Because S.H.I.E.L.D. had intervened, Bruce didn't wait for the Joker to kill more people before using Harvey Dent to arrest him. Instead, a S.H.I.E.L.D. special forces unit took the lead, with the military backing them up as they launched a sweeping crackdown on Gotham City's underworld, hoping to learn the Joker's whereabouts from them.
"Bang!"
"Don't move! We're the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. We suspect you're involved in a national emergency!"
"...Move and I'll kill—"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Damn it, we surrender! We surrender..."
"...Where the hell did the army come from?... Shit, we're just the Mafia, not terrorists. Why is the military giving us trouble..."
"Shut up! You can open your mouth when I tell you to!"
"Bang! Bang!"
"Fire in the hole!"
"Rat-tat-tat~~"
"Enemy down! Enemy down!"
"Roger! Third squad, keep moving..."
"Move, move, move!"
"..."
For a while, Gotham City seemed to have descended into a state of war. Gunshots and grenades rang out everywhere, and every so often, the sound of an RPG exploding could be heard. The city's residents, already on edge because of the Joker's attacks, were terrified—but couldn't help feeling a flicker of joy.
The military had come to save us, hadn't they? Had the National Guard engaged the terrorists? Why was there so much noise...
Some of the braver residents cautiously peered outside to see what was happening, only to be pulled back by their families. The more timid ones stayed hidden at home, trembling with fear as they repeatedly called the government and police station, demanding to know how this could have happened, where the police and military were, and what the taxes they paid had been spent on. This left the already bewildered city hall and police station with even bigger headaches.
"I'm sorry. We'll send someone over to take a look right away..."
"Yes, those aren't our officers... Please rest assured, we'll definitely..."
"Ma'am, please calm down. What were you saying... Shit, your family's the one full of 'darkies'! Damn it, don't let me find out who you are..."
Even Aeo raised an eyebrow at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s show of force.
"Hmm. Violent organizations get straight to the point. Gangsters, criminals, mob bosses—it doesn't matter. They take everyone in first, and worry about evidence later... Tsk, intelligence agencies really do act with ruthless efficiency..."
"Nick Fury's ruthless, too. He even sent in special forces to win Bruce Wayne over..."
"Tsk, S.H.I.E.L.D..."
On the roof of a tall building, Aeo listened and "watched" everything happening on the streets in the night wind, and spoke to Eiffel with admiration.
"An organization really is much more effective than fighting alone! No matter how cunning and resourceful the Joker is, Nick Fury has forced his way through the crisis. The Joker can't use any of his tricks now..."
"I wonder if the Joker really only has the underworld to rely on, or if there are other masterminds behind him..." Aeo asked the Smart Butler with interest.
"Well? Have those bosses told you where the Joker is yet..."
The Smart Butler beeped twice. "Synchronization in progress. Interrogation audio received..."
At the police station, the underworld bosses, led by Manoni, had all been brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers led by Black Widow and Agent Hill. They were being held separately, one to a room.
In the monitoring room, Agent Hill and Black Widow reported to Nick Fury as they watched Don Salvator of the Manoni family remain utterly unruffled. "Reporting, sir. All of Gotham City's underworld bosses have been apprehended!"
"So, are you going in, or should we send one of our people..." Ignoring the displeased Gotham City mayor and the police department's senior officials beside him, Nick Fury turned to Batman. "We're very professional when it comes to interrogations..."
Bruce Wayne, dressed as Batman, couldn't help tensing at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s decisive, ruthless methods. He had only just agreed to Nick Fury's suggestion of an "alliance," and already hundreds of soldiers had surrounded the homes and haunts of Gotham City's bosses. They had acted with incredible speed, precision, and efficiency.
Besides, this way he'd avoided involving people from Gotham City. Not everyone, but a third of the city's public officials had ties to the Mafia...
Watching the former kingpins of Gotham's underworld being hauled into the police station like chicks, even Bruce Wayne, with his iron will, couldn't help feeling a surge of satisfaction and relief. "No. I'll handle it," he said.
Nick Fury shrugged indifferently. To him and agents like Hill and Black Widow, evidence and human rights weren't always as important as people imagined...
Bruce Wayne first nodded to the mayor, apologizing for the mess Fury and his people had made, then turned and walked into the interrogation room.
"I want to see the Joker!" Bruce said bluntly. His cold voice carried an imposing authority that made a deep impression on anyone who heard it.
"Tell me where I can find him! Now!"
Salvator Manoni smiled. "I don't know where you got those soldiers from. They went bang, bang, bang, and dragged us all in. But I'll tell you this, Batman: I'm not what you think I am. I'm not afraid of you, because I know you're a man of principle. And how could a man of principle decide someone's fate without proof?"
Bruce Wayne was at a loss for words. Wasn't he always insisting that everyone was equal before the law? Why was he so angry this time? If he couldn't prove Manoni was guilty, he should let him go. And even if Manoni was eventually proven guilty, neither he nor anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. should be the one to judge him. That was the judge's role, upheld by the sacred law and the principles of legislation: fairness, justice, and transparency. No matter how good their reasons were, no one else had the right to bypass the law and pass judgment. It was immoral, and the root of crime...
At that thought, Bruce hesitated. Unwilling to be like them, Batman put on a show of bluster. "But I can make you live in fear for the rest of your life..."
"Fear?" Salvator laughed. "Have you met the Joker, Batman? Now that's fear! Because he has no principles whatsoever! No friends, no name. He always wears that terrifying, sinister face, smiling at you, cold and crazed..."
"All he brings is death!"
Seeing Batman's dark expression, the mob boss burst into laughter. "...That's fear, Batman."
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