Chapter 837: Children's Struggle (Part II) (Patreon)

In DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

With a nervous heart, Jason left the Blue Jacket headquarters building without taking action, for he had more important matters to attend to.

As he had anticipated, Gang wasn't foolish. Some had realized that this was a trap, even if their understanding didn't delve too deep. They were not willing to have their influence diminished.

Jason knew that, compared to killing, he had more important tasks at hand. He had to ensure the renovation project would continue.

For the upper echelons of Gang, this might lead to a decrease in their influence and a tougher life ahead. But for these children, as long as the building was completed, there would definitely be improvements in their lives. At the very least, they wouldn't have to work in the rain, and the chances of falling ill would be reduced.

Jason had considered storming in and forcing the bomb's location out of them, but this was, in fact, more challenging than taking a life. Killing only required a few seconds, but coercion might lead to noise, and other members could discover him, making escape impossible.

From the overheard conversation, he had gleaned an even more important piece of information: Wayne Group had a way to ensure everyone had suitable housing.

Although Jason didn't know the specifics of this method, he was clear that if Bruce Wayne claimed it, he could deliver on it. Batman was not one to exaggerate.

With this in mind, it meant that all the children could have a room. To achieve this goal, Jason was willing to do whatever it took.

He hurried back to the base and summoned all the children, saying, "Quickly, go! Get the people the other children helped and bring their leaders here. I have something to tell them!"

The children were puzzled, but in the past few days, Jason's actions had made them more convinced. They hadn't been driven out by Gang but had returned to their homes. Gang members were falling apart, and while they lived in fear, the children were doing well.

So, they trusted Jason completely and didn't ask many questions. They all rushed out. After a while, the sleepy-eyed leader of the children's gang arrived with his associates. One of them rubbed his eyes and said, "Jason, couldn't this wait until tomorrow morning? What's the rush?"

"I'm really in a hurry. I have two pieces of news to share with you."

"The first piece of news is good. According to reliable information, Wayne Group has a way to ensure that everyone can live in the houses they've been assigned, and Gang can't interfere with us."

Instantly, the children below erupted in excitement. Some asked, "What? How is that possible? Can he really do that? Is he planning to wage war against Gang?"

"Even if the small Gang is gone, there's still the big Gang, and even if the big Gang is gone, there are the Twelve Families. How can he deal with all of Gang?"

"How can he let us move in? What if Gang threatens us with guns? We can't fight them!"

"Is this really reliable, Jason?" one of the children, Wang, said. "I know you don't like to deceive people, but this sounds a bit too far-fetched!"

"I'm not sure, but if there's a chance..." Jason didn't finish his sentence, but the entire room fell silent.

Jason saw a glint in their eyes, a gleam that stood out in the dim room. Perhaps these children didn't lack hope for this world; they had just been disappointed too many times. But even so, after hearing this news, they couldn't help but dream.

A warm, leak-free house, a soft bed, windows that let in sunlight—no child could refuse such a dream.

"There's one more piece of news, and it's bad," Jason's tone grew somber. "The Gang from Elizabeth Street doesn't want this project to proceed. So, they've planted a bomb near the foundation."

"As long as the bomb goes off, the foundation will be destroyed. If it kills the workers, Wayne Group will have to compensate, and lawsuits surrounding this incident will last for years. Gang can use this time to sit down and negotiate with Wayne Family. They can regain control and have Wayne Family handle the housing arrangements..."

"And once they regain power, nobody will care about us."

Jason's words had barely fallen when he saw a new intensity in the children's eyes. But this time, it was tinged with murderous intent, even turning blood-red.

Even teenagers understood one thing: as long as there was even the slightest chance to secure the life they dreamt of, they were willing to pay any price.

"Where is the bomb?" one of the children leaders asked. She said, "I have over 30 people at my disposal, and within the scope of these three streets, there's nowhere they can't search. No matter where the bomb is hidden, we can dig it out!"

"Correct, the bunch of troublemakers in my gang have scoured every nook and cranny around here. They couldn't possibly detonate the bomb under our noses..."

"Before, we didn't pay attention, but they couldn't have escaped our notice..."

Several child leaders exchanged glances, each seeing the confidence in one another's eyes. What they said was correct. If Gang were the kings of this territory, then the child gang was like the insects that inhabited it.

Snakes might have places they couldn't reach, but ants, bees, and moths had explored every corner and hidden passage in the streets and alleys. These young children survived on the streets of Gotham by making use of every nook and cranny to expand their living space.

Now, this had become their sharp weapon. Other Gang members from different streets couldn't possibly be more familiar with this place than they were.

As the voices of these young ones rang out, slender figures emerged from underground one by one, like shoots breaking through the earth after the first spring rain. They transformed into streaks of light, exploring every corner of the streets and alleys.

Whispering, exchanging glances, coming and going from all directions...

On this night when no one slept, Jason, for the first time, didn't feel anger and helplessness, but all the child leaders felt a strange excitement. They had never united like this before.

Perhaps in the future, they would become the leaders of various regions' gangs, but they would ultimately understand that the excitement in their hearts today came from the freedom to control their own fate, from rebellion, and from the camaraderie and shared ideals.

Tiny sparks were ignited, and when they were carried by Gotham's night wind into the cold night, whether they would coalesce into a larger fire for society or be extinguished, Jason didn't know. He only knew that this thrilling night would be forever etched in his memory.

Not even two hours passed before several children came to report. Some said they found the soil in the corner of a wall had been dug up, others mentioned strange lights near the construction site, and still, others claimed to have seen unfamiliar faces recently...

They systematically investigated these leads, and in the end, they confirmed three problematic locations, all of which were near the construction site.

The first was the appearance of strange tire tracks in the adjacent muddy ground. These children had memorized what the tires of nearby residents and Gang members' cars looked like, and they knew them like the backs of their hands. It was how they survived in the underbelly of Gotham.

Another person found a spent shell casing not far from the construction site, which didn't appear to be from the small Gang here but more likely from the firearms used by those larger Gangs.

The third was that there were often strange shadows on the rooftop of a building near the construction site, as if someone were watching the site.

The children divided into three groups to investigate these three different locations. Jason went to the most dangerous place, the rooftop near the construction site. He might encounter enemies face to face there, while the other two locations were merely leads.

Navigating the rooftop with ease, Jason didn't find anything suspicious. So, he entered the rooftop door and waited behind it, intending to see who was coming to this place.

As the night grew deeper, Jason heard a faint sound outside the door, as if two pairs of footsteps were approaching. He peered through the crack of the door and saw two figures—one tall and one short.

As he continued to watch, Jason felt a sense of familiarity, especially with the taller figure on the right. Wasn't that Batman?

Jason pushed the door open and walked out. Dick, who was with Batman, turned his head cautiously, but Batman remained still, only turning his head slightly to look at Jason. He said, "Jason, why did you take so long to get here?"

"I've been waiting here for quite some time," Jason replied as he joined Batman on the rooftop. Looking down from this vantage point, he could see the children bustling about the streets, all searching for something.

"You wouldn't allow someone to plant a bomb near your construction site, right? You wouldn't give them that chance, Batman," Jason said, but then he asked, "So why didn't you just protect the entire construction site?"

Batman shook his head and said, "You will protect it, won't you?"

Batman gazed at the flickering lights at the construction site. "Someone once told me not to pity them, not to give them everything like a god, but to let them strive and defend for themselves."

Jason stood at the edge of the rooftop and said, "Now they've learned all of that. Once they start dreaming and imagining the better life they should have, they won't allow anyone to destroy it. They can't bear that kind of exploitation anymore..."

Meanwhile, Dick was somewhat confused. He didn't understand what Batman and Jason were talking about. He wanted to ask but didn't know where to start. After Jason left, he asked Batman, "What were you two talking about?"

"We were discussing a book we just read," Batman replied.

"A book we just read?" Dick frowned, very puzzled, and asked, "What book did you read? What's in it?"

Batman turned his head to look at Dick, his gaze unexpectedly gentle.

As the children near the construction site celebrated finding the bomb, a low voice echoed through the night sky of Gotham, carrying a chill that didn't belong to this season.

"The book tells a story, a heart-rending story that takes place in the midst of a blizzard..."

"If you really want to know, go ask Alfred."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

XXX-----XXX-----XXX-----XXX

Next Chapter>>Chapter 838: Ongoing Gotham Transformation (Part 1)