After the Los Angeles demon incident, the Justice League initially showed team spirit.
Batman was no longer as averse to others entering Gotham as before, but he still disliked other members of the League interfering with Gotham affairs.
And he had been having a headache recently.
After Red Hood's Carnage at Arkham Asylum, Gotham briefly entered a period of peace.
Some of those who fled Gotham during the fear gas attack also chose to return to the city.
The sentiment of 'it's hard to leave one's homeland' is not exclusive to us; some Westerners also share it.
At this time, it was best for everything to be stable, without major incidents.
This was also to give confidence to those returning to Gotham.
— A false confidence.
Many people would think, 'The lunatics in Arkham Asylum are almost all dead, what else could make Gotham chaotic?'
But this is Gotham; Gotham gave birth to those psychopaths.
If the old batch died, then a new batch would emerge accordingly.
Those psychiatric patients were not the culprits here; they were far from qualified... Twilight had passed, midnight was not yet here.
Batman, like a Black Shadow, moved through the city. His dark figure perfectly merged with the city.
He quickly landed at a shipyard near Gotham Harbor.
Time was already running out for him. A hostage was being held in this shipyard.
And Batman, he only had 90 seconds to rescue that hostage.
Thanks to his upgraded nano-suit, he easily cut the lock and snuck in.
Batman hid in the Shadow, approaching the hijackers inside the shipyard.
He activated his goggles, which displayed the hijackers' identification information.
Niles Nathan, former CIA member, intelligence division.
From his gun-holding posture, it was evident this person was right-handed. The toxin on the Batarang could paralyze his arm, thereby affecting his head.
Tommy Harper, former Irish Republican Army special forces sniper. A metal shrapnel remained in his skull.
Any magnetic object striking the correct spot could easily incapacitate him.
Carlos Valdez, Blackwater mercenary, fond of close-quarters combat.
But he was large and slow, not difficult for Batman to deal with.
Spider Hancock, Gotham City gang enforcer. Three days ago, Batman broke one of his ribs, so he likely hadn't fully recovered yet.
In an instant, Batman formulated an action plan targeting each person's weakness.
He used his suit to hack the local power grid. He didn't build an AI into himself; he didn't trust such a thing.
So all operations had to be done by himself.
Fortunately, his skills were very good. The local network was infiltrated, and the power was immediately cut off.
In the darkness, Batman opened his eyes.
The mercenaries became tense. A burly man said, "He's here!"
Someone paid a hefty price to assemble this team, but Batman took less than thirty seconds to make the mastermind realize.
He hadn't paid enough!
In the darkness, Batman entered the cage where the hostage was held.
He directly blew up the cell door and rescued the little boy inside.
The rescued boy couldn't believe his eyes; he actually saw Batman!
Thirty-seven seconds left. Batman glanced at the time on his goggles and quickened his pace.
He used the web-shooters developed by Dane, and even he had to admit that they were indeed better than the grappling gun.
However, his utility belt still carried a grappling gun as a backup.
Batman escaped with the hostage through the skylight.
What he didn't know was that the little boy's fear of him was no less than that caused by the kidnapping.
Just as he temporarily breathed a sigh of relief, the little boy suddenly alerted him.
Batman immediately took him and dodged as a 'man' shaped like a crocodile lunged at them!
His expression changed. Hadn't Killer Croc already been killed by Jason? Who was this crocodile man?
"Batman!"
The crocodile man roared, his massive size bearing down on him.
Batman rapidly dodged. He wrapped one end of the grappling gun from his utility belt around the little boy's waist.
The other end shot out, hooking onto a nearby building. The rope retracted, pulling him away from the scene.
Then Batman focused his attention on the berserk crocodile man.
He had a feeling that tonight's Killer Croc was more violent, more savage.
And even more... inhuman.
He couldn't gamble with the hostage's safety.
The crocodile man far surpassed Batman in size, physique, and strength, but it was not without weaknesses.
Batman pressed the touchscreen on his Batsuit's arm, and two ultrasonic generators immediately formed in his palm.
Under the intense ultrasonic waves, the crocodile man screamed in pain, clutching his head.
He didn't miss this opportunity, launching a series of martial arts moves.
The suit enhanced his strength and speed. Although the crocodile man was stronger than before, Batman was also no longer the same... He was too familiar with the crocodile man, to the point where he understood every reaction and countermeasure.
The crocodile man didn't last any longer than those mercenaries; he quickly fell.
To ensure the crocodile man was truly unconscious, he administered a powerful sedative.
After confirming the surroundings were safe, he lowered the little boy who had been suspended in the air.
"Lamont Edward IV, you are safe now."
This little boy, who was taken hostage, was the future heir of the Lamont family.
Lamont Enterprises was one of LexCorp's suppliers. They had developed a special coagulant that could disguise Molotov cocktails as lipstick.
It was the day after this news was released that Lamont Edward IV was kidnapped.
Now Batman saw that Killer Croc had kidnapped him, but this made him even more puzzled.
Because Killer Croc had clearly been waiting here, it even tricked Batman into thinking he only had 90 seconds.
But Killer Croc couldn't have that kind of brain.
Moreover, it was barely human anymore, what would it want money for?
Before he could unravel the mystery in his mind, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived late.
"Perhaps we should discuss rescuing hostages through more legal means."
Although Batman had assisted them many times, the Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel were not happy.
They were 'new recruits' who had recently moved into Gotham and had not yet experienced the city's unique 'charm.'
Batman didn't respond to her topic, merely stating coldly: "This is my city."
The female investigator was about to say something else when she was interrupted by her subordinate.
"Boss, you need to come and see!"
"What happened?"
The female investigator asked, pressing her earpiece.
"The money is gone!"
"Shit!" She couldn't help but curse.
That was 10 million U.S. dollars!
To redeem the kidnapped hostage, Lamont Enterprises was willing to pay 10 million U.S. dollars to save him.
Now the person was rescued, but the money was gone.
Do you think Lamont Edward would believe that this wasn't the Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel pocketing the ransom?
The female investigator fumed:
"Search! That thief hasn't left yet, find her!"
"No need, I found her."
Batman, using thermal imaging, found the person who stole the ransom.
She was above everyone's heads, flying over them while holding a rope.
And Batman knew her.
"Catwoman."
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