The torrential rain and the night are the perfect cover for anyone with criminal intent. The rain washes away any traces they might leave behind.
And the darkness hides them from sight.
But for some people, it doesn't matter whether it's a rainy night or a bright day.
What they seek is not just money or material possessions.
They simply want to achieve their goals through their actions.
Perhaps it's for their own pleasure, perhaps for the thrill of controlling others, or maybe just to satisfy the demons within their hearts.
But all of these reasons ultimately lead them down the same path—toward crime.
"John, I really feel like there are fewer homeless people in New York these days," one officer casually said to his partner as they sat in their patrol car.
They had always been in charge of this district and knew exactly what kind of people usually roamed these streets.
Whether it was day or night, wind or rain, the homeless would always appear before them. But now, the area seemed noticeably cleaner.
"Maybe it's because those damn city officials finally got booted out," replied the officer named John, nodding seriously. "But you're right, Jenny. There really are a lot fewer homeless people now."
Ever since the Bat appeared in New York, many things had quietly changed.
Those who once strutted around arrogantly now behaved like whipped dogs, keeping their tails tucked between their legs.
Terrified that the slightest misstep might catch the Bat's attention.
If their rivals got hold of their dirty secrets, at worst they might just lose their position.
But if the Bat found out, most of them would end up in prison—with no chance of bail.
That's why nearly all of New York's city officials had been replaced, and the new batch knew exactly what they needed to do.
"Still, I hope they manage to return home and start living normal lives. It'd make our jobs a lot easier," Jenny said, glancing at the sparse number of homeless along the road.
But before they had time to reflect on it, something suddenly fell from the sky and smashed directly into the roof of their patrol car.
"What the fuck!!!" Jenny shouted angrily, slamming the door open. He wanted to see which neighborhood brat had the guts to pull something like this.
Judging by the dent in the roof, whatever hit it was no small object.
But the moment Jenny stepped out and saw what had actually hit their car, he froze.
It wasn't some heavy object that had been thrown down—it was a person's body.
The man who lay dead on top of the patrol car was someone Jenny recognized. He was one of the homeless people from their district.
Jenny had assumed he had either died quietly in some alley or had left New York to give up on his pipe dream of striking it rich.
He never expected the man to come back into his life in such a way.
"What the hell happened?" John had also gotten out of the car by now. When he saw the disfigured body of the homeless man, the rookie officer couldn't take it. He covered his mouth and rushed over to a nearby trash can to vomit.
But Jenny didn't laugh at John for his reaction.
Because someone else had appeared before him.
The Bat stood silently in front of him, staring down at the homeless man who had landed on the patrol car.
"Kazim Lowry. From New Jersey. 52 years old. White male. Multiple incarcerations. History of drug addiction," Jessica's voice came in through the Batcave's comms, providing a full profile of the deceased.
"No secondary injuries aside from impact trauma. No external wounds."
Bruce was already examining the man's body more closely.
From a preliminary check, Bruce could tell this man had either accidentally fallen to his death or had taken hallucinogens and lost awareness.
But murder couldn't be ruled out.
Bruce pulled open the man's shirt—and only then did he confirm that this was no accident or suicide.
"Jesus is the Savior of Humanity."
That phrase was carved into the man's chest. Beside it, a cross had been imprinted.
"We may be dealing with a deranged serial killer," Jessica muttered as she watched the real-time footage Bruce transmitted.
"Look into his arrest records, the time he was incarcerated, and whether he was involved in any extremist religious groups," Bruce ordered Jessica, then began moving the body off the patrol car.
"Understood, boss," Jessica replied, immediately diving into the dead man's background.
Meanwhile, Jenny was struggling to find words. He didn't know how to act in front of the masked vigilante.
His training told him to remain composed. But as a huge fan of Bruce, he was also starstruck. The conflict made him momentarily speechless.
"It's murder. Stay alert. He's likely to strike again."Leaving only those words, Bruce disappeared into the shadows.
Only then did Jenny remember to report the incident back to headquarters.
Bruce stood atop a tall building, overlooking the area below.
Ever since the homeless population started disappearing, he had begun investigating this area.
He wanted to see if someone was abducting the homeless for illegal human experiments. After all, in this city, no one really cared about them.
Their lives—or deaths—wouldn't affect the functioning of the city.
At most, their absence might just improve the appearance of the streets.
"Send me the location map of all the missing homeless in this district."
"Boss, I still haven't finished checking what you asked me to before, and now you're already giving me more work?" Jessica protested to Bruce, clearly a little exasperated—after all, her boss had a habit of acting on impulse.
And it was always the kind of thing that required her to get moving immediately.
Despite what she said, Jessica was still diligently doing her job.
She immediately sent Bruce the location maps he needed.
"Twenty-two." Bruce clenched his fists as he looked over the maps.
Even in this situation, twenty-two people had gone missing right under his nose.
And it was very likely they'd already met a grim fate.
"Boss, you're not a god. You can't possibly take care of everything," Jessica said, rendered speechless by Bruce's stubbornness and obsession.
"Did you find anything on that homeless guy from before?" Bruce didn't respond to Jessica's comment and instead asked her to look into the man's background.
Jessica let out a sigh but didn't argue. Right now, the most important thing for her was to find out what that homeless man had been through before ending up in New York.
Meanwhile, Bruce had already set off.
Following the maps Jessica sent him, Bruce began inspecting each location for anything unusual.
But the results were disappointing.
The heavy rain had washed away all traces—completely. And with someone like a homeless man, who has no fixed place to stay, every clue had already vanished.
Of course, not all twenty-two missing persons had disappeared in places that were exposed to the rain.
But even in the spots that were sheltered, Bruce couldn't find any useful clues, as they had already been taken over by other homeless individuals.
There were still some traces left from the previous occupants, but barely enough to go on.
Nothing useful could be extracted from them.
Still, Bruce noticed something particularly odd.
While scanning for footprints, he came across a trail that stood out—the person who made them was wearing shoes far too expensive for any homeless person.
Judging by the depth of the imprint, the shoes had been worn for quite a long time.
The tread on the soles was almost completely worn down.
Typically, someone who could afford such high-end leather shoes wouldn't let a pair wear out like this—they'd always have a spare.
Unless that pair was the only one they had.
The only pair that allowed them to speak to others, do business, or maintain appearances.
From the wear on the soles, it was clear the person walked a lot every day, which said a lot about them.
Their profession likely involved frequent interaction with wealthy clients.
But someone like that wouldn't normally come here in those shoes just to find a homeless person.
They'd treasure such shoes and avoid ever letting them get muddy or ruined.
Which meant this footprint might've been left here intentionally.
Bruce didn't waste much more time at the scene. He turned and left. He needed more clues, but with the current state of these homeless encampments, there was nothing useful to be found.
And in just a second, the lives of those people could be in even greater danger.
Another chapter will be released at 8 o'clock.
(End of Chapter)
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