"The cape is an indispensable part of the Batsuit. It gives me more options—both in combat and movement."
As the Sun disappeared beyond the horizon, night quietly took over New York.
Thick clouds swallowed the Moon whole, leaving the city beneath a blanket of darkness.
Tonight, Batman did not head to Hell's Kitchen.
Instead, he stood on Roosevelt Island, a long strip of land floating between Manhattan and Queens in the East River. His boots rested silently on the grass of Southpoint Park, located at the island's southernmost tip.
Batman's daytime walks through New York were never casual.
They served two purposes.
One was to search for a suitable location for a future Batcave.
The other was intelligence gathering.
And tonight, that intelligence had paid off.
A cigarette deal was about to take place in Southpoint Park. The sellers were Gang members from Hell's Kitchen, moving contraband under Kingpin's expanding network.
The transaction time had not yet arrived.
But Batman's mind never rested.
Even as he watched the empty park, he was refining another plan—one that went far beyond street-level crime.
Batman never placed all his hopes on a single path.
At the same time, three plans were unfolding.
The first plan involved Dr. Otto's nuclear fusion research. Unfortunately, the world-class physicist was currently sitting in a police detention room after losing control of his mechanical tentacles.
The second plan was the creation of an AI technology company, cooperating with Stark Industries to provide technical support.
That plan had already succeeded.
After subtracting the money spent on parts, tools, and assembly equipment, Batman now possessed over 106.6 million in available funds.
That money was ready for the third plan.
Using a shell company, Batman would quietly acquire factories—then begin mass production of memory fibers and nano-composite materials.
Batman had no intention of commercializing the true Bat-cape.
But by modifying the manufacturing process, he could create a slightly inferior version.
Inferior only by his own standards.
For the current global market, the material was revolutionary.
It was lightweight yet incredibly strong. Bullet-resistant. Impact-absorbing. Heat-resistant. Flame-retardant.
It could be used for:
Bulletproof armor.
Firefighting suits.
Racing gear.
Aerospace applications.
Medical protection.
Laboratory safety equipment.
Batman did not obsess over business—but having once led Wayne Group, he understood markets better than most.
By manufacturing the Bat-cape materials, he could take his first real step toward a business empire—while simultaneously advancing his crime-fighting tools.
Two birds. One Bat.
Only with sustained financial power could he build what he truly needed.
Compared to this plan, the 100 million earned from AI cooperation was nothing more than loose change—not even enough to design and construct a Batwing, a vertical launch platform, and an electromagnetic catapult system.
"Tonight," Batman thought calmly, "I still need to visit the Manhattan Police Station."
"Dr. Otto is being held there."
"I need updates. Information."
Despite everything, Batman had not abandoned him.
But there was no time to dwell on that now.
In the darkness of Southpoint Park, a tiny red spark flickered.
The buyer had arrived.
Batman stood completely still.
Like a statue.
---
"This should be safe enough," Dean said casually, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.
The glowing tip burned red in the night like a dying star.
"No need to worry about the sellers getting ideas."
He exhaled slowly, enjoying the smoke filling his lungs.
"Just don't go near Hell's Kitchen," he added. "I hear things have been… strange lately."
Next to him, a thin woman with long hair and a nose ring wrapped her arms around herself, clearly uneasy.
"There was some spandex-wearing freak causing trouble at the Blaus Hotel," she said softly. "And people keep talking about a Vampire."
"Ellie, relax," Dean said dismissively.
"This place isn't remote, but it's safe."
Behind him, another man laughed quietly.
"Even if there is a Vampire, what's he going to do? Drain all five or six of us?"
"At worst," he shrugged, "one person dies."
The others nodded silently.
Ellie's face grew paler.
"But—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Footsteps echoed through the park.
The sellers arrived.
Four of them.
Black Cat walked at the front.
"It looks like you've been waiting a while," she said lightly, scanning the group.
Dean lit another cigarette.
"Cut the talk. You got the goods or not?"
"Easy," Black Cat replied. "You know Kingpin's expanding fast. Cigarettes are everywhere right now. He wants them all gone within a month, so—"
"Black Cat," a burly man behind her interrupted impatiently, "we're here to trade, not lecture."
Black Cat sighed inwardly and stepped aside.
The burly man pulled a bag of cigarettes from his jacket.
At the same time, a small camera—flash disabled—appeared quietly in Black Cat's hand.
"Guys…" Ellie spoke again.
"What?" Dean snapped, turning toward her.
Her arm trembled as she raised it, pointing toward a corner of the park.
Her voice cracked.
"Wh-when did a statue appear there?"
Everyone turned.
Not far away stood a pitch-black figure.
Two pointed ears.
Completely motionless.
"Va-va-va—" the burly man stammered, his eyes wide.
The statue moved.
It merged with the darkness itself.
Before anyone could react—
Bang!
A smoke bomb dropped between the buyers and sellers.
White smoke exploded outward, swallowing the area in chaos.
Shouts rang out.
People stumbled blindly.
Batman moved.
His strikes were precise, controlled.
He avoided killing blows—but his strength was overwhelming.
In the darkness, Batman was a tiger among sheep.
Thump! Thump!
Dull impacts echoed as bodies hit the ground.
The burly man reached for a pistol—
The gun flew from his hand.
An uppercut lifted his entire body off the ground.
Compared to the dock fight before, these men were fewer—and poorly armed.
By the time Black Cat could properly focus, everyone was already down.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
The sound of a body being dragged echoed.
Batman had seized the burly man by one leg and dragged him to the edge of the East River.
Without hesitation—
Splash!
The man's body plunged into the icy water.
Bubbles erupted as his limbs thrashed desperately.
Batman pulled him up.
"Tell me everything you know about Kingpin's Gang," Batman said coldly.
The man coughed, about to act tough—
Splash!
Down he went again.
Pulled up once more, his strength fading.
"Now," Batman said, "you can talk."
Black Cat was about to speak.
Her camera had recorded everything.
So had the recorder hidden in her sleeve.
But then—
A powerful searchlight ignited in the heart of Manhattan.
The beam shot straight into the clouds.
Light gathered.
And on the cloud itself—
A massive Bat symbol burned against the night sky.
---------------------------------------------------
100+ chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
----------------------------------------------------- .