Chapter 16 Inviting the Wolf into the House: So Who is the Wolf?
The two brothers tacitly skipped over anything related to Gotham.
Clearly, Gotham is a rather sensitive topic for both of them.
Bruce emphasized that he wanted to strengthen the security system at Wayne Manor.
Thomas agreed with this and offered many professional suggestions for the renovation plan.
But Bruce refused to install heavy machine guns and rocket launchers that could automatically aim at targets at Wayne Manor, and left the modification task entirely to Lucius.
"All right."
No problem, Thomas can secretly add some "surprises" to Wayne Manor himself.
Next... there's not much to say next. Bruce couldn't possibly tell Thomas what kind of training he had undergone, and Thomas was even less likely to tell Bruce that he had successfully entered the field of neurosurgery and had just performed a craniotomy on a Roman yesterday.
“Thomas,” Bruce finally spoke after a moment of silence, “if you really don’t like Gotham, why don’t you come with me? I remember you’ve never left this country before. Why don’t you see the world? Leave behind your studies and the pressure Gotham puts on you, find a place you like to live for a while; or just leave Gotham forever…”
“No need, I don’t feel any pressure in Gotham.” This is the truth. In Gotham, Thomas is the one who puts pressure on others; no one can put pressure on him in return. “Besides, I’ve seen what the world is like.”
Thomas has even seen what several worlds look like, and he has found that humanity always creates a series of evils.
"In fact, the operating rules of the entire human world are almost identical to those of Gotham; it's the same no matter where you go."
But other places are probably better than Gotham, at least there won't be as many curses.
I'll ask again, which "second Jonah" discovered this rotten land?
“Okay, Tommy,” Bruce’s voice came through the microphone, accompanied by a few noises. “Goodbye.”
"goodbye."
Thomas hung up the phone.
So Bruce still intends to come back.
Moreover, he still seems intent on changing Gotham, evidenced by Lucius's increasingly blatant exploitation of materials and technology.
Judging from the amount used, Bruce doesn't seem to intend to build a large-scale private army in Gotham, but rather to select a small number of elites and use high-tech equipment, but his specific action plan is still unclear.
So annoying.
I really want to know what Bruce is up to.
Thomas's controlling nature became uncontrollable, so he tried to distract himself by recalling his plans.
Tonight, conceal your identity, negotiate with the Romans' subordinates, offer assistance, and find suitable partners...
It's still so annoying. A bunch of useless people who only know how to rely on Falcone for survival. They even need Thomas's help to cover up something as small as this. Compared to them, the Crime Syndicate is quite capable, efficient, and full of talent—at least the Crime Syndicate has a shrewd and capable Super Queen.
I only removed Falcone's prefrontal cortex, not his entire brain! He wasn't paralyzed, so is it really that hard to keep this a secret for a month?
Tomorrow night, we will officially infiltrate the Owl Court of this world.
The Court of Owls in this world is pretty useless... Well, at least their level of uselessness is just right, allowing the Night Owls to quickly take control without being completely useless once they have them in their hands.
It doesn't matter how rotten or useless those upper echelons of Gotham are, as long as Claws are functional.
Honestly, it would be a waste of time to devise a even slightly detailed plan when dealing with such a rabble in Gotham City.
But Thomas simply can't just ignore everything.
Even disregarding Bruce's potential return at any moment, Thomas couldn't possibly do nothing just to satisfy his own morbid desire for control.
-
Sofia Falcone is a shrewd woman.
But the situation is now far too complicated.
The Romans no longer possessed the ability to rule Gotham, and their brothers and sisters lacked the capacity and prestige to succeed them, putting them in a very dangerous situation.
Her brother, Mario Falcone, "cowardly" suggested that the entire Falcone family flee Gotham City with their father. He believed that the guy who could break through all obstacles in one night, take the Roman away for a lobotomy, and leave without leaving a single clue must be someone extraordinary, someone they couldn't handle.
“I have some assets outside, originally intended to launder the family's money, but I never expected to need them now,” Mario explained to his sister. “A life in the underworld isn't a long-term solution…”
“You’re a coward and an idiot, Mario!” Sofia glared at him. “For people like us, the end of gangster life means the end of life. Running away means exposing our backs to the enemy, and there’s only one consequence for exposing our backs to the enemy: death! We’ll die a gruesome death!”
She was like a valiant she-wolf, seemingly ready to tear a piece of flesh from anyone at any moment: "Don't you understand, Mario? In Gotham, people with the surname Wayne can leave whenever they want, and people with the surname Elliott can escape the cesspool, but people with the surname Falcone can never! We are connected to the dark blood of Gotham, and if we want to get away, we'll have to peel off a layer of skin first!"
Their younger brother, Alberto Falcone, who was forever excluded from his father's criminal activities, couldn't wait to speak up for his sister: "Honestly, Mario, I think we can totally take over our father's business; it's actually not that difficult."
“Only you would think that way, Alberto,” Mario said, somewhat annoyed. “Have you ever been involved in even the slightest gang activity? A pure-hearted angel who has never been involved with the mafia in his life?”
Alberto's eyes flashed with an indescribable ferocity, which he quickly suppressed.
Sofia didn't particularly like her brothers, but considering she might need them in the future, she reluctantly tried to mediate: "Now is the time for us to unite; one wrong step and we're doomed... Who!"
All three of them heard a soft chuckle. Sofia reacted the fastest, skillfully drawing her pistol. Mario was a little slower, but still quickly stood back-to-back with Sofia. Alberto, however, awkwardly followed his sister and brother's movements, leaning against them.
Finding this uninvited guest was actually quite easy; he hadn't even bothered to hide his tracks, his silver armor gleaming in the night.
Night Owl stood on the terrace, where he had been ever since Mario suggested leaving Gotham, and watched with great interest the three Falcones, each with their own hidden agendas.
"Who are you?" Sofia asked warily, pointing her gun at Night Owl.
“Someone who can help you.” Night Owl pointed at his pistol nonchalantly, strolling around as if he weren’t in Falcone’s lair, but rather attending a cozy Christmas party.
Who would believe that? Certainly, none of the three Falcones would.
Sofia fired without hesitation, but Night Owl easily dodged and knocked the gun out of her hand.
“I hope you can face reality while I still have patience,” Night Owl said to the three men in a very good-natured manner. “But my patience is running out.”
“How can we trust you?” Alberto excitedly pushed past his sister and stood at the front, and Sofia tacitly approved of Alberto’s actions.
“I thought you should know very well, Mr. Falcone, that ‘trust’ is by no means the cornerstone of cooperation.” Night Owl stepped forward, letting Alberto’s gun be pointed at his chest. “Cooperation is based on shared interests. Coincidentally, I have a grudge against the mastermind behind the murder, and I don’t want Gotham’s situation to descend into chaos.”
I'll start causing chaos after I've subdued the Court of Owls; I don't have time to deal with you right now.
"Do you know who the mastermind is?" Mario stared suspiciously at the strange man dressed like an owl.
“The Court of Owls,” Night Owl said with a slight smile, “and Thomas Wayne.”
Sofia and Mario's eyes lit up with suspicion. Before the Romans were taken away, they had indeed told them that they had just offended the Court of Owls and Thomas Wayne.
“You’re dressed like an owl,” Alberto remained wary, still thinking the court of owls was just an absurd urban legend. “Be careful not to get shot down.”
“Is that so?” Night Owl reached out and grabbed the gun in Alberto’s hand, easily crushing the muzzle. “I’m sorry, sir, you’ve wasted two chances. If any of you offend me again, I’ll tie the three of you together and throw you off the top of Gotham’s tower.”
The three looked at each other, and Mario was the last to step forward.
Mario, the most peaceful member of the household, wisely yielded to the owl: "What do you want us to do?"
“I told you, I have a grudge against the mastermind. Thomas Wayne killed my brother and my parents,” Night Owl explained to them. “So I need you to live well and keep Falcone’s criminal empire going.”
Alberto seemed to want to say something, but his sister tugged at his sleeve and warned him with her eyes to shut up.
"How should we deal with the Court of Owls and the Wayne family?" Mario asked cautiously.
Night Owl chuckled: "I'll handle the Court of Owls myself. It's our own business. You just need to maintain your own 'assets,' and..."
He pulled a voice changer from his all-purpose belt and tossed it to Alberto: "This can mimic the voice of a Roman; you can use it to cover up this."
Alberto frantically gripped the voice changer, examining the little device closely, and finally asked Night Owl suspiciously, "What good would it do us to keep this a secret?"
“No wonder the Romans wouldn’t let you get involved in family affairs. Compared to your brother and sister, you’re practically an idiot.” Night Owl deliberately provoked Alberto’s sensitive and fragile nerve, seeing him reveal a fierce look in his eyes. “Time, information gap, and the assets left by the Romans are your only remaining assets. The longer this news is kept secret, the more advantageous it will be for you.”
Alberto's impotent rage pleased Night Owl, who had a premonition that the Falcone family would ultimately be destroyed by this youngest son.
His ultimate partner will definitely not be any of these three.
“As partners,” Sophia narrowed her eyes, “could we know how you plan to deal with the Court of Owls and the Wayne family?”
“'Either live forever or die by suicide.'” Night Owl looked at the three of them meaningfully, but unfortunately, his round goggles prevented anyone from seeing his expression. “The simplest way is to let them start a fight among themselves. It’s that simple. After all, humans are a species that will start a war even when there are only three of them left. That’s the worst thing about humans.”
A note from the author:
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It seems that Owl's mask is better at concealing emotions than Batman's, since it only has cute round goggles.
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