The air in the Batcave was heavy with the smell of newly cured polymers and high-octane fuel. Bruce stood before the Batmobile Mark I, his latest masterpiece. It wasn't the tank of later designs, nor the sleek roadster of the Zur-En-Arrh era; it was pure function.
It was built on a heavily modified WayneTech military prototype chassis—a stealth armored personnel carrier designed for urban evasion. It was matte black, angular, and lacked obvious weaponry, disguising its power beneath a utilitarian exterior.
"She's a beast, Alfred," Bruce said, running a gloved hand over the composite armor.
"She is a technological terror, Master Bruce," Alfred corrected, handing him a specialized data chip. "Mr. Fox has logged it as the 'Experimental Urban Climate Control Unit.' He's requesting a substantial raise."
Bruce inserted the chip into the vehicle's diagnostic port. The System's Oracle's Cipher instantly synced with the Batmobile's on-board computer.
> [VEHICLE CHECK: Batmobile Mark I - Complete]
> Armament: Non-Lethal Sonic Cannon (Beta-Unit upgraded), Deployable Micro-Drone Cluster.
> Defenses: Electro-Shock Perimeter, Titanium-Carbon Plating.
> Mode: Apex Predator Stealth Drive Active.
"Time to test her capabilities," Batman's synthesized voice growled.
The Target: Cobblepot's Ledger
The Batcomputer was his true copilot. The Oracle's Cipher had identified the weak point in Oswald Cobblepot's operation: the Ledger. The financial accounts that tied the seemingly legitimate "Penguin's Nest" import business to human trafficking, illegal weapons, and high-level political bribery.
Cobblepot kept the main, encrypted ledger in a vault beneath his club, the Penguin's Nest, a garish waterfront establishment.
"Cobblepot runs the docks like a feudal lord, Alfred," Batman stated, pulling on his cowl. "But he is predictable. Tonight is a major shipment exchange. The vault will be active, and his security will be localized."
He climbed into the Batmobile. The cockpit was ergonomic and tech-heavy, surrounding him with screens displaying real-time mapping and tactical data.
"Launch sequence," he commanded.
The Batmobile accelerated instantly, launching from the Batcave and bursting onto the north grounds of Wayne Manor, its presence masked by the Apex Predator stealth coating that absorbed light and sound.
The Drive: A Symphony of Speed
The ride across Gotham was a masterclass in urban navigation. The Batmobile Mark I didn't drive; it flowed.
Bruce pushed the vehicle to its limits. He utilized construction sites for jumps, abandoned train tunnels for deep cover, and the empty late-night streets for speed. The System's HUD projected a perfect, three-dimensional route, highlighting blind spots and potential police interference.
Suddenly, a patrol car swerved out, attempting to cut him off.
Batman didn't brake. He hit a button. The Batmobile emitted a directional Non-Lethal Sonic Pulse (an upgrade of the original Beta-Unit). The pulse was silent to human ears, but it caused the patrol car's steering servo to momentarily seize. The car harmlessly spun out, leaving the confused officers wondering what hit them.
"Minimal contact achieved," Batman logged mentally. "Efficiency: 98%."
Infiltration: The Penguin's Nest
The Batmobile slammed to a silent stop two blocks from the Penguin's Nest. Batman emerged, a terrifying shadow dissolving into the dockland smog.
The club was loud, gaudy, and heavily guarded. Bruce needed to get to the sub-level vault without causing undue chaos—a direct assault was a last resort.
He ascended the exterior wall of the building, using the Grappling Launcher for rapid vertical movement and his Apex Predator stealth to bypass infrared sensors. He located a service vent leading directly to the basement level.
Inside the vent, he navigated the cramped, grease-clogged tunnels with ease, the Iron Will trait suppressing the urge to gag at the stench. He dropped silently into the basement corridor.
There was the vault door—thick steel, triple-locked, and guarded by three large men armed with automatic weapons.
Batman didn't engage. He threw two custom-designed Smoke Pellets—a product of his ongoing consultation with Pamela Isley's toxicology research. The smoke was infused with a fast-acting, non-lethal sedative carried via a synthetic lipid agent.
The guards were asleep before they hit the floor.
The Cipher and the Confrontation
The vault door was a challenge. It was a mechanical, dial-based lock.
Batman knelt, pulling out specialized tools. His Oracle's Cipher trait immediately went to work. He didn't need to listen to the clicks; the System calculated the tumbler positions based on minute physical tolerances and the faint electromagnetic signature of the locking mechanism.
Click. Click. Clunk.
The massive door swung open. Inside was the ledger—a heavy, fireproof case—and a surprise.
Oswald Cobblepot was waiting, seated at a small desk, sipping cognac. He was short, impeccably dressed, and held a smoking cigarette holder like a weapon.
"Welcome, Bat-freak," Cobblepot sneered, his voice a high, grating rasp. "I knew you were coming. Didn't think you'd be so polite as to knock."
Cobblepot didn't call for his guards; he simply hit a panic button hidden beneath the desk.
"You're a distraction, Cobblepot," Batman stated, walking forward and snatching the ledger case. "Your operation is an infection. I am the cure."
"Cure?!" Cobblepot shrieked, snatching an exotic, umbrella-like cane. "I am a businessman! And you, a little man in a suit, are nothing but a broken toy!"
Cobblepot lunged. His cane wasn't a prop; it was a bladed weapon, whipping out a thin, razor-sharp edge.
Batman dodged with impossible speed, his DEX stats honed by years of training. He didn't block; he evaded. He delivered a single, calculated strike—not to Cobblepot's face, but to the ulnar nerve in his wrist, the precise spot Ted Grant had taught him.
Cobblepot gasped, dropping the cane as his entire arm went numb.
Batman threw a single, micro-sized Batarang—the Gamma-Unit—into the floor, inches from Cobblepot's foot. It wasn't meant to injure; it was a signal.
Suddenly, the lights in the vault flickered, and the sound of the Batmobile's Sonic Cannon echoed through the building's foundation. It was a focused, non-lethal wave that instantly disoriented every man in the club.
"You're contained, Cobblepot," Batman's voice boomed. "This ledger is going to James Gordon. You have two choices: surrender and face the law, or resist and be broken."
Cobblepot, clutching his useless wrist, watched the towering shadow of Batman melt into the shadows, the ledger gone, his empire crippled in a matter of minutes.
The Final Message
Batman was gone before the disoriented guards woke up. He drove the Batmobile to the rooftop of the GCPD headquarters, parking silently beside the iconic beacon used to call Jim Gordon.
He secured the locked ledger case to the base of the beacon, leaving a single, chilling note:
> "GORDON. COBBLEPOT'S LEDGER. A SYSTEMIC CURE IS REQUIRED."
He then looked out over the city. His first major strike against organized crime was complete. The Batmobile Mark I had performed flawlessly, and the System's optimization had ensured maximum impact with zero casualties.
His neural link chimed.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: Takedown of Systemic Corruption (Cobblepot)]
> Reward Gained: +60 XP.
> Level Progress: 110/350 XP (Level 7 \rightarrow Level 8).
> Threat Status: Gotham Mob (High-Level) - Critical Damage. New Target: Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot).
The war had truly begun.