The momentum of the Balloonman case was growing increasingly intense.
This criminal tied notoriously corrupt individuals of Gotham to weather balloons and sent them up into the sky.
On this day, just as Rex, Bruce, and Alfred finished their breakfast, the television broadcasted live that the Balloonman had sent another priest to heaven.
“This is really not good.
How can someone just kill people so casually?”
Rex commented.
‘At least not in public,’ he added in his mind.
“Why does he want to kill those people in broad daylight?” Bruce asked.
“Given that the victims all had rather poor reputations, it’s highly likely that some nobody was pushed to the brink and came out to punish evil in his own way.”
Rex picked up his teacup and took a sip of the black tea.
The taste was still not very good, but Alfred loved brewing black tea the most.
Since he was eating their food, he knew better than to bite the hand that fed him.
Never offend the chef.
Alfred was responsible for all the living arrangements in the house, so even if the black tea didn’t taste good, neither Bruce nor Rex dared to complain.
“Like a vigilante?”
“Yes.”
Bruce looked thoughtful after receiving Rex’s confirmation.
“Even if he wants to be a vigilante, he shouldn’t resort to killing,” Bruce shook his head vigorously.
“Killing will only fuel more crime.”
“You are right.
Indeed, many people cannot grasp the proper limits of being a vigilante.”
“But often, the people who do this don’t actually want to be vigilantes.”
“It is just a nobody striking back.”
Thanks to the memory library from his previous life, Rex remembered that the Balloonman was actually a genuinely good-natured man from a welfare agency.
Dissatisfied with the mayor’s decision to send all of Gotham’s street urchins to juvenile detention, the long-oppressed Balloonman finally stood up to eradicate evil in his own way.
“Then he is not a vigilante; he is a criminal.
No matter the reason, killing is a violation of the law,” Bruce asserted, showing his strong-mindedness.
“That is true.”
Rex currently had no intention of changing Bruce’s no-kill rule.
After all, he hadn’t forgotten what he himself was doing.
He was involved with the mob.
Once he completed this main quest, this place would become his exclusive world, and he would certainly spend a lot of time here in the future.
Bruce becoming Batman was unstoppable.
If one day Rex’s plans leaked and he was caught by Batman, at least his life wouldn’t be in danger.
Although, judging from the current trajectory, the possibility of him and Bruce becoming enemies in the future was close to zero.
“Who will be the Balloonman’s next target?” Bruce asked curiously.
It should still follow the same pattern: a public figure who appears respected but is actually thoroughly corrupt.”
Rex shrugged.
He didn’t care in the slightest who died next; they were all scum anyway.
“That doesn’t sound like it narrows down the scope,” Alfred said with his usual sharp tongue.
“Does it?
This is Gotham, after all.”
“Yes, this is very Gotham.” Rex was left speechless.
“Alright, Master Bruce.
It is time to go to school.”
Having finished cleaning up, Alfred reminded Bruce.
Like most students, Bruce didn’t really want to go to school either.
Boxing with Rex and practicing fencing with Alfred at the manor were much more appealing to him.
But since Alfred was his guardian, Bruce had no choice but to go change his clothes and prepare to leave.
“Since that’s the case, I should be going too.”
Rex stretched lazily.
Hearing this, Bruce hurriedly ran over, a look of anxiety on his face.
“Rex, are you leaving?”
Alfred also walked over and said calmly, “Rex, you are always welcome at Wayne Manor.
You can stay as long as you like.”
“Don’t worry, I will still live here.
It’s just that it’s time for me to start taking care of my own business.”
“Are you going to reorganize the mob?” Bruce asked.
During their time together, Rex had already shared his plans with Bruce and Alfred.
He had expressed that Gotham was currently too chaotic, and it would only get worse in the future.
If someone could unify the mob right now, they could absolutely use its power to stabilize the situation in Gotham.
With his rose-tinted view of Rex, Bruce didn’t think there was anything wrong with this plan, as long as Rex didn’t kill anyone.
“Yes.
The current gangs are already getting restless.”
Alfred, of course, could tell that Rex’s ambitions went beyond just that, but he could also see that Rex bore no ill will toward Bruce.
As long as it didn’t endanger Bruce, Alfred had no objections to whatever Rex wanted to do.
Moreover, having gained a general understanding of Rex’s character, Alfred felt that if Gotham’s mob were truly unified under Rex, it would actually be a good thing for the city.
If the waters at Wayne Enterprises weren’t so deep and murky right now, Alfred would have even considered giving Rex a hand.
As for whether Rex, a mere boxer, could actually succeed in reorganizing Gotham’s mob, neither Bruce nor Alfred ever doubted him.
During the time they spent together, Rex’s profound understanding and analysis of the various factions in Gotham had long since won them over.
“Stay safe.
“No problem.”
Suddenly recalling something, Alfred quickly added, “I will keep an eye out for that matter you asked me about.”
The matter Alfred referred to was Rex’s request for him to check if Wayne Enterprises had any research regarding cancer.
He was constantly concerned about how to cure his mother.
However, after carefully planning it out many times, Rex realized that it was unrealistic to expect to completely cure his mother after experiencing just one world.
The only thing in the Gotham series that could cure cancer without side effects was the Lazarus Pit.
The waters of this pit could perfectly heal any wound and grant immortality.
It belonged to the leader of the League of Assassins, the DC Universe supervillain Ra’s al Ghul.
In Gotham, he had lived for hundreds of years by relying on this pool.
Even if Rex managed to unify the Gotham mob, it would be impossible for him to seize the Lazarus Pit by force.
Relying on the plot would present a better chance.
However, in the storyline, Bruce’s first contact with the Lazarus Pit wouldn’t happen for another two or three years.
Rex’s stay was limited to six months, so the Lazarus Pit was out of the question for now.
In addition to that, based on his knowledge of the plot, there was one person who might have the ability to cure cancer.
Professor Hugo Strange of Arkham Asylum.
Professor Strange was essentially a mobile healing fountain for Gotham’s villains; he would resurrect multiple villains later on.
Rex figured that since Professor Strange could resurrect the dead, he should certainly possess the ability to cure cancer.
However, Professor Strange was backed by the Court of Owls.
If Rex rashly approached him, he could easily alert the enemy.
That was why Rex had sought out Alfred.
If Alfred couldn’t find any relevant cancer research results, Rex also asked him to gather as much information as possible on Arkham and Indian Hill, so he could prepare his plans.
The main conflicts in Gotham moving forward would all revolve around Arkham.
The infamous Arkham Asylum was currently nothing more than a wasteland, and the government was in the process of rezoning the land.
Originally, Arkham fell under Falcone’s territory, meaning he had the final say on how the land was developed.
Falcone planned to adopt the Arkham Asylum reconstruction plan devised by the Waynes before their deaths.
But Maroni had interjected at this point, proposing an opposing plan to abolish the asylum, thereby competing with Falcone for control over the Arkham land.
What they were actually fighting for wasn’t Arkham, but dominance in the underworld.
If Falcone won, he could still maintain his status as Gotham’s number one mob boss and uphold his authority.
But if Maroni won, it would prove that Falcone had indeed grown old, and his subordinates would begin to waver.
This time, Rex didn’t plan on helping Falcone.
Even though they were allies, he wasn’t going to play nanny to Falcone.
On the contrary, he was here to usurp Falcone’s power.
If Falcone didn’t experience some setbacks and realize his own vulnerability, why would he ever want to wash his hands of the business?
Rex’s third target for grooming since entering Gotham had long been decided: Falcone!