The moment they stepped out of the holding corridor, Selina's smile vanished.
It didn't fade gradually—it shut off, like a switch flipped in a dark room.
The quiet satisfaction she'd carried seconds ago drained from her posture. Her shoulders dipped. The sharp confidence in her stride softened into something unsteady.
"Miss Kyle?" Alfred moved toward her immediately. "Are you quite alright?"
"I'm fine," she said—but the words lacked weight. "Just… tired."
She reached the wall before her knees fully gave out and slid down slowly until she was sitting on the cold stone floor, back resting against it.
Alfred looked at Lex.
Not panicked.
But searching.
Lex shook his head slightly.
He couldn't tell yet whether this was a pharmacological side effect—dopamine suppression overshooting baseline—or simple emotional whiplash after everything she'd endured.
"Let her rest," he said evenly.
He stretched his arms above his head, joints cracking beneath the armor.
"And I need sleep. Dawn guard shift."
Alfred blinked.
"Sir… you just neutralized the most dangerous man in the city."
"And?" Lex lifted a shoulder. "I still drew rooftop duty."
Wayne Manor didn't have the luxury of excess manpower. Volunteers rotated constantly. Those who weren't injured or on logistics ran perimeter watch.
Lex hadn't signed up as official staff.
Which meant he was unofficially everything.
Batman at night.
Sentry at dawn.
Researcher in between.
He sometimes wondered how Bruce had done it—public socialite by day, vigilante by night, strategist always.
Sleep had to exist somewhere in the schedule.
Or maybe it didn't.
He grabbed three hours.
That was enough.
—
Breakfast was functional.
Not gourmet. Not memorable.
But it filled the space in his stomach without draining system currency.
He wasn't about to waste hard-earned gold coins on luxury food from the internal store.
Those coins had a purpose.
Long-term objective: acquire high-tier artifacts.
He mentally reviewed the absurd price tag of the Infinity Gauntlet listed in the system interface.
A small goal.
Very small.
He picked up an M14 from the defense captain after eating and headed to his assigned post on the rooftop.
Technically, Wayne Manor's surveillance grid rendered human sentries almost redundant. Motion sensors. Thermal imaging. Drone relays. Even small wildlife registered in the system.
But technology detected.
Humans responded.
A warm body with a rifle could fire before a system alert finished blinking red.
The sky was pale when James Gordon returned from Wayne Tower.
Two units stayed behind to secure the building. Another convoy rolled back toward the manor with recovered equipment.
Gordon looked like he hadn't slept.
He probably hadn't.
Dark circles carved beneath his eyes. His collar sat crooked. His face carried the weight of a man holding a collapsing city together with bare hands.
He didn't speak to Lex immediately.
Instead, he went underground.
Straight to the cave.
He verified the rumors personally.
The Joker strapped down.
Silent.
Not laughing.
After that, he found Alfred.
"How did the kid do it?"
"I truly have no idea," Alfred replied.
That made two of them.
—
Lex was summoned before Gordon even washed his face.
The office door shut behind him.
"Chief," Lex said, eyeing the exhaustion etched into the older man's features. "You should rest."
Gordon shook his head and stood.
He extended his hand firmly.
"Sleep can wait."
His grip tightened.
"On behalf of every survivor left in this city… thank you."
Lex blinked.
"For what? Locking up a lunatic and reclaiming a building?"
Gordon let out a tired huff.
"You call that small?"
He stepped back, studying Lex like he was trying to measure something unseen.
"It's more than that."
He leaned against his desk.
"You didn't just capture him. You captured hundreds."
Lex's expression didn't shift.
Gordon continued.
"I've already spoken to many of them. Do you know what they said?"
A pause.
"They're afraid."
He gave a humorless smile.
"Half of them are talking about turning their lives around."
Lex raised an eyebrow slightly beneath the cowl.
All that credit…
Batman.
Not him.
Interesting.
"Of course," Gordon added, "I don't take criminals at their word. I'll investigate properly."
He rubbed his temple.
"But fear of Batman? That's real."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"There's something I don't understand."
Here it comes.
"How did you do it?"
Gordon's voice dropped lower.
"You were outnumbered. There were explosives wired throughout the building."
He stepped closer.
"My officers said something… took them down. Fast. Almost simultaneously."
His gaze locked on Lex.
"What happened?"
Lex shrugged casually.
"Simple."
"They saw Batman."
A beat.
"Their legs gave out."
Gordon stared at him.
Lex continued, deadpan.
"Even the Joker. They dropped to their knees. I tapped them once each."
Silence.
Gordon's jaw tightened.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Lex spread his hands.
"That's what happened."
He tilted his head.
"You want me to invent a better story?"
Gordon exhaled slowly.
He had already gathered testimonies. Strangled unconscious. Nearly at the same time. Something in the dark.
No footage. No witnesses with clarity. Total blackout conditions.
And now Lex standing here, refusing to elaborate.
After a long moment, Gordon shook his head.
"I won't pry."
He meant it.
"Everyone has lines they protect."
He straightened.
"But understand this—I'm not thanking you for theatrics."
His voice steadied.
"You gave people something they haven't had in a long time."
Lex studied him.
"Hope?"
Gordon nodded once.
"Yes."
That word lingered in the room longer than expected.
Hope wasn't tangible.
But it moved people.
And right now, Gotham needed movement.
Gordon took a breath.
"Whatever you're doing—however you're doing it—I won't interfere."
He extended his hand again.
"You have my trust."
Lex shook it.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Actually… I need a favor."
Gordon didn't hesitate.
"If it's within my power, it's done."
"No dramatic vows necessary," Lex replied lightly. "Nothing suicidal."
He leaned slightly forward.
"I want field operations."
Gordon blinked.
"Field?"
"I don't want to sit at the manor playing guard."
He gestured vaguely.
"I need active assignments. Like the first one you gave me."
Missions meant growth.
Experience points.
Skill development.
System advancement.
Stagnation wasn't an option.
Gordon studied him carefully.
"You just took down the most dangerous man in Gotham."
"And?" Lex replied.
"Crime didn't end."
Silence settled between them.
Outside the office window, the broken skyline of Gotham stretched under pale morning light.
Smoke still rose from distant districts.
The city wasn't saved.
It was paused.
Gordon finally nodded.
"There are supply convoys struggling to reach safe zones."
He walked back to his desk and pulled out a folder.
"There are armed groups trying to consolidate territory."
He placed the file down.
"And there are rumors."
His eyes darkened.
"Something new moving in the Narrows."
Lex felt interest spark.
"Details?"
"Scattered reports," Gordon said. "Disappearances. Organized. Efficient."
He looked up.
"You want field work?"
He pushed the folder across the desk.
"Start there."
Lex picked it up.
His system interface flickered faintly at the edge of his vision.
Potential mission detected.
He suppressed the notification without opening it fully.
"Good," he said.
Gordon studied him one last time.
"You're not just doing this for the city, are you?"
Lex paused at the door.
"No."
He didn't elaborate.
Because he didn't need to.
He stepped out into the hallway.
Behind him, Gordon exhaled deeply.
For the first time in days, the Joker wasn't laughing.
For the first time in weeks, criminals were afraid.
And somewhere in Gotham's shadows—
Something new was about to begin.
....
Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then join my pa*treon now.
Link: pa*treon.com/Amelie796 (Remove the *)
Also you can read till chapter 17 chapters for free.