Bab 88: Chapter 87
Although Kara had managed to let Joker slip through her fingers once more that day, the encounter had shaken her.
Kara could match wits with Bruce Wayne himself, yet she found herself unsettled by Joker's manipulations. Part of her conduct could almost be seen as chaotic, which Joker had taken advantage of to get under her skin. However, Kara had Jennifer in her corner, and Gotham's Chief Justice had acquitted her, deeming her actions lawful. She wasn't guilty in any official sense.
But was she protected by someone powerful?
That same evening, some positive news broke. Amidst the day's chaos—while Kara had been chasing Joker—Harvey had managed to capture one of Joker's henchmen. The reason the news took until the evening to surface was because Harvey had gone to extreme lengths to interrogate the man, even using coercion to get information on Joker. Bruce eventually intervened and put an end to it.
Bruce showed up as Batman and brought troubling news: Joker was not only targeting Harvey but had now set his sights on Rachel as well. Given that Bruce was Batman and Rachel was publicly known as Harvey's girlfriend, Joker wasn't going to spare her.
Bruce himself had been affected by Joker's threats. He confided in Kara, expressing a plan to surrender and reveal his identity as Batman.
"If he insists on making me turn myself in, then I'll give in. I won't let anyone die because of this pointless game," Bruce told Kara over the phone.
This time, since it was still early, Kara decided not to hang up on Bruce as she usually would. She glanced over at Jennifer, who was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, then stepped out onto the balcony and said to Bruce, "Are you sure you're not doing this because of Rachel?"
Bruce fell silent on the other end.
Kara scoffed. "Alright, got it. Do what you want, but don't give away my identity. Joker won't dare expose it without a card up his sleeve, and next time, he won't escape. So don't blow it for both of us."
Kara was cooperating with Joker's game for the moment, knowing he held a threat over her. She had come up with a solution earlier but had been caught off guard and shaken, making it hard to act at the time. Now, however, she was ready to tackle the threat head-on.
Still, since Bruce had already made up his mind, Kara chose to say nothing more.
"Dinner's ready, Kara," Jennifer's voice called from the kitchen.
Kara agreed and, still on the phone, told Bruce, "Goodbye, and I wish you well."
She ended the call, the farewell carrying both a surface meaning and a deeper one.
If Bruce exposed his identity, Kara would no longer be able to work with him. To protect her own secret, she would have to cut ties completely, even publicly distancing herself from him. They might become strangers in the end.
After everything was over, she would persuade Jennifer to leave Gotham, whether she chose to keep the baby or not. Since Bruce had chosen Rachel, their own friendship would have to change as well.
As soon as he finished with the Joker, he would leave Gotham forever.
"Who was that?" Jennifer asked, seeing Kara lost in thought after hanging up.
Kara responded casually, "Just a sales call—someone trying to sell me something interesting. Still considering if I need it."
"Really? What sort of thing?"
"Oh, it's hard to explain."
Jennifer nearly choked on a laugh.
Kara no longer cared about Bruce's situation, or what he intended to do next. She decided to let it all go, focusing solely on Jennifer's safety for the time being.
That night, Kara ended up borrowing some of Jennifer's pajamas. She had left home in a hurry and hadn't brought anything with her, not even remembering if she had locked the windows. Fortunately, the weather had stayed dry, and as long as no burglars dropped by, all would be fine.
She had arranged for Dani to look after her place, just to keep things in order.
Had it not been for her and Jennifer's insistence, Dani would have followed them to Gotham for a few days—something Kara wanted to avoid, as she didn't want Joker to have yet another hostage to use against her.
The next day, Harvey called Jennifer, announcing he was holding a press conference regarding Gordon's death and Joker's interference with the parade. He intended to address Gotham and the broader public.
Harvey also hinted that Batman would make an appearance at the conference to turn himself in.
The news created a massive sensation. Some speculated that Batman had finally caved to Joker's threats, while others believed he was giving himself up to protect Gotham's citizens from further harm.
Not only Joker, not only Gotham, but people worldwide were now focused on the upcoming press conference.
Harvey had informed Jennifer as a courtesy, advising her not to attend, which she gratefully accepted, deciding to stay home for the day.
Kara had no intention of leaving the apartment either. After getting ready, she and Jennifer decided to relax on the couch, in their pajamas, and tune in to the broadcast from there.
Jennifer kept spare toiletries at home for Kara and Dani, so there was no need for them to share. While they didn't mind borrowing each other's things, it was convenient to have a separate set on hand.
At the time of Harvey's press conference, Jennifer switched the channel to watch him speak.
Kara glanced at Jennifer, noting her concern about what would happen if Bruce went through with his plan to reveal his identity. But that concern seemed needless when Harvey suddenly announced that he was Batman, stunning the public.
Jennifer's jaw dropped, and she turned to Kara, wide-eyed.
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think I'd lie? Bruce is Batman. This must be part of their plan."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone