CHAPTER 43

[Barbra Gordon's POV] 

Before Batman left for Central City, he called me over to the Batcave so I could assist him with something. He asked me to look into some criminals who were climbing the ranks behind the scenes of Central City. 

There was a group of thieves running around and stealing heavily guarded stuff with extremely high values. They aren't sloppy, they are precise, they don't leave any trail behind and completely disappear once they secure their target. 

This has left the police around Central City and its environs with unsolved cases as they had no lead to pursue, almost like they were thieving ghosts. 

What worried him was what would happen to Gotham if the likes of Lex Luthor, Penguin, Scarecrow and worst of them all, Joker, ever got those thieves to do some jobs for them. So he wanted to acquire information on them, before they decided to branch out into Gotham which was the motherland of crime.  

He had confirmed that Lex Luthor was only able to get his hands on that weapon he almost used to kill the Man of Steel, all thanks to them. 

They were discreet with their operations and difficult to trace, like green snakes on a field with tall grasses. He asked me to look into the recent ongoing events in Central City and update him once I found anything suspicious or out of place for a city like that. 

I've been doing a thorough dive into the Central City police network and found nothing useful, so I searched around and found something quite unusual. 

I didn't know if the information would be helpful to him or not, so I just had to make the call. 

*Ring*

He picked up the call and Bruce being his broody old self didn't even exchange pleasantries like normal humans do. 

"Found anything?" He asked, without saying another word. 

"I think I found something quite interesting." I replied. 

"Details." 

"While going through the activities in Central City and its environs. I discovered a website the public are getting obsessed over, and it's called 'The Architect'."

"The Architect?" He paused. "What's this website all about?" He asked with a minimum hint of curiosity which someone who didn't know him well enough, wouldn't have noticed. 

"It's a website which gives people advice over different situations and also provides solutions to every problem a person might have." 

"Every problem?"

"Yes. I used it myself, using a different IP of course, and the results were outstanding." 

"Outstanding?" He asked, noticing the enthusiasm in my voice. 

"Yes, I asked multiple questions concerning complex scenarios and the results it gave were… Astonishing. They provided perfect solutions to each of them. Isn't that amazing?." I said as I geeked out over the phone before recollecting myself. 

"Sounds like a well created customer service website." He paused for a while before asking further. "Did you try asking questions a criminal might ask?"

"I did, and the answers it gave would lead to a successful crime if followed accordingly."

"Try diving deeper into the website and give me an update on whatever you find."

"I already did."

"And?"

"I tried hacking into it b-but…" She stuttered. "I failed."

"You couldn't?" He continued. "What do you mean you failed?"

"I mean for a normal customer service website, their encryption is too sophisticated. I couldn't even pinpoint where the server beams their data to and from…It's like a ghost website." It was nerve racking admitting that I couldn't break through the encryption of the website, yet I was impressed by it. "The coding of the website was absurd. Even though it was a basic language code, the way it was written made it very complex. I couldn't decode it or go through the back door, it was just like a house full of looping doors. Once I manage to open a door it takes me back to where I started, I can't move forward. Only repeating the same unending loop like I was trapped in a systematic matrix program."

"Is it an Artificial Intelligence program?" He asked. 

"No it isn't. The difference between this website and one using an AI is that, this website provided answers like it understands human logic, human emotions and human experiences. The way it was written, it generates outstanding responses on its own, and the only questions the people behind the program tend to answer themselves are high-level questions. The time spent on that website and the money it must have cost to do so, even the coding too, are way too much for just an ordinary customer service website." I gave him a full breakdown on the things I found while researching that strange website. 

"Okay, check where the first few requests on that site came from and the region it is most operational." As he spoke I was already on it and typing away, battling with the firewalls of the website. 

"Okay got it, the first few requests came from around Central City." I gave my report and await further instructions. 

"Triangulation." The only word he said but I understood what he meant. Batman was a man of few words, he does not say more than needed. 

"I created an algorithm and tried to pinpoint the source but it re-pinged over and over again, without giving me a valid location. I used the program to triangulate the multiple false pings it had given me in hopes of it getting a fixed point or area where the real ones might be, but to no avail."

"Okay, just focus on trying to break through the back door. Give me feedback if you find anything." With that he ended the call and I continued the  fierce battle I was having with the coding of that website.

… 

Few days after that event had taken place and Bruce Wayne was back on Gotham. There was sudden chaos in the city as Killer Frost caused trouble in the middle of town. 

While everyone ran away from the chaos, Tom ran towards it. He saw it as a chance to witness another brawl between heroes and villains. So he hid himself at a street corner with the best view of the commotion. 

The Flash raced through the streets of Central City, his lightning-fast speed leaving a trail of sparks in his wake. 

As he approached the location, he saw Killer Frost standing in the middle of the street, a wicked grin on her face. "Well, well, if it isn't the Flash," she taunted. "I've been hoping for a chance to take you down."

The Flash didn't waste any time. He charged at her, fists at the ready. But Killer Frost was prepared, and she shot a blast of ice at him. The Flash quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

'Now that's what I'm talking about, just skip the hero-villian nonsense and get down to it.' He thought to himself as a wide smile made its way to his lips. 

The two continued to trade blows, with Killer Frost using her ice powers to create barriers and obstacles, while the Flash used his super speed to dodge and strike back. It was a fierce battle, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Tom quietly watched from the sidelines, his heart pounding in his chest as he spectacted the fight. He has always been a thrill chaser, and he couldn't believe the destruction that was happening right in front of him. And he couldn't look away. The sheer power and intensity of the battle was like nothing he had ever seen before.

A civilian was almost caught at the cross fight, and the speedster saved the civilian from an incoming ice attack before running him to safety. Killer Frost saw her opportunity and launched a massive blast of ice at him. The Flash tried to dodge, but he was too slow. The ice hit him head-on, sending him flying through the air and crashing into a nearby building.

Tom mused at the sight as he watched the Flash struggle to get back up. But he wasn't out of the fight yet. With much resolve, he launched himself back at Killer Frost, faster than he did before. He landed a powerful punch, knocking her to the ground.

As the dust settled, he watched as the Flash stood triumphantly over Killer Frost as he struck the signature hero pose with both hands on each side of his waist. It was a hard-fought battle, but in the end, the Flash had come out on top. Showing Killer Frost who the boss of the city was. Or so he thought. 

Killer Frost wasn't quite finished yet. With a sly smile, she called out to the Flash.

"Hey, speedster, over here!" she shouted, beckoning him with a crooked finger. The Flash, thinking he had the upper hand, turned to face her.

That was all the distraction Killer Frost needed. In a moment of distraction, Killer Frost saw an opening and seized the opportunity to strike. She shot a beam of ice at the ground beneath the Flash's feet, causing him to slip and fall. But the Flash quickly regained his footing and tried to dodge Killer Frost's next attack. Despite his best efforts, her icy beam hit him squarely in the chest, momentarily slowing him down.

As the battle raged on in the middle of Central City, the Flash was well  aware of the danger they posed to innocent bystanders. He had to be careful not to cause any collateral damage while fighting.

The Flash ran circles around Killer Frost, trying to find an opening to strike. But she was a skilled fighter and managed to keep up with his speed. She fired icy beams at him, but the Flash dodged them with ease, weaving in and out of the crowded streets.

As the battle intensified, Killer Frost began to realize that she was no match for the Flash. She decided to retreat, using her powers to create a wall of ice between them and make her escape.

The Flash knew he couldn't let her get away, but he also knew that he couldn't risk harming innocent people in the process. 

He ran circles around her, creating a powerful vortex that caused debris to fly around the street. Killer Frost was momentarily disoriented, giving the Flash the chance to land a swift punch and knock her out.

The Flash knew he couldn't keep her there for long, so he quickly contacted the authorities to come and collect her as he restrained her with cuffs specially made for metahumans. As the sirens of the police cars approached, the Flash made his escape, leaving Killer Frost securely in their custody.

While he knew that Killer Frost would most likely escape again in the future, the Flash was content with the knowledge that he had protected the citizens of Central City and prevented any major damage from occurring before Christmas. 

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