After a playful tussle with Strangulation, Su Ming finally transformed the lower part of his face to resemble Batman, then he leaped from the building, his cape carrying him through the air.
The streets below occasionally rang with sirens, gunshots, or screams, but Su Ming paid no heed.
He's impersonating Batman just for fun, not to be a real superhero.
Now the Bat Lamp is lit, indicating Director Gordon has something for Batman. Not going would waste Strangulation's painstaking disguise.
..........
Gordon paced back and forth on the police station roof, cigarette butts littered the ground beneath him, and the night wind stirred his coat and tie. He had no choice but to take out a new cigarette from the pack and light it with his hand shielding the lighter.
Next to the Bat Lamp on the police station roof, a small red dot always flashed - that was Gordon waiting.
Batman was slow to arrive today for some reason, but it's not unprecedented; in his younger days, Gordon once waited for Batman for hours on a cold winter night in the same spot.
He didn't know Batman was tied up with Justice League matters, and Batman's mystique would never allow others to know his whereabouts.
It gave Su Ming an opportunity.
If Batman had to inform others every time he went somewhere just to prevent Su Ming's impersonation, would he still be Batman?
"Swish."
A faint rustle of a cape sounded behind Gordon; an ordinary person might not notice, but Chief Gordon, who'd worked with Batman for over a decade, understood it as Batman's greeting.
A dark figure landed on the edge of the rooftop.
"Batman, you've... grown taller?"
With a joyful expression, Gordon turned around, eager to brief Batman on the city's cases but suddenly realized Batman looked much more robust today.
"I got new gear."
Batman is another who uses a voice modulator, so Su Ming's devilish whisper didn't seem out of place. There might be slight differences, but new gear always needs tweaking.
Gordon didn't dwell on it; Batman's gear always has peculiar uses. He's even come to the police station with the Bat Plane before. It's no issue.
"Gotham had five murder cases today; I've been shuttling between scenes all day long." Gordon spoke with rapid speed while smoking.
"I bet you're the only Director who visits crime scenes."
"Gotham needs me this way... and anyway, all these cases were committed by the same person who left clues at each scene."
"Joker?" Su Ming immediately thought of Batman's arch-nemesis.
"Oh, no, I'm talking about the Riddler. These victims were all killed because they failed at solving riddles."
Gordon seemed stung by a scorpion; even his fingers holding the cigarette trembled slightly. The city was already chaotic, and the Joker better stay away.
"...The Riddler should get out of Gotham." Su Ming's face turned solemn as the Symbiote cooperated by pulling the corners of his mouth down to match Batman's serious image.
"Ah, all these bastards should leave Gotham, but we all know they won't." Gordon said, weary, while smoking. With Batman here, which masked lunatic would be willing to leave?
Su Ming was just playing around as Batman; he had no intention of answering hundreds of the Riddler's questions to rescue innocent citizens in the dead of night.
"But is it too bad to outright refuse Gordon now? His eyes seem to flash at me..." Su Ming was somewhat conflicted inside.
Forget it. I'll find the Riddler, beat him up for some fun—it'll be payback for all the torment from playing games years ago.
"Nigma hasn't acted like this for years." Su Ming mimicked Batman's speech pattern, which was turning questions into statements for Gordon to continue.
"Yes, his methods seem to have regressed years back; in recent years, he's prepared everything as traps and revealed them all at once. But now, it's a linear setup."
Director Gordon pulled a stack of photos from his coat and handed them to Batman.
They were crime scene photos, not only of tortured victims but also of clues left by the Riddler.
Su Ming found no emotional stir.
Madmen remain mad; without Batman in Gotham, the likes of Joker and the Riddler would go to Star City to play games with Green Arrow.
If there were no superheroes worldwide, they'd form a syndicate-like organization, expand to other parallel worlds, and wreak havoc.
Cyclically, they'd destroy world after world until finding a superhero in some world to 'play' with them.
Su Ming glanced at the photos. No need to look at the bodies; the killing methods resemble that neighbor 'Saw' old man. Trap kills are standard, and the Riddler is more brazen; he doesn't hide fingerprints or anything—just viewing the crime scene identifies him.
At this moment, he should have set up his trap somewhere in Gotham after leaving clues, waiting for Batman to join a riddle challenge.
His methods are predictable; he usually kidnaps Batman's friends and family, forcing him to solve riddles.
Plenty have been kidnapped: Catwoman, Robin, the butler, and even Director Gordon have been abducted.
So who might be this jackpot winner this time?
Gordon is here; Barbara and the Birds of Prey are in the Clock Tower; Catwoman probably left Gotham for wandering; Robins are now mixing with Titan.
As for the current Batwoman... even if the Riddler wanted to kidnap Cassandra, he'd have to manage it; Martial Arts Grandmaster isn't a title thrown around lightly?
Could it be the butler Alfred? Nope, too easy to guess—Riddler wouldn't pose such a riddle.
Currently in Gotham... closely linked to Batman or Bruce...
There indeed is one such person.
Close relationship, weak as a chicken, Batman would surely rescue him: Dr. Lucius Fox, father of "Bat Wings."
Bat Wings joined the International Justice League, kind of a ruse by Batman to pacify the UN by handing over Justice League's second-line team for their command.
But logically, we all know who's really in command of the "International Justice League."
Currently, Bat Wings should be in Washington during this critical period, with Gordon maintaining order alone in Gotham.
As for Dr. Fox, he's just a solitary old man left behind—most suitable target.
He's the chief scientist of the Wayne Group, the chief executive officer, not only aware of Bruce's identity but many of Batman's gadgets are his handiwork.
In terms of affection and reason, Lucius is someone Batman must save, and Su Ming now has an eighty percent certainty that the Riddler's ultimate prize is him.
Now I just need to head over, maybe intercept that scumbag before the Riddler acts and let him taste what Batman's fists are not.
From a detective's perspective, they may need to solve puzzles, but Deathstroke always thinks from a killer's angle. If Su Ming wanted to kidnap someone at this time to play with Batman, Dr. Fox would be a top choice.