Codename: Switcheroo

Commissioner Norman personally drove William back to Bowery Street, constantly asking him about the benefits Harold had promised along the way.

Clearly, he wanted to get something out of the illustrious Wayne Family too.

William's replies were perfunctory.

He spent the entire drive planning his next move.

Since Harold wanted him to sell Bruce out, the hitman would probably suspend his operation.

His life was safe for the moment, but he had been dragged into a powerful family's struggle over its fortune. If Harold won, everyone who had done his dirty work would undoubtedly be silenced.

3.5% of the shares?

Hah, even if I had the guts to take them, I wouldn't live to spend the money!

William rubbed between his brows, as though trying to squeeze the lurking greed out of his body.

Norman dropped him outside his apartment building and drove away. William was about to enter when a large hand dragged him into the darkness.

"Do you really intend to do this?!"

It was Gordon's voice. William could hear his anxiety in his tone alone.

Gordon had no idea how much pressure William was under after narrowly escaping death. All he knew was that Batman must never fall into those people's hands. If William's explanation failed to satisfy him, he would take Stuart away by force.

"Calm down, Mr. Gordon. We can talk upstairs. Stuart's already waiting inside."

"He knows about this?"

"He was with me the whole time. I wouldn't sell him to the Wayne Family right in front of him!"

Gordon released his collar, but kept his right hand on his holster.

Only when he saw Stuart inside, fresh out of the shower, did he relax.

"Mr. Gordon's here too. Looks like we can discuss our next move."

William closed the gap in the curtains, plunging the room into complete darkness.

"Do we really need to do this? I can't see a thing."

"It's safer this way. You'd never guess it, but Harold has already hired a gunman to eliminate everyone who knows. First me, then you. So please believe me when I say I will never join the enemy. The only place they've reserved for me is a grave."

William explained everything again in detail, including their unsuccessful search for the hitman in No Man's Land that morning.

"So what's your next move?"

"Honestly, I haven't figured it out yet," William admitted. Things were getting more and more complicated, and coming up with a sound plan that accounted for every detail was no easy task.

Stuart, who had been silent for some time, raised his hand.

"I have a plan..."

All three craned their necks at once.

Bang!

The sound was crisp.

"Perhaps we should sit a little farther apart."

At Gordon's suggestion, the three shuffled their seats.

Stuart then explained his plan.

Put simply, they would play along. William would hand Stuart over to Harold, and then Batman would demonstrate the sheer power of his stats.

Unsurprisingly, the plan was shot down at the speed of light.

Gordon worried about Stuart's safety. William had no concerns on that front, but the plan clearly wouldn't secure a conviction against the mastermind.

Harold was already marked. Whenever William wanted, he could remotely direct Batman to grab him.

But that would do nothing to resolve their situation. The other members of the Wayne Family could still use the double to carry out the share transfer.

Still, the plan wasn't entirely without merit. At the very least, it gave William a fresh idea.

After all, William had also marked the double and could pinpoint his location.

If they could swap Stuart with the double...

After hearing William's explanation, Stuart grew excited and scooted farther in. Predictably, he bumped into another head.

"So that's the outline of the plan, but there are still a few details to fill in. Give me a moment to brainstorm."

William worked through the plan again. If everything went smoothly, Bruce-Stuart-would return to Wayne Tower posing as the double, making it easier for him to collect evidence. Meanwhile, handing over the double would effectively lull Harold into a false sense of security.

The only problem was that the swap and the handover wouldn't happen at the same time. Stuart needed to replace the double first, preferably tonight, giving him plenty of time to find evidence of Harold's crimes.

Of course, William's safety couldn't be guaranteed during those days.

Stuart thought of that too and voiced his perfectly reasonable concern.

But William told him not to worry.

"I think there's someone who can keep me safe."

Casey tied her hair tightly and tucked her braid through the opening at the back of her mask. As she pulled up the zipper of her leather suit, the split bat emblem came together across her chest.

Casey adjusted her breasts and straightened her back, fastening the magnetically clasped cape to her shoulders.

The routine remained the same. Her younger sister took over her job playing piano at the opera house, while the older sister, now equipped with an alibi, became Batwoman and fought crime.

According to her intelligence, a Canadian smuggling ship would dock at Miller Harbor to conduct a deal with the Maroni Family.

Casey fitted the Hydraulic Exoskeleton over her right arm and switched off the apartment lights.

But the moment she drew back the curtains, a blinding bolt of lightning split the night sky.

Its glare illuminated her startled face-and the dark figure on the fire escape outside.

It was Batman!

Kate stepped back to create some distance and raised her fists.

If Batman had tracked her here, her hideout had been exposed. Kate wasn't thinking about how to defeat him now, but about her younger sister's safety.

At the same time, a knock sounded behind her.

"Open the door."

Stuart opened the window and climbed inside, issuing the order in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Why should I listen to you!"

"Because Batman needs your help, and I don't think you'd refuse."

This time, the voice came from behind her.

William had already opened the door and walked in.

"Evil scientist!!!" This time, Casey said what was on her mind aloud. She really was an innocent girl who couldn't hide her feelings.

"First, I'm not an evil scientist. Second, put the doormat back after using the spare key next time, or the marks will be obvious." William waved the key in his hand, then set it on the shoe cabinet.

The three stood in a neat equilateral triangle. The atmosphere was rather awkward.

"May I sit?" William broke the deadlock first.

"Sure... no, wait, you can't sit on my couch!"

"So that means I can?" Stuart couldn't care less. He plopped down and put his feet on the coffee table.

The image of the perfect Batman in her heart shattered. If she had been capable of it, Casey would have strangled Stuart until he foamed at the mouth.

Seeing that his host didn't welcome him, William could only stand there and give a dry explanation. His lips rattled away as he recounted the entire story of how the Mad Hatter had ambushed Batman and caused his memory loss. Naturally, he left out the part about Batman being Bruce.

Bruce probably wouldn't want a fangirl clinging to him after he regained his memories either.

The rapid-fire explanation left William's mouth parched.

Truthfully, William was sick of this part. If he could, he would print a stack of flyers and slap one in the face of anyone with curiosity to spare.

"So I nearly ruined your plan that day?"

William forced a wounded look onto his face.

"Yes. You nearly made them suspicious of me!"

"This is all my fault... no... wait, this is just your side of the story. You don't even have any evidence!"

That was William's predicament. Most of his information came from the comics and the system; hardly any of it came from his own firsthand investigations.

The only thing he could offer was his burning sincerity.

"Do I have to cut open my chest and show you my heart?"

"Spare me your nauseating patter, evil scientist! Take your sorcery and that damned Batman and get out of my home!"

William scratched his head awkwardly. He had expected Casey to be difficult to convince, but he hadn't imagined she would be this emotional.

If she simply calmed down and thought about it, she would realize William hadn't done anything wrong.

They had first met at Falcone Manor, where William risked his life to steal a bait document. That at least proved he wasn't with the mob. And over the past few weeks, Batman had returned to fighting crime, significantly reducing violent incidents in Gotham. That also proved William wasn't using Batman for illegal activities.

There was indeed no evidence proving his story was true, but there were plenty of examples proving he wasn't a bad person.

Just as the negotiations reached a deadlock, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from outside.

Another young woman appeared before William, looking almost exactly like Casey.

Perhaps the only difference was their demeanor. After talking to Casey at length, one could tell she was rather high-strung, while the girl before him exuded indifference.

"So many people here... Batman?"

Kate glanced at Stuart's brazen lounging posture, then walked straight between her older sister and William, putting the food from her shopping bag into the refrigerator one item at a time.

Watching her from behind, William suddenly realized the girl who had played the piano at Falcone Manor that day might not have been Casey.

"Hello. Have we met?"

Kate didn't answer. She turned and walked toward William with a bottle of chilled sparkling water in her hand.

"Here. Have a drink."