JACOB

'Well, I'm glad she's doing great. Don't want her to get entangled in Batman's work and put her life in danger like in the comics and games," Bruce thought.

"Anyway, getting back to Jacob. What are the charges against him?" Bruce asked, bringing the topic back on track.

Jones picked up Jake's file, "Drug Possession, distribution, and intent to distribute. We did a blood test and found high levels of Cocaine. So, it's pretty cut and dry. He's facing serious jail time."

Bruce nodded, "What if I told you that he was forced into working for the cartel?"

Jones frowned, "Look, Mr. Wayne, I know you want to help your friend, but Jacob confessed that it's all him. He purchased the drugs from some unknown overseas dealer and started selling them. He didn't even deny it."

"Humm... Say, Captain, would you like to catch a cartel and make a name out there for yourself and your department? I'm pretty sure the competition between you guys and DEA must be tough. Imagine winning the drug lord alive. That's gotta count for something, right? Then the commissioner will have to promote you, no?" Bruce asked with a sly smile.

Jones narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"You know, how long are you going to live as a Captain? I'm sure the pay is somewhat great, but don't tell me you haven't glanced at the seat of Deputy Chief once in your life? Now imagine sitting on that chair, with an achievement like capturing drug lords and stopping gangs that even the DEA isn't aware of. I'm pretty sure that's gonna go a long way. Plus, the publicity that you'll receive will be huge," Bruce leaned forward with a slight smirk.

"Deputy Chief?" Jones' eyes lit up, but he quickly hid his excitement, "Ahem!" He cleared his throat, "This Cartel, you sure even the DEA isn't aware of it? I don't want to jump into things without knowing everything."

"Trust me, they're new players on the field. The DEA has no idea that they exist. If you can catch them red-handed, your name will go down in history as the man who brought down a drug cartel even before they could spread their wings in Metropolis. A badge of honor, if you ask me." Bruce said with a confident smile.

"Hmm... Tell me more about this cartel," Jones said, his tone cautious but with a hint of excitement.

"You want to talk about such a sensitive matter in here? There are eyes and ears everywhere. Arrange a secure location and bring Jacob and your trusted officers with you. We can discuss the details there," Bruce suggested, maintaining the same level of secrecy.

"Alright, I'll arrange for a place," Jones said as he stood up and headed towards the door. "Stay here for a while, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sure."

----

Bruce took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

'Well, this time around, I'll let these cops do the work.'

He connected with the AI using the nanites in his body, "Jarvis, any new info on this new Cartel?"

"Sir, according to my analysis, this Cartel is relatively new. Their operation is limited to Metropolis for now and is run by a single person. However, I have uncovered some disturbing information regarding this organization," Jarvis reported.

Bruce frowned, "What is it?"

"It seems that the cartel has been using some illegal methods to recruit new members. In some cases, they have gone as far as to kidnap people and force them into working for the organization. They are targeting school kids and college students to spread drugs among young people, creating addiction. Sir, this is highly dangerous," Jarvis informed.

"I see... So, they're using children as mules and forcing adults into selling drugs. This is not good at all. How come I'm hearing about them just now? Ah! My bad. You told me something about drug deals when I was working on the clone. But didn't Superman already take care of them?" Bruce asked curiously.

"Sir, it appears that Superman did indeed stop the cartel from spreading their influence but it was just a shell organization. The leader laid low for a while and resurfaced recently with a new plan to expand his influence. According to my analysis, if the cartel succeeds in expanding its operations, Metropolis will become a hotbed for crime. Sir, I've already located three of their hideouts. Shall I proceed with the assault?" Jarvis inquired.

"Wait, don't attack them. First, let's handle this Jacob's issue. With his info and the locations, I'll use the cops to take them down. Also, monitor the hideouts and keep track of their activities. Find out every detail you can about the leader, their network, and their way of operation," Bruce told the AI as he turned toward the door and waited for the Captain.

Jones returned after fifteen minutes, "Come with me, we'll continue our discussion elsewhere."

"Sure."

----

Bruce followed Jones to a nondescript van parked outside the police station. As soon as they got inside, the driver drove away without wasting a second. After driving for 10 minutes, the van entered a private garage that looked like an abandoned warehouse.

Jones and Bruce got out of the van. The captain turned to Bruce and gestured at him to follow him.

"Please come this way, Mr. Wayne."

They walked inside the warehouse and ended up in front of an elevator. Jones placed his palm on the scanner, and the elevator opened. They stepped inside, and Jones pressed the button leading to the basement.

After a minute, they reached the basement, which was brightly lit with white lights. There were two armed guards standing in front of a large door. They saluted Jones as he approached.

"Captain, everything is ready," One guard said.

"Good, stand aside," Jones nodded as he dismissed them.

The two guards moved aside as Bruce followed Jones into the room.

Inside, there were five more men wearing suits along with Jacob seated on a chair in the middle of the room.

Bruce glanced around, 'Hmm, this looks like a secret interrogation room. Not bad.'

He looked at Jacob. The nanites in his eyes already scanned his face and ran through the records, giving him all the info he needed. It matches Sophia's description. The guy before him looks thin and considering those dark circles around his eyes, he hasn't slept much. There were bruises on his body, the cops went rough with him. There were tattoos around his arms and neck. His right thumb was missing and he was cuffed to the chair.

"All yours," Jones gestured at Bruce to begin.

Jacob raised his head and glanced at Bruce, "A man in a suit with the cops... Are you here to get rid of me?"

Bruce shook his head with a smile, "Nope, I'm here to save you."

Jacob narrowed his eyes as he scoffed, "Save me? Ha! As if... I confessed to everything. So, do what you want with me." He turned away with a sigh.

Bruce smiled, "You know, I could have easily gotten you out of here with the help of money. But then I realized that it wouldn't solve your problem. You did rehab multiple times, yet you ran after drugs and shortcuts to earn cash. Now look at where that got you. Captured by the cops, facing jail time, and probably gonna spend the rest of your life in jail. You'd be lucky if someone didn't kill you in prison, since you are nothing but loose end. Then they will get rid of your family... Your mom is already dying, so it won't be much of a problem for them to get rid of her... But your sister... What was her name again? Ah! Sophia, right?"

Jacob's eyes widened as he snapped his head towards Bruce, "How do you know Sophia?!" He roared.

"You really think if you cover for them and take the fall, they will leave your family alone? How naive..." Bruce shook his head with a pitiful expression.

"What do you know?! They promised to leave them alone. As long as I confess, they'll be safe," Jacob's tongue slipped as he blurted out information without realizing it.

Bruce chuckled, "Hahaha... Do you really believe that? They're not gonna let any loose ends behind. You're already a liability, but your family... They will use Sophia... In a week or two where do you think your sister will be? Working in some club as a stripper? Or maybe in a brothel, serving some rich pervert? Who knows? If she's lucky, maybe she'll be sold to some foreign country as a sex slave. Or worse, they will have their fun with her and then, kill her, sell off her organs... Which part of that do you think is leaving them alone?"

Jacob gritted his teeth as his body trembled. He tried to break free from the cuffs, but it was futile.

"Now, calm your anger. I'm not your enemy. I'm here on your sister's request to help you out. So, you'll give us all the information you know about the cartel and their leader. Then, Captain Jones will take care of them. But if you lie even once, I'll just leave you and your family to fend for yourselves," Bruce explained.

"Why should I trust you? Huh?!" Jacob shouted.

"You don't have to. I don't care whether you trust me or not. Either you cooperate and save your sister or rot in prison. But I assure you that in a few days, you'll receive news that your mother and sister have died. Then, you'll regret why you didn't listen to me," Bruce shrugged as he turned around and headed for the door.

"Wait! Fine, I'll tell you everything I know. Just save my sister," Jacob cried as he pleaded.

Bruce glanced at Jones with a smirk before turning around to face Jacob, "Talk."

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Next, Ch: 171: Raid

Ch: 172: Bruce meets Hippolyta

Ch: 173: A call from Pamela