"Is that so?"
After listening to Victor's report, Carmine Falcone narrowed his eyes. His cloudy gaze sharpened as he silently considered every detail.
A moment later, he chuckled.
"No experience, you say? In any profession, people like that are nothing more than amateurs."
"And yet those amateurs executed a nearly flawless bank robbery on their very first attempt."
He leaned back thoughtfully.
"Once they successfully completed the robbery, they had already outperformed ninety-five percent of the criminals who specialize in bank heists."
"Then, immediately afterward, every one of them died."
Neatly.
Carmine set down the watering can, interest flickering across his face.
Walking to a nearby sofa, he sat down calmly, resting both hands on his knees.
"Victor, what kind of person recruits a group of complete novices for a job like this?"
"Someone overflowing with confidence."
"The mastermind behind this operation was absolutely certain that inexperienced people could execute his plan successfully."
He lightly tapped his thigh with one finger.
"Now ask yourself another question."
"What kind of person willingly throws away the results of a perfectly executed plan?"
"Someone with ambitions far greater than money."
Confidence filled Carmine's expression.
"We don't know who this person is."
"Or perhaps... this group."
"But we don't need to."
"We don't have to rush."
"He'll reveal himself."
He gestured toward the tablet Victor had brought.
"What do you see?"
"Dark alleys."
"Scattered bodies."
"Money covering the streets."
Victor nodded.
"That's exactly what I see."
Carmine smiled faintly.
"I see a stage."
"Gotham has always been a theater for madmen."
"You and I were once actors on that stage."
"We still are."
"So whoever orchestrated this is no different from us."
His eyes gradually grew colder.
"I believe he'll strike again."
"Maybe tonight."
"Maybe tomorrow night."
"Before Gotham has time to forget what happened this morning, he'll make sure everyone remembers."
He smiled.
"Another performer has stepped onto Gotham's stage."
Carmine handed the tablet back.
Victor accepted it, closed the screen, and nodded.
"Your instincts haven't dulled at all."
"This reminds me of the old days."
Carmine shook his head.
"Don't dwell on the past."
"This city no longer belongs to me."
"I belong to Gotham."
He smiled quietly.
"Gothamites always dream about escaping this insane city."
"But true Gothamites always come back."
"They return exactly when Gotham needs them."
"Axel, Bruce, and Lex's younger generation are busy looking toward a brighter future."
"So during the day..."
"We old Gothamites will keep watch over the city."
"Fortunately, Axel hasn't forgotten who he is."
"Gotham's nights still belong to its new king."
He stood.
"Come with me."
"We're going to the manor."
"Even if Axel doesn't wake up until later, he deserves to know someone new has challenged his authority."
With that, Carmine and Victor drove to Wayne Manor.
By the time they arrived, almost everyone was still asleep.
Only Bruce and Lex remained inside the laboratory, tirelessly overseeing production.
Tony stood nearby, surrounded by twenty-six intelligent combat suits undergoing final calibration.
After watching the machines complete another diagnostic cycle, Tony rubbed his tired eyes.
"This is much faster than I expected."
He looked around the laboratory with admiration.
"So this is what happens when Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp work together."
"The research capabilities here are incredible."
"You two were being far too modest."
"Your technological foundation isn't much weaker than Stark Industries'."
"Honestly, other than JARVIS, I don't have much that's better."
Bruce never looked up.
"Less talking."
"More working."
Tony laughed.
"Yep."
"That's Batman."
"No wonder nobody invites you anywhere in your universe."
"You know, that's practically a running joke in the comics."
"Whenever a major event ends and everyone celebrates together..."
"You're always the one left out."
"Maybe you don't enjoy parties."
"But choosing not to go and never being invited aren't the same thing."
Tony smirked.
"You can be pretty irritating sometimes."
"Especially when you refuse to joke around."
After complaining, Tony closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
An entire night without sleep had left him exhausted.
Years ago, exhaustion had never bothered him.
Back then, he was the famous billionaire playboy.
Even after spending all day inside a laboratory, he still had energy every evening.
Now...
His beard was already streaked with gray.
The kidnapping in Afghanistan had changed him completely.
He still remembered the crushing exhaustion inside that cave.
He remembered how the first thing he wanted after escaping was a greasy hamburger.
Ever since then, he had hated feeling powerless.
Yet somehow...
He had chosen an even harder path.
He wanted recognition.
He wanted the admiration of New York.
Of the entire world.
Even if people never loved him, that desire continued driving him forward.
Who told him to become a hero instead of enjoying his wealth?
Maybe Playboy's cover models had stopped impressing him.
Maybe he'd already dated enough actresses.
Whatever the reason, he'd chosen this road.
Smiling bitterly at himself, Tony returned to work.
There could never be enough combat suits.
Every additional suit completed today might secure another battlefield during the coming war against Hydra.
Watching Tony continue despite obvious exhaustion, Lex picked up a syringe from a nearby table and tossed it toward him.
"Use this."
"It's a modified version."
"It keeps you alert while replenishing nutrients."
Tony caught it without hesitation.
"You think I need stimulants?"
"My body may not be as tough as Batman's, but I'm still Iron Man."
"I've boxed for years."
"You keep those for yourself."
Lex chuckled.
"Suit yourself."
He picked up another syringe and injected himself without hesitation.
Almost instantly, the fatigue left his face and his eyes brightened.
Just then, the laboratory door slowly opened.
Even though several rooms separated them, the three men immediately looked through the glass.
Victor Zsasz stood in the doorway, grinning.
"You three are always awake before everyone else."
He glanced toward Tony.
"Hm?"
"So there's another guest."
"Did you recruit him yesterday?"
"For now, we're only cooperating."
Lex answered before turning his attention toward the elderly man standing behind Victor.
After studying him briefly, Lex looked at Bruce.
"Bruce."
"That's Carmine Falcone, isn't it?"
"It is."
Bruce confirmed it without looking up.
Carmine and Victor passed through the connecting rooms before finally entering the combat suit assembly area.
Watching the armored suits smoothly complete various movement tests, Carmine sighed.
"Time really flies."
"Just a month ago, I thought my stockpile of nuclear weapons was enough to flip the board if everything went wrong."
"Now I'm still thinking about nuclear weapons and RPGs..."
"...while you people are mass-producing powered armor."
His expression became increasingly nostalgic.
"If I'd had machines like these back then..."
"I might have dealt with the Court of Owls myself."
Tony shook his head.
"You couldn't have."
"Axel already did."
"So there's no point wondering."
He looked directly at Carmine.
"You didn't come here just to chat."
"So what's your real reason?"
"As long as you're not asking me for Iron Man armor, I'm happy to keep talking."
"We still don't have enough suits."
"There aren't any extras for the Dead Souls Gang."
Carmine laughed.
"I understand."
"Honestly, I had no idea you were producing them before I arrived."
"But hearing that makes me happy."
"It means once production exceeds demand, the Dead Souls Gang might eventually receive armored support."
He smiled while stepping closer to one of the suits.
"The future really is wonderful."
"I wonder if wearing one of these would make an old man feel young again."
He gently placed a hand against the armor's cold metal chest.
For a brief moment...
He truly felt years younger.
Bruce finally looked at him.
"You still haven't told us why you're here."
"I know."
Carmine smiled.
"I came to see Axel."
"But he's obviously still asleep."
"And even if he's sharing a bed with my daughter, I'm not about to drag him out."
He shrugged.
"I arrived too early."
"Other than the servants, only you three are awake."
"So I wandered down here."
He grinned.
"At my age, flirting with the maids isn't really appropriate anymore."
Bruce's expression never changed.
"Get to the point."
Carmine nodded.
He and Victor found two stools and sat down.
Then Carmine spoke quietly.
"Gotham has a new surprise."
"A group has appeared."
"They're trying to challenge the city's new king."
"I know they're insignificant."
"They're only worthy of competing with someone like me."
"They're not important enough to interrupt Axel's peace."
"But this is still Axel's city."
"So he deserves to know."
As he finished speaking, Carmine looked out the laboratory window.
Across the enormous grounds lay Axel's residence.
He had found his daughter someone worthy of protecting her.
Watching that distant building, Bruce quietly asked,
"So crime has returned."
"Do you know who's behind it?"
Carmine shook his head.
"I don't."
"And I don't need to."
"I've never met this person."
"But I've already seen his personality."
"He's a true performer."
"I can smell it."
He smiled.
"And I welcome the challenge."
Just then, a phone vibrated nearby.
Bruce picked it up.
The caller was Commissioner Gordon.
"Bruce."
"I'm glad you're awake."
Bruce answered calmly.
"I'm glad you called."
Gordon sighed.
"You're celebrating too early."
Standing over another crime scene, Gordon held the phone in one hand while the other rested on a card lying across a victim's chest.
"I lost two officers today."
"They'd only recently graduated from the academy."
"I replaced many of Gotham's old officers with younger recruits."
"They still believed in justice."
"They still believed they could change this city."
"Now two of them are dead."
Gordon slowly lifted the bloodstained playing card into the morning sunlight.
It was a Joker card.
Blood dripped from its edges.
For a brief moment, Gordon almost imagined the Joker's twisted grin staring back at him.
He inhaled deeply.
"You already know about last night's bank robbery."
"We've uncovered something new."
"Besides the homeless man who died fighting over the cash..."
"Two of the six robbers had Joker playing cards tattooed on their shoulders and necks."
"My officers tracked down their associates and searched the robbers' homes."
His voice grew heavier.
"The result..."
"Two more dead officers."
"I suspect there are more bodies across Gotham."
"And every murdered officer has one of these Joker cards placed on their chest."
Bruce's eyes narrowed.
"I understand."
His voice became firm.
"Tell everyone to stop investigating."
"I know who's responsible."
"This isn't an ordinary criminal."
"I'll wake Axel."
"I just hope it doesn't ruin his mood this morning."
Bruce ended the call and looked toward the others.
"You all heard that?"
Tony rubbed his exhausted face.
"Yeah."
"The Joker."
"He couldn't have picked a worse time."
He let out a long breath.
"That's your greatest enemy."
"You've got a serious problem."
Lex frowned.
"I read about him yesterday."
"And today he suddenly appears in Gotham."
He slowly shook his head.
"Something feels wrong."
"The Joker has always obsessed over Bruce."
"And sometimes Clark."
"But Axel is here now."
"So..."
Lex narrowed his eyes.
"Why would the Joker dare make a move?"