Banquet

"To me, to Bruce Wayne, how would I describe Gotham City in just one word? Home? Family? Purpose? The truth is I can't answer that question." Adam, dressed in a tailored suit, stood at the center of the brightly lit ballroom, melodious music swirling around him.

The elite of Gotham's upper class had gathered for this charity gala, originally planned for March 29th and hosted by Bruce Wayne, Gotham's renowned billionaire. Due to Bruce's recent health issues, the event had been postponed and was finally taking place tonight.

"As most of you know, I lost my parents at a young age. But deep down, I knew that even though the pain was immense, things would eventually get better. My point is, when we find ourselves in challenging or frightening circumstances, it's pointless to ask what our city 'is.' Because when we look around, we see that the streets and buildings are reflections of our fears, our frustrations—"

"Our inner demons."

"But if we stop dwelling on the present, stop looking back at the past, and instead focus on the future, If we ask ourselves what tomorrow can—and will—be, then we're asking the right question. Because embracing hope, dreaming, and facing the future is how we shape the city, not the other way around."

Adam's eyes swept across the audience—judges, council members, entrepreneurs—the forces of good in Gotham that Bruce Wayne had cultivated over the years before his disappearance. Bruce had brought his plans to this point and Adam had to maintain their momentum.

Damn it, Adam thought. To revitalize the decaying city, Bruce Wayne had dedicated countless hours and resources to rebuild its failing systems from the ground up. With these conscientious individuals before him, even if all the corrupt officials in Gotham were gone...

Well, Batman wouldn't resort to such extreme measures.

Adam fully understood the immense effort it took to build such a foundation. The energy and time invested were almost unimaginable. This was the lifeline Bruce Wayne had laid out for Gotham.

Could a transmigrator like him truly overcome the obstacles and continue Bruce Wayne's mission?

Such responsibility weighed heavily on Adam. But until he found a suitable successor, he had to keep this plate spinning, hoping Superman or Wonder Woman would eventually step in and take charge of the city.

Adam steadied himself and continued reading Bruce Wayne's speech:

"I know many of you may have doubts, as our city has been engulfed in violence, with criminals escalating to the point of requiring military intervention. Law and order have been shattered, but we know this too shall pass."

"And what we must do is eradicate this unrest and the breeding ground for crime in Gotham, once and for all."

"I will back my words with action. Once the riots subside, Wayne Enterprises will swiftly and boldly invest in Gotham's future. We've partnered with several local design firms to develop a reconstruction plan, aimed at revitalizing the most dilapidated industrial and residential areas."

"We also plan to expand and modernize Gotham's public transportation system. These plans fill me with hope and excitement, and words can hardly express how I feel. We will reveal more details in the coming days, but for now, I ask you to look beyond what Gotham was and is, and simply imagine with me."

"What Gotham City's future will be."

"Thank you. Now, my friends, I ask you to invest in Gotham's future with me. I promise you, if we join hands, if we work together, then, a better, brighter Gotham is just within our reach."

"Thank you, thank you."

Adam raised a glass of champagne amidst the applause and cheerful chatter, blending into the enthusiastic crowd.

"Well done, Bruce. You're inspiring," he muttered to himself.

He didn't turn around as he spoke to Robin, who was dressed in a suit and sipping juice. "Tim, how's Solomon Grundy?"

Robin shrugged. "He's settled in Slaughter Swamp. We've got a tracker on him, and we're supplying his daily food. We can always sedate him and airlift him to any battlefield where we need a heavy hitter. He's our very own walking weapon of mass destruction."

"Poison Ivy's been placed with the Suicide Squad," Robin reported. "Just as you predicted, she couldn't resist the opportunity to save those plants. And Harley's inseparable from her, as usual."

"According to Ivy, Plant master is significantly weakened. Her words were, 'Jason may be powerful, but he's no Swamp Thing. It'll take him at least half a century to recover to his former strength.' Basically, the super tree spirit is just a regular tree now."

"The rest of the Suicide Squad are maintaining order in Gotham—and I must admit, they're surprisingly effective."

Tim frowned slightly. "At least they can handle the smaller-time villains, especially Deadshot. Poison Ivy's power is easily countered, but as long as they don't run into any major players, they should be fine. But if it's the Joker, Two-Face, or Riddler..."

"We never expected them to handle those maniacs," Adam replied. "Continue your report."

"Bane's whereabouts are unknown. We can't track him. He's deliberately avoiding our Bat-cameras, and buildings are no obstacle for him, so he's not constrained by roads."

"That's not unexpected," Adam said. "Go on."

"The National Guard has been decimated," Robin reported, his voice grim. "The Joker kidnapped Mayor Carlo and, at the last moment, released a massive dose of Joker gas into the midst of the battle."

"About a third of the soldiers were killed instantly, either by Bane or the toxin. They never even made it to an ambulance. The remaining survivors aren't faring much better," Robin continued. "Mayor Carlo—well, the Joker-controlled Mayor Carlo—issued insane orders, sending even the army cooks into battle."

"The bomb's detonation has overwhelmed Gotham's hospitals with casualties. They'll be suffering from uncontrollable laughter for months, with unknown long-term effects. And the state government has refused to send aid."

Tim paused, the weight of the situation hanging in the air. "In other words, Gotham has been left to fend for itself."

He added, "And one more thing. Are you really going to ignore the Joker's challenge?"