Gordon’s consciousness finally returned to his body. He could feel the light, the warmth from the firepce.

  But inside, it was like the heart of winter—everything frozen, no sunlight, no hope.

  Falcone gently patted his shoulder, like a father comforting a son. "Gordon, my good Gordon, it’s all over now. Everything will be okay... You've lost two wives, your child, all for this city. You’re just... tired."

  "Tired... yeah, I’m tired..." Gordon’s head dropped, his voice a faint, trembling whisper.

  "No, Gordon, it's not time for you to rest. The new Gotham hasn’t been built yet. You can’t rest now. Only you can save it. You promised me."

  Falcone pulled him into a tight embrace, the frail old man nearly lifting him off the couch.

  Gordon stared bnkly at Falcone, his mind in a haze. He couldn’t remember what he had promised, his thoughts like a pot of boiling water, all jumbled up, disconnected.

  "I... yeah, I promised you..." His voice was distant, unsure.

  "Yes, you promised. A better Gotham, a Gotham where everyone can live in happiness. This is our city. We both want it to be better."

  "Children... my child..." Gordon clutched his head, the pain unbearable.

  Falcone once again comforted him, patting his back gently. "It’s all over, Gordon. It’s all over. You’ll have a new wife. When the new Gotham is rebuilt, I’ll officiate your wedding with Sofia. Then, I’ll hand over the Falcone family to you. I’ll leave amid appuse... You’ll have new children, a new city, and you’ll live happily."

  He gnced over at Sofia, his eyes filled with expectation, as if asking for her approval.

  "Yes, Father. Everything is as you say," she replied with a perfect, pstic smile, her voice sweet and obedient, just like she always had been.

  "Come now, Gordon, kiss my ring and accept my promise. From this moment on, we’re family. For a better Gotham!" Falcone smiled, extending his right hand, the gold ring on his finger intricately engraved with the Falcone family crest—a rose.

  But Gordon, still dazed, turned his head away, refusing to look at the ring. Just like he had over a decade ago.

  Outside the Indian Mountain, Su Ming and the others had been waiting by the TV station’s broadcast van for an hour. It was well past four, and the only sound around them was the wind and the rain.

  Endless rain poured down from the sky, twisted into sheets by the fierce wind, finding its way into their van through every small crack, stealing away the warmth from their bodies.

  The inside of the van was pitch bck. He and Cindy sat in the darkened driver’s cabin, each holding a bottle of beer they had grabbed from the corner store, keeping watch over the area.

  Earlier, in the small convenience store, Su Ming had told Cindy everything about the multiverse. He expined the mastermind’s pn, throwing out his own theories. He had shared all the information he could because, in this world, Cindy was the only person he trusted. Before he left, he wanted to ensure she had enough intel to survive.

  He didn’t know if he was making the right call, or if it would lead to any disastrous consequences. But he had done what any partner would do.

  Even though they had only known each other for six hours, it felt like they had been working together for years. In truth, Su Ming had only been in this world for six and a half hours—six hours that had essentially been his entire life here.

  In those six hours, he’d gone through things he never imagined, made changes he never expected. He had become inseparable from the world that had created all of this.

  Cindy’s reaction had been remarkably calm when she heard about the pns of the mastermind. It was like she had just received another piece of intelligence. After Su Ming finished speaking, she had simply said, "Oh," before falling silent, lost in her own thoughts.

  They had returned to the van in silence, driven here, and parked in the shadows to wait.

  In the distance, the scrapyard glowed with small fires, lit by homeless people sheltering in broken cars from the rain. Some of the fires were snuffed out by the downpour, and occasional shouting or crying echoed through the air.

  Such weather wasn’t ideal for small animals, but Su Ming was certain he saw rats scurrying in and out of the wrecked cars. They were likely moving their stored food to higher ground, preparing for the flood.

  The wind shifted slightly, the rain began to hit from another direction, but still, their target had not arrived.

  "Damn it, has the Shadowdancer’s crew been hit by a fsh flood or something? Why the hell are they still not here?" Cindy slumped against the steering wheel, her body stiff from waiting.

  "Something’s off," Su Ming muttered, staring into the dark horizon. "Batgirl’s surveilnce system still hasn’t spotted any ninjas entering Gotham. Something went wrong."

  He looked toward the direction of the underground b, hoping it was in the same spot as in the TV show.

  Barbara was still connected to the Batcomputer, her screen flickering with data. No members of the Shadowdancer organization had been identified.

  "What should we do?" Cindy turned to look at him.

  Su Ming thought for a moment. A possibility clicked into pce. "What if the Shadowdancers have a different pn?"

  Cindy had only spotted footprints from ninja footwear on the rooftop. The Shadowdancer’s scouts had likely never descended to check the bodies below.

  They only needed to know their people had died. They didn’t care to investigate the details like Su Ming and the others did.

  After all, Gotham was to bme. With Batgirl out of town, why not destroy Gotham? Wouldn’t that avenge their fallen?

  Maybe, right now, Ra’s al Ghul was rallying forces in Nanda Parbat. The alliance members would need time to assemble from all over the world.

  Once the Shadowdancers returned, they would likely unch their grand scheme to destroy Gotham. Who cares who killed them? It’s too much of a hassle to figure out. Everyone would just bme Gotham.

  A few nuclear bombs in the city, and every gang and civilian would be sent to the sky. Revenge for their fallen comrades would be complete. Ra’s al Ghul’s long-held desire would be fulfilled.

  Two birds with one stone.

  "We go in. No waiting," Su Ming decred, donning his helmet and locking it in pce, checking his weapons.

  "Are you sure? We still don’t know where the Romans pn to confront them," Cindy said with a smirk, but her hands were already moving swiftly, preparing for the fight.

  Su Ming gnced at her, then at the others in the van, and hopped out.

  "I only know one thing," he said, his voice grim. "The longer we wait, the closer the danger gets."

  What he meant was the looming war between the Amazons and Atntis... and the assassination that could come from it. They didn’t have time to waste. They needed to save Gordon, and fast—before they lost the chance to find Batman.