Yes, that place cannot be known to them, perhaps Barbara can, but definitely not a reporter, Su Ming didn't mind causing some trouble for Batwoman, but the villains knowing her identity is a different concept from all Earthlings knowing.
"So, if I give another clue, can you not blindfold me?" Vico tried to bargain.
"No way." Su Ming tore the towel into three pieces, blindfolding all three of them: "If you dare to touch it, I'll break your toes."
"But it's uncomfortable the way you tied it, and even if I wanted to touch it, I'd use my hands, why break my toes?" Vico wriggled in the chair, looking uncomfortable.
"Because I feel like it." Su Ming answered her with a willful reply: "Where's your evidence?"
"You won't even let me see, I'm not saying anything, just kill me then." Vico turned her head, stretching her neck towards Su Ming's hand.
"I didn't say you couldn't see, just that you'll have to wait until we get there, and the person you want dead will die tomorrow." Su Ming shared his thoughts, pushing her back to sit properly, Cindy was driving wildly, everything in the car seemed to be shaking at a high frequency.
"Fine, remember what you said, hehe." Vico laughed, realizing her luck was really good: "I already know who the boss of the Man in Black you're looking for is."
"Oh?"
This got Cindy interested too, why did Vico discover it when so many others couldn't? She didn't think the female reporter was smarter than herself.
But Su Ming knew, Vico was just that peculiar, even fate seemed to favor her. Finding a clue was one thing, with the lucky halo surrounding her, it wasn't impossible for her to end up resolving a world crisis.
That's how it was in the comics, her luck was unbelievably good. If some thug wanted to harass her, a superhero would conveniently pass by; when she wanted to investigate a story, the leads would walk right up to her; if a superior wanted to criticize her, a board member would immediately back her up.
Su Ming decided to bring her along, besides using the TV station to get things done, because of her good luck. Sometimes you indeed need some luck to get things done, she's a good tool person.
Just not sure if good luck counts as a superpower?
"Go on." Su Ming motioned for her to speak.
"Ahem, I checked the wounds on the body, these are very unique, you've seen them too, so I thought of ritual murder."
Vico cleared her throat, and shared her lengthy speech.
Cindy shook her head, lit her cigar, and blew a smoke ring, but it was quickly dispersed by the wind.
"I don't recall Gotham having a Ripper-like person."
"Come on, I haven't finished yet." Vico smiled with the bottom half of her face exposed from under the towel, she slowly explained: "I also don't recall any Ripper showing up in Gotham, so I linked it to ritual murder—if it's not an original method, it could only be from classical tradition, then I remembered seeing records of it."
"An ancient punishment?"
Su Ming crossed his arms, closed his eyes to think carefully, but still had no clue, only images of traditional Celestial Dynasty punishments like dismemberment came to mind.
Cindy also appeared to have no idea, her expression showed it, smoking wasn't helping.
"Hehe, I didn't look at the bodies too closely because it was gross, but I estimated the murder weapon at roughly 60 cm long and 5 cm wide, which matches my theory—it's the abajarin punishment. I accidentally saw records related to it while reporting a ritual murder case a while back."
Vico revealed the answer directly, but the name was unfamiliar, seeing the others in confusion, a sense of pride bloomed in her heart. Indeed, the efforts to become an excellent news anchor weren't in vain, her obscure knowledge finally came in handy, she continued to explain:
"This is an Ancient Roman punishment, with the punished tied to a pillar, and the Roman short sword making them repent in blood. If you mention Romans in Gotham, who would you think of?"
"Falcone, the Roman?" Su Ming sighed, "If it is him, indeed he would despise Gordon and the Bat."
"Despise? Ha, Gordon tricked him, and Batwoman tied him to the Bat Lamp to roast him, he loathes them."
Cindy laughed and interrupted, shaking her head as she recalled what happened ten years ago, the Bat was indeed kind of eerie, there's no need for killing to go beyond burial, tying someone to a lamp to roast was too much?
But if all this is Falcone's doing, it complicates matters since he wasn't a stupid boss but the Dark Emperor of Gotham from a decade ago, a man of his stature in this world wasn't a fool.
He wouldn't do anything meaningless; the Assassin Alliance, a centuries-old organization, would know of the ancient punishment, so the marks on the body were the Roman's signature meant for them.
It's telling them 'I killed your people, come find me.'
If it were the Roman from a decade ago, he would have the confidence to challenge the Assassin Alliance, as Gotham was entirely under his control back then.
But now, what does he have to fight with?
"Could it be framing? I remember Falcone should be locked up in Black Gate Prison." Barbara wanted to check on the computer, but now she was blindfolded too.
"Why is Gordon's daughter so naive and cute?" Vico teased her and reached out trying to touch her little face, but Barbara dodged: "In the second month of Falcone's imprisonment, he was granted medical parole for a 'sudden illness,' seems like he's back now."
"Yeah, no one would frame someone who's been silent for ten years, no less someone everyone's forgotten. Only he himself would bring up past matters." Cindy also agreed, the Romans should be back, given that the current clues lead only to this conclusion.
The rain outside grew heavy, and now the car left the loop road, bumping along a muddy path.
Shadowed trees flashed past outside in the darkness, and the sound of raindrops hitting leaves echoed all around, Su Ming noticed broken branches also flashing past his vision, indicating that the wind grew stronger, the torrential rain had turned into a storm.
He didn't know the Vayne Mansion was in such a remote place, even providing water and electricity would need specific pipelines; getting there in case of trouble took time, which was inconvenient.
If Briss lived next to the police station, wouldn't it be much more convenient? As soon as the Bat Lamp lit, she would meet Gordon in less than two minutes...
Watching the plants and darkness outside, he let his mind wander, trying not to think too much about the Dark Multiverse, a sword hanging over his head, which did not benefit from constantly looking up at it.
Vico concluded her clue and fell quiet, though her ears twitched slightly as if trying to memorize the route by hearing.
However, a person untrained in special operations couldn't do that, and it was destined to be futile. Luck isn't all-powerful.
His thoughts returned to the kidnapping of Gordon.
If Falcone intentionally attracted the Assassin Alliance, he must have a plan in place. The Assassins are just trained people, if caught in heavy gunfire, they could not survive either.
Except for their leader, the Undying 'Head of Demon' Leixiao Gu.
It seemed the Romans gathered a new force to declare war with the Shadow Dancer Alliance, but to Su Ming's knowledge, they had little interaction, not to mention any grudge.
The Assassin Alliance would be willing to serve for money, why did things become this way? What did it have to do with Gordon?
If he wanted revenge, he should be hunting Gordon, the Bat, and Penguin.
Gordon invited him to negotiate, but when he arrived at the place he found Batwoman was present, they ambushed him, and the Bat further humiliated him, the Penguin took advantage to swallow his territory, becoming Gotham's most powerful force then.
Falcone ought to make use of the Assassin Alliance instead of angering them.