Gotham’s situation

"Master Bruce, Miss Kane, and Sir, your tea is ready."

Back in the Batcave, Joker had already transformed back into Alfred and approached with a tray, setting down a few cups of steaming black tea on the only table in the cavernous space.

"I'm sorry there's no comfortable sofa," he added politely. "Master Bruce prefers not to place anything unnecessary in the Batcave."

"That's quite alright," Kate said.

If she hadn't come from the Kane family or wasn't 'Bruce's' cousin, she probably would've grown up to be a rebellious wild girl. But in front of Alfred, the ever-loyal butler of the Wayne household, even she couldn't help but show a certain respect.

"This is more than enough, Alfred."

Kate picked up a teacup and sipped with practiced grace, her posture and manners shaped by years of family etiquette. Watching Deathstroke gulp down his entire cup in one shot, clearly parched, made her feel like she'd finally scored a win.

At least when it came to noble manners, she definitely had him beat.

It was obvious that the earlier training session had shaken her. She thought she had become a proper superhero, yet she couldn't even defeat a mercenary.

'Bruce' didn't know what Kate was thinking. Right now, he was focused on planning their next move. He stood in front of the Batcomputer, scanning the latest intel on Gotham, trying to piece together what the mutants might do next.

The mutants had only recently begun targeting Gotham.

With Martian Manhunter and Captain Marvel having left Earth, the mutants never gained much attention from the government. They couldn't grow, and under the quiet yet constant pressure from above, their situation had become more desperate.

In that kind of environment, Erik and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants naturally turned to what they knew best: using their criminal nature to operate in the shadows, doing whatever it took to gain benefits for all mutants.

And Gotham City was their first chosen target.

This chaotic, lawless city, despite 'Batman' having returned for three years, was still far easier to infiltrate than any other city in the U.S.

As a highly autonomous zone, Gotham had the right to govern itself. That, combined with its natural disorder and high crime rate, made it the perfect location for mutants to operate without interference. The U.S. government rarely got involved in Gotham's internal affairs.

Perhaps in the eyes of those politicians, sacrificing a city already difficult to manage in exchange for peace with the Brotherhood seemed like a good deal. A bargain they could afford.

But that idea directly conflicted with Reid's goals for the city.

The rapid rise of LexCorp couldn't have happened without consistent support from Wayne Enterprises in Gotham. On top of that, 'Batman's' current role was specifically assigned to monitor and deal with mutants. So a clash was bound to happen.

'This time, the mutants attacked the Joker Gang,' 'Bruce' thought, eyes scanning intel files. 'They want to replace them. Which means their next step is probably to approach the gang again. Either with negotiations or mutant tricks.'

The Brotherhood's leader, Magneto, hadn't come to Gotham in person. His presence was too influential. If he had acted directly, even in a place the government couldn't control like Gotham, they wouldn't be able to just sit by.

So instead of Magneto, four other mutants had come to Gotham.

'Azazel's already badly injured. He'll need time to recover. Even if the mutants understand human technology, it'll still take a while to treat wounds like that.'

At some point, Kate had walked over, standing beside him as she too studied the Batcomputer screen.

'Blob was handed over to GCPD. Before long, he'll die from a rare genetic condition. That threat is already taken care of.'

Though this was Deathstroke's first day in Gotham, 'Batman' had already neutralized half the mutant force.

'There are only two left. One of them I remember, calls himself Riptide. He can create tornadoes. I've already made preparations for him. The one I'm truly concerned about is the last one. A mutant who's never shown their face.'

Just then, Kate's phone buzzed. She gave 'Bruce' a quick glance and stepped out of the cave to answer it. The call was from her family—the Kanes.

Once she was gone, Deathstroke approached. Alfred stepped forward as well.

"No one else is here now. Let's hear the plan," the mercenary said.

The three of them were all followers or clones of Reid. There was no need to hide anything between them.

"One of us needs to step back—"

Before Bruce could finish, the Batcomputer chimed. The Bat-Signal had been lit on top of the GCPD building. Commissioner Gordon was calling for him again.

"Excuse me. I'll be back soon."

With that, 'Bruce' once again became 'Batman' and flew off in the Batplane.

Not long after, Kate returned to the Batcomputer.

"Where's Bruce?"

"Commissioner Gordon requested him," Alfred answered calmly. "He went out."

"I see."

After a brief pause, Kate glanced at Deathstroke, then turned to the butler.

"I just got word. Some members of the Kane family who had past contact with the Court of Owls have gone missing. I need to return to the family right away. If anything comes up, have Bruce contact me."

"Understood, Miss Kane."

With Alfred's reply, she left the Batcave and exited Wayne Manor.

"The Court of Owls is showing up now too?" Deathstroke muttered, looking at Alfred. Now he finally understood why Reid had sent him to Gotham. The old threats—families and gangs—had mostly been dealt with. But now, both the mutants and the Court of Owls were emerging. This situation was far from good.

"Or maybe…" Deathstroke said, half to himself, "the mutants were working with the Court all along. After all, we were the ones who brought outside powers into Gotham first."

Unlike the traditional comic book Batman, Reid didn't mind external forces stepping into Gotham. That's why he had allied Wayne Enterprises with the likes of LexCorp and Stark Industries. Together, they crushed Gotham's local powerhouses.

In just three years, Wayne Enterprises had come to dominate nearly every aspect of the city.

But naturally, there was a cost. The Court of Owls would stop at nothing to strike back.

In today's Marvel world, there weren't many outside forces the Court could rely on. The golden age of superheroes hadn't fully arrived.

But mutants—they were exactly the kind of power the Court could easily take advantage of.

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