Chương 58: Who stole the Nuclear Bomb
"What nuclear bomb? I never stole any nuclear bomb!"
Adam's heart sank.
"Who else could it be besides you?"
The Riddler's eyes slowly lit up. "Damn, it seems something I'm unaware of has transpired. A nuclear bomb? Batman, you're in deep trouble."
A few hours later, in one of the many Batcaves scattered throughout Gotham.
Bruce Wayne had over a dozen of these hidden bases in the city. Though smaller than the one beneath Wayne Manor, they were well-equipped and capable of providing Batman with all the necessary support.
Tim Drake, the third Robin, stood beside a mobile display, tablet in hand.
"Based on the intel we have so far, these are the most likely suspects capable of acquiring a nuclear bomb."
Adam sat in Batman's usual chair, back to the Batcomputer, gesturing for Tim to continue. Alfred stood at his side.
Nearby, Ventriloquist, Deadshot, Cheshire, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy sat in a row. Harley, visibly excited, was examining the Batcave's gadgets. She even attempted to smash a display case with her baseball bat to grab a Batsuit.
This unseemly behavior was, of course, thwarted by Poison Ivy. Harley's bat softened the moment it touched the glass, wobbling in her hand like a wet noodle.
"Aww, come on!" she whined.
"Our prime suspect is Bane. He has the capability and the motive," Tim stated. He swiped through the information on his tablet, then clicked a button on the remote. Bane's massive face filled the mobile screen and the Batcomputer display behind Adam.
"The guards at Penguin's nuclear storage facility were heavily armed, most of them hardened criminals and ex-military recruited by Cobblepot.
While selling a nuclear bomb is certainly a reckless and suicidal act, according to Penguin, he's kept a close eye on the nukes in recent years, and the quality of his security has always been top-notch."
"However, there wasn't even a major firefight at the scene. This suggests the attacker may have been a lone operative, using a blade to take them out silently, one by one. All witnesses were eliminated without resistance. Bane is a ruthless killer with a formidable physique. There's no doubt he could pull this off."
"But it's strange that using knives isn't Bane's typical MO. Given his strength, we'd expect him to simply snap their necks. Of course, it's possible he intentionally used a blade to mislead us."
Tim continued, "But this doesn't add up. Bane just arrived in Gotham. He can't possibly know the city as well as those Arkham inmates who've lived here for over a decade."
"Oswald isn't a fool. He knows the threat nuclear weapons pose.
Even though he's one of the biggest arms dealers in the US, he can't afford the fallout if this gets exposed. That's why he kept the nukes a secret for so many years."
"Except for selling one a few years back, he never told anyone what was hidden in that warehouse."
"Not even the Emperor Penguin, his most trusted ally, ever knew about this ace up his sleeve."
Tim paused, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Frankly, Oswald really surprised me. According to him, he acquired those nukes very early on, before Gotham was fully equipped with Bat-cameras."
"But he kept this trump card hidden so well. Even when he sold one, it was done discreetly. It's shocking that we've been dealing with a gangster who possesses nuclear weapons for years."
He shuddered slightly. "Damn, Gotham always throws us curveballs. You never know what the guy in front of you is hiding. When I first became Robin, I stepped on Penguin's face. Over the years, he's been beaten, humiliated, used as a pawn, and betrayed by his own men, but he never resorted to using this."
"In a way, Oswald is the most emotionally stable person in Gotham City."
"I think I'm pretty stable too," Harley Quinn mumbled.
Poison Ivy, sitting beside her, nudged her playfully and intertwined their fingers.
Harley giggled and squeezed her hand.
Deadshot discreetly wiped the cold sweat from his brow, maintaining his usual aloof and arrogant demeanor.
Help! he thought. I'm just a mercenary here for a paycheck! Why am I suddenly involved in a nuclear crisis?!
The people in this city are insane.
Deadshot silently swallowed his terror.
Catwoman glanced around, noticing how everyone else was maintaining their composure.
So, she decided to play it cool as well.
"Continue," Adam said.
"If Oswald managed to keep the nukes hidden from us, there's no way Bane could have discovered something we missed in just a few months since arriving in Gotham."
Robin continued,
"Even with the motive and ability, he couldn't have known the location of Penguin's warehouse. If anyone could uncover Penguin's secret, it would have to be someone who's been in Gotham for a long time."
"Which brings us to our second suspect: Scarecrow."
Tim pressed a button, and Scarecrow's image replaced Bane's on the screen, displayed alongside him.
"Most of the time, Scarecrow appears as a timid coward, but he's an expert in manipulating fear. Even without his fear toxin, he can instill terror in others, using it to easily control their minds and bodies."
"Furthermore, we found traces of fear toxin at the scene, one of Scarecrow's signature weapons. With the help of the toxin, he could certainly replicate Bane's actions. Of course, I acknowledge that Scarecrow's toxin has been circulating on the black market for a while, and these low-grade versions can be obtained by anyone."
"However, when we reviewed the attacker's movements, we noticed they attacked with a backhand slash. This could also be explained by the use of a sickle."
"So, even though Scarecrow's direct combat skills might not be as strong as Bane's, with the aid of fear toxin and his proficiency with sickles, he could still have pulled this off."
"Another suspect is the Riddler, but he's already in our custody."
Tim closed the tablet and concluded, "In summary, I believe the true culprit is either Bane or Scarecrow, and I personally lean towards Scarecrow."
.....
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