Chapter 3: Arrested

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Chapter 3: Arrested

Batman grabbed the wooden sword, but it wasn't enough to stop him because Lake Toya was too "slippery" and unexpectedly resilient.

Batman took two steps back and retrieved a Batarang from his utility belt. "Stay calm, I'm not your enemy."

Batman's actions were always faster than his words. Before he could speak, he had already thrown a Batarang containing a tranquilizer.

Driven by instinct, Quinn displayed an unprecedented speed, striking Lake Toya. The Batarang exploded, releasing a cloud of mist—a vaporized tranquilizer that would render an ordinary person unconscious within three seconds of inhalation.

Quinn rushed through the mist. He was in a hurry but maintained his composure. Batman's throw wasn't easy to catch, so he had prepared himself to hold his breath before swinging the sword.

Seeing that the tranquilizer didn't work, Batman prepared to use physical force, but Quinn swiftly passed him and rushed into a nearby compartment.

"Hmm?"

Batman glanced at the blue emblem on the building and fell silent. He finally understood why Quinn's movements were so awkward.

"Alfred." Batman activated the built-in communicator in his cowl.

"Yes, Master Wayne, I'm here," came the response.

"Activate the Bat-submarine stationed at Gotham Harbor and prepare the interrogation tools. You know what I need."

"Understood, sir."

Alfred calmly cleaned the Batmobile. "Also, allow me to remind you that there is a shareholders' meeting at 9 AM that you need to attend."

"Five hours should be sufficient preparation time. Also, include the improvement of the anesthetic spray in the plan. I need it to be effective upon contact with the skin."

Batman launched a grappling hook and returned to the platform, but the Penguin, who should have been lying there, had disappeared.

Placing his right hand on the ground, Batman surveyed his surroundings. "It seems there's no need to prepare interrogation tools."

Batman was confident in the effectiveness of his physical anesthetic. In such a short time, the Penguin wouldn't wake up. Someone had rescued him.

The gunfire outside was becoming fainter, and the firefight was subsiding. Gordon would soon lead the team to clear the area. Batman knew he had to leave quickly.

As for the young man, Batman didn't intend to intervene. He believed Gordon would handle it.

The peripheral members of the Penguin's gang had been completely eliminated. Gordon took the lead and, along with the SWAT team, rushed in. They saw unconscious gangsters strewn all over the place.

"Pair up—one person handcuff them, the other aim for the head. They might pretend to be unconscious," Gordon ordered. The officers loaded their guns and, under Gordon's command, surrounded the restroom.

After clearing his memory, Quinn walked out of the restroom, looking refreshed. The dark barrels of several guns were pointed at his head.

"Freeze, don't move!"

Would Quinn dare to move? Of course not. He opened his palms, indicating that he wasn't carrying any weapons.

"Sir, he's one of us."

One of them? The officers looked at Gordon in confusion. Was he the informant for the commissioner? And he looked so young.

Gordon knew what his informant looked like. He had a face rougher and more menacing than a thug's, while Quinn had a clean-cut appearance, like a college student who had never stepped foot into the underworld. It would be hard for him to blend in with the criminals.

But now that he thought about it, Gordon remembered. Two days ago, the central precinct sent a document stating that a young man was transferring to the Gotham Police Department.

Gordon was impressed because they rarely had outside officers. Almost all of his subordinates were locals.

"You're Quinn, the intern officer from the central precinct?"

Quinn was pleased that the commissioner remembered him, sparing him the trouble of proving his identity. "Commissioner, let me correct you. I've already become a regular officer. According to the procedure, I'm your subordinate now."

Even after hearing Commissioner Gordon admit that Quinn was his colleague, the other Gotham officers didn't lower their guns. They had learned their lesson.

Gordon looked at the strange young man. "Explain yourself properly when you get back."

Click! Quinn had been in Gotham for less than an hour and already received a free pair of silver handcuffs.

...

Gotham Police Department, a place that was both important and unimportant. It represented justice, yet Gotham's justice never resided within the police.

As a transit point for various super-powered criminals, the police department had experience in holding them. Quinn's hands and feet were locked in an unusual manner, making it difficult for him to exert any force.

But in general, it didn't make much of a difference. The police station was still like a public restroom, where superheroes and supervillains could come and go as they pleased.

Quinn clenched his fists silently. Since he had come here, he would inevitably change this situation. Gotham's symbol of fear shouldn't only be the bat.

The door to the interrogation room opened, and a black police officer entered, holding a file.

"I'm Kevin, you can call me Officer Kevin."

Quinn obediently nodded. "Hello, Officer Kevin."

"So, what's your first impression of the Gotham Police Department?" Kevin didn't start questioning Quinn immediately but engaged in a friendly conversation.

"To be honest, it's quite strange. I've heard that Gotham is a complicated place, overrun by gangs. I imagined arriving to see the police station besieged by them. But I never expected it to be through this kind of encounter, with this little accessory."

Quinn gestured to his handcuffs.

"Hahaha, indeed, you're the first one to report in wearing handcuffs. But many people have left in a similar fashion."

Kevin roughly flipped through the files. "Commissioner Gordon assigned me to handle your registration, but only if you can explain why you appeared at a smuggling operation."

He closed the file. "I guess you won't say it's all a coincidence, right?"

Quinn honestly replied, "There is an element of coincidence, but my subsequent actions were all based on my own judgment."

Quinn recounted the events, mentioning that his luggage was still in the evidence room, which had already been opened. It contained some spare clothes and identification documents that could serve as evidence.

"According to your account, you had a chance to leave initially, but you chose to stay."

Quinn's tone was gentle. "Officer Kevin, have you been to Central City?"

"I have. It's a beautiful city, like heaven compared to this shithole called Gotham."

As an African American, Kevin had a deep understanding of Gotham's chaos. If not for Commissioner Gordon's guidance, he might still be selling contraband at the door of the Iceberg Lounge.

"Exactly. The reason I left Central City was that it was too peaceful. It wouldn't make a difference if I were missing. But Gotham is different.

Gotham is deeply mired in the muck of crime, and I want to pull it out, dispel the looming darkness, and keep a smile on the faces of Gotham's residents. But as soon as I arrived, I saw people smuggling weapons. How could I sit idly by?"

Quinn attributed his motivation to his fervor for justice, aligning with the image he had always projected as an "ardent youth." In his free time, Quinn was dedicated to public welfare, always at the forefront of action. The Central City Police Department had praised him highly in his profile.

Regardless, Quinn had his own set of arguments, and even if others knew it was just rhetoric, they had no basis to refute him.

Kevin and Quinn locked eyes, then Kevin patted him on the shoulder. "Well said. I appreciate your attitude, and I hope you maintain it."

Soon, someone came to unlock Quinn's handcuffs and leg irons. Kevin handed him a document to fill out, marking the completion of his registration.

"Welcome aboard, Quinn."

Kevin firmly shook Quinn's hand. "I'll take you to get your uniform and firearms."

Quinn followed Kevin, leaving the room. Commissioner Gordon had listened to the entire conversation from behind the one-way glass, holding the summary of tonight's operation in his hand.

This operation resulted in the arrest of 37 people, with six officers injured and eight criminals confirmed dead on the spot. Several firearms and ten rocket launchers were seized, along with five crates of grenades...

Due to Quinn's interference in the Penguin's gang obtaining more weapons, the Gotham police suffered minimal casualties.

At this moment, the Penguin's gang members who had been knocked out had regained consciousness and were awaiting interrogation. It turned out that Quinn had shown restraint throughout, and they couldn't even sense any injuries on their bodies.

"He's lying."

Batman emerged from the shadows, startling even Gordon, who was already accustomed to his sudden appearances.

"Which part are you referring to?"

Batman stood next to Gordon. "I don't see a genuine desire for justice in him. However, the information describes his enthusiasm for fighting crime. Perhaps he only enjoys the privileges of a police officer's sanctioned violence."

Gordon sighed in relief. "That's better than I imagined. It's fine if he doesn't seek justice as long as he doesn't become another Harvey."

"He won't," Batman squinted. "I won't give him the opportunity."

Harvey Dent, the former Gotham District Attorney, was known for his integrity. However, after having his face disfigured by acid, his inner darkness was unleashed. He had become one of the terrifying crime lords in Gotham, Known as "Two-Face," with an excessive obsession with justice and a split personality due to his disfigurement.

"Is there anything I can do?" Gordon knew that Batman wouldn't come just for the sake of a young man.

"The Penguin has been rescued, and I want to know who he was dealing with."

Gordon handed the files to Batman. "I also want to know that. After the initial interrogations, we learned that all 37 arrested individuals were members of the Penguin's gang. According to their statements, they are habitual criminals active in South America, led by someone named Edward. Other than that, we know nothing."

Batman took out a miniature camera and captured the entire file. "This should be enough. As long as he's still in Gotham, I will find him. Also, Gordon, I want to have a word with your informant."

Gordon objected, "I won't tell you his identity. He doesn't need any more attention, and it could harm him."

"This isn't a request; it's a notification, Gordon." Batman showed no mercy.

"You can't do this..." Gordon abruptly turned his head, but Batman had already vanished.

"Again."

Gordon shook his head helplessly. Batman always appeared suddenly and left just as abruptly, disregarding the feelings of others.

Gordon opened the file with Quinn's photo. It was an assessment report on Quinn.

"Knocked down twelve Penguin gang members without causing harm..."

Gordon's long-forgotten thoughts resurfaced once again.

Perhaps Gotham could have another Dark Knight, a knight who wasn't so "helpless."