Gotham Singularity (21) A chess piece is fine as long as it's useful...
“Bruce, you are very important to us.” As if not wanting to be interrupted by Batman, Tim spoke rapidly, becoming increasingly agitated, “Your death is not as trivial as you make it out to be!”
Two pairs of similar yet different eyes met in mid-air; the younger one, with its youthful spirit and drive, had unblinking blue eyes.
The older man, unable to resist those eyes, finally sighed. "We'll discuss this later. But you are not allowed to do anything like this..."
“No, B!” Seemingly in a fit of desperation, Dick grabbed Batman’s shoulder, interrupting him, “You’re not leaving us to go it alone!”
"You saw it too, that guy named Atalanta is far beyond your capabilities!" He gritted his teeth, hating his own powerlessness, and a whisper that sounded almost like a sigh rolled in his throat.
"We almost lost you again, Bruce."
Seeing this, Jason should have felt smug and contemplated Batman's actions, and even marveled that his plan to outmaneuver Batman would surely succeed.
But he just stared helplessly at the ceiling, hating himself for still knowing this person so well and still being saddened by the possibility of his death.
Xu Fu leaned close to Fujimaru Ritsuka's ear and whispered, "These two will definitely not listen to that dark-skinned guy." She yawned, "Haa, Master, think of a way to get them to the point quickly, finish this quickly, and go back to sleep."
Fujimaru Ritsuka blinked and asked Xu Fu how he came to this conclusion. Xu Fu glanced at her as if she were an idiot and asked her what she would do if the people of Chaldea were in danger.
"Of course, I'm going to save people..." Ritsuka glanced at Batman, their eyes meeting briefly in mid-air. She was certain his peripheral vision lingered on Jason, but nothing more.
Batman didn't question Jason's identity further, instead treating him as a member of Chaldea. He certainly didn't believe Jason's identity as a Servant, but for him, the safety of Gotham was paramount.
"Very good, very good. Now it's our turn to speak, isn't it?" Holmes smirked. He didn't wait for Batman's reply; he knew he would get the answer he wanted.
Fujimaru Ritsuka glanced at Holmes and realized that although he hadn't run into Atalanta, he had still gained quite a lot.
"We've found the identity and file of the woman who possesses the Holy Grail," Holmes said.
Mary Colson came from a well-off family and had excellent grades. After being admitted to a prestigious university to study mathematics, she received a scholarship. Eventually, she settled in Gotham with her husband and became a teacher at a private elementary school.
"It's a perfectly normal life," Fujimaru Ritsuka said, resting her chin on her hand. "Did something happen after that?"
Holmes nodded and continued.
Mary's husband, a journalist, was murdered for attempting to expose Black Mask, and their two children were also killed as a result. Only she, who was away on an academic exchange at the time, escaped.
Batman frowned: "Black Mask's men won't let her go once she's back in Gotham." He suddenly realized the key to the matter: "Who is it?"
Who saved her?
Or rather, who is manipulating her life behind the scenes?
"Haha, why don't you ask this gentleman?" Holmes chuckled, his icy gaze sweeping over the bound bartender with a chilling undertone. "Hiding someone is easy for you, isn't it?"
The bartender smiled, showing no sign of tension. He gently countered, "Was it surveillance footage? You've recovered the records I fabricated?"
Holmes twirled his pipe and then said, "Given the serious consequences of my past habit of concealing my reasoning process, and especially since this matter involves that guy—who would share unverified speculations beforehand..."
Just as Fujimaru Ritsuka was listening intently, a shadow suddenly fell over her head. Looking up, she saw the overly familiar Dick leaning close to her and whispering, "What Mr. Holmes was talking about regarding the influence...?"
Batman glanced over with a cold look, but it did nothing to diminish Dick's enthusiasm for exploring Holmes's experiences, especially those that had given Holmes a hard time.
Fujimaru Ritsuka raised one eyebrow, and Dick's blue eyes were filled with curiosity, just like a fanboy who wanted to know everything about his idol.
As expected of Sherlock Holmes, she could only wonder once again how many of those present were actually his admirers.
“It had a significant impact, but if we’re talking about the most serious one…” Fujimaru Ritsuka blinked and recalled, “It was probably when the Earth was almost destroyed by an explosion. That situation was really quite dangerous.”
In the Norse Lostbelt, Holmes didn't reveal his speculation about Surtr in time, which caused Chaldea considerable trouble.
Nightwing: "...?!"
He choked on his tea, and the tickling sensation in his throat made him belatedly realize what she had said.
His curious blue eyes were wide and round; if he hadn't received so many years of good training, he thought he probably would have slid right off the sofa.
Jason was also curious. After overhearing this conversation, he pretended not to care, then slowly put down his teacup, his face contorted. He didn't want to repeat Dick's mistake of choking on water in fright.
He suddenly understood how Fujimaru Ritsuka had been labeled a savior; her experience in dealing with world-ending crises was simply too extensive. The number of major crises that Holmes had casually mentioned as jokes was countless.
What's more, Ritsuka and Holmes spoke these words in a relaxed tone, calmly laughing as they uttered them. It's unbelievable; it makes one seriously wonder if their mental state is fast-forwarded to Arkham.
After a while, Dick finally found his tongue, which had been tumbling out of shock, and said cautiously, "...Haha, that really should be improved, haha."
So the destruction of the world is so easy to talk about? That Earth must be even more plagued by disasters than ours, right?
He was too embarrassed to ask any more questions, so he moved back to his seat and listened attentively to Holmes's next words, remaining silent in the face of Batman's questioning gaze.
Holmes looked sharply at the bartender and said, "You've been looking for a suitable person for a certain purpose, until you met Mary Colson."
First, she anonymously delivered the Holy Grail, then guided her husband to obtain evidence of Black Mask's crimes, and then leaked this information to Black Mask.
Thus, the bartender completed the first step of his plan, severing most of Mary Colson's social connections and also making her desire to make a wish upon the Holy Grail.
"Very clever, no wonder you're the lady's daughter's companion." The bartender didn't deny it, and even smiled more brightly, as if he had received affirmation.
He leaned back slightly, his tone tinged with regret, "There's nothing I can do. My master doesn't allow me to make wishes. I can only train someone who is easy to manipulate."
His gaze inadvertently drifted towards Batman.
"Actually, she wasn't my first choice, but some people are too determined and cold-blooded. I don't have the ability of the Joker, so I had to find someone else."
Jason clicked his tongue, realizing he'd been too lenient with the ties. He could probably guess what the guy was planning… ha, no different from the Joker.
Batman's cold gaze suddenly fell on the bartender, who casually looked back up, a playful look in his eyes.
He protected her from being found by Black Mask, but he also repeatedly used others to kill her two children, all to make her believe that Gotham was beyond redemption.
Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly stood up. "Let her use the Holy Grail and the power of Servants to eliminate the person you want to get rid of, to achieve your goal? Or... the professor's goal?!"
"Hahahaha, that's my wish." He lowered his eyes, concealing the darkness within them. "The gentleman only gave me a brilliant suggestion, how could he care about such things?"
Damn it, if Moriarty really didn't care, why would he give you advice! Fujimaru Ritsuka thought to himself, he's the kind of person who won't do anything without a reason!
Nightwing couldn't help but ask, "What about Mary Colson herself? Did she just become your victim like that?"
Having endured the pain of losing children multiple times, even if everything returns to normal, can she truly return to a normal life? It's impossible.
The bartender tilted his head. "Does that matter?"
His eyes gleamed with a light so familiar to Fujimaru Ritsuka—a light that was both mad and ruthless. He felt no remorse for manipulating other people's lives—as long as the pawns were useful, what did that matter?
Completely ignoring Nightwing's furious state, the bartender's fox-like eyes were fixed on Fujimaru Ritsuka, his gentle voice filled with confidence and seduction.
"Gotham is beyond saving. Only by letting the calm waters surge with giant waves, washing away all the decay and antiquity, can a completely new world be created..."
Fujimaru Ritsuka interrupted sharply, "No matter what kind of sweet talk the professor gave you, all that will be left after the giant wave is ruins!"
Another person exploited by the professor's ambition and desires, becoming a pawn in his game. A completely new Gotham? Haha, it's more like a completely new distribution of benefits.
Holmes glanced coldly at the bartender who had uttered such outrageous words, and from the bartender's words, he realized that Moriarty did not really intend to toy with Gotham.
This professor practically orchestrated this crime himself; he must have had a larger purpose. Destruction, rebirth… new possibilities?
The thing that could dispel Xu Fu's formation couldn't have been made by him alone; he must have had accomplices.
How lively Chaldea is!
"Jason, Mr. Holmes, how did you tie him up?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked suddenly after calming down.
"Actually, it didn't take much effort. This guy was too confident and didn't have time to escape," Jason replied dismissively.
Is it really that easy?
Fujimaru Ritsuka and Batman spoke at the same time: "You're stalling for time." They glanced at each other, Ritsuka smiled at Batman, and Batman looked away.
“For Gotham, Mary Coson needs to get rid of Batman and the supervillains who are causing trouble,” Fujimaru Ritsuka said. “Now that Atalanta has run into a wall here, their options are limited.”
“You mean… Arkham?!” Robin raised an eyebrow and immediately contacted the person currently monitoring Arkham.
"The situation in Arkham is very calm here," Oracle said through her earpiece, checking the surveillance footage. But she wasn't entirely sure; who knew if those people in Arkham had done something to make everything appear normal on the monitor?
So, just in case, Fujimaru Ritsuka and his companions decided to go to Arkham Asylum to take a look. Their choice of who to go sparked considerable controversy, with Batman giving Jason and Fujimaru Ritsuka a disapproving look.
One is probably the Joker's enemy, and the other looks too young and hasn't had much contact with Arkham. Normally, neither of them should or could have contact with Arkham.
—But considering their fighting prowess, he had no choice but to bring them along without Superman, as he wasn't sure if he could subdue Atalanta.
Therefore, the only thing he can do now is to leave Nightwing and Robin behind.
Nightwing and Robin: "...?"
They really wanted to join in... no, to save Gotham! They were the ones who got here first!
B is immoral!
But no one could sway Batman's decision. He left Nightwing and Robin in the Batcave and took the rest of the crew to Arkham.
The damp, cold fog of the winter night carried a chill, and the closer Fujimaru Ritsuka got to Arkham, the colder she felt. In the pitch black, only the sound of patrolling police cars could be heard.
Holmes, carrying Ritsuka, arrived at Arkham, where the prison stood silently. They nimbly scaled the backyard wall, arriving even faster than Batman in his Batmobile.
Fujimaru Ritsuka patted Holmes, telling him to put her down, "Xu Fu is going to blame me for leaving her all alone between that father and son."
With a light laugh, Holmes put Ritsuka down. "Someone has to be left to protect them, and I'm not good at that kind of thing." He looked around the prison.
It's too quiet.
Even if a prison is for mentally ill people, there should still be guards patrolling daily, even if there are no troublesome prisoners.
Suddenly, Holmeston stopped in his tracks. Fujimaru Ritsuka turned around, saw his expression, and her own became serious. "What did you find?"
“Miss Ritsuka,” Holmes said, “we may be too late.”
"It smells bloody."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's pupils contracted slightly, but there was no time for hesitation. Shock and regret were futile in the face of this sudden turn of events.
She ran toward the prison gate.
A clown covered in paint walked out of the prison gate.
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