"...Alberto?" Primary Universe Batman called out the name. Alberto Falcone. The infamous Holiday Killer. How could he be here?
Primary Universe Batman suddenly remembered: Halloween was just around the corner. Was he here to commit a crime?
However, he quickly dismissed that idea. After a series of explorations, despite the green bald head being somewhat annoying, the control was strict. The crime rate on the East Coast was infinitely close to zero. The Holiday Killer was not a superpower user, and he had no capability to act under the nose of super artificial intelligence.
Moreover, the mob in Bruce's universe had long exited the stage. The city's atmosphere didn't resemble when the Romans were still around. It's said that the transition was smooth, without disturbances. Since there was no mob, there should be no conflict between the Falcone father and son. The Holiday Killer wouldn't appear.
"You know me?" the man said. "Well, you do look like Bruce's relative. Why didn't you go find him?"
"He's not in Gotham recently. But you, I remember the Falcone Family has an estate, right? Were you driven out by Brainiac?"
The guy chuckled and said, "I hadn't lived there long before Brainiac came. I went back to Italy. Just returned yesterday."
So it was. Primary Universe Batman thought. There were at least two noteworthy pieces of information in Alberto's words: one, Brainiac wasn't recent; he's probably been here for a while; two, the Falcone Family doesn't seem to be in Gotham anymore but back in their hometown Italy.
"Why did you come back then?" Primary Universe Batman asked again.
"That's my personal business. You'd better not reveal seeing me to others. Though we've washed hands for quite a while, there are still a few enemies. It won't do you any good."
After saying that, the guy lowered his hat brim and left. Primary Universe Batman watched his departing figure, realizing things weren't that simple.
Green Street, FBI office.
Barry looked at the data displayed on the computer screen, frowned, and said, "So, the perpetrators of these three child abduction cases are not the same?"
"The behavior patterns are completely different." A colleague, managing the computer, adjusted his glasses and said, "The serial kidnapping case inference doesn't hold."
"But what's the probability of three almost identical cases happening consecutively in the same area? They even managed to evade Brainiac's eyes."
"My point is, we might be facing a more tricky situation now," the colleague continued, "It could be organized crime."
Just then, a blonde woman pushed open the door, placed a document on the table, and said, "The security camera logs show that fifteen minutes before each case, there was the same interference in the video signal. The perpetrator has very professional jamming equipment."
"More professional than Brainiac? How is that possible?"
A Black female colleague walked in next, saying, "The field colleagues said they found nothing unusual. In the next few days, they might have to monitor uninterruptedly. Our Halloween holiday is ruined."
"The three missing kids haven't been found, I have no mood for holidays. Moreover, since Brainiac came, there haven't been such heinous crimes, let alone this could be organized crime. I can't sleep well without catching the perpetrator."
Barry sighed too, not because of missing the holiday, but he promised Harley to attend the Halloween party. Just hoping he could spare a few hours that night.
The group quickly returned to work. Barry watched those segments of surveillance footage repeatedly, finally saying, "There's too little clue. If only they could capture a few more seconds..."
"Hello? Yes, I am. The Behavioral Science Analysis publication? No problem, send the article over first. We'll take a look; if all's good, we can publish internally..."
Everyone looked over to the Asian colleague on a call. After hanging up, he said, "Headquarters said they've received a pretty good paper on criminal psychology and wanted to feature it in the training base's material."
"About behavioral science?"
"Seems like it. You guys keep busy; I'll take a look once it's sent over. If there's no major issue, I'll upload it directly to the system."
The others nodded and went about their own business. Although contributing to internal publications is part of their duty, there were more important matters at hand. The abducted children were much more crucial than the paper.
"Hey, wait a moment, you guys have to see this..." The Asian colleague suddenly approached again.
The group looked over at him, then saw the title on the laptop he was holding.
"About child psychology?" The group immediately gathered around. As more content appeared on the screen, the blonde exclaimed, "It's interconnected with criminal psychology, but the theory is rather weird."
"That's because this isn't behavior science," Barry suddenly spoke, "This is the Psychoanalysis Method. It must have come from the Psychology Department at Gotham University."
"Could it be a student of Professor Rodriguez?"
Barry nodded and said, "Although it's an anonymous submission, I can roughly guess who it is. It should be that highly talented lady."
The group gathered around the table to read the paper until they came across this sentence: "In the realm of crime, a child's weakness can sometimes be a breakthrough point. Because of the significant physiological power gap, criminals usually do not focus too much on physical suppression, which instead forces them to develop a desire to establish mental authority like they never had before. Even if it's for their own interest, in the interaction with children, they develop a desire to form groups, gain leadership positions, and exercise power..."
"Sounds a bit absurd," a colleague said while rubbing his chin, "So, does it mean that a child's weakness is a trap that triggers some extreme emotions in the perpetrator, causing them to lose their sanity? Is there any scientific basis for this?"
"I've never heard of a similar theory. However, I think it makes some sense," another colleague turned around and said, "I very much agree with the theory that everyone has a repressed nature, things that need an outlet. Some are benign, like exhilarating exercise or quietly enjoying the scenery; some might be quite odd, like compulsive cleanliness or an obsession with numbers..."
"And some are malignant, like murder and abuse. But because of the law and risk considerations, most people don't dare to do it. Even if they had the opportunity, they might not do it."
"But there's one that's different, which is 'exercising authority.' When someone is in a naturally advantageous position, he oppresses and bullies others. The victim has no ability to resist, and the bystanders are indifferent, so he can wantonly vent his repressed nature. This contradiction often appears in families, in cases of domestic violence and child abuse, this behavior pattern is always present."
Barry thought for a moment and said, "Let's be daring. Kidnappers, when they abduct children, since they don't kill them immediately, they must be spending some time with them. If we view this relationship as a special family relationship, then the theory in this paper is easy to understand. Would a kidnapper make a good parent?"
The group began to shake their heads. The blonde said, "In most cases, kidnappers exhibit a very twisted, wavering mentality. They are evil, but not evil enough. They don't seem to experience enough mental pleasure from murder like many pleasure offenders; their criminal behavior is often based on financial considerations, but unlike some financial criminals, they don't have sufficient knowledge and means to gain massive profits illegally. To obtain benefits through illegal means, they can only resort to the simplest method they know: kidnapping hostages and demanding ransom."
"Even those among them who plan more meticulously choose this unwise criminal method because of cognitive limitations. Such people usually lack a calm mind and strong will, resulting in a gambler's mentality during the crime process, leading to the same restless agitation, over-excitement, or alternating mania and depression as other gamblers. This causes them to have severe emotional problems."
"I remember the case we handled before, wasn't it? That kidnapper went crazy with anxiety. He wasn't sure if the hostage's parents would pay, wasn't sure when the police would come, wasn't sure if his plan had any loopholes, so he repeatedly checked, even turning obsessive-compulsive, and eventually exposed himself."
"Exactly. Most people have no experience dealing with such sudden emotional issues, nor do they know how to adjust. That's why many of the children we've rescued from kidnappers have suffered abuse from them. These people use abuse to dispel their anxiety."
"Yes. Because children are so weak, and the physical gap with kidnappers is so great, they can act recklessly, without worrying about being harmed during the abuse. Thus, they can express the evil suppressed within their humanity more openly. This is what this paper refers to as the 'trap of weakness.'"
"That means, even if the initial reason for the kidnapping was for profit, the negative emotions the kidnapper experiences while waiting for the news prompt them to start abusing behavior. But I don't understand, why does the author emphasize 'establishing authority'?"
"Because simple physical violence and establishing mental authority are different. Abuse, like beating, may just be venting emotions; but establishing mental authority is about manipulating others."
"Why manipulate a group of children? They can't run away, can they?"
"This is where the deeper meaning of this viewpoint lies," Barry said, "For humans, mental satisfaction is the ultimate satisfaction. One could also say that all physical satisfaction ultimately boils down to mental satisfaction. Completely controlling and manipulating others' minds is one of the most addictive forms of morbid mental satisfaction. Many family issues we've witnessed underscore this point—everyone naturally tends to overextend their authority, or rather, only excess can bring pleasure."
"Even though they know such behavior is wrong when they are weak, once they acquire such a position, they inevitably develop such tendencies. And in such a special family between kidnappers and victims, because children are too weak and no violent means are necessary for control, they tend more towards spiritual control. And establishing and exercising authority is the best way for spiritual control."
"Sounds more like many families than just special families," the Asian guy said.
"Yes, unfortunately, many parents do indeed resemble kidnappers, some are even worse—after all, kidnappers still have to consider the police, while some parents don't. It's really sad."
"I understand the point the author is making. A child's inherent weakness prompts kidnappers to unleash their nature of spiritual control over others. So what can we do with this insight?"
"This leads us to the method of establishing authority. Simple violence doesn't work. And if the kidnapper isn't a professional, merely acting on impulse, releasing their desires when lured, they are bound to take some risky actions. If we can guess what they will do, perhaps we won't even need Brainiac to catch the criminal."