45-47

Chapter 45: Intro Retracted 

Cody absolutely saw the factory fire; he was the one who started it, after all. 

Actually, that question was multiple-choice, but really, it was more like a single correct answer. Every question Batman asked before this one was essentially a single-choice question. 

He knew Cody carved a pumpkin at the shop, so for the first question, he obviously couldn't answer no. 

He had ways of finding out what he'd said to his coworkers, and he'd mentioned at the shop that he was going out to sell pumpkins on Halloween night. So for the second question, Cody could only say he went out on the street. 

Likewise, Batman could easily confirm there was a pumpkin head at his place, probably even took pictures of it, and thoroughly checked surveillance cameras at key intersections, or maybe even asked residents or passersby near where Johnny Viti was killed. If someone – even an old lady with a bad memory – had seen his distinctive pumpkin head, they'd recognize it instantly, because it was just that unique. 

So for the third question, Cody answered that he went to the Diamond District, wearing the head. 

Those first three questions were about using known information to see if he would lie. The question about the factory fire sounded a bit different because ever since he put away the pumpkin head, he'd used the system to disappear and change clothes, so there was a good chance Batman hadn't been able to follow the pumpkin head lead any further. 

But that was only how it sounded. 

The factory fire was just too massive. That night, from the Diamond District, pretty much everyone could see the rolling black smoke and the towering flames from half a district away. For a wealthy area like the Diamond District, this kind of unexpected event was super rare; there was no way it wouldn't grab people's attention. So it was no exaggeration to say that probably the entire Diamond District noticed that fire that had Falcone absolutely furious. 

"I saw the fire from a distance and heard the crowd commotion. I was scared something else might happen, so I just left." 

"But you weren't wearing the head anymore?" 

"I took it off..." Cody gave a couple of awkward laughs. "It was too ugly, kinda embarrassing. Plus, everyone was looking at the fire, I was afraid people would notice my head." 

That part was true. After quickly getting away from the factory area, he specifically took off his head. Once the fire started, that became his alibi. 

So he knew his pumpkin carving was ugly. 

That thought popped into everyone's head abruptly – even Batman's. 

At this moment, Batman was still gazing at Cody. The guy's physical reactions, pupil dilation, heartbeat, sweating, and other signs all indicated he was telling the truth, but Batman instinctively felt something was off about him. 

He was too nervous, yet too relaxed. 

Everyone gets nervous facing Batman, but criminals are usually either extremely scared or hate his guts. Even ordinary folks mostly feel fear, distrust, and a little hostility towards him – and that's normal. Who's gonna trust some Bat freak who hides in the dark all day, constantly breaks people's bones, and hangs 'em from bell towers? 

He's Gotham City's nightmare, not just for criminals, but for everyone. The people willing to trust him have always been few and far between. 

But this guy here seemed absolutely sure Batman wouldn't hurt him, or maybe he wasn't too bright, or maybe he understood Batman better than most people. He understood – or thought he understood – Batman's abilities and code of conduct, so he was more afraid of him than the average person, and yet also trusted him more than the average person. 

Gotta look into this newcomer's identity carefully when I get back, he thought silently, then turned his gaze back to the manager. 

"Where's Donald?" 

The manager's face suddenly changed. He and Donald had been doing a lot of jobs for the Falcone family recently, and killed quite a few people. Batman wasn't looking for Donald to catch up. 

"Don't you dare think you'll get anything outta me!" 

In a flash, he quickly threw a sharp hook with his other hand. Just from that punch, you could tell he was definitely a skilled boxer. If that punch had landed on Cody's face, it would've knocked him out cold. 

But he threw that punch at Batman. 

CRUNCH 

A dislocating sound rang out. Batman easily stuck out his other hand, grabbed his wrist, and popped his joint out of place. 

"Where's Donald?" 

"Go to hell, you son of a—!" 

That was clearly not an acceptable answer. 

So Batman grabbed the manager with one hand, walked over to the broken window, pulled out his grapnel gun, and leaped out with him. 

"AAAAAHHHHH—" 

Cody watched Batman shadow disappear into the Gotham night sky with the manager, silently shedding tears and roaring inwardly. 

BATMAN! I gotta get up for an early class! I didn't even get paid yet! 

At this point, the police sirens downstairs drowned out the sound of the heavy rain. Commissioner Gordon and his team rushed in, looked at the ground full of injured people, and the silently grieving Cody standing there, looking a bit confused. 

How come there's one guy still standing this time? Did Batman find religion? 

... 

"Age?" 

"24, I'm a server at the restaurant." 

"Gender?" 

"Male." 

"Name?" 

"Cody." 

Looking at the still blinding, pale lights, Cody, who never smoked, suddenly felt the urge to light one up. 

"I just work there, sir. Why am I back at Gotham P.D. for questioning again?" 

"Who told you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Gordon shook his head, pulling out a cigarette. "I've never seen anyone as unlucky as you. Mind if I?" 

"Go ahead, go ahead." Cody pulled a Pocky stick out of his pocket and put it in his mouth, looking utterly defeated. "You can laugh too, it's not like things can get worse." 

Gordon hadn't planned on laughing, but seeing Cody like that, it was genuinely hard to keep a straight face. It was the first time he'd seen a genuinely innocent civilian brought into Gotham P.D. twice in such a short period. 

"This isn't a normal situation for you either. You were there when Richard Daniel was shot. You were there when Johnny Viti was assassinated and the counterfeit money at the factory was burned. And you even work at that restaurant." 

He turned his head and blew out a puff of smoke. "You just got to Gotham, and you're not a gang member, so the suspicion's lower. But your luck is just that bad." 

Cody sighed, finishing the Pocky. "Alright, alright, let's just get the statement done quickly." 

Gotta go to work tomorrow... he thought. Hope someone pays me my salary. 

... 

The next day, Cody stood at the restaurant entrance, staring blankly at the locked door, a confused look on his face. 

"Wait, where's my job?" 

Chapter 46: You, Go Take Down Two-Face and Batman! 

Losing your job while you're still on the clock – for Cody, that kind of experience was just as hilarious as watching Seven and the others go raid boss farming [a gaming reference, likely to Dark Souls or similar, where "raid boss farming" is a common activity, but getting "wiped" means the "raid" (team) is gone, leaving nothing but the "boss"]. 

To borrow someone's phrase, they fought and fought until all that was left was the group . 

"No way, where are the other guys from this damn restaurant? You're telling me they got pinched and they're just staying locked up? Where's Falcone? Falcone, throw us a bone here!" 

He pulled out his phone and called Donald and the manager. Sure enough, neither call was answered. But that was normal; even Falcone couldn't just charge into the GCPD overnight to spring people. 

"So what about me?" Cody stood alone outside the Red Dragon Restaurant, slowly putting on a face of pure agony, like a husky that got left behind by the pack: "I'm freakin' unemployed again? Lost my job before I even got my end-of-the-month paycheck?" 

Strictly speaking, he wasn't entirely jobless before getting paid at the end of the month; he had taken a $5,000 advance earlier in the month. He just hadn't gotten the asset points settlement that came at the end of the month. 

"Holy crap, my five thousand dollars in asset points..." Just thinking about the huge sum he'd lost made Cody's heart ache. "Batman, you're a monster, you're the worst, you've got no humanity! There are so many days in a month, and you just had to pick payday to crack down on crime! I'm gonna..." 

"What's this guy muttering about sitting on the curb?" 

"Beats me, just ignore him. Let's split. So many nuts in Gotham, don't need to stir up another one." 

Then the two passersby watched as the man on the side of the road looked up and gave them the finger: "screw you" 

"Hey, watch it, buddy..." 

"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down..." 

His phone suddenly rang in his pocket. Cody ignored the annoyed passersby and answered the call. 

"Hello? Is this Cody?" 

"Speaking. Who's this?" 

"Donald's currently in the hospital under police watch and can't get out, but he mentioned you to us – heard you're pretty capable?" 

Holy hell, the Falcone family actually had internal referrals! Donald, you're practically glowing with goodness! 

"Capable when, exactly?" Even though he wanted to accept the job right on the spot, Cody still asked carefully. "Just so you know upfront, I don't use guns." 

"He said you've got guts and good luck, and you're quick on your feet. Helped the restaurant dodge a problem." 

Honestly, considering the emotional damage the manager took from the whole thing, it might be more accurate to say he shielded the problem. 

"That's right, that was me!" Cody admitted immediately, his eyes firm, his voice decisive. "Donald's a good boss, he saw my potential right away. When the restaurant ran into trouble, I absolutely stepped up, I was the first one there to help out!" 

Clearly, since arriving in Gotham, his thick skin had improved faster than anything else except his driving skills. 

"Relax, man, it's not that big a deal..." The person on the other end seemed a little thrown by his enthusiasm. After composing himself slightly, he said, "Anyway, the guys won't forget what Donald said. But we heard you're new to Gotham and haven't joined any gangs yet?" 

"Yeah, I don't use guns, and I'm too scared to hack people up, so I just gotta keep myself afloat by working odd jobs like this." 

"Too scared to hack people up, but okay with a shootout?" The man on the phone chuckled. "Being clean isn't a bad thing either – come in for work tomorrow. And listen up, you're serving the Falcone family and the Maroni family, not doing favors for just any random cat or dog in Gotham. So be ready." 

Cody: ? 

Wait, how the heck did the Maroni family get added to the mix? He originally thought he was still somewhat clean, but now he's completely jumped into the deep end of the gangster pool? 

"Hold on, what kind of job is this?" 

"Your old profession. A waiter." 

... 

And so, on the same day he lost his job, Cody got a new one, becoming one of the Falcone family's exclusive waiters. 

As the top crime family in Gotham City, they naturally had the necessary style and extravagance. Holidays, family members' weddings and funerals, various banquets, and social events with other gangs were constantly happening. The waiters were either long-time family employees or recommended by members – reliable and competent individuals. And in sharp-eyed Donald's view, Cody fit that description. 

Not everyone was willing to work in Gotham dodging bullets, nor did everyone dare to get into a shootout with the Penguin's gang and still go home in one piece every midnight without being a gang member or knowing how to shoot. And his skill as a waiter was good enough, and his luck was eerily good. Not joining a gang or becoming an informant for any side showed he wasn't too crafty – in other words, he was dumb enough, trustworthy enough. 

Cody: Informants don't get asset points. 

"Remember, at the end of next month, the Roman is hosting a party on a cruise ship. All of you need to be prepared in advance – this is a big deal. Both Falcone and Maroni will be there. You absolutely cannot mess this up. Cody, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me." 

Cody, dressed in a suit, nodded. Today was his first day of training. Honestly, it felt pretty much the same as working at the Red Dragon, except there was a lot more stuff to memorize. Other than that, not much difference. 

There was a lot more free time here than before. After all, banquets didn't happen every day, and the other guys were busy with their side hustles. Cody, who had nothing else going on, was one of the rare exceptions. 

He held a thick manual in his hand, more things he had to memorize, including the banquet menu, drinks, ingredients, service etiquette, the event flow, and so on. But his attention wasn't on the manual at all; it had drifted to the people chatting nearby. 

"Johnny, you hear about that? I heard someone's already getting ready to take on the Roman's bounty." 

"Is that weird? It's a bounty put out by the Godfather. There's always brave guys when the reward's big – besides, the Roman wouldn't just ditch anyone willing to take risks for him." 

"It's some nobody gang, the Irish mob, you heard of 'em?" 

"There are tons of nobody gangs – doesn't matter who's trying to do it, only the ones who pull it off get the money." 

"What I mean is, have you thought about, instead of letting some nobody gang get this money, maybe..." 

"I'd tell you not to even think about it. There's a reason the boss doesn't want family members doing this – you heard of Batman? I don't wanna end up with broken hands and feet thrown on the police station steps after dealing with that DA." 

"Batman's on the bounty too, a whole million—" 

"Get outta here with that! If you wanna get yourself killed, don't drag me into it!" 

Chapter 47: I Can Learn 

Hearing the two guys talking, Cody immediately felt a surge of respect. 

He'd heard for ages that the Falcone family was full of tough customers, but today he saw it firsthand – they were even more hardcore than their reputation. Talking about taking on Two-Face first, then Batman? He wouldn't dare utter stuff like that even in his dreams; the most he'd do was silently grumble about Batman in his head. 

"Idiots." 

Just then, a cold, mocking voice cut in from the side. 

Cody instinctively nodded in agreement. Yeah, yeah, that was a sharp take, spot on. 

Wait a minute, why did that voice sound so familiar? 

"Who the hell are you calling an idiot?! You wanna fight?" 

The family member whose plan had just been shot down by his buddy was already ticked off. Hearing the cutting remark from someone else made him instantly boil over. He glared and twisted his head to the side, trying to figure out who was trash-talking him when he was already in a bad mood. But Cody spotted the big guy who'd mocked them before he did. 

Holy cow, Clinton Banner! 

It was that crazy bird who'd been riding the bus for half a year and was still chasing him and Drake, flashing his gun! He joined the Falcone gang?! 

Clinton seemed to recognize Cody too, giving him a little nod, like saying hello. 

When the guy saw Clinton and the Beretta tucked into his waistband, his angry voice suddenly dropped way down. If Cody wasn't mistaken, Clinton had probably already made a bit of a name for himself in the Falcone family thanks to his shooting skills. 

Or, you know, maybe he'd just blown the heads off a couple of wiseguys who dared to mess with him. 

"Alright, break it up," the guy who'd first said the other one was asking for trouble stepped in to ease the tension. "Don't chew the fat about family business here. If you've got time to kill, maybe figure out how you're gonna spend Thanksgiving." 

"How am I supposed to spend Thanksgiving? I don't even have a wife..." 

The conversation completely went off the rails. Clinton scoffed and turned to walk away. Cody didn't feel like hanging around either. Getting interrupted by those two reminded him that he still had a mission to complete. 

Blocking is Worse Than Redirecting Status: To Be Completed (0/1) Reward: Advanced Cooking Mastery 

Bombing Harvey Dent's place felt a little wrong and was a huge risk, plus the bounty wouldn't count towards his assets. But considering the Falcone bounty was still out there, it could draw some lowlifes looking to help Two-Face wrap up his origin story at any moment. So, Cody had to do the mission. 

Besides, he was the one who burned that twenty million dollars Falcone had stashed in the factory. Letting Harvey Dent take the fall for it made his conscience feel just a tiny bit guilty. 

So, he walked over to Clinton. 

"Hey, Clinton," he greeted him. "Long time no see." 

Clinton turned his head, still wearing that glum look, the same as he had on the bus that day, and the same as when he helped Cody chase off the muggers that night. What was weird was the few scratch marks on his bald head. He had no idea if he'd gotten them while getting payback on someone. 

"What do you want, chicken?" 

As soon as he spoke, Cody had a hard time keeping it together. He should have been annoyed, but seeing that fierce look on his face, combined with that shiny, round head with claw marks, he suddenly wanted to laugh. 

"It's not 'chicken,' it's Cody, thank you." 

"Doesn't make a difference. You need something?" 

"Yeah, yeah, a little something – you know the Irish Mob?" 

"I was the getaway driver that day. I can write it all down for you, if you need." 

The skinny guy with the small mustache and shifty eyes was "Slick" Jimmy. 

"I delivered the package to that woman, Harvey Dent's wife, Mrs. Dent, you know the one. I can write it all down for you, if you need." 

The guy with the honest face was "Phony" Kevin. 

"I followed Dent to his place, yeah, that was me, tracked him all the way home. If you need it, write it all down, I will." 

The bald, overweight guy with glasses who always liked to say things twice was "Duet" Willie. 

"I pressed the damn remote button. And I'll write it all down, if you need me to." 

The guy with the thick eyebrows, black hair, and big nose was "Kid" Donny. 

"I bought the stuff to make the bomb, yeah, that job was mine – I'll write it all down, man, that's what you want me to say, right?" 

The last guy, with big ears and a long face, was "Mouse" Mickey. 

Five people, five voices, five perfectly aligned confessions echoed through the room. Meanwhile, Cody, who was eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but zone out. 

This guy's actually named Mickey, and even his nickname is Mouse... Is that seriously okay? Are the Disney lawyers really not gonna have a problem with that? 

He couldn't help but think of a certain red fumo from a certain game. 

At this moment, the conversation in the room continued. 

"Everything good, Mickey?" 

"Yeah, it's good. Got the lines memorized cold. If anything goes wrong, that's what we say." 

"Man, finally get to catch a break. These past few days have been rough." 

"Rough my ass, you didn't do anything from start to finish – except practice hitting on married women and scamming regular girls." 

"It was all part of the plan, what could I do? You were staking out Harvey Dent's place until midnight every day, and I didn't say anything, did I?" 

"What the hell are you talking about? I just hung around Harvey's place for a few hours every day waiting to see when he got home, I was bored as hell – wanna switch?" 

"Do you have a gentleman's face like mine?" 

"You mean a phony gentleman, right?" 

"Why don't we check with our Mickey? Who wants to switch with him?" 

"You know how to make a bomb? You go ahead then? Mickey's gotta be sick of doing dangerous stuff like that, he'd probably love for someone to take over." 

"I can learn..." 

"Screw you, man, you said you wanted to take over driving for Jimmy last time, and you said the same exact words. And that time, the guys ended up sitting in jail for a whole six months." 

Cody bit his lip hard, trying not to laugh. These four jokers were too funny; he was struggling to hold back his urge to crack up. 

He closed his laptop and jotted down the location of these guys. He decided to walk away – the Irish Mob's usual hideout was in the East End anyway, so Cody just walked back and forth. If his two rides weren't so flashy, driving or even taking a wheelchair would have been way easier. 

As for how he managed to eavesdrop... 

Kit - Laptop, Lighter-shaped Eavesdropping/Tracking Device Price: $4000 Note: Curious why it's so expensive? Buy the hacking skill, and you'll find out. Note 2: Even in a world without CTOS, its built-in software and hardware configuration can be a top-notch tool in the hands of an expert.