The Family of Three

Bruce, well-versed in psychology and having conducted numerous studies on micro-expressions, immediately discerned that her words were genuine. He felt a sense of kinship in their shared sorrow, as he had lost both parents and she had lost her father and brother. Their fates were quite similar.

But he still wanted to clarify his question. "After so many deaths during the day, do you feel guilty?"

"They were all bad people, and they resisted arrest. The police were the ones who took action, and it was either them or us, so there was no other choice." Thea replied. Sometimes she truly didn't understand the logic of these heroes, but she couldn't argue against it. She changed her angle, shifting all responsibility to the police. 

However, Bruce didn't want to give up just yet. "But isn't it wrong for us to just kill the criminals outright?"

Thea knew that he wouldn't rest until he got a clear answer from her, so she put on the debating skills she had used against Malcolm last year and presented another round of arguments.

"Today's operation wasn't just a small-scale arrest; it was a full-blown war. It's a battle between justice and evil, and only one side can prevail. And this war isn't over yet. If we hadn't taken action, the casualties on our side would have been high. Many police officers and veterans joined our cause for the sake of Gotham, and it would have been a disservice if we didn't act. We had no other choice. If there was a way to handle the situation differently, we would have, but there are still thousands of citizens waiting to be rescued."

Without giving him a chance to interject, Thea continued, "I admire your actions, but from what I've seen in Gotham recently, the city needs not only Batman at night, but also Bruce Wayne during the day."

"What do you mean?" Bruce was confused by her words.

"I mean it literally. You're Batman at night and playboy Bruce Wayne during the day but I think it's a bit of a waste of Bruce Wayne's prestigious identity. You know Commissioner Gordon is about to retire, right? Who will be responsible for Gotham during the day in the future? Have you thought about that?"

"What are you suggesting?" Bruce's brilliant mind quickly grasped her intent, yet he hesitated to confirm.

"I'm suggesting that after Commissioner Gordon retires, you should aim to take over as the head of the police department. With your connections and wealth, you could do even better than the old commissioner." The relationship between them wasn't deep yet, so Thea was just making a casual suggestion to shift his focus away from her and towards dealing with those politicians and financial conglomerates. It would make it easier for her to make moves against the Court of Owls.

However, her offhand remark struck a chord with Bruce, and he seriously contemplated the deeper implications of her words.

When he was young, Gordon was already a police officer. The two had been working together for so many years, but it was only today that Thea's words made him realize his old friend was indeed getting old.

It's true what they say about not seeing what's right under one's nose. He really hadn't thought about the future of the police department. The old commissioner indeed deserved to rest after so many years of risking his life and being kidnapped by villains countless times. If he took over, he wouldn't have that problem. Would he be afraid of being kidnapped? Heh.

He nodded at Thea, indicating that he would consider the matter, and left with a mind full of thoughts.

Once he was far away, Thea found a clean patch of grass to sit on and muttered softly to herself, "He's gone, big sister, come out."

Talia's figure appeared from behind a nearby tree trunk. She hadn't brought her bow and arrows, just a long knife hanging from her waist. "You're not my sister."

Well, obviously. Thea wasn't wearing a hood or glasses now, so anyone could see that she and Talia weren't related by blood.

"Clearly," Thea said, picking up a small stone and tossing it into the distance.

Talia didn't seem intent on fighting and also found a spot to sit as well, about three meters away from Thea, staring at her intently. "Where did you learn your martial arts?"

Thea smiled but didn't answer. There was no way she would reveal her secrets so easily. Was Talia trying to take advantage of her youthful impulsiveness?

Anticipating her silence, Talia continued her analysis: "You're definitely not trained in Nanda Parbat. Are you a descendant of one of the deputy commanders?"

There was no way around it. The grandmaster of the League of Shadows had been alive for so long and had numerous deputy commanders under him. Although most of them had ended their days in Nanda Parbat, there were a few exceptions. The descendants of these people continued to spread, and Talia couldn't confirm which one Thea belonged to.

"You don't want to attract the attention of Ra's al Ghul to Gotham, do you?" Since they both preferred to stay in the shadows, it was easier to handle.

"Yeah, you're right." Thea nodded in agreement.

"According to the rules of the League, I'll withdraw and not get involved in matters here. As a favor to you, I'll remind you that the Court of Owls has discovered a certain secret weapon and is currently activating it."

Huh? This news surprised Thea a bit. The Court had many trump cards, but even at this stage, they still had a weapon that could turn the tide?

"What is it?" She asked eagerly.

Talia smiled smugly and said, "I don't know! I only heard that they've stopped their experiments on enhanced individuals, and a doctor named Hugo is working tirelessly on something."

Seeing Thea deep in thought, Talia tossed a metal plaque to her and said, "Consider this a favor. If you need anything, you can find me in Russia." With that, she quickly disappeared into the woods, her rapid footsteps fading away. 

Thea felt frustrated with this halfway conversation. Establishing trust between people was indeed a difficult task. What kind of weapon could it be? Thea racked her brain, but she couldn't think of any major weapons left in Gotham.

Turning to her right, she called out, "Did you hear what she said? What do you think the weapon could be?"

"I'm practically clueless. How would I know?" Selina walked over to Thea and lay down directly on the ground, chewing on a blade of grass, her eyes dull as she watched the fading sunset.

So, the family of three has decided to use her, an outsider, as their therapist, huh? Well, come on then, let's continue chatting!

"At least she's gone now; isn't that great? You can have some alone time with Bruce again. This time, don't go to Starling City for your date; go to Metropolis!" Thea still vividly remembered their unique way of traveling.

"We can't afford it. No money!" Selina complained. The topic made her uncomfortable, and Thea, who had a semi-mentor relationship with Lady Shiva, felt equally awkward. The big sister was too harsh; look at what she'd turned Selina into just to ensure her daughter's life of comfort.

Seeing that she was about to say something else, Selina interrupted her and took out a scroll from her bag. "I got this painting from Killer Moth. Take a look and see if you're interested. I'll sell it to you."

A painting? Thea felt that there was no artistic gene in her family's eight generations. It would be better for them to discuss explosives and knives. Why discuss paintings with her? Besides, she was so poor herself.

But it wouldn't be appropriate to refuse outright, so she took it and decided to take a look first.

The scroll wasn't long, and its length and width were less than a meter. It was obvious that the scroll was very old and had been repaired by a master, but it had been violently cut off by Selina, reducing its value by at least half.

The painting itself was quite monotonous, depicting what seemed to be a jungle with a winding stone path. Apart from that, there was nothing else—no people, no animals. At best, it could barely be considered a landscape painting.