Pale Rider arrived at the Batcave. Batman was researching the properties of magical energy. He came down the stairs and lightly tapped the railing, drawing Batman's attention.
"How's it going? Is Fiona all right?"
"That female CIA agent seemed to have a way to save her. But that isn't the point. Even if she isn't killed by the Assassin, we still need to find a way to clear her name. Normal methods probably won't work. We need to try something else. I happen to have some ideas. Want to hear them?"
"Let's hear it," Batman said, setting down what he was holding.
"I think we really can physically separate Gotham, while also putting another layer of shielding around it..."
Pale Rider briefly told Batman about the two plans he and Natasha had devised. Batman looked at the instrument before him, then said, "You need to think this through. The energy we've acquired is more than enough to establish a global magical defense network, but there's no such thing as too much backup energy. If we use some to put a shield over Gotham, it will definitely consume a portion of it."
"Didn't you learn this at the magic academy? If you want more energy, you can't just conserve it. You have to find new sources. What we should be considering is how to acquire more energy elsewhere, not putting Gotham's safety at risk to save energy."
"Besides, we need a headquarters—a secure and stable rear base beyond the Federal Government's reach." Pale Rider frowned. "Haven't you been disappointed enough by those congressmen? Your grand vision for the Justice League and the universe can't be realized under their control."
Batman tightened his grip on the pen in his hand. Finally, he said, "All right. We can use this place to practice