Chapter 11

[1st POV]

Arthur and I were patrolling, and it was pretty quiet.

Thankfully, nothing has happened for two weeks now.

My instincts didn't anticipate any trouble, and my intuition was silent.

Therefore, I had hoped to spend these weeks focusing on self-improvement with breaks for relaxation.

"Well, finally, our shift is over."

Arthur sighed happily.

"How about a beer?"

"Only one glass."

"Don't worry, if you start singing, nobody will mind."

He laughed.

"By the way, there are a few newcomers joining us. I'll introduce you to them. They're good cops, just transferred from Metropolis."

"Did Superman already cleared out all the villains and criminals from their city, and now they want to find work here?"

"Ha-ha-ha. Not quite. Well, you'll find out for yourself."

"Alright, let's go."

The old familiar dive bar was packed with people. Among them, I spotted the "newbies." There were four of them.

Actually, two of them were "veterans," and I couldn't understand why they had decided to relocate to the most crime-ridden city in North America, or perhaps even the world, at their age.

The third was a young woman, a bit older than me. She was chasing fame and new positions.

There was nothing for her in Metropolis, so she decided to transfer here. She wasn't very nice, but she looked very beautiful.

However, I hit it off with the fourth newcomer. His name was Ricardo Gonzalez, but everyone called him Rick.

He had Mexican roots and lived in Gotham with his grandfather after his parents died. He spent five years in New York, then joined the army like I did and worked as a pizza delivery guy for a few years.

After his grandfather passed away, he moved to Metropolis and became a cop, but he wasn't satisfied with life there.

As we talked, I realized Rick carried the same demons as Bruce Wayne.

He cared about the lives of ordinary, defenseless people. It wasn't a hero complex but more of an anger at the environment that existed in Gotham.

I understood him.

By the time we parted ways, we were not just acquaintances but companions.

It's amazing how shared themes and problems bring people closer together.

Katherine was waiting for me at home and had managed to get in and prepare dinner.

"That's quite original. So, this means breaking and entering, driving a subject to the edge, creating cognitive dissonance, and ruining property. All of this done by a DISTRICT ATTORNEY of Gotham City. Now I've seen everything."

[+1 Troll]

"Believe me, I can surprise you in many ways."

She said, smiling at me.

"I'll take your word for it."

We had baked fish, mashed potatoes, and some salad for dinner.

I didn't eat any of it because I was afraid the tentacles peeking out would eat me instead.

"How was work?"

Katherine asked.

"Fortunately, everything was quiet. Just some petty criminals and patrol duty. Luckily, Bats isn't sleeping but sometimes I feel like he's not sleeping like Batgirl, Nightwing, and his new Robin."

"Hmm. Do you also think Nightwing is connected to Batman?"

She asked in surprise.

 "What makes you think that?"

"Nightwing appeared after the new Robin joined 'Dark Knight.' I've seen pictures of Nightwing and the new Robin, and they're two different people. I also saw old photos of the first Robin, and he looks a lot like Nightwing. It's a shame I didn't see him in action before because I would have understood his movements better. Most likely, the first sidekick of Bats has 'outgrown' his role and now 'works' alongside his mentor, sometimes helping him."

"That's an interesting theory."

[+200 relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman]

'What?! Wait! There's a listening device here? When did they manage to set it up? Oh, damn! I think I even know who installed it.'

I should have figured it out earlier. However, with the Bat-family, it's hard to be completely sure about anything or predict their actions.

"If you're a psycho like him or the Joker, then that's entirely possible."

"Maybe you even know who our 'hero' is?"

Katherine added.

"If I knew, I still wouldn't tell you. He doesn't just hide his identity for no reason. Besides, as long as he doesn't cross any lines, I won't wage war against him."

"And do you think he could?"

"Anyone could take that step, even though he doesn't like crime. He never kills criminals but he either hands them over to the police or sends them to specially designated facilities. It's likely tied to his psychological traumas."

"So, he's a psycho?"

"We're all psychos. You and your sister are living in Gotham, even if it's under Penguin's wing. I came back to my mother's hometown. Batman puts on a tight black suit and fights against 'injustice,' mostly with kids. The Joker is a whole different story. Gotham is insane on its own. It's not just about individual personalities. Bats is doing a necessary job, but mostly, it's just the tip of the iceberg—those ten percent that need to solve, but he can't handle everything."

"Hm. I see."

Katherine nodded thoughtfully, and I received another notification from the system.

[+200 relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman.]

I didn't try to find the bug to avoid suspicion.

After that, our dinner was mostly silent, and we moved to the couch, where we watched a couple of horror movies.

Katherine and I felt more like comedies and parodies of horror films...

...

I was sitting in the precinct, filling out paperwork on another thug that Rick and I had caught.

McCoy was on vacation somewhere in Florida, relaxing with his mother-in-law.

In fact, I nearly shed a tear when he told me about it.

Mother-in-law!

That's a terrifying word that scares many and it scares me too, even though I've never been married.

So, while my partner is struggling with another psychopath in Florida, I was working with Rick who had been assigned to replace him.

"Isaac! Commissioner Gordon is calling for you."

Rick told me.

"I'll finish the paperwork."

"Okay. Then let's grab a beer afterward."

"Sure. Let's just hope our boss doesn't give us overtime."

"That's true."

Gordon looked tired, sleep-deprived, and smelled tobacco.

'I wonder who works more: him or Bats?'

"Did you call for me?"

"Yes, come in. Have a seat."

He said, placing an envelope in front of me.

"From the mayor's office? What's that?"

"Read it."

Gordon smiled and went back to reading some documents.

"No way…"

There was a ticket for a trip to the Mediterranean Sea inside the envelope and another letter of appreciation from the mayor's office to thank me for my diligent service.

"... I've hardly worked here at all."

"Well, you're doing quite well. By the way, according to our psychologist, you need a mental break. You've been working with us for almost six months now, and during that time, you've experienced more stress than the average police officer, not just in other cities but even here. You're just a 'lucky guy' when it comes to dealing with our psychos."

"Yeah, that's true."

I nodded.

"Well, you've been this year. Next year, it's unlikely that luck will smile upon you like this."

"Got it. But there are two tickets here."

"Since you don't have a family, the mayor's office considered that you might take someone with you. Just make sure to submit the information about the second passenger in advance."

"Understood, thanks."

I was already getting ready to leave his office when…

"Just don't forget to stop by HR, accounting, my deputy, and the psychologist…"

"Hey, hey! Why do I need to go to them?"

"Bureaucracy."

Gordon said with a slight smile.

"Got it."

I sighed heavily and walked along the designated route.

"Bureaucracy really is a terrible thing... Or have I said that already?"

After sorting everything out, I called Katherine to invite her with me.

Unfortunately, she had important court cases and planned to go on a tour with her sister and niece whom they had promised the little one long ago.

Therefore, I was out of luck.

Ten days later, I boarded the plane alone.

It was a VIP class, and naturally, I took a whiskey shot with an old-timer from our precinct.

The most annoying part was that we started drinking. Just as we were flying over Gibraltar, the plane began to shake.

We were told it was just turbulence and believed it since it passed after a few minutes.

After half an hour, a new turbulence hit.

A person next to me complained about the turbulence, but I had a feeling something was off, and that feeling didn't betray me.

Through the window, I saw that one wing was on fire. I realized my vacation was going to be ruined.

Afterward, we wore life vests and oxygen masks.

The pilots tried to land the plane on the water, but it ended up rough landing, and the pressure on the plane knocked out half the passengers.

I, however, was not one of them.

While the flight attendants were inflating the life rafts, I helped some other passengers pull our "colleagues" from the now-burning plane.

We got everyone out.

I was the last to leave the plane, and below me was a lifeboat with two pilots waiting.

However, I couldn't make it down because halfway down the ramp, there was an explosion that sent me flying into the sea, and I lost consciousness.

...

Two weeks later, The Batcave.

A man with dark hair sat in a dark room lit only by a huge computer screen and reviewed the latest reports from rescuers in the Mediterranean Sea.

The results were grim.

According to the information provided, three people had died in the crash, while the others suffered mild shock and minor injuries.

The rescue team had treated them.

What troubled the "Dark Knight" the most was the fate of those three—two pilots and one passenger: Isaac Dinklage.

Their bodies had not been found, and there were no survivors among the three.

Moreover, the people who saw the explosion stated they were in the middle of the explosion.

"You are being too hard on yourself, Master Bruce."

A butler said quietly from behind him.

"I am to blame. I had plans for him... I deliberately sent him on that trip so he could relax and not interfere with my gathering information about him, and also to get a proper rest from all this. I wanted... And in the end, I killed him with my own hands."

After a brief silence, Alfred added, "You had plans for him?"

"Yes. I thought he could, in the future, become a replacement for Gordon. The Commissioner won't last forever, and he needs a successor to continue his and my work. Perhaps he could even stand by my side."

"Is that so?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"That no longer matters."

Bruce Wayne replied, tiredly rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Now, it doesn't matter..."

To be continued…