177 Preparations

"By the way, tomorrow's my birthday, and I'll be throwing a bash at Wayne Manor," Bruce mentioned casually, a glint of excitement shimmering in his eyes. "Will you be joining us?"

Jack's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Are you inviting me?" He grinned, his enthusiasm evident. "Well, count me in!"

Bruce cleared his throat, a hint of nervousness creeping into his demeanor. "Ahem, that's settled then. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask," he paused, coughing twice, "About Rachel, didn't you mention you had some advice?"

Jack chuckled, leaning in with interest. "Still grappling with that, huh?" he teased gently. "Even billionaires have their love conundrums."

"Rachel... she's unlike anyone else. She's special," Bruce interjected, a touch of earnestness coloring his tone.

Jack smirked knowingly. "Ah, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my friend..."

Bruce hesitated, a furrow forming on his brow. "This is delicate territory," he admitted, his concern for Rachel palpable.

But Jack remained undeterred. "As an outsider, I've got Rachel's number. You can't deny it, Bruce," he pointed out. "She's an idealist with a strong moral compass. You've got to lay it all out for her, show her the real you. That's how you'll win her over."

"But what I do involves bending the rules," Bruce countered, his tone grave. "She's unwavering in her commitment to justice, but my methods... they're..."

"Rules are made to be flexed, Bruce," Jack interjected, waving off the concern. "Besides, laws are often dictated by those in power, aren't they? What matters is we're making a difference here, taking down the bad elements."

Jack was poised to make a lighthearted quip about Rachel, but sensing Bruce's earnestness, he held back. "Ever heard the saying, 'less is more'?" he suggested instead.

"Less is more?" Bruce echoed, intrigued.

"Exactly. Tell mostly truths with a sprinkle of deception. You know what to do," Jack advised cryptically, rising from his seat. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right, tomorrow it is," Bruce replied, watching Jack leave, a sense of determination settling in.

As Bruce headed out to find Rachel, a nagging feeling tugged at the back of his mind.

After some pondering, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

I've been played again!

.....

The next day arrived, and in adherence to the principle of maintaining a low profile, Jack opted to travel to Wayne Manor in Gordon's car.

With Jack's maneuvers, the plot took a significant turn:

Gordon now knew that Batman was none other than Bruce Wayne.

Rachel, however, didn't require Bruce's rescue since she was never in jeopardy to begin with. Klein had met his demise earlier on, and Falcone's criminal enterprises had crumbled, leaving him with no reason to bother Rachel. They were no longer a threat to themselves or others.

The Scarecrow, Klein, had been eliminated ahead of schedule, and the antidote for his fear-inducing gas had been swiftly developed, mass-produced, and distributed across Gotham City.

Producing the antidote posed no challenge. With the vast financial resources and extensive network of the Wayne Group at their disposal, it was a matter of throwing money at the problem, ensuring high efficiency in production.

Under the guise of railway maintenance, the Wayne Group successfully installed antidote dispensers along every track in Gotham City.

The League of Assassins aimed to unleash fear gas throughout Gotham, but dispersing the microwave weapon wasn't as straightforward. To maximize its impact, they planned to affix it to rail trains, allowing it to disperse its effects as it traveled.

Their aim was to disrupt Wayne Group's efforts to revitalize Gotham, turning the city's lifeline against it.

Jack's approach to countering this threat was straightforward:

Activating the microwave weapon was inevitable. To drive home the severity of the situation and showcase the enemy's power, it had to be deployed. Only then could the people of Gotham truly appreciate the heroism of those combating the threat.

Jack wasn't one to impose his will on others; he merely presented his plan to Bruce, Gordon, and the rest, leaving it up to them to agree or disagree.

And it seemed that apart from a rare few like Rachel, everyone was on board with Jack's strategy.

"There isn't much time left for the organization you mentioned," Gordon remarked as he drove. "In a day, the water cycle in Gotham will completely replace the chemicals in the water source. Do you think they'll act?"

"It's not my concern whether they act or not. All I know is that this is their best shot, especially since they're unaware of my involvement," Jack replied calmly. "Even if they don't show, we won't lose much. But without this incident, our plan won't succeed."

Gordon pondered Jack's words, realizing that they did indeed hold merit.

....

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