Chapter 4: Rookie Batman

There's a saying that goes, "Humans are made of iron, but even iron needs to eat."

Batman was the only designated ordinary human among the elders of the Justice League. Despite being just a regular guy, even if he's hacked out, he still needs to eat. It does make sense.

However, seeing him fully armed, wearing that terrifying pointed ear mask, sitting there eating from a lunch box, somewhat shatters the illusion of his image.

Then, as Shen You's gaze swept to the side, he glimpsed under the adjacent Batmobile seat, where there was a big bag packed full of several stacks of lunch boxes. He couldn't help but fall into silence.

Hmm. Is the old man living in the Batmobile?

But soon Shen You had a bit of a guess as to what was going on.

Following the old man's gaze towards the adjacent street, Shen You quickly spotted a luxurious venue. The grand gates, flanked by flower beds bursting with various flowers. The stone-paved road led straight into the venue, surrounded by magnificent sculptures and fountains illuminated by colorful lights.

Luxurious, quite out of place compared to the typical style of Gotham.

Under the night sky, luxury cars streamed in front of the venue, dazzling with various high-end models. Every man stepping out of the cars, in their smart suits, left generous tips for the valets. They escorted ladies in deep-V high shoulder zip dresses, their strides proud as roosters.

Shen You soon realized that this was the residence of one of Gotham's top drug lords, Sal Maroni. Apparently, tonight he was hosting some kind of grand banquet, inviting elites from all sectors of Gotham's upper class.

Maroni was one of the main bosses in Gotham before the old man's debut, comparable in power to the infamous Roman Carmine Falcone at this stage, basically sharing Gotham's territory.

Later, in the Batman series, the famous villain Two-Face, Harvey Dent, had half of his face burned by Maroni. As well as in the post-Batman era, the former drug lords were overthrown, and the new Penguin took over, who was originally groomed by Maroni.

The old man was monitoring Maroni.

At least judging from the number of lunch boxes in the Batmobile, it had been quite some time.

Fewer luxury cars were coming from the street, indicating that the guests were almost all there. The venue's gates closed, and tonight's high society revelry began.

It was also time for the Bat to leave its nest.

The sliding door on top of the Batmobile opened, and Batman jumped out from inside. The door closed automatically right after he stepped out.

He came to a shadowy corner beneath a high-rise building, opened his multifunctional belt, and took out a rope with a grappling hook.

The old man apparently didn't even have his signature gadget, the grappling gun, yet. So now he had to rely on a rope for wall-crawling.

Batman lifted the rope, swiftly spun it a few times, and forcefully threw it. The grappling hook, under the centrifugal force of its spin, soared high towards the edge of the rooftop

And when he bumped into the wall, he fell softly like a snake that was lying down and fell to Batman's feet.

Not thrown up.

Shen You: "."

Most afraid of sudden air embarrassment.

Batman silently picked up the grappling hook, stowed away the rope, and spun it into a windmill again, throwing it forcefully.

Click. The grappling hook successfully caught the edge of the rooftop. He tugged on the rope, tested it, confirmed the grappling hook was secure.

Then he started to climb up the wall, heixiuheixiu.

Shen You: "."

Looks like a lot of effort.

Indeed. Most comic book readers only remember how Batman walks the rooftops and how he kills the gods with the body of an ordinary person, and many people overlook that the old man was once a rookie.

Classic Batman works like "First Year" and "Number One Earth" in particular emphasize his early struggles. Like what happens when chasing someone and falling off the roof, grappling gun jams knots and can't shoot out, various unbearable black history.

Anyway, it's difficult.

After climbing up, Batman stood at the edge of the roof. A cold wind blew, the cloak fluttering like a flag. A pale blue lightning struck through the pitch-black night sky, illuminating his erect figure.

"I am the night, I am vengeance, I am Batman!"

A signature line burned into DNA, with just the right thunder and lightning, bursting into the sky.

Click.

Shen You perfectly captured this photo, very satisfied with the angle and light and shadow.

After several years, when Batman became famous, especially when he trained newcomers in the Justice League, "No lines allowed, no modeling allowed," Shen You sensed that this embarrassing historical photo was likely to skyrocket in value.

Of course, lack of experience and accidents are one thing, but even if the old man was just starting out, he was still the old man. There were no surprises in the sneaking process. Although compared to the later terrifying Dark Knight, there was a gap, but he still smoothly slid into Maroni's venue across the ventilation duct.

Batman quietly landed after entering, lowering his entire center of gravity, shrinking in his large black cape, knee-walking all the way, just like a game back row sneaky old silver coin.

The whole time Shen You watched through the layers of obstacles to the banquet hall.

At this point, Gotham's celebrities were invited to enjoy a fine dinner at Maroni's house. Even GCPD Commissioner Gill was among them.

Everyone knows what kind of person Maroni is, and what dirty deeds he has under his hands. But no evidence, no one cares. Even the Commissioner was laughing and joking with him.

Maroni was talking to him, "You've been busy these days, Commissioner Gill?"

Obviously, he was referring to Batman.

Gill said nothing, but Mayor Mr. smiled and said, "Whoever he is, his actions are effective. Street crime rates are dropping, and my approval ratings are rising.

Ha, I think you should consider giving him a job, paying him a salary, and letting him continue like this, lest one day he loses interest and stops doing it. What do you say, Gill?"

Commissioner Gill's face was grim, silent. Obviously, from his point of view, he didn't like Batman. From all sides.

First, Batman's actions severely hampered some of his questionable income sources, and second, even from the official standpoint, Batman's presence was equally a slap in the face of GCPD.

This guy every time he's active, the last time in the newspaper, it's like mocking them all the time. GCPD are all a bunch of lazy doughnuts and wine bags.

Well, if you think about it, even Gill himself had to admit that it was a fact. But anyway, it's really annoying.

"Don't worry, Batman won't be a problem."

Maroni showed a cold smile.

"If he just keeps doing what he's been doing, taking a few people off the streets, it won't matter. It might not be a bad thing for Gotham people to have a hero, at least give them a sense of security. The safer they feel, the fewer questions they ask."

After a pause, he turned the conversation around.

"But if that guy doesn't know what's good for him, dares to touch us"

Maroni's eyes suddenly darkened. Following everyone's exclamation at the dining table, a black mist appeared from behind him, abstractly resembling a bat shape.

He showed a cruel smile.

". He'll know he's not the only one who's got tricks up his sleeve."