Chapter 111: Aftermath_1

Gordon stood at the doorway of the interrogation room with his hands on his hips, saying, "You're saying, someone reported to you that they saw two monsters dozens of meters high chasing each other in Hell Street?"

Then, he patted the shoulder of the new officer and said, "You just need to ask the person who reported it one question – how much has he taken?"

The new officer was somewhat troubled; he said, "But there are quite a few people...all saying the same thing..."

"That's a group of drug geeks," Gordon replied.

After the new officer left, Gordon leaned against the door frame and thought, these rookies get worse every year.

Two monsters over a dozen meters high fighting in a slum? This is Gotham, not Hollywood. Plus, even if something like this did occur, if the local mob saw it, they'd undoubtedly fire a rocket right away.

Considering the number of gangs in Gotham, if this really happened, Gordon should have been busy going over to collect the monsters' bodies by now.

So, besides having the police go back to the East District to search for drug dens, this matter didn't cause any major issue.

But the trouble for Bruce and Venom was far from over.

First of all, Bruce is a skeptic; secondly, he is a human supremacist.

Over the next few days, Venom was subject to brutal questioning. Bruce made a chart of his doubts about Venom, and the table of contents alone was as thick as a fist.

Bruce managed to make Venom start missing Stark. Now, Venom had a very firm understanding of a serious problem: his host was absolutely, extremely, one hundred percent, a nutcase.

There was absolutely no other possibility.

Venom wanted to take back his previous question about whether Stark was human or not. Compared to Bruce, Stark could be considered a standard human template.

Finally, one day, Venom could no longer stand Batman, this lunatic, and he said to Bruce, "For the sake of the help I once gave you, let's part ways peacefully. You make a high-power sonic generator, and then we can say goodbye and never see each other again! "

Bruce might be the first person to make a symbiote actively propose to leave its host.

But Bruce didn't think twice about rejecting this recognition from the symbiote. He said, "No, you're the first alien life form I've come across. As for my 897 research plans for alien life, we're only at 2% of the first one. There are 98% of the remaining 896 plans left for you to cooperate with. Once all the research is done, then I'll consider letting you leave..."

Venom was utterly devastated.

As a matter of fact, a symbiote could leave its host at its discretion, but the caveat was that it could immediately find a new host after it left the current one. Otherwise, as soon as it escaped from Bruce, he could promptly capture that blob of mud.

He had thought about it, but Bruce would start madly engaging in calculations to increase his brain activity every time Venom wanted to escape, keeping Venom in a tempest and thus preventing him from focusing on escaping.

Venom suddenly realized he had been duped.

Especially when he saw Shiller's gleeful grin, he found that he had been transferred from a not-so-secure container to an ultra-secure, utterly torturous cell.

The most lamentable part was when Bruce generously allowed Venom to go out and get some fresh air one day. Venom was utterly suffocated; he desperately wanted to find his peers and air his grievances, so he sought out Shiller.

Then Shiller told him something that made him utterly devastated: "What? Bruce told you he has 897 plans? And you believed him?"

"Dream on! The real number is likely ten times that number!"

"If you take backup plans into account, you probably have to multiply that by 100."

Venom found himself unaccountably sentenced to life in prison.

Given Bruce's personality, he wouldn't allow an organism with independent consciousness to exist within him — even more so when the being could eavesdrop on his thoughts. However, the issue is, symbiotic organisms are indeed too fascinating. If Stark couldn't resist being curious about them, neither could Bruce.

After experiencing his dark side eruption, Bruce was quite confident in controlling this alien life form. Hence, he planned to study it for a while and then return it to the professor.

As for matters concerning Shiller, Bruce desperately wanted to ask, but he had failed so far. Whenever he tried to pose any questions to Shiller, Shiller would casually respond with "Nataru".

Subsequently, Bruce struggled to control the turbulent flood of rage fueled by Venom within him. Conversations, initially intended to be confrontations between Bruce and Shiller, would inevitably escalate into fierce battles between Bruce and Venom.

As for Catwoman's theft case, Shiller was not particularly attached to the stolen diamond bottle. He was simply curious how Catwoman managed to trespass his manor.

All the doors in his manor were installed with specially designed locks from Stark Laboratory. This was not a technology from the current era; there should be no thief capable of breaking it.

When Batman held Catwoman by the neck and took her to the scene of the crime for identification, both Shiller and Batman were taken aback by the supposed entry point: a sewage tunnel.

It didn't look like a place a person could fit.

Consequently, even when Shiller was familiar with this exit route, he paid it no mind. Apart from rats, he figured it would pose a challenging squeeze even for a wild cat.

Did Catwoman practice bone shrinking kung-fu?

If she had this ability, why resort to theft?

Batman was equally exasperated. Upon apprehending Catwoman, she confessed thoroughly. When Batman discovered she had offended the Falcone Family, he was overwhelmed.

He had to compensate in Bruce's identity, and appealed to the Godfather to spare Catwoman considering the high penalty. Falcone didn't seem to care too much. He had seen his fair share of brazen thieves, so he figured if she was Batman's lover, he might as well let it be.

This situation, however, couldn't continue. As Gotham City continued to reform, petty thieves were finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

"What's your suggestion for what Selina should be doing? Last time I suggested she should be a teacher, she refused outright. She said the school was too far from her apartment, making it impossible for her to take care of Maggie…"

Seated across the table, Shiller asked, "Have you considered a rather significant advantage of hers?"

"Which is?"

"She's captivatingly charming."

Looking at Bruce's bewildered expression, Shiller added: "Though in Gotham, this may not be viewed as an advantage, and could potentially cause her trouble. But it may be different elsewhere."

"Such as?"

"Hollywood."

Drinking some water, Shiller continued, "Have you ever considered pursuing a Hollywood career, considering how she has managed to captivate the renowned Batman?"

Bruce paused. He hadn't considered that idea.

Shiller was serious. Yes, Catwoman was beautiful, but that wasn't the main point. Her acrobatics skills were merely icing on the cake. Her only characteristic meriting the title of 'most powerful in DC' was her charm.

Catwoman had Batman smitten, not Bruce.

In some comic renditions, the Dark Knight was driven to change by Catwoman's charm, even marrying her and fathering her child, and embarking on a normal life. What kind of personality charm does it take to catalyze such change?

Even with the combined forces of Bruce, Venom, and Shiller, the dark tide emerging from Batman was a formidable challenge, completely dissolved by Catwoman.

In certain comic renditions, Batman let go of his resentment, his obsession, and all his unpleasant memories because of her, turning over a new leaf.

With such a captivating charm, why wouldn't she go to Hollywood and capitalize on it?

"...Moreover, you must consider, Gotham's industries will eventually have to transition. If we are to venture into the entertainment and tourism sector, a city icon is crucial," Shiller explained.

Bruce agreed. Being an actress would not only be a respectable job but also extremely profitable, benefiting both the individual and the city's development. Why not?

Furthermore, Catwoman had the potential to be very successful in her chosen career. Although burglary is not legitimate, she relied on it to make a living. Relying on her good looks, she could easily become the mistress of a mob boss, living a comfortable life without residing in the dilapidated apartment block on the outskirts ot the East District.