Swaying Back and Forth

In one corner of Gotham, the once deserted, desolate entrance to the orphanage was now packed with people.

The officers stood behind their patrol cars, glancing into the orphanage from time to time, frantic yet helpless.

A modified tanker truck had crashed through the orphanage entrance. Its cab was completely embedded inside, and the tank itself had sustained some damage. One careless mistake could cause the poisonous gas inside to leak.

This orphanage was the largest of Gotham's three orphanages.

It had been funded, built, and managed by the Wayne Family more than forty years ago. According to the roster the officers had checked, there were around ninety people in the orphanage at the moment, including staff and children.

There was also one additional hostage negotiator.

He had been sent into the orphanage by Commissioner Gordon to negotiate terms with the somewhat deranged suspect.

Unexpectedly, there had been no word from him after he entered.

The recording device attached to him had stopped working as well.

"Commissioner..."

Gordon sat alone in the car, scrambling to answer calls and report the situation.

Who would have thought that, whenever a major case occurred, the head of the Gotham Police Department would spend most of his time making reports?

"Potter, tell me. How did those reporters get in here?"

Gordon put down the phone. Perhaps the higher-ups had put some pressure on him, because he was in a foul mood.

Seeing those reporters constantly snapping pictures—either dressed in immaculate suits or wearing heels taller than their calves—only made him angrier.

Officer Potter shrugged helplessly. He did not quite know how to put it, but he still forced himself to say, "Commissioner, well... those reporters were called here by the guy inside."

"He'd threatened to do something like this days ago, but nobody paid attention. Every day, the major media outlets received piles of these vaguely threatening letters."

"Who would have thought that today..."

Gordon waved a hand. Potter nodded knowingly, pursed his lips, and left.

"These people..."

Gordon knew perfectly well that the man driving the poison tanker had most likely told the media about this in advance.

After confirming that it was real, those people had delayed notifying the Gotham Police Department for a long time in order to secure an exclusive and higher-quality story.

How clever.

Clever indeed.

They had arrived early and waited here for a massive story that could double their ratings.

Whether that story became [Mass Casualties at Orphanage] or [Gotham Police Department Is Weak and Powerless], it would be perfect fodder for them.

"...Gotham really is sick."

It was not just the people at the top.

Nor was it confined to a single profession, a single neighborhood, or a single surname...

This city had rotted to the bone.

As his gaze shifted toward the reporters dancing, shouting themselves hoarse, and staring wide-eyed into the cold night wind, Gordon's expression gradually turned ice-cold.

He knew that compared to the people locked in cages at the police station, these people were only missing a pair of handcuffs.

What a damn shame.

"Potter!"

Gordon's voice rang across the scene, and almost everyone turned to look at him.

They watched Officer Potter walk over to Gordon.

They watched the two speak.

They watched them point in their direction.

"Clear the area?!"

"Yes. Ma'am, please leave safely and orderly under that officer's guidance."

"I'm a reporter! I have the right to—"

"Mm-hmm, yes, yes, you do. This way. Hurry up and stop blocking the path."

"I'm filing a complaint against you! I'll—"

As expected, Gordon's sudden decision to remove every media employee from the scene threw the place into chaos.

"...Sigh."

Gordon could not remember when he had begun sighing more and more often.

"What are you worried about?"

A curious voice came from the back seat, accompanied by an outstretched hand.

"Ice cream?"

"Lynn? Why are you—when did you get in here?!"

Lynn sat in the back seat, sharing ice cream with Kitty. He scratched Kitty's little head as she shook it wildly from the cold, then shrugged indifferently.

"I've been here for a while. Around the time..."

"Oh, when that old woman called to yell at you..."

"Lynn, give me a bite of that ice cream. Can you handle what's going on over there? If you can, go deal with it."

"Hehehe~"

Lynn grinned and leaned closer. He popped out a finger and pointed mischievously at the media people making a scene and protesting nearby.

"Do you mean over there, or inside the building over there~?"

Gordon, holding a paper bowl of ice cream, fell silent.

After a long while, he raised his head. Light glinted off his glasses.

"Lynn, if you harm innocent civilians, I will arrest you on the corresponding charges."

"Oooh~~~~!"

Lynn drew out an exaggerated sound, his mouth forming an O.

"I get it~~! Brother, when I'm handling something, you can relax."

After saying that, Gordon watched Lynn's body begin to blur and turn transparent in a manner that defied all physics.

Slowly, he transformed into a stick-figure-like form composed of smoke and gelatinous strands.

He "dragged" himself out of the car and swept toward the media people like the wind.

"Hello."

Lynn suddenly appeared behind a reporter.

He emerged without warning, gently extending his arms and slowly embracing the reporter from behind.

"Sorry, my hat touched your face."

His voice was just as gentle.

Fine goosebumps rose along the reporter's jawline. His eyes went blank, his arms stiffened, and unconscious rasps escaped his throat.

The officers had their guns aimed at Lynn, hesitating as they waited for Gordon's order.

But no order came.

"As for me..."

Lynn continued holding the media man, gently swaying him back and forth as he introduced himself.

"Lynn. My name is Lynn."

"You've heard of me before. Does anyone remember that name? Could I see your hands?"

"Ah... what a pity."

"I helped you get rid of Falcone."

"The driver inside is the problem that should be dealt with, not you people, so..."

Lynn rested his head on the media man's shoulder and smiled.

"I'm going to punish you a little."

"Choose one person to go with me into that building, which might already be full of flammable poisonous gas."

"I'm going to choose..."

Still hugging the media man, Lynn swayed left and right.

He seemed unable to keep his balance, drifting closer and farther away before all the terrified media people.

Holding the media man's hand, Lynn pointed it at one frightened face after another, muttering, "Is it you... or you? Your voice was very loud just now... Who should I choose..."

Lynn suddenly stopped moving.

His hand stopped as well. Holding the media man's hand, he slowly pointed it at the face of the man in his arms.

"Actually, I chose from the very beginning."

"Come on. Let's experience death."

"Crying?"

"You're going even if you cry."

Turning back, Lynn gave everyone a smile they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Like someone propping up a puppet, he staggered toward the orphanage entrance.

"Swaying back and forth~ Swaying back and forth~ Swaying all the way to..."

"The gates of hell? Hahahahahaha! That doesn't rhyme~"

My fever was gone. COVID-19 was nothing special.

It even helped me lose eleven pounds.

Please vote!

There would be another chapter before midnight. Tomorrow's update would be more normal; I still had a slight fever during the day, and my mind was not very clear.

I felt much better now.