Bronze Tiger was still badly hurt, and Deadshot was restocking his weapons nearby. But even fully armed, Deadshot wouldn't stand a chance against Bane. Right now, there was nobody Adam could count on for help. It was the worst possible moment to face a dangerous enemy alone.
"Are you here for my head?" Adam tried to hide his nerves. He took a slow sip of wine, keeping his voice calm. "But since you've been standing there so long without making a move, I'm guessing that's not why you came."
He had a point. If Bane wanted him dead, he'd had plenty of chances already.
Feeling a little bolder, Adam added, "You know, if you're after headlines, you should go for someone big—like Lois Lane from the Daily Planet. If you grab her, it'd be national news. Me? I'm a nobody. Why do you keep targeting someone like me?"
Adam hoped to steer Bane in another direction—preferably straight toward Superman's reporter friend, who had a much bigger protector.
Bane finally spoke, towering over Adam.
"Are all Gotham people as shameless as you?" he said, voice heavy and hard. "At first, my orders were to hurt or kidnap your team. Cause an international scandal. But you're safe for now—your expedition is already out of the headlines. If you disappeared today, nobody would care. My mission's a bust."
Adam blinked, caught off-guard. "So, what are you here for? Just looking to get even after everything that happened yesterday?"
Bane shook his head slowly, his huge frame radiating quiet threat.
"I only came to give you a message"—Bane's lips curled into a half-smile—"and a gift. Something you won't forget. I hope you like surprises."
Confused and cautious, Adam replied, "A gift? What are you talking about? You're not here for payback?"
Bane ignored the question, opening the door to leave. He paused in the doorway, glanced back with a cryptic look, and said, "You'll know what it is once you're back in Gotham."
With that, Bane was gone, the door slamming shut and leaving Adam alone with a thousand questions.
Pushing that uneasy encounter aside, Adam and his friends finally made it home to Gotham. They submitted their report about the overseas mission. Their findings were honest: it was almost impossible to ban certain crops in the far northern mountains because the land was too rough for anything else. The report suggested relocating mountain villagers for better opportunities, hoping that if new crops brought profits, they'd stop growing the banned stuff. But if the trade blockade wasn't lifted, the illegal industry would just keep thriving underground.
Adam's friends all got their own rewards from his share. He handed $50,000 to Deadshot for his help.
He tried to give another $50,000 to Bronze Tiger, but the martial arts master refused the money. So, Adam bought a rundown building and turned it into a dojo instead.
Bronze Tiger didn't know what to say, but he finally accepted, grateful. The dojo was right next to Adam's bar, meaning if trouble came, Bronze Tiger would always be close by to help out.
As the place was being fixed up, Bronze Tiger even moved in temporarily, acting as Adam's bartender and bodyguard.
Poison Ivy, returned to her plant research lab. But after their shared struggles in South America, she relied on Adam more and more, texting him whenever something bothered her—especially about her boss forcing her into scarier and scarier experiments.
Adam knew enough to realize that these events could soon turn him into the full-fledged Poison Ivy of DC lore, but for now, he just offered comforting words, acting like the big brother she never had. That kindness meant a lot to her, and they grew closer because of it.
Adam also noticed things had changed while he was gone. Weaver had gotten much stronger, especially at Arkham. Weaver even got involved in helping a crime boss break out of the asylum, taking big bribes but cutting Adam out of the deal entirely. Now Adam realized: if he ever wanted real power in Gotham, he'd have to take Weaver down.