Chapter 596: Hail to the Cat! (Part 1) (Patreon)

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On the edge of the battlefield, atop another high-rise building's rooftop, a black cat stood side by side with a white cat. The black cat spoke first, saying, "I've always said, when I'm with Bat Cat, there's this strange smell in the air, but I've never kept birds, so I didn't know it was the smell of bird droppings."

Turning his head to the white cat, he continued, "Gordon Cat, you never told me that Bat Cat was one of them in disguise."

The white cat also wore a shocked expression and replied, "No, Bat Cat couldn't be... My goodness! They've even replaced him! The situation is worse than I imagined."

Indeed, this white cat was none other than Commissioner Gordon Cat of Cat City Gotham Police Department, and Schiller's encounter with Gordon Cat happened much earlier than anyone had thought.

It's quite easy to deduce that Schiller's high tower of thought descended in the heart of Gotham City, and the first to arrive would undoubtedly be the detectives from the police station. Since Gordon Cat was the most trusted cat by Bat Cat, it was only natural for him to take charge of investigating this peculiar construction.

Schiller, who had been thrown out by Superego, quickly found a hiding place and observed the nearby situation. Once he was certain that this cat represented Gordon, he knew he could trust him.

In most of the DC Universe, Gordon was seen as one of the few beacons of light and hope in Gotham City. He might face setbacks, challenges, and life-threatening situations, but he would always overcome them, becoming Gotham's last bastion of conscience.

What made Schiller decide to approach Gordon Cat first was another significant reason: Gordon Cat's investigative efforts seemed lackluster. Many times, he would follow scent leads only to abandon them halfway.

His commands and assignments were arbitrary as well. He would dispatch officers to wherever he sensed a clue, only to recall them shortly after. After observing for a while, Schiller concluded that Gordon Cat was either incompetent or deliberately acting this way.

Schiller's first encounter with Bat Cat happened when he saw him talking to Gordon Cat. He noticed that Gordon had indeed followed many leads but only shared a small portion of them, and those were not the crucial ones. Bat Cat trusted him, so there was no extensive investigation, allowing Schiller, who had been thrown into this situation, to remain undetected.

Gordon and Batman weren't usually at odds, a rare occurrence even in the influenced Gotham where Schiller found himself. They cooperated well, with Batman intervening whenever there was trouble during Gordon's police work, and the police providing support when Batman conducted his nocturnal investigations. Their partnership was strong, as it should be in most spaces.

If Schiller had to choose a reliable teammate between Batman and Gordon, he would undoubtedly choose Gordon. Thus, he approached Gordon, explaining his intentions. Unsurprisingly, Gordon Cat had always been distrustful of Bat Cat and had been secretly infiltrating his ranks, biding his time.

"When Bat Cat first aimed to transform this city," Gordon Cat explained, his white fur gleaming in the moonlight, his voice carrying through the night and vanishing into the darkness, "I realized that no one could stop him. However, his inexplicable paranoia seemed influenced by something else. Since I couldn't prevent it, I chose an alternative path to safeguard what's truly important."

"After deeming this unstoppable, I became his first ally, stepping forward to lead the Gotham Police Department in supporting his reforms. At that time, resistance was high, and my subordinates and I resolved many issues on his behalf. He trusted me greatly."

"But my motive was to understand what was affecting him and to preserve crucial evidence that might reveal the truth, to stop him when he went completely mad."

"To prove my sincerity, I handed over the Gotham Police Department to him for transformation. He did indeed overhaul the place, but later, I secretly accessed the basement he hadn't touched yet and placed the documents there."

"At that time, the city was in chaos. He was busy maintaining law and order, dealing with cat rebellions, and was too occupied to notice my actions."

"But later, when he realized, he felt his previous precautions were inadequate. He transformed the original Gotham Police Department into a bank and stationed a trusted lieutenant, the bank manager cat, to guard it."

Schiller asked, "When we first met, you suggested I kill the bank manager cat. Did you uncover something?"

Gordon Cat confirmed, "Yes. After he took over the original Gotham Police Department, he tightened security there. I had to ensure he didn't discover those documents, so I sent a few cats as spies. However, my subordinates reported that the bank manager cat's behavior was peculiar, far from that of a typical cat, and he always carried an unusual scent."

"To find out what was going on, I had my subordinates patrol the area, ostensibly to maintain neighborhood security but actually to keep an eye on him. Finally, one night, while I was patrolling myself, I saw his shadow outside the window. It wasn't a cat but... a bird."

"A bird, a species long extinct, once mentioned in our history books. Now, in this world, only cats exist."

"Discovering the true identity of the bank manager cat made me suspect that all the high-ranking cats associated with Bat Cat had issues. Soon enough, among the mayor's aides, I found hidden birds, from the bank manager to financial magnates, ship owners, and gang leaders – they were all part of this avian conspiracy."

"I believe they might have mastered a certain technique; they brainwashed Bat Cat and took control of him. The most important reason I sent you to kill the bank manager cat is that I was keeping a close eye on him, and he was starting to suspect me. If he were to complain to Bat Cat or employ any more brainwashing tactics, I would be doomed."

"But I never expected..." Gordon gazed at the battlefield not far away. "It's not that they controlled Bat Cat. Bat Cat isn't a cat at all; he's..."

"...an Owl Cat," Schiller interrupted, looking at the bird pinned beneath the black cat's paw. "Not a cat, but an Owl Cat."

Gordon Cat sighed. "I should have realized it sooner. I knew he had imprisoned his butler, Alfred. If he were truly Bat Cat, he would never have subjected his childhood guardian to such torment. It seems Bat Cat has suffered greatly."

"No," Schiller suddenly countered. "Since they didn't kill Alfred, it's possible that the real Bat Cat is still alive."

Gordon's eyes lit up. "Really? But... where is he? Could they have also locked him up?"

Schiller looked up at the moon and said, "Locked up? No... they can't lock up a bat."

Beneath the bright moonlight, a sense of harmony descended like a curtain. Bat Cat, now lying on the ground, looked in shock at the feathers on his body. He had shed his cat's appearance and transformed into a true Owl Cat, yet he seemed oblivious, exclaiming in astonishment, "How is this possible? What have you done to me? I should be... Bat Cat! The one ruling this city! The wealthiest cat! I couldn't possibly be a bird? This is impossible!"

"There's nothing impossible," another voice chimed in. The green-clad Joker Cat approached, the mad grin fading from his face. Squinting at the fallen Owl Cat, he said, "Of course, you are a bird. Otherwise, how could those lurking Owl Cats allow their natural predator, the feline, to rule this city?"

Batman turned his head to his arch-nemesis, Joker Cat, and recalled his past encounters. Whenever he heard that insane laughter, he felt a dark emotion welling up inside him, an irresistible urge to make the other stop laughing, even a violent impulse to kill him.

However, since arriving in Cat City, he had heard Joker Cat's laughter more than once, but it hadn't evoked those emotions.

He remembered Schiller's words when they first encountered Joker Jack. If the laughter didn't trigger that emotional response, it meant that the person on the other side was not his destined adversary.

In other words, the opposing cat wasn't the Joker.

And the materials Batman found in the Gotham Police Department confirmed this. The documents didn't contain much vital information, except for a terrifying nursery rhyme, yes, the Owl Cat nursery rhyme—Court of Owls, constantly watching as you move.

Batman was intimately familiar with the Court of Owls. He vividly remembered Joker's performance, executing the Owl Cats.

Batman also recalled the first time he met Joker Cat. The madman had uttered gibberish, but when they first met, Joker Cat had warned Batman that he had detected a bird-like odor on Bat Cat. Combined with the familiar nursery rhyme, Batman realized that Bat Cat might not be a cat at all but an Owl Cat.

The evidence was far from conclusive, but even if Bat Cat wasn't an Owl Cat, there must have been factors guided by the Owl Cats leading to Gotham's current state. While investigating the clues on the road, Batman thought deeply. Would he have made Gotham like this without someone guiding him?

The result of his contemplation was that he wouldn't because his rationality told him it was futile.

No standard could perfectly distinguish humanity. It was impossible to label those who didn't meet a certain standard as good and those who didn't as bad—race, color, gender, personality—none of these could serve as criteria.

Human mentality and emotions were in constant flux and motion. Trying to measure and separate people with static standards and forcibly isolating them had dire consequences, as witnessed by a failed art student.

As expected by Batman, his first attack was successful. The opposite figure was indeed not a cat but an Owl Cat. With that settled, there remained one question. Batman looked at the Owl Cat and asked, "Where did you take the real Bat Cat?"

The Owl Cat continued to scream frantically, repeatedly shouting, "It's impossible! I'm a cat! I'm not an Owl Cat!"

But at that moment, a slightly aged figure slowly approached. Batman recognized him in an instant—Alfred.

Then he saw the elderly Alfred Cat walk up to Joker Cat and nudge his chin against Joker Cat's head.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 597: Long Live Cat! (Part 2)