The Hunter's Shadow and Hidden Tensions

"What?"

Hearing Batman's words, Margaret finally seemed to realize why he wasn't panicking. But by then, it was already too late.

The sound of police sirens grew louder, and the flashing red and blue lights became more visible in the distance. Margaret understood that her chances of escaping today were gone. Worse yet, half of her plan had already been ruined.

But she wasn't someone who is surrender easily.

Glaring coldly at the man in front of her who are dressed in strange attire with bat-like ears on his head, she said, "You can't change this city."

"No, I can."

Batman's gaze remained calm as he spoke, though it was unclear whether he was disagreeing with her or reminding himself of this fact.

...

After realizing they'd been lured away, Gordon and his team, following a tip from Alfred, who had stayed at the manor, eventually arrived in the outskirts where Batman and Margaret were. They arrested her on the spot.

The sight of the mountain of corpses piled nearby left them utterly speechless, their eyes wide in shock. They now had a much deeper understanding of Margaret's atrocities. The evidence before them would serve as undeniable proof during her trial.

An initial hearing is typically held shortly after an arrest, to determine whether the arrested individual will await trial in jail or be granted bail.

The outcome was obvious—bail was out of the question. Margaret would remain in prison until her first court appearance.

With that, Batman had done all he could in this matter.

...

"According to the magic compass, the person who has been hunting down our members suddenly appeared in Gotham three days ago, at the site of a burnt-down orphanage in the Upper East Side."

In a dim, enclosed room, a figure entirely made of blue light projections stood before a large bronze table, cloaked in a vast cape that concealed their entire form. Their mechanical-sounding voice made it impossible to discern their gender, and their appearance was just as indecipherable.

Seated around the bronze table were a dozen or so individuals, varying in height, build, and gender. The only thing they had in common was the black earring each of them wore in one ear, possibly as some kind of symbol.

The projected figure spoke again: "James, you are the one who responsible for Gotham, so why is it that even I know about this, but you still act like nothing has happened? Can you provide me with a reasonable explanation?"

The other members fell silent at the sharpness of the question, none of them dared to speak up.

James, a strikingly handsome young man, sat at the opposite end of the bronze table, gazing back at the projection. Upon hearing the leader's apparent accusation, he didn't appear alarmed. Instead, he broke into a smile that seemed oddly joyful.

Though his smile was out of place, it wasn't surprising to the others—this was just how he was. The other members remained indifferent, but the figure leading the meeting was clearly displeased, thinking James's attitude was disrespectful. Before the leader could rebuke him, however, James spoke first.

Avery rested his chin on one hand, casually twirling a pen between his fingers. His tone was relaxed, with a hint of indifference. "You're really putting me in a tough spot here. Setting aside where your magic compass came from and its level of power..."

"I'm currently on a mission, so I can't just go running around wherever I please. If Batman catches wind of my movements, all the work I've put into securing this identity might go to waste. Worse, it could even expose our organization, the one we've worked so hard to keep in the shadows."

He glanced up at the projection across from him, a slight glint of expectation in his eyes. "How about this—why don't you lend me the compass? After all, that mysterious wizard is likely hiding in Gotham, and with the compass, it would make capturing him much easier."

With that suggestion, Avery subtly shifted the conversation, attempting to gain an advantage.

The "mysterious wizard" was a codename everyone in the secret organization was familiar with, referring to the person who had been hunting down their members for years. The nickname was very casual, but within their ranks, it was well understood who it referred to. The mere mention of the name was enough to evoke fear, showing just how deeply this figure had scarred them all.

No one could ever be sure who might be the next victim, as the looming threat of death felt like a blade hovering over their necks. It was an anxiety none of them could shake off.

Every year, their members disappeared silently at the hands of this person. Even when the organization located the crime scenes and brought in their best diviners to investigate, they could never gather any useful information. This suggested the mysterious figure was indeed a high-level wizard, adept at disrupting divination.

The only reason they had successfully pinpointed the wizard's location this time was due to the residual magical elements left at previous crime scenes, which allowed them to use the magic compass for precise tracking.

The compass was a relic left behind by a powerful sorcerer and had been kept under strict guard ever since.

Naturally, the leader of the meeting ignored Avery's suggestion to lend him the compass, with no intention of letting it out of their hands. The risk of it not being returned was too high.

"I think you should focus on ensuring you're not his next target," the leader said. "Besides, since you're too busy with your current mission, perhaps it's time to let someone else take over the position of head of operations."

That statement barely disguised the intention to replace him.

It couldn't be helped—there was clearly some old grudge between the two of them.

Avery sighed inwardly, regretting the situation.

The other members seated around the bronze table began to stir at the words, sensing the tension in the air.