Chapter 24 Strange Heatwave: Gotham Suddenly Gets Hot, Urgent...
An indescribable heat began to spread throughout Gotham like smoke. Even the already excessively humid air carried an unyielding heat. The restless emotions formed ignited fireworks, burning and forcing all that was fragile to turn to ashes.
"Very good. Right now, the forums are full of questions about how Mr. Freeze can escape Arkham and save Gotham." Tim was keeping an eye on the recent public opinion trends while also paying attention to the recent fights and disputes among ordinary people. It was clearly not a good sign.
"In fact, some people are already discussing whether to go to Central City to borrow Captain Frozen."
Barbara looked up from her computer, took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee, and then pulled up the latest data, comparing it with the current Gotham map. The data clearly showed the detailed locations of accident hotspots, but this time it was different; there were no hotspots.
"I've checked, and the probability of the event is the same in all regions."
"This is very problematic, isn't it?"
No two leaves are exactly alike, so it's unlikely that the probability of all regions experiencing the same frequency of events is also the same. This clearly indicates some kind of conspiracy. Surveillance is not perfect; there will always be blind spots or accidents. That's when birds become the best friends, especially Enid's birds.
In fact, Enid's bird would never betray her, a fact the Penguin can attest to.
“I have informed Leila that all the areas you marked have been given priority for inspection by Leila. All the records of the situation are here.”
Tim was in charge of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, after all, he was the one who exposed Batman's true identity, wasn't he? Although it wasn't perfect, Tim gave Enid a pass, so she could participate in the logistical aspects to some extent.
Now, Enid skillfully sent the compiled intelligence files to Barbara and Tim, who of course saw that this was the latest version, which included Enid's revised version as well as the complete version.
"It seems my qualification was awarded too early."
Tim compared the two versions and spoke softly. Seeing Tim drinking the energy drink like water, Enid couldn't help but shiver. These few words suddenly felt like a heavy burden. Barbara noticed and reached out to pat her arm gently.
"That's normal, I was the same way at first. Tim and I will teach you, right?"
"Of course."
When Enid heard Barbara's gentle voice, she couldn't help but give her a soft smile and leaned over to nuzzle her. Barbara smiled and patted her head in return.
"Thank you, I will try my best," she paused, "So, has the mastermind behind this been identified?"
"There is no murderer, but we have clues."
Barbara pulled up a sentence from Enid's complete archive, which was about the condition of all the plants, as well as a report on the overall composition of air humidity in their daily surveys. Tim then matched the recent weather with the overall composition of the plants and air.
Since most of the plants involved were houseplants, and not everyone has the skill to care for plants, the plants that were damaged were not dead, but simply lacked water. However, in such high temperatures, water shortage is a normal occurrence.
Enid's report stated: Regarding the persistent heavy smoke in the home of a resident on Building X, No. XXX, XX Street, it was verified that this was due to the excessive use of a humidifier. A dispute arose because the resident refused to pay the high water bill, leading to a fight in which the resident lost and eventually paid the bill. Note: Some of their potted plants are dying from lack of water, even though they are right next to the humidifier; it's a real shame.
"Oh, so this is very important!"
After repeatedly studying the text and the accompanying pictures, Enid suddenly realized something unusual. Humidifiers can retain water, although the roots can also dry out if they don't get enough water for a long time, but this is a relatively slow process. However, this plant is in very bad condition.
Although the image was generated by magic based on memory, it is not fictional. The soil structure looks like it is about to turn into sand, but there are obvious water stains next to the potted plant, and even on the table.
At this point, Barbara pulled up the man's file and highlighted his personal background and profession—a gardener.
"Therefore, it's impossible for him to make such a basic mistake!"
"Yes, next, Fia, it's your turn to tell us, does the Son of Storms have any other special abilities?"
Tim clearly shifted his suspicions to the Storm Child. The power of plants, water, and soil—these are obviously related to druids, since her power comes from oak trees and nature. Storm, as the name suggests, is easy to understand. Considering the recent situation, it's hard not to suspect the Storm Child.
Enid pursed her lips; to be honest, she couldn't express it accurately, so she could only shake her head.
“I don’t know, I’m sorry.” She was somewhat annoyed. There weren’t many records about the Storm Child, and she had already told them everything she knew. “Actually, although some hidden texts have been passed down, a lot of the information about Lady Niaf and the Storm Child has been destroyed. I’ve basically told you what’s left.”
Apart from the matter of soul suppression, there's nothing else to hide.
The two of them astutely noticed that Enid used the word "destruction." Destruction must involve something unknown that needs to be destroyed. Regarding that battle, they believed there was something that Enid didn't know and couldn't know.
Considering that this concerned Niaf, her faith, and her love of the soul, Tim and Barbara both chose to remain silent about their speculations. Perhaps they needed to discuss it with Bruce again, as some information was indeed scarce.
"Alright, it's okay, Fia. Don't worry, we'll take care of the rest. You should go to Damian's class later."
"I'm starting to look forward to it."
Barbara cheerfully changed the subject. Hearing their conversation, Enid froze. Damian was very skilled with melee weapons, but unfortunately, Enid was completely unskilled. Her fighting skills were terrible, but Damian insisted that she fight him without using magic.
It wasn't out of fear of magic or anything else; during Enid's lengthy incantation for casting a spell, Damian indicated that there were already dozens of ways to kill her. If she couldn't abandon the incantation, even if she just recited it silently, she would have to have quick reflexes to dodge or cast the spell before being discovered by the enemy.
Enid understood that he was telling her he wanted her to live and be safe.
But what Enid couldn't say was that her magic could also be cast instantly, but only one type of magic could be done this way, and her intuition told her it was better to keep it a secret.
"Okay, hopefully he can be a little gentler."
"I think your hopes may be dashed, but at least you've already got it, and we still have Afu's qualification... Hmm, didn't Dick give you a qualification?"
Tim was slightly surprised. Dick's entry wasn't marked on Enid's passing grade list. Enid pouted, then slumped onto the table, muttering, "He said he wasn't joking. At least after everyone else passes, my exam won't officially begin... But Cassan and Stacy's exams haven't started yet, and Damian's... well, this is going to be tough."
"So, are you going to give up?"
Barbara's voice remained as gentle as ever. She lowered her head slightly to meet those somewhat dim green eyes, and saw only a hint of disappointment, nothing more.
What's blooming isn't just the flowers, but also the firmness and earnestness in her voice.
"Of course—no! How could I possibly give up?"
A note from the author:
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No mistake, Tim actually loves energy drinks lol. It's Barista who loves coffee (laughs).
Actually, there are still some classic stereotypes in the article (quietly). Soon, our long-awaited Mr. Freeze will make his appearance!
I feel like I'm playing a single-player game [crying][crying][crying][crying] If no one pays attention to me, I feel like I'm going to die along with the people of Gotham [crying][crying][crying]
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