscira. Didn't they invite you to the banquet?"
Allen did not forget to twist the knife. "Looks like your brotherhood was made of plastic."
"..."
Gordon's heart sank. Batman was no longer someone he could count on, and this lunatic was just wandering around instead of doing anything. He could only rely on himself.
"Gotham City is under my command now."
With that, Allen fired his grappling gun and swung through the rain-soaked city.
As for finding Bruce, Allen actually had a concrete plan in mind.
"Next, it's time to make something happen. Ahem... pfft."
He was swinging through the air in the rain, and before he could finish looking cool, he gulped down a mouthful of rainwater.
Earlier that day.
After careful consideration, Penguin and Riddler decided Allen's proposal was worth trying.
They immediately found a cheap, spacious venue, then brought in a professional renovation team to assess whether it could be remodeled according to their requirements.
"Cobblepot, five themes for the trial opening will require an investment of at least three hundred thousand dollars. Annual rent is one hundred thousand, and props and costumes will cost another fifty thousand."
Edward was moonlighting as the accountant, calculating the initial expenses.
Penguin replied calmly, "That little money isn't worth mentioning."
Cobblepot had the capital to talk big. The family assets he inherited ranked among Gotham City's most notable fortunes.
But Cobblepot was an ambitious entrepreneur, not some useless rich brat.
Of course, his entrepreneurial goal was to establish an underground kingdom.
"Then leave it to me. With your wealth and my intelligence, ruling over everyone in Gotham won't be a problem."
Edward was exceedingly confident, but then his expression darkened. Gotham now had another formidable rival whose intelligence surpassed his own.
Bang!
A figure crashed through the window.
Cobblepot and Edward panicked and prepared to draw weapons against the intruder.
"Penguin. Riddler. You have failed this city."
The chandelier overhead cast light upon the figure, leaving his entire face hidden in shadow. A familiar atmosphere of terror spread through the room.
"Batman, you can't do this. We haven't done anything."
Penguin nervously raised his umbrella. It contained a built-in firearm mechanism that could launch a surprise attack. He knew Batman's suit was bulletproof, but it still gave him a little sense of security.
"Batman, you should wait until we commit a crime before taking action. This is completely unreasonable."
Edward reached toward the drawer, preparing to launch a sneak attack and cover his friend's retreat.
Allen stood with his hands on his hips and said righteously, "Do you not understand stopping leaks before they happen?"
"Allen?"
"It's me."
Relieved after the false alarm, Edward wiped the sweat from his forehead and motioned for Cobblepot to put away his weapon. "Relax, buddy. It's the Bat-Man we met during the day."
"You scared me to death."
Cobblepot lowered his umbrella and said with lingering fear, "I was wondering why Batman hadn't made any moves these past two days. I thought he might have been watching us in secret."
Allen casually sat down in a chair and said seriously, "Batsy has disappeared. I'm looking for him."
"Really?"
Cobblepot burst into excited laughter. "That's fantastic! Finally, no more annoying guy standing in my way. Gotham is about to be under my heel."
Then he suddenly felt a chill and realized Allen was staring at him coldly.
"Without Batman, is Gotham still Gotham?"
"Without Batman, is there any need for Gotham to exist?"
Allen's low murmur truly frightened the two of them.
What were you going to do!?
You lunatic, were you going to destroy an entire city?
Before you continue