SHIELD wanted to temporarily take over the city's defense, but encountered unprecedented resistance. For some reason, Gotham City's rejection of foreign forces was beyond many people's expectations, even reaching an exaggerated level.
When Coulson found Donnie, he was sitting in a room playing cards with Crane. It was a VIP room provided by Wayne Enterprises. Donnie had been living there shamelessly since arriving in Gotham City, and the Wayne Enterprises staff hadn't shown any intention of evict him. Could it be that Wayne Enterprises couldn't even afford a room?
"Mr. Downey, long time no see." Coulson walked in with May, his signature smile on his face. He took a look around the luxurious room and said with a smile, "It seems like you're living a comfortable life in Gotham. It's like a completely different world from the chaos outside."
Klein revealed his final cards: the Joker, the Big Joker, and the Big Joker. Donnie lost again. His record was now three wins and three losses. Playing cards with someone of high intelligence really required extreme caution. Thanks to Donnie's ever-improving memory, he managed to evenly match Klein.
"Don't test me, Coulson. You are as cunning as Fury." Donnie threw away the cards in his hand and stretched.
May kept a vigilant eye on Klein, paying particular attention to his clothing, as he might have hidden a deadly poison gas somewhere. Even Batman had been knocked down by Klein's poison gas.
"Donnie, we want to understand the situation in this city." Coulson said seriously, "We wanted to intervene here, but we encountered huge resistance. This is very strange."
"It's not surprising. Hasn't Gotham City been like this for hundreds of years? If you're a businessman, gangster, or politician, you can come here, but certain forces can't intervene. The people in this city are confident in assimilating individual individuals, but they can't assimilate a behemoth like S.H.I.E.L.D." Downey poured a cup of tea, then poured another for Coulson, ignoring May who was sitting next to him.
Coulson held the teacup, smiled, and handed it to May.
"It seems that you know this city very well. What about our protagonists, Batman and the Joker? Is there any way to find them directly?" Coulson asked.
"There's nothing I can do about it. These two guys are so elusive, and a fight between them is bound to be exciting. From what I can see so far, Batman is losing miserably."
Coulson and May exchanged a thoughtful glance. Intelligence revealed that Donny was secretly selling weapons to the impoverished residents of Old Town, even resorting to the somewhat unconventional "installment" scheme. This suggested Donny was planning something they hadn't anticipated, and perhaps this was the key.
"Then, Mr. Downey, I'll be frank. I'm sure you prefer an open and honest approach." Coulson sat up straight, his eyes sharp and indescribably sharp. He asked word by word, "What is the reason you've stayed in this city and refused to leave?"
"I'm working for Stark Group? Can't you tell? I'm a shareholder of Stark Group!" Donnie looked stunned, seemingly innocent. "I'm arranging a plan to target the old city and kill Falcon's thugs, and you can't figure it out?"
Mei felt very angry. Looking at the innocent and pure face of the other person, she really wanted to punch him. She smashed the teacup in her hand heavily on his face.
"The people you arranged have long been thrown into Arkham Prison by Batman. Now sporadic civil resistance organizations have appeared in the old city, and many places have become battlefields." May said angrily.
"You mean Anderson?... I chose that guy because he's capable. He might seem a bit clueless, but he's a hard-working person." Donnie blew on his teacup, inhaling the aroma. "But I'm not going to just assign Anderson to this team..."
Coulson had a smile on his face and his eyes were fixed on Donnie's.
They looked into each other's eyes and saw each other's persistence.
"You're using the entire Old Town population as pawns... Donny, I really don't understand what you're doing. You have a clear purpose, yet it's so confusing," Coulson said. "You could have achieved your goal in the most direct way. No one would risk their lives for a bunch of criminals."
Donnie stood up and walked to the window, looking at the bustling metropolis without turning back: "Coulson, do you know the difference between me and Batman, Captain America, and the others?"
"I'd like to hear more about it."
"When a diligent civilian is besieged by ten fully armed gangsters, I will help him. But when this civilian is besieged by two unarmed gangsters, I will pretend not to see it and pass by. Even if this civilian is beaten to death in the end, I will pretend not to see it." Donny touched the glass with one hand, as if he wanted to touch the soul of this city with this hand.
Gotham City, the world-famous city of sin, seems to be emitting a light unique to this city under Downey's gaze.
Coulson and May were lost in thought. Donnie's point was clear: people couldn't always wait for heroes to appear; they had to save themselves.
"They don't even dare to save themselves, passively accepting day-in, day-out oppression. Even if I rescue them from Falcon today, there will still be other gangs tomorrow. Even without the gangs, there will still be corrupt public officials. I simply gave them a choice. Whether they are willing to seize it or not, whether they are willing to take the initiative to change their hometown with their own hands, the choice is theirs from beginning to end. No one is forcing them to do anything."
Downey continued: "It was the civilians who made the decision to take up arms against the gangs. I provided them with access to weapons, that's all."
"It's a cruel concept, but it's very practical, and many people don't dare to say it so clearly," said Coulson.
"I prefer to call this philosophy 'pragmatic.' Heroes are limited, and superheroes capable of fighting a hundred enemies alone are even rarer. But there are countless civilians in need of help. Instead of pinning our hopes on the ridiculous notion that 'a hero will come to save us, and we just have to endure it in silence,' it's better to bravely raise our fists and save ourselves. The civilians in the old city have been accustomed to being oppressed, and they understand better than anyone the difference between forbearance and cowardice."
As Donny spoke, he took out a cigarette and lit it. "I can tell with my toes that Batman must be pissed off with me right now, and he can't wait for me to be kicked out of Gotham. After all, I'm an outsider, encouraging frail, impoverished people to risk their lives against vicious gangs. This process is bound to result in tragic casualties, and success is not certain. Some people consider this an unforgivable act. I'm sending a large number of civilians to their deaths. I'm afraid more people are dying in a month than in the past few years."
A long silence fell between them, Coulson silently mulling over Donnie's words. These weren't just Donnie's views on Gotham City; they were also a summary of his style, providing crucial information. The two chatted for a while longer, and when Coulson realized he couldn't get any more information out of him, he briskly stood up and took his leave.
Coulson and May took the elevator out of the building. May made a hidden gesture to the surroundings, and some lurking agents silently merged into the crowd and disappeared.
"Do you really believe what he said?" Mei asked suddenly.
"At least I believe in his philosophy, and that's what makes Donny completely different from the public's impression of selfless, fearless, and always-on heroes," Coulson said.
Mei scoffed. As a global organization, they naturally understood that many natural and man-made disasters occurred around the world every year, but how many people received timely help from superheroes? Instead, there were more brave and fearless citizen heroes. They didn't have any superpowers, but they had brave hearts and were willing to help those in need.
"But one thing is certain: Donny is secretly plotting something. It's definitely not as simple as stirring up the stagnant waters of the Old City. He has a deeper plan, and I still haven't figured it out. From now on, Donny's attention level will be raised one level higher."
Coulson glanced at the gloomy sky, sniffing the air for the coming storm. Batman, the Joker, and Donnie all had their own plans, but who would emerge victorious when the truth finally came out? Who would be the ultimate loser?
This disaster-stricken city will eventually have to weather some storms before it can see the precious sunshine.