Kapitel 112: Second Assault on Arkham (Final Part)
The best outcome would be to lure Bane onto the path of the major crime families and let them fight amongst themselves. But no one was foolish enough to try that; these influential families had surface-to-air missiles, and the pilots weren't willing to get too close.
Just as she prepared to retreat, Barbara ran over with a flushed face. "Why are we retreating?" she asked. Indeed, today's battle has been significant. Conservatively estimating, they had permanently eliminated at least a third of Gotham's criminal underworld.
At this moment, Barbara was holding someone in her hand. "Look who I caught! Scarecrow! Haha."
The former Professor Crane was currently unconscious, with a gunshot wound in his left shoulder bleeding profusely.
As for Barbara's question, seeing her so happy, Thea didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm. She could only say in a low voice, "We're running low on ammunition."
Barbara's face turned pale in an instant. If they ran out of ammunition, wouldn't they end up like the group that they fought against? She turned to look at her father for confirmation and then hurriedly asked Thea, "What should we do then?"
"Don't worry, this area is vast. I've already sent Selina to scout a path. She knows the area well, so we'll take a detour and head back," Thea said. She knew that her command of the Arkham assault should end here. The next time they came, Bruce would be the one to lead the team again, which made her feel slightly regretful.
Looking at the Scarecrow being carried away, she inquired about the results of the battle. She learned that the Talon duo had already fled, the Penguin's whereabouts were unknown, and Professor Pyg, due to his large size, was mistaken for an enhanced person and killed on the spot.
The Talon's escape was good news for her. As for the Penguin, even if he survived, Talia would hold him accountable. Though they hadn't managed to destroy Arkham in the end, the enemy's active forces had been basically eliminated. At least their efforts were not in vain.
She ordered the main force to follow Selina, who had returned from scouting, and take a detour around 7th Street and Willow Street back to the base camp.
Before leaving, Thea also instructed Brigit, who had maxed out her talent for arson, to set up incendiary devices. On the one hand, this would block any pursuit from the enemy, and on the other hand, she wanted to burn down this troublesome Arkham.
The retreat went smoothly. The major crime families only acted out of self-interest for the Court of Owls and did not really want to clash head-on with them. Both sides tacitly returned to their respective territories.
Once back at the base camp, there were no more issues—at least none for Thea. She was in no hurry to activate the tracker, as the Court of Owls had not reached a desperate situation yet, so she needed to wait a bit longer.
During dinner, everyone gathered together to discuss their next steps. This time, Thea had gradually reduced her involvement in the discussion and delegated most of the work to Bruce. The two of them silently understood this role reversal.
At that moment, a police officer approached Gordon and whispered something in his ear.
"I'll handle it. I'll be back in a moment," the old commissioner said as he walked out.
But before he could leave the room, a sharp voice outside shouted at the top of his lungs, "Jim, old friend, you have to help me! Quick, arrest me! Get me arrested quickly."
It seemed like this person was being restrained by several people, but he continued to shout hoarsely.
Someone coming to surrender voluntarily? This was really rare. But there was no need to guess; the only one who could be considered Gordon's "old friend" was the ill-fated Penguin.
"Take him to the interrogation room for questioning," Bruce, who had taken over as the head of the team, said to the old commissioner. They couldn't let him barge in; none of them were wearing masks at the moment. It was inconsequential for Dick and the others, but Thea and Bruce were public figures whose identities must not be revealed.
The group lost their appetite for food and decided to go see the former underground emperor of Gotham.
The Penguin in the interrogation room could only be described as miserable. His dishevelled hair made him look like a ghoul, and his previously lame leg was now completely necrotic. His loyal henchmen had supported him all the way here.
He likely knew that the group was watching him on the monitors, so he pleaded towards the surveillance camera, bitterly denouncing his own evil deeds, implying that they must arrest him immediately.
"What should we do with this guy?" Commissioner Gordon asked. Clearly, he was afraid of death, using surrender as an excuse to avoid further trouble. Anyone with an above-average IQ could understand this, but they couldn't just kick him out due to their identities.
At the same time, Commissioner Gordon's gaze involuntarily shifted toward Sylvia, seeking her opinion. He didn't understand how their "League" sought vengeance for blood feuds. Considering the elaborate ceremony, would arresting the Penguin trigger a chain reaction? Was it necessary to sacrifice numerous officers for one major criminal?
It was a bit of an overstatement to say that Thea had dug her own grave, but at least she had dug half of it. She couldn't say that everything was just an act during the day; her connection with the League couldn't be exposed. The only way was to maintain her mystery. After weighing her options, she decided not to speak and shifted the responsibility elsewhere.
"Let Uncle Bruce decide." With this light remark, she turned and left the surveillance room.
At this moment, Bruce could only be described as caught between a rock and a hard place. With his intelligence, he could see that Thea did not care, and Talia was the only one who could scare the Penguin into this pitiful state. But the contradiction lay here: he currently had no desire to see Talia, yet he did not want to let the criminal go either.
He thought about returning to bed, pretending to be sick for a few more days, and passing the buck to Thea, but Thea had already left. After careful consideration, his principle won out in the end. "Lock him up," he said.
"Hmph." Selina understood some of his thought process and thought he still wanted to see his old lover. Feeling a little jealous, she slammed the door and walked out.
Bruce, feeling misunderstood, stepped outside to catch some fresh air.
Unexpectedly, he saw Thea sitting on a tree, gazing into the distance.
It was a rare opportunity, and he wanted to have a chat with this clever and witty girl to ascertain her true thoughts.
But climbing trees was something he couldn't do right now; his waist injury was not yet fully healed. He walked up to the tree and asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"
Thea jumped down from the tree. "I'm thinking about my father and my brother," she said, which wasn't a lie. Thea didn't know if she had ruined Oliver's chance, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to bring him back to Starling City and reunite the whole family.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Hopeless_Reader
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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