Chapter 158 Gotham Avenger (Part 1)_1

In the office of Arkham Mental Hospital, Gordon stands with his hands on his hips, watching Shiller fiddle with his umbrella.

Shiller dismantles all the fabric of the umbrella, leaving only the frame. He unhooks the handle and pulls hard on one of the struts.

The strut snaps off with a "click." Gordon yelps in pain, clutching the left side of his face, as a part flies out. Shiller stands up straight, looking at him and says helplessly: "I've told you, don't watch me while I'm fixing things. I don't have any training in mechanics or engineering. Accidents are inevitable."

Gordon stands up, clutching his face, retrieving the part that flew out, and then says: "I told you, you certainly wouldn't be able to fix this thing. It looks common, but it's actually very complex."

"Don't you have anything else to do?" Shiller bends over, continuing to fiddle with the umbrella handle, then looks out the window and says to Gordon: "Are all you cops this idle?"

"I'm solving the problem at its source." Gordon, arms crossed, looks at Shiller and says: "I've noticed a pattern. As long as I keep an eye on you, no troublesome cases come our way."

Before Shiller could retort, Gordon continues: "So, the secret society you invited me into last time, was it established just to combat the mysterious organization that Cobblepot mentioned was poisoning Gotham's rainwater?"

"That wasn't an invitation. By the time you came to know about it, you were already in, and you had no choice but to join because even if you don't fight them, they'll definitely come looking for you."

Gordon's brow furrows tightly. He says, "Do supernatural forces really exist? Like... magic, witchcraft, that kind of thing?"

"Do you believe in God?"

"Of course, I...."

"If God exists, why can't magic and witchcraft exist?"

Gordon opens his mouth wide, he thinks there is some truth to what Shiller says. However, he isn't a devout believer, more of a general one, and hence he doesn't have much concept of such godly matters.

Shiller twists the umbrella handle and it drops straight to the floor. Gordon hears him curse, then picks up the handle and tosses it away.

Gordon can't take Shiller's newbie-like repair methods anymore. He walks over, retrieves the handle, and says, "Here's what I propose. If you thoroughly introduce me to this organization, I'll find someone who can repair this thing for you. How about it?"

"You've got to be kidding me. The only umbrella maker in Gotham is already dead. Other people from other cities, even if they know this work, they wouldn't dare come to Gotham. I can't run to Metropolis just to fix an umbrella, can I?"

"Even if you were to run to Metropolis, it would probably be faster than you trying to fix it yourself." Both Gordon and Shiller look down at the pitifully dismantled umbrella.

Shiller has to admit, what Gordon said is true. He has no talent for this, he's just making a mess. He should've understood in Stark's lab, that although he could change a light bulb, changing a light bulb was all he was good at.

"So where do plan to find someone who can fix umbrellas?"

"I can't find someone who can repair umbrellas, but I do know someone who can alter traffic lights."

As Gordon dials a number, he turns to Shiller and says: "Remember that kid who tampered with the traffic lights during Traffic Safety Day?"

"Oh, yes, I vaguely recall. He made it so three out of four intersections were blocked off, but one intersection remained clear. Then there was a fire there..."

Gordon lifts the phone and says: "Hello? Go to the East District and bring that Little Sly here, I have something for him."

It wasn't long before a young cop brought in a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy. The boy's collar was grasped and he was muttering, but as soon as he saw Gordon, he seemed to wilt like frost-hit eggplant.

Gordon pats his back, ushering him over, and says: "This is Little Sly, a genius boy. He can do electrical work, tamper with electrical lines, and even invent some mechanical devices."

"What's your name?" Shiller asks him.

"I don't have a name, people just call me Little Sly."

Although Gordon has a good image in Gotham's police force and is generally well-mannered, being on the front lines for a long time has given him a bold aura. In contrast, Shiller, a scholarly university professor, appears more approachable. Little Sly quickly runs behind Shiller, making a face at Gordon.

Confused, Gordon introduces: "This kid was the mastermind behind meddling with the Central Roundabout's traffic light system. He was hired by a mob boss in Madrid Street at the time. In order for the mob's truck to move faster, he pryed open the case of the traffic light at midnight and altered the wiring... "

"He wasn't born and raised in Gotham, but rather came from a rural area in Brood Haven. Both his parents died, and his uncle, an electrician, brought him to Gotham to work and earn money. His uncle wasn't in great health, and just a few months after arriving in Gotham, he died of illness, leaving Little Sly alone."

"The kid is really smart." Gordon looks at Little Sly with admiration.

"He managed to survive in Gotham on his own and, moreover, did very well. With his electrical skills learned from his uncle, several mob bosses treat him exceptionally well. If it weren't for my reputation, I wouldn't have been able to call upon him."

Shiller looks back at Little Sly. He is a Caucasian boy with messy red curls and glasses.

He indeed doesn't look like the kids from Gotham's slums. Although he appears young, his body isn't frail at all. Compared to Cobblepot, he is even stronger, and his complexion is rosy and his eyes are lively. There's none of the numbness that other children show.

There aren't many children in Gotham who wear glasses because they neither study nor go to school and don't strain their eyes. Their parents are seldom nearsighted, so they won't inherit it either. Hence, Little Sly stands out.

Shiller hands the broken umbrella to Little Sly and says: "If you can fix this for me, I will give you a super cool toolbox."

Little Sly took the umbrella, examined it up and down, and commented with some surprise, "How did this umbrella get so badly damaged? Did you take it to a battlefield?"

Gordon gloated, "Last time I saw this umbrella, it wasn't this damaged. It's just that someone who doesn't know how to fix things, insisted on fixing..."

Shiller rolled his eyes, dragged a chair over, and sat down, "It's all thanks to Fish and Cobblepot, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have to..."

"Hold on!" Little Sly suddenly exclaimed, "This umbrella is extraordinary! Why are all the parts different?"

Shiller stood up and said, "Wait a moment, I'll bring you the toolbox."

He went to the door, called a nurse, and spoke a few words. After a while, the nurse brought in a toolbox.

Upon opening it, there were three or four layers of tools on display. Little Sly shouted in surprise, "This is so cool! I've always wanted a toolbox like this, but unfortunately, my uncle's toolbox is too small..."

"If you can repair this umbrella, then this toolbox is yours," Shiller offered.

"Watch me." Saying this, Little Sly picked up the umbrella and quickly dismantled it. He busied himself for quite a while, with Shiller and Gordon both watching him, though neither could understand what he was doing.

After a while, Little Sly stood by the table, stroking his chin with a hint of difficulty, "This is a bit tricky."

"This thing is handcrafted, right? Casting the components, polishing the parts, and then assembling everything together, right?"

"Indeed, it's a custom-made, handcrafted umbrella."

"Then why don't you just..."

Seeing Shiller's expression darkening, Gordon stepped forward and covered Little Sly's mouth, "Quit asking about that, just get it fixed quickly."

"But this umbrella is peculiar. I'm afraid only the original creator can repair it." Little Sly shrugged. Pointing at a small group of components, he told Shiller, "Look here. There should be six parts, but there are only five."

Then, he picked up a broken part and continued, "This is the missing one, and the screw looks like it's been burnt, with the threads completely destroyed."

"This is the part that keeps one of the umbrella ribs from stretching out. But to fix it, we need an identical screw."

"I originally thought of replacing the nut along with the screw, but the material they used refuses to cooperate with the soldering pen..."

Little Sly told Shiller, "I really want that toolbox. I tried my best. But the materials used by the maker are too unique. I can't do anything about it since it's not a standard factory product."

Shiller and Gordon exchanged glances. Obviously, they had other things in mind. Shiller asked Little Sly, "Are you sure only the original creator can fix this umbrella?"

"Most likely. I am not bragging, but I've been screwing nuts and bolts since before I could walk."

He picked up a screw and showed it to Shiller, "Look at the threads on this. You can see traces of handcrafting. But what's crucial is that the threading design is so unique that you can't use any standard specification screw."

"What about recasting a new one?"

"You can try," Little Sly shook his head, "but I don't think it's promising. The cut is very peculiar. If the materials aren't identical, it might not fit correctly."

Shiller ended up giving the toolbox to Little Sly, and then said to him, "If you're willing, you can go to the vocational school at the Living Hell. They have a professor from Gotham University teaching mechanical engineering. With your talent, he would be thrilled."

After Little Sly left, Shiller picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yes, it's me, are you free to come over now? What? You're already on your way over? Okay then..."

About 20 minutes later, Batman appeared in the office. Gordon, Shiller, and Batman sat around the table looking at the umbrella.

"So, you're saying that this umbrella made by the umbrella craftsman from the Court of Owls can only be repaired by them?"

Batman picked up one of the components, squinted at it, and said nothing.

"Alright." Shiller threw the handle onto the table, then looked at Batman and asked, "You spent a long time in Cobblepot and Evans' rooms last night. What did you talk about?"

While fiddling with the umbrella parts, Batman said, "The three of us are planning to join forces."

Gordon looked at him and asked, "Join forces? To do what? To deal with the Court of Owls?"

"Yes, we are all interested in that mysterious organization, so we plan to investigate it from different angles."

"You said you're coming here today? Is there a matter?"

"I originally came over to discuss something, but now it seems I already have the answer." Batman took out another part, almost identical to the damaged one, "I found this last night, on another umbrella."

With Batman's narration, the timeline flashed back to the night before.