The sun gradually warmed the earth, but Wayne Manor remained as desolate as ever.
Bruce Wayne lay in bed, staring blankly at the leaves slowly falling from the old trees outside the manor.
He had already been bedridden for a long time, and there was a chance he would remain like this for the rest of his life.
During his battle with Bane, his spine had suffered a devastating injury. Afterward, Bane had hung him on a wall like a trophy, displaying him as proof of his strength.
Bruce had eventually been rescued, but his mental state had nearly collapsed completely. He simply lay there, barely eating or drinking.
Alfred entered with the morning newspaper in hand. Sitting beside his master's bed, he began reading the latest news of the day aloud.
After all, seeing Bruce Wayne remain so silent was unsettling. Perhaps hearing some news would help distract him.
Having someone personally read the morning paper aloud was the sort of old-fashioned luxury usually reserved for the wealthiest households, but Bruce trusted only Alfred. He had left the management of the entire Wayne Manor in the hands of Dick Grayson and Alfred.
"Loeb had barely walked out of the police station when a gunman on the street attacked him. He was shot six times and died on the spot. Tsk, tsk. Who would've thought that the man who ruled Gotham's police force for so many years would meet an end like that? Quite a fall."
Alfred sighed as he spoke.
In truth, he knew his master's habits very well, so he had deliberately picked out some news that might put Bruce in a better mood.
Sure enough, after hearing this, a faint spark finally appeared in Bruce Wayne's hollow eyes. The corners of his dry lips lifted slightly, as though he wanted to say something.
"The Arkham District Police Department has a new chief. On paper, he's still something of a rookie, but in practice, he's already an old acquaintance around here. Karl has been promoted and is now officially in charge of the district."
Alfred spoke slowly.
"He deserves it. He's been doing better and better. If Loeb hadn't been holding him back, he might already have made it into GCPD headquarters."
Bruce Wayne's voice was hoarse as he took a sip of water.
As far as he was concerned, the ideal arrangement would have been for Gordon to become Gotham's Police Commissioner, with Karl serving as a senior chief at headquarters.
Gordon was dependable, while Karl's ability to solve cases had earned even Batman's admiration.
Having the two of them working together would undoubtedly benefit Gotham City.
Noticing that his master had begun thinking again, Alfred continued calmly.
"I'm afraid things are a little more complicated than that. Gordon was the man responsible for enforcing martial law during the unrest caused by Bane, so he's being held accountable for the chaos that followed. He's currently suspended and confined to his home pending review."
"As for the new head of the Gotham City Police Department, that position has gone to Harvey Dent. After all, his previous feat of bringing three hundred criminals before the courts earned him a great deal of political capital. With Gordon suspended and Karl assigned to oversee the Arkham District, Harvey became the strongest candidate for the commissioner's position."
Bruce Wayne froze when he heard that.
He rubbed his bearded cheek, visibly confused.
"Harvey Dent is the new Gotham Police Commissioner? Isn't he still running for mayor? If he wins the election, wouldn't they have to replace him immediately? Moving people around like that makes no sense..."
"That's the next thing I was going to tell you."
Alfred continued.
"Just yesterday, mayoral candidate Quincy Sharp argued that Gotham's current public-security situation is too severe to waste valuable manpower and attention on an election. He proposed postponing the election so that everyone could focus on restoring order and carrying out relief efforts."
"The proposal was approved. The election has been postponed for one year, while the incumbent mayor will remain in office."
Bruce Wayne frowned.
With his intelligence, he could smell the stench of political maneuvering before Alfred had even finished explaining.
The reason was obvious.
Harvey Dent's popularity had recently skyrocketed, and his support in the polls had climbed rapidly along with it.
Meanwhile, ever since Arkham Asylum had been breached, Quincy Sharp's political foundation had taken a serious hit.
The gap between the two candidates was narrowing by the day, and no one could say for certain who would ultimately come out ahead.
That was precisely why Sharp had proposed postponing the election. There was clearly another motive behind it.
And as absurd as the proposal sounded, it perfectly served the incumbent mayor's interests.
If it passed, he would get another full year in office.
Why would he oppose it?
Harvey Dent, naturally, would also need to receive something in return before agreeing to postpone an election he currently had a real chance of winning.
The position of Gotham Police Commissioner appeared to be the result of that political bargain.
To make room for Harvey, Gordon—the candidate most likely to have received the commissioner's post—had been suspended and casually sent home for "reflection," ensuring that he could not stand in Harvey Dent's way.
Karl, meanwhile, was stationed all the way out in the Arkham District and had virtually no chance of entering the commissioner's office.
For one thing, he lacked seniority.
For another, he had only just been promoted to the head of a district department, which left him ineligible to take command of GCPD headquarters.
Leaving aside Batman, who was still confined to bed awaiting recovery, nearly everyone on Karl's side had gathered inside the Arkham District Commissioner's Office for an internal meeting.
Yet despite the news of Karl's promotion, everyone wore displeased expressions.
None of them looked happy.
When they thought about it carefully, it was difficult to blame them.
First, their entire group had fought bitterly against Bane.
Then Karl had confronted Falcone head-on and successfully forced him out through sheer pressure and negotiation.
Up to this point, Karl and the others had done virtually all the hard work.
Yet when it finally came time to divide the spoils, all they had received was a modest district leadership position that hardly seemed different from what they had possessed before.
And when they compared that with Harvey Dent, who had seemingly done nothing yet had somehow risen all the way to the commissioner's chair, it became even harder to accept.
Seeing his men acting like this, Karl impatiently tapped the table.
"What's wrong with all of you? Did you suddenly lose your energy? Didn't eat lunch or something?"
"The mountain that was crushing us is finally gone. From now on, forget just Arkham. Sooner or later, all of Gotham City will be ours!"
Karl looked around the room.
"And who said you didn't get anything out of this?"
He gestured toward the door.
Azrael walked in with a disdainful expression, carrying a large case in his hands.
He placed it on the table in front of everyone and opened it.
Captain Boomerang stepped closer to take a look.
The case was filled entirely with gold.
A dazzling golden gleam immediately flooded his vision.
(End of Chapter)
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