Chapter 319: Bloodbath in New City (31)

Another ordinary morning in Gotham, two extraordinary conversations are simultaneously unfolding in the reception room of Wayne Manor.

Shiller and Gordon came together, one looking for Batman, the other for the Pale Knight.

Seeing them arrive together, both Batman and the Pale Knight had an ominous feeling.

But indeed, they had no reason to refuse reception because too much had happened in Gotham recently, and they couldn't settle everything alone, they needed to find helpers.

Besides, you can only dodge for so long; what will come, will come. Even if they were just going to say "condolences", the Pale Knight and Batman would have to comply and embrace the sorrow.

Seemingly in search of psychological comfort, Batman arranged for the two teams to talk in adjacent rooms as if this could give the other some emotional support, but he was thinking too simply.

As soon as the door to the reception room closed, the Pale Knight saw Gordon standing seriously in front of the couch, hands on hips, throwing his coat to the back, and looking at him said: "Jack, tell me, where did you take Cobblepot? Batgirl didn't find his location."

The Pale Knight furrowed his brows deeply, staring into Gordon's eyes and said: "What do you want him for?"

This was a very bad sign, the Pale Knight thought. Gordon was not a man of arbitrary decision; he usually didn't act without informing others, and once he did, it didn't mean he had made some determination that no one could sway him from.

"I need him, Gotham needs him." Gordon now seemed casual, which meant he wasn't trying to persuade anyone, but just describing a fact about to occur.

The Pale Knight felt an ever stronger sense of foreboding.

"You can't do that, James, Penguin Man is too dangerous, releasing him will only bring greater disaster to this city."

Gordon didn't sit down but walked up to the Pale Knight, looked into his eyes and said, "That's not for you to decide, Mr. Napier. Even if he's guilty, he must be judged by a court, you have no right to detain him illegally."

A barely noticeable pain flashed through the Pale Knight's eyes as he looked at Gordon and said, "I thought you would understand me. You know how many tricks that guy has to escape punishment."

"Do you think it's his problem? Or is it just his?"

Gordon's demeanor and tone reminded the Pale Knight of the little girl named Fiona. At the memorial service, she also stared at him and asked: "Why doesn't the law punish those who have polluted the land and killed many, but instead punishes her father who advocated for the people?"

The Pale Knight couldn't answer. If the law was wrong, for whom were they really upholding justice?

"You didn't take him to court, but imprisoned him with your power, which precisely shows you don't trust the law," Gordon pointed out bluntly, "You don't think the current law is fair, so you don't want him to stand trial."

"I admit that with Penguin Man, I really think so. The law can't punish him, and I'm not trying to punish him either, I know I don't have that power, I just don't want him to harm more people."

"Have you ever thought about changing it?" Gordon finally turned around, walked to the couch and sat down, then said, "The law always serves those with the power to make it, changing the law is hard, at least for us."

"But someone pointed out to me, why don't we become the makers of the law first, and then change it?"

"If someone becomes the maker of the law, how can you ensure he always stands with the common people?" The Pale Knight also walked over and sat down, looking earnestly into Gordon's eyes, "If this person is so kind, he wouldn't be able to enter high society; if he manages to blend in, then he's the same as those elites, people who wouldn't consider the lower classes."

"Then make him have no choice but to do so," said Gordon. "Maybe for a long time, all he can show is an attitude, but even just an attitude is better than the current state of Gotham, isn't it?"

"Who do you think could do this, Penguin Man?"

"You have to admit, his evil intelligence will make him sail smoothly in politics, and that's the best revenge we can take on those people."

The Pale Knight slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head. He said: "Revenge won't save anyone."

"That's better than no belief at all, do you have any better approaches?" Every word from Gordon hit the Pale Knight's heart.

He couldn't, of course he couldn't. When it came to saving Gotham, he would say he wanted to save Gotham; when it came to improving the lives of the lower classes, then he would work on that.

But no, these were all superficial efforts. The Pale Knight knew this well; whether establishing an anti-terrorism squad or setting up a charity foundation, trying to improve public welfare, it all felt like scraping the surface, and with a slightest disturbance, everything became unenforceable.

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Amidst the raging storm in Gotham, their makeshift awning propped up with a few wooden sticks was on the verge of collapsing, yet they didn't even know where to find bricks, let alone reinforced concrete.

The Pale Knight was clueless about where the problem lay, and he wasn't even sure if it was actually a problem. Was this situation normal? Or were they not doing enough, not doing well enough?

The Pale Knight began to feel his own heart wavering.

Commissioner Gordon's next words were like the final straw that broke the camel's back, finally causing the Pale Knight's mental defenses to crumble.

"If we keep dragging this out, allowing the Napier Act to die a slow death, then all this becomes another meaningless upheaval. It will only bring disappointment to the citizens of Gotham once more and, yet again, help the elite solidify their standing."

"Whatever your intentions were, the consequences of your actions have made you no different from Penguin Man's lackey and accomplice, and your destruction has been even greater. Can you accept this outcome?"

"Of course not!" the Pale Knight said through clenched teeth.

"Then why not go all in?" Gordon finally emphasized, "I know that misunderstanding Batman and framing a hero has brought you consequences heavier than you could have imagined, and it made you swear to never be so reckless again. But that's no reason for you to continue being fearful and hesitant, punishing the present for past mistakes."

"Your mental state has improved, which is good. So why not put an end to what happened before?"

The Pale Knight looked away, his gaze blankly fixated on the floor next to him, then said: "Batman..."

"Do you think it should be the victim who puts an end to this all? If that's what you think, then you really don't understand Batman. He's best at putting an end to things; his life is full of full stops."

Gordon stood up again, looking down on the Pale Knight from above. The lanky man's prominent brow was as sharp as a knife, and even though the root of madness was gone, its crude marks were still etched upon him.

"Sorry, I didn't come here to consult with you. Now that I've regained control over GTO, finding Penguin Man is only a matter of time."

"And if you don't help in this process, when Cobblepot sues you for illegal detention, I will simply tell the court all the truth I know, and may God be forever on your side, Mr. Napier."

Gordon turned and walked towards the drawing room door, his footsteps showing no intention of lingering. His hard-soled police boots clacked on the fine wooden floor of Wayne Manor, echoing heavily like the evening bell of Gotham Cathedral.

"Wait." The Pale Knight heard his own throat emit a hoarse sound, as if the voice came from another world.

Gordon, who was holding the doorknob, looked back at him, while the Pale Knight standing in front of the sofa looked even more gaunt, like a balloon that had been overinflated and was now overly deflated.

"You won't find him in Gotham." The Pale Knight said, "I sent him out of the city, he's now in a Forest Keeper's cabin in the valley east of Brude Haven. You need to find a retired forest ranger called Dad Bick in the southeast farms; he'll lead you there."

Gordon sighed and said, "I won't ask how you managed to get him so far under my watch."

"You can't let him come back," the Pale Knight said, "this is my last line in the sand. As long as he doesn't enter the city, you can let him go wherever you please."

Gordon chuckled softly and said, "You think after being caught by you once, he'd choose to walk into a trap again? He'll run faster than anyone."

After saying that, Gordon turned the doorknob, opened the door to leave, and the Pale Knight called out to him once more, "About the unlawful detention, I'm sorry, I..."

"He won't have time to sue you." Gordon turned back to say, "Compared to what I'm about to have him do, taking revenge on you seems so trivial and meaningless. So, you don't have to worry about prison. If you do unfortunately end up there, I'll manage to get city hall paperwork to you in jail. After all, besides you, there may be no one else willing to be this city's mayor."

With a bang, the door shut. The Pale Knight exhaled deeply, slumping onto the sofa, with cold sweat on his forehead and back, looking as if he had been drifting in the Pacific Ocean for months.

Everything was starting to spiral out of control, the Pale Knight thought. Some things were becoming like a derailed train, completely off the designated tracks, but moving very fast, too fast.

Where did it all start? The Pale Knight realized that ever since the two mysterious visitors from different worlds arrived, Gotham, like an old tin can train, seemed to be powered by a high-tech engine from a different world.

The good news was, the engine was powerful; the bad news was, the brakes were broken, and all the conductors on board couldn't pull the hand brake, left to despair as the train rushed onwards towards the unknown.

The Pale Knight sat on the sofa for a good while, eventually taking out his phone to call Bruce. He now finally understood what Bruce meant by "Beware not of others but of Shiller taking action himself."

He had to take a good look at this terrifying engine.

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