SWWW Chapter 237: Gotham Does Not Allow Such a Powerful Person
Under the blazing sunlight, the mist that had always lingered over Gotham finally dispersed, revealing the city's true face.
Towering skyscrapers lined the horizon, filled with a heavy air of history and culture. Most of the locals wore work uniforms in somber shades of gray and black, as if the entire city was acting out a silent film from decades past.
In terms of prosperity, Gotham was second to none. Yet, the noise of its streets was lower than even that of many second- or third-tier cities.
People hurried along, rarely stopping to chat.
Perhaps this was the lingering scar of its past as a city of crime.
Two decades ago—
Gotham had once been the fastest-growing metropolis in the world. Overnight, elevated railways and gleaming infrastructure rose across the city. But with the explosion of wealth and technology came a darker shadow—an underbelly crawling with corruption and crime.
Even the patriarch of the Wayne family, the most respected man in Gotham, was gunned down in the street by a petty thug.
Crime skyrocketed. Corruption festered. Gotham became a city where people flinched at the sound of gunfire every night.
Every evening, crimes played out on the streets. The local police were helpless.
Until—
Over a decade ago, a legend of the Bat quietly took root.
Fighting darkness with darkness, a Dark Knight who brought even the vilest criminals to their knees.
Batman began as nothing more than an urban myth, spreading terror among criminals until his shadow itself became a weapon.
In time, Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison were established. Though crime could never be eradicated, like cockroaches in the dark, it was at least kept under control.
…
On Gotham's crowded streets.
A platinum-haired girl clung sweetly to the arm of a dark-haired boy, the two of them appearing like any ordinary young couple as they wandered through the alleys and avenues of Gotham's central district.
Xi Nian glanced at the girl beside him—gentle, delicate, impossibly sweet. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Few in Gotham would ever suspect that this fragile hand, resting so lightly in his arm, could just as easily crush a skyscraper or shatter a mountain.
Her slender frame carried more power than the city could imagine.
"Kara, what kind of bet did you make with Gwen?"
Xi Nian asked curiously.
After all, Gwen had known about Kara's invitation before he did—that in itself was unusual.
Kara licked her strawberry ice cream, her rosy tongue peeking playfully between her lips as she blinked at him. "Senior, that's a secret between girls."
"Alright then." Xi Nian shrugged. "But at least tell me why you chose Gotham as the date spot."
Kara only smiled and pointed. "Look over there."
Following her finger, Xi Nian saw two boys playing in the park. One wielded a toy batarang, while the other wore a makeshift red cape.
A passing bus carried a poster of Supergirl flying like a bullet through the skies, her crimson cape strikingly bright against Gotham's dull, gray tones.
Xi Nian understood. She was here to show him the results of her efforts.
"It was you who told me to keep being my true self," Kara said with a smile.
"I didn't know you were Kryptonian at the time," Xi Nian spread his hands helplessly.
"And besides," she continued, "I've spent the past few weekends in Gotham, but never once have I simply walked the streets. I wanted to use this date to finally experience it. Don't you like Gotham, Senior?"
"It's not that I dislike it," Xi Nian shook his head. He'd almost agreed to Alfred's suggestion of moving here himself.
After a pause, he added, "Even if you hadn't invited me, I would've come here sooner or later."
"What do you mean?" Kara tilted her head curiously.
"You'll know soon enough."
Xi Nian lowered his gaze to her hand and said, "By the way, your ice cream is about to melt."
"Ah!" Kara yelped in alarm, drawing amused glances from passersby.
…
Night fell.
Darkness draped itself over Gotham like a shroud, neon lights flickering to life.
After a long day of flirting, ending with a dinner, the boy and girl stepped out from a steakhouse.
"What do you want to do next?" Xi Nian asked.
Before Kara could answer, her golden-brown eyes sharpened as she looked to the sky.
Far away, a searchlight pierced the clouds, etching the shape of a bat onto the heavens.
The Bat-Signal.
Kara hesitated, torn.
"Go if you want to," Xi Nian said calmly, reading her thoughts.
"But…"
"Do what you want to do."
He cut her off gently, reaching into his coat and pulling out a small glass sphere that shimmered faintly with life—a tiny jellyfish-like creature. He handed it to her. "Take this with you."
"Alright. Senior, I'll be back soon."
Taking the little creature, Kara unbuttoned her blouse. Beneath it was her tight Kryptonian battle suit.
The emblem of the House of El stretched across her chest in a proud, scarlet S.
With a crack like thunder, she vanished in a burst of speed, leaving only her blouse and skirt fluttering down into Xi Nian's hands.
He neatly folded the clothes, wrapping them into his dark blue trench coat. His voice dropped low.
"Alright. Jarro, Alice, Xiao Huang… it's our turn."
Xi Nian stepped into a narrow alley, his coat shifting in hue until it became the color of night itself, his figure melting into the shadows.
A gust of wind swirled in the alley, and a black silhouette shot into the skies, streaking away from the Bat-Signal—toward the opposite side of Gotham.
Five minutes later.
A hidden underground bar in Gotham's downtown. Its sign read: Closed for Business.
A silver-haired youth in a black coat approached the entrance, only to be blocked by two shirtless, tattooed bouncers.
"We're closed," one of them said flatly.
"I was invited," the silver-haired young man replied calmly.
"Password," the other demanded, eyes narrowing.
"Kill Superman," the youth smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with icy menace.
The men exchanged a look, then stepped aside.
The silver-haired youth entered.
Before he could even take a step inside, a cold, furious voice rang out from within the bar:
"In Gotham, we don't allow anyone that damn powerful to exist!!"
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