PFC Chapter 3911 The Nameless Bat (81)
Chapter 3911 The Nameless Bat (81)
Chapter 3911 The Nameless Bat (Chapter 81)
Batman from Arkham strode into the Justice League's Gotham headquarters office and saw Wonder Woman slumped over her desk. The moment she saw him, she seemed about to approach, but then, as if remembering something, she took a few steps back.
“Don’t be like that, Diana,” Batman Arkham stepped forward and said. “I’ve never doubted you. That incident had nothing to do with you, and you’ve been trying your best to make amends. I know all of that.”
Wonder Woman's emotions were like a dammed-up torrent finally finding an outlet. She went over and hugged Arkham Batman tightly. Arkham Batman patted her back reassuringly.
“I’m back now because I’ve made a decision.” Arkham Batman gently pushed Wonder Woman away, then cupped her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eyes. “I choose to believe you. You have to do something for me, Diana.”
Wonder Woman was clearly not the type to wallow in self-pity. Although her eyes were brimming with tears, she didn't shed a single one. Instead, she took a deep breath, grasped Arkham Batman's wrist, and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
"The cyber life forms want to lure me to the Amazon and then cause trouble on the Federation's homeland. Just like the dilemma the Joker made me face: if I don't go, I won't be able to save that ship of people; if I go to the Federation's homeland, others may die. But I will never allow that to happen."
Wonder Woman's expression turned grim. She hadn't expected such a conspiracy, but she also understood the depth of trust Batman Arkham had placed in her by choosing to appear before her at this moment. After all, she was the daughter of the Amazon Queen, a princess of the Amazons; she might not necessarily side with Batman.
They were already at a disadvantage against this cunning electronic life form, and if she were to leak the plan, Batman would be completely finished. Given Batman's suspicious nature, he should have done this quietly, even keeping it a secret from everyone, but he still chose to come and see her.
Wonder Woman took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart, and listened attentively to what Arkham Batman had to say.
“Our advantage now is that we have a fortress that electronic life cannot break into. Any plans we communicate here will not be known to it, so it is possible to keep it in the dark.”
“And we still have you. You are a demigod, and you know many spells. I want you to impersonate me and go to the Amazon, make a public appearance and search for the missing people, so that the electronic life forms will think that I have already gone to the Amazon.”
"I will stay on the Federation's homeland, so that I can detect and deal with anything that happens immediately. That way, there won't be a dilemma of choosing between the two. But the premise is that you can save those people and not be discovered by the other side."
“Don’t worry,” Wonder Woman nodded and said, “Since magic is its blind spot, it can’t see through my disguise. I think I know you pretty well, so imitating you won’t be a problem.”
Arkham Batman shoved the Batmobile keys into Wonder Woman's hand and said, "Don't tell your mother either. She's been unhappy about my raid on Paradise Island and the destruction of Mount Olympus, and I'm worried she might cooperate with cyber life."
“No,” Wonder Woman said. “She wouldn’t dare do that as long as I show myself as you. After all, you don’t even respect Zeus, so she’s afraid you’ll go on a killing spree.”
Wonder Woman quickly departed. Then a "Batman" flew off in his iconic Batmobile—the Batmobile had been upgraded and could now fly, and fly very fast. This private mode of transportation, without diplomatic protocol, was meant to convey Batman's anger.
After Wonder Woman left, Batman Arkham remained at the Gotham base, waiting for news. He wanted to know the progress of the rescue and also waited for the cyber life forms to make their move on federal soil.
When Superman burst in to inform him of the power outage in Western California, Batman Arkham knew he was right: the target wasn't the remote Amazon, far removed from ordinary society, but rather California, the most prosperous industrial base in the world and the most important industrial base for the Federation.
Contrary to popular belief, California is more than just sunny beaches and palm trees; it's also the number one industrial state in the entire league. Even New Jersey, with its two megacities, Gotham and Metropolitan City, only ranks second—and that's with two behemoths, Wayne Enterprises and Luther Group, in New Jersey.
To put it simply, Quinn Corporation, which originated from Green Arrow, isn't well-known globally, nor is it a top-tier company in California, making its lineage seem less impressive than Batman's or Lex Luthor's. However, if you were to move Quinn Corporation to New Jersey, it would likely rank third, but in California, it wouldn't even crack the top 20.
After Batman Arkham took office, in addition to cracking down on the financial industry, he also focused on developing industry. Although he had essentially achieved dictatorship, his high popularity among the people was due to his effective management of industry, which not only created numerous jobs but also significantly improved the living standards of the lower classes. Therefore, even though he held absolute power, no one criticized him for being undemocratic.
The fact that cyberlife chose to strike decisively in Western California clearly indicates its aim at the heart of industry. Just as Arkham Batman predicted, he has ended his probing and begun his real attack.
“Send the Secretary of Energy to see me,” said Arkham Batman.
"The Governor of California is calling!" the assistant in the communications room shouted.
Batman Arkham walked over and answered the phone. Before the other person could say anything, he said, “I know this isn’t your fault; someone’s pulling the strings behind the scenes. Time is of the essence, so I’ll get straight to the point: I’m giving you the authority to mobilize all state troop and National Guard units in California and the three surrounding states. Your top priority is to ensure that no major incidents occur in any industrial areas due to the power outage. Any incidents that have already occurred must be addressed immediately. If you’re short-handed, bring in personnel from other states, regardless of the severity of the incident. Do not rush to restore power to factories where no incidents have occurred, and do not send workers to work. Focus on restoring power to the general public. If necessary, you can activate previously decommissioned coal-fired power plants. I will assume full responsibility for all losses and potential problems arising from these measures. Do you understand?”
The other party replied with only a brief sentence before hanging up. Immediately afterwards, Batman Arkham made numerous calls mobilizing the military and police. Even when his assistant asked if he wanted to give a televised address to appease the public, he ignored them.
In the past, when a major event occurred, politicians would first appear on television to secure votes. Now, Batman Arkham doesn't need votes at all; instead of standing in front of the camera spouting empty rhetoric, he's more concerned with disaster relief.
Then came the Secretary of State and the Vice President, whom Arkham Batman bossed around like clockwork. Next came the military—of course, Arkham was now the head of the military, so there was no need for consultation. Arkham Batman directed the operations, and the army marched into California at an unprecedented speed.
In the eyes of others, Batman Arkham was overreacting. While such a large-scale blackout is historically rare, smaller-scale blackouts have occurred several times, especially in some less developed states where power outages are commonplace. Most presidents simply ignore them, and some even suppress the news to prevent negative publicity from affecting their approval ratings.
Fortunately, Batman Arkham had already seized power and, with his exceptional political skills and far-sighted vision, had amassed a team of supporters who would follow his lead without question, demonstrating remarkable efficiency at this time.
Of course, these measures are merely stopgap measures. To deliver a powerful counterattack, neither the government nor the military can do it; what is needed is a law enforcement agency with unlimited powers.
"Get Ramos down here," Arkham Batman said into the phone. "The FBI he's got is a bunch of sleepy wimps. Tell him he's done with his donuts and he's fired. The FBI director has changed!"
The person who answered the phone seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Arkham Batman's last-minute change of leadership. Arkham Batman didn't say much, only that, "You'll understand when you meet the new director."
Then he opened the DouJie communication system and sent a message to the agent: "Good news: You've become the new FBI Director. Bad news: You've become the new FBI Director."
The agent responded with a question mark.
Not long after, he appeared in the Oval Office. Arkham Batman looked at him, and he looked at Arkham Batman. The two stared at each other for a while before Arkham Batman finally said, "Congratulations on your promotion. Get back to work."
"Is this reasonable?" he asked.
Arkham Batman frowned, as if he didn't recognize him, and said, "This isn't like you."
"You appointed me as FBI director, but did you consider the mess the previous director left me with? What can the people in the FBI do besides eat donuts? What do you expect me to accomplish with them?"
"That's not my problem. If you really dislike those old hands, there's always the training academy, isn't there? They have a bunch of young and promising guys, enough to keep you busy."
“Ha,” Schiller scoffed. “Those guys don’t even know how to eat a donut.”
"What would it take for you to be willing to do it?"
"I need two people."
"Who?"
“Pride and Barry,” Schiller said, “one goes to the college to teach students, and the other runs errands for me.”
“No, I still have a use for The Flash,” said Arkham Batman.
“Then it’ll be from another universe. As long as you’re willing to name your price, I’ll go talk to Arrogance myself and have him bring over his Flash from that universe.”
“No problem,” Arkham Batman said. “As long as he doesn’t get off work at 6:30, everything is negotiable.”
Schiller turned and left. He soon arrived at FBI headquarters, where his predecessor was packing up and leaving, while the others were still drinking coffee and eating donuts, ignoring the new director.
Schiller first called back his former colleagues from Gotham. Even though Batman from Arkham was now president, there were no weaklings capable of working as secret agents in a complex city like Gotham. Besides, they knew him well and he could command them, making them the best candidates to break the deadlock.
Next came the deputy director, a somewhat thin, middle-aged man with white hair, who brought over a cup of coffee, smiled at Schiller, and said, "Welcome, new director. His Excellency the President is really fickle. The previous director had only been in office for less than half a year, and he's already replaced him again. I really don't know what kind of person can satisfy him."
After speaking, he looked Schiller up and down with an undisguised gaze. Those watching outside the director's office chuckled in agreement.
“You’ll find out,” Schiller said.
"Alright, good luck, Mr. Chief."
After speaking, the deputy director turned and left. Just as he turned away—
boom!
The deputy director slowly collapsed. The others were so shocked they stood there, stunned. Schiller holstered his gun and said, "Now you know what kind of person will satisfy him."
"Get out to work!" Schiller shouted, waving his hand. The crowd scattered.
But Schiller pointed to the person at the end of the line and said, "You stop. I know you're one of the president's men; I just spoke to him on the phone. Don't rush off; I have a mission for you."
It's so hot lately!