Chapter 588: The Mad Cat Appears! (Part 1)_2

"It seems that not only are you strangers here, you might even be from outer space, not knowing about Bat Cat?! He happens to be the wealthiest cat in the entire world!"

"Moreover, he rules over the whole of Gotham. Haven't you noticed? His surveillance cameras are everywhere around here."

Batman pondered a moment before slowly retracting his claws, no longer restraining Crocodile Cat. Crocodile Cat rolled over, got up from the ground, and as Batman paced before him, he said, "Tell me more about this Bat Cat."

"What more is there to it?" muttered Crocodile Cat as he licked the wounds on his front paws. "He's the richest cat in the world, sparing no expense to turn this city into the safest place ever. He's determined to eliminate all criminals, no matter the cost…"

"About four… or was it five years ago when I first arrived in Gotham, it used to be the most chaotic city in the world. But then, Bat Cat returned from his travels around the world and began his reign as the Emperor of Gotham."

"First, he expended a lot of money to become the Mayor of Gotham. Soon after, he bought off the councilmen, passed one legislation after another, gradually transforming Gotham into a city with a strong mayor system."

"He burned a lot of his fortune on research, propelling Gotham's infrastructure to be superior to all other cities. The citizens tasted the benefits and thought that Gotham was about to surpass Big Apple City, becoming the most advanced and prosperous city."

"So, when Bat Cat began acquiring land, remodeling buildings, and distributing the renovated buildings to the citizens for free, everyone acclaimed him as an unprecedented saint…"

"You're right, it all sounded like a selfless god, paying for all building renovations, creating the most advanced living spaces, and offering the houses to the residents free of charge…"

"At first, all the cats saw these actions as an act of goodwill and considered him a godsend to the cat population of Gotham…"

"But later, with more and more surveillance cameras, more and more automated weapons, all the technological devices in the city obeyed Bat Cat's commands. If he didn't permit it, vehicles couldn't start, and spaceships couldn't take off…"

"Every street, every corner, all filled with cameras and automatic weapons. Some cats did protest against Bat Cat for invading their privacy, but evidently, Bat Cat was more determined than any of them."

"Eventually, everything started to get out of hand. All the city's buildings were replaced by him with steel cages, even controlling our furniture, food, and water sources. Without Bat Cat's consent, you wouldn't even be able to open the door to your own home…"

"Well, this would certainly deter thieves." Clark rubbed his cheek as he said, "If one can't even open their own door, then a thief definitely wouldn't be able to either, right?"

"Hmph…" Crocodile Cat sneered. "Indeed, if you want to open your own fridge and pull out a fried fish tail, you will immediately receive a call warning you that such food is unhealthy and that you should eat the cat strips produced by Bat Cat instead."

Crocodile Cat kept pacing back and forth, occasionally scratching the ground with his claws, seeming rather agitated. He said, "Bat Cat claims this is all to pay the price for the city's safety, but do we need safety at these measures?"

"But there are indeed no criminals in this city anymore, right?" asked Batman.

"Really? Then how did you guys get here? And why did I happen to run into you here?"

The imposing Crocodile Cat strode over to Batman and said, "The sewer is the last sanctuary. Bat Cat's followers are not welcome here. Even if you could defeat me, you certainly wouldn't be able to defeat the mad cats dwelling deeper in."

"Besides you, are there other residents down here?" Batman asked.

"Like I said earlier, not everyone supports Bat Cat's ideas. When things started to escalate, many cats stood up in protest, but they all vanished silently."

"This isn't surprising. Everything in this city belongs to Bat Cat. He can even poison your drink anytime he wishes, simply because the drink factory, assembly line machines, even the cups, are all produced by him."

"However, in this world, there are not only ordinary cats, but also mutant cats like me. Perhaps some of my genes mutated, and I acquired the genes of prehistoric crocodiles. At the same time, I am larger, stronger, and perhaps this mutation also increased my wisdom, allowing me to break through and flee here."

With a swivel, Crocodile Cat raised his neck high to show the other cats a wound on his lower right jaw. "I was once caught by Bat Cat, collared, and had a sensor implanted in my lower jaw. If I strayed out of the surveillance range, I'd be killed by electric shock."

"It took me a lot of effort to get rid of that device, but there is a permanent hole in my jaw bone…"

As Crocodile Cat raised his head, everyone could see a hole indeed in his dense fur, at the center of his jawbone. The wound was not recent. It had long healed over."

"Did you commit any crimes?" asked Batman.

"No. I originally lived in the slums on the eastside. It was full of mad cats like me. We never ridiculed each other, and even had jobs that barely made ends meet. But one day, Bat Cat told us he would improve our lives and that all residents would live the luxurious life that downtown residents lived."