Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 329: Ch.328 Impersonating Batman

Chapter 329: Ch.328 Impersonating Batman

After messing around with Stranglehold for a while, Su Ming finally made the lower part of his face look like Batman's. Then he jumped straight off the building, the cloak carrying him soaring through the air.

The streets below echoed with sirens, gunshots, or screams from time to time, but Su Ming paid no mind.

He was impersonating Batman for fun, not actually being a superhero.

The Bat-Signal was lit, which meant Commissioner Gordon had something for Batman. Su Ming couldn't pass up the chance to have some fun with Stranglehold's hard work on his disguise.

Commissioner Gordon paced back and forth on the roof of the police station. Cigarette butts were scattered at his feet. The night wind whipped his trench coat and tie. He took another cigarette from his pack, shielding the lighter with his hand to light it.

Next to the Bat-Signal on the police station's roof, a small red dot flickered—a sign that Gordon was waiting.

Batman was late today. Not unheard of. When Gordon was younger, he'd waited for Batman for hours on cold winter nights in that very spot.

He had no idea Batman was busy with Justice League matters. The Dark Knight's penchant for secrecy meant no one knew where he was.

Which gave Su Ming the perfect opportunity.

If Batman started reporting his whereabouts to prevent Su Ming from impersonating him, would he even still be Batman?

"Shhh." The soft rustle of a cloak behind Gordon made him turn. A regular person might not have noticed, but after working with Batman for over a decade, Gordon recognized it as Batman's greeting.

A dark figure landed on the edge of the rooftop.

"Batman, did you get taller?" Gordon turned around, smiling as he tried to tell Batman about the cases in the city. But he suddenly noticed Batman looked much more burly tonight.

"I got new gear." Batman usually used a voice modulator, so Su Ming's demon-like whisper wouldn't give him away. It might sound slightly different, but new gear always required adjustments.

Gordon didn't question it. Batman's equipment always had some strange functions. He'd even flown a Bat-plane to the police station before—it wasn't an issue.

"There have been five murders today in Gotham. I've been running between crime scenes all day," Gordon said, cigarette in hand, speaking quickly.

"You're probably the only commissioner who still visits crime scenes," Su Ming said.

"Gotham needs me to. Anyway, all these murders are connected—committed by the same person. They left clues at each scene."

"The Joker?" Su Ming's first thought was Batman's old nemesis.

"Oh no, I'm talking about Riddler. All these victims were killed because they failed to solve his riddles."

Gordon flinched as if stung by a scorpion. Even the hand holding his cigarette shook. Gotham was already a mess, and the last thing they needed now was the Joker showing up.

"Riddler needs to get out of Gotham," Su Ming said seriously. The symbiote cooperated by pulling the corners of his mouth down, keeping the stern look typical of Batman.

"Ah, they all need to leave Gotham. But we both know they won't," Gordon sighed, exhausted. With Batman around, those masked maniacs would never want to leave.

Su Ming was impersonating Batman just for laughs. He had no desire to solve hundreds of Riddler's riddles or save innocent civilians in the middle of the night.

"But would it be rude to refuse Gordon now? He's looking at me with hopeful eyes..."

Su Ming felt conflicted. He decided he might as well deal with Riddler—find him and give him a good beating to get some activity in. Maybe even settle the grudge from all those frustrating video game puzzles.

"Nygma hasn't committed crimes like this in a long time," Su Ming said, imitating Batman's speech pattern—turning questions into statements so Gordon would continue.

"Yes, it's like his modus operandi has regressed a few years. Recently, he's set up all his traps first and then revealed them at once. But now, this is a linear setup."

Gordon pulled a stack of photos from his trench coat and handed them to Batman.

They were all crime scene photos, not only showing the tortured victims but also the riddles Riddler had left behind.

Su Ming felt nothing looking at them.

A lunatic is still a lunatic. If Gotham didn't have Batman, the likes of Joker and Riddler would be off to Star City to play games with Green Arrow.

And if there were no superheroes in the world, they'd form a Crime Syndicate and expand to other parallel worlds, causing trouble until they eventually found a hero to "play" with.

Su Ming glanced at the photos. He didn't need to see the bodies. The murder methods were similar to a certain "Jigsaw" from across the street—trap-based killings always had similarities. Riddler was more brazen, leaving fingerprints and other clues for anyone to know it was him.

At this point, he was likely somewhere in Gotham with traps set, waiting for Batman to solve his riddles.

And his approach was easy to guess. As usual, it would involve kidnapping Batman's close friends or allies, forcing Batman into a riddle showdown.

There had been many victims in the past—Catwoman, Robin, Alfred, and others. Even Gordon himself had been kidnapped before.

So, who was the lucky "lottery winner" this time?

Gordon was here, Barbara and the Birds of Prey were in the clock tower, Catwoman had likely left Gotham, and the Robins were with the Titans now.

As for Batgirl, Riddler would have to be able to kidnap Cassandra in the first place. Martial arts mastery wasn't just for show.

Could it be Alfred? No, that would be too easy—Riddler wouldn't make it that obvious.

Who in Gotham was close to Batman or Bruce Wayne and fit all the criteria?

There was indeed someone.

Close to Bruce, defenseless, and someone Batman would definitely save—Dr. Lucius Fox, father of Batwing.

Batwing had joined the Justice League International, essentially a diversion Batman threw out to appease the United Nations, saying the Justice League's second-string team was now under UN command.

And in practice? It was obvious who was really in charge.

Batwing was probably in Washington now. With a major event approaching, Gotham had only Gordon maintaining order.

As for Dr. Fox, he was a lonely, stay-behind elder—a perfect target.

Lucius was the CEO and chief scientist of Wayne Enterprises, the man behind many of Batman's gadgets.

Whether personally or professionally, Batman would definitely save Lucius. Su Ming was 80% sure Riddler's ultimate "prize" was him.

If he hurried, maybe he could catch Riddler before he acted—give him a taste of something very different from Batman's fists.

Detectives might want to solve riddles, but Deathstroke always approached things from the perspective of a killer. If Su Ming wanted to kidnap someone to play games with Batman, Lucius Fox would be the perfect choice.