Meanwhile, at Downton Manor, inside the Koenigsegg CCRX as its engine roared to life, Floyd stared at his phone in surprise.
His phone had been synchronizing with Joker's live broadcast on Gotham TV. After the screen suddenly went black several times, the broadcast had unexpectedly been replaced by the ramblings of an alien, the ancient Kryptonian General Zod.
Once the transmission disappeared, Floyd remained silent for several seconds before dialing Alfred.
The call connected shortly afterward, and Alfred's slightly low voice came through.
"Do you have any special requests, Floyd?"
"No, I don't need anything. I just wanted to ask... you're still watching the television, right?
"I mean, that Kryptonian General. I probably can't deal with him."
"Uh..."
Floyd's words made Alfred let out two bitter laughs before replying with a faint smile.
"If you can deal with Joker, you've already solved a huge problem."
"I know. And I promise he'll die very peacefully."
With that, Floyd started the car and sped away from the Manor.
He drove directly to the old Arkham Church, more than six kilometers from Gotham TV.
The church was exceptionally tall, once standing as the grandest building in the Arkham slums during Gotham's early history.
After all, the poor often needed faith to endure their circumstances and continue providing labor for those above them. As a result, religious institutions tended to flourish in the poorest parts of the city.
Even in recent years, the old Arkham Church remained one of Gotham's most recognizable landmarks.
Especially to someone like Floyd, who had grown up in Arkham.
The old church held many memories for him.
After parking the car, Floyd slapped the black-and-gold badge Lex had given him against his chest.
In an instant, a nano-battlesuit enveloped his entire body.
Carrying a large mechanical case, Floyd activated the suit and flew toward the church's bell tower.
Once he reached the enormous clock, Floyd performed a specially programmed gesture.
Immediately, dozens of high-speed drones launched from the back of his battlesuit.
The drones rapidly spread throughout the surrounding streets, gathering information and transmitting everything they detected directly back to Floyd.
At the same time, Floyd opened the mechanical case in his hands.
Two swarms of insect-like drones emerged from within, their appearance enough to trigger an immediate sense of discomfort.
Hundreds of thousands of mosquito-sized drones poured into the air, quickly joining the larger drones released from Floyd's battlesuit.
Those larger drones immediately transformed into the central command hub of the entire swarm, controlling the smaller units as they dispersed throughout Gotham City.
Their deployment was concentrated heavily around the target, Gotham TV.
Within seconds, the drones combined sonar and numerous other sensors to construct a real-time virtual model of Gotham inside the optical processor integrated into Floyd's helmet.
The image did far more than display the city's buildings.
It tracked the movements of living people throughout Gotham, both above and below ground.
And at that very moment, Joker appeared within Floyd's field of vision.
As the monitoring system tracked him, Joker's expression remained twisted with frustration.
His grand debut had been interrupted.
The reality was enough to send the anger inside him spiraling out of control.
But Joker understood that his actions probably meant little to the so-called General Zod.
His live broadcast of multiple murders had also almost certainly made him a target for Gotham's authorities.
So why would he waste time confronting an alien simply because his debut had been interrupted?
He wasn't some second-rate villain who abandoned his objective at the first inconvenience.
His target had always been Axel.
That damn Wraith, Axel.
Joker had already discovered that Axel left Gotham every day to visit an unknown location.
But even if Axel wasn't present, his subordinates would eventually come for him.
So what would he be facing next?
Wraith's people.
The thought alone filled Joker with anticipation.
An evil, almost charming smile spread across his blood-covered face as he shook his suit jacket.
Dozens of wires connected to cardiac equipment were immediately revealed beneath it.
Joker knew that the people working under Wraith were extremely capable. Most were experienced killers and gang members.
There were even monsters like Clark, a man whose strength was difficult to comprehend.
But Joker also knew they all had weaknesses.
Everyone did.
Even people with compassion had weaknesses.
As long as he...
Thump.
Joker's thoughts had barely formed when a soft sound reached his ears.
At the same instant, his head exploded.
In the final moment before his consciousness disappeared, Joker's confused gaze shifted toward his front left.
The bullet that killed him had passed straight through the wall before entering his skull.
But how had the bullet even reached him?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The instant Joker died, a dense series of explosions erupted throughout Gotham TV.
One after another, the surviving employees inside the station were caught in the chain reaction.
Nearly two hundred people died alongside Joker.
Six kilometers away, inside the bell tower of the old Arkham Church, Floyd frowned as he lowered the enormous firearm in his hands.
The weapon measured roughly 4.6 meters in length.
Its components began rotating and retracting in rapid succession until the massive firearm completely transformed into a metal block roughly the size of a football.
Floyd picked it up and placed it back inside his equipment bag.
As he finished storing the weapon, the supersonic mosquito-like drones six kilometers away surged into Gotham TV.
Hundreds of drones quickly appeared above the bodies, collecting various biological samples and blood data.
Joker received particular attention.
One drone thoroughly sampled his blood before connecting to the cloud network.
Within moments, the system identified Joker's identity and transmitted the information directly to Floyd.
By then, Floyd had already jumped from the church tower.
Thud!
His feet struck the ground heavily.
At the same time, Joker's identity information appeared within Floyd's field of vision.
After giving it a quick glance, Floyd casually placed his equipment case beside the driver's seat and dialed Alfred.
The call connected.
Before the old butler could say anything, Floyd gave a bitter laugh and sighed.
"Alfred, I think I messed up.
"That lunatic had his heartbeat connected to a large number of bombs. I acted too decisively, and a lot of people died.
"Our Group's insurance company is probably going to have to pay out a considerable amount.
"But I found out who that lunatic was, and I also discovered why he provoked Axel.
"That lunatic was originally an employee of Gotham Sky Rail. He had accumulated a considerable amount of debt, and his financial situation was already collapsing.
"After Boss Axel dismantled Gotham Sky Rail, that guy lost his job. His debt crisis immediately exploded, and he went completely bankrupt.
"He hadn't even had time to start a family, but having everything he'd accumulated during the first half of his life taken away by the banks must have been devastating.
"In short, he really was a hysterical lunatic.
"Taking him down came at a considerable cost, but my instincts tell me I did the right thing. If Joker had been allowed to survive, he would have eventually become an even greater threat."
Floyd raised a hand and made the sign of the cross over his chest.
The mosquito-like drones had finished their calculations.
Floyd had only intended to eliminate Joker, but Joker's connection to the explosives had caused the deaths of 273 innocent Gotham TV employees.
Floyd was a man capable of killing without hesitation, but the weight of more than two hundred innocent lives still left him feeling uncomfortable enough to seek out a church and confess.
He wondered whether that old priest with the tattooed arms in Arkham really had a direct line to God.
Or perhaps he should simply take some time to confess to Boss Axel.
Victor had once said that their Boss Axel had considerable influence with God.
Haha.
Thinking about it, Floyd couldn't help laughing.
As he laughed, he affectionately patted his equipment case before tapping the armor covering his body.
"Joker, oh Joker. Times have changed."
Ever since joining Boss Axel, the R&D departments of Wayne Group and LexCorp had been completely opened to him.
His battlesuit had been personally developed by Lex and Bruce.
His sniper cloud platform, meanwhile, had been custom-built for him by Lucius Fox with the cooperation of the leading R&D personnel from both Wayne Group and LexCorp.
Within Gotham City, the sniper cloud platform could monitor even the slightest movement in real time.
That extraordinary technology had effectively extended Floyd's effective shooting range across half the city.
As for why he had chosen a distance of six kilometers...
It wasn't because Joker was dangerous enough to require such a distance.
Floyd had simply treated Joker as a live-fire target.
He wanted to test the limits of his own sniping ability.
Six kilometers had been easy.
So next time, if he had the opportunity, he would challenge seven kilometers.
Floyd firmly believed that with enough training and the assistance of advanced technology, he would eventually be able to put a bullet through the head of anyone who dared challenge Downton Manor from anywhere in Gotham.
Every single one of them.
After Floyd ended the call, Alfred solemnly turned toward everyone in the living room.
"There is good news and bad news.
"The good news is that the insane criminal known as Joker is dead.
"The bad news is that eliminating him came at an extremely high cost.
"And Floyd always acts far too decisively."
Alfred looked toward Oswald and gave him a bitter smile.
"Oswald."
"I'm here, Mr. Pennyworth. At your service."
Oswald respectfully nodded.
Alfred continued.
"Nearly three hundred people at Gotham TV died during the chaos caused by Joker.
"As Gotham's prospective mayor, your workload is about to increase considerably."
"I understand."
Oswald nodded firmly.
"I'll coordinate everything related to the incident. I promise."
Three hundred lives meant little to Oswald.
As far as he was concerned, the important thing was eliminating the source of the chaos. As long as that was accomplished, he believed he could handle everything that followed.
But Gordon's heart sank when he heard the number.
"Wait! Nearly three hundred people?
"What does that mean?"
"I was about to tell you, Chief Gordon. You will also be much busier.
"The restructuring of the Gotham Police Department needs to accelerate.
"I discussed this with the FBI yesterday and arranged for you to select the graduating cadets from the Federal Police Academy's next class.
"I hope you can establish a new police force worthy of Gotham's citizens as quickly as possible.
"Incidents like today's attack by Joker cannot be allowed to escalate this far again, and certainly cannot result in such devastating losses."
"I understand, Mr. Pennyworth. I'm afraid I have to leave."
Gordon immediately stood.
"The death toll is far too high. Gotham's reporters must already be going insane over this.
"Forgive me for leaving so abruptly. I need to return to the police station and hold a press conference."
Gordon hurriedly said his farewells before rushing out of the Manor.
Alfred watched him leave with narrowed eyes.
The losses had been far too great.
The money didn't bother him nearly as much as the lives that had been lost.
Still, Alfred would not allow himself to be paralyzed by a disaster that had already happened.
He turned toward Carmine and began issuing his next instructions.
"Carmine."
"I'm listening, Mr. Pennyworth."
Falcone nodded slightly.
Alfred continued.
"Gordon's new police system will require considerable time to establish.
"Until he fully realizes his vision, Gotham's stability will ultimately have to be maintained by you and your organization.
"Allowing someone like Joker to operate so freely in broad daylight was a serious failure.
"I expect you to be considerably more vigilant from now on. At the very least, restore the Gotham underworld's ability to keep the city's criminal elements under control.
"We weren't friends in the past, but I understand and appreciate what you accomplished back then, old friend.
"Since Master Wayne is willing to continue placing his trust in you, I hope you can return to your former standard."
"I understand, Mr. Pennyworth. I won't let Axel think he's misplaced his trust in me.
"But before I reorganize the organization and expand its influence throughout America's underground market, I believe we should pay more attention to the Kryptonian General.
"Mr. Pennyworth, did Axel say when he and Bruce would be returning?"
"Don't worry. Axel and Bruce spend every night in their respective cities.
"Since General Zod hasn't immediately attacked Earth, they will return tonight at the latest.
"When that happens, Zod will have to deal with Axel, who protects his own territory.
"At that point, I doubt we'll be the ones who need to worry.
"However, we should still prepare for the possibility of another unexpected threat like General Zod.
"We need to do more.
"As planned, you and Victor need to accelerate the training of qualified Dead Souls operatives. Wayne Group and LexCorp will jointly provide them with equipment and technological support.
"As for Oswald, you also need to continue securing financial support from the Federal Reserve.
"Gotham has suffered severe losses recently, and the federal government will have to bear part of the responsibility."
As Axel continued to reshape Gotham, the city itself was changing around him.
And Alfred Pennyworth, one of the world's most capable men, was gradually revealing another side of his talents.
Yet while Gotham's senior figures discussed the city's future, something far more dangerous was happening elsewhere.
Paradise Island.
Inside an ancient temple ruin, Diana's eyes widened in surprise.
She had personally witnessed the Mother Box begin shaking violently once again.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Every hair on Diana's body stood on end.
She immediately drew her sword.
"Mother!"
Diana shouted toward Hippolyta.
"Gather the army immediately. I can feel it. Danger has already arrived!"
"All right!"
Hippolyta did not question her daughter's judgment.
As an experienced Amazon warrior, she trusted the instincts of her demigod daughter completely.
But even though Hippolyta immediately began preparing to summon the Amazon army, it was already too late.
The Mother Box trembled once more.
Then, with a violent surge of energy, a portal filled with a desolate and ominous aura suddenly opened.
From within it, a tall figure clad in grotesque metallic armor was forcibly sent through.