Chapitre 52: Chapter 52
[3rd POV]
"What?!"
Barbara and Jason exclaimed indignantly at the same time.
"That's what you heard."
Dick supported Bruce, "You attacked him. He had no choice but to fight back. Bruce stepped in on emotion to defend you, and a real fight broke out. Barbara and I had to back him up as well. He was alone against four. Four, Jason!"
He raised his voice on the last words.
"And besides, we have no right to blame him for us getting hurt. I don't recall hearing that much anger directed at Killer Frost, Poison Ivy, or anyone else."
"We initially treated him too harshly,"
Bruce added thoughtfully, "He has certain abilities. He's not a metahuman; I've already figured that out, but he's not a magician either. That would have shown through the artifacts I received from Zatanna. He's human but he clearly has some kind of powers. I get the impression that he hasn't used all of them. Moreover, despite our number advantage, he didn't use firearms. However, he could have... He also has a remarkable ability to... replicate himself, and the shots came from nearby buildings... The shooters must have been almost glued to them. It's impossible to get a good grip without special equipment. I specifically chose this place and prepared it for all possible outcomes of our 'conversation.'"
"Does he possess a power that could be a threat to Gotham?"
Sasha spoke up.
"Anything could be a threat to Gotham City, Sasha."
Dick smiled, "But I doubt, very much, that he wants to harm our city."
An awkward silence settled, broken by the "lying knight."
"But what concerns me is how he was able to figure it out. I'm talking about the secret of my identity with only people with genius-level intellect could decipher it without any hints from me. I had suspected before that he wasn't just an ordinary person, but now, I don't even know what to think. What else is he hiding?"
"But we still haven't figured that out."
Jason said, "Because of me."
"You're as responsible for this situation as I am."
Bruce replied.
"I was the first to pressure him too much. He was ready to charge at me at the docks. I was too harsh and disrespectful, not even mentioning that I lost my temper and hit him."
"In that case, Master Bruce."
Pennyworth said, "Mr. Dinklage is the epitome of wisdom and patience. He understood your state and didn't provoke a conflict. But that was only a temporary measure that just postponed the conflict."
"But we didn't learn anything new, and only worsened our relationship, almost parting as enemies."
Barbara added.
"If you're interested in my opinion, I think he never intended to become your enemy."
Sasha spoke next.
"He was the one who called Alfred to pick you up. Also, as you... as you said, Bruce, he didn't intend to kill you. It's more likely that you... irritated him, and that's when the fight broke out. It's more different circumstances piled up on each other, leading to this misunderstanding. Also, if I'm not mistaken, he even said that he's still open to contact, but only when you all have 'cool heads.' Not anytime soon. You haven't recovered from your injuries yet."
After another pause, Alfred poured fresh cups of tea and coffee.
Everyone once again fell into deep thought, reflecting on the unpleasant memories from a week ago.
Sasha, however, observed the reactions of the "victims" attentively.
"It wasn't the attack that hurt him."
Bruce broke the silence, "It was my attitude towards him. Words. Words can wound even more than weapons."
"What do you mean, Bruce?"
Barbara didn't understand his words, "What did you do to upset him?"
"Bruce is right."
Dick Grayson spoke up.
"He's referring to the words Batman said to him near the docks, and how he called him, and how we treated him when he came to the meeting. I was going to tell you all about it after the meeting, but I guess this was my screw-up. Otherwise, we could have avoided all of this. We talked to him like it looked like he owed us something, like he was our subordinate from the outside. However, he's a cop, doing his job properly. In fact, he's doing more than that. He does what we can't..."
"Kill."
Todd muttered darkly.
"Because he has to."
Bruce stood up in defense of the detective, "Neither I nor you have the right to object to the actions of the police. They don't have the protection we do, they don't have the same team coordination we have. They are even more restricted in their actions than we are. However, the fact that they have a gun and use it is usually for self-defense or the protection of citizens. Isaac has killed during his service in both the army and the police. He didn't have a choice but when he did have one, he handled things peacefully. And most importantly, successfully. Just look at Pamela Isley."
"Poison Ivy."
Dick smiled.
"Now she's Pamela Isley now. She left her past behind because of him. He has an amazing way with words and can reach people's minds, and it has its results. Even... the Joker listened to him a few times. It's surprising, but it's a fact. It doesn't make sense to blame him for 'beating' us."
"But we got a lot of questions and didn't get the answers we wanted."
Barbara said, standing up and wincing from the pain in her chest as she walked to the window.
"He talked about the people involved in Gotham's suffering, and yours. What did he mean by that? What could he know that you or we don't?"
"I think, Master Bruce, that we all need to think this over again and figure out what to do about it. But the most important thing right now is not to rush and wait a little while before you talk to the detective again. Here, over a cup of tea or coffee, though I have a feeling we might need something stronger. I haven't met him personally, but I get the impression he's not an enemy, but a friend. There were just some difficulties in understanding each other."
"I agree, Alfred."
Bruce smiled, "And right now, I think my stomach wouldn't mind a snack."
In fact, the rumbling stomachs of the others seemed to say the same.
Alfred nodded and headed toward the kitchen to treat his "children" to something. He was pleased by the shift in Bruce's mood.
Bruce Wayne, a man of broad views and kindness, was quite stubborn. He inherited that from his father.
The fact that he spent a whole week reflecting on the events on the roof of the unfinished building wasn't much.
...
[Isaac's POV]
After a week of working with the students, I leveled up my Talk No Jutsu skill by three levels and gained +3% Mental Resilience.
It was tough, especially with the younger classes with so many questions, so many...
After such a schedule, I had only one more school to attend on Monday, and that was it.
However, when I got home, I sensed that besides Pamela and Harley, there was someone else present.
Entering the living room, I saw a serious Harley and Pamela, and next to them was a short man with glasses and sideburns, the only hair on his head.
"Oh! You must be Detective Isaac Dinklage, right?"
He stood up and approached me to shake my hand, and I responded in kind, "My name is Dr. Hugo Strange. I work at Arkham..."
"So, you're planning to take me in for treatment? I'm not against that. I'm tired of work, especially with this 'work with kids.' So, I'd gladly go with you for some 'treatment.'"
"Ha-ha-ha. You are truly a fascinating person, detective and with a wonderful sense of humor. It's one of the best qualities a person can have, in my humble opinion."
We sat down and began tensing each other up.
Well, the girls were looking at me, I was looking at Strange, and Dr. "Vivisectionist" continued speaking:
"But in a way, you guessed the purpose of my visit. I wanted to ask for your help with our patients."
"So, you're saying you have weak security. However, I think you should address that with the mayor or Commissioner Gordon. I believe it's within their jurisdiction."
"You misunderstood me, detective. The thing is, I am well aware that you possess... a certain gift for persuasion and sensitivity to a person's mental state. And sitting next to you are two examples: Miss Pamela Isley and Harleen Quinzel, my former colleague, who fell under the influence of a very well-known, long-time patient of Arkham Asylum."
Harley frowned but said nothing.
"I'm not expecting results or anything unnatural from you. But if you could at least try, just try, to help the poor patients of Arkham, then perhaps we could find the key to their healing, and you, as a police officer, would have less work and Gotham would be safer."
"Hmm. You've surprised me. I'm not sure what to say."
"Just don't rush to refuse. Take your time. I understand you have your own problems and duties. As for your duties, I can help make them easier by speaking to the commissioner about this matter. I think he will appreciate the idea and won't oppose it. But again, I'm not rushing you. Take your time. I'll leave you alone with your thoughts. I have patients waiting for me. So, goodbye."
He was about to leave but stopped in the doorway and turned around.
"Ah, yes! I almost forgot. You filed a request to visit the Joker? It was approved a week ago. For some reason, the nurse wasn't able to get in touch with you."
Interesting...
They've practically given me official or semi-official permission to dig into the minds of the "residents" of Arkham?
To be continued...
...
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