Chapter 84 (edited)

No one came to pick up the two beautiful women today because they had their own cars. 

Although Kara's car was destroyed during the attack on Jennifer, Kara had borrowed Jennifer's car to get around. 

"You absolutely have to compensate me," Kara complained as she started the car. "I haven't even paid off my car loan yet. Damn it, is no one going to reimburse me? Not even the insurance company will cover this!" 

Jennifer sighed and glanced at Kara helplessly. Her life had been in danger at the time—could Kara stop worrying about her car for one second? 

Kara started the car and sped toward the venue. 

The parade was scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. along a main street, stretching from one end to the other, with ten pre-arranged podiums at the end of the route. 

The parade consisted of police officers from the department, along with some citizens who had joined voluntarily. 

By the time Kara and Jennifer arrived, many people had already gathered at the podium. Harvey, accompanied by Rachel, greeted them and led them to seats near the podium. 

The main speaker was Chief Shi. Everyone else was there primarily for appearances. 

Even if it was only a formality, such ceremonies were necessary to honor the memory of the late commissioner. 

"Have the preparations been made?" Jennifer asked Harvey quietly, her tone filled with concern. 

Since they knew Joker intended to target Chief Shi, it was imperative to have security measures in place. 

Harvey nodded grimly. "Snipers are stationed on nearby rooftops and within hidden positions. If Joker dares to show himself or cause trouble, they'll take him down immediately." 

It was clear from Harvey's clenched jaw that he harbored a deep hatred for Joker, whose sudden appearance had thrown Gotham into chaos. 

With Jennifer as the district attorney, Chief Shi as the commissioner, and other key figures working together, they had been on the brink of restoring order to Gotham City. The chaos Joker brought had delayed their mission and cost many lives. 

Kara overheard their conversation and casually glanced around using her super vision. Sure enough, snipers were stationed in several concealed locations. 

She also spotted someone unexpected: Bruce Wayne, operating discreetly in the background. 

Meanwhile, the parade had started, and the officers were nearing the venue. 

Sheriff Gordon participated in the parade, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings. He scrutinized the windows of nearby buildings, wary that Joker or his accomplices might be lurking. However, he saw nothing unusual. 

Unbeknownst to them, Joker was hiding in plain sight. Disguised as an ordinary man, his appearance was so inconspicuous that even Kara's super vision failed to detect him. 

When the parade concluded, Chief Shi stepped onto the podium to deliver his speech in honor of the late commissioner. 

"He was a man of integrity. When I asked him to take on the role of commissioner, his only request was that he not be involved in politics. All he wanted was to do his job well: protecting the citizens and this city..." 

As Chief Shi spoke, those behind him remained on high alert. 

"Did you spot anything unusual?" Harvey asked Gordon quietly. 

"I've checked almost every window along the route," Gordon replied, "but there are too many to cover." 

Kara, too, had scanned the surrounding windows and buildings. She wasn't about to let her earlier mistake at the hospital repeat itself. 

She was confident there was no sniper or visible threat nearby, nor had she spotted Joker's presence. 

Activating her super hearing, she focused on detecting Joker's voice, which she had memorized. However, there wasn't a single sound resembling him within a hundred meters. 

Could Joker have decided not to act? Or was he planning something even more sinister, perhaps back at the commissioner's office? 

Kara briefly shifted her focus to the commissioner's office, scanning it with her super vision. 

As the chief wrapped up his eulogy, the honor guard was ordered to fire a ceremonial volley. 

"Ready! Aim! Fire!" 

The first round of shots echoed through the air. 

Kara's ears picked up an unusual sound amidst the gunfire. Something wasn't right. 

Typically, ceremonial volleys were fired with blank ammunition—cartridges that contained only a primer and gunpowder, with no projectile. They were safe for such public events. 

But one of the shots was different. It was live ammunition. 

Kara immediately focused on the source of the sound and spotted the shooter. It was Joker! 

Joker had been there the entire time, his usual theatrical makeup wiped clean, blending in as an ordinary officer. He had arrived even earlier than Kara and Jennifer, lying in wait. 

The safest place for Joker, it turned out, was hiding in plain sight, in the midst of heavy security. No one had expected him to be among them. 

Before Kara could act, Joker smirked at her, knowing he had the upper hand. 

As the second volley of shots was fired, chaos erupted. 

Before the third volley could commence, Joker's accomplices within the honor guard turned their weapons toward the podium. 

Kara instinctively shielded Jennifer, turning her back toward the gunmen as their weapons aimed at Chief Shi.