The dock shootout at the port made the newspapers the very next day.
Gunfights in Gotham weren't news.
But an entire container full of kidnapped homeless children sounded slightly interesting.
And if it happened to coincide with Mayor James' ongoing "Help for the Homeless" project, it was undoubtedly front-page material!
"Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor! What is your opinion on the mass kidnapping of street children?"
"Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor! Are the criminals who kidnapped the children employees of your charity program?"
"Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor! Why are there so many children living on the streets? Have our welfare institutions already lost their function?"
"Mr. Mayor…"
Fucking idiots. These goddamn reporters who deserve to be chopped up and fed to dogs—normally you never see them caring about those kids.
Mayor James' heart was galloping with alpacas, but his face still had to maintain the politician's smile expected by the public.
"First, let me correct one point. They were not 'homeless children' but adolescents. After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, other kind-hearted people joined the charity relief program. Gotham's charitable welfare institutions have continued to operate normally. As mayor, I have always closely monitored the physical and mental growth of these children. As for how they will live independently after leaving the welfare institutions when they grow up, that is another social issue that needs to be addressed. My staff and I are studying strategies and hope to find a perfect solution…"
"However, this kidnapping case has sounded an alarm for us. The problem of street adolescents urgently needs to be solved. They have fallen onto the streets, lonely and unprotected. If we do not provide timely assistance, this kind of tragedy will keep repeating! Face reality, my friends—this is the real sin. How do we protect these children? Yesterday I already contacted the Youth Protection Agency and the Gotham City Police Department and launched a humanitarian care plan that will send all street children into the warm embrace of the Youth Protection Agency…"
Mayor James' sincere and heartfelt speech moved everyone present. The applause lasted for a long time.
"So, Mr. Mayor, where exactly did you send those children?"
After sending the reporters away and closing the door, Officer Gordon asked bluntly.
"The healthy and cute ones were sent to foster families. The rest were sent north to the Alpine Juvenile Detention Center."
"In other words, prison?"
Mayor James slumped on the sofa, took the whiskey handed over by the police chief, and frowned at Gordon.
"Forgive me, sir." Bullock interrupted. "Gordon is our new hot-blooded rookie here!"
"No, no, no. It's fine." The mayor took a sip of whiskey and spread his hands. "Jim, may I call you Jim? Let me tell you, half of the minor crimes in this city are caused by these street youths. They need discipline. They need care. This is for the greater good of Gotham and for the sake of these children. Do you understand?"
Looking at the expression on Gordon's face, the mayor patted his shoulder. "Young man, I know what you're thinking—procedures, law, justice, freedom, or something like that? I understand. I was young once too. But you need to face reality. Reality isn't a comic book where beating the bad guys saves the world. You're already an adult. You need to learn to mature."
Gwen was very mature. She had been in police stations, been in prison, been a superhero and been wanted, crossed the multiverse to beat up aliens, and once colluded with the villains of Hell's Kitchen. She had seen hundreds of battles, accumulated rich experience, and learned to keep a low profile while acting high-key.
Last night she had personally let that dog man and woman go, leaving a tracking mark on them. Today after rehearsing the music at school, when she rushed over she unsurprisingly found their trail. They had disguised themselves as staff from the juvenile detention center and mixed into the school bus picking up the homeless youths.
They had hijacked a school bus. Truly lawless!
Even more coincidentally, Little Meow had also been caught and stuffed onto this bus.
Some kids realized something was wrong and started making noise. Patty pulled out a gun and shouted, "Quiet! Shut the fuck up! Sit still!"
The bus finally fell silent. Patty breathed a sigh of relief. She had already botched one job. If she didn't make up for it quickly, that foreign buyer wasn't someone who could be reasoned with. She didn't care what happened to the kids, but she didn't want to end up in the same situation.
When Patty came back to her senses, she noticed the children's eyes had shifted from her face to behind her.
Her pupils shrank. She instantly spun around and raised her gun, only to get her face covered in webbing. The gun in her hand was snatched away and she was kicked to the back of the bus.
A black spider crawled out from under her collar and, unnoticed, quickly scurried to Gwen's feet and merged into her suit.
Gwen turned the gun and pressed the muzzle against Doug's temple. "Are you a good, obedient boy?"
Doug trembled, sweating profusely. "Of course, ma'am. What are your orders?"
"Turn around and go back to Alpine Juvenile Detention Center."
"Yes, ma'am."
"No—!" Little Meow, who had just been through a rollercoaster of extreme fear and surprise, stood up and screamed. "Spider! Didn't you come to save me?"
"Uh…" Gwen tilted her head and pondered.
"I remember I promised to save your friends. I already did that. You weren't included, right?"
"Then let me go!"
"Why should I?"
"???" Question marks filled Little Meow's forehead.
"Aren't you a superhero?"
"Aren't superheroes supposed to send you little bastards to juvenile detention?"
Little Meow was stunned.
"I didn't commit any crime! Why are you arresting me?"
"Stop messing around. I personally saw you steal someone's wallet."
"Impossible. When?"
"Last time when we were drinking milk together. I personally watched you throw the wallet into the sewer."
Little Meow was furious. "You only saw me throw it! You didn't see me steal it!"
"Do I look like a judge to you?"
Little Meow finally exploded with rage.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" Gwen shook the gun in her hand. "I am Ghost-Spider. From now on you must listen to me. Any objections?"
The entire bus fell silent.
"Anyone with objections can step forward. I'll send you off the bus."
No one moved. Even Little Meow puffed out her cheeks and stayed still, glaring fiercely like she wanted to bite someone.
"Very good. Our next mission is—" Gwen raised her hand and pointed forward. "Occupy Alpine Juvenile Detention Center!"