Chapter 11: Little Ringo Fights Evil
113.
As night falls and Gotham City is plunged into shadow, the lights of the Falcone mansion are ablaze as a grand dinner party is held inside. The richest and most corrupt people in Gotham gather here to discuss how to continue to control the city.
Outside the mansion, Batman and Peregrine had been lurking for a long time. With a stern look in his eyes, he whispered, "We need to make them understand that the rules of Gotham are about to change."
Peregrine chuckled and looked back at Batman with a determined gaze, "Tonight, they will remember our names."
The two men acted swiftly, using their superb skills and tacit cooperation to silently subdue the guards and bodyguards. Peregrine was responsible for clearing out the guards on the perimeter, while Batman, like a bolt of black lightning, infiltrated directly into the mansion.
The clamor of the banquet came to an abrupt halt as they burst into the hall. Batman's cape emanated a formidable aura in the dim light, and his voice was low and cold: "Your era of corruption is over."
Falcone stepped out from the crowd, attempting to intimidate the newcomers with his usual commanding presence. But Batman's response was even more forceful: "Your empire is crumbling, Falcone. I will tear it down, every brick and stone."
Peregrine Falcon stood beside him and added coldly, "You think you can continue to ignore justice, but from today on, we will become your nightmare."
Falcone's face turned ashen. He had not expected to encounter such a surprise attack tonight, and the defense line he was proud of seemed vulnerable in front of this dark combination.
Before they left the ballroom, Batman turned back and gave a final warning: "Tell your accomplices that Gotham's nights no longer belong to you."
Back outside the mansion, Ah Fu, codenamed "Penny One," was already preparing a retreat route in the rear. He stood beside the vehicle, his eyes as calm and wise as ever. "Master, Miss Peregrine, were you satisfied with your performance?"
Peregrine stepped forward with a smile, "They're probably frightened and overwhelmed by now, Pennywise. The mission was completed quite successfully."
Batman nodded as well, a calm fire flashing in his eyes, "This is the first step, Pennywise. Next, we have a bigger task."
Penny smiled softly, a hint of British humor in his tone, "It seems I need to speed up my tea service to ensure that you are in top condition."
Back in the Batcave, the team's cooperation has become even closer. Oracle has begun collecting evidence of Falcone's crimes through her intelligence network. Her technical support and information analysis are an indispensable part of the team.
"We already have enough clues." Oracle's voice came from the headset, as calm as ever. "Next, we can let Gotham's law take over these corrupt power holders."
Batman nodded. He knew their actions had made Falcone extremely uneasy, but this was far from enough. His goal was not only to destroy Falcone's criminal empire, but to completely change the fate of Gotham.
Penny brought a cup of hot tea in due time and handed it to Batman, "Master, no matter how far you go, remember that we are always behind you to support you."
Batman took the tea, a hint of gratitude in his eyes. He knew that it was every member of this team that made his mission possible. They were not fighting alone, but an inseparable whole.
Batman and Peregrine's actions caused quite a stir in Gotham City, especially within the criminal community. Falcone's threat became more apparent, and his rage sent panic through the organization.
A few days later, Batman and Peregrine broke into Falcone's bedroom. Before he could react, Batman punched him to the ground. His bodyguards had already been cleared out of the corridor outside the door, and no one could come to rescue him.
"You dare..." Before Falcone could finish his words, he punched him hard in the abdomen again.
"This is the new rule of Gotham," Batman said coldly, "Your reign is over."
They stripped him down to his underwear and then tied him to the bed with ropes. As they left, Peregrine turned around and teased, "This looks better on you than a suit, Falcone."
As Batman and Peregrine left, Batman took the keys to his Rolls-Royce. Soon after, the priceless car sank into the Gotham River, sinking with the waves.
Falcone felt more humiliated than ever before. He ordered his men to hunt us down, but they couldn't even find our shadow.
Meanwhile, Captain Lobo attempts to appease the nobles and crime bosses, but his fear of Batman grows stronger. To save face, he publicly threatens to kill Batman, declaring that the police will bring the masked vigilante to justice.
But Batman didn't back down. He had anticipated this reaction and was prepared for it.
"They'll soon realize that our actions aren't improvisations," Batman told the team. "This is a long-term battle, and we'll break down their defenses one by one."
Peregrine Falcon stood beside him and smiled coldly, "Let them come. I can't wait to see their helpless struggle."
While Batman and Peregrine intensified their actions, Catwoman also operated in the shadows. She spotted a weak spot in Falcone's forces and seized the opportunity to launch her own counterattack. During one operation, she infiltrated Falcone's private vault, not only making off with a large amount of gold, silver, and jewelry, but also leaving three deep scratches on Falcone's face as a symbol of her provocation.
"Your time is over," Catwoman whispered to Falcone's men. "Now, Gotham belongs to those who dare to resist."
Unable to contain his rage, Falcone began to grow increasingly frantic. Knowing Batman was too much to handle, he turned his attention to the newly arrived Detective James Gordon. Falcone ordered his nephew, Johnny Dee, to kidnap Gordon's wife and newborn child, hoping to force Gordon into submission through this despicable means.
However, he underestimated the power of Batman and his team. At the critical moment of this conspiracy, Batman, Peregrine and Oracle quickly joined forces with James Gordon to thwart Falcone's plan.
"Falcone has reached the end of his rope." Batman said coldly after the operation. "We won't give him any breathing space."
With the success of the operation, District Attorney Harvey Dent joined the fight against Falcone's forces. He used legal means to remove Chief Robb and ensure that Falcone's criminal network was dismantled one by one.
"Gotham is changing," Harvey Dent declared in court. "No one is above the law anymore."
With the fall of Chief Loeb and the weakening of Falcone's power, Gotham City finally sees a glimmer of hope, but Batman knows that this is just a new beginning and the future battle will be even more difficult.
He turned to look at his team, his eyes determined. "We've taken the first step, but it's not enough. Gotham needs us to keep fighting."
Peregrine smiled slightly and clenched his fists. "We will never stop until this city sees the light again."
The Oracle nodded and said, "We will always be behind the scenes to ensure that every step is taken more steadily and further."
Penny stood behind them and whispered, "Master, no matter how rough the road gets, remember we are always by your side."
Batman's eyes became more determined. He knew that as long as this team existed, the future of Gotham City would no longer be swallowed by darkness.
114.
“So cool!”
The black-haired, blue-eyed little boy named Richard John Grayson clapped and cheered, "And then what? What then? What else did Batman and his assistant Peregrine do? I remember it was a hot topic during that time... It seemed to be the Romani family!"
"I'm not his assistant, our status is equal!" I emphasized to him.
Then I cleared my throat and stared at the tea beside me. The little boy was very considerate. He immediately picked up the tea and put the straw to my lips.
"Please drink, Sister Leona." His big blue eyes were so cute that I soon lost my composure and continued talking to him.
115.
The winter nights in Gotham are colder than ever. Snow covers the streets, and the colorful Christmas lights sway in the cold wind, but the flickering lights cannot cover up the darkness deep in the city.
In a Falcone family warehouse, the lights were dim, goods were neatly stacked in a corner, and the air was filled with a smell of decay. The night guard yawned and was about to light a cigarette when he suddenly heard a slight unusual noise.
"Who's there?" he asked warily, his hand unconsciously reaching for the gun at his waist. All he got in response was silence and the whistling wind outside the warehouse.
The moment he relaxed his guard, a bullet accurately struck him between the eyebrows. Blood splattered on the cargo box behind him, and the cigarette in his hand fell silently.
The next morning, when the police arrived, they were horrified by the scene they saw: the body of the deceased had been placed in a strange position, with a small ornament with a Christmas bell stuck in his chest, and the word "holiday" scribbled in red spray paint next to it.
Commissioner James Gordon stood over the body, his brow furrowed.
"It's him again," Gordon said in a low, tired voice. "The third victim, this time on Christmas."
"Falcone's men?" asked the young detective at the side, obviously shocked by the scene before him.
Gordon nodded, his eyes sweeping over the Christmas ornaments beside the body. His voice was filled with helplessness and anger. "It's no coincidence that the Holiday Killer specifically targeted the Falcone family."
After a moment of silence, the detective whispered, "But... the Falcone family is so powerful. Wouldn't this provocation trigger a larger-scale war?"
Gordon sighed and put his hands in his coat pockets. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. Gotham is already in enough chaos. It doesn't need more Mars."
116.
"And then?" Little Richard's cheeks flushed with excitement. He looked at me, his curiosity unconcealed. "Sister Leona, was the Holiday Killer caught? I remember everyone was very scared of him back then."
"Of course I did." I raised my chin slightly and smiled proudly. "And it wasn't just an ordinary way. Listen carefully, this is a very interesting story."
117.
The appearance of the Holiday Killer plunged Gotham into a subtle frenzy. Everyone was speculating about who he was and why he chose to kill on a holiday. Even our Alfred couldn't help but remark while cleaning his teacup, "This killer has a very festive aesthetic."
I don't know if Bruce was stimulated by this sentence, but in any case, he went out more frequently than usual, and the map in the Batcave was full of red pins, marking the location of each crime scene.
"We have to find him." Bruce's deep voice came from the darkness, his eyes fixed on the screen. "If he continues, the fight between the Falcone and Maroni families will destroy the entire city."
I stood aside, tilting my head and looking at the screen. "Don't you think his killing method is strange?"
"What's strange?" Barbara's voice came from the side.
"He's not just killing people, he's declaring war on certain people." I pointed to the symbols on the screen. "You see, the victims are either Falcone's confidants or Maroni's right-hand men. It's like he's deliberately pushing them into war."
"Good observation." Bruce said lightly, but he didn't explain much. Obviously, he already had his own ideas.
A few weeks later, the Holiday Killer's next attack occurred.
This time, he chose New Year's Eve, when a casino manager from the Maroni family was found dead in his office with a firework tube filled with broken chips next to him.
"The clues this time are clear. He wants to force them into war." The Oracle's analysis was indeed spot-on. "Furthermore, he will definitely act again. His next target is likely to be Maroni himself."
So, we split up, Batman searching for clues around the casino, while Oracle and I infiltrated Maroni's territory, hoping to find some clues.
Maroni was busy discussing with his lawyer how to deal with Falcone that day. I stood outside the window and eavesdropped for a while, and heard him say, "Show Dante this list. All the evidence he wants is here."
"Harvey Dent." I whispered the name, and a familiar face immediately appeared in my mind.
"Do you think this has anything to do with the Holiday Killer?" the Oracle asked softly.
"Maybe, but no matter what, we have to bring the news back."
Maroni's trial is the focus of all Gotham.
118.
"So you're saying," Little Richard asked seriously, "that guy threw acid in court and you and Bruce were there?"
"Of course," I smiled. "We've been keeping an eye on him. That bottle of 'stomach medicine' his lawyer handed him looked suspicious."
"Then what?"
"And then?" I paused deliberately, noting Little Richard's expectant look before slowly saying, "Of course I stopped him. As soon as he pulled out the bottle, I used my grappling gun to knock it away. The bottle fell to the ground with a sizzling sound, which nearly scared everyone in the courtroom."
"Wow!" Richard's face was full of admiration. "Sister Leona, you are so amazing!"
I smirked, "Of course, but that's not all."
“The ending of The Holiday Killer is complicated,” I said, “because the real story in the end isn’t in the courtroom, but when Maroni is being escorted back to his cell.”
"Bruce and I were already in ambush by then because we knew he would strike again."
"And the final?" Richard asked.
I raised my eyebrows. "Of course he did. Even though the guy struggled desperately, Bruce showed no mercy."
"And who is he?"
"Alberto Falcone, the youngest son of the Falcone family." I blinked. "A guy who thinks he's too smart, but obviously not smart enough to evade our pursuit."
Little Richard was silent for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "One day, I will become a hero like you and Bruce!"
I smiled and ruffled his hair, "Of course, but before that you have to pass Batman's test, little Wing."
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