Batman was no longer reacting; he was anticipating. The Strategist trait was a revelation—it allowed him to process the chaotic noise of Gotham into a clean, predictable flow chart. He knew Edward Nashton would escalate, and he knew Selina Kyle would return for the challenge.
The Puzzle of the Penny
Two days after the chaos cascade, a large, bronze riddle was broadcast on all public news channels, seemingly hijacking the city's emergency broadcast system. The voice was smooth, arrogant, and clearly distorted.
> "I possess a body, a crown, and a mouth. I can run fast but have no feet. My head is only worth one cent. What am I? Find me, Bat, before my worth expires."
Gordon was in a panic, but Bruce was calm. The Batcomputer and the Oracle's Cipher instantly analyzed the linguistic pattern.
"It's simple, Alfred," Batman stated, seated at the console. "A river. Body, crown, mouth of the river. Runs fast, no feet. A penny—Abraham Lincoln on the one-cent coin—a famous 'head' on a riverboat."
"The Gotham River, Master Bruce?"
"No. Too obvious. Nashton wants to prove his superiority. The key is 'my worth expires.' The riddle isn't about the river; it's about a specific location on the river where something of great value is about to be lost."
The Strategist trait took over. Batman cross-referenced the riddle's timing with the Falcone/Siren conflict and the city's current events.
Result: The only high-value, time-sensitive object on the Gotham River was the Arkham Asylum Relocation Fund—a massive private bond being transferred by armored barge to a new holding facility. The barge was scheduled to pass under the Lincoln Bridge in thirty minutes.
"The Lincoln head on the penny," Batman confirmed. "The worth that expires is the fund. He's going after the future of Gotham's madness."
The Ambush Point
Batman launched in the Batmobile Mark I, knowing he was walking into a trap, but a predictable one. He arrived at the Lincoln Bridge approach minutes before the barge.
He found Edward Nashton waiting on the rooftop, dressed not in his traditional green but in sharp, expensive civilian clothes, a headset covering his ears, controlling a series of complex drones hovering over the barge.
Next to him, however, was Catwoman, wearing her sleek suit, observing the unfolding scene with cool amusement.
"The Bat arrives precisely when the Bat is needed!" Nashton's amplified voice cackled through speakers attached to the drones. "Did you enjoy my little three-front distraction, Bat? Now, witness the power of the intelligent heist!"
Nashton activated his drones. They descended toward the barge, ready to deploy electromagnetic cutters to breach the vault.
Batman bypassed Nashton entirely. He knew the true threat was the money and Selina's role in the chaos.
"Selina," Batman's modulated voice cut through the noise. "He's using you as a distraction for his own ego. The Arkham Fund is a disaster waiting to happen. The money needs to build containment, not bankroll Falcone."
Selina frowned, her focus breaking from the drones. "Falcone? I'm working with a professional, not a mob thug!"
"He partnered with Falcone's tech-savvy lieutenants for the drone parts," Batman countered, using the intelligence gained from the Mob strike. "Nashton is a pawn, Selina. A complicated, egotistical pawn."
The Strategic Victory
Batman engaged Nashton's drones with his Batmobile's Sonic Cannon, using short, targeted pulses to disrupt their guidance systems without harming the barge crew.
Simultaneously, he deployed a specialized Micro-Adhesive Polymer dart from his utility belt. It didn't strike Nashton; it struck the console controlling the drones. The dart instantly coated the delicate electronics in a fast-hardening gel, freezing the whole operation.
Nashton screamed, his composure shattering. "No! My sequence! My beautiful logic!"
As Nashton descended into a self-pitying rage, Batman focused on Catwoman.
"This is the moment, Selina," Batman said, his voice deep and insistent. "He is pure logic. I am pure consequence. You are neither. You are freedom. Is this chaos worth your freedom?"
Selina looked at the frozen drones, the shrieking genius beside her, and the silent, imposing figure of the Bat. The difference between the professional and the amateur was stark.
"The game's spoiled, Eddie," Selina muttered to Nashton, then turned to Batman. "Fine. You win the penny. But the Serpent's Eye is already where it belongs."
She didn't wait for a fight. She executed a dazzling array of acrobatic maneuvers, leaping from the rooftop and disappearing into the dense industrial skyline, leaving behind a faint scent of jasmine and the frustration of the Bat.
The Arrest and the Question
Batman secured Nashton, who was now hysterically screaming a string of complex, unsolvable riddles. He zip-tied him and left him for Gordon with a note:
> "EDWARD NASHTON. FUTURE THREAT. EGO DRIVEN. REQUIRE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTAINMENT. KEEP HIM AWAY FROM PUZZLES."
He then returned to the Batcave, where Alfred was waiting, the tension etched on his face.
"You let her go, Master Bruce," Alfred observed, his tone sharp. "Twice now, you've allowed the thief to escape."
Bruce removed his cowl, his face tired but resolute. "I did, Alfred. Because I am The Strategist now. Nashton was the short-term threat; he is contained."
He walked over to the Batcomputer and pulled up a dual-screen projection: one showing the Falcone/Siren activity; the other showing Selina Kyle's known associates.
"Selina is the connector, Alfred. She has the contacts, the agility, and the street-level intelligence I desperately need. But she has to choose to be an ally," Bruce explained. "I didn't let her go because of sentiment; I let her go because the cost of capturing her would be the loss of her trust."
He smiled faintly, a small, strategic twist of the lips. "And I have a feeling the next riddle she solves will be about her partner's true loyalties."
> [XP Gained: The Strategist in Action (Nashton Containment) \rightarrow +50 XP.]
> Level Progress: 285/350 XP (Level 8).
The Siren's Escalation
The Batcomputer suddenly flashed a massive, red alert.
"Master Bruce," Alfred said, pointing to the screen. "While you were dealing with the Riddler's distraction, the Falcone Asset (The Siren) has escalated her territory claim. She's not just breaking windows anymore."
The alert showed satellite imagery of the Iceberg Contract zone. The Siren had surrounded the entire neighborhood with a massive, sound-dampening perimeter and was using her sonic abilities to induce mass hysteria and paranoia in the trapped residents.
"She's creating her own psychological weapon, but using pure sound," Bruce realized, his eyes narrowing. "She's trying to manufacture a city within a city—an island of terror. This requires a physical, systemic solution."
Bruce pulled up the data on his Ancient Arts Consultant—Diana Prince.
"Alfred, contact Diana Prince on the encrypted link. Tell her the Themysciran binding enchantments are required immediately. I need to know how to build a sonic cage."
The distraction was over. The true, chaotic war for Gotham was about to begin, and Batman needed to master magic and ancient secrets to win.